Hanoverian Landwehr skirmishers

I have a brigade of Hanoverian Landwehr for our Hundred Days campaign games, but I don't have any specific skirmishers painted for them, so a few weeks ago I ordered some packs of Hanoverians in firing line from Front Rank. I got a mix of shako and cap for a bit of variety.

The first four bases are painted up with green facings to match the Landwehr Battalion Osterode I painted earlier this year.

Although some light pitting on the figures on the figures indicates they were likely cast a bit hot, they are lovely figures and take paint really well.

These made it onto the table in time for the last game, another five bases are on deck at the moment and should be ready to post on the blog very soon.

General d'Armee action in Belgium 1815

Yesterday Steve and I played a fairly large General d'Armee game using quite a large portion of my Hundred Days collection. The scenario was an escalating engagement with the French in strength attempting to capture a road junction with more troops for each side arriving as the game developed.

The French forces were:

• 1st Infantry brigade: Four battalions of line supported by a battery of 6lb guns
• 2nd Infantry brigade: Four battalions of line
• 3rd Infantry brigade: Four battalions of line supported by a battery of 6lb guns
• 4th Infantry brigade: Four battalions of line
• 1st Cavalry brigade: One regiment of Hussars (Campaign grenadiers) one regiment of Chasseurs (Campaign)
• 2nd Cavalry brigade [arrive turn 5]: One regiment of Chevaux-leger Lanciers (Campaign) one regiment of Chasseurs (Campaign)
• 3rd Cavalry brigade [arrive turn 7]: Two regiments of Hussars (Campaign, grenadiers)

The Anglo-allied forces were:

• 1st British brigade: Two battalions of line, one small battalion of 95th Rifles
• 1st Hanoverian brigade: Four battalions of recruits
• 1st KGL brigade: Three battalions of line, one battalion of Lights, supported by a battery of 9lb guns
• 1st Cavalry brigade [arrive turn 3]: Three regiment of Light Dragoons (Campaign)
• 2nd British brigade [arrive turn 5]: Two battalions of line, one battalion of Highlanders (Grenadiers) 
• 2nd Cavalry brigade [arrive turn 7 into reserve]: Two regiments of Dragoons (Battle, grenadiers)

Initial deployments

The KGL artillery causes the first unit to retreat with heavy casualties

Aided by the KGL skirmishers the artillery causes a second unit to retreat with heavy casualties

French infantry push on in the center against the Hanoverians

The Royal Welch and Lincolnshire's defend on the left  

The Hanoverians are hard pushed in the centre

On the British right the KGL stand fast

The second British brigade arrives

French cavalry stream onto the field

Weakened French division pushes on against the KGL 

Break through in the centre as a French column crashes home and the Hanoverians rout.

With heavy casualties the Hanoverian Landwehr regroup behind friends

Those KGL guns need silencing, so the Hussars throw themselves upon them 

The Hussars recoil, so the Chasseurs push on

Supported by infantry on both flanks and Light Dragoons to the rear the guns again see off their harassers

The KGL are now under a lot more pressure, one battalion is broken but the others hold firm.

View across the battlefield

French Chevaux Legere and Chasseurs exploit the gap left by the Hanoverians, close range cannister fire eliminates the Lincolnshires

The Gordon Highlanders push on

As do the Somerset's

Hard pressed Hanoverian Landwehr hold the farm

The Royal Welch are hard pressed, a French column from the 85th charges their flank, but, the Frenchmen refuse to close to contact!

Steady KGL troops refuse to budge

Another view along the battlefield, the Union Brigade are moving to counter the French cavalry exploiting the breakthrough.

Like the KGL, on the other flank the battered Royal Welch also refuse to budge

At the end of about six hours game time both armies were well and truly battered and both Steve and I thought that the opponent had the upper edge. But, as the French had not taken their objective I'm happy to concede defeat. 

Royal Welch Fusiliers

Following hot on the heels of a post about sheep (mmm...) are the 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers), who were part of the 4th Brigade of the 4th Division of the Anglo-Allied forces during the Hundred Days campaign.

During a painting session last year I had painted up a base of figures with blue facings as a "spare" so I only had to do four stands to complete the unit, the "spare" is the one deployed on the right of the line.

The majority of the figures are from a box of the Perry Miniatures Plastic Napoleonic British Line Infantry set, but the mounted Colonel is from Brigade Games.

The pair of standards are from Flags of War and are very nicely done.

I usually have to do the skirmishers as an afterthought, but, must have been on my game this time as I remembered to do enough for a couple of bases while I was painting rest of the troops.

Here's some shots of a couple of the other bases, although I do see there is a cobweb that caught some of the varnish that needs tidying up.

We are playing another game of General d'Armee later today and these chaps will be getting their first blooding.

Sheeps

The folks at Warbases make some excellent livestock to add a bit more character to your games either as objective markers or just additional scatter pieces. On a recent order I picked up a pack of their Jacob Sheep.

You get four sheep and two lambs in the pack. They were knocked out with a very basic paint job, but I think they look the part.

Also picked up from Warbases were some one, two and three dice cells for tracking casualties in our General d'Armee games. In the game 0-3 casualties means the unit is fresh, 4-7 casualties means that the unit is getting worn, and over 8 casualties is nearing dispersal. Typically these last two stages each get another -1 modifier. With these new frames I've done we will have an handy indicator behind each unit.

I made a load of them in preparation for our game tomorrow.

More Napoleonic Sharp Practice

 

Yesterday evening, James, Sam and myself played a game of Sharp Practice set in Spain in 1811. Sam fielded a gorgeously painted light company of troops from the 52nd Foot with two groups of Elite foot, two units of Light infantry, two units of Portuguese rifles, officered by a British Captain(III), Lieutenant(II) and Sergeant(I) and  Portuguese Lieutenant(II) and Sergeant(I).

Despite being identical points my French force was much larger, with a Captain(III) and Sergeant(I) leading four groups of Conscripts, a Lieutenant(II) leading three groups of Conscripts, a Senior Sergeant(II) leading two groups of Voltigeurs then a Sergeant(I) leading a group of Voltigeurs and another Sergeant(I) leading a group of Voltigeurs.

James and I had thrown some terrain down before Sam arrived and it was decided that the French would try to burn two farm houses while the Anglo-Portuguese would try to thwart their plans.

As is sometimes the way, the Tiffin came up in the first turn before anything happened, but it was then onto the second turn. Sergeant Dupont and his Voltigeurs were soon occupying a commanding hill, denying the British much opportunity for concealed deployment, but Tenente Mourinho and his rifles turned up and their crack shots felled four of the Voltigeurs.

The French, having six command cards in the deck to the Anglo-Portuguese four were putting this to good use and using open column were soon in wheeling into line in commanding positions with the remaining Voltigeurs in support.

More rifles cracked and soon Sergeant Dupont was alone and isolated, the Portuguese Sergeant and his men leapt a small wall and wrestled him to the ground capturing him. Sergeant Volt leading two groups of Voltigeurs raced to the rescue, launching a charge from 2" away the Portuguese elected to flee, rolling a measly 2", aha, we have them in our grasp.... and rolled a 3 for movement, bugger!

The game rumbled on and the French conscripts were doing a great job of holding up in the face of British volleys, weight of numbers eventually told and the Anglo-Portuguese moral collapsed leaving the French to burn the farms unmolested.

It had been my first opportunity to play Sam for the first time an I hope to be able to face his Anglo-Portuguese again in the not too distant future.