Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Battle for German Flat

The main battle report is on the Jackson Gamers web site. You can read more about the battle and the two sides victory conditions there.  Pictures have also been posted on the Nomadic Old School Gamer's blog (see link to right).  The pictures presented here were taken by Jim (AKA Col Campbell).  As usual, please click on the picture for a larger image.

We used the Konig Krieg (1st edition) rules for this game.

The British advanced guard and the 1st Brigade move forward down the rough trail towards the sleepy hamlet of German Flat.  With the rangers and light dragoons to the front, Col Campbell felt fairly safe keeping his 1st Brigade in march column.
Is the sleepy hamlet of German Flat occupied by the French?  Only time will tell.
With war whoops echoing in their ears, the British rangers and light dragoons deploy to face a French allied Indian warband.
As the lead battalions of the 1st Brigade cross the stream, French light infantry make themselves known on the right flank, surprising the other ranger battalion.
While the 42nd Highlanders deploy into the woods in the left background to face off against the French light forces, the other three battalions of the 1st Brigade and the four battalions of the 2nd Brigade began their deployment march to attack German Flat.  The aqua colored stone(s) you will be seeing designate which commands have already moved or fired during the turn.
Later in the action, the French light cavalry attempted to attack a British grenadier battalion in the rear.  In turn, the remnants of the British light dragoons rode to their rescue to attack the French in their rear.  But neither cavalry unit could muster enough courage to complete their attacks, allowing the British grenadiers to about face to oppose the threat.  The French cavalry rode away before the British grenadiers could give them a volley.
A look up the trail, showing the 1st and 2nd Brigades already deployed/deploying in the background across the stream and the long line of provincial infantry marching up the trail.  One provincial battalion is deployed to the left of the trail to provide additional protection against the French allied Indians in the woods.  The other flank of this column is protected by the Highlanders and the grenadiers.
Two French allied Indian warbands attempt to disrupt the deployment of the British infantry.  But two battalions are already turned to meet them, doing devastating execution with their controlled volleys, while the two brigade support guns have turned to fire at the Indians as well.  The Indians didn't like being on the receiving end of the artillery fire and quickly melted into the woods, ending the threat on the British left flank.
A larger view of the developing British attack against German Flat.  You can now see the "French" troops deployed in their defensive positions.  Because the gamemaster had only British and Hanoverian troops, the Hanoverians had to play the part of the French.  Being in red coats didn't help them much at all.
On the British right flank, the 42nd Highlanders try to close with a battalion of French light infantry.  But the Frenchies weren't about to cross bayonets with the "Ladies from Hell" and quickly faded back into the woods.  Another French light battalion is trying to come to the aid of the first but couldn't get close enough to support their comrades.
The British attack against German Flat proceeds apace.  Two French grenadier battalions crossed the wall and came out to "play."  One was destroyed by the green-flagged British battalion (in the center) while the other trades volleys with the yellow-flagged British battalion to the right of the gun.  The battalions in march column all belong to the 2nd British Brigade.  The French inside the hamlet are attempting to redeploy to counter the British moves.
More French crossed the wall to try to stymie the British attack.  The single stand in the left background is all that remains of one of the French battalions after receiving concentrated volleys from the green-flagged British battalion and one of the British guns.  The yellow-flagged British battalion against the wall got there by exploiting their destruction of another French battalion.

With the British 1st and 2nd Brigades closing on the hamlet from one side, the 4th (Provincial) Brigade deploying in the center, and the 42nd Highlanders and British grenadiers moving against the other side, the French in the hamlet decided that they had delayed the "Rosbifs" long enough and quickly decamped to the rear to join the main French army which had just completed the destruction of Fort William Henry and were moving back north to Fort Carillon (AKA Fort Ticonderoga).

Monday, July 4, 2011

Battle of Cronkite Gap - Britannian Report

On Saturday, July 2, the Jackson Gamers met at the abode of Lord Sterling (Jay's) for a Seven Years War battle using his 15mm British and French armies.  We used the Quick Tricorne rules that Jay had modified (link).  Some pictures have already been posted on John Murdaugh's Nomadic Old School Gamer blog (see link to right).  Here we have the report from the British commander, Lord Orlando (Col Campbell himself).

