british force guide final

8/15/2019 British Force Guide Final

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The Great Interplanetary War, Part One – All Quiet on the Martian Front

A Guide to the British Expeditionary Force in the North American Theater

Background

After the first Martian Invasion, the United Kingdom lay in ruins. Its population, its industry, its army

and its infrastructure were shattered. Amongst the ruins lay the Martian machines and the bodies of the

slain. On the cessation of hostilities and when it was clear the Martians were finished, many countries

sent aid immediately to Great Britain in the form of food, medicine and doctors. The government of

Great Britain quickly rallied and the army was reorganized and put to work building shelter for the

inhabitants, policing the towns and country and quickly restored a sense of order.

Several months passed and one thing started becoming very clear. The European Powers, as they were

called, as well as Russia were slow to extend greater aid to the UK. Their public position was full of

“Humanitarian assistance but what if the Martians return? We too must be ready.” Privately, the various

governments looked with envious eyes towards the remainder of the British Empire and considered their

options. The British Navy, relatively undamaged by the Martians, still stood in their way and gave them

pause, but the wheels were turning.

Across the Atlantic, things were quite different. In America and Canada, a popularist movement began to

aid “our cousins” across the sea. The great industrialists of the age - Carnegie, Rockefeller, JP Morgan -

saw opportunity. They lent their support, which was considerable. With their control over much of the

press, the ‘Across the Sea’ movement became a groundswell. Eventually, the US Government acted out

of political pressure. American resources, through many and varied arrangements, began pouring into

Great Britain. As Allies, America and the UK became stronger and much more closely entangled.

Before the European Powers could rise to the occasion, Great Britain was not only coming back to her feet

again, but something new was emerging.

The Martian Machines that had been left behind were the subject of close and unprecedented scrutiny.

This effort was led, in no small part, by the British Army. The Martian Invasion had been the worst defea

of British arms in history. The sting of it was felt through the highest echelons of the service. The Press

was playing their part by laying blame as well. Something had to be done and it galvanized the higher

command into rather unprecedented cooperation with each other.

With the help of American resources for a civilian recovery, the scientists and industrialists of the UK

worked under the full support of the military. In a remarkably short period of time, the UK rose from the

ashes of the first Invasion with new reverse engineered Martian technology fifty years or more ahead of

their nearest rivals.


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improved radios making most British vehicles accessible to the chain of command and support for such weapons as the Coil Gun.

Construction - The construction of Martian machines and their complete lack of knownmethodologies such as rivets, screws, and other mechanical fasteners has manifested itself in thewide spread use of electric welding of various metals. It did not require many rivets on the UK

equipment as a result. Magnetism - The Martians understood Magnetic Principle far better than humans, but through

careful study and application, methods were learned to make magnetism a far more harness ableforce. These improvements were seen in the rapid advancement of small electric motors and thewonder weapon, the Coil Gun.

Radium - Much has been written about the wondrous application of Radium and the exploitation ofits properties. One of the biggest advances on the horizon is harnessing its power for trains, shipsand even automobiles. Recent experiments have shown that concentrated radium, tightly packed,can generate enough heat to turn water into steam and thus power the newest electric generators.

Diesel – Electric Engines - With improved machining, casting and welding, new diesel motors thatwere smaller and more efficient were being produced. In many cases they were used to power

generators which in turn powered electric motors in many vehicles such as the Imperial Main

Service Tank chassis and its variants.

British Military Doctrine

The British Army embraced the new technology with a new tactical doctrine - The All Mobile Force.

With better vehicles, the old role of stationary infantry came into question. Increasingly, tanks and other

weapons platforms capable of rapid redeployment and aggressive rather than static defensive tactics

changed attitudes. The infantry needed to be able to adapt to this new form of warfare and many trials

were taking place of new equipment, known as Infantry Carriers, to allow the Infantry support to keep

pace with concentrated armored vehicles’ attack forces. The old horse drawn methods and “shoe leather”movement of forces rapidly fell by the wayside. What follows is a brief description of some of the troop

types and vehicles of the British Expeditionary Force:


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Infantry and Light Forces

The British infantryman has seen vast improvement to his kit and personal weapons. Now, equipped with

relatively light weight personal armour, the British soldier is also equipped with the new Brodie helmet.

