Another unrecorded event…

The Bridge at Trabazos 

Long story short; I have been tasked to provide the battle narrative for an ongoing Napoleonic campaign - in other words, play out the battles with miniatures.

The Anglo-Portuguese commander wants the bridge destroyed, the French commander expects to deploy north of the town getting there via the bridge over the Druro River as part of a larger Peninsular War fictional battle.

Not really having the ‘proper’ troops for this engagement, I went small scale by using my ~40mm Flintloque figures to play out this portion of the battle as a very minor skirmish.

I gave the French two fine “companies” of infantry to approach the bridge while the British Engineers prepare to blow it up.  Each turn the Engineers roll a d6 until 16 is reached and it will be wired for detonation (and upon a die roll, of course!)

Defending the Engineers are a ‘company’ of the 9th Foot of the 5th Division. While a veteran regiment, the Captain is a martinet hated by the ranks. (a bad roll for his ‘personality’)  Alone in an isolated village away from the army commanded by an officer who had no idea what he was doing, with the temptation for loot and discovery of drink it was too much for the soldiers who, despite the efforts of their sergeant, left their post by degrees.  However the captain, excited by his first meeting of the Napoleon’s army (he had purchased his position and had absolutely no military experience), did not realize about the desertions.

The 'martinet' of the 9th. Note the sergeant with the halberd to the left of the officer already turned around to chase after the would be looters. 

However some defence of the town came from a small band of Guerrillas defending their homes who were of sterner stuff and fired upon the first company of French halting them and mortally wounding their officer.  This confident action (rolling 12(!) for activation) and subsequent roll of 6, activated a small contingent of Portuguese.

The  "Portuguese" 

Early in the action showing the French. The 9th Foot is across the river, the British Engineers on the bridge.

Meanwhile, as the French advanced, the 9th’s Captain marvelled at the French Colonel’s uniform and his flowing hair astride his charger galloping on the bridge in the glory of war. “Fire!” he yelled.  The loud percussion he expected was met with silence. 

“Now, sir?” was the only sound. The single trooper left with him looked up from his knelling position in a questioning frown.

The Guerrillas switched focus to the stagnant first company to the company lead by the mounted officer, but these French did not react to the resulting casualties. Ensconced behind a shielding wall, the raw soldiers of Portuguese remained in place and unwilling to engage in gunfire. But the large Engineer sergeant, a huge Irishman, declared to the oncoming French officer, “You be not stopping us you Froggie bastard!” and using a rusted shovel as a club, engaged with the Frenchman.  Seeing the following French soldiers, he looked over his shoulder and exclaimed, “Work faster!” to his fellow engineers.(my dice rolls were good but still 1 short!)

The Engineer sergeant on the bridge

Alas, his heroism was in vain, the horse evaded the shovel and a well-placed sabre met his brains. A following French soldier toppled an engineer into the water below and another used his hanger blade to cut the cords to the barrels of artillery powder suspended under the bridge. The Guerrillas and Portuguese then melted away.

Of course this story will never make it into the history books.  All that may indeed be mentioned is…the French IV Corps, 1st Division crossed over the Druro and deployed north of Trabazos…. 

Actually my "Calabrese Legion" troops.  Converted from Flintloque figures into something resembling the proper Napoleonic War troops..sort of... Full of 'character' they are.  ~40mm scale (ish). So outrageously cartoonish as to be cute.

The Army of Major Might

Will Bailie, a wargaming buddy of mine has his focus on the Indian/Afghan area for some time now and has created his own imagiNation world of a Indian Sub-continent land called Jhamjar (yes, like jam jar... so lots of "food you put on toast" puns possible among others).  He put out a call for local fellow gamers to add a contingent should they wish within the confines of era and geography.  (Link: Jhamjar explained )

 As I had some Boers laying about "without a home" , I decided to quickly base them for the task.
The following is my contingent's tongue-in-cheek backstory:

  
Major(recently retired)V.G.Might, late of the South African forces stationed in the Sinai at the end of the First World War, did not want to go back to Pretoria.  He felt many of his (former) command felt likewise.  Victor Might was dissolutioned fighting an ‘Imperial War”.  A dreamer and reader of grand adventures in the back and beyond of Asia and one morning, after a much gin-fuelled read of “The Chalice of Hunn-Nee”,  began his recruiting drive.  He found a large body of men armed and looking for adventure and offered them images of riches and exotic lands.