Evening of 2nd July, 1761 (2011)
Village of Huntley in the Cronkite Gap, Germania
To:  General Lord Sterling, Horse Guards, Londinium, Britannia
My dear General,
Today the forces that you have entrusted to our command, representing His Britannian Majesty’s Army in Germania, successfully repelled a Gallian incursion through the Cronkite Gap into the heart of His Majesty’s realm of Hannüber.  Although the Gallians severely pressed our forces, we were triumphant as evening fell, successfully defending the villages of Huntley and Brinkley and the farmstead of Chancellor.  The Gallians did seize the village of Brinkley for a short time, our gallant Britannian infantry quickly retook the village and successfully held it at day’s end.
Our cavalry did take severely losses, especially the brigades commanded by Generalleutnant von Schneider of the Hannuber army.  The infantry of Major General Reding-Nekkid’s and Major General Bully-Beef's brigades were severely handled as well as they defended Brinkley and the center of the line with great ferocity.  The rest of the army handled itself in the fine tradition of His Majesty’s forces, defeating the best the Gallians could through at them.
The army remains garrisoned in the Cronkite Gap awaiting reinforcements and supplies before venturing south against the main Gallian base at Franfurter.
I have commissioned a talented young artist to render some quick watercolors of the high points of the battle and I enclose them for your enjoyment.
I remain, your most obedient servant,
Lieutenant General Lord Orlando


The village of Brinkley before its occupation by a battalion of Britannian infantry.  Lord Sterling had obtained a bag of small wooden buildings some time ago and built the two towns and the farmstead from them.  The towns were sized to hold a battalion of infantry and a gun stand while the farmstead could hold just a battalion of infantry.


Generalleutnant (GL) von Schneider of the Hannüber Army and his three cavalry brigades (32 squadrons) on the right flank of the Britannian Army.

Major General (MG) Young of the Britannian Army with his left flank wing of three brigades of cavalry (36 squadrons), two battalions of Highlanders, two battalions of Hannüber light infantry, and a brigade of four Hannüber guns.  The villages of Huntley (foreground) and Brinkley (middleground) and the farmstead of Chancellor (background) were occupied by battalions of the Britannian Army to serve as anchors against the Gallian storm.  General Lord Sterling of the Horse Guards was the host of the engagement.

The Gallian commanders, Marechal de Camp (MdC) Pitts (right wing commander), Lieutenant General (LG) le Comte de Florida (Gallian army commander), and Feldmarshalleutnant (FML) von Sansing (left wing commander), with the Gallian Army in its battle array.

The village of Huntley, ably defended by a brigade of four guns and a battalion of Britannian infantry.  It was under little pressure during the entire battle.  Lieutenant General Lord Orlando (Col Campbell himself) commanded the Britannian center with four Britannian brigades, each with a four gun artillery brigade, and a Hanüber infantry brigade with its artillery, plus a heavy reserve artillery brigade.

GL von Schneider’s right wing cavalry is decisively engaged with FML von Sansing’s Gallian cavalry.  FML von Sansing had three cavalry brigades (36 squadrons), but only two infantry brigades, one line and one light.  The right flank of the first Britannian line (Major General Barleycorn’s 1st Britannian Brigade) is already deployed while the second line (Generalmajor Stahl’s Hannüber Brigade) is still in march column to allow it easy maneuver should it be needed by GL von Schneider.

The center of the battlefield with the Britannian first line infantry (Major Generals Redding-Nekkid in center and Bully-Beef on left) deployed against the main Gallian attack.  The village of Brinkley is to the left facing a massive Gallian attack force that included the Gallian Guards.  Major General Nonesuch’s Britannian Brigade is still deployed in march column on the left half of the second line.  In the left background, MdC Pitts’ Gallian right wing is advancing upon the farmstead of Chancellor.  

The Gallian Guards attack the Britannian garrison of Brinkley (a Britannian battalion and a brigade of 4 guns).  The first Gallian attacks were repelled after some fierce fighting that saw a Gallian Guards battalion withdraw due to severe losses.  MG Bully-Beef’s brigade stood strong against the main Gallian attack.

Later in the battle on the Britannian right flank with FL von Schneider’s cavalry having taken severe losses.  The right flank second line brigade, Hannübers under Generalmajor Stahl, are deploying to reinforce what is left of the Britannian and Hannüber cavalry.

A final picture of the battlefield showing the village of Huntley (right) not threatened, the severe depletion of the center of the Britannian first line with battalions of the second line deploying forward, and the severe fighting around the village of Brinkley (left).  In the background, the Britanno-Hannüber cavalry of MG Young is successfully opposing the Gallian cavalry of MdC Pitts.

Although still being pressured by the Gallians, the Britannian garrison of Brinkley is still holding.  This was the second Britannian battalion to man the defenses of Brinkley, the first having been thrown out in earlier fighting.

After a Highland battalion was severely pummeled by Gallian artillery while successfully defending the farmstead of Chancellor against attacks by Grenadiers de Gallia, they were withdrawn and a battalion of Hannüber jagers then manned the walls.  The Britanno-Hannüber cavalry and the Gallian cavalry continue their fight as darkness starts to fall.

Major General Barleycorn’s 1st Britannian Brigade was under very little pressure from the Gallian left wing infantry as it successfully defending the village of Huntley all day.


Additional pictures were taken by Lord Sterling and FML von Sansing and will hopefully be posted soon.


EDIT:  And now a report is available on the Jackson Gamers web site.