AWI battle in 54mm - December 22th 2024

 

With our group we played a fictional AWI battle.

All figures are from Steven.

 A very strong British force attacked an American army that controlled a strategical crossroad.

On the American side, Peter was on the right wing, his force supported by 2 groups of Indians. Steven  controlled the left centre and was the army commander. Centre right was Siegfried , and on the left wing Adrien, with a mixture of French troops and Americans. All had a number of skirmish marksmen.

 On the British side, far right was Geert, with a high number of light troops, Centre right and CIC, me (Dirk ). Central column was Thomas with a very strong force, Then Ronny with a loyalist force, and on the British left, coming over the bridge with the Hessians were Alberik and Jonathan.

 

All British and Hessians were veteran. On the American side only a few and one unit of elite lifeguard troops.  The British also did outnumber the Americans. A very though task for the American players.

At the start of the battle, Peter had to redeploy his troops to face the upcoming Hessians. Steven, Siegfried and Adrien deployed their marksmen units.  Ronny did send his cavalry to brush aside the marksmen in front, but didn’t succeed, with counter charges of American cavalry. This blocked the British advance on the left centre. Dirks advance didn’t go well either. The British artillery was ineffective against the marksmen, while the American artillery and marksmen fire gave casualties and pinned down the leading troops in the enclosure.  Adrien’s marksmen, instead of firing from the cover of the woods attacked the British light troops. A costly decision as his troops were driven back with heavy losses, resulting in his command under pressure from the start. Geert did keep on pushing. The French cavalry was thrown into the fight, and was, after a few turns also destroyed. Siegfried had to commit his reserves to support Adrien.  In the centre, Thomas his force finally started to fight for the houses. But the fight became a bloody battle without much progress, till the end of the game.

Thomas had send his cavalry to the left flank, were the Hessian had made a charge over the bridge but were pushed back.  Part of the hessian force of Alberik and Jonathan forded the brook on the right of the bridge linking with Ronny’s loyalists.  From the bridge, the Hessian now started firing into the flank of Peters force defending the brook. With Thomas his cavalry coming up, Peters force was threatened on three sides. Steven had to advance. A confusing situation was created when Thomas’ cavalry unit drove back infantry units of Peter and was now isolated behind enemy lines; communication lines broken, and Siegfrieds cavalry entering the scene.   Steven had driven back the loyalist units, but was on his turn was pushed back by the Hessians that had forded the brook. Peters last reserve were his Indian units, he had to commit to prevent being outflanked on his left by the Hessian grenadiers.

The American advances on both flanks had brought no relief. With both flanks on breaking point, Steven had to call it a day and start the retreat. A British victory.