Tuesday, June 29, 2010

The Battle of Stokesgreen-May 1642


The Battle of Stokes Green, initial positions.





Bluebear commented in the last post that it was the anniversary of the ECW Battle of Cropredy Bridge that occurred June 29th, 366 years ago and that it might be interesting to commemorate by re-posting a battle I posted back in '09 loosely based on Cropredy. A capital idea so here it is!...:

News of another battle that took place yesterday, (May 22, 1642) on nearby Stokes Green between a Royalist force led by a somewhat cautious CinC but this time supported by a brigade of Scots (...though flying Covenant colors, for this game they are doing service for the King)... against a roughly equal strength Parliamentary army that, though ably led, was lacking in powder and shot.

The scenario was a rough approximation of the historic battle of Cropredy Bridge where the armies had been marching parallel routes in view of each other across a small river with fords and bridges at several points. Seeing the Royalist van becoming separated from the main body, the more aggressive Parliamentary commander makes the first move by rapidly crossing the river to assault the Royalist main body while simultaneously sending a brigade across another ford to fall upon the Royalist rearguard.


Here the Parliamentary force forms up for the attack...the brigade in the far distance is the force moving against the Royalist rearguard.



The Royalist main body posted on a low ridge...its left anchored near a small tavern (locally known as the the "Blue Bear")...in the foreground is the wide expanse of Stokesgreen.


A view of the Royalist main body posted on the ridge, a large body of Royalist horse move down a lane past The Blue Bear tavern. In the middle distance is Tidders Farm where Roundhead Dragoons mount a strong defense, and farther on, the Old Mill can be seen.


The Royalist rearguard commanded by a somewhat reckless brigadier who early in the fight decided to leave his strong defensive position to attack the Roundheads hoping to catch them as they ford the stream.


A more cautious Royalist CinC sits and waits for the Parliamentary attack...as the guns begin to thunder, he does not realize his final minutes are numbered...


The Tower Hamlets regiment fording the stream in the attack on the rearguard.


Colonel Okey's dragoons move to occupy Tidders' farm. (the first game appearance of my "pinecone trees")


...being a spring day in May, a surprise cloudburst slowed the battle for 15 minutes.
(I use event tokens made of 20x 40 bases from "Gale Force Nine" instead of the event roll that the "Victory Without Quarter" Rules use. I just made tokens for each result and added a few of my own to make an "event cup" that is drawn from whenever the "Event" card comes up in the initiative card draw.)


The Scots in the Royalist advance guard hurry back down their line of march to reach the battle.


First clash the Royalist rear, the reckless subordinate quits the secure ridge position in a bid to press the Roundheads back to the ford... and the move almost succeeds....the Parliamentary brigadier is captured in the cavalry melee leaving the Parliamentary attack on the rear leaderless and losing momentum.


Artillery of both sides starts to bombard...and unfortunately for the Royalists, their CinC is struck by a stray ball and killed early in the fight leaving the Royalist center leaderless for a time.


Col. Okey's Dragoons establish a defensible position in Tidders' farmyard.



Parliamentary horse led by their brilliant brigadier, Major General Fitzalte a veteran of many years on the continent who has come to England seeking more glory (or plunder) commanding the Parliamentary horse. They are faced across the green by a large body of Royalist horse plus the Scottish horse. (note General Fitzalte's rating token as "brilliant" allowing him to issue 2 orders when his initiative card is drawn). The General's brigade of horse defeat the leading troop of Royalist horse in a furious melee and pursue into the following troop but are eventually to scattered to make a second charge and ultimately are defeated.



After blasting away the head of the Parlaimentary foot advancing on the rear guard, Royalist foot discharge a volley against the Tower Hamlets Regiment


In the center, Parliamentary hopes are dashed as Royalist foot stoutly resists attacks on the center and rear. The shortage of ammunition (simulated by a 3 "full volley" limit on some of the Parlaimentary foot units was a facotr in thr final stages of the battle when the major engagemants of foot units were being decided.

(I also used a new approach to event cards....if a "reinforcements" token is drawn, the side that draws the next initiative card gets any unit that has been destroyed as reinforcements...thus making things a bit more interesting...the Royalists drew the first getting a "destroyed" horse unit ressurected on their table edge. Though they did not get engaged in the battle before it ended it sealed Parliamentary chances for a win.)




Strongly ensconced in the outbuildings of Tidder's Farm, Okey's Dragoons turn back a furious charge by Newcastle's whitecoats, but it is ultimately to no avail as the Parliamentary assault is dashed against a strong Royalist position.


The battle is finally decided in the center when the Parliamentary horse and foot are finally overwhelmed by the sheer weight of shot and horseflesh laid on by the Royalists...further strengthened by a reinforcing body of Royalist horse arriving in the vicinity of Captain William's Barn. The Scots finally make a late a late bid to take the Parliamentary horse in the rear to seal the deal. (I used a sudden death rule "liberated" from the WWII Flames of War Rules: i.e: if an army has more units routed or eliminated than are still fighting on the table they are defeated.)

Thus the battle ended after two and a half hours of scale combat, (and interestingly 2 1/2 hours of real time as well...) in a sound victory for the Royalists!

(...as always I found the "Victory Without Quarter" rules excellent for solo play)

Saturday, June 26, 2010

For Sale!