Courtesy of his ‘procurement officer’, a rather daring individual who boarded commercial ships as they transversed the Suez Canal, asked for their shipping manifests (often at gunpoint) and removed whatever would be useful.  One such vessel was transporting suits of men’s civilian clothing. “Can’t be wearing our old khakis can we?”  To the Major’s liking, as they were of somber tones; to these were added bandoliers and, of course rifles, by far the easiest to obtain. Razors were rare however, much to some of the men’s delight.

The army was given its employment the day when the Major’s second, Piet Rasponse “Rasp” Berry asked scratching at his growing beard, “So where do we find this chalice?”
   Might did not look up from his worn atlas of Asia, “Well, Rasp, the Huun Nee is thought to reside in the Bai Lie Temple somewhere in the Imagitush Mountains.”
   “And how, pray tell, do we get to this ‘Bai Lie’ place?” asked Rasp.
    Pointing a finger somewhere on the old page, Might responded, “Through this Jhamjar region it appears.”

…So there is my backstory to why a bunch of Second Boer War figures would be in a remote section of Asia. But how they are to be deployed, whose side are they on, and their quality is yet to be determined.

Photos of Might's 'Army' on the trail to Jhamjar

Saratoga, here I come!

Finally had the time…and mental momentum….to finish my American contingent for my certain portion of the American Revolutionary War Saratoga campaign.  The battles to come will be a contrast in tactics.  I have certainly taken the mythical view so thusly the Americans will have good-shooting small skirmish militia units, some as veterans, with (for now) only a small Continental regiment and with artillery support verses very large but timid Brunswick Germans units.  The latter formed a large portion of the British army descending the Hudson River Valley in 1777.

I have taken the narrative of the historical campaign battles and thus will have fictional scenarios involving the Brunswickers attacking across open fields with the Americans firing into their ranks (an aggressive commander [Gen. B. Arnold?] leading);  the Germans attacking American defences well defended by artillery (allowing for American commander ‘Granny’ Gates’ “let ‘em come to us” plan if came to pass);  or reversing the latter scenario and having the Germans defend their built defenses against the American assault per the Breymann’s Redoubt engagement

'Benedict' encouraging the troops

In any case, the rules will be Osprey’s Rebels and Patriots [thus the mixed basing styles].  Speaking of which, the reader will have noted that the Germans (mostly Brunswick but there was attached a unit of Hessian infantry with accompanying artillery unit -  as those figures were slightly different posed and I had knowledge of that unit's flag!) have a ranked look while the Americans are on round bases either in group or larger singles.  This was deliberate as to convey the difference in fighting style (using the traditional view).

The militia form up behind the log emplacements 

One of the 'heavy' guns and another unit of militia skirmishers holding the right of the camp

The American figures are mostly Perry “Southern Militia” re-purposed [ obviously MY battles will be fought on exceptionally pleasant October days for the boys to be in shirts only! ] The Germans are old Foundry SYW Prussians (the 1777 German uniform continued to be virtually a copy or close enough….)  The Americans happen also to be artillery heavy but they did have a fair amount of guns in their encampments historically so.  Guns are points expensive in RaP so it might be fun to play out a scenario in which the American camp is defended primarily only by artillery and see if the firepower is enough to stop the German advance.

Part of the much more numerous German force

For once, I actually had a plan for the collection before ( ! ) painting/basing - not before having the  figures but 2 of 3 in the planning is good for me!  Other than perhaps another Continental unit to make it a bit more historical in composition, I have enough in size to conduct the battles I wish to run and the historical context to provide the scenario inspirations I will enjoy.

The big battle style....

The previous post had a 6mm big battle which each element was brigade strength.  My Napoleonic rules employ a similar ratio but using 28mm figures (but obviously fewer of them for the ‘footprint’!)
Here are some pictures of a Waterloo refight done a while back.  The area of this game would be but a square foot or two on Kevin’s table, but I assume (due to being a historical refight) all the fun maneuvering has already been done (all the corps been committed to one area of the countryside or the other like Grouchy and Gerard's) and the true tactical fighting is to begin……

Looking from the north-east 

the view Napoleon might have witnessed

and that of Wellington

the 100Days Campaign Part 1

I volunteered to use my collection to occasionally fight out the miniatures battles of a campaign organized by David (see:link) Not knowing of the players or their intentions, it is very interesting getting "marching orders" without knowing the larger picture.  Just as a soldier in like real life!

