"One Hour Wargames" - Scenario 25 - "Infiltration" - Set Up and Game

Deviation from the usual format this week... 

The recent 'regiments of renown' update on the French cavalry regiment Souastre reminded me how LONG it had been since the Marlburian troops had deployed on the table (November '18! My first thought was "surely not!", but that is the case... 😏😖) decision made then; the little metal men of the War of the Spanish Succession project would march again...

This is an(other) interesting scenario; in essence/summary, a slightly smaller raiding force seeks to escape a numerically superior defending force by exiting the opposite end of the table to the one they enter. Things are further complicated for the raider/attacker in that the defenders are not only numerically superior (4 units vs 6) but also come at them from multiple directions...  Apparently, the scenario is based on Kernstown - so I was quite tempted to get my ACW boys out for a run - but for all the the previous reasons given stuck with my first choice of period...

Forces for each side were diced for on the relevant table in the book - any results in the skirmisher column I made elite regular foot (+1 morale), I also diced for attacker and defender, and the Allies came out as Blue/attacker (with the 4 units) and the Franco-Bavarian as Red/defender (with the 6 units)

• The Allies threw a 3, giving them 3 Foot (one of which is elite) and 1 Cavalry
  
  

  Name	Modifier	Type	Strength
  Danish Lifeguards	+1	Infantry	5
  Churchill's	0	Infantry	5
  North and Grey's	0	Infantry	5
  Schomberg's	0	Cavalry	5

• The Franco-Bavarians threw a 6, giving them 5 Foot (one of which is elite) and 1 Cavalry (got to be Souastre! 😁)
  
  

  Name	Modifier	Type	Strength
  Royal Italien	+1	Infantry	5
  Agenois	0	Infantry	5
  Champagne	0	Infantry	5
  De Foix	0	Infantry	5
  Toulouse	0	Infantry	5
  Souastre	0	Cavalry	5

  

Rules were my go-to Will McNally ones (details as ever in the WSS Project page in the side bar) - fifteen moves as per the scenario, but my thinking is that is on the low side so I may play it by ear... 😏

Table set up as follows - NB. 4' x 4':

Attacker will enter from bottom (south) left table edge..  exit point for attacker is the road top (north) right edge.. The only significant terrain features (ie. everything else is just table dressing) are:

1. the road which crosses south to north…
2. the wood - classed as light/open - top left of the picture

Defenders set up first - but just the one unit at the bottom/south edge of the hill on move 1, the rest of their forces arrive on turn 3 and then 6..

Turn 1.. Allies deployed for maximum speed..  Italien looking on in consternation..

No surprise really but I chose Royal Italien as the first/only deployed unit - figured the French could use the +1 they get as a Guard/elite regiment in the event the Maritime powers attack.. I also held back the cavalry to be part of the second/last wave of reinforcements as I figured they would do better in a pursuit role, or mopping up disordered units, than being in the front rank..

On to the game...  following is about move 3 as the first French reinforcements have arrived at top of page (two battalions of foot), while Royal Italien have debouched from the hill..

The British plan ("plan"... 😂) was to ignore Italien for as long as they could while pressing on at top speed for the top of the table and the exit road.. they had put Schomberg's out to cover their rapid advance..

...this one's for David [clicky]...  Lifeguards carry their/his standard into battle for the first time.. 😊

Three moves later and the final  French reinforcements enter the table - two battalions of foot and the cavalry - Italien have moved into march formation for speed:

Everyone is moving fast in column of march - rubbish for fighting, but optimal for speed, which at this point is the name of the game..  

Pursuit...."on y vas, mes enfants!"

....and so we come to the main course - following - this is where the battle was won or lost, depending on your point of view.. 😏 

Schomberg's deploy into line and head round the two French regiments (Foix and Toulouse) who are covering the road, causing Foix to pivot and face..  for the Allies, the Lifeguard have deployed to cover the attack by Churchill's and North & Grey's and try to delay the French advance - one against four, brave lads!

