Battle of Bunker Hill : British Grenadier battle scenario

Rafael organised this one, provided the earthworks and umpired, Graham provided most of the figures, me the buildings and British Light Infantry skirmishers plus two artillery pieces.

I won the toss, so opted to be British, so Graham was the American.

Here's the rule book.

The Bunker Hill scenario

Notes and forces

View from behind the American position at the outset

View from behind the British position with Light Infantry advancing to the right of the marshy area, 12pdrs on the hill

The Light Infantry are encouraged to push on with some deployed in skirmish formation out front

Here's Stark's New Hampshire troops behind the fence line

Knowlton's Militia behind earthworks

Robinson's skirmishers in the ground between Charlestown and the high ground

The "Lights" advance straight ahead towards Stark's men

The 52nd & 5th behind them have to navigate the marsh.

The 12pdrs open fire on the earthworks

Meanwhile, Pigot rushes the 43rd & 38th up the road into Charlestown.

Here we see Prescott's men behind the earthworks and in the redoubt

Robinson's men harass Pigot's columns

 Stark's men wait for the enemy to get into range

The 38th are ordered to attack the enemy skirmishers, who back off

The Light Infantry steadily advance despite taking a few casualties

As the 58th & 5th clear the marsh

and then gather pace as they face the earthworks

Stark's men have been ordered to form up into column and move across the rear of the American position, ignoring Howe's Light troops.

Enemy skirmishers dispersed, the 43rd continue their advance in column towards the redoubt as the 38th get past the church.

Now all the British units are in position to attack the American defences

The Grenadiers & 38th prepare to charge as the 43rd decide to drive off those pesky skirmishers again before they can attack the redoubt.

The Militia in the redoubt watch all this with interest

Howe's Light Infantry now trade shots with Woodbridge's men

as the 52nd & 5th lead the charge against the earthworks, jay where the American 3pdr gun is situated.

With their brigade commander with them.

Simultaneously, the 43rd & Grenadiers climb the heights and assault the enemy defences, urged on by Pigot.

The Militia stand firm.

General Howe (C-in-C) has moved up to get a good view of the proceedings

Here's the American view of the Light Infantry attack

The Grenadiers make it to the top, despite heavy fire

but lose the ensuing melee and are pushed back, as are the 43rd, only the 52nd & 5th have succeeded - a British flag is on the summit !

Proud moment for Howe's men.

But it is short lived - the Grenadiers try again

and fail - many casualties and a retreat forced upon them !

Surely, the combined forces of the 43rd and 38th can carry the redoubt ?

Perhaps the spotted the Grenadiers in retreat ?

Whilst this is going on, Stark's men are moving in column around the back ready to threaten the British flank or rear. We can see clearly that the 52nd & 5th are in the enemy defence positions and now attacking an American infantry unit in the flank.

Those Americans break, but so have the 43rd Foot !

Before the 52nd & 5th can reorganise,

you can see the gap in the American positions but no British support remains for 52nd & 5th as the Light troops have contented themselves with exchanging fire with their counterparts.

As a final throw of the dice, Howe orders forwards the 38th to attack the redoubt - but they fail.

Somehow, against all the odds the American Militia have held the redoubt against all comers.

The British are forced to accept defeat.

A good first attempt at British Grenadier for us, trying to get to grips with Disruption Points (the little red dots represent these in our game) which especially affect units trying to move around the battlefield.

Definitely one to have another go at again soon.

Finally, a couple of shots of other games going on at the club -

Steve Clarke introducing Ian  Roberts to Dux Britanniarum, using my Romano-British, my buildings and Steve's Saxons.

This ended up a Saxon victory but Ian enjoyed it enough to announce he is buying the rules and the figures from Too Fat Lardies !

Here's Mike playing Lion Rampant - he's not alone (!) the other players managed to duck out of the shot somehow.

All together, there were eight games on the go with more than 30 players involved so a good turn out for Essex Warriors today.

Battle of Newport, Rhode Island, 29th August 1778

We fought this battle at the club last Sunday (apologies for delay in reporting but I have been away on business in Africa again this week)

These were the briefings supplied by Bob ...

Black Powder were the rules

and this the AWI supplement

From where he had chosen this action ...

Layout at the set off, Americans to the left, British on the right (when they arrive)

The Americans are dug in on the hills with gun batteries

ands skirmishers out front taking advantage of any cover

I had the British on the right hand road, facing American troops under Steve Clarke's control

There are two guns behind cover his end of the hill

Ian is going to attack down the other road in the background facing Mike's men (Bob is their Commander issuing calming instructions every now and then !)

Two British Loyalist units are first on in column on the road, with a gun to support

Ian's Hessians form line and advance to capture the woods held by the enemy skirmishers

Steve has these skirmishers popping away at my men from the fields 

and his guns take advantage of my men being in column on the road

The first Loyalist unit is hit with excess casualties in short time and "freeze" so the following units have to find a way around them.

Ian is making steady progress and his units are moving fast

He has forced the American skirmishers out of the woods

Heck !  Look at all these Rebels standing firm on the road facing Ian's Hessians

Allan (British commander) takes control of the hesitant Loyalist unit, gets them back in control and heading off through the fields

A couple of Ian's units are disordered be enemy fire (hence the puffs of smoke)

but they keep going

Whereas, my men are bogged down (bad command throws means they make little progress)

and even when they do get going, the enemy artillery and infantry fire causes chaos and casualties

Ian's men edge ever closer to the enemy troops blocking the road

His Jagers engage in a duel with the enemy skirmishers

Ian has managed to disrupt the two American units with his fire

No such joy on my side of the table !

Now they can see the whites of their eyes

Here we see Brigadier General Lossberg preparing his men for the charge

The Royal Artillery look very relaxed !

Charge !

Back over my side, a Loyalist unit has been destroyed by fire - despite the presence of the C-in-C Major General Pigot by the fence line

Steve's troops pour a steady stream of fire at the British Loyalists

Ian's men are winning the melee - one American unit has disintegrated and gone 

Americans have moved forwards to engage Pigot's Loyalists

Desite fanning out into the fields, my troops are picking up too many casualties - the unit in the foreground is on its limit of three hits (see red mini die) and the unit on the road are likewise.

So absolutely no progress on the right.

Ian's Hessians have pushed the Americans back but with mounting casualties of his own plus several disrupted units, he is unable to press home the attack

At this point Bob declares that the Americans can not be dislodged (which is the British objective) and victory declared for the Rebellious Colonists.

Who knows what the future holds for America ?  (If only they knew what was coming !)