Corunna Game 2: A Vintage Blue Nun and the Battle of Postelthwaite's Merkin.

The Duke of Lancaster’s Own 4th Foot

Captain Quilp,Leader, Status III      (9)
Lieutenant Sheridan Bucket Status I   (3)
One group of 8 Grenadiers, Muskets (7)
Two Groups of 8 Regulars, Muskets (12)
Ensign Wellard Leader, Status II      (6)
Two Groups of 8 Regulars, Muskets   (12)
Sergeant Postlethwaite Jaggers Leader I     (3)
One Group of 6 Light Company Skirmishers, Muskets (8)
Jeremiah Catchmole, former Poacher and Marksman (2)
Point Value: 60




Captain Quilp, 4th Foot
From: Lt. Gen Sir John Moore
Astorga, Dec 24th 1808

Ah, Quilliup,
How is youwr eyesight these days... Haw... Haw...Haw...

It will come as a shock that we will not be fwighting a bwattle here twooday.
The army will be retweating.
You will have the honour of being Wearguard here at Astworga.
A squadron of the 15th Hooussars will stand by you.
The Fwench will come over the mountains from Leon.

The Wearguard will be commanded by Brigadier General Urgent-Cummings, the Earl of Fagg.
Weport to him on complweetion of your mwission.

Gwood Luck owlde boy...

Mwoore

Note from Chief of Staff:
Captain Quilp,

You must hold the French with your company until nightfall or until you are outflanked. They will probably try to use the direct route westward over the Pine Ridge.  Choose your ground.  You can hold them at the fords of the Arroyo del Convento, or on the roads over the Pine Ridge.  Astorga will be fired as the Army withdraws.   A Squadron of the 15th Hussars under Lieutenant Hawtrey will be at your disposal.
One last thing...

The Sera Convent lies to the North of Astorga.  Send a small force to protect and escort our agent "the Blue Nun," to your position.  She is guarding a big box and has a mule to carry it. This box must be delivered to the main column after your mission to delay the French is complete.  Do not allow it to fall into the Enemy's hands.
More importantly do not entrust this mission to Hawtrey of the Hussars.  The Good Lord has not blessed him with  a natural intelligence, and he cannot be trusted with a lady, even an elderly nun.
I say... Ding Dong...old boy...
Do not allow your Force to be cut off and destroyed.

Desperate times Captain...

Orders from Captain Quilp

I shall send Lt. Wellard with the light company to escort the ‘nun’.

I will take half our line troops (two groups?) and take up a position in the treeline on Pine Tree Ridge, overlooking the fords. We will deploy in open order (individual groups) and harry the French, with ‘skirmish’ fire as they cross the fords.

The remainder of our force will take up a reserve position  at the junction of the two roads behind Pine Tree Ridge, under Sgt Postlethwaite. Here they will form line.

We will not attempt to make a stand in the woods but fall back on our reserves when pressed. The whole force will then reform line and hopefully cover the retreat of Wellard and the ‘nun.

Cpt. Quilp (4^th Foot)

Wellard and the Convent

The Convent battlefield

The Sera Convent

Choosing my chips

And that's a shock for Wellard.  Those are Spaniards

Information from Pancho the woodcutter.  "Lots of Spaniards around here Senor..."  How useful

But up in the Convent Guerrillas or Bandidos, take your pick... 

The Guerrillas loose off their old blunderbus and pistols and kill one of Wellard's men

Wellard's men shoot back and kill off most of the bandidos

But the Spaniards are the head of a battalion column.  Will they help the British and Save the Day.  Not likely...

Wellard gets to grips with the Nun and her huge box.

Wellard rescues the Nun but fails to get the Spaniards to Support his Captain at the crossroads to the South.

Quilp's Ridge, 
(Or  the battle of Postlethwaite's Merkin)

The French Plan.
2 groups of Voltiguers to advance on both roads.  We will support any successwith the second groups.
2 Groups of French Line to advance on the left (Southern) road. 

So... that looks like a big chasm and once again its not on the map.  The bridge has fallen in.  bad news for the French plan.

The chasm revealed...

Captain Quilp and his men line the trees

A Fat French Officer leads the Voltiguers on table, not all of them pointing the right way I note.

Sergeant Picard on the left gets himself shot dead in the first fire from the British.  The skirmish line here stalls.

Major Finguin gets stuck in with one group giving the other covering fire.

But out from the ranks... Corporal Christophé Cabbagé

And Major Finguin retires wounded, losing four more men.  Hell on Officers this game.