Part 1 of this campaign (for me) was the playing out of the maneuvers of the players for the Battle of Thuin.

Battle of Thuin…the morning.

It was a wonderful asset to have a portion of the reserve to reinforce his contingent Steinmetz mused. But for it to be of full use, it must be deployed, along with his own artillery, in the open plain in front of the town.  To protect the guns, he was forced to deploy before the town and not in the better defensive position within, and thus, in the open.  He hoped the guns might reduce the French attack but it would depend upon the numbers the French would place against him.  He certainly wondered why he was so isolated.

Steinmetz deployed his meager units in a line south of the town, with the jagers in the woods in a position to offer a threat to the French left as they advanced from the south.  The various limbers, wagons and caissons of the artillery were arrayed in an area to the north-west of the town along the road network.

The French General Vandamme certainly did not believe in subtlety and advanced on a broad front with his horse on the far right (east) to swing in behind Thuin to cut off any Prussian retreat.
He soon discovered the firepower of the extra guns used by the Prussians but continued to press the point. One of Lefol’s brigades recoiled out to the woods in a failed attempt to clear the Prussian jagers and Vandamme was forced to move his reserve of Girard’s small division to keep the jagers threat at bay.

The height of the French (top) attack on Steinmetz's Prussians (bottom) before the town of Thuin

With the massed Prussian guns slowly reducing his effectiveness, Vandamme had no choice but to move into the Prussian infantry defending the guns in a sweeping attack, even though at poor odds. From 10am to noon, there was attack and counter attack as the guns boomed.

Hearing the cannon fire, French Cavalry General Kellerman hastened his pace; but shortly, exhausted couriers gave him word of a Prussian cavalry force following him.  As he gave a questioning thought of how did the Germans get in behind him, he issued orders to about face and meet this new threat.  Those officers whose units were indeed among the Prussian wagons placed behind Thuin also gave pause to question why, in the moment of attack, they were ordered to about face and move away, but such is the maneuvers of war.

Kellerman's foremost units among the Prussian rear echelon before being ordered to about-face.

However, the effect of masses of French cavalry near the Prussian rear echelon and the subsequent panic by the wagoners strained the morale of the Prussian force which, for the moment held, as the 24th Regiment counterattacked to protect the guns and the 12th refused its left from being outflanked.

The indomitable red-coated Swiss of Habert’s Brigade broke the 24th exposing the whole Prussian centre. So by noon the Prussian line was essentially broken with their substantial artillery intact but near to be overrun with nowhere to retreat as the town would inhibit any rapid withdrawal.

The red tunics of the Swiss of Habert's Brigade in assault of the Prussian guns 

Battle of Thuin…. the afternoon

Around noon Vandamme needed to reorganize his infantry supports bringing fresh troops in his continuing head-on attacks on the massed Prussian guns.  While these attacks forced the Prussian guns to flee, the French suffered further casualties but nonetheless were in a position to take the village of Thuin by 2pm.

To the north of Thuin, Kellerman with his heavy cavalry now facing the new Prussian force from the north.  Leaving his small contingent of horse-artillery on the road he extended his troops to the right. The leading Prussian light horse fell back from the French advance exposing the columns of Ziethen's Prussian infantry in squares and the Prussian artillery which quickly eliminated the French cannon. Now faced with a large corps sized force ready to withstand any charge, with a good cavalry reserve and plenty of artillery, Kellerman was forced with the impossibility of attack due to the complete lack infantry support and, if remaining in position, only the slow destruction of his force by cannon fire. Rather than wait for the infantry of Vandamme to mop up the Prussian forces remaining around Thuin to eventually come to his ‘rescue’, Kellerman would again about-face his horsemen and cross the river to link up with Vandamme.

As Kellerman was facing his choices to the north, Surprisingly, the Prussian morale of Steinmetz’s command at Thuin was still holding (the required 6 was rolled!) allowing some of the remaining Prussian units to take a defensive position in the eastern section of the town.

In spite of Vandamme’s success, his was spent force by 2pm, and no more action would be taken.  He spent the rest of the day consolidating his force south of the town.

