The Battle for Saint Amand(ish)

 

Tuesday saw us back at Martyns for another game of General d'Armee using his huge collection of figures for the Hundred Days campaign.

This time we played a variant on the Battle for Saint Amand from the Hundred Days supplement, switching the Prussians for Anglo-allies (I really ought to paint some Prussians up).

Steve and Martyn would play the French while myself and Nick played the Anglo-allies. I was on the right flank with two brigades of Hanoverians and a  brigade of British in reserve, Nick held the left with a brigade of British foot and a brigade of British horse supported by a brigade of Dutch-Belgians in reserve.

My intention was to hold three of the town sectors with the Hanoverians and when they were inevitably kicked out by the French to counter attack with the British to recapture any lost.

The French left were particularly hesitant, but in the centre the Hanoverians were soon booted out and had to await the British to the rescue. 

It was gong swimmingly on our left, the French were not only held, but the British cavalry and foot were soon on the counter attack pushing the French back to their start lines.

The French still dill-dallied on our right an the Hanoverians started out with a counter attack, but thought better of it and returned to their lines to prepare the defence against the inevitable onslaught.

The British pressed on on our left forcing the French into more disarray, but foolishly we were overconfident and committed the Dutch-Belgians to support this attach.

More French reserves in the centre made to block the British advance and the battle swung back and forth in that area with the French though unable to prevail.

Finally the French left overcame their hesitancy and launched themselves at the Hanoverians on that flank, swiftly ejecting them from one village.

The game clock had ran down though, although the British counter attack had failed to eject the French from the central town, the French had only gained a single town sector on their left, a small victory to the Anglo-allies.

Another turn played saw the Hanoverians easily ejected from a third village on our right. I think had the French left not spent quite so long in a hesitant state then they would have easily overcome us.

 Every time I tried to enact my cunning plan of using the British to eject the French from the town in the  centre my preliminary volley threw a fire discipline meaning I could not enact my charge - harumph!