Corporal Christophé Cabbagé demonstrates his worth.  Quilp is also wounded

Quilp is helped away by his drummer boy

Young Lieutenant Sheridan Bucket leaps across the gap and takes control of Quilp's men.  He has them volley and then manages to disengage them and attempts to run for it.  Well done boy!

The French charge fails to contact

And Sheridan Bucket, hero of the hour, goes back to his own group and activates them for a volley into the flank of those french Grenadiers, killing no less than four!

In a shambles the French redeploy to the right.  The plan has gone wrong, and the commander is dead.  morale is not good.

Sergeant Postlethwaite orders the line forward whilst Quilp and his drummer boy head for the Physic.  Talking into his hat as per usual Postelthwaite shouts "I`m up like an owl Mother???"

The Cambridge Historian Dr Quentin Whiteflour revealed in his "Postelthwaite's Peninsular diary" that the Sergeant carried his mothers merkin inside his hat as a sentimental keepsake, and that it was to this that he addressed his rhetorical questions. 

The event chip appears and with it Dick Wellard and his nun's box.

Sheridan abandons the ridge

As the French crest the ridge they must push through the trees to see beyond

And the view is startling.  Postelthwaite has brought four groups into line with the fifth retreating towards him.  In this condition the French may have captured a secondary deployment point but they are finished for the time being.

We beat them again Mother!
I should explain that my Sergeant Postletwaite character carries a halberd as his symbol of office.  During this particular game I noticed that some of the kapok I use as gunsmoke had attached to the tip.  The explanation is clear, this is the merkin once worn by Posteltwaite's "sainted" mother.  During the 18th century pubic wigs would be worn by prostitutes to hide the fact that they had syphilis.  Clearly Postelthwaite's enthusiasm for battle has aroused him to the extent that he has mounted the merkin in the end of his pole arm to inspire the troops... 

The 4th Foot have four leaders, and this gives them a distinct advantage over the French.  SP2 is however really harsh on Officers.  Captain Quilp needed only cursory treatment, but Major Finguin is in a sorry state, and poor Picard is no more.

Corunna Game One Sahagun, Rescuing the Trans Banker

To:   Captain Quitte von Weißmehr
60th Rifles
From: Lt. Gen Sir John Moore
Astorga, Dec 24th 1808

Ah, Qwinthy my dwear Chap.  It theems we must retweat.

Be a good German sausage fellow and take youwr Wrifles back over to Sahagwun.
Find out if the Fwench are there yet, number twypes etc...

The Wearguard will be commanded by Brigadier General Urgent-Cummings, the Earl of Fagg.
Weport to him on complweetion of your mwission.

Mwoore

Note from Chief of Staff:
Captain von Weißmehr,
approaching from the west take the road from Casa Hemorrhoidia.
The vinyards should offer you some cover.  A Squadron of the 15th Hussars under Lieutenant Hawtrey will be at your disposal.
Watch Hawtrey like a hawk.  He is a cad with the ladies.
One last thing...

Mission 8.  Find the missing banker.
Johannes Reece Morgue, Merchant of Vienna, is somewhere in the area of Sahagun.  He has a banker's draft, sufficient to present to the bankers at Lisbon and pay the lads their back money.
Johannes has a penchant for dressing as a lady of advanced years, and smoking enormous Havana cigars.  He insists on being addressed as Young Miss Johanna.
Rescue Young Miss Johanna and discover what she knows.

Carry on von Weißmehr.

Sitrep 12 noon

• The British Rifles (lets be honest, most of them are German) have arrived at Deployment point 1.    The Rifles captain has gone forward to the edge of the trees with his telescope and can see across the valley...
• French Cavalry, five mounted groups of dragoons and some Voltiguers no less, can be seen on the road near the orchard south of the town.  Deployment Point 2
• A coach can be seen attempting to climb the winding road up the steep slope towards the ridge-line at point 3.  It is not going to make the trees before those Dragoons catch it.
• Old Luis the goat herd has wrangled his goaty charges, grazing in the valley near point 3.

Young Lieutenant Hawtrey of the 15th Hussars insists on a "Glowious chwarge to sthweep away those dwagoons."  Hawtrey believes that there may be a lady in the carriage, and is desperate to get to her...

The ever cautious Wachtmeister quietly advises keeping to the tree line and using the range of the rifles to rescue the Carriage and keep the Dragoons at bay. "It will be a long campaign mine Führer."


