CapnJim's AWI Stuff: 28mm Battle of Paoli Battle Report Page 2 (12 Dec 22).

[CapnJim]

Freddy, it's a Cigar Box battlemat.  It's gotten plenty of use in several time periods...

And here is game 2...

Game 2

In the afternoon game, the British commander used a similar plan to that used in the first game.  The Americans, however, tried something different.

As in Game 1, the British sent Lt. Col. Webster and the 23rd and 33rd Regiments across the west ford.  The Americans, though, sent 2 battalions of Continentals north toward Springs Mill, and 2 toward the west ford.  The British also had their Lights and Grenadiers come on the field down the main road from the north.  The Loyalist Dragoons again crossed the bridge to try to hold up the Continentals heading toward Springs Mill.

As those units continued on their respective ways, the Hessian/Loyalist Brigade come down from the north heading straight for the east ford, as in Game 1.  And the American Militia Brigade came up the Springs Mill Pike.  They sent 2 battalions to support the attack on springs Mill, and the other 2 veered west to support the Continentals' attack on the British Regulars near the west ford.  The Loyalist Dragoons charged the Continentals, but were again eventually repulsed.  They once again held up the Continentals enough, however, to buy time for the Hessians and Loyalist Infantry to cross the east ford.

This time, the British Lights and artillery headed toward the west ford, while the Grenadiers headed toward the bridge.

The battle again devolved into 2 fights.  The British 23rd, 33rd, artillery, and Lights versus American Continentals and Militia below the west ford, and the Hessians, Loyalists, Grenadiers and artillery against the Continentals and Militia at Springs Mill and the Bridge.  The Continental Dragoons appeared early in this fight, but again (and inexplicably) had no real effect on the battle.  Both fights swung in favor of the British, and the Americans conceded the field before nightfall.

One interesting thing happened in Game 2.  An American Militia battalion did manage to cross the bridge in good shape, but the Grenadiers went in with the bayonet and sent them on their way back across the bridge.

Both games went to the Crown forces.  Fun was had by all involved, though, so it was a win-win!

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Those Airfix figures brought back memories of the Bicentennial (which they were released to commemorate).  I had boxes and boxes of them - still do somewhere in the loft!  Nice games.

[Freddy]

Great pictures again!
Thanks for the info regarding the mat, it looks really useful, I will check their store.

[CapnJim]

Thanks, guys!

Thanks for the info regarding the mat, it looks really useful, I will check their store.

Not sure they still sell that one anymore..... 

[Freddy]

Thanks, guys!

Not sure they still sell that one anymore.....

They have a lot of other cool stuff.

[CapnJim]

They have a lot of other cool stuff.

Yes, they do.  I have 3 or 4 of their mats...

[CapnJim]

This week's scrum (played earlier today) was a 28mm AWI affair.  We decided to play the Battle/Massacre (depending on who's side you were... ) of Paoli in September 1777.  We used the Liberty or Death rules for the first time.

My place and terrain, and Ted's figures (and scenario).  I played the Americans, Gene played the British, and Ted GM'ed.

Here are the scenario-specific rules we used:

1.  As the attacker, the British had initiative each turn.
2.  All American units started the fight Disordered.  Since the British had intitiative, the Americans would have to fight the first British phases as such.
3.  The battle happened at night.  No firing was permitted beyond Effective range, and all firing was treated as firing at units In Cover.
4.  Save for the Light Bobs, all British infantry units started the game with their flints removed from their muskets (thus, no firing).  Depending on when the 40th and 55th regiments showed up, they could replace their flints.
5.  To account for American confusion, any American unit that wanted to do anything besides fire had to pass an Orders check, regardless of their unit state.  If an American unit failed an orders check, and had another American unit in their front arc, they had to fire at it (to account for the possibility of friendly fire, as happened in the real battle).

