Bunker Hill (again and again)

Unfortunately my camera has gone awol so no piccies of a fun afternoon with Birmingham Wargamers.

General Jimbo set up a very nice interpretation of Bunker Hill terrain so with 15mm armies and a set of Volley and Bayonet we set about changing history.

We began the first game at 14:45. The main force of red coated Brits advanced manfully through the disordering terrain ignoring the inaccurate fire of the light guns in the redoubt. The British grenadiers and light troops moved around the flank of hill.

14:55 hours - two British regiments assault the corner of the redoubt to bring two line units against one militia. With a morale rating of 5 only a throw of 6 could fail; of course Jim throws two 6s. With sterling defensive throws against the now disordered red coats the initial attack is repulsed. On the rebels' left the fire of the Grenadiers and light troops prove ineffectual. The militia however prove to be good marksman and the Grenadiers take casulaties.

15:00 hours - two more British regiments charge forward to assault the redoubt, only a throw of 6 on their morale test could prevent a break in on the redoubt - Jim throws... two sixes. The melee goes with the yankees and two more red coated regiments are routed. Derisive laughter can be heard from behind the breastwork. The grenadiers also charge and push back one of the brave colonial units but do not break them.

15:10 hours - An heroic militia regiment charges into the flank of the Grenadiers and with musketry support destroy the already weakened Brits

15:15 hours - Game Over

At this point we usually set up again and swap sides - however Richard and Jim are determined to reverse the embarrassing performance. Red Coats and Red Faces.

Always funny to see four consecutive morale failures. Quote of the day paraphrased from Dame Edna; "God has given me the gift of laughter ... at other peoples' misfortune."

The next game lasted a little longer as the Brits manoeuvred onto the flanks and blasted the poor colonials with well aimed musketry and long range artillery before charging in. Even the rebels gave a good account themselves before being overrun.

We agreed to swap sides for the third and final game.This led to much manoeuvering and hanging about by the Brits who hoped for better results from a thin skirmish line and a couple of cannon. Eventually a charge from one side of the redoubt managed to rout the weak and weakened militia. Equilibrium was restored.

Today's cheese was a very tasty Caerphilly.

Remembrance Sunday

A drizzly grey morning for the annual procession up the High Street to our local cenotaph. Led by a bagpiper and a couple of drummers the procession was the largest I can remember. While the ranks of veterans from WW2 and Korea progressively thin the general populace feel the need to pay their tribute to the fallen of more recent wars as well as the C20th conflicts.

Artillery

September was not a good painting month so I decided to make more of an effort in October.

When I started this project in June my aim was a, reasonable, unit a month. At the end of October I am back on target having completed the infantry regiment started in September and also a couple of batteries of artillery.

I purchased a couple of Strelets GNW boxes which were a bit of a disappointment. So after a quick visit to Plastic Soldier Review I went out and bought a box of Zvezda GNW artillery. The artillery men were much, much nicer, although I did have to stick some arms on. Even with my lack of dexterity it didn't prove too difficult and I have managed to prise my fingers apart. The first piccie shows Alpha Battery of Fromagere in the purple personally chosen by Duchess Sophia, with largest gun in the Zvezda box, a six pounder. The gun itself is a nice model though a bit fiddly to put together (yes I am major klutz so it's probably not really) and I am a bit concerned as to it's ability to stand up the rigours of wargaming.



The Strelets artillery men were not very good figures but the guns themselves are a doddle to push together and a nicely robust. Not the most accurate replicas of C18 cannon being a bit chunky but I like their generic "cannony" look and are certainly tough enough to stand up to being knocked about to and from wargame tables. The artillerymen of Fromagere man a battery of Strelets cannon above. There are only two cannon per box however.

The Zvezda box may be twice as expensive (in our local model shop anyway) but you do get a lot of nice artillery men, five cannon as well as a limber and horses. If I was hypercritical the cannon aren't the most useful for wargamers feeling a little fragile and also three of the guns are "gallopers", very light cannon pulled by one horse. The other two are a heavier six pounder and a nice howitzer. While neither The Wargame nor Charge discriminate between heavy and light artillery I think I might introduce this to our games, possibly giving a regiment or two a battalion gun.

Left shows a Weinpfalz artillery officer lining up a light galloper gun. Nicely modelled as all Zvezda seem to be.

On a slightly larger front my Great Northern Army has gained an artillery piece. I think cannon and crew are courtesy of Front Rank and very nice they are too, painted by Jim of course.

We're not quite sure what rules to use for these yet, with Impetus Baroque being mooted.

I'm not convinced with that idea yet.

Whilst I am back up to speed with my one unit a month target I am well underway with "November's" unit already.

Half painted Revell SYW dragoons charge across the painting desk in Castle Vallejo. They will be the first mounted unit of Weinplfalz.

Oh - I also purchased a couple of boxes of Hat Prussian Hussars 1806 which look emminently suitable for the wars of the mid C18. Hopefully I can get these painted up sharpish and get these guys in the field.

The New Bridge

Not since the rape of the Palatine by Tilley had there been a bridge over the Weinbach, which suited both the Duke Fromagere and Count Otto of Mittelwein. For this little river was the natural border between bitter enemies WeinPfalz and Fromagere and trade and communication between the two was negligible.

However following the death in battle of Otto in 1709 the pleasant water meadows and the town of Spatlesse were seized by the forces of Fromagere on a misty morning in early autumn. The only casualty being Mayor Traubensaft who was summarily hanged after hitting the colonel of the Camembert Cuirassiers with his ceremonial mace.