The Prussians of Pirch II in Ziethen's Corps included the 28th Regiment (ex-Berg) clothed in white tunics.  The cube on the base of the 6th Regiment (at the right) shows it to be in square to defend itself against Kellerman's heavy cavalry during this Battle of Thuin

 Kellerman retreated before Ziethen [ “My command then advanced in a different direction” he wrote in his report to Napoleon ] and fell into the fleeing Prussian limbers and caissons of the Prussian Reserve Artillery thus eliminating this force from the campaign. Late in the afternoon he would meet up with Vandamme south of Thuin.

The French Carabineers (in the distance, with Kellerman directing) continue to face Zeithen's Prussians while the rest of the cavalry corps retreat advance in a different direction led by the 11th Cuirassier Regiment (who were without cuirasses during the campaign)

The rather haphazard retreat of the Prussian artillery assets of Steinmetz's command (shown in a limbered state by the wheels on the bases).  The knapsack marker indicates they are also disordered by retreating from the French.  These would soon be destroyed by Kellerman's French cavalry.

Ziethen's Prussian Corps

Zeithen for his part, was confused about the French intentions and so halted his advance at the north side of the bridge.

Ziethen ponders the rather unsupported maneuvers by the French

Steinmetz remaining very weak brigade held half the town but any further French attacks would inevitably have it destroyed.

The Tersey Campaign

“Woo”-ful Conduct - the opening battle of the River Tersey Campaign

The year is 1642.  England is under civil war.  While the great armies of the King and Parliament battle for supremacy, in the corners of the country, the lesser lords on the borders of the contested shires conduct raids and skirmishes not for any political basis, but for regional deputes and personal grudges.  In this it matters little who is for the King or not.
The River Tersey Campaign is a fictional account using the Pike and Shot version of the popular rules “Lion Rampant”

Lord Calway had gathered his small force of cuirassiers, with Lord Brooke’s purple clad units of Shot and Pike, and Longe’s musketeers.  After a day of leisurely march, these were spread along the road north.  Calway himself, had foolishly galloped ahead to the Manor at the bridge over a tribuary of the Tersey to woo the Manor’s daughter, a most comely girl, escorted only by his horsemen.

The wooing

Brooke's Shot and Pike units

Earl of Rockforth, hearing from his informants of Calway’s plans, had gathered a mounted force of his heavies, Urry’s harquebusiers and a unit of dragoons.  His plan was to drive his heavies at the cuirassiers supported by the dragoons while Urry takes the ford to the east and circles around to entrap Calway’s forces having crossed the stream.

Earl of Rockforth's advance

His lightening assault caught Calway and his forces totally unawares. Scared witless, reports differ whether it was Calway or the girl, they were, nevertheless,  long in getting to his sedan chair and to safety - very poor activation dice!

Lord Calway's activation roll to safety...... 

 Meanwhile, his cuirassiers did their best to form up while the cuirassiers bore down upon them.  They let off a volley of pistol fire which did little to halt the charge and Rockforth’s horse did great execution and they lost nearly half their contingent in the sword play. They held only briefly as the very bold swordmen  (rolling two 6’s for activation!) continued to chase them and their Lord’s slow moving sedan chair which they overtook and thus the shaken couple taken captive personally by Rockforth.

....meanwhile Rockforth's heavies are gleeful with swords ready for the attack

...and with 4+ do great execution 

The dragoons dismounted on the hillock overlooking the bridge and exchanged shots with Longe’s musketeers.  Soon, Brooke’s Shot also positioned themselves and the dragoons now outnumbered, were shot up and out of the fight.

no shooting for these boys this turn!

While all this was occurring, Urry’s gallop to the ford continued well until he reached the ford.  His progress was halted for many minutes. (two successive failed activation rolls! -  the water must have been deeper than anticipated?)

His attack’s surprise was alerted by the stampede of cows in his path  {ed note: I had that morning based up some cow models and placed them on the table as “eye candy”  Little that I knew they would serve within the game itself.} {further ed note: I have even seen activation and movement rules for sheep! Apparently they can be used to distract those units with 'Wild Charge' characteristics LOL.  I used a roll of 5+ for these cows to activate a stampede and thus a warning.  They did.

the bovines of note

Despite the warning by the bovines , the surprise was still evident by the immediate lack of activation by the Brooke’s Pike who failed to move to prevent the horsemen’s attack.  Of course, this failure also meant the musketeers could not lessen the impact and great slaughter ensued aided by remarkable dice rolling by my part.  Longe’s musketeers were to half strength and failed to rally. Brooke’s Shot, having not the sense to run (having passed (!) their courage test despite the armies’ losses) so Urry’s boys had a good day chopping up musketeers. (see photo below with the spectacular dice throw).  Now only the Pike were left to run away. 

the roll of Urry's horse vs the musketeers.  All but the one counts as a hit! 5 thus killed in one round of combat. 