This helmet incorporates a new pattern gas mask of high efficiency and fuller protection of the head and

back of the neck. The common soldier carries the Lee Enfield Rifle but with armour-piercing

ammunition. Each British squad is also equipped with one man carrying a portable coil gun, batteryoperated, for anti-vehicle capability. The main support weapon of the infantry is the Improved Vickers

Machine Gun. Lighter and with a faster rate of fire than its predecessor, it can also fire armour-piercing

ammunition.


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INFANTRY SQUAD

Unit: 2 elements

Points per unit: 35

Element Type Speed Defense/Armor Weaponry Special

Infantry Squad Infantry 6” 5/5 Rifle, 1 Coil Stealth

Weapon Range Power Special

Rifles

Coil Gun

15”

15”

-

+2

-

Experimental, Coil

HMG TEAMS

Unit: 3 elements

Points per unit: 50


Machine Gun Infantry 6” 5/5 Improved

Vickers MG

Stealth


Machine Gun 20” - Rate of Fire 3


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CAVALRY UNIT

Unit: 3 elements

Points per unit: 55


Cavalry Mtd 8” 5/5 Rifles,

Grenades

Mounted


Rifle 15” -

Grenades 3 - Assault

ASSAULT TROOPS

Unit: 1 element

Points per unit: 60


Assault Troops Infantry 6” 5/5 Experimental

Rifle


Experimental Rifles 15” +1 Experimental

Explosives Assault +2 -


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Armoured Vehicles

Armoured Cars

As part of the new All Mobile Force Doctrine, armoured cars play a significant role in British service. The

Light Armour Car, based on the famous civilian Rolls Royce Specter, is lightly armoured and features a

cast turret and Improved Vickers Machine Gun. All these vehicles are radio equipped and perform

admirably as the “eyes and ears’ of the army. They are used for scouting in large numbers as well as

courier roles.

In trials, it became apparent that the Rolls Royce armed cars needed increased firepower. Eventually, itwas determined that the answer had to be an all new vehicle. Very large, the Defiant armoured cars have

more armour, a slightly larger crew, and most importantly, a canon capable of significant anti-vehicle

work. In the beginning, there was some resistance to their size and the fact they weren’t quite as f ast as

the original Rolls Royce cars, but service in India has indicated they have a much higher survival rate and,

in numbers, can even cause significant annoyance to the Martian Machines in their combination of

firepower and speed.


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ARMOURED ROLLS ROYCE

Unit: 1 element

Points per unit:


Armoured

Rolls Royce

Vehicle 6” 6/6 Improved

Vickers

Scout


Improved Vickers MG20”

- Rate of Fire 3

DEFIANT ARMOURED CAR

Unit: 1 element

Points per unit: 55


Defiant

Armoured Car

Vehicle 8” 7/7 Gun Scout


Swivel 20” +2/- Anti-Vehicle


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Imperial Main Service Tank The Imperial Main Service Tank entered service in February of 1909 after two years of design and experimentation.

In the fall of 1909, new Imperial Tanks entering service were re-equipped from Kerosene motors to a Petrol engine

driving a generator. The Generator in turn powered large electric motors for the tracks. This combination was less

powerful than at first hoped. The Imperial Tanks switched from service in India and then transported to the USA

with the British Expeditionary Force were re-equipped, in transit, with the Diesel Electric Drive. This combination

is a vast improvement over previous power plants and is well liked by the crews and field engineers. All future

Imperial Main Service tanks will be equipped with this drive as standard.

The Imperial Tank has an all cast turret and upper hall. These two components are cast with a proprietary mixture

of steel and a classified material. They are then heated in the vast new ovens outside of Warrington until they are

red hot. This process bonds the materials together and creates a very hard and heat resistant casting. Casting

objects of this size and complexity still remains proprietary to Great Britain but experiments are being conducted in

Germany and the United States.

The Imperial is armed with one of the new 17 pound high velocity guns. A machine gun is mounted in an auxiliary

turret on the forward deck.


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The suspension and caterpillar tracks are of a new design that was conceived as suitable for both cross country and

road performance. Access in the field has been the primary complaint so far as working on the suspension and

tracks is very difficult with the heavy side skirts in place.

Some Imperial Tank Squadrons are equipped with Coil Guns. While relatively rare and prone to maintenance

problems in the field, their penetrating power is deemed worth the aggravation.

