RIGA 1916

During the Campaigns of the Eastern Front, combat took a different appearance. The conditions were brutal and unforgiving, with winters cold enough to freeze over Hell itself, and a sparsity of food that drove soldiers back to scavenging and foraging. Combat was unlike that on the Western Front. Cavalry charges remained commonplace, and many conflicts occurred in areas where the landscape could be used against the roving horsemen, of either side.

One such area that remained contended for much of the war was the coastal town of Riga, and its surrounding hilly plains, dotted with clusters of forest. The town’s castle and overall location made it an attractive target for the Central Powers on their expansionary drive towards Petrograd, and so they diverted resources to the Riga Gulf in efforts to hold the land-based lines which had seen naval battles off their shores a year prior.

The Russian powers, with the unrest in their ranks, request aid from the British and French Empires. In order to hold the town, they will need to bolster their guard and better equip their troops.

A Troop transport only just makes it to the town’s docks, aboard a French naval vessel. Diverted troops from the Western Front arrive to assist as a goodwill gesture and a somewhat underwhelming attempt at relieving pressure and diverting enemy troops away from the ongoing Battle of the Somme. Through the countryside, rumours of new equipment and better supply stocks reach each soldier, and provide a little hope in the otherwise frigid wastes. However, the reality is simple. Men will fight for control of a barren, destroyed landscape, offering little mercy in the fight to come. Kit guide for Riga

Terms & Condtions