Germantown - a refight

Lord Royston awoke early with a ringing bell inside his head. He tripped over the floozie sleeping on the ground and fought his way out of his tent. The air was cool and damp and there was a heavy mist. The sentry was caught unawares, but managed to salute but Lord Royston didn't care, he headed towards his portable latrine. While there he had the impression of muskets firing, but it was difficult to think clearly after the previous nights indulgence. Anyway if there was a problem, surely his ADC would inform him, otherwise it was probably the picquets firing at something edible.

After a while he emerged to see one of his regiments forming up, but a sudden nauseous feeling overwhelmed him and he rushed back to his latrine. Meanwhile, out on the picquet line his troops had observed Americans advancing and manoeuvred to resist their march on the British camp. Rather than occupying the solid Chew house they fell back on Germantown itself drawing the Americans onwards
Later Lord Royston would claim that it was his Fabian strategy that caused the Rebels defeat. Only just in time the remainder of Lord Roston's forces mustered and presented a solid line covering the British camp.

The Americans couldn't believe their luck, if they could just coordinate their forces their combined strength would surely overwhelm the Royalist and liberate the colonies. At that very moment more Royalist forces poured onto the battlefield in response to a vaguely worded request for assistance penned by Lord Royston's ADC.

The Colonists put up a determined resistance, but to no avail, although they did enjoy the sight of Hessians advancing repeatedly into cannon range and then hastily withdrawing, before eventually routing back to Philadelphia.

The moment of the game for the British was the Cavalry exploiting a gap in the Rebel line to ride up behind them and sweep back again, wiping out most of a Rebel column.

A great game by the Gentlemen Pensioners, hosted by Steve, who has been investing in 28mm figures for the period, but the rules were mine, with minimal variation to see how they coped with 5 base units. Apologies to Roy who had command of the British vanguard and had never read accounts of the battle and therefore didn't see the value of occupying the Chew house, probably for the best. I expect further report to appear on other blogs and I'll add links

Bemis Heights (4) - Play Test

It's been a while since I wrote the scenario and last night we played it down at the Club. Paul took the British And I took the Americans. I found a few minor glitches and I'm now clear about the relative victory conditions so I'll update the relevant sections over the next day or so.

Commentary

The Britsh formed up to try and observe the America positions blocking the road to Albany. All was quiet for a while (no American units appeared on move 1) Then Poor's brigade appeared in the trees on the British left, while Morgans men moved through the woodland on the British right. Poor's brigade immediately suffered from the opening rounds from the British cannons, the result from this and subsequent rounds of fire meant that the brigade didn't emerge from the wood line until later in the game. Then over on the right Morgans men appeared at the wood edge but Dearborns came under fire from the cannon attached to the British light infantry. The rifles began to snipe at the British lights in return but the action stalled on this flank as well. Learned's brigade emerged from the trees to attack the centre of the British line but failed to make any headway against the solid German line.

When Ten Broek's militia arrived down the road the British were quite confident and commenced a steady withdrawal back towards their lines. (The British were not permitted to withdraw until the militia arrived).

Pressure was then built up on the British left and centre with the American weight of numbers beginning to tell. It culminated in Poor's brigade attacking from a flanking position and eventually starting the roll up of the British line from the left, although Acland and his grenadiers did a sterling job in holding them up. A wider turning move by the 1st Conn Militia suffered badly by drifting into the firing arc of all the guns in the Breymann and Balcarres redoubts.

On the British right Fraser conducted a steady withdrawal, the lights exacting a toll on Morgans rifles when they rashly charged into close combat.

Time was called after move 13 and on balance the game was progressing reasonably close to history. The Grenadiers did better than reality, but they didn't try charging the rebels. The guns were quite influential, perhaps explaining why they were taken on the reconnaissance. But they would mostly have been lost as actually happened so a mixed blessing? Morgans brigade was less effective than anticipated. The guns kept Dearborns pinned down so the rifles didn't have the numbers to drive off the British Light Infantry on their own. In retrospect as the American player I should have sent Morgans further round the British flank before emerging from the woods, and a similar action with Poor's brigade on the other flank would have been equally beneficial.

