Redmond's Reasons Part III, the Night Battle

     Although this battle took place in the late evening of January the 12th, 17-- the combatants gave it various names such as the Siege of Fort St Phillip, or more famously, the Night Battle. It had by turn of events, a rather profound effect on the course of the war up to that point. Namely, the acquisition of that part of the Lorraine by the forces of His Majesty, King George II, and a singular commanding position from which to anchor the assault against Louis XV's armies in both Germany and France. What follows is a brief synopsis of the pivotal battle which Mr. Redmond Barry, Esq. had doubtless taken part....

 

Evening of January 12th, the Duke of Ely leading the British army advances toward the river crossing and to the fort, while the Prince d'Rhone directs artillery to fire on the British to little effect.

 

Sundown, the British Dragoons gallop towards the La Sarre regiment holding the ford, thundering into their ranks and causing much havoc, as the French artillery suffer an early panic in morale and lose several men to cowardice! (Luck of the draw on the card deck)

 

The next turn the French gunners rally and send shells flying into the midst of the British column. Barry's regiment takes a dreadful hit.

 The French artillery fire throws the column into confusion and the men delay advancing a turn while the officers sort out the mess.

 

Poor supply planning leaves one of the regiments without powder so they cannot shoot this turn. Which really doesn't matter since they are in column of march!

 

The fighting grows fiercer around the river ford, more British Dragoons from the rear attack De Clare's Irish regiment, slamming into them with great ferocity as the dragoons are Ulster Scots.

The Royal Guards regiment holds the fort.

 

 

Another artillery barrage strikes the rear of the column.

 

The British Dragoons charge off the field after the routing French regiments one after the other. The Irish Wild Geese are the last to break and flee, pursued by the Inniskilling Dragoons.

 

The Regiment De Berry begins to back off towards the road in an orderly retreat, which quickly turns into a rout as they take heavy fire from the British line.

 

High tide of the battle, the British advance is slowed as the French are driven off the field but the tangle of woods leaves units mixed up and stranded, His Grace calls a halt until the matter is sorted out. The Prince retreats to the fort and directs artillery to the center of the British line.

 

The Duke orders a general advance to take the fort.

The French artillery routs while the Royal Guards hold their ground. A call for surrender is made and the Prince, after some deliberation, surrenders the fort to the Duke in exchange for safe conduct to French lines.

 

The Duke of Ely graciously accepts the surrender of Fort St Phillip from the Prince d'Rhone.

Peninsula in Crisis, A Napoleonic One Hour Wargames Series

     This being a new year, I have gotten so attached to Neil Thomas One Hour Wargames that I have devoted my 10mm Risk miniatures to cigar box sized battles and campaigns centered around that favorite of all Wargamers, and that which captured my imagination from a fairly early age, the Napoleonic Wars. As of now I only have two fully completed forces, French and British with which to fight a decent solo campaign. (Oh how I've learned to love solitaire gaming! Anytime anywhere I can fight a, well, an opponent, myself. So long as I don't cheat. ;) 

     This campaign will focus on that part of the Napoleonic conflict that the British were most heavily involved in on land, the Peninsular War. The British force that is the subject of this narrative being an offshoot of Lord Wellington's main army, under the command of the young and aggressive Brigadier General Sir William Adamstone. Adamstone is a gifted commander though with little battle experience prior to the outbreak of the war. Under his command are such famed units as the 13th Light Dragoons, the 42nd Highland Regiment, the fearless Black Watch, several regiments of Line Infantry, including the 67th Line, Prince's Own Irish, and two companies of the 95th Rifles under the command of a certain Major Sharpe, who recently distinguished himself at Talavera.

 

     Some of these units, along with two batteries of Royal Artillery, permanently make up Gen. Adamstone's V Brigade.The others, like the 95th for instance, are assigned as needed for the battle or mission at hand. Along with this is a permanently attached regiment of Portuguese Dragoons. The 7th Dragoes. 