The view of the battlefield

So ended the first battle of the Tersey Campaign using my very old collection of Foundry ECW/TYW - a mixed breed this range! - painted c.1988-1990.  It had languished in boxes for many years with a half hearted rebasing each time I thought to find a ruleset I liked.  Either they wanted more figures than I had or in a different organization. As the collection is some 26 years old and with old varnish and a very different painting style, I cannot now make changes - my OCD is very “same-ness” orientated!  With ‘Lion Rampant’ and the pike and shot versions, I could arrange the units to make a very nice ‘retinues’.  This was the first go at the rules and I enjoyed the results.  The campaign will continue sporadically in the near future.

 

no animals were harmed in the making of this game.....(home-made sty)

a Napoleonic board game

David B. came over with his elderly board game Napoleon for a play,  a block style game by Avalon Hill from 1977!  
The rules are fairly simple, a good thing not bad, which often serves to give a better game as one can concentrate on strategy than on looking through the rules each turn.

Based on the 100 Days/Waterloo campaign, the idea is to eliminate over half the respective armies blocks (these based roughly on a half corps each or so with artillery and cavalry elements)

Movement is a simple point to point move with some restriction in the number of block which can be moved all at once. Simple but effective.

As it turns out, the campaign played in about two hours or so, had some exciting moments as both our dice rolling was quite poor and sixes hard to come by.  I hate when sixes are required as inevitably I roll ones.  Perhaps I need more wrist action to get them to turn over?

A neat little campaign idea is to have the Allies lose a whole unit should Ghent fall (one from the Allies), Liege (from the Prussians) or Brussels (one from each!).  This simple mechanic, has the Allies looking to protect these three cities and the French to take them, all the while knowing that the destruction of armies is still the main task.
I have been looking for a simple map system and campaign focus for my miniatures collection as I want to run a campaign to generate tabletop battles and for player focus on the larger campaigning purpose.  How many tabletop battles have you been in, in which the player unknowingly has found himself outnumbered 3 to 1 and under a flank attack?  And he cannot complain as, well, he put himself there!  Good stuff indeed!

Allies (British, Hanoverians, Nassau and Dutch-Belgians - did I miss anyone?) in red, Prussians in green, French in blue.

For the game, I as Napoleon, made my main thrust against Ghent.  After one of the 'opening battles' had some of my French 'retreat' into that unoccupied city.    These initial battles had us practice the 'battle section' of the rules which handle all the engagements under a wholly different dicing system with the player moving around elements from one of three zones, right and left flanks and center and needing basically 6's to hit - sometimes 5 and 6's - but quite the dice game which I have noted we both sucked at.  Averages be damned.  Once a flank is eliminated your army is "in rout" and further hit upon.  Strength, as in most warfare, is the key and in what turn about to the ultimate battle I came close, initially outnumbering the Allies but David had a large Prussian force nearby to keep feeding in reserves.  Sound familiar?  I had a strong artillery contingent so I sat back a continued to bombard to only some effect finally throwing in a very strong element ( the Imperial Guard ? ) in a bid to overwhelm his centre before he took out my flank.  Again sounds like Waterloo?  I had no reserves to put into the fray. "Where are those men!!" However after some exceptionally large amount of 1s, David finally blew away my flank to have my army go into rout.

The "battle board"  This is one of the 'opening' battles which are small and over quickly.  Personally I still like the pomp and colour and eye-candy of the tabletop action!

Yes, that battle went badly but the campaign was not quite over as I still held Ghent.  This meant that David was forced to remove an Allied block which immediately put that army over 50% losses.  Wellington was forced to leave the campaign for home.  No train station named for his great victory I guess.  However, just as Napoleon was writing a victory speech for the people of Paris, the remaining Prussians, themselves close to defeat, followed up on the French remnants of the great battle of Sottegen to finally gain ultimate victory.  Napoleon was overheard as he rushed back to Paris, "It was a near run thing"

Thanks for Dave in coming over, and leaving this game with me to study as use as my guide with my 100 Days Campaign collection in the near future.