State of the Nation - Q1 Report

Well the first three months is almost up, and to date all I've managed are a measly three games. One large, involving a lot of reading and preparation (Hohenfriedberg) and two, small, repeated games (Hubbardton) which involved much less preparation. On the plus side, I did manage to paint six more units of AWI infantry, and read a few books.

On the to do list are the long-undercoated AWI light dragoons, Sturmi and T34s, and, the even longer waiting, castle for the long-postponed ECW siege campaign. * Technically the model I have for the Sturmi is a Sturmgeschütz IV, but I can't find any IIIs in 10mm size. 

The castle still needs some pieces painting, and I need to make some towers. I'm planning on round towers. Then the whole thing will need a base to fit it to semi-permanently. By the time that's finished, I'll be lucky if I can kick the campaign off a year after I first wrote about it.

Nagging at the conscience

Another unfulfilled plan is to build a French army for the WAS/SYW period. Currently this is waiting for Heroics and Ros to put their SYW range back into production. I'm thinking of building this up in three stages, getting larger each time: 

1. Rossbach (some of my Prussians and Austrians will stand in for the Reichsarmee); 
2. Fontenoy (probably along with British and Hanoverians - I'll use proxies for the Dutch); and 
3. Minden (hopefully stage 2 will give me enough Anglo-Hanoverians, and for the other Germans I will use Prussians as proxies). 

This plan will also allow me to pit French and Austrians against each other in Bohemia, along the Danube and in Italy, as well as various scenarios involving His Britannic Majesty's Army/the Pragmatic Army.

Away from wargaming I set out at the beginning of the year to recover the fitness levels I'd achieved during the first lockdown. I had put on the 10kg I'd lost in the 3 months to September 2020 by September 2021. This time round I thought I'd try a longer term strategy. Go for a slower weight loss (say take a year to lose the same amount) on the theory that if I do it slowly I'm more likely to keep to that level of eating. Well so far I have fallen well short of the 800g a month, having lost only 600g in three months. Hmm. Must try harder. 

If I've fallen short of the target on the input side, I've done better on the output side of the equation. I had a rough idea of swimming 20km and walking 50km a month and by 29th March I'd clocked up over 60km in the pool and 163km on Shanks' Pony. This is particularly pleasing as I had a week's layoff in March with the lurgy. With a couple more days I should rack up another 3.6km swimming. Now I hope to spread this self-discipline to the food side.

An excess of managerialism

As momentum has been building on this 'self-improvement', and jolted by the renewal bill for the app, I have started again on Duolingo which I allowed to lapse last year. All very basic stuff, but I did find last time that it got my brain sharpened up for the real lessons. Also the little bit of Swedish has helped me recognise some slang words in Finnish.

So overall, some failures but some success to build on. Eteenpäin!

Another misidentified German vehicle. From a distance I thought it was a Messerschmidt.....which reminds me of the old Stan Boardman joke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8Yf5B6GbYk

Reading Matters

In my long lay-off from gaming over the last few months, I did a fair bit of reading around the subject. One was the sister volume to an old Duffy, favourite, one a fortuitous bargain find, and one a surprisingly readable academic work.

So first up, the Duffy. This was the Army of Maria Theresa, originally published in the 70s. I think I read it just the once back in the day. I'd been given the Army of Frederick the Great for a birthday/Christmas present* (close in date so could have been either or both). I read that to death. It was a reference book for a good while - copying the maps in the back for games, and having the book propped open on the regimental pen portraits as a painting guide. A friend had the M-T book as he built up an Austrian army. The book is now out of print and people are asking silly prices on Amazon. I found a good copy on Abe Books for £20, which must be about what it was sold at 40 years ago. In latter years, Duffy updated this work in his magisterial 2 volume history, Instrument of War and By Force of Arms.

* My what a present that turned out to be, leading me into the wonderful world of Dr Duffy's writings.

Apologies for the poor quality image. I'll try to get a better shot next time I'm in the cabin.

Whilst the two-volume work (Instrument of War and By Force of Arms) goes into much, much, more detail, the earlier one is still a great read. If you are at all interested in mid-18th century European warfare, it is a fabulous place to start if you can find it for a reasonable price. Duffy is a real Theresiaphile - he readily admits that. But this does not blind him to the Kaiserlicks shortcomings, nor does it make him underestimate the Prussians*** (he is clearly not a fan of Old Fritz). I wonder if David of the Ragged Soldier blog has been influenced by Duffy. [I nearly wrote the Ragged Trousered Soldier].

*** Late Edit: A slight correction is due. In the second edition of the Army of Frederick the Great, Duffy upgraded his assessment of the Prussian light troops. To be fair though the original poor opinion was amended by Duffy following the discovery of more favourable assessments from the Austrian side.

Duffy (as the name suggests), is a real Son of Erin too, and has great affection for the Wild Geese in Maria-Theresa's employ. Amongst the many pearls in the book, I particularly like the following anecdote.