 

 

     Opposing Brig. Gen. Adamstone is the garrison French VII Division, under General de Division Francois Jean Baptiste du Grande Fromage, Comte de Chaubier. General Fromage has four regiments of Infanterie de Ligne, two compagnies de Voltiguers, along with two batteries of artillery and the 44th Regiment of Curaissers, and 9th Polish Hussars. Fromage is a formidable general with much experience gained from the Revolutionary wars where he served as a company commander under Bonaparte in both Italy and Egypt.

I had chosen Scenario 13 "Escape" for this engagement. The British army will need to get 3 units off table on the French side, while the Frogs must prevent this from happening. I've scaled down the distances to accommodate 10mm Risk troops, 2" move for Infantry and Artillery, 4" for Skirmishers, and 6" for Cavalry, while shooting for foot units is 6" and artillery is 24" (the original rules allow artillery a full 48" which is longer than the recommended table size at 36"!). The table size is reduced to 24" anyway so the artillery basically have unlimited range in most games.

 

 

     The first meeting of these two formidable but forgotten commanders was at the little known Valley of San Pedro. The V Brigade was returning to Portuguese territory after a successful raid on a nearby French supply center, led by the daring Major Sharpe. Fromage sent detachments to block Adamstone's retreat to safety. The first to arrive on the scene was a local battery of guns from the nearby garrison at Villa de Plata.

 

V Brigade advancing in column down a dirt road. Sharpe's Rifles in the van.

 

A lone French battery blocks the road from the other end of the valley. The adjacent "box" shaped hill covers their left flank as the nearby woods "lace" across their right.

 

French infantry column "off table" marching to the sound of the guns.

 

Turn 2: Advance going smoothly, two regiments of French infantry arrive on the hilltop to fire on the advancing British column.

Turn 3: a second artillery barrage is made (first on turn 2, turn 1 was a miss) on the cavalry. 3 hits on each. The 95th wipe their collective brows as the shots tear up the ground around them.

 

Due to a miscommunication, (Chance card deck drew a 6) the entire infantry column grinds to a halt as the officers sort out the confusion. They cannot move this turn.

 

Turn 4:  the cavalry break into a gallop, attempting to ride around the battery. The guns fire grape shot into the 13th's ranks causing serious casualties, as the infantry on the hill fire additional shots as they pass by. (One may wonder why the French failed to move to intercept the cavalry in the valley. OHW does not allow infantry to engage in hand to hand, in addition to not being allowed to shoot and move in the same turn. So it would've been pointless anyway and would've risked exposing the infantry to additional hits by the cavalry should they charge them. The infantry could form squares of course to prevent this, but OHW disallows moving or shooting once in square, making them a sitting target for artillery or infantry fire.)

 

 

Turn 5: A joker is drawn from the Chance deck, enemy unit takes d6 amount of hits because of "Demoralization". It turns out to be their artillery with 3 hits.

 

 

The cavalry successfully ride past the guns as the French artillerists look about in confusion and then train their guns on the approaching 95th.

 

 

 

The infantry finally rally and march along the road to catch up. A fresh French infantry regiment and the Voltiguers show up suddenly from the woods nearby intending to flank the Lobsters.

 

 

Turn 6: a 10 is drawn, two British units suffer 3 hits each to their morale. The infantry start to worry about the Frogs on their flank.

 

 

Turn 6 continued: Sharpe's Rifles sidestepped the French artillery, getting back onto the road and off table by next turn along with both cavalry thus foiling the French attempts to stop the British retreat.

 

A final volley by the aggrieved French battery inflicts some damage on the Prince's Own Irish, but they press on eventually to make it back to Portugal safe.

 

 

     Upon returning to HQ, the V Brigade celebrated their success with a hogshead of the French's finest claret for each regiment. It wasn't long though before new orders arrived for the brigade to move out again. This time to march on the nearby French fortress near Villa Doro. But that is a tale for another time.

Overall a good game, and an excellent start to the New Year, I think I'm going to thoroughly enjoy campaigning in the Peninsula with my cigar box sized armies. ;) Happy New Year everyone!

