The Battle of the French Field

The General Bartholomaeus d‘Onion could‘t believe his eyes his newly raised troops from France fled from the field in sheer panic from the attack of the British Light Infantry. Where are my guns? Why don‘t they hit anything? And what about the allied American ... Why are they just standing there in the middle of the field?

This time we played in an open field, very unattractive for the American General, but, hey, that was what he came up with in the ‘Eve of Battle‘ game before.

Bart played the French Brigardier-General and keeper of the Rebel‘s right flank, and Matt was the CinC of the American forces.

Campbell was joining the fray, so I gave him the Hessian right flank (and later even the British centre).

The first 3 turns were rather uneventful as both parties tried not to be the first to step into the shooting range of the enemy and get volleyed. In fact this was more or less the status quo on the Hessian and American flank, they stand turn after turn in front of each other out of shooting range (apart from some unsuccessful canon balls) just to block each other.

While the party was on the French/ British flank. Bart tried to stop my advance with his guns, but rarely actually hit. Then we copied for one turn the behaviour of our allied friend and waited ... it looked  bleakly to develop into a very boring battle.

To rescue Barts honour, he was the first to step forward with his french troops and I finally swarmed out with my Grenadiers, LI and the Dragoons. Then My LI attacked one of his French line, it looked 50-50 until his french Line took a casualty and had to roll for their stamina (untested troops). It was  stamina 1! they lost the combat and were destroyed.

This was the beginning of an unfavourable chain of events which led to the dissolve of his French flank... (My Dragoons  attacked  pushed back the indians the sweeped into the centre artillery and retreated back - to get again against the riflemen etc. etc. pp) ...

After this the British victory was inevitable, as Bart and Matt were already cornered and had less units fit to fight than Campbell and me.

Funnily this was the second battle where I didn‘t use the Bayonet Charge even once ( the one occasion I could have , I forgot). The next time the Americans have to play for Wood coverage otherwise it will be tough for them to break the British winning streak.

The updated Campaign stats

The Deployment of the American and allied French forces

The view from the British to the French flank

The flank in the heat of the fighting after the defeat of the french untested Line , as casualties next to the camera and the unshaved arm of the Brigardier

The Dragoons reforming

The American Flank

The Hessian flank

The Grenadiers take the 'French Field‘

The rest of the British Army close in for the kill

The Germans are coming!

Two posts for the price of one!! No three actually! 

While the fields of the SESWC lay undefended (apart from Jack‘s Florentine Battalion) against any Imperial German Invasion, I tried to strengthen my Maximilian contingent to built up an army (I use this word here wrongly).

Here we can see the Guard of the Kaiser, maybe Doppelsöldner in white and yellow with red caps, probably led by Mr. Frundsberg, which I envisioned on horse.

And at last the gentle beginnings of my German Heavy Cavalry, the quite not so pendant to the Gendarmes d‘Ordonnance...

The Guard of the Kaiser

The Schultheiss  executing his 'verdict'

Sir Frundsberg

Baron von Göden (exchanged the eagle head for a more easy to paint lion)

And Introducing Graf von Edelstetten ...

all from an austrian heraldry codex, where I took some liberty in the designs

Eve of Battle Scenario set up for 2nd Battle of AWI campaign

Matt and me played ‘Eve of Battle‘ and predetermined the set up for the next AWI Game. As his second in command Bart will assist with one brigadier and as much units as Matt can spare.

The British had the advantage, as they won the last battle (+1 on one commander on staff rating and +1 unit line infantry extra).

The American had the opposite (-1 unit and -1 on one commander on staff rating).

The weather conditions are clear and the woodland coverage is 0%.
The Americans have the 1st deployment and the 1st turn of battle.
For the rest of the special forces and features see attached screen.

Von Donop Generator!

Yeah you !

Sweet sensation of a nation

Oh, my soul

You‘re a perfect creation

You‘re my tin-lead mix babies

And I‘m cryin‘ for you

My heart beats faster, hrrrr

Yea hey, and I‘m overpowered ... ( freely quoted after and to to the music of ‘The Cult‘ - ‚Wild Flower‘)

... just finished another Hessian Regiment, Perry miniatures, and Yes, I  feel just fine!

