John Corrigan Memorial Game 2015 - "Bridge Defence" - Set Up & Game

You may remember from the last game in the Chiraz campaign [clicky] that I had (rashly?) suggested to DG that we play the game again, but this time swapping sides, to see if it was possible for a successful assault to be made...Time passed, boats were prepared for a new sailing season, beers drunk, but push comes to shove we never managed to get round to playing the game until DG mentioned he was coming down for Salute, and it was time for our traditional game on Salute eve. "Aha" I thought, as this one immediately sprang to mind...

It also transpires that about this time of the year I like to play the John Corrigan Memorial game [clicky] as he passed away in May (2011), so like a bright shining ice crystal bullet between the eyes it occurred to me that there might be a way of combining the two, and so the plan was set to re-fight the battle, but set in the American War of Independence.

The table from last time was still set up:

...so a small change in some terrain items resulted in the following:

British/attackers enter bottom right of the above - American/defenders deploy round the farmhouses...

The orbats for the engagement were a straight lift and shift of the Marlburian OOB from the last game - as before, the attackers (British) had an additional infantry battalion, and an extra cavalry squadron - all artillery was "light".

Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	SP  left	MP
American	Infantry	Green Mountain Boys - 1st Battalion	5	-	+0
American	Infantry	Green Mountain Boys - 2nd Battalion	5	-	+0
American	Infantry	New York Regiment	5	-	+0
American	Infantry	9th Pennsylvania Regiment	5	-	+0
American	Infantry	1st Battalion Philadelphia Associators	5	-	+0
American	Cavalry	4th Dragoons	5	-	+0
American	Cavalry	Lauzun's Legion Hussars	5	-	+0
American	Artillery	New York Artillery (Light)	5	-	+0
British	Infantry	1st Battalion Brunswick Jaegers	5	-	+0
British	Infantry	2nd Battalion Brunswick Jaegers	5	-	+0
British	Infantry	Infantry Regiment Erbrpinz	5	-	+1
British	Infantry	Regiment Prinz Ludwig - 1st Battalion	5	-	+1
British	Infantry	Brunswick Battalion von Barner	5	-	+0
British	Infantry	Royal Irish Regiment	5	-	+1
British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 1st Squadron	5	-	+0
British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 2nd Squadron	5	-	+0
British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 3rd Squadron	5	-	+0
American	Artillery	New York Loyalist Artillery (Light)	5	-	+0

Objectives were the same as last time - seize both the bridges - any less than this is either a loss to the British, or a draw if they control one... again I used DG's 'hideously complex formula' (trademark DG) trigger the end of the game

Game ends when at the end of a Turn one side

• 1] Has 68%* + losses (that is the American's have 13SP left; the British have 17SP left)
  and
• 2] Does not control both bridges
  or
• 3] Concedes

That side is then obliged to quit the field. So, as long as a side controls both bridges they can't lose

* why 68%?? DG originally came up with the number for the first game where we used the formula, as in that game it represented a round number of SP's lost - he subsequently did some research and found out that French casualties at Blenheim were about that, so it has some verisimilitude, and has kind of stuck..

The river is impassable except at the bridges, all woods are "open", all hills "gentle"..  there is no rough going....  walls/fences treated as per your rules of choice....



The Game:

DG, as the defending Americans, starts the game as de facto winner as he has control of both bridges, and he chose to deploy close to them, with the cavalry on both extreme flanks, the artillery covering the bridge approaches, a reserve on the island, and most of his infantry on the out-house flank...

I split my force into three, one infantry force flanking left, one infantry force (plus artillery) up the middle, and the cavalry on the right heading towards the barn. My plan was to hit a small part of DG's force with an overwhelming force of my own; 2:1 minimum

Later in the game (following), probably no more than 2 or 3 moves, and the British cavalry is questing forward - DG has responded - he has also moved to occupy the out house....

An overview - two or three moves later - Lauzun's have occupied the central hill which has caused all my infantry to slow down (deployed to line) as they pose a potential threat...

It then clearly got a bit exciting as I forgot to take pictures for a while, but in summary - on the barn flank my cavalry were triumphant and caused the American cavalry to rout from the field, and their accompanying infantry to rout back to the farm house where they recovered...

Leaving two squadrons to watch that flank, I took the other one and charged Lauzun's and cleared them off as well - two rout's later and they had also departed the field of Mars (with apologies to DG - my dice rolling on the night was inexcusably good...  as an aside, on one particular occasion I threw four dice and got three 6's and a 5!)

Having cleared the cavalry the British/Hessian assault slowly geared up (following), and while they did the beer was broken out, and a glass lifted to 'Lofty C' - I like to think he was enjoying the game....

So - attacking per my plan I threw everything in - two units on the Green Mountain Boys in the centre so at least one of the attacking units would charge home if the other was stopped by musketry.. 

The plan worked a treat (eventually), and this is the end point.... the Associators have been cleared from the front of the outhouse and are routing back towards the river, as are the Green Mountain Boys...

End of game (following) - I unleashed the Death or Glory boys on to the routing Green Mountain battalion and they surrendered - I was about to wheel and charge the Associators. The American regiment coming across the bridge was weak - they received a barrel full from the facing Jaegers, and decided to fall back; and at this point DG conceded...

Damn sightseer's on the river....

Post Match Analysis:

• First the butcher's bill.. particularly heavy for the American's but invariably this was due to routing from the table rather than actual battlefield casualties (both cavalry and the 9th Penn).. the one exception is the 2nd Battalion Green Mountain Boys, they were the one's who surrendered...
  
  DG had 14SP left, so one outside the army break point...
  
  

  Country	Unit Type	Unit Name	SP	SP  left	MP
  American	Infantry	Green Mountain Boys - 1st Battalion	5	5	+0
  American	Infantry	Green Mountain Boys - 2nd Battalion	5	0	+0
  American	Infantry	New York Regiment	5	2	+0
  American	Infantry	9th Pennsylvania Regiment	5	0	+0
  American	Infantry	1st Battalion Philadelphia Associators	5	2	+0
  American	Cavalry	4th Dragoons	5	0	+0
  American	Cavalry	Lauzun's Legion Hussars	5	0	+0
  American	Artillery	New York Artillery (Light)	5	5	+0
  British	Infantry	1st Battalion Brunswick Jaegers	5	4	+0
  British	Infantry	2nd Battalion Brunswick Jaegers	5	5	+0
  British	Infantry	Infantry Regiment Erbrpinz	5	5	+1
  British	Infantry	Regiment Prinz Ludwig - 1st Battalion	5	4	+1
  British	Infantry	Brunswick Battalion von Barner	5	5	+0
  British	Infantry	Royal Irish Regiment	5	4	+1
  British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 1st Squadron	5	4	+0
  British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 2nd Squadron	5	0	+0
  British	Cavalry	16th Light Dragoons - 3rd Squadron	5	5	+0
  American	Artillery	New York Loyalist Artillery (Light)	5	5	+0

• We discussed tactics for the game at some length afterwards; I contended that if DG had deployed further forward, then it may have given him a little more "retirement" room, but to be honest, the way my dice were rolling it must have been a little like being hit with a sledge hammer - DG was honestly surprised after the game to realise I only had the two extra units, it had seemed more...

• Beer on the evening was a passable "Doombar" - snacks were Tortilla Pringles (a bit like a 'curry pizza' in the culinary stakes I suspect, but surprisingly more'ish)

• Cheers, John!