SPECIAL RULE: Coil Guns in Imperial Tanks are subject to failure and breakage. Any Imperial tank

that rolls a 1 when trying to hit has had a coil gun failure. It may not fire again unless repaired on a roll of

7 or better at the beginning of each fire phase.

IMPERIAL TANK

Unit: 3 Tanks

Points per unit: 270 points (add 25 per coil gun)


Imperial Tank Vehicle 7” 6/8 HV

Cannon


HV Cannon 40” +2 -

½ lb Coil Gun 40” +3 Coil


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The Imperial Main Service tank Chassis was intended to be the platform for new weapon systems. TheKitchener is the first and most common of these. An ungainly looking machine with a huge box like

super- structure to house the main gun, it’s the first attempt at a rapid firing gun of large enough caliber to

do significant damage to vehicle targets and be self mobile. In India, it has been effective against the

tripods, but its high profile makes it a vulnerable target.


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Essentially, it is equipped with three 17 pound guns rotated by an electric motor. These three barrels can

be fired in rapid succession and then are reloaded with the aid of a machine system.

SPEICAL RULE: Kitchener tanks can’t AMBUSH due to their high profile and ungainliness.

KITCHENER

Unit: 1 Element or

Unit: 3 Tanks for a Kitchener Squadron

Points per unit: 115 or 345


Kitchener Vehicle 7” 6/8 Tri-Barrel


Tri-Barrel 30” +1 Experimental, Rate of Fire 3


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Mono Tanks

The Fairley – Johnson Uni-Tread tank was not well accepted by the military until the field trials of early1910. It was one of several inventions being pitted against each other for the Ordinance Department’sAdvanced X-Craft Ministry. The trials took place on an excessively rainy day and the field was absolutely

thick with mud. The Barlton Multi-PediWheel Carrier got stuck and broke down almost immediately.The so-called Grayson Electric Flivver never started. The Uni-Tread, however, dashed around the fieldand overcame every obstacle in its path, flipping over and righting itself several times. It did, indeed, look unstoppable. Production approval was granted immediately and Fairley, along with Johnson, wiselysilenced the shaken driver of the machine when he proclaimed that the throttle had become stuck andthat’s why he ran the course at full speed.

The Uni-Tread became officially known as the FJ Mono Tank 1 by the army. By the men who drove itand serviced it, it became a Wheeler. Wheeler was the name that stuck with the press and the public.

Wheelers are very fast but ungainly at top speed. They carry two cannons that are clip fed but the machine

must be stopped and the ammo reloaded externally when depleted. They have a crew of two and thearmour is rather light, certainly in comparison to an Imperial tank. Still, their speed and maneuverabilitygives them an important role on the battlefield. They are one of the new fast-attack weapons designed for the All Mobile Force. Their crews are volunteers and Wheeler Men or just Wheelers for short are wellknown for their spirited morale and cavalier attitude.

Rules Note: Mono tanks may move up to 8 inches per turn through any kind of terrain except that labeledimpassable including unwadable water. When they travel more that 6 inches in a turn, they must take astability test. On a roll of 6 or more, they have flipped over. Using their movable side arms, they can rightthemselves but, it takes the next TWO movement phases to do so.

MONO TANK

Unit: 3 Mono Tanks

Points per unit: 160


MonoTank Vehicle 8” 7/6 Gun X2 Stabilizers


Gun 20” +2 / - Anti-Tank


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2 Pounder Coil Gun

This towed weapon is the largest of the current Coil Gun designs and fires a 2 lb projectile of repurposed

Marian Metal at high velocity.

Coil Guns are essentially a series of magnetic rings that “pull” a ferrous projectile down its barrel

propelling it at high velocity. An improvement was made in their penetrating power when it wasdiscovered that iron rings attached to crushed Martian metal salvage created a high velocity round without

comparison.

Coil Guns require a high voltage power source. A portable version using new technology has been created

for an infantry man to carry, but the weapon is of very low caliber. The battery pack is heavy and

awkward and once spent, the battery cannot be easily recharged.


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The 1/2 lb Coil Gun is the most common vehicle mounted version. It is most commonly seen as a main

gun modification on the Imperial Tank.

In general, the larger the Coil Gun, the less reliable they are. In the largest size, the 2 lb gun, the amount

of electricity generated to power them is quite high and a danger in and of itself.