And now for the pickets:

The Regiment arrived in America on 12th of August on 1776. It  participated in the Battle of Long Island sending out patrols that captured 80 Rebels. Next, the regiment was sent over to Manhatten and was present at the storming of Fort Washington, providing 50 men for part the "Forlorn Hope" that preceded the main assault. After this, the regiment remained in New York City  as detachment for rest of the year.

The regiment was then included in the expedition to Philadelphia, participating in the Battles of the Brandywine and Germantown. Only the Grenadiers were present as part of the Grenadier Battalion Lengerke at the failed storming of Ft. Mercer. (Red Bank, NJ). The regiment itself remained in garrison in Philadelphia for the remainder of the year until General Clinton ordered its evacuation in May.

The regiment was part of General Knyphausen's division that was present but did not see action at the battle of Monmouth. Over 20 men deserted from the regiment on the march through New Jersey in June. This was almost a third of the entire number of men that deserted from the regiment during the entire war. The regiment returned to and garrisoned New York City for the remainder of the year, participating on an foraging expedition to Philips Manor in September... chrrrr zzzhh!

Multi-Player Campaign 'Eve of Battle' and BP rules (1st draft!!)

A quick draft of rules how to play a campaign with multiple players with the 'Eve of Battle' rules (and BP in AWI). Pardonnez moi, the spelling mistakes, but I'm too tired now to correct ... more revised maybe later.

Campaign stats

First battle (of seven), the Americans got tactically beaten ... lost the battle but not the war!

The Battle of the Hollow Way

The American General was not even out of his tent, when the news arrived that the British had moved. 
What good were the found depeches when the British moved that fast? 
What do you mean they reached our fortifications first? – 
The General was lost for words, even though he had given the whole army a what he thought to be a morale rousing speech minutes before the fighting started. Now the next messenger coming in with news from the left flank ... but the General could see this for himself: his Dragoons were leaving the Battle field ... his left flank was open.

We started the Campaign with me playing the Brits and Paul the American, as been set up in the previous post.

We developed the battle after the results of an Eve of Battle game:
We both went for extra troops (me Hessians and Paul French auxiliary troops) we both had Scouts and Fortified positions, extra guns and upgrades in units and Commanders, Paul had the upper hand as he has a ‘Strategic hill' a 'Village' and the 'Lost Depeches‘ which allow him to redeploy.

In the middle of the field was a little wood cut through by a little road – hence the name of the battle.

The game started with my move as I had 'Sentries asleep'. And I had luck with the whole army movement – the British were on the half of the table in turn one. Paul tried to save the centre with his rangers against my British Elite Light Infantry but failed. And the French in his centre just didn‘t moved at all.

The I swayed almost all to his left flank, shot his gun there and mauled his Militia. After that his Dragoons came in, delayed by my off table screen troops (‘Eve of Battle‘), and failed to charge my Dragons.

The next turn (it was the third), I charged with the Line as skirmishers in the woods his rangers, then attacked his left flank elite guard and attacked his dragoons with mine.  I didn‘t break the rangers. I broke his Dragoons after the 3rd counter charge after a sweeping advance, and broke his elite unit of the left flank.

We decided not to pursue the battle further in to another week, as the out come would be clear, the American would be ‘rolled-up' from the left flank. Tactical victory due to extraordinary fit and disciplined movement rolls from the British (something I hadn‘t seen for half a year).

That was the fastest battle we ever played with ‘Black Powder'. Even though Paul‘s preparation were flawless, my troops out manoeuvred his slow American by far – even without any Bayonet Charge!!
My troops were so fast, I could‘t even take pictures of them ...

the American right flank behind the farm

The Hessians defending the barricades next to the woods

The British LI entering the 'Sleepy Hollow woods'

The Rangers in their initial defensive position

The French on the 'strategic hill' which never played a role

The American left flank with the Militia and the elite Guards

The British centre arrive at the woods

The American centre too far away

The american gun position

The Rangers trying to save the woods – too late

The final cavalry clash that decided the battle

AWI Campaign!! Join the forces!

Well the combat rules shall be 'Black Powder', the scenario creator will be 'Eve of Battle';

The British ‘Rump' Army

What the British can 'buy'

The American ‘Rump' Army

What the Americans can ‘buy‘

The Campaign 'tree'