The 45 minute wargame!

Having recently purchased One hour Wargames by Neil Thomas for Kindle i thought it was about time i gave them a go. Of course these are pretty basic rules but feedback on social media sites seem favourable if  taken as a bit of fun to be had with toy soldiers.

I picked out  scenario 6 'Flank attack 1' based on Salamanca using the Horse and Musket rules, Chapter 13. The French have been ordered to break through a small British blocking force and capture the enemy supply base. The British have spotted this and launch an attack against the French flank.

Both armies have 6 infantry units.The British have two blocking units facing south and 4 units on the eastern table edge facing west.
The French are deployed to the west facing the blocking force. The French must exit the table via the road on the northern edge.

Victory conditions- The French to get 3 units off the table to the north. Failure gives victory to the British.

Units are eliminated when they get 15 casualties.

 Initial deployment

British blocking force

The French deployment.

British flank attack.

The British advance

The French move forward

The British close to musketry range

NOTE- you cant move and fire with these rules so the British did not open fire.

Two French units stand and fire while the other 4 continue to advance.

The first unit throws a six causing that number of casualties.

The second throws a 5

Next go the British return fire. 4 hits

The next unit throws a six.

 The 2 French units continue to protect the flank of the other 4 units. A 3 from the first unit

and the same from the second.

The blocking force joins in but the firing is ineffective.

More British units have moved into the firing line.

The First French unit breaks 

Exposing the French flank

And a second unit breaks.

The British begin to envelop the French. As i was planning to punch through the blocking force with my remaining 4 battalions it was at this point i discovered only cavalry are allowed to engage in melee, infantry must slug it out with musketry. Should have read the rules again!

A French battalion forms line.

But the British, not having moved this turn are able to fire.

Fench casualties are mounting

and the unit breaks. The French must now get all 3 remaining units off to win.

The first British unit to fire throws a 1!!!

The first French unit makes it off the table.

2/122nd are the lucky lads.

 Another British unit opens fire.

And another.

The unit breaks securing a British victory.

So 2 French units escaped.

2/118th also escape.

Well the rules are pretty basic but the game was a bit of a laugh and finished in 45 minutes. The only way i can see the French winning is to plough forward with all 6 units and then engage the blocking force with 2 or 3 units while the others escape. 

Thanks for looking in.



SAILS OF GLORY

We all got a bit hooked after just one game of this using basic rules. We decided to have a second game the following week at the club adding in more of the rules.

The scenario.

 Two French ships, the Genereux and the Berwick were anchored off the Portuguese coast having conducted a successful raid. One third of their crews were, however, still ashore. Both ships are 74 gun 3rd Rates and the anchorage was protected by shoals.

Two British ships HMS Defence, 74 guns, and HMS Terpsichore a 32 gun frigate were patrolling the area in the hope of intercepting the French raiders. The latter was commanded by one of the fleets newest frigate captains, Captain Carl 'lanky' Wilsonblower fresh from victory in his first action having been instrumental in taking out a French 74 only a week ago.

The weather

 The French ships were facing North in a Westerly wind. A sea fret affected visibility. We called this phenomenon a 'Pardew' but fortunately it was soon gone. 

 The opening dispositions, French at the top followed by some close ups of the ships.



 The French sight the British ships through the Pardew. They immediately recall their shore parties.

The British close on the Ftench. 

Terpsichore peels off in a South westerly direction.  

She is clearly heading for the Southern entrance to the anchorage. 

Defence closes on Berwick. 

and gives her a broadside. Terpsicore swings to the East. 

Berwick springs a leak and has minor sail damage. 

Both French ships abandon attempts to bring aboard their stranded crewmen and make sail. Terpsichore  rakes the Genereux

Genereux gets 4 hits and suffers hull damage. 

Both French ships are now underway but Berwick is hit again this time the rudder is damaged. 

Genereux is now under full sail.

Genereux fires on Defence causing some damage to the hull and some crew casualties. Meanwhile her crew have made some repairs to the rudder. The crew of Defence are busy reloading and unable to return fire.

Terpsicore stands off the fight.

Berwick preparing to return to the fight.

The battle between Genereux and Defence continues.Genereux loses 2 masts and many crew while Defence springs a leak, and is set on fire damaging sails and losing crew.

The crew of Defence tackle the fires successfully and fix the mast. The guns are reloaded.

Genereux has fixed her rudder.

Terpsicore rakes Berwick which returns fire as best she can.

Berwick takes crew casualties, springs a leak and takes hull damage. Berwick had loaded with chain which luckily fell short causing no damage to the British frigate. Unfortunately the two ships failed to avoid a collision with Terpsicore hitting Berwick amidships. Being the much bigger ship the latter suffered no damage but the British ship sprang a leak and took hull damage.

The two ships become entangled and while attempting to disengage sail damage to the Berwick resulted, this being the second sail damage the ship was now restricted to no more than battle sails. Terpsicore suffers more hull damage.

By this time the crews of both ships had reloaded, Berwich with chain and Terpsicore with ball and exchanged broadsides once again. Again the British frigate got lucky and suffered only losses to the crew. Berwick had additional crew casualties and hull damage.

At this point we called it a day. Looking at the accumulated damage on the ships boards it was clear the British ships had inflicted the greater damage on the French so a British victory was declared. These boards are well thought out and give a good representation of naval warfare with the ships ability to fight being gradually degraded by crew losses and battle damage. 

The French ships were hampered by lack of crew due to one third being ashore and their delay in making way ensured that the outgunned British ships could land the first blows. 

We are still learning the rules but the game has had  such a positive impact that the club is purchasing the stater set, shore battery sets and several ships including some of the big boys for both sides.

We would certainly recommend this game to anyone with an interest in Naval warfare.

Thanks for looking in.

Mick.