Battle of Prospect Hill

 

  On Monday July 19th we met to fight yet another American Civil War battle.  Thus one was the fighting around Prospect Hill on the Confederate right flank during The Battle of  Fredericksburg. Rules were Brigade level "Fire and Fury" and troops were 15mm from John's collection.  He also hosted the game in his garage.  

I was posted on the right flank of the Union line commanding Brook's and Howe's divisions of Smith's 6th Corps.  The other division of my corps was off table to be brought in as reinforcements.  Dave was in the center with Meads troops and Peter on the left with Reynold command.  The Confederates were Jackson's Corps of A.P. Hill (Warren) , Hood's (Art)  and  Taliaferro's (Don) Divisions.

The Jackson's Corps stood behind the railroad embankment hoping to draw in  the Union assault. Instead, the Union massed their batteries and opened up with a heavy cannonade which reduced the confederate artillery by 5 batteries!  This caused Jackson to order A.P. Hill to attack on the right and Hood was to attack on the right.  Taliferno was to wait for the center to be weakened and then also attack.

  On the union right flank Smith threw in Brooks' and Howe's divisions to assault the Confederate left. A series of Bad communications( bad dice rolls) left the rebels immobile as Howe and Brook attacked and pushed them back. The attack  pushed them from the railroad embankment and back into the woods and threatened to turn the flank.  But at the point the boys is grey rallied and drove the Yankees back to the railroad embankment where they took covered and brought up reinforcement.   The Confederate  casualties had been horrendous and they stood little chance of taking the embankment.

 The center Meade's division, supported by the massed Union batteries took the railroad embankment and prepared to push through the center.

  Meanwhile the union left was assailed by AP Hill's division coming out from behind the railriad embankment. Unfortunately for them they slammed into the Iron Brigade of Doubledays division of the 1st Corp who proved why they were considered the best of the union army. Not only did they shatter the rebel brigade spearhead (capturing that brigade) but followed up with a breakthrough attack on the supporting brigade and defeated them also!

  At this point the casualty total were Grey 47 stands lost and was   just 1 stand away from break point.  The Union was only 24 stands lost;  well under the 52 stands lost threshold. After 4 hours of play we had completed 6 turns (and had a lunch break)  and came to a decision on the field of battle. All players felt it was a Union victory and all had had a wonderful time.  

Thank you very much John for all your hard work pudding this on and thank you to my fellow gamers Peter, Warren, Dave, Don and Art for a fun game and great comradery and a wonder afternoon.  Looking forward to our next Monday afternoon game in August.

Club Game Night July 16

  Times flies by and its once again club game for the Northern Conspiracy.  As usual three games are offered and you can join in for the fun.  Tonight's battles included World War 2 skirmish, World War 2 naval and a crowd favorite Napoleonic.  Here are the games as written by the individuals putting them on.  Pictures will be of games in progress.

Its great after the break to get together again!

Charlie Galemmo: Napoleon’s Rules of War, 28mm. 

The first day of the Battle of Jakubowo 30 July 1812.

 

Marshal Oudinot was tasked with covering the left flank of Napoleons advance into Russia and ultimately threaten St. Petersburg. In his march he had secured a bridge across the Nitschstcha at Kliatitzy. Russian Marshal Wittgentstein moved to retake the bridge and hold the French advance. The Russians moved towards Kliatitzy but ran into French troops in the town of Jakubowo just a few kilometers from the bridge. What ensued was a set piece battle. The French needed to push forward n their march as well as eliminate the threat Wittgenstein forces had on Napoleon’s main thrust. The Russians wanted to prevent French advance and move forward themselves for the reasons the French wanted to stop them.

The rules will be Napoleon’s Rules of War 2^nd Edition. There will be a wide variety of infantry; grenadiers, standard line and provisional troops. Plenty of cavalry too! Cuirassier on both sides, hussars and of course Cossacks. 

  Phil Hammond and Michael Bailey – Axis & Allies Naval Rules: War at Sea, 1:1200 Ships, 4-6 Players Italy versus England in the Mediterranean 1941.

 We shall bring to you the smack down that those willey British laid on the Italiens in February 1941 when the Admiral sent Force H (consisting of two battleships, one cruiser, and the carrier Ark Royal) to bombard to port of Genoa and bomb two other smaller ports on Ligurian Sea.

