After a long gap, I managed to get to my local club for a game. Chris, one of its leading lights and an AWI afficionado, invited me over with my French troops as he wanted to re-fight a small action - Gloucester Point, 1781, which involved the defence of a supply train by a small force of British/Loyalist troops under Tarleton against a mixed force of French and American troops under the Duke de Lauzun. It proved to be a very enjoyable game, involving Steve and myself on the Franco-American side and Will and Ken on the British/Loyalist side.
With only ten units on the table it was not a large action and we played for sixteen turns using a set of old-style rules - plotting moves, recording casualties on paper (one figure = ten men) - morale tests influenced by type/nationality, etc. In the end, it was something of a draw, though the Franco-American side had the satisfaction of capturing Tarleton and his mounted unit after a slightly see-saw melee, while the British/Loyalist side got their supply train off the table without much difficulty and gave a bloody nose to their attackers, mainly owing to my over-impetuous pursuit under the guns of their rather weighty battery!
Here are some pictures. There should be more on the club site as well - see my links list, New Buckenham Historical Wargamers. The British/Loyalist and American units are all Chris' figures; the French were mine.
Tarleton and his cavalry at the rear of the supply train column.
My Lauzun Legion cavalry, a mixed unit of lancers and swords. However, the rules did not give me any advantage for the lances!
A detachment of the Deux Ponts Regiment masquerading as Lauzun Legion infantry - I never got round to producing the latter!
The main cavalry engagement. In the end, the dice were favourable to me, plus the bigger unit, rather than any particular tactical skill!
Tarleton was struck and suffered a light wound, which caused his unit to lose heart, for they promptly failed their morale test and surrendered to a man, along with Tarleton himself!
The two American units were veteran Virginia militia.
As the militia were blocking my way left around the woods, my preferred direction, I went right with the cavalry, which turned out to be a mistake. I should have waited for them to go by.
The battery began long range fire against my French, but I pressed on, hoping to cut in on the flank of the retreating enemy. It would have been more sensible to have retired really, but it would have taken the pressure off the retiring British. But then again, they had already got their wagons away? Perhaps I just pressed on in the spirit of the game!
The militia were held up by a gallant charge by the British dragoons.
My French marines were very delayed arriving and it was all over by the time they caught up with the action.
Cavalry cannot charge formed foot in front, but mine had taken too many casualties from artillery anyway, so back they went in retreat, my general having escaped a near miss from a cannonball!
The closing exchange of fire.
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