Attack on an outpost 1854

 

Quite the Affair old boy!

  The Battle of Kowpenski was a recent table top wargame set in the Crimean war period 1854-55.  It saw a Russian attack on a Allied outpost which guarded the flank of the siege lines around Sebastopol.

Russians enter the table.  It's a very long way to The Allies lines!

 

Russian advance

   Defending on parallel ridges the battlefield is mostly open rolling terrain with woods protecting both flanks.  The Russian forces (Vladimirski infantry Regiment of 4 battalions, 16th  light artillery battery and the  Kievski and Ingermanlandski Hussar Regiments) enter the table.  The Allies are deployed in three lines.  A skirmish line of 1/1st Zouaves  face the Russians.  Behind them are a battalion of 7th Ligne French line infantry.   In the distance, hidden behind a ridge line are British 7th Royal Fusiliers and 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers.  The British Heavy cavalry brigades deployed in The woods.    The Russian forces must advance across the field quickly (limited number of moves) and capture the far ridge line while destroying the Allied force.  The Allies must stop the Russians.  Rules used are "Charge of the Light Brigade." All figures are 25mm.

Pesky French

Russians suffer casualties from the Zouaves skirmish fire.

   The game started with the Russian infantry and artillery advancing onto the table.  The cavalry hung back protecting the flanks as British cavalry were rumored to be in the area. The Russians used a command point each per battalion and artillery to try and contact the French, but bad die rolls left them short.  The pesky French pounded them with long range rifle fire while they fell back to join their brother battalion on the ridge.

  Although suffering long range casualties the Russian advance pushed the French back into the first ridge line.  Here their cavalry deployed into double lines to advance and take the French line in a double envelopment.

Heavy Brigade destroyed Russian Cavalry Regiment

  But, out of the wood line where they were hidden came the British Heavy cavalry  brigade which crashed into the Russian cavalry.  Caught in flank the Russian cavalry not only lost the melee and retreated but their commander was killed!  (for every three 6's rolled you check for a leader being wounded or killed).

   The Russians infantry  continued their advance but the right hand battalion formed line facing the British cavalry and their artillery deployed into firing line.  Their work done the French double moved back towards their British allies while the Heavy brigade covered their retreat.

 Having cleared the first ridge, the Russian commander sorted his line out and brought up his battery for the final push. But his left flank cavalry commander, seeing the retreating Zouaves in the open could not contain himself and charged headlong towards them.  This brought him into rifle range of not only the Zouaves, but the British on the hill.  The rifle fire decimated the cavalry, which lost over half its strength and retired.

Russian cavalry charging the French

Taking aim at all those horse!

Both sides reformed in their ridge lines.  Although the Russian commander finally unlimbered his battery he did not have the time to batter the Allies.  He knew could get one or two fires into them before he had to advance.  He managed to remove a stand of the Zouaves with his artillery fire.

Advancing across the open fields, the Russian columns were again brought under heavy rifle fire.  The reformed Russian cavalry advanced to support the infantry.

 But this time the allies had double the battalions they had earlier.  Each battalion picked out a advancing column.  Two of the Russian columns were shot up and had to retire.  At this point the Heavy brigade attacked and drove off the remaining Russian cavalry.

 The French charged off the ridge to attack the Russians while the British advanced against the remaining Russian battalion.

French chasing routing Russian line.

Fusiliers brigade move against a isolated Russian battalion.

At this point, with the Russians in disarray and routing the Allied commanders met to congratulate themselves in the victory.  The Russian commanders met to think up how to write this up as a victory.  Or not get thrown out of upper stories windows in tall buildings.  

   One of the most interesting battles of the Rev War  was Cowpens which the reader may have guessed what was really being played here.   A problem with re fighting any historical battle is you know what happened.  I decided to not tell thus to the players.   So here, the players thought they were fighting the battle of  Little Inkerman  (26 October 1854) but we're really fighting the Cowpens battle.   As a game it worked well and surprisingly mimicked the historical battle very well. 

