The Last Baggage Train Thru Clarksville: In which Captain Bullham faces a tight schedule to clear a titular town.
Introduction
As we’ve dived back into Sharp Practice 2, this was our second crack at an AWI scenario in which a British force must expel American rebels from a town before an upcoming supply column moves through the area. The catch? Getting his orders late, British Commander Captain Bullham is given only 10 turns to capture the major Colonist deployment point in the corner of the settlement.
The Forces
British
2 Sections Grenadiers w/ Lvl 2 Officer
2 Sections Line w/Lvl 2 Officer
1 Section Light Infantry w/ Lvl 2 Leader
1 Section Loyal Militia w/ Lvl 1 Leader
Americans
1 Section Light Infantry with Rifles w/ Lvl 2 Leader (available Turn 1)
2 Sections State Line w/ Lvl 2 Leader (encamped in town; available Turn 2)
2 Sections Continental Regulars w/ Lvl 2 Leader (encamped north of town; available Turn 3)
1 Section Militia w/ Lvl 1 Leader (available Turn 3 on Western Road edge)
Scenario Rules
Turn Limit: 10 – British must be able to activate minimum 2 units/formations for a Turn to count
The scenario design intended to provide His Majesty’s Forces with enough strength to take their objective, especially with the stronger American regulars starting away from town. The friction was the limited time the approaching baggage train gave them to do it.
How did it play?
Ever alert, Blair (aka Capt Hawthorne) had his American Lights activate right at the start of proceedings as they occupied the sensible defensive position at a rail fence facing the deploying British.
Meanwhile, restricted to deploying by a single area along the Eastern road edge, his Majesty’s forces arrived all at once, causing a tangle.
However, by Turn 3 Bullham’s redcoats had shifted into 3 main attack groups. The Light Infantry and 2 sections of Grenadiers attacked on the left against the ever-ready riflemen. Bullham’s own Regulars formed a ragged line and marched in the centre – towards the rapidly moving State Line troops drawn up at a fence by a barn. Finally, the Loyalist Militia marched left to slow down those later-arriving Blue-coated Regulars.
The middle of the battle featured some crisp musketry exchanges. On the British left, the Grenadiers deftly used “Step Out” to move close to the Riflemen – and then delivered a powerful volley to drive the defenders back.
Both sides fought well in the centre, with the State Line slowing Bullham’s regulars but with the redcoats inflicting steady losses and plenty of Shock on the Americans. On the right, the inspired Loyalists were surprisingly effective in slowing the American regulars (who were apparently hampered by wet powder and fatigue as they returned fire).
Hawthorne’s Near Run Thing
The Patriot riflemen were finally scattered by the strength of the Grenadier advance. With the American right undefended, the British Lights deftly shifted onto the flank of the State Line and caused havoc with a double-shock flank volley.
Now at around Game Turn 8, the only question was whether the nimble Lights could advance quickly and claim the main Victory Point in town. (The Grenadiers were moving more slowly and faced a fence to scale.) At this point, the later-arriving Yankee Militia largely decided the engagement. Coming down the central road these men were now able to deliver a flank volley onto the Redcoat Light Infantry, forcing them back.)
With the jangling of the supply train now getting closer, the British Grenadiers ignored the town’s Militia and simply surged forward to the objective – only to fall just short as Turn 10 ended.
Postscript
While the Americans had dropped from 8 to 3 on the Morale Table the force had held out and delayed the attackers for the narrowest of victories. Another excellent night of SP2.
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July 31, 2010, 06:31:28 AM