While the magnets and mechanics of the gun are actually fairly simple, problems with the transformers

and electrical systems can be a nuisance. The crew of the two pound version actually wears special

insulated boots, gloves and an apron to reduce accidental fatalities caused by arcing and unintentional

electric discharges.

SPECIAL RULE: A 2 Lb Coil Gun that rolls a one when attempting to hit has mechanically failed. Roll

immediately on the following table:

2 lb Coil Gun Failure Table

1-3 - The Coil Gun simply fails to operate this turn. Proceed normally next turn. 4-6 - A major electrical connection is shorted out. It will take two full turns to be operational

again.

7-9 - Overcharge. The weapon fires but with TWICE the normal power (+6). Unfortunately, it has burned out its major circuits and will not fire again for 1 D10 turns.

10 - Catastrophic failure. The Coil Gun circuits violently discharge all over the place electrocutingthe unfortunate crew. The gun and crew are destroyed.

2 POUND COIL GUN

Unit: 1 Element

Points per unit: 90


Towed Coil Gun Vehicle 4” 4/5 Coil Gun Heavy Gear,

Coil


Heavy Coil Gun 60” +4 Coil


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Lloyd Command Carrier

With the Infantry mounted in carriers, it certainly was necessary to make sure the command elements

could keep pace too. The Lloyd Command Carrier was a modified Cardigan with extensive radio gear,

and excellent tea service and proviso for a portable chart room.

LLOYD COMMAND CARRIER

Unit: 1 Element

Points per unit:


Lloyd Command

Carrier

Vehicle 7” 6/7 4 Improved

VickersMG

Command




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The Wicket Special Purpose Tank

Originally designed to lay down a current of sticky viscous burning liquid to incinerate dug in infantry and

attack fortifications, the Wicket suffered from a serious flaw. The compound it pumped at high pressure

was very difficult to ignite. However, it was capable of laying down giant puddles of impossibly sticky

liquid. Given that the inventor, Charles Wicket, was the Duke of Cunningham and quite influential, the

army adopted the Wicket as an anti-infantry vehicle. Surprisingly, it proved very effective in India in

“gumming up the works” of Martian tripods.

The Wicket tank sprays a puddle of sticky goop up to 12 inches away. It conveniently uses the same

template as Black Dust. Any vehicle or infantry unit sprayed or trying to travel through this puddle

becomes stuck on a roll of 3 +. BOUND TRIPOD RULES ETC>>>>Also has an Improved Vickers.

CARDIGAN INFANTRY CARRIER

Unit: 1 Element

Points per unit:


Cardigan Infantry

Carrier

Vehicle 7” 6/7 4 Improved

Vickers

MG

Gun

Command



Gun 20” +2 / - Anti-Tank


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Other Equipment in BEF Service

The BEF uses a considerable amount of “in theater” equipment to support their frontline forces without

the expense of transporting them from England.

Months before the deployment, a British military contingent came to the US to make arrangements. The

idea was American equipment with British Commonwelath Crews.

The one vehicle the British military frowned upon a bit was the Baldwin Mark II and III. They are justso…primitive to them. They requested a new main gun and had British Cole Pattern mantlets installed.

Other changes were mostly internal, but they also wanted the auxiliary high cupola over the driving

compartment removed. This version became the British Pattern Mark II Baldwin Tank, more commonly

known to the American forces as the “Tommy Tank”. Once the Canadians saw it, they demanded some

too. Despite their best efforts, Baldwin can’t produce enough of the Tommy Baldwins to meet demand, so

it’s actually more common to see the original version in BEF and Canadian Service.

WICKET TANK

Unit: 1 Element

Points per unit:


Wicket Tank Vehicle 7” 6/7 Glue Gun GLUE


Glue Gun 12 “ Special Template


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Many other US equipment types are used by the BEF. They brought no “common” artillery with them

and are reliant on US Heavy Howitzers and Mobile Artillery. They do not use the Anti-tripod gun. All

other American origin equipment, with the exception of the Goliath, Land Ironclads and the Mark IV

chassis variants have seen use with the BEF. The Monitor is the only Mark IV chassis to be used by the

BEF in North American service. Whole fleets of American Flivvers and service vehicles put to work in

support roles.

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