ECW: Braddock Down. 19th January 1643

Braddock Down has been chosen to test the Pike and Shotte rules for the first time. It is a fairly simple battle to play albeit historically very brief. 

Background to the battle

Cornwall had declared for the Royalists with the well disciplined Cornish foot regiments led by the capable Sir Ralph Hopton. Parliamentarians under the overall command of the Earl of Stamford launched an offensive from Devon into Cornwall. A detached force led by the professional Scottish soldier Colonel William Ruthven advanced ahead capturing Liskeard.

A turning point came for Hopton with the capturing in Falmouth of 3 Parliamentarian ships carrying much needed supplies on 17th January 1643. Re-equipped and ammunition stocks replenished, Hopton advanced towards Devon. Ruthven, believing the Royalist force to be a rag-tag bunch of stragglers marched out of Liskeard to intercept him. Ruthven's force was primarily inexperienced Devon Trained Bands who made contact with Hopton at Braddock Down during the morning of 19th January 1643 not realising it was Hopton's main army. 

Table size - 3'9" x 3'9"

Rules - Pike and Shotte

Orders of Battle

ROYALIST

Ralph Hopton Commander in Chief (CR:9.   Traits: Aggressive) 

• 2 units of Horse - Hoptons Buffs

• 2 units of local horse

• 2 units of Dragoons

Foote Command - Sir Bevil Grenville (CR:8)

Grenville's Command (3 x regiments of Cornish)

• 3 units of pike

• 6 small units of musketeers 

• 1 unit of Forlorn Hope 

• 1 light cannon 

Travanion's Command (CR:8) (2 x regiments of Cornish)

• 2 units of pike 

• 4 small units of musketeers 

• 1 light cannon

Godolphin's Command (CR:8) (1 x regiment of local Trained Bands)

• 1 unit of pike 

• 2 small units of musketeers 

PARLIAMENTARIAN

Col. William Ruthven Commander in Chief (CR:8)
(2 x regiments of Devon Trained Bands and 1 x regiment of Cornish militia)

• Devon Trained Bands 2 units of Pike 

• Devon Trained Bands 4 units of Musketeers 

• Cornish militia 1 unit of Pike 

• Cornish militia 2 small units of Musketeers 

Col. Carew (command:8)

• Carews troops of Heavy Horse. 4 units of heavy horse 

• Carews troops of Light Horse. 4 units of light horse 

Sir Shilston Carmedy (CR:7) – arrives turn 4 on Liskeard road.

• 2 Demi-cannon. Heavy cannon 

• 1 Culverin Light cannon. 

• Artillery Train Guards. 1 unit of Musketeer Skirmishers. 
  

UNIT SIZES

A decision was made to continue with the same unit sizes I use in Black Powder. i.e. 36 figures for standard, 24 small and 48 large units for infantry. For ECW units though each unit has a 2 base depth. This reduced unit frontage required adjustments to the horse units - detail of which will follow. 

At this stage of the war the Cornish regiments suffered from a lack of muskets leading to a pike:musket ratio of around 1:1. The army lists in the 'To Kill a King' supplement suggest 1 pike to 1 musket unit. I prefer though to retain both wings of muskets whenever possible and therefore settled on 2 small units per regiment and ideally there should have been a large unit of pike to retain the 1:1 balance. However, the odds against Ruthven, already severe, would have been overwhelming. I also attempted to represent each side as close as possible to what is known to have been present and large pike units for Hopton would have been too many. 

Turning to cavalry units. To more closely correlate with the reduced frontages of foot units, the number of figures were reduced. So a standard cavalry unit is now 18 (double base depth of 3 figures to a base) with 12 as small and 24 large.

The units as represented translates to a figure/man ratio of roughly 1:7.

TERRAIN

There is not a great deal of information on the precise nature of the battlefield but generally believed to be mostly open ground with some hedgerow enclosures. Both sides deployed on high ground but these were gentle slopes not affecting movement or providing any combat advantages. 

RULES

The 'Home, home!' rule from the 'To Kill a King' supplement has been adopted for the Devon Trained Bands. The propensity of trained bands remembering they had an urgent appointment at home when danger surfaced is reflected in this rule.

