Peninsular War... The Brunswick Oels Rifles

When it came to building a Rifles force for my Peninsular War setup I decided that I wanted something a little different from the usual 95th Rifles.  The Brunswick Oels from Capitain Games were the answer, green clad skrimishers who served in a similar role (and similar uniform) to the 95th, despite some postage issues which put me off to the extent that I decided to pad out the company with Perry riflemen.  This could be argued to be a result of supply issues during the Peninsular Campaign as the Brunswickers draw on Rifles supplies. 

The Brunswickers didn`t arrive in the Peninsular until 1812, but my Officer and his men start in the 60th Rifles during the 1808 campaign.  The 60th had emigre Germans in the ranks, and the experienced Hauptmann von Weißmehr has been fighting Napoleon since 1805. 

LIGHT COLUMN FORCE 60th Rifles 

Captain Quitte Von Weißmehr Leader, Status III    (9)
Wachtmiester Feuct Leader, Status II     (6)
Lt Binky Snetterton-Lewis Leader, Status I      (3)
Four Groups of 6 95th Rifles, Rifles   (12)
Point Value:  66
 
The Rifles have four groups of six skirmishers, with a Captain, Lieutenant and Sergeant.  The Lieutenant is Binky, and since the men have little respect for him he is only Status I.  Sergeant Feuct, who also holds the traditional Bruswick rank of Wachtmiester is a much more respectable level II

I did some work on my buildings this week too.  Only an old wooden barn to complete now... (and painting that roof on the house in the far left)

I built some flexibility into the Company despite its small size.  On table forces cannot change between Line and Skirmisher, but Skirmish units would use formed up supports, so the rifles have the option of deploying up to two of the Skirmish groups as Line, effectively adding four men (who will be re-used Portuguese cacadores, but note my comments on troops appearance and supply above.)  This would alter the points cost for the company to 58pts.  (Most of my Peninsular War Companies are costed at 60 points.)

Having fought through the Vimeiro Campaign I have a detailed background for the Company, and its usual choice of supports...
 
#1 Hauptmann Quitte Von Weißmehr.

Captain Quitte von Weißmehr is a native of Duisburg in the old Duchy of Cleves. Once Baron of the Schloss Weißmehr, before the unfortunate affair at Austerlitz he is now exiled to serve in the Britsh Army.  He is a great friend of the Duke of Brunswick as well as the inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni, and has a custom made Girandoni Air Rifle, also known as the Windbüchse ("wind rifle") which he used at Austerlitz, just before everyone else ran away.  This remarkable weapon fires 12 shots in rapid succession, and is reloaded with a magazine tube of 20 bullets.  It accounts for the Captains nickname in the rifles “Old Windy.”

Famous for his service with The Oels Jager during the later part of the Peninsular war, few realise that the Captain actually served in the 60th Rifles before his transfer to the Portuguese Cacadores after Corunna.  With the arrival of the Duke of Brunswick in the Peninsular von Weißmehr was quickly offered a post in the Black Band, where he served famously until his death defending the Duke at Quatre Bras.

#2   Lieutenant Charles "Binky" Snetterton-Lewis, commission purchased by pater and in bright new boots and uniform.  Binky is a little dim.

#3   Sergeant Otto "Wachtmeister" Feuct, the captain's butler at Schloss Weißmehr.  He is prim and proper, and the ladies swoon for his bristling moustaches.
 
Physic – 1pt        aka Dr Gordon Ottershaw, dentist, freemason and ferret wrangler
Musician – 1pt   aka young William Elliot, bugler and company dancer
Level 1 officer – 3pts       aka Sergeant Harold Lime, procurer of sundries and rarities. (Killed at Vimeiro)
Scout – 3pts        aka The Masked Shadow

von Weißmehr's Pocket Book

• Bodo Von Wiessmehr, the Captain's evil brother.  Serves the French as a Dragoon Officer.
• His Excellency The Count of Pantalones, Portuguese Colonel
• Mrs Needle.  Spanish Guerilla leader.
• Tyrolian inventor Bartholomäus Girandoni.
• The sickly Leutnant Christoph von Wankendorf, 
• The youthful Oberfähnrich Botho Feuchtwangen, 
• The notorious Hauptgefreiter Norbert Kotzen  
• and his partner in crime Gefreiter Dolf Rimsting.
  