  This was a small, but enjoyable game. It was great fun to get my Crimean collection out again, and great fun to play "Charge of the Light Brigade" rules again.  Couple things about the period are getting to have British and French fight together on the same side and seeing masses of Russians in overcoats.  The rules are great fun and I enjoy them very much.  They create a fun game that moves fast and mirrors the period very well.  Sadly they are not more widely available.  I will post a rules review of them soon, and anyone who is interested in a set please send me a email and I will attach them.

   

McKenzie Heights 1855

 

 Time to get my Crimean War collection out!  Here is a past game night battle I never recorded.   The battle on McKenzie Heights saw a Russian division of 12 infantry battalions, four batteries and three cavalry regiments defending a cross roads.  Fortifications have been added to add strength.  Meanwhile two British divisions advance to capture the same cross roads.  Rules used were Charge of the Light Brigade, and all figures were 25mm from Wargames Foundry and North Star miniatures.

  The Russian commanders placed all four batteries behind fortifications along the front line.  Four battalions defended the tiwn, and four more battalions were placed on each flank.  Two cavalry regiments guard the Russian right flank while one cavalry regiment guard the left flank.

 The rules are a U-Go-U-Go but with a twist.  Each regiment gets so many command points.  These can be used to do addition actions.  When it is your turn each unit can do one free action (move, fure, change formation, lumber or unlimber).  After The free action they can spend a command point and do a second action.  They can do a third action which cost two command points.  And so on.  But once spent command points are gone.  Better units have more command points, poorer have less.  When you spend a command point The other sides gets to react to it by returning fire.  Intetesting!  You can get morale chips for being under fure, or losing a close combat.  For each moral marker you get you subtract one pip from every die roll.  So this quickly becomes dangerous.


The Game:
  The British placed the 1st Division (Guards and Highlander) on their right with orders to outrank the village.  The Light Division crossed a minor stream to attack the village in front and hold most of the Russia's attention.  The Light Cavalry brigade was held off table.

On the Russian Right Flank:

Supported by a battery two Russian battalions advance against the British line.

   As the British came into the board and crossed the stream, the Russian commander launched an attack.  Two infantry battalions and a Hussar and Cossacks regiment charged the British  line.  During his move the Russian commander spent an extra command point to move his forces more quickly forward. But he was hampered by poor dice rolling (movement is by five roll and he rolled very low).

  The British commander not believing his good luck spent a command point and got his artillery into line and unlimbered, while his infantry fired twice at the Russians causing high casualties.

When the charges went in they were easily defeated and sent routing back with high casualties and multiple morale markers.  The Russian commander then advanced two more infantry battalions, this time in line to exchange fire with the British.  Superior rifles and numbers told and the decimated Russian infantry retired.  The British proceeded to silence the batteries with long range rifle fire.

Russian Left Flank:

  The British 1st Division advanced into range to engage the Russians with rifle fire.  Good die rolling from the Russians saw the British battery silenced very quickly. The Russians used a number of command points to change formation from double line into line to bring more muskets  against the British.  This did not work.

  In a desperate effort to stop the British the Russian commander charged the nearest enemy with his cavalry regiment.  Ironically, that was the 93rd Highlander of the  thin red line fame.   This time history did not repeat itself and the cavalry win the close combat.  The retreating highlander caused disorder as they retired and the Russian cavalry charged into the next unit the 42nd.  This time, supported by the Guards the Russian cavalry broke and retired off the board.  With little opposition in front of them the British continued their advance.

 At this point the game was called.  Both flanks were wide open and two batteries silenced .So the Russians had little chance of stopping the British.

  The game was fast paced and great fun.  All agreed that the rules were easy to understand and provided interesting twists with the command points. one point were All agree on was in future battles more Russian infantry needs to be on the table to counter British superior rifle range.  All are interested in playing again soon.

RWF and St. David's Day

 

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   To all today I wish a Happy Saint David's Day to the Welch, and to all Royal Welch Fusiliers both past and present!

