Battle of Rocoux October 11, 1746

Rocoux anyone? It sounds like a French dish, which begs the question is it better served hot or cold and with a Bordeaux or a crisp Chardonnay?
This was part of Marshall de Saxe's campaign. It pits the French against the British, Dutch, Hanoverian and Hessians.

The article I have from Minature  Wargames is only half, this was from issue 195, August 1999. I must have bought the issue before I left for Japan, gee 20 years already.......
Anyhow, I shall be working on an order of battle.

the French line

Looking towards the Hessian and British lines

The British left wing made up of a composite Grenadier Battalion with a strong Highlanders contingent 

The Allied horse waiting to smash into the French

the Royal Artillery on the Allied right.

the French Horse begin to advance

the French cavalry attempt to hit the Allied left

The last of the Brunswick and Hessian troops

French musketry is punishing the Allied line 

Royal Artillery desperately attempts to move the guns to support an assault. Eventually the Allied force suffered so many casualties. The French emerged victorious 

French attack on Harburg Castle December, 1757

A French army has assembled in Hanover. At the town Harburg, the French are to invest the town and capture the castle for their winter quarters.
And with actual winter too cold for gaming in the garage, this may have to wait a month or so until the temperature is closer to 0c.
I have also been taking stock of my 18th century figures, having been in storage. I need to do some small repairs, but otherwise, ready to go.
First warm day of  2018, 2/15 allowed for some manovering but still not shots taken or fired.

 the castle area by moonlight. 

Prussian allies begin to deploy

the French begin to deploy

More shots will be taken when the sun is up.

Using the Gentlemen of France Fire First rules, the French force begins to hit the Prussian lines

the first redoubt falls after artillery fire clears out the defenders. 

This area of the battlefield proved to be the lynchpin of the entire Brunswick/Hanoverian line. The French cavalry proceeded to roll up the entire line. The French are set to over take the camp. 

Due to the cold weather, it took me four months to play this game.

The French horse and Wild Geese flank the line.

Saratoga Campaign 1777: Battle of Hubbardton July 6

Crown Forces:
Fraser's Advanced Corps
Loyalists and Amerindians
24th Foot
Germans:
Jaegers
Pickets
Grenadier Battalion

Light Infantry Battalion

Grenadier Battalion

Light Battalion

American Forces:
2nd New Hampshire
Massachusetts Militia X2

The Americans forces.

Two battalions of militia backed up by the New Hampshire Regiment  

The Lights begin to engage the American left flank 

While the Brunswickers engage the right

The Artillery holds their ground to possibly add fire support

A birds eye view of the actioin

2nd Continental Light Dragoons, in Nova Scotia, 1992 for Mary Sillimans War filming

Brunswickers on the left continue to engage the American right

The militia beat off the Lights attack.

The battle continued with several volleys of musketry, however, when the British closed with the American left, a bayonet charge scattered one battalion while the other stood its ground and was annihilated in a melee.

The British and Brunswickers suffered some large casualties but will recover. The Americans still have scores of militia. Thus the first action goes to the Crown. Huzzah! God Save the King.

Battle of Bergen April 1759

I finally got a black powder game going again. This action is a small scale version of an allied attack on a French battery outside the main action of Bergen

Combat of Saundershausen July 23, 1758

One of my more popular postings was on a Seven Years War raid. This is another one,  a French raid.
The forces are French battalions with Light troops, aka Hussars attacking a Hessian force.

 A Hessian regiment, 

(Osprey Publishing)

 (Lace Wars Reenactment group, UK)

This will be the new blackpowder game I set up for today. The dynamics are from GOFF, so that Ian can quickly make decisions.

I got Ian to play with me after an afternoon of badminton in the park.

 The French, Austrian and Bavarian force advances on the Hessian right flank.

 The Hessians are in their fortified camp, with the officers in the local inn.

The Hessian horse, quickly deploy but are slowed up by the thick woods on their right.

 Cossacks in Prussian pay rush into the camp to lend support with a battalion of Hessians coming up in support.

The Irish Regiments prepare to advance into the centre of town.

The French and allied horse are also slowed up by the woods on the Hessian right. The Hessian storehouse is within easy reach of the French.

Ian ties down my Hessian troops, meaning that the storehouse is at the mercy of the French.

The battle is still being fought. Since it's being played in the living room,  while my wife and daughter watch TV, Ian goes, then I go. 

The Hessian storehouse falls victim to a concentrated attack. 

View from the French lines. Steam rolling into camp.

Hessian horse take on a French gun, taking out the crew. One of the high points the Hessians had.

The Cossacks attempt to flank the French troops on their right. The Hessians pour volleys to try and stop the flood of French into their camp.

My final move was to try to drive off the French allied horse from stealing the livestock.

 While I had to step out, Ian then made a large attack, and destroyed my Hessian force.

A fun game. Ian wanted to "help" me buy setting up my forces. I wanted to have put a guard force on my storehouse, but oh well. Maybe next time.