It's always the Prince de Ligne isn't it?

The next book was a bit of a surprise. A pleasant surprise. I bought the book for the same reason as Monty Python's Mrs Smoker bought a piston engine: "Because it was a bargain"**. A £20 book sold by Naval and Military Press for £5. No brainer. It was a pleasant surprise because I was expecting it to be the usual Anglocentric battle history that you see so much of. You know the type, an allied army with the British forming half or less of it, fights the French, there being some kind of British blunder, 90% of the book is about the British and there's next to no mention of the Allies. I'd read the same author's work on Ramillies, and was not really impressed (no British blunder however).

** Talking of which, Freeview Channel 91 have been showing the Python series from 1969 on.

Better than I expected!

James Falkener's the Battle of Fontenoy, 1745: Saxe against Cumberland in the War of the Austrian Succession, is not that book. It gave a pretty fair account of all combatants: British, French, Dutch, Austrians and Hanoverians. It is also somewhat kind to Cumberland - though he gives a good rationale for this. I felt like I'd learned something. What makes this a bonus buy for wargamers are the orders of battle in the appendices and the reproduction of a detailed contemporary battle map. As soon as Mr Heroic and Mr Ros start selling their fine 6mm Seven Years War figurines again I shall start to build up French and Allied armies.

If you've read the Charles Grant book on Fontenoy, this map will be familiar.

All of this has persuaded me to pre-order his forthcoming title on Prince Eugene from Pen & Sword books. Like the M-T book, this is a firm recommendation from me.

Third in the list is a Helion book on the ECW. Specifically this one:

I think this started out as Martin Bennett's PhD thesis back in the 80s. Despite that it is much more readable than you would expect. Even though it doesn't devote relatively much space to a narrative of the war, I am enjoying it. Still got a long way to go, so I still might change my mind. Good on the background of the Royalist Commissioners of Array and the methods of financing the war effort, and on the make up of the officer class. Bennett analyses the social background of both the Commisioners and the officers. The book explains how incredibly small the Royalist regiments were - not through attrition, but right from their heyday. 17 identified horse, and 15 foot regiments totalled 5,000 men! So far I've enjoyed all the Helion regional ECW histories that I've read.

So, to sum up, a 'comfort read' and two pleasant surprises. A good result.

Hubbardton - Take 2

For the second game I made one significant adjustment and one minor one. The bigger change was to dice for initiative each turn. The smaller one: I started with the British in line. Here’s how it panned out.

The Lights and the 24th went straight into the attack. This time the Americans all remained on the front side of the fence line. First into Combat were the Lights who struck the NH Continentals. With a +2 for a British bayonet charge and + 3 for class advantage, and a good five roll the Lights swept away the opposition. The NH boys fled in the direction of the fence line. Down two bases and 2 DP versus the Brits’ 1DP.

This put the Lights however at the mercy of the Massachusetts line. A good dice roll enabled them, led by the general to swing into the Lights’ flank! “We got the Limies by the Crown Jewels boys! Squeeze’em! Squeeze ‘em hard.” Fraser was on hand to keep his lads’ dander up. The adjusted, opppsed dice roll resulted in ….a draw! Stand off.

Round two of the combat saw the Lights slight edge in quality tell, and a stray ball hit Colonel Francis in the face and seeing him fall, the New Englanders reeled away. 

Under the Risk to Generals rule, both sides had to roll. Both scored 1 - re-roll! On the re-roll Fraser got a 4 - safe! Francis, on a 2, was seriously injured. Immediate removal from the game with the loss of his Command Points.

In the other action, the 24th narrowly came out on top, pushing the Green Mountain Boys back. So far bayonet tactics had worked for the British. The risk is if it doesn’t the opposition get a volley off at point blank range before the next phase. 

Meanwhile, on the American right the Jäger actually take first blood. Over on the other flank, the grenadiers arrive on turn 7.

American right at the bottom. Skirmishes down to 2 bases. NH line to their flank, rallying off Disorder Points.

Initiative had been changing throughout the game. In the turn after the Lights saw off the Massachusetts line, the Brits hit the initiative again and caught the fleeing Americans. A further two bases were lost. In the picture above they come to rest behind the Green Mountain Boys. Off picture to the right, the 24th have rallied off their sole DP and are ready to advance again.

But the clock has wound down. Another victory for the Crown. This time with a more pronounced casualty toll on the enemy.

The Reckoning. 8 American bases lost, plus one commander, to just 2 British bases.

Hubbardton - Take 1

This afternoon I ran through the scenario twice with similar overall results each time. The second time I adjusted things slightly. Of that, more anon.

For the first run-through I made some adjustments to Steve’s scenario. First I used the Staff Ride map for the game, with Germans due to appear on the extreme right of the American line, and Acland’s British grenadiers on the extreme left of the American line. Secondly, the Staff Ride map shows the situation later on from where Steve starts his and the crossing of the brook (off table). I did this because with my ground scale of 1mm per yard on an 8x4 foot table* I couldn’t fit everything in otherwise.

