An American Interlude

On Monday Phil and I met up as usual in GHQ for our weekly game. We had decided on a detour into my North American collections, starting with the AWI. I set out quite an open battlefield as I hoped to give most of my figures an airing! Phil, as George Washington Robinson, took on the command of the Rebellious Colonials while I was left for probably the first time to command the forces of the Crown. Enough blathering on, down to the tabletop action with the expected annotated photo montage ~

The Rebel's left wing made up of the Continental infantry and a light gun.

Contrast that with the Rebel's right wing held by the Militia supported by a 9lb gun, no doubt 'borrowed' from some Crown battery along the way.

The Rebel's strong centre comprising their State infantry regiments and their cavalry component, supported by two batteries of guns emplaced to defend the camp. I quite expected that Phil would see the possibility of fighting a defensive action while we waited on the arrival of our Reserve so I was taken by surprise when winning the initiative he advanced his left and centre. Plan A scuppered almost before I'd rolled a dice in anger!

On the Crown's left flank a small Brigade of Provincial infantry and a war party of Paddoquoi native Americans. This Brigade was tasked with occupying the Rebel Militias who might otherwise enfilade the Crown's planned assault on the Rebel centre.

Lord Howe himself in the centre of the Crown's forces sees his Brigade of Provincial infantry champing at the bit to step off in the assault on the American centre.

Their attack will be supported by a Hessian Brigade, the two combining in the Grand Plan to smash the Rebel centre decisively!

While on the Crown's right flank a Brigade of British regular infantry, supported by two Light Dragoon squadrons, will make short work of the Rebel Continental infantry! Well, at least that was Plan A.

The Rebel Militias are holding their defensive position as expected in Turn 1, allowing the Provincial regiments and the Paddoquoi war party to advance to the assault as planned. Butler's Rangers are screening the front, the war party the left of the main assault.

The Rebel centre has most surprisingly advanced boldly to occupy the low rise to their front. The Hessian and Provincial Brigades have unexpectedly to enter a firefight to dislodge them! Numbers and the cold steel should carry the day though, or at least Lord Howe thought so!

The Continental infantry Brigade on the Rebel left has also thrown off its defensive posture around the farm and advanced to confront the British regulars.

Plan A is stillborn it seems! The Philadelphia Light Horse and Continental Dragoons supporting the Rebel centre have charged the small Provincial cavalry Brigade lead by Tarleton's Legion under the command of man himself!

Outnumbered and outclassed both Provincial cavalry squadrons are driven back Shaken, exposing the flank of the Provincial infantry attacking the Rebel centre!

The South Carolina Loyalists reach the Militia's fence line in the face of a storm of shot & shell. The Paddoquoi war party make off through the woods on their left hoping to take the defending Militia infantry and gun crew by surprise. The Rebel cavalry meanwhile is regrouping from their successful melee with their Loyalist foe.

In the centre both sides shake out into Firing Lines ready to contest possession of the low rise shielding the Rebel centre. Lord Howe remains confident that his canon fodder, sorry, Provincial Loyalists and Hessians, will carry the position comfortably!

Although some Light Infantry have worked their way around the Rebel left the main lines of both protagonists have settled into a merciless firefight. Casualties and ensuing Disorder begin to mount on both sides.

Looking along the battlefront it seems almost inconceivable that the Crown's forces will not prevail against the upstart Colonials. In the rear the Light Dragoons are champing at the bit in anticipation of the coming pursuit of the broken enemy.

The South Carolina Loyalists have failed to smash through the Militia fence line and suddenly their supports are threatened by a charge from the Continental Dragoons under a 'Follow Me!' order!

The Paddoquoi War Party has failed to break the Militia and are driven back Disordered and Shaken. They fail their Morale Save having numerous excess casualties. Plan A on the Crown's left has definitely come unstitched!

The Provincial Loyalists fire an ineffective volley and fail to stop the Continental Dragoons charging home. The ensuing melee is short and bloody...

The Provincial Loyalists Break and with them the whole Brigade shares the same fate. The Crown's attack on the Militia has failed, leaving the centre open to both enfilade fire and hostile cavalry.

Looking along the centre towards the Crown's failed left wing attack on the Militia you will also note the stalled Hessian attack due to the superior fire of the Rebel's State Infantry ~ aka Phil's Saving Throws!

In a last desperate throw of the dice the commander of the Light Dragoons orders his men to 'Follow Me!' They successfully charged home against the Rebel's 2nd Maryland Continental infantry but fail to break them, being Disordered by Passing Fire! It's all up for Lord Howe in Turn 7 as the Crown's army reaches Break Point...

Lord Howe can only stand and stare as the Crown's forces crumble and melt away, beaten by a bunch of farmers! Oh, the shame...

A great game to play in despite the thumping Phil handed out and good to see most of the collection on the table. The Crown's Reserve turned up too late to take any part in the fighting while the Rebel's Reserve would have made it on the tabletop battlefield in Turn 8, but for...

Next scheduled game in GHQ at the end of the month will be another Americana extravaganza with the War of 1812-15 getting an overdue airing. Meanwhile it's back to painting French Zouaves for the Crimean War project!

Maréchal de France

I'd like to introduce you to the commander of the small French force in my Crimean War project, Maréchal Alphonse de Morrisoné ~

The two officers on foot are from the Great War Miniatures range for the Crimean War, available through North Star, while the mounted Maréchal de France is from Wargames Foundry's Old West range. The two ranges seem to me to fit together well on this base ~

I have named him in honour of my chum Aly Morrison, largely as a thank you for both the kind gifts he has sent me and for his constant encouragement for my modest efforts in painting the figures for the project. 