Overall a good game.

Further Analysis

Looking at the status of the units after the game, the British had only lost 17sp out of the 50sp in their forward line, but the losses were heaviest in the Grenadiers 4sp and across the artillery 9sp. The Americans had suffered far worse with 47sp lost, Poor's brigade had lost 50% (17sp out of 35) and Learned's 70% (14 out of 20) both showing the effect of the artillery fire. Morgan's losses of 40% (6 out of 15) reflected the results of trying to melee with the British light infantry.

Gloucester Point break-out 1781

Work in progress - comments please

A nice what-if game. On the night of 16-17th October 1781. Cornwallis attempted to move his force across from Yorktown across to Gloucester Point to break out of the siege. Unfortunately the weather deteriorated and the rest is history. But what if the operation went ahead? The British have to break out within a time limit before the main American/French army could react and block their escape route.

British Forces

In Gloucester Point
Hessian Von Bose 1x 5sp
British Legion (Dragoons) 2 x 5sp
Queens Rangers (LI) 1 x 6sp
Artillery (6/12pdrs) 20 guns in 3 fixed batteries?

1st Wave arrives move 2
LI Abercrombie (LI) 4 x 5sp
Guards O'Hara 2 x 5sp

2nd Wave arrives move 4
Yorke 17th/23rd/33rd/71st Foot 4 x 4sp

3rd Wave arrives move 6
Dundas
Erbprinz 2 x 4sp
43rd/80th Foot 2 x 6sp
NC Volunteers 1 x 2sp

French/American

Weedon - Virginia Militia 6 x 5sp (Mercers unit is veteran militia)
Dabney State Legion 1 x 4sp

Lazuns Legion
Infantry 1 x 5sp
Cavalry 2 x 5sp
Guns?

Choisey
French Marines 4 x 4sp
Guns?

Deployment, etc.

I'm trying to find details of the terrain outside of Gloucester Point. Certainly to the east is the "Cedar" swamp blocking movement in that direction

Bemis Heights (3) - Terrain & Objectives

Final update 20th October 08

The British were drawn up in line on ridge covered by a wheatfield overlooking the middle creek. The open ground was 1000m, which was wider than the British could cover. At my normal scale 1 foot (300mm) represents 250m so the open ground extends 4 foot with woods on either side, a nice fit to a 6 foot wide table. The American table edge represents the middle creek. The top of the ridge is about 15" from the creek, so providing enough room for the Americans to move on without immediately being under musket/rifle fire.

One plan I have shows the area behind the British line as completely wooded, but I others show more open areas. The roads in the open have no effect on movement. Codes on the bottom of the map relate to the American arrival points.

To the British left rear are the Balcarres and Breyman redoubts with the cabins (only one depicted) in between.

Treat the forests as open woods



Useful battle map from the Library of Congress

Objectives

American: To drive the British off the table - for victory in the game they must drive the British back into their half of the table and capture at least one redoubt within 20 moves.

British: They must remain at or in front of their starting positions up until move 5. Victory for the British player is holding both redoubts and causing at least double their own losses on the Americans.

Bemis Heights (2) - American OOB

Final update 20th October 08.

Basic data comes from a number of sources, including Novak, Boatner, Morrisey, etc. The standard calculation is 50men = 1sp (Open Order 25:1), however for playability the strength points in some brigades don't add up to the overall strength.