The Wachtmeister, directing his "Kinder" towards the enemy.

ACW: Leesburg, March 1862

After the Battle of Ball's Bluff, the Confederates fortified the Potomac crossing at Leesburg with Forts Evans, Johnston and Beauregard on the surrounding hills.  Many Leesburg residents, including anti-war Quakers and slaves, assisted in the construction. Fort Evans was built between Leesburg and the river.

Over the winter the Union General Mclellan hesitated to take on the Confederate positions.  They were scouted as well armed, with multiple guns.  Believing himself to be outnumbered Mclellan was content to wait.  

Confederate General Joe Johnston was however well aware that the Union outnumbered him, and that his impressive guns were actually wooden quakers.  On 6 March 1862, the Confederates prepared to evacuate Leesburg and destroy all forage in the surrounding countryside as they went. 

The next game in my American Civil War is a Dawns and Departures mini campaign set as the Confederates withdraw.

Three small Union Forces have been detailed to scout the Leesburg position from three separate crossing points over the Potomac.  Each has a route to the town of Leesburg, with the possibility of catching up with the withdrawing columns of the Rebels and inflicting a defeat. 

The first of the expeditions involves Captain Sherman Lincoln Parker, and his Engineer Company who have been detailed to take the southern route from Edwards ferry.  The Union is overlooking the fact that Parker's troops are black because they are something of an elite unit, being Regulars rather than USCT.  

The "Shermanettes" sing Barbershop, and do so with extreme sarcasm.  They also do Mathematical equations with the skills of the Futurama Globetrotters. (But without the basketballs or hoops)  They are probably my favourite ACW unit, although historically quite early to justify (but I`ve just painted them so I don`t care.

The Mission is to survey the bridge over Goose Creek (on table 9) and ensure that it will stand the passage of the Army whenever General McLellan decides to advance. 


Parker is accompanied by two companies of the 11th Massachusetts under Major Jesse P. Grosswiener and Lieuteant Holden P. Sackrider.  Parker has also been ordered to reconnoiter Fort Beauregard.

The guide for the Shermanettes is from my civilians list, "Young Earl," an alcoholic Quaker with issues...  Somewhere on this grid are six other civilians... 

The "Shermanettes" will attack tables 9, 10, 11 and 12, but will face a fierce rearguard from the 7th Virginia Infantry. 

ACW. The "Shermanettes" Roll Call. 

1st US Engineers

Captain Sherman Parker 

Master Sergeant Freeman

Young Denzel

Morpheus Fishburne

Sam Jackson

Billy Smith

Sidney P.

Quilp advances on table with two Companies.  The Engineers of Captain Sherman Parker reach the bridge.  No Confederates have appeared yet!

Sergeant Horace P Butt arrives with his skirmishers in the treeline.  Where are those confounded Johnny Rebs?

The Rebs appear and unleash a controlled volley.  Nasty!

Horace P. Butt and his men fire on the Rebel line through the trees

Captain Parker and his engineers cross the bridge, keeping clear of trouble.  I really like these figures.

The Rebs move froward, taking them out of sight of the Union skirmishers.

The Rebel Yell, and on they come.

Major Quilp is thrown back.

The Union are done for, and the Confederates can withdraw in good order.

Epiliogue

On the 8th March Fort Johnston fell to Union troops and Leesburg was occupied.  the Leesburgers were not overjoyed by the presence of their new occupiers, who imposed martial law. One Union solder referred to them as "a perfect sneering nest of Rebels," and wrote "The people were the bitterest in their hatred of Northern mudsills of any we had met."

A Night Out with the H Class

The fifth Destroyer flotilla was out and about on my wargames table this week, using a nice old Admiralty chart of the English Channel I randomly generated a scenario that saw four German Z class destroyers trying to pass down the channel to get to Occupied St Nazaire.   The Flotilla Leader would be the (fictional) Light Cruiser HMS Orion, with HMS Hardy, Hasty, Hero and Hotspur as her destroyers.