1st March 1775;  This being St. David's Day the officers of the 23rd Regiment, or Royal Welch Fusiliers, dinned together according to the custom.  All the General & Staff Officers, the Admiral, and several other person's were invited to dine with the Regiment...."
From the diary of Lieutenant Frederick MacKenzie.

The "custom" was on each Saint Daivid's Day following dinner the regimental goat with the drummers and fifers are led around the mess table.  The drum major has a silver plate with raw leeks and the mess sergeant carries a loving cup filled with champagne. They halt by the newest joined officer who then stands on his chair with his left foot and places his right foot on the table and eats a leek while the drummers play a continuous roll.  Once he has consumed the leek he is handed the loving cup and before drinking toasts "And Saint David!"  All present who have not eaten a leek, including guests are expected to do so. Similar ceremonies occurs in the sergeants and the other ranks mess.  This custom, described as "ancient" in 1775  is still observed in peace and during war time up to the present time.

Reenactment of Battle of White Plains 1976 with your humble blogger in the ranks of the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers.

 

Poor Old Fritz

 

  Occasionally our Yorkie  Fritz makes a guest appearance on the blog.  He was a rescue dog we got from a shelter and was in terrible shape.  Most of his fur was gone and he was extremely undernourished.  Since then he has thrived and is a healthy 12 years old.  Oh!  And he doesnt care for little children.  Why I don't know.... But he walks like crazy and I get my miles in each day with him.  

  Unfortunately he recently did damage to his paw.  In jumping down from something he caught his toe in a thread and snapped off his nail.  Then his licking it caused a infection.  Now its bandaged and he has to wear the cone of shame.  The little faker can nowadays walk on it but when  he see a person he has to hold up his paw to get sympathy.  Sigh.....

Update:  Fritz is doing much better.  The paw is healing and he doesnt gave to wear the cone all the time.  Yesterday we did nearly 10,000 steps in two different walks.  So he is getting back to his old self and I am back to my walking.

On His Majesty’s Service: The British Infantry During the American Revolution

 

   Philip R.N. Katcher’s  "I'mEncyclopedia of British, Provincial, and German Army Units 1775-1783"  was one of the first books I bought.   Filled with good details of regimental  history and neat pictures of Reenactors (many who I latter met) it is still a treasured item in my library.   Has served as an important  reference to the Crown forces during the American Rev War.   It is still one of the only sources for  uniform information about Loyalists and Hessian/German regiments.  Sadly, new research has marched on and there are a number of errors and misrepresented in the book.  

  Enter this new reference book , "On His Majesty’s Service: The British Infantry during the American Revolution" by by Steven M. Baule and Ryan R. Gale.  This new book contains all the information found in Katcher's book about the British army but its updated and more detailed.  Each regiment is given a history of its service during the war and it's listing of engagements.  Uniform information such as facing colors, buttons and regimental lace patterns are illustrated.  There is a color drawings of each regiment and numerous photographs of artifacts. Lastly there is often interesting information suck as a break down of ages or occupation and length service for rank and file.   The book opens with a introductory chapter on British infantry organization, who the officer corps were, demographics and recruitment, desertion, discipline, uniforms, accoutrements, arms, training and tactics, and army leadership.  All very very useful.  

Bushnell’s Turtle

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  David Bushnell from Westbrook, Connecticut was a Yale graduate interested in creating an explosive weapon to use against the British during their occupation of New York Harbor during the Revolutionary War. Bushnell found local artisans who helped him construct an underwater vessel that could secretly transport a “bomb” to an unsuspecting British warship. Known as  "The Turtle” for its appearance, In a detailed 1787 letter to Thomas Jefferson,Bushnell described it as:

“The external shape of the sub-marine vessel bore some resemblance to two upper tortoise shells of equal size, joined together; the place of entrance into the vessel being represented by the opening made by the swell of the shells, at the head of the animal.”