Morgan's Brigade (500) arrives turn 1/2 (1) - deployed between A and B

• Virginia Rifles #1 5sp OO
• Virginia Rifles #2 5sp OO
• Dearborn Light Infantry 5sp (2)

Poor's Brigade (1,500) - arrives turn 1/2 (1) - deployed between E and F

• 1st NH 5sp
• 2nd NH 5sp
• 3rd NH 5sp
• 2nd NY 5sp
• 4th NY 5sp
• 1st Conn Militia 5sp Militia
• 2nd Conn Militia 5sp Militia

Learned's Brigade (1,400)- arrives turn 3 - deployed between C and E

• 2nd Mass 5sp
• 8th Mass 5sp
• 9th Mass 5sp
• 1st Canadian 5sp

Ten Broek's Militia Brigade (1,250) - arrives turn 5 on the road at E in column

• Although actually ten regiments strong deploy on table at 5 x Militia regiments each 5sp

Patterson's Brigade (1,800) - arrives turn 7 on the road at E in column

• 10th Mass 5sp
• 11th Mass 5sp
• 12th Mass 5sp
• 14th Mass 5sp
• Mass Militia 2 x 5sp

Glover's Brigade (2,100) - arrives turn 9on the road at E in column

• 1st Mass 5sp
• 4th Mass 5sp
• 13th Mass 5sp
• 15th Mass 5sp
• 2nd Albany Militia 5sp Militia
• 17th Albany Militia 5sp Militia
• Duchess & Ulster Militia 5sp Militia

Benedict Arnold is treated as the overall comander, he arrives on turn 3. Each move roll 2d6, if the score is 11 or 12 he is recalled by Gates and takes no more part in the battle.

Notes

1) One brigade will arrive on move 1 the other on move 2, dice for which arrives first
2) Alternatively Dearborns can be deployed as two open order units each 5sp

Bemis Heights (1) British OOB

Final update 20th October 08

Basic data comes from a number of sources, including Boatner, Ketchum, Morrisey, Novak, etc.

The British force that marched out on 7th October 1777 was very much a reconnaissance in force rather than the full scale offensive that Burgogne had originally proposed to his council of war.

The OOB is for my rules notes are shown as (#)

Right flank - Fraser

• Light Infantry #1 5sp OO (1)
• Light Infantry #2 5sp OO (1)
• Royal Artillery (medium guns) 3sp
• 24th Foot 5sp

Centre - Riedesel (2)

• Brunswick Grenadiers 5sp
• Von Specht 5sp
• Von Rhetz 5sp
• Hesse Hanau Artillery (medium guns) 3sp
• Royal Artillery (heavy guns) 3sp

Left - Acland

• British Grenadiers 5sp
• Royal Artillery (medium guns) 2 @ 3sp

Other forces:
Breyman redoubt (3) - Breyman (8)

• Breymann d3+2sp (4)
• Hesse Hanau Artillery (medium guns) 3sp

Balcarres redoubt (5) - Phillips

• Royal Artillery (medium guns?) #1 5sp
• Royal Artillery (medium guns?) #2 5sp
• 20th Foot d3+2sp (4)
• 63rd Foot d3+2sp (4)

"Cabins" (6)

• Canadians 3sp, Militia

Optionally in the woods on the British right - Indians/Canadians 5sp OO.

Optionally in front of the Balcarres redoubt an outwork with a piquette of 1sp

(1) Could be combined as a single close order unit 5sp
(2) The exact German units involved is not clear in the sources I've checked so far, I've used the two regiments from my collection
(3) Just fortified at the front and side, nothing at the rear 200m long with 2 guns defenses commander by Colonel Breymann
(4) The exact strengths of the defenders is unclear and there is some mention of some losses due to troops being dispatched to assist the forces in the open. To determine the exact number. roll a d6 1,2 - 3sp; 3,4 - 4sp; 5,6 - 5sp
(5) A large substantial work with abbatis in front 500m long with 8 guns
(6) Just considered as cover (loop holed palisade)
(7) The artillery that marched out was 12 guns = 15 sp, rather than create 3 powerful full strength units I have shown them as 5 weaker 3sp units so they can be more accurately dispersed across the frontage. This also makes them less effective and better reflect their performance in the battle.
(8) Optional - Breyman was a tyrant and some sources suggest he was shot by his own men, so when he tests for "risk to general" add 2 to the die roll.
(9) Optional - Fraser was deliberately shot by one of Morgans riflemen while rallying his troops. To reflect his inspiring leadership he has a +2 morale bonus, but he tests for "risk to general" whenever any of the units under his command lose a casualty(sp) from rifle fire.