The Italien are forced to deploy to face the Lifeguard's - their plan is to feed everyone else round them as the main target is still those advancing Allied regiments ..  

Schomberg's have Foix pinned in place (following)...  now, can Churchill's and North & Grey get in their attack in time? The Lifeguards are being outflanked as per the French plan, but still causing casualties to Italien from musketry; they are firing and retiring by turn..  for the French, Souastre are being squeezed out by the woods, likewise Agenois behind them.. they can move through the woods but that would slow them badly..

In goes the Allied attack - following - North & Grey get the coveted flank assault, but against all the odds are sent packing!! 😲 

Churchill's, however, crash home on Toulouse and send them routing from the field - first blood to the Allies, and one less between them and the exit..  in the middle of the picture, the Lifeguards continue to crash home their volleys - there's a yellow dice, so Italien are shaken..

Foix face off to Schomberg - top left following - who are as yet un-blooded but doing sterling service as the permanent threat..  bottom of picture North & Grey's have routed from the last melee and run, Churchill's have won their melee but now need to re-face. 

Mid right - Italien and the Lifeguards continue to exchange volley's but the Lifeguards are being flanked by rapidly advancing French infantry and cavalry. North & Grey are in a parlous position from that French cavalry!

Had to decide what to do with the French cavalry in such a target rich environment - following - and clearly they had a number of options, but what swung it was that North & Grey had passed their morale test and reformed (albeit still shaken), whereas Churchill's offered the possibility of an attack in the rear - with no time to deploy, they charged as they were....and....  North & Grey's fired, and hit. Cavalry shaken, taken casualties, attack stopped..

Elsewhere in this very busy picture - 

• Italien have finally broken and run (top right) under the effect of the concentrated volleys of the Lifeguards
• Champagne (green flag/white cross) have fluffed their test to deploy into line and are milling about in a disorganised (hence blue dice) manner - very bad timing!
• top left Schomberg's have charged home on Foix

All in all - things hang on a knife edge, oh, and it's move 12 or 13..  😏

...and then - following - it all falls apart for the French - they were very, very, unlucky with their dice..

• top of picture - Foix were handled badly by Schomberg's in the melee - the 'black horse' take no prisoners (literally) and send them packing - they are routing (red dice)
• Souastre (the French cavalry) flunk their morale test and also run - they should recover quickly but the distance they rout will mean they can no longer have any meaningful part to play
• Italien (out of picture) are removed from the table - in summary, they routed to zero points
• Champage finally get their sh*t together - shake into line and charge home - but are stopped in their tracks by an absolutely mahoosive volley from Churchill's (it was boxcars.. two sixes on 2D6) causing double damage and stopping them in their tracks

Not all bad for the French though - the Lifeguards, having done sterling service throughout, finally break themselves - one morale test too many - BUT - their rout destination is towards the exit point..  could be, will be, off the table whether they recover or not

End of the game - following - this is turn 15..  only Agenois (bottom right) are still in a position to try and stop the Allies - but they are exchanging volleys with North & Grey's who stop their charge to contact in its tracks with musketry, and also cause them to become shaken.. game over..

Post match analysis:

• With three out of four Allied units all within 6" of the exit road, and no real threat to any of them, I called this an Allied victory despite the fact that it was turn 15 and they hadn't actually exited..
• HUGELY enjoyable game, and balanced on a knife edge for at least the last four or five turns - 
• the British 'plan' I thought worked well - I'd do the same again, but possibly have two blocking units as effectively the could close the gap, Thermopylae like - between the hill and the wood, delaying and causing the French to have to fight to get through
• the French also did what I would do again - they were very unlucky with the morale dice in this game and that caused them most of the issues - every recoil/rout/shaken result either delayed their advance, or more importantly moved them backwards, as distance covered was the aim of the Allies..

Once again the Neil Thomas book delivers in spades..  the best ten'ner I ever spent..