The odds are heavily stacked against Ruthven but he does have the advantage in cavalry. This could prove crucial for him to have any chance of success.

Hopton himself with his cavalry on the right flank.

On the opposite flank, the two dismounted dragoon units on the left with the Forlorn Hope lining the hedgerow top right.

Hopton's centre.

Turns 1 and 2 involved primarily manoeuvering so I will pick up the action from turn 3.

Turn 3

The first to move off their starting position were the Parliamentarians with Hopton responding.

The first action occurred on the Parliamentarian right flank as Carew launches his heavy cavalry at the Forlorn Hope defending a hedgerow. One cavalry unit was disordered by a volley from the Forlorn Hope on the approach but contact was made. The cavalry easily won the contest inflicting casualties but the Royalists tenaciously fought back holding on for another round of combat.

Turn 4

The Forlorn Hope were destroyed on the 2nd round of combat but the victorious cavalry were in no state to capitalise on their success. They were now disordered and will need to recover.

The dragoons had been inflicting heavy casualties on supporting cavalry units and one such unit was sent to deal with them but failed to make contact.

Musketeers exchange volleys as the foot regiments close in the centre. The Parliamentarians enjoy early success inflicting heavier casualties and disordering many of Hopton's lead units.

Hopton's cavalry charge into the Parliamentarian light cavalry who counter-charge.

The Royalists successfully throw back Ruthven's light cavalry with heavy loss leading to 3 horse regiments becoming shaken.

Carmedy arrives with the train of artillery.

Turn 5

A renewed attack by Hopton's cavalry on the now static shaken light cavalry destroys one regiment and throws another back. To the right of the photo Ruthven himself races across to rally the troops.

Ruthven leaves his foot regiments to act on their own initiative having departed to his left flank cavalry.

Carew orders one of his heavy cavalry units to clear the dragoons from around the house. The dragoons fire off a closing fire volley failing to inflict any casualties before mounting up and evading the charge. The remaining dragoon unit keeps the Parliamentarian cavalry at arms length by disordering them.

Turn 6

A brief moment of success for the Parliamentarian light cavalry as, despite being shaken, the unit on the left successfully repels an attack. However, one of Hopton's own cavalry units throws two light cavalry units back to the high ground in disorder before turning to threaten the rear of the only successful Roundhead unit now joined by Ruthven. 

On the opposite flank the dragoons have finally been expelled from the hedgerow and house, one unit of which has dismounted to continue harassing Carew's heavy cavalry.

Grenville launches his charge but his foot regiments narrowly fail to make contact. The Parliamentarians duly oblige in their turn gaining the charge advantage. 

The Parliamentarian Cornish militia suffer badly at the hands of the superior Cornish Royalists with both musket wings either destroyed or thrown back.

The Royalists hold the line with most combats continuing which does not bode well for the shaky Trained Bands.

An overview at the end of turn 6.

Turn 7

The inevitable demise of the isolated Parliamentarian cavalry unit occurs when Hopton launches a charge on it from the front. As the Roundheads counter-charged they were struck in the rear by a Royalist unit that had seen off their compatriots in the previous turn. Sandwiched between the two led to their utter destruction. 

This resulted in the collapse of the Parliamentarian light cavalry morale with the two surviving units, both shaken and disordered, now leaving the field. Hopton has free reign to sweep his cavalry around the rear of Ruthven's foot regiments in his centre.

On the opposite flank the dragoons fire and evade tactic proved highly successful. Had any failed a command roll to execute this manoeuvre it may have been a different story. As it was one of the Roundhead heavy cavalry units broke under the sustained fire and another fell back disordered. This action prevented the Royalist flank from being turned.

Carew rushed between his units rallying morale and failing to bring any sort of coordinated assault in the Royalist foot regiments. 

In the centre when the end came it was rapid. One after the other, units of Parliamentarian trained bands decided to quit the field having failed to make any impression on the Cornish foot. The single regiment of Cornish militia in the service of Parliament (top of photo) were also defeated.

Every foot unit of Ruthven's command were now shaken or broken with nearly all in the process of retreating from the field. His entire command now broke.

A minor victory for the Roundheads came with the deployment of their artillery. Their one and only round of fire inflicted heavy casualties on a Cornish pike block leaving them shaken.

