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Saturday 25 March 2023

A serious case of Deja Vu!

 Today we had a rematch after last week, when we didn't get finished. The terrain was rather different but the armies remained the same. I had Mick as sub commander against the usual Brits Phil and Lawrence.

As usual, the British got the initiative, and won enough to be able to deploy on one flank. Ominously, the Americans got a couple of uninspiring Brigadiers where the British had good ones!

NB: We lost our Church hall venue today and played in the Church sanctuary, so it was dark which made taking pictures...interesting!

The deployment and terrain for today's game.

My left wing, I had militia at the bottom of the hill hoping to get them on the hill before the Hessians opposite got it!
In the centre, in front of Washington, my veteran Virginians ready to take on all comers!
Mick chose to take my right wing, all Continentals, but seriously outnumbered.
Opposite Mick, the cream of the British army, Grenadiers, Guards and the Light Infantry, flanked by the Scots.
Lawrence had his usual Hessians.
Lawrence had better generals and luck with the dice, and got his men advancing this week.
Phil only got his Light Infantry advancing...
...and his entire centre!!!
The Light infantry had messed up Phillip's men on the steep hill last week
My Heavy gun, after doing nothing last week got into range...
...and disordered Lawrence's gun!
My Light infantry (and the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons!)- got forward onto the hill, but the Militia failed to move beyond a crawl!
The Hessians reached the hill, my lights had nothing to stop them.
Mick had his light infantry stuck in front of his Continentals, not a good position.
I had foreseen the likely failure of this wing seeing what was facing it, Mick was hoping to hold the enemy while my left wing attacked.
The two sides reached the farmhouse at about the same time, neither was willing to try to cross the fences into the farmyard!
My Virginians took out a gun on the British flank (I imagined some ammo went up!)
The centre infantry regrouped.
On Mick's wing things were getting hairy a couple of bad die rolls saw his Light infantry retreat from the British lights.
The regular British also engaged Mick's Marylanders...
...The Marylanders return fire shredded a regiment!
The British including the 42nd retreated in disorder!
Yay!
The Hessian guns fired into my Virginians' flank, causing some damage!
My Virginians, undeterred,  got a good volley on the Hessian Grenadiers.
My Heavy gun soon silenced the hessian artillery!
The British Light Infantry crushed the riflemen they met, but the Riflemen caused some loss to the British side too, brave men!
As expected, the Hessians drove off my light infantry and took the hill.
It soon looked as though my Militia, with Continental support, would hold their own against them... I didn't get a good pic, but my Light Dragoons routed the Hessian FeldJagers and chased them off table too!
The british Light Infantry pursued...AGAIN...into the Continentals, while the other unit attacked Mick's guns, which failed to stop them.
Another of Mick's light infantry units routed.
The British in the centre were holding my Virginians, who were, as usual putting up a great fight!
The Light Infantry attacked the gun.
...and killed the crew.
Mick threw a series of 1s and 2s against Phil's 4s, 5s and 6s, so the British Light Infantry again routed the Continentals!!!!
Things were looking ropey on our right.
The second line troops were forced to retreat as the front line Routed.
Game over!
Once again, Phil's amazing die rolling against Mick's appalling ones made a wing collapse!

Phil has said he would like to join the Rebellion next game, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out!!!!

Even getting trounced again was fun though, so we all kind of won today!!!

Saturday 18 March 2023

A day for the light bobs!

 Today's game was a return to the American Revolution, which we are all getting a lot of enjoyment playing!

Phillip joined me commanding the Americans, taking a couple of small brigades on my right wing. I was obviously on the defensive, but didn't lose the Initiative roll enough for the British to be able to deploy in the flank sectors.

The random terrain generator produced a battlefield not out of place in the Seven Years War, so it was no surprise when both sides deployed accordingly! 


The British (Phil)-deployed their main strength in the centre, with Grenadiers, Guards and 3 Scottish Battalions leading!

Lawrence had a Hessian force on his right.
My left was a mix of Militia and Continentals.
In the centre, the Maryland Continentals on their first outing, the North Carolinas being rested!
Phillip's forces, some New Jersey Continentals with some Riflemen and light infantry and the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons.
The battlefield at game start, note the British Light infantry extending their short line to match the Patriot forces!
Lawrence only got his front line moving, and his Feld Jagers in the wood.
Phil sent his forces forward, deploying his 'Light Bobs' out quickly.
My left wing struggled to get my reserve Continentals out to the flank.
Phillip sent his Dragoons forward with accompanying light gun, whilst his light infantry pushed over the steep hill.
In the centre, I planned to let the British come to me, only sending my light infantry forward.
My greater numbers meant my men outshot the Jagers...
...and a brisk charge drove them away in disorder!
Lawrence managed to get his second line moving forward, his front line was even now starting to feel the effect of Mr Knox's artillery!
On the left, the British lights supported by the 17th Light Dragoons, advanced toward the steep hill.
The British centre was slogging through a wood, for once, the Hessians were outpacing them!
My left was still ponderously wheeling to set up next to my artillery.
The guns were now in effective range...
...it seemed a shame to mess up those beautiful ranks!
On their left the British lights won a brisk attack against the American lights.
The Americans routed, and the Riflemen behind them fled too!
Phillip had advanced his Continentals up the hill, which disordered them, and the pursuing British lights followed into them before they could shoot!
More Hessians fell, oddly, it was the light battery that was doing all the damage, the Heavy gun only disordered their target occasionally!
The brave Germans pushed on, and the Light battery took a heavy toll on them.
2 regiments fell back through their second line, disordering them too!
Phil had charged the second British Light infantry and routed them, before pursuing into the surprised 17th LDs!
Back on the Hessian wing my Heavy gun bounced a shot through the second line and killed more of the retreating Hessians!
Phil's Turkish dice were having another good day...
...and for little loss, the British Lights routed the Continentals!
Amazingly the British Light Dragoons, admittedly after being caught unready, were not beating the Americans!
An overview of the infantry lines at this point.
The Hessian Grenadiers attacked the Militia and the Delaware regiment. My giving the militia an inspiring general paid off as the Militia bravely stood!
The Delawares were getting the best of the exchange.
The British main line had cleared the woods, and started taking casualties from my Riflemen!
Those light Dragoons were still fighting!!!
The Hessians were hung up on my line.
My Virginians attacked, they have never failed me yet. They tore chunks out of the Guards!
At this point, with the decision still in the balance, we ran out of time, the sun set, and both sides broke off.
I was very happy with the performance of my Continental army today, they acquitted themselves very well!