It's the spring of 1854 and the Russian "Bear" has decided to push into the Turkish held area around the city of Silistra. The Turks, out numbered but holding defensive positions on the outskirts of the city, are faced with the dilemma of holding the outer ring of defensive positions so that the completed strangle hold of the city can not be complete. The Russians are tasked with breaking through this out line of defenses and consequently tightening the grip on the city of Silistra.
The Turkish forces were: 13-25 man battalions of infantry, 1-16 man cavalry regiment and artillery including one heavily held position with large fortress guns that dominated 10 foot of the gaming table.
The Russian Forces were: 16-25 man battalions of infantry, 6-16 man cavalry regiments and field artillery.
The Russian assault started on the southern end of the field where a back road into the city proper lightly held by a single unit of cavalry, a foot unit of Bashi-bazooks and an entrenched artillery battery. Things were immediately looking grim for the Turks as a brigade of Russian infantry, a Greek volunteer unit and 4 cavalry regiments made an all out attempt to seize the gun emplacement and the road into the city. The Bashis were of too brittle morale to risk placing them anywhere but in a support position to the gun so the defense relied upon the guns and the single unit of Turkish cavalry. A combination of casualties from artillery fire and a well timed Turkish cavalry charge, crumbled the Russian attack and sent them reeling back, broken in confusion and disorder.
On the northern flank the Russians advanced across the field to the very mouth of the Turkish artillery and waiting Turkish infantry battalions. It was a hard fought action, but superior dice rolling on the part of the Turkish commander (highly unusual for "Mike Pasha"), sent the Russians retreating from their assault.
In the center, where the heaviest Turkish fortifications stood, the Russian commander did the almost unthinkable (with the help of dismal die rolling from "John Pasha" and was able to penetrate the field of fire from the heavy gun emplacements with relatively few casualties and was able to exit his brigade off the Turkish side of the field, giving the Russian a hard fought but clear victory.
Rules used were homebrew. 28mm Figures are primarily Foundry.
07 March 2010, 02:21:06 AM