The collapse of the Parliamentarian centre signalled the end of the game. With just 3 heavy cavalry units and their artillery still in good order there was no prospect of turning this around.

A resounding Royalist victory which will result in Hopton advancing into Devon.

Another tick for the Black Powder family of rules and I intend sticking with Pike and Shotte for the foreseeable future. My aging brain struggles to cope with continually switching between different rulesets although it is not without its challenges. There are subtle differences between these rules and supplements and it is easy to forget some of those. I have created my own QRS in addition to those supplied with the rules as a reminder of those changes which helps.

I am looking at various scenarios to play next which will be a good deal more involved rather than just a clash across a largely clear terrain area and will provide a different test of the rules.

WOTR Battle of Hedgeley Moor, 24th April 1464

 This is a scenario from the Wars of the Roses Hail Caesar supplement. 

Background of the battle reproduced from the supplement:

The Lancastrian situation was not ideal. Henry VI was cooped up at Banburgh Castle after evading the Yorkists, the Scottish were looking to make a peace deal with Edward IV, and an attempted surprise takeover of Newcastle by the Duke of Somerset had failed dismally. His woes had only worsened, as he was nearly captured in Durham whilst asleep, escaping barefoot with nothing other than his nightshirt.

With a growing band of Lancastrian loyalists coalescing in the north whilst the Yorkists were distracted by countrywide unrest, the Scottish peace talks were postponed and chosen to be held in York - something that Somerset and Henry could use to their advantage by delaying them with an active and resistant Lancastrian North.

When Edward dispatched Baron Montagu north to deal with this threat, Somerset was tipped off to his mission and Sir Humphrey Neville was sent with a small force to ambush and kill him. Montagu managed to escape this deadly trap and arrived at Newcastle, where he raised an army to march forth and vanquish the Lancastrian troublemakers once and for all.

A very spartan tabletop! The terrain is basically a moor, the only feature being a road. I have deliberately picked a relatively simple game to test Hail Caesar with amendments in the WOTR supplement for this period. So we shall see how it plays!

Continued -

ACW Battle of Cross Keys. 8th June 1862 - The Battle

 

The early action was centered around the 8th New York who reached the foot of Pence House Hill before receiving volleys from 2 Confederate regiments. They were fortunate to save 5 of 6 hits but left them disordered.

Using their initiative the 8th New York managed to pull back to safety but not before taking more casualties causing them to be shaken.

Continued - 

ACW Battle of Cross Keys. 8th June 1862 - Introduction

This is the 6th Scenario from the "STONEWALL" Guns at Gettysburg Scenarios Book 4. I have added the label "ACW Battles Stonewall" on the right where you will find the other 5 scenarios. 

In the previous scenarios GaG rules were used but here I will be using Black Powder 2 for the first time with amendments from the "Glory, Hallelujah!" supplement. Conversion was relatively straightforward with only minor adjustments in unit sizes. 

BACKGROUND

Having achieved his aims of diverting Union troops from the Richmond theatre, Jackson considered the Valley campaign at an end. Lee gave Jackson several options, stating that Whiting's Division was on the way to join him and that he should join the main army at Richmond. He also gave him the option to strike a blow on the Federals.

The same day Lee issued these orders, Jackson's camp at Port Republic came under attack. A raiding force had been sent by Shields to seize the bridge but had been driven off although Jackson had nearly been captured. Fremont's Union army marching from Harrisonburg to the north-west intended attacking Jackson from this position.

With the possibility of getting caught between two Union armies, Jackson began getting his troops out of Port Republic. Meanwhile, Ewell organised a stand against Fremont on Mill Creek Ridge in the vicinity of Cross Keys Tavern.

Fremont decided that he would attack the Confederate right and attempted to conform his own line to that of Ewell's.

The game will be played on a 4'6" x 3'0" table using Baccus' 6mm figures. 

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Turns 10 - Conclusion

 TURN 10

The French 6th Corps begin their evacuation across the single bridge to their rear with several battalions held back as a rearguard.