Next to muster into GHQ, given a favourable following wind, should be the Zouaves de la Garde, two bases are completed and two of six figures for the third base are also done. The remaining four Zouaves are well underway and on target to be finished this week. But today it's off into GHQ for an AWI battle with Phil!

Voltigeurs de la Garde

I had intended to be painting the last two bases of Saxons/Goths to complete my Late Roman project refurbishment at the start of the year. That I am not is down solely to LBMS shield transfers suddenly becoming unavailable as they transition to Victrix. Instead I am back painting figures for my French element of the Crimean War project!

First across the painting desk and under the brush are a battalion of Guard Voltigeurs. I was gifted six figures originally by Phil which were surplus to a commission for Dave and Aly, so I had a colour scheme to work on anyway.

The figures of course are from the Great War Miniatures range, available from North Star. The flag is from the dedicated range available also from North Star - look on the GWM Crimean War list under the sub menu ‘Flags’. The bases are as ever from the dependable Warbases ~

With these being completed next in the queue are a battalion of Garde Zouaves using figures from Wargames Foundry’s Maximilian and Old West ranges, the former sculpted I believe by Aly Morrison. The sculpting style is similar although the figures are rather smaller than the more recent Great War Miniatures figures.

Men at Work!

I was sitting quietly in GHQ contemplating the end of game situation in my latest outing in the Wars of the French Revolution setting when it struck me that there were some of my vignettes, aka fripperies, which hadn't really shown to advantage in the various in-game photos which populated my blog. So, without more ado here they are front and centre, hope you like them ~

From Wargames Foundry's SYW range, a group of C18th labourers. I added the small rocks from my Woodlands Scenics stock. The set also included a wooden finger post.

Of course, even in the C18th it seems you could not rely on getting a day's work for a day's pay from the average worker!

Any army needs to keep it's equipment up to snuff! From Eureka Miniatures I got this group featuring swords being sharpened and wheels being crafted. For the interested the Lion Head Fountain is from Iron Gate Scenics.

Similarly Eureka Miniatures do this rather snazzy Field Bakery set. The flour mill and surrounding items are from Iron Gate Scenics I think. Eureka Miniatures also have a butcher at work, a set I must pick up sometime I think.

Finally, no army can get far without either staff work or a commissary. From the left we have: Eureka Miniatures' Vivandiere and cart; Perry Miniatures French baggage waggon; two Perry Miniatures French staff officer sets; Trent Miniatures Représentant du Peuple; all around a Grand Manner Command Tent!

Reconnaissance in Strength

On Thursday last week Paul and I met up in GHQ for our first game of 2025. As the Wars of the French Revolution collection was at least partly out on the table I had decided to reuse the two forces, with a few additional units, and transpose the action to Northern Italy. Paul took command of the French who were making a reconnaissance in strength at the urging of the newly appointed commanding general, one Napoleon Bonaparte. I commanded the Austrians, who were representing the main army's vanguard. The Austrians were drawn up in a defensive posture around the small church of San Philippi. The French entered from the opposite base line ~

The game is limited to only six turns: if the French have not either beaten the Austrians, or got at least one fully formed unit off the table at the Austrian end, then the Austrians have the victory. We were using Black Powder Mk2 rules of course. Giving nothing away at this point the game went to the wire ~

As you can see in this picture, the main thrust of the French attack in the first two turns was against the weaker Austrian left flank resting on an area of thick woodland. The French Horse Artillery were soon into action in support of the attack, as were the Austrian Light Cavalry, which you can see in the first picture.

The battery of French 12lb Foot Artillery took longer to get into position, mixed up as it became with the French main attack on their right and the swirling cavalry melees in the centre.

The French pressed their attack on the Austrian left once the guns came into action, while their cavalry were driving the Austrian attack back in the centre protecting the attacker's flank.

The French attack on the Austrian right flank was initially less successful, although they did rout O'Donnell's Freikorps and in close quarter fighting destroy the Austrian battery of Light Artillery. The Austrians counterattacked gallantly as you can see in the following photo ~

It all came down to Turn 6 as the battle reached it's climax. On the Austrian right the position was being congested vigorously, with the French having little chance of breaking through. 

In the centre, although their cavalry had the upper hand overall, the French Dragoon Brigade had been routed. Again the French had no prospect of the breakthrough they needed to claim a victory.

On the Austrian left though the French had finally managed to make the breakthrough when the Grenz finally routed after a gallant defence, their loss seeing the Brigade become Broken and leaving the way open in Turn 6 for the French to claim a notable victory as their Infantry brigade matched off the table, flanking the Austrian position. The Austrians would have no choice now but to disengage and retire on the main army. More to come with this I think... In the meantime a few closeups which Paul has provided from the pictures he took at various points in the action.

The Austrian grenadiers are thrust into the action as the French overrun their supporting battery of Light Artillery.

The Hungarian infantry join in the counterattack as the Grenadiers are swiftly routed by the vigorous French assault columns.

On the Austrian left flank the French infantry assault columns drive off the second element in rout, breaking the Brigade.

The Austrian cavalry have been driven back in Disorder, despite several minor victories earlier in the battle. They could only watch on helplessly as the left flank crumbled.

Lead by their band and screened by a battalion of Legeré the French Demi-Brigade advances with colours flying confident of victory!

Despite minor victories against the French Hussards and Dragoons the Austrian cavalry were never able to land a decisive blow and break the French centre.

They may look imposing but they failed to deliver the telling blow!

Once again, Black Powder Mk2 delivered the game that was asked of it. Fortunes ebbed and flowed but in the end Turn 6 saw the French swept to victory as the Austrian morale wavered and then broke on their left leaving the impotent cavalry brigade threatened both to its front and left flank! The French were through and in the army's rear!