 In a 1785 letter to Thomas Jefferson, George Washington wrote, “Bushnell is a man of great mechanical powers, fertile in inventions and master of execution … I then thought, and still think, that it was an effort of genius”.

 

Bushnell and fellow Yale University intellectual, Phineas Pratt, had developed an underwater bomb with a time delayed flintlock detonator. The one-man, hand-propelled submarine was then designed in order to transport the bomb to the enemy vessel.

The Turtle’s first contact with the British occurred in September of 1776. The plan was to approach the HMS Eagle, attach a bomb to its underside with the assistance of boring tools, and then float away in time for the explosive to sink the British warship.  Bushnell could not pilot the mission due to health issues so  a volunteers Sergeant Ezra Lee filled in.    But, there were a number of issues which effected the attack.  The vessel only had enough air to be submerged for 30 minutes and struggled against the tide. Lee's failure to attach the bomb were probably due to a combination of stress, the cooper sheeting of the Eagles hull and carbon-monoxide poisoning.  Lee ended the mission by floating away from the ship and letting the mine explode downriver, where it failed to harm either himself or the HMS Eagle. The other two attempts undertaken by the Turtle are not as well documented.  

What was the fate of the Turtle?  The American sloop transporting it was sunk by British at the Battle of Fort Lee. The Turtle was salvaged but was not able to be repaired and used again.  One source suggested seeing parts of it in a Connecticut barn in 1800

There have been a number of Turtle recreations in modern time; these include:

Replica at Connecticut River Museum.

Joseph Leary and Fred Frese co-founded a recreation Turtle project in 1976 to celebrate the United States Bicentennial. The vessel was christened by Connecticut’s then-Governor Ella Gasso and was tested in the Connecticut River. Today, it is owned by the Connecticut River Museum in Essex.

Replica in the water underway.

Rick and Laura Brown of Handshouse Studio were aided by the U.S. Naval Academy in authentically recreating the process by which the vessel was built in the Revolutionary era. This replica can be found in the International Spy Museum lobby in Washington, D.C.

Lastly, In August of 2007, three men were stopped by the police while piloting a Turtle replica near the RMS Queen Mary 2 in Brooklyn, N.Y. The New York Times noted the vessel “resembled something out of Jules Verne by way of Huck Finn....’”

If interested in reading more about this fascinating submarine I highly recommend the following book.

Manstan, Roy R. And Frese, Frederic J.  The Turtle: David Bushnell's Revolutionary Vessel.

Ambush at Black Rock Cross

 

At our clubs January game night Mark Decoteau (front and center in the picture smiling at the camera)  put on his his  "Ambush at Black Rock Cross" game using the rules  Pikeman's Lament.     He is planning on putting this on at the Mayhem convention later this year and wanted to test it out.  This is one of the nice advantages of belonging to a club.  You get try out rules you might never use or periods you don't have figures for and probably won't ever. While this us a period I know next to nothing about I tried it and had a wonderful time.  In fact I was enjoying myself so much I neglected to take any pictures!  Fortunately Ed did and I will borrow his from his great blog. (   https://edmwargamemeanderings.blogspot.com/2024/02/january-game-night.html)    Thank you Ed!  Please note your humble blogger in his green vest too busy playing to notice anything around him.

The game was Set during the English Civil War period up by the Scottish boarder.  A royalist wagon of gold is headed to a castle with a small escort.  Mounted Scott horse and a war band of Highlanders are set to ambush it while Royalist cavalry ride to the rescue.  

As I mentioned I know little about the period and this was the first time playing the rules.  Mark was an outstanding game master and kept things running smoothly as well as giving historical the bits about the various troop types and history.  Once home after the game I raced to my library to read up in the period.  The rules were great fun and I plan to pick up a set as I know I will be playing them again.  

Update from the AmazingMr Ed:

 For an Eastern Renaissance version of this game (from which it was derived), you might want to check out the July 24 2022 post on my blog:

https://edmwargamemeanderings.blogspot.com/2022/07/convoy-escort-pikemans-lament-game.html