Cleaning and tightening up here at the Lead Gardens and have some cool stuff for sale on ebay. Check out the 2 Franco Prussian War armies based for Volley and Bayonet 1/2 scale (great for limited space) in 15mm:


and two 25/28mm WWII battalions Valiant plastics (for Rapid Fire)


and a pair of Flames of War Eastern Front collections:

The Germans:


and of course the Russians too:


More pics on ebay....Thanks for looking!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Raid on the Hetzenberg Flotilla: Finale


Commander Hornegeblase gives the order to fire and the heavy THUMP of the 24 pounder sounds the end of Lt. Weismuller's chances for escape...the round of grape brings down another of the jagers and Weismuller is wounded a second time this time seriously. Seeing their commander fall, and their chance of escape slim, decide to strike their colors and surrender the ship. Weismuller and his few remaining men fall into the hands of the Hetzenburg navy. All told the jagers losses were 8 killed (including 1 NCO), 16 wounded and/or captured (including 1 NCO and Lieutenant Weismuller)   and 8 made the attempt to escape overland and remain at large...but they did manage to do some damage to the flotilla in that one gunboat was burned to the waterline....



...and finally the remains of the gallant Lehmangratz Militia march in to the shambles of the naval compound...though they suffered losses including the wounding of Captain Schmidt, they stood to it like men....and the Marines may have to overcome the taunts of the locals for a few days.

******
Many thanks to AJ at the Hetzenberg Chronicles for the great scenario and the chance to be a player in that wonderful story!

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Raid on the Hetzenberg Flotilla: Proxy Skirmish Part III


As the sun rises, we find the first Hetzenberg gunboat fully engulfed in flame...


...as the crew of the second gunboat attempts to make sail and escape... Lieutenant Weismuller orders his party of jagers to make a grapple attempt... which succeeds! ...the third gunboat under the direct command of Commander Horatio Hornegeblase manages to clear the wharf and slowly eases into the current...the Commander has mere seconds to think through his situation and make decisions..."how to save the second gunboat?"


Commander Hornegeblase's gunboat passes to the rear of the second gunboat still contested by the jagers who have boarded and are locked in melee with the few remaining sailors... orders the starboard 6lbr loaded with grapeshot....



the gunboat fires it's 6lb cannon at the dock hoping to keep the jagers from getting the remaining gunboat underway...Lieutenant Weismuller is grazed by grapeshot and knocked down, another jager is killed, but the remainder manage to board the ship and drag the stunned Weismuller aboard as Commander Hornegeblase's gunboat catches the current and drifts downstream...in these few moments a jager draws a bead on the officer standing high on the forecastle of the passing enemy gunboat, he fires and hits his target but the officer remains standing...



....meanwhile the marines rally and head down the road after the militia who are now pursuing the retreating jagers...





...a drammatic moment in the fight where Commander Hornegeblase's gunboat just clears the stern of the second gunboat as it is pushed away from the dock by the jagers now desperate to make their escape...Hornegeblase and Weismuller, now both lightly wounded, eye each other across their respective quarterdecks as the ships pass within yards...the order to "reload!" rings out...




meanwhile the remaining men of the first jager platoon, seeing several jagers surrendering inside the compound, see that the chance to reach the escape ship is gone and decide to make an escape overland...a course of action with slim chance of success...




theirs is indeed a forlorn hope....




...and out on the river Commander Hornegeblase's gunboat moving downstream fires another round of grape into the fleeing enemy gunboat...the jagers now are at a significant disadvantage since none are true sailors so their ability to maneuver is limited...though they manage to fire the gunboat's 6lber...they struggle to reload the unfamiliar weapon...




Hornegeblase's swings his gunboat round to bring the heavy bow gun to bear...




Hornegeblase calculates his moment...




...as "Old Gertie" is loaded...


to be continued...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Raid on the Hetzenberg Flotilla: Proxy Skirmish Part II



...as we left the battle last....the Hetzenbuerg defenders were just beginning to shake out a defense...while the first platoon of the Sobelburg Jagers lay in ambush...

the jagers loose a volley and bring down two of the three marine officers and several privates... Lieutenant Horst of the marines is severely wounded and falls in full sight of his men...their morale, though high cannot stand such a drammatic loss and the entire unit breaks back down the road to the village.

 


Captain Schnoedt of the militia (the imposing fellow on horseback) urges his men on despite the retreating marines...



meanwhile the first Hetzenberg gunboat is set ablaze...



the militia form up for a volley under intense and accurate fire from the jagers...


the NCO of the first jager platoon is struck dead by a ball from the initial volley of the militia and the jagers are forced to consider a withdrawal...



the firefight on the road intensifies...Captian Schonedt seems charmed as he rides up and down the firing line shouting encouragement to his raw troops..."stand, my brave lads, stand!"



the gunboat crews manage to get aboard two of the remaining vessels under heavy fire and the jagers close in to pick off any sailors who dare to expose themselves on the decks...Lieutenant Weismuller calls for a grappling iron....



Overview of the wharf area at the height of the action....the first gunboat is on fire...the sailors have managed to crew two vessels and are attempting to get underway, while the jagers press up to the wharf attempting to board the escaping ships....


...and the first platoon of jagers, minus their NCO decide to fall back to the wharf compound in hopes of not being left behind!

...to be continued in Part 3