The location of the action was also randomly generated, between the Varne and Colbert banks, with the Germans having past Cape Griz Nez and its long range guns, and approaching Dungeoness.  

The 5th Destroyer flotilla was proceeding up channel, with a torpedoed merchantman added into the mix somewhere ahead.   

With the action taking place at night the visibility is limited in the extreme, but this is mid-war so I allowed Orion radar.  

The first action was HMS Hunt taking survivors from the burning wreck of the merchantman.  Some tricky dice work needed to see it off.  As that was going on the Z Class intervened and Hunt had to withdraw, damaged.  

Orion intervened and began a chase, knocking out one of the Germans almost immediately.  The Germans actually ran through shoaling water to get clear.  

HMS Hero stood off the sinking German to take off the crew, whilst Orion, Hotspur and Hasty made after the Germans.  HMS Hasty incidentally consistently rolled low and wallowed behind the others, perhaps with boiler problems.

The Germans lost one more destroyer to a parting salvo from Orion, before contact was lost.  This occurred just in the location some helpful sailor type has written on my chart,  Still it was only a couple of quid on eBay... 

Game over, with one British destroyer damaged and two Germans sunk.  

I will have to sort out that Narvik chart!

ACW, Ball's Bluff October 21, 1861

When it comes to Bernard Cornwell novels I have some favourites.   Copperhead the second installment of the Starbuck Chronicles is one of these, and it begins with the Battle of Ball's Bluff.   The novel follows the fictional "Faulconer Legion" which is placed at the left flank of the Confederate position.  Captain Starbuck's K Company is therefore in place to begin the rout of the Federals.

My Civil War campaign follows a fictional 11th Massachusetts Regiment, and so far I`ve lost every Officer in the Regiment.  The current Commanding Officer is Major Jebadiah Springfield Quilp.  Colonel Floyd Farthingdale, Abolitionist Preacher and Parson of the Northern Baptist Convention has been wounded and is expected to return to duty before winter.  In the meantime Quilp has seen his chance and is looking to make a name for himself as the Union army camp faces the Confederate army camp across the Potomac River.

The Military situation

The Union sent skirmish level forces across the Potomac at Ball's Bluff, only to discover that the Confederates of Evan's Division had left their camp at Leesburg behind the Bluffs.  

Senator (and Colonel) Edward Baker arriving on the scene ordered a stronger crossing, ignoring the fact that there were insufficient boats to make an effective landing.  Moving inland the Union Forces advanced into the arriving division of Evans who had marched back to the Leesburg position.  

Major Quilp meanwhile saw a chance for the 11th Massachusetts to strike a blow for the Union.  He had gathered several small boats and began crossing his Regiment south of Baker's landing.  Whilst the main Union Brigade skirted the Bluff to the north, Quilp advanced up a gully to the south, opposite his landing point.  

Baker's Federals attacked piecemeal  and were routed, Baker having the dubious honour of being the only US Senator ever to die in battle.  Quilp meanwhile formed up the 11th and moved inland, only to encounter the 7th Virgina Infantry of former Regular Army Officer, Colonel Quincy Ewing Whitemoore.

 The 7th Virginia are lucky in their Officers... far luckier than the 11th Massachusetts who are limited to  only three due to the Regiment`s status as raw troops.

Officers of the 7th Virginia

Officers of the 11th Massachusetts (Three selected at Random for Ball's Bluff) The 11th have Six groups of Regulars, One Group of Skirmishers.

The Battle

Ball's Bluff is an encounter battle.  The Deployment Points for both sides are set by the historical terrain.  I've also added in a third Deployment point which may see the arrival of Union Troops withdrawing from the main battle to the North West, or Confederate Forces coming to the assistance of the 7th Virginia.  

Both sides have 4 points of support.  There are no civilians present.

The ridge line above the river is clearly shown on the map, as are several woods.  The road is fence lined.

The game began with the question mark chip turning up first.

Ball's Bluff

Young Milhouse van Troomp arrives with his Zouave Skirmishers and occupies the heights.