That rearguard is looking increasingly fragile. On the right the Granaderos Militia have successfully beaten off  the 2/8th Light Battalion forcing them to retreat. On the left the 2nd Badajoz Volunteers have charged the 1/8th Light Battalion and held to a draw. Beyond them the gap was created by the destruction of Penne's 1/75th Line by artillery and musketry. 

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Turns 6 - 9

The situation at the start of turn 6. In the south the 6th Corps has gone on the offensive following the collapsed Spanish attacks. Dogged by poor command rolls the Spanish failed to co-ordinate their assaults leading to piecemeal charges which were easily dealt with by French defenders. What is left of the Spanish 2nd and 5th Divisions are retreating from the field. Their Vanguard, 3rd and 4th Divisions along with their cavalry are still fresh and with Picton's 5th Division may yet defeat the 6th Corps.

In the north the threat of the French dragoons has been dealt with in the nick of time and the stage is now set for an Anglo/Portuguese general advance against a weakened 4th Corps. The French are still strong on cavalry though and could prove problematic for the allies.

TURN 6 

Battalions of the French 22nd Division quickly move out to hit the Spanish, some of whom were still in a square formation as a result of the close proximity of lancers. Here the column of the Hesse-Darmstadt battalion charges into the Valencia light battalion in square formation. The Germans quickly overcome the Spanish unit causing it to break and flee the field.

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Turns 1 - 5

 TURN 1

A dice was rolled to determine who had the initiative which was won by the French. They had the first turn which was not without problems. The 2nd Cavalry Corps, consisting entirely of dragoons, were ordered to deploy on the right flank anchored on the river. The 9th Cavalry Division in the lead received their orders which Burthe passed easily moving out to its designated position (top of photo). Vincent however, failed his command roll. Strolz intervened with a re-roll which resulted in a Command Blunder! Vincent's Brigade inexplicably retreated off the tabletop.

The single brigade of the 10th Cavalry Division (bottom right) moved sluggishly but at least it was in the right direction.

The march columns of infantry is Toussaint's Brigade of the 14th Division also move slowly towards the farm and their intended position. 

Allied movement was confined to their left flank with the Portuguese spreading out clear of the rocky terrain. Collins has a good command roll allowing his brigade a full 3 moves along the road crossing the bridge. His primary task is to secure the second crossing near the French lines in order to prevent any possible outflanking moves. He is to use his accompanying artillery battery along with musketry to harass the French flank. A secondary task should the opportunity present itself, is to cross the bridge if safe to do so and assault the French.

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Introduction

 

Refer back to the map moves post for the lead up to this action. An Anglo/Portuguese/Spanish army under the command of Wellington pursues Soult with the French Army of the South deeper into France. Soult received an unexpected reinforcement with the arrival of a Confederation of the Rhine Division. Other reinforcements have trickled into his units and has elected to make a stand rather than cede any more territory near the village of Loverna.

You will notice a change to the numbers of figures from the map moves post. This is partly a change to adjust to Black Powder rules and also reinforcements have arrived. 

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 11 - Conclusion

What began with full of hope for the allies in destroying Grouchy's army has turned sour over the last couple of turns. They had a clear advantage in rolling over the French centre and right flank but both assaults have floundered. At the same time the allied right flank has all but collapsed.

The allies have now suffered 9 broken brigades out of an original 18. The French have lost 5 broken out of 19. Black Powder provide a victory option of breaking half or more brigades but I chose to keep this open and decide upon the outcome depending on what happens on the tabletop. That said the difference is so stark that it may be a factor on what happens next.

I decided to play a few more turns which of course could impact the campaign.

 TURN 11

The French begin an encirclement of the last of the Brunswick infantry with a Guard Chasseurs unit sweeping around the rear towards the startled Brunswick Hussars regiment. 

All that remains of the Brunswick are 2 infantry battalions and an artillery battery commanded by Specht. The Prince of Orange and Duke of Brunswick made a hasty retreat!

While the Chasseurs and 2 battalions of the Young Guard reform to deliver the coup-de-grace, the 2/1st Tirailleurs fancy their chances of breaking the square. They charge taking fire from the nearby battalion in line and from the square. The Young Guard battalion suffers heavy casualties generating a break test which they spectacularly fail leaving them broken and failing to make contact.

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 7 - 10

 TURN 7

The Scots Greys have been