Here are the Orders of Battle we used:

British Forces
MG Grey
     Light Infantry battalion (Large Unit) (Independent, Drilled, Skirmish)
     42nd Regiment (Black Watch, a Large Unit) (Drilled, Tough Fighters)
     44th regiment (Standard Unit)(Drilled)
     16th Light Dragoons (Small Unit)(Independent)
LTC Musgrave (reinforcements - starting on Turn 2, roll 4 dice far an Orders Test.  4 successes would see them arrive on Turn 2, 3 successes on Turn 3, and so on...)
     40th Regiment (Standard Unit)(Drilled)
     55th Regiment (Standard Unit)(Drilled)

American Forces
MG Wayne
     1st Continental Dragoons (Small Unit)(Independent)
     2nd Continental Dragoons (Small Unit)(Independent)
     3rd Continental Artillery battery (3-pdrs)(Independent)
COL Hartley
     4 battalions of Pennsylvania Line (3 Small Units and 1 Standard Unit)
     Hartley's Additional regiment (Small Unit)
COL Humpton
     4 battalions of Pennsylvania Line (Small units)
BG Smallwood (reinforcements, if needed)
     5 battalions of Maryland Militia (Small Units)

The pics below show the battlefield.  The first is pre-deployment looking north.  You can see Warren's Tavern in the top center, and the American encampment in the middle.  The second pic shows the initial deployment, with the 2 brigades on Pennsylvania Line formed up in their camp facing NNW.  The guns are limbered.  All units are disordered.  The British are deployed, with the Light Bobs in the lead, followed by the 42nd and the Dragoons, and trailing them is the 44th.

I will post the AAR within the next few days (Higher HQ has tasked us with putting out Christmas decorations this weekend, so it might not be until this coming Monday...)
 

[CapnJim]

And now for the battle report!  One note is that Ted doesn't have any Highlanders painted up yet, so we've used standard British infantry. They are differentiated from the Foot Regiments by the chaps with the round hats.

The attack started off well enough.  The British Light Bobs hit the right of the forward Continental Line, driving them back.  As the Light Bobs pressed forward, they were met by a battalion from the rear Continental Line.  Both units took casualties, while the Light Bobs recoiled.

But then, the 42nd Highlanders went in, sending one continental battalion fleeing and causing heavy casualties on a second.  They continued their attack, with the 44th reinforcing them.  Another Continental battalion was then broken.

In the meantime, Gen. Grey sent his 16th Light Dragoons west on the White Horse Tavern road, to try to get around the left flank of the Americans.  Gen. Wayne countered by sending his 1st and 2nd Continental Dragoons up that way to head them off.

The American right was reeling back through their camp, as the British pressed their attack.

Then, after a bit of a delay (during which we decided that the 40th and 55th replaced the flints in their muskets), LTC Musgrave arrived, leading the 40th and 55th over from the east near the Paoli Tavern.  Just in time too.  Due to some VERY GOOD orders tests, the Americans were beginning to recover from the initial British attacks.  The Americans were able to break the 42nd and 44th (though losing COL Hartley in the process), just as the 40th and 55th were taking their place in the line. 

And, the Continental Dragoons caught up with the 16th Dragoons.  The 1st Continental Dragoons broke, and the 16th Dragoons recoiled back toward the British lines.  The 2nd Continental Dragoons followed them.

By now, 3 units of Continentals had broken, COL Hartley was down, another battalion was shaken (almost broken), and 3 other Continental battalions had taken significant casualties.  Things were looking grim for the Americans.

Unfortunately, massed Continental musketry and cannon fire broke the British Light Bobs first, and that was that.  The British then had half their units broken, and that ended the game.

It was a close-run affair, and the first half of the battle looked a lot like the historical battle.  The British attacks had broken some Continental battalions, and had bent the American line back away from the right half of the camp.  But the American officers had been able to regain control of the situation (for which COL Hartley paid the price), and were ultimately able to break the British attack.

This was our first time playing Liberty or Death, and we enjoyed it.  With our scenario rules, it started the Americans out on the back foot.  But they were able to recover just in time.  Had their Orders Tests not been so effective in the 2nd half of the fight, the British would likely have carried the day, as they did historically. 

[Freddy]

Another great looking battle!

[CapnJim]

Thanks, Freddy! 

I'm thinking of playing it using Black Powder next...