  

Milhouse is the son of Senator Dimwit van Troomp of South Carolina. 
Like his Daddy he is an absolute rotter, but his men seem to like him...

Colonel Whitemoore's Virginians arrive, skirmishers dashing forward to occupy the trees.

The 11th Massachusetts form up and advance to the bluffs

Sergeant Butt leads a formation along the path to the heights.

Major Quilp begins to take casualties in the main body.  

Sergeant Horace Butt and his formation caught in a skirmisher crossfire.

Colonel Whitemoore forms a line on the top of the bluffs. 

The terrain is very much against the Union.  The woods funnel the
Confederate fire down onto Quilp's formation.

Sergeant Butt assaults the heights, throwing back the Zouaves, but losing half of his men.

With his casualties mounting and no way to break
out Major Quilp decides to withdraw to safety.

That was pretty much game over.  The Union withdraw back across the river, whilst the Confederates look on from the bluffs.  Sergeant Butt is marked as a future leader within the regiment.
Has Major Quilp done enough to retain command?  We will find out in "The 11th Massachusetts in General Mclellan's 1862 Peninsula Campaign."  

The Flashing Bladé Campaign Game

The Campaign Game

Loosely based on the Siege of Casale and the War of the Mantuan Sucession "the Flashing Blade" is quite an odd TV show for a childrens Tv Saturday morning serial.  For one thing there is a lot of focus on the Papal Envoy, who will become Cardinal Mazaran, and the peace talks.  Our hero, the Bladé, runs around the countryside bumping into the locals, one step ahead of the Spanish.

My map resembles a Pacman grid, with towns and encounter points the Bladé must pass through.  Two groups of Spanish pursue him around the map, but he can get into trouble simply meeting civilians on the road- witness his swordfight after he called Cyrano de Depardieu "big nose."

The basic premise of the Bladé's mission is to get to the peace talks and bring back assistance to General Déspair and the beleaguered French garrison of Casale.

The game is up to Episode 9.  The Bladé has discovered the location of the Peace talks, and is heading there. In the TV show the final episode has our hero lead the Kings Musketeers to the rescue, and a climactic battle with the Spanish trying to block his way.

I've extended my original idea to use the En Garde! rules and enlarged the games to accommodate Pikeman's Lament.  

Character List

The Chevalier "Flasque" de Bladé, and his faithful manservant Lurkio.
The Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Poncé
Brother Quentin, the Confessor (admits to everything).
Geno, Compte de Campo
Isabella The Marquisa Campo, his daughter
Captain Quim, Spanish Captain with goatee beard
The Scarecrow, aka Friar Syn, notorious overacting Rabble Rouser
Father Baskerville, The Crime Fighting Monk.
General Ignorancé of Turin
General Déspair of Mantua
Das Gross Baron de Weiner
Milady de Weiner, Spy
Tarquin, La Compte de Monte Pubis
Captain Diego Vigo Alatriste, in the Army of His Most Catholic Majesty of Spain.
Rupprecht di Orso, Captain of the Duke of Savoy's Guards
Colonel of the 1st Turin Musketeers
Alberto Bertorelli, Captain of the Papal Nuncio 's Swiss Guard Pikemen

On meeting a civilian the Blade rolls 2d6, with scores towards 12 being favourable, and scores towards 2 probably resulting in a fight.

Episode 9, the Flashing Blade and the Mercenaries

The Bladé has learned that the top secret peace conference in the presence of the Papal Noncio, Cardinal Poncé, is to be held at the ancient Monastery of St Ignacious of the Fallen Nuns.  Having reached the Duchy of Milan he has joined up with a gaily clad company of mercenaries in the pay of the Geno, Compté di Campo, serving in their Forlorn Hope, a unit of Adventurous French Gentlemen.

Outside the city of Valenza the Company encounter yet more Spaniards, this time it's the magnificent goatee of Capitán Quim, with his Tercio.  Can the Bladé be defeated by the goatee of Quim?  Will General Ignorancé send reinforcements from the city to assist his Spanish allies?  
Worse still, Diego Vigo Alatriste is still on the track of the Bladé and may intervene with his usual devastating effectiveness.