The 60th Rifles
Captain Quitte Von Weißmehr Leader, Marksman, Status III    (9)
Wachtmiester Feuct Leader, Status II     (6)
Lt Binky Snetterton-Lewis Leader, Status I      (3)
Four Groups of 6 60th Rifles, (12)
Points Value:  66 



21er Dragoons
Dragoon Captaine Alex Craimant   Status III     (9)
Dragoon Lieutenant Rene Douche-Sac   Status I   (3)
Marechal Chef Milieu Grande Jambe Status II      (6)
Brigadier Louis Brasforté (Trumpet)  (1)
Private Fr Dénis Condom (Defrocked Priest) Holy Man (1)
Two Groups of 8 Mounted Dragoons   16pts
Three Groups of 6 Foot Dragoons      18pts
Point Value:  60 pts

Pre Game Orders

21er Dragoons
Lieutenant Rene Douche-Sac will lead the advance with three groups of dismounted Dragoons, supported by Marechal Chef Grand Jambe.  We have fought these rifles before and they are tricky to deal with.  Attack through the vineyards and up the slope
Capitaine Craimant will follow through with the remaining two groups of mounted seeking an opportunity to charge.  Vive L`Empereur

The 60th rifles
Lt Snetterton-Lewis and I will take a group of rifles each and occupy 
the closest vineyards. The Wachtmeister will take the other 2 groups and 
line the wood edge to the south of the road. This should afford us a sizeable area to catch the enemy in a crossfire.

The hussars will advance along the road to just out of the woods and 
halt and make themselves visible to the enemy. They will await my clear 
bugle signal to engage.

"Lieutenant Hawtrey, you know that these Spanish women are unspeakably 
ugly and riddled with pox. Ever seem a man die of the Spanish pox? It is 
slow and painful, unlike my displeasure which, if you do not obey my 
commands, will be short and brutal. You have been warned."

The valley of Sahagun.  I say, is that chasm on the damn map?

The (?) chip draw
When the special event chip is drawn out roll on the following table
6.  A marksman's target...
5.  Hawtrey's hormones... he charges forth!
4.  French Voltiguers appear on the northern/left flank edge
3.  The coach overturns on the winding hill track and the trans banker is flung clear.
2.  The coach turns and heads back towards the french... Treachery!
1.  More than one event.  D6.  1-3 roll again 4-6 roll twice for two events.

Hawtrey and the 15th hussars appear.

The Rifles deploy to the vines under both their Officers

The French appear

And its the end of turn.  That coach is small pretending to be far away....

Luis the Goat herder gives the Captain some key information.  "Ola Senor Capitano, is a durty great chasm behind thees hill I thinnk.."  
We knew that thank you...

The French advance

And the extra event chip is drawn.  A roll of 1 and a roll of 5.  It's two events!  

The coach overturns on the track.  Hawtrey, gallant and horny, charges down the track against orders to save the banker.  Well she is a Lady...

The French Dragoons use the overturned coach as cover

Binky and his boys wipe out a group of Dragoons with one volley, killing their Officer too

The French bring on their cavalry 

A vicious fight around the coach.  The hussars are sitting ducks but Hawtrey survives.  Perhaps he is busy with the Lady

And the extra event dice comes out again.  Our Rifes captain gets a marksman shot with his Girandoni Air Rifle.  Technically under the rules an officer can`t be a marksman of course, but the Captain is the exception to this rule!  I allow one shot per game when the event chip comes out at a cost of two flags.

And as threatened, Rifles Captain Quitte von Weißmehr shoots Lieutenant Hawtrey for disobeying orders.  The Girandoni is silent and nobody notices that Hawtrey was killed by his own side.  Well its not like he wasn`t warned...  It saves him from the Spanish Pox, which to be honest he already had.

The Rifles Captain activates his group to shoot, and kills three more Dragoons.  Those two flags were used for his marksman shot.

From the treeline above the Wachtmiester and his men open fire, wiping out the Dragoons around the Coach.

Rifles Captain Quitte von Weißmehr steps forth and valiantly rescues the Lady... And what a lady she is...  Is that a bodkin in her cleavage or is she just pleased to see him...

The jig is just about up for the French but Capitaine Alex Craimant goes mad and tries a charge, at the isolated Hussars 

Not such a foregone conclusion after all.  The Hussars somehow kill five and lose only four.

Capitaine Craimant is knocked from the saddle. 

And from the ranks steps Cornet Hawtrey, a distant cousin of our fallen Lieutenant Horny Hawtrey.  And yes, I forgot to take the Hussar's casualties off, and they should have been retreating anyway with seven shock, but the French are beaten, all of their Officers dead or down, and its a victory for the Rifles.

The retreat to Corunna is underway...God Save King George.