* being a Brit, I will flip between Imperial and Metric measurements at the drop of a cocked hat.

As Steve had the Germans appearing from turn 7 of 9 and my game started later, I started dicing for arrival from turn 5. Ditto Acland. These troops would arrive on a 5 or 6, with the odds improving each turn.

Each turn the commanders got 1 AD plus 1 Command Points. I gave the Brits the initiative each turn, but moves etc are simultaneous in Loose Files so it’s not an overwhelming advantage.

During the first game I forgot to take pictures for the first few turns, so they start part way through. The British Lights snaked their way forward in route column, with 24th opting to deploy. Any formation change (or indeed wheeling) causes a Disorder Point in Loose Files so it’s always about striking a balance between speed and order.

The 11th Mass in the centre and the NH infantry on the right opted to about face and march to the other side of the fence/road to avoid being beaten up or cut off. These manoeuvres are risky as they cost time and Disorder, but the Americans had sufficient time on their side as it turned out. Movement speed is variable in Loose Files so it might have proved disastrous. It was probably worth the risk as the Lights were in route column so whilst faster, they would lose a turn deploying to fight. Warner’s Green Mountain Boys (blue on my table) faced off against the 24th. 

As luck would have it, the Germans arrived bang on schedule (the Dice Gods were playing to stereotypes).

The American right and centre have successfully got over the fence lines.

Whilst the Lights (top) swing round, the 24th with a lucky 9” movement roll (or easier than expected going) dash across the open ground and crash into the startled Green Mountain Boys, bayonets bristling, before the colonists get a shot off. Fraser joined in to make sure his lads attacked with sufficient verve. “With zeal and bayonets only lads! Last one there’s a Frenchman!” The gamble paid off. The GMB** suffered 2 DPs and 2 casualties, and legged it over the fence. The 24th halted next turn to rally off the DP that they automatically incurred.

** note, not the General, Municipal and Boilermakers Union 

Meanwhile on the American right, the American skirmish line undertook a successful fighting withdrawal, inflicting first blood on the Jägers. Bottom right of the picture above, the Jägers are down to 1 base versus the Americans 3, but they are supported by 3 bases of grenadiers.

Acland’s grenadiers are finally on!

The rallied GMB face off against the 24th. But it would only be a matter of time before Acland takes them in the flank. In any case, the allotted time is up. Result: tactical win for the Brits. But the Americans escape mostly in tact. Losses were two American bases to one ‘British’, so 2 points list by the Americans v 1.5 lost got the British.

Civil War find

 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-60778461.amp

Back to gaming

After a lot of delays I got the table set up. Might play the game this evening. Maybe tomorrow.

Overview

The map I used - taken from the excellent Combat Studies Institute Press US Army Combined Arms Center's Staff Ride Handbook

Satellite map of the area, showing how wooded and hilly it is even today. I need more trees and hills!

The Home Team

2nd New Hampshire (Titcomb)

Warners

11th Massachusetts (Francis)

American skirmish line guarding their left

The Visitors

You'll notice that my Brits are kitted out more for the Southern theatre than the North, but hey.... no excuses really. It's what I've got.

24th Foot

British Light battalion

The British combined grenadier battalion under Acland is on a flank march to the right and should appear to the left of Warners. I'll dice for when they can enter. The German Jäger and grenadiers will appear on the left. 

Last but not least, the away team's manager, Simon Fraser, shows his boys the way.

'Props', as the youngsters say, to Steve at Sound Officers Call for the inspiration and the scenario. I've taken liberties with the numbers of bases. For the 3 American line infantry and 3 British battalions I've used 8 bases each, simply because there's so much space. I've followed Steve's recommendations for the skirmishers, jägers and German grenadiers.

Steve's scenario can be found here: https://soundofficerscall.blogspot.com/2022/01/a-hubbardton-scenario-for-live-free-or.html

Steve references the Staff Ride Handbook in his blog. It's well worth a read for the whole of the Saratoga campaign. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/portals/7/educational-services/staff-rides/staff-ride-handbook-saratoga-campaign.pdf

Polka time

I know how certain Wales based readers of this blog like nothing better than a polka. Here’s one in a slightly slower tempo for JBM (for it is he) with lyrics to sing along to if the Current Mrs JBM does not fancy dancing around the table. 

I think this is the song that set me off on this whole obscure Nordic music pursuit. A dozen or so years ago our Finnish language tutor took delight in making the adult class learn songs to sing in front of the assembled parents of the children at the local Saturday morning Finnish school, at Christmas, Easter and ‘midsummer’. Nothing as complicated, or as with it, as this one I should add. For a bit of homework I was looking on YouTube for whatever dirge teach had us learn and came across the following in the sidebar.

https://youtu.be/cz-1cBfOCc4