The Company of Di Campo
1 Mounted Gallopers
1 Mounted Pistoleers
1 Forlorn Hope of French Gentlemen
2 groups of Shot
1 group of Pikemen
1 Regimental Gonne.

The Tercio of  Capitán Quim
2 groups of Mounted Gallopers
1 Forlorn Hope of Spanish Swordsmen
1 group of Shot
2 groups of Pikemen
1 Regimental Gonne.

The Bladé Laments his Pikemen

The Bladé Laments his Pikemen

Pikeman's Lament?  I thought it was probably time I gave it a go.  My Three Musketeers collection in 15mm is quite extensive.  I bulked up the numbers with a couple of army packs Lancashire Games figures before coming out to Cyprus.  These are generic ECW/30 Years War figures, not perhaps quite accurate for the 1620s War of the Mantuan Succession, but since my games are really based on a 1970s TV show they are probably acceptable enough!
  

The core of this collection is of course the fantastic Blue Moon Three Musketeers range from Old Glory UK.  I collected all of the packs to give myself the full set.  Loads of animation in them, and they paint up splendidly. 

Pikemans's Lament is a game I`ve seen played but never actually gamed since I bought it.  It looked impressive in 28mm with those brilliantly painted figures at Durham Wargames Group.  In 15mm however, on a limited table size the game would have to prove itself to me.

Having played Men Who Would be Kings and Lion Rampant I already had a good grasp of the mechanics, although there are some differences.  The focus on an Officer's notion of Honour for instance, and the activation roll itself where, to put it simply, a roll of double 1 attracts additional bad events, and a roll of double 6 gives additional benefits.

The Background: the Siege of Casale, and the 1970's kids TV serial "The Flashing Blade."  set some time around 1628.  The impetuous (and some would say often downright foolish) hero that is the Flashing Bladé has joined a Company of the French, sent out to protect the Papal Noncio, Cardinal Poncé.  

Cardinal Poncé

The Noncio travels in his elegant double sprung carriage, built for the Papacy by Mr Lamborghini of Turin.  It`s such a lovely model that I try to use it as often as possible in these games.

The Flashing Bladé

One particular nice feature for Highwaymen games is that the carriage roof lifts off to allow me to evict the passengers and line them up for a shake down (at which point the Flashing Blade generally shows up and spoils things for everyone)
He does that a lot!




The Game:

A group of Arquebusiers spot the Noncio's carriage.  
Beyond that is a "Forlorn Hope" of Savoyard Guardsmen.  Cardinal Poncé' challenge of "Heeeaay" rings out in my impressive Italian accent.

A group of French "Gentlemen" also acting as a "Forlorn Hope" also see the Savoyards.

Out on the flank the Queen's Musketeers see the Spanish approaching, a pike block and an Arquebusier group.

The French Gentlemen activate easily, and charge forward.

A desperate swordfight around the Noncio`s carriage, it looked great, but I suspect that En Garde! would have been a better game to resolve this part of the action.  In fairness however this small part of the action would have been the whole game for En Garde!  Pikeman's Lament did a better job of the larger sirmish.

The sword fight is close, but the French push back the Savoyards beyond the carriage.

The fight continues with the Savoyard Guard.

The French Arquebusiers infiltrate the trees and loose their "First Salvo."

The French Gentlemen wipe out the Savoyard Guard

The "First Salvo" from the Spaniards is poor, with the French Arquebusiers in the light cover of the trees.

The French Galloper Cavalry charge the wavering Pike block and smash it

The Spanish Captain challenges the French leader in a last desperate gamble, and its pretty even. 

The Spaniard is defeated.  Looks like Cardinal Poncé can carry on with his (vague yet apparently important) mission.

I enjoyed the game.  Its not exactly the cut and thrust of En Garde! but it worked well, and better for these larger forces.  It would make a good Imaginations Campaign set around wandering mercenary companies and city state forces in a fictitious Germanic 30 Years War type setting.  

It didn`t really piggy back onto my En Garde! Campaign very well either, so it seems that the Bladé must flash again soon.