    And while the Italian Navy (Regia Marina) tried not to take this all sitting down; coordination, weather and timing was not with them that day.

The force out to intercept Force H missed them by mere hours. The air force? The one spotter plane that found the Ark Royal was shot down by a Skua dive bomber (not even a proper fighter!). And the Luftwaffe? Well, it's an ITALIAN problem, eh?

   But this time... Things may be very different. Come find out how well an modern Italien BB fares against retreaded British battlewagons.

   Could be interesting! 

 Mark Decoteau – 

Red Devils in Normandy, June 7, 1944.  20mm World War II Skirmish using Crossfire Rules. 

After securing the left flank of the Allied invasion on D-Day, the British 6^th Airborne Division continued the fight to secure the areas around Breville, Rainville and Le Mesnil.  

This scenario sets out a meeting engagement between a British Parachute Platoon moving and German defenders from the 711^th Division and attached units.  Units will be trying to secure buildings and prepare their areas as a jump off point for future offensive operations.

Battle of Stones River (or Murfreesboro)

 

   One very nice aspect of the So many of us getting the vaccine and lifting of restrictions are the face to face gaming again.  Its been great having Club game night again.  Its now outstanding when individuals can get together.  A few of us have been doing Monday games.  These are fought using the Fire and Fury Brigade level rules in 15mm.  Here are some pictures of one if these game we fight today based on Stones River or Murfreesboro.

Union left flank is table edge facing the viewer in this picture.

  The set up was similar to the historic battle.  The Union left rested in a woods and by a fortified area called the slaughter pen.  The right (under my command) set up a defensive position in the woods and by a shallow river.    The Confederate commanders held a division opposite the union left with orders to hold and keep an eye in them.  On the union right a Confederate division was to push into the wood and turn the flank while the main effort was to break through the center.

On the Union left, both sides hunkered down in very goid defensive positions and waited for the other side to move.  It was pretty static for most of the game.

On the Union right I had a division of Confederate infantry charge to push me out of the woods.  It didn't work and u held my ground.  By the end of the game I was ready to move forward and sweep the remnants away.

In the center, the Confederate massed their troops and tried to break through.  The Union lines bent but did not break and held out.  After six hours the game was called for a Union victory.

  All in all a good fun game with a group of friends.  It is great to get together again.

  

UPDATE:  here are some additional pictures taken by the host John Magnifico.

The beer wagon

 

  It was described on the website as a water wagon.  As I was painting it Janine said my troops would be happier with beer.  I agree!  A very nice little kit.  Easy to put together and will look good on the table top.

Battle of Chippawa 5 July 1814

 

  The Battle of Chippawa showed that American regulars could hold their own against British regulars if properly trained and well led.  It is also remembered and commemorated today in the United States Army.

The battlefield at Chippewa

Scott's Brigades line at Chippewa

The actual battlefield is preserved as the Chippawa Battlefield Park, a unit of the Niagara Parks Commission.  For a tour of the battlefield check this post from my blog: "A Visit to the Chippewa Battlefield";   https://bravefusiliers.blogspot.com/2018/07/visit-to-chippawa-battlefield-chippawa.htm

The 25th Infantry was later combined with the 27th, 29th and 37th Infantry Regiments to form the 6th Infantry Regiment. The 6th Infantry's motto is "Regulars, by God" from General Riall's remark about the American regulars during the battle.

Ten active regular infantry battalions of the United States Army (1-2 Inf, 2-2 Inf, 1-3 Inf, 2-3 Inf, 4-3 Inf, 1-5 Inf, 2-5 Inf, 1-6 Inf, 2-6 Inf and 4-6 Inf) perpetuate the lineages of American infantry regiments (the old 9th, 11th, 19th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd Infantry Regiments) that fought at the Battle of Chippawa.

The Corps of Cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point wear gray parade uniforms, but the assertion that they were adopted in commemoration of Scott's troops at Chippawa appears to be a legend, possibly started by General Scott himself.  There were a number of reasons given in 1815 for its selection. Gray wool jackets simply wore well and were considerably cheaper than the regulation blue coat.  Also, the Secretary of War disliked Scott and sent gray jackets (usually associated with militia) for his brigade as an insult.