In anticipation of having to relinquish his prize fairly quickly Duke Reynard hesitated and then forgot to improve communications with his new enclave over the river. For over twenty five years the only way to transport goods and livestock into and out of Spatlesse was by the little foot ferry.

During the campaign of 1735 however a harassed clerk in the war ministry misread a request from General Mozzarella and sent a company of pontonniers to Spatlesse. Once there they did as pontonniers do and within a couple of days a fine bridge was awaiting an army to cross it. At Spatburg a very irate colonel of chevaux-legers was getting his feet wet.

In Weinstadt, after a good breakfast, the war council convened. Undoubtedly Fromagere was preparing to attack. And the best form of defence is..

tbc

Indian Summer

Summer 2009 was looking like being a bit of a washout but September has proved to be a glorious month. Unfortunately, while I have been walking the dog, golfing and gathering in the harvest, wargames and more specifically painting have taken a bit of a back seat.

However winter draws on, as my grandma used to say, and the dark nights will be filled with the clatter of dice and the splash of paint. A nice little radiator has been installed in Castle Vallejo (aka my shed) although I do need to invest in a couple of daylight bulbs. A necessity for tired old eyes particularly after a day staring at a spreadsheet.

At the weekend I made the mistake of buying a couple of boxes of Strelets Great Northern War artillery before checking out Plastic Soldier Review. Not the best figures I have ever seen. Perhaps the heads will prove useful. I also got a couple of boxes of Zvesda GNW Swedes which look splendid and who will make up the main infantry units of the Duchy of Fromagere. Looks like I’m going to need eight boxes to get five decent looking regiments. Unfortunately there are only three grenadiers to a box.

A while ago we started a “real” Great Northern War project but this is still a work in progress as so few of the range we chose have been completed. After two years still no officers to go with the nicely painted privates. (NB I have my mate Jim to thanks for the lovely paint job)
















Russian Guard awaiting sand and flock.

I’m not a great watcher of TV but I did catch Brian Sewell’s Grand Tour in which he follows in the footsteps of many a young Englishman of the Eighteenth Century in their search for culture (amongst other things) in Italy. Interesting to note what an impact the young British tourists were having on the Med even then! I think it was John Humphries who said that Brian Sewell is the only person who could make the Queen sound common.

Regiment Spatburgunder

Weinpfalz almost has it's second regiment of foot.

The Regiment Spatburgunder just needs a little furtle and it will be battle ready.
I find painting over 50 figures a go quite tedious and also a literal pain in the neck. But I set myself the reasonable target of one unit a month and after ten weeks I have two regiments and one half done. I think an artillery battery might be next though.

Regiment Spatburgunder in line.

A while ago I lost "The Wargame" by Charles Grant to a wargame friend who promptly left the country. "C'est la Brie" as they say in Fromagere. However good old Amazon came up trumps last week with a second hand copy for £10.00 from a library in southern England.

While I am a "Charge o phile" The Wargame is a good read full of lovely OSW piccies and an idea or two I might adopt to fill out the lack of morale rules in Charge.

Also in the last week I have received some nice samples of Wodensfeld Seven Years War figures from John Cunningham of Vintage 20mil. Not true 20mm more like 24mm and anatomically realistic.

I have just given it a quick paint job to show it compared to a Revell of the Spatburgunder Regiment (with a Musketeer Miniature GNW Russian as a comparison to "28mm").

Almost a perfect match. Unfortunately only French infantry at the moment but there are 36 poses in the range.

Things get Shorter....

... and a little later.

Contrary to popular belief today was in fact 2 December 1805. And that can only mean one thing - Austerlitz. (Most of it anyway)

Ironic quotes of the day :

Napoleon: "How long will it take you to move your divisons to the top of the Pratzen Heights?"
Soult: "Less than twenty minutes Sire..."

Using simple rules derived from Volley and Bayonet, DBA, 2 by2 etc we expect to reach a conclusion within three hours.

Looking from the north.

In the foreground V Corps under Lannes cross the stream and begin to climb the Zuran while a light cavalry division has crossed the stream.

On the left Liechtenstien moves his heavy cavalry divisions forward past Blaswitz. Beyond Bernadotte and Soult perpare to cross the Goldbach while the French Guard and heavy cavalry reserve wait patiently. The Pratzen Heights swarm with Russkies and Austrians and the Guard lie behind.

Lannes outflanking maneouvre moves on apace unaware that Bagration is about to appear on table.

The Pratzen heights early in the morning

Bagration moves forward, courtesy of a giant hand. Despite early success the French light cavalry can make no impressionon the Russian heavy cavalry divisions. While...

the French Reserve waits patiently.

Bored with Soult's inabilty to break through Bernadotte crosses the Bosenitz stream.

Not French cheerleaders but the devastating effect of Russian heavy batteries upon Lannes infantry. Red is not good.

Liechtenstein's heavy cavalry unleashed upon disordered French hussars of Bernadotte.

Oh Dear! poor old Kellerman division is ridden down.

Beyond Bernadotte's infantry share the suffering.

The inability of the French to even reach the Pratzen means that the Reserve is not activated.

Consequently the lack of heavy cavalry to combat the devastating Russian cuirassiers leads to the units disordered by artillery fire becoming sitting ducks to the big men on horses and are wiped out piecemeal.

History is changed and Napoleon returns to Corsica to run a small corner shop. Oh the irony.