 

Battle of St. Klauswald

     Finally! A rule set I can use where I can truly game solo when I lack for an opponent. (Which is quite frequent.) My wife purchased One Hour Wargames for me as a Christmas gift and within an hour of opening it, reading the rules for Horse and Musket Era gaming and the Solo section, I feverishly grabbed up some soldiers and deployed for battle! I present to you a historical account of the Battle of St. Klauswald, during the Spittlesbach Succession War (or War of the House of Spittlesbach). A ferociously fought war on a scale with our world's Seven Years War, in which the main participants were sidelined by their allies in the scope and tenacity of the fighting. The House of Spittlesbach were the royal family of one of the major provinces of the MittleReich. A collection of states and principalities that continually bickered and fought each other over titles, estates, land, territory, and anything worth starting a fight over.

     This particular dispute began when the Spittlesbach king of Luggendorf died and the succession was brought into question. The king had one illegitimate son and one legitimate daughter. By the laws of succession the son always inherited before any daughters but this son was not legitimate. It wasn't long before a war broke out between rival factions at court and the son supported by Villenois was on the march whilst the daughter, Princess Amelie, was supported by her distant cousin the Duke of Saxenburg. Shortly after this, the King of Midland and his Parliament saw opportunity to gain more territory from Villenois on a table wide scale if they came into the war and it wasn't long before Midland ships were blockading Villenese ports and a small army was sent to the Continent under the command of General Blair Dunconnell to support the Princess of Luggendorf.

     What follows is an account of the Battle of St. Klauswald, a short, sharp skirmish deep in the Klauswald, which tested the mettle of the newly raised Northlander regiments against the finest of Villenois.

 His Geminic Majesty's Army faces the Militaire de Villenois in the midst of the Klauswald. General Dunconnell commands the Midlanders against Marshal Spoletti and the Villenese crack troops.

 

Narrative aid. 😉

 The 44th Northland Regiment of Foote, Captain Cawdor's Men, facing the Madiran Dragoons.

Marshal Spoletti at the head of the Madiran Dragoons.

 

Le Regiment du Comte, the Count's Regiment. Finest body of household troops in service to the Davault House.

 

The Count's artillery prepares for action. A mix up in supply gifted them with a casque of Madiran vino.

 The rest of the Northlanders and some grenadiers. Normally grenadier regiments are broken up into companies for larger engagements but for skirmishes like this they are kept together.

Midland artillery, the King's Gunners, eye the opposition.

 General Dunconnell urges the men to victory. The 12th Light Horse spur their mounts to a gallop.

 

 Le 12th Regimente de Ligne, Grenadiers du Mason. The Count's personal guard.

 

The air is tense, silence reigns for only a few moments, each side waiting for the other to blink.

 

Dunconnell blinks first as the artillery open fire scoring 4 hits on the Villenese. First blood to Midland! The light horse suffer heavy casualties charging straight at the Grenadiers du Mason, but manage to inflict losses on them as well.

 

 

Villenese guns return fire scoring hits on the Northland Grenadiers. They keep marching in good order though.

 

Dunconnell in the thick of it.

Marshal Spoletti charges with the Madiran Dragoons but Cawdor's Men hold them back. The regiment may be "green" by official standards but her men come from several infighting clans and war is a way of life in the Auld North.

 

 

 

The casualties are piling up on the Midlander's right flank but the hardy men of Northland press  through the storm of lead. Drums and pipes play on across the battlefield.

 

Things look grim for Midland as the casualties pile on.

 

Villenois stands firm! Until....

 

A devastating close range volley from the Northlanders causes havoc among the Villenese line. Followed by a terrifying  Northland charge.

 

 The day is won! Midlanders cheer as Marshal Spoletti retreats from the field and captured men are lead away.

 

 

Villenese gunners attempt one last volley before the grenadiers close with them.

 

The Grenadiers du Mason surrender.

 

A jubilant army cheers on Dunconnell as Villenese troops throw down their arms and are lead away to captivity.

 

 

Huzzah for the General! Three cheers for the King!

 

A Merry Klausmas indeed. 🎄😉

     Overall I thoroughly enjoyed One Hour Wargames' rule set. Short, to the point, and very flexible, I think I'm going to have a lot of great evenings gaming with OHW. Whether alone or with family. I highly recommend this rule set to anyone with a limited budget, time, or space and it makes for great filler games in between the big battles. A perfect stocking stuffer for all types of wargamers.