1780 - The battle at New Petersburgh - AWI

 ... totally fictional as I wanted to use Barts wonderful Russian church as a prop. So this time something completely different: 28mm, American War of Independence, Black Powder rules plus some house rules, Easy fluffy scenario: A British (played by Bart) column of 4 brigades meets 4 American (played by Campbell) (and French!!) brigades converging on them to destroy them. Each side will have another brigade stumble in new each turn, forces slightly differ in Infantry but each has 2 light guns and 1 dragoon unit. 12 turns to play the man with the most destroyed enemy units under his belt wins - easy! Each side started with the skirmishers and dragoons on the table. All commands had staff rating of 8 for simplicity. Campbell got the first turn!

While the British trodded slowly in the Americans occupied quickly (after 3rd turn) all houses and killed even more British troops than vice versa. An American victory if it wasn‘t for the fact that this battle would last 12 turns. The British had the mis-advantage that they had less regiments and the second gun was in the 4th brigade. The Americans had the guns quicker there but were all over the place, that and the fact that their French ally partout did not want to cross the river and participate, and left the Rebels in the village as sitting ducks for British guns. On top Bart knew how to establish artillery superiority and had enough time to collect his forces. Then after the second wave of attacks his 4th brigade was hitting the exhausted American revolutionaries quite hard, they had to go.

Desperate (as the clock of turns was ticking) the Americans were launching a counterattack - but sadly it failed. Left in the lurch by their European friends, they lost the challenge. Even more so bitter as the French units were graded as two elite units and would just have made the difference - but the command dice failed 3 times to move them - must be mis-translation of the commands, mon dieu!

So a British victory, well done Bart! 3 units vs 9 killed American units, but there were a lot of shaken British units withdrawing into the reserve ...

I found it quite entertaining, maybe the Americans could have had it a bit easier, but they are a big nation ... maybe next time ;)

Initial Setup

The British approach

The American are coming ...

Making good progress

First houses are in Rebel hands

Then the British just about appear ... at the edge ...

Slowly the Rebels advance ...

The British are too slow

the line is perfect but not fast ...

The Americans enter the village perimeter

and engaging the dragoons!

The British Dragoons get repulsed after too many charges...

More British and more Americans pour in ...

The Crown forces built up a second line

New Rebels advancing from the north - with another gun!!!

The Hessian Jaegers amuse the Riflemen in the blockhouse

Now the British attack and fire fight starts

The Light Infantry attacks the church with bajonnet

The line in front of a fence with a gun ... hmmm

The fire fight is relentless

but takes a heavy toll on the crown forces ...

still the shooting continues ...

The 3rd Hessian brigade arrives

The British renew the attack against all odds

and the last brigades arrives ...

Each sides makes dashing charges into the fire fights

more and more British line regiments withdraw shaken

but the Grenadiers and the second gun arrived!

A second British attack on the church

The Hessians serve as cannon fodder ...

The French elite units don't cross the river

the firefight continues ...

The British guns bombard the church ... softening up the defenders

New American forces fire and charge in an last ditch attempt

the British flank seems to collapse but the dragoons save the day

The Rebels lose foot in the village

The Church is in British hands

Still the French brigade is not crossing

The fire fights almost dies out

The French brigade still behind the river ... Mon Dieu!

The casualty table

1762 - The "left flank" scenario - Seven Years War

It was Seven Years War, 28mm, (Rules SevenYears) And the first time we tried to include a third player into the Houseparty session! Campbell agreed to play the Prussians, which were a pretty mix of few Prussians and a lot of my AWI Hessian and some Austrians even ... apologies to the HC-7YW-geeks. While Bart agreed to play the Russians, all minis by Crusader, Frontrank or Foundry, flags by GMB or Flags of War (or Kronoskaf).

The set up was, in hindsight a bit too harsh also, a typical Russian flank left and stripped off all nice things like heavy artillery and lots of cavalry, while the big CinC expected the main Frederickian shock on the (off table) other flank - it came you guessed, it right here, right there in form of two infantry brigades and a cavalry and some heavy guns ... 

Pretty soon Campbell took like a fish to water the heavy gun battery to pick each and every available Russian line regiment out. I should have given Bart one more regiment of cavalry, but I didn't, I was  cruel. Soon his only dragoons held up an entire flank of Prussian musketeers and fusileers, until after 6 turns they were shot and shaken. On the other side of the left flank, the real Prussian cavalry began to roll up the Russian veterans/grenadiers. again they kept the flank up for about 6 turns until they after repeatedly routed and rallied they finally gave way. It didn‘t help that he also continuously rolled badly for his command (never more than one or two staff officer!!)

Meanwhile Campbell slothed forward in the centre and tried a concentrated effort to charge simultaneously into the remains of the Russian lines - which, thanks to the Russian stoic fire, was repelled. But nevertheless this battle was now over and Bart quit and decided to retreat. My scenario-error was, that I gave the Prussians artillery AND cavalry superiority at the same time, a hard feat to stand against that with just some infantry. Maybe next time the Russians get some more horses or reduce the Prussian gun power.

Still it was fun, I was more of a camera man and umpire than anything else, but we will do it again, i‘m sure.

Who wants to know more about the game rules, can take a look under the following link, I’m about to publish them soon:  https://meneken.blogspot.com/p/seven-years-set-of-rules-for-gaming.html

Initial set up

The Prussian Horse charges in!

... and the big brummer are coming!

While the Russians stoic await their fate!

The Grenadiers in front of the camp!

The Dragoons and Hussars advance to the hill!

The Grenadiers defend the camp!

The two flanks start to get heated ...

And the skirmishing Hussars get in the line of fire ...

Slowly the Prussians get nearer!

Then the Dragoons had to take it on the chin - no officer to give the order to charge!

The Hussars and the cuirassiers of the King are in the camp!

The Russians command has issues with issuing orders!

If you roll too low on staff officers ... you can‘t charge ...

maybe because you need the staff officers to rally other troops elsewhere ...

So all the Russians could do was take it on the chin and fire!

Some Prussians did them a favour and came too near ...

... and were routed promptly ...

But the Cuirassiers were rolling up the field from the camp!

and the Russian Dragoons were in retreat ...

Not much to do about it on turn seven the Russian position was about to collapse!

Still some Prussian grenadiers got bloody noses!

But in that was when The Russian sounded the retreat - fair point!