Will

Spencer's Ordinary 26 June 1781 (1)

I'm a regular visitor to Giles Allison's blog Tarleton's Quarter and the latest update covers the action at Spencer's Tavern (or Ordinary) one of the small actions leading up to the seige at Yorktown. It's a very tempting small scale action and I'm tempted to buy the latest British Grenadier rules scenario book just for the scenarios.

The forces involved are quite small, but dominated by cavalry. From Greg Novaks book the AWI in the South:

Loyalists (Simcoe)
Queens Rangers Foot 240
Queens Rangers Horse 120
Hessian Jaegers 60
1 x 3pdr Light Gun
+ Cattle/Baggage being driven off

Patriots (Butler)
Macpherson Light Horse 120 * (mix of 1st Light Dragoons & Armand's Legion)
Virginia Rifles 120 *
Light Infantry 100
2nd Pennsylvannia 180
* 50 Doubled up with cavalry

Using a similar scaling to the BG scenario would give

Loyalists (Simcoe)
Queens Rangers 4 x 12 fig foot units (strength 5)
Queens Rangers Horse 6 x 4 fig cavalry units (5)
Hessian Jaegers 1 x 6 fig open order rifle unit (5)
Artillery 1 x Light gun (3)
+ Cattle/Baggage being driven off

Patriots (Butler)
Macpherson Light Horse 6 x 4 fig cavalry units (5) *
Virginia Rifles 2 x 6 fig open order rifle unit (5) *
Light Infantry 2 x 6 fig open order units (4)
2nd Pennsylvannia 3 x x 12 fig foot units (5)

* One rifle unit is considered to be doubled up with two cavalry units, The pair of cavaltry units must move together and suffer-3" move deduction and -1 on morale and melee while carrying the riflemen. It takes a full move to dimount the rifles and for both units to reform.

Savannah 9th October 1779 (2) - the game

Refought on Thursday at Deeside Defenders I took the French and Paul (a novice to the period) took the British.

Too various cries of "don't trust the computer", etc it began to come true! The lead regiment of the French assault (Cambresis) proceed to take heavy losses from gunfire and yet shrug them off and proceed to assault the fortifications to the east of the Spring Hill redoubt. The loyalists manning that part of the line fired and failed to have any effect before the regiment charged home, pushed them back and subsequently routed them. The Grenadiers/ Marines arriving to plug the gap charged home but were also pushed back. They reformed, then blasted the heroic remnants of Cambresis away before it repeated it's heroic feat. (On subsequently checking the factors involved, the regiment had managed to pass a 50/50 shaken test twice, but to fail on the firing the loyalists would have had to have rolled anything but a double 1 to have checked them, but of course no one believes it until you roll the dice in front of them!)

The rest of the action became the supporting act. The French by weight of numbers and the valiant distraction of Cambresis gradually overcame the Spring Hill redoubt. However by this time the British reserves had got into position and formed a solid firing line behind the reserve redoubt. Various French units had broken from the rout and it felt that whichever regiment D'Estaing tried to rally would always fail.

The flanking action by the Dillon regiment (not the column) faced the same fate as the original of being driven back by fire from the Sailors redoubt and flanking fire from the "Germain".

We had fought for 3 hours by this point, but my opinion was that the British would manage to hold the line, but it would take to long to reach a definite conclusion. Certainly if D'Estaing had launched his attack simultaneously as he originally planned he could have won.

Will

Savannah 9th October 1779

I decided on this scenario when I realised that I had never thoroughly tested the rules relating to a full scale assault on fortifications. For the background/numbers, etc. I used Boatner’s Biographical Dictionary of the AWI and Novak’s AWI in the South.

French/American Forces

The attack was made by five columns, three French and two American, plus two flanking attacks/demonstrations. The strength involved is given as 3,500 French and 1,500 Americans, including the flanking attacks by Dillon(350?) and Huger (500 Militia). There are no details on the composition of the three French columns so I assume they were all about 1,000 strong, which would equate to 4 x strength 5 units. One American column commanded by Lauren had 2nd SC Continentals and the 1st Charleston Militia. The other had the 1st, 5th SC Continentals and some Georgia regulars. Deducting the 500 militia and 200 men of Pulaski’s Legion would leave 800 men for the two columns making each 2 x strength 4 units. Another reference gives the strength of the “army” as it marched to the assault as 4,500, while covered by the cavalry (Pulaski) so it’s not unreasonable for the Americans columns to be 1,000 strong so I would use 4 x strength 5 units. Pulaski’s Legion was a mixed infantry/cavalry force so I have represented it as one cavalry and one light infantry unit both strength 5. Artillery is not mentioned, but I have added some siege artillery that would be firing at the redoubts at long range.

D’Estaing (C in C) – Column 1
Regiments Cambresis(5), Hainault(5), Le Cap(5), Agenois/Gatinais(5)

Noailes – Column 2
Regiments Auxerrois(5), Foix(5), Guadaloupe(5),Matinique(5)

Dillon – Column 3
Armagnac(5), Naval Infantry(5), ?(5), ?(5)

Unattached
Dillon (7)

Lauren – Column 4
2nd SC(5), Charleston Militia(5)

McIntosh– Column 5
1st SC(5), 5th SC(5)

Pukaski
Legion LI (5), Legion Cavalry(5)

Huger (not represented)
2 x Militia (5)

Artillery
4 x heavy gun batteries (5)

British forces

There is a lot of information on the British, but very little on their dispositions except that The regular regiments and the better Tory units were kept to the rear. The Spring Hill redoubt was manned by dismounted dragoons and the sailors redoubt by sailors, but there is little else except that the counter attack was led by the Grenadiers of the 60th (75) and a small company of marines (50). Other (unspecified) British troops advanced in support.
There were circa 100 guns in position, I have assumed about a third covering the area attacked as 6 x strength 5 batteries. I then added another battery to the redoubt east of Spring hill to allow for flanking fire. Adding up all the loyalists there are about 1250 or 6 strength 4 units, I’ve put half of these occupying the fortifications in the area attacked. The grenadiers and marines who immediately counter attacked would be a strength 3 unit. The other British would be the 16th (50) and two battalions of the 71st (700) plus the Light Infantry (100), so I have used 3 x strength 5 infantry and 1x strength 4 light infantry. There is no mention of any personalities encouraging/rallying the defenders so I have only given the British one general.

In the fortifications no commander
Georgia Loyalist Militia (5); New Jersey Volunteers (5); South Carolina Loyalists (5)
7 x medium gun batteries (5)

Flanking fire from the “Germain” 2 x heavy gun batteries (5)

For counter-attack under Prevost (CinC)
Grenadiers/Marines (3); 1/71st (5); 2/71st (5), 16th (5), Light Infantry (4).

Game mechanics, etc.
Unlike the plan the attack went in late an piecemeal. The game starts with the French/American turn 1 with D’Estaings column moving onto the table as a single column. Move 2 has Noailles arriving to the left in the same formation, unless they roll a 1 on a d6 when they arrive on move 3. The move after Noailles arrival check for column 3, etc. The independent Dillon battalion arrives on turn 6, or turn 7 if they roll a 1 on a d6.
The British counter attack only commences when either a unit in the fortifications routs or the enemy enters the fortification line. Each turn, one British unit arrives, starting with the Grenadiers, dicing for arrival as above.
Note that the artillery supporting the attack cannot fire beyond the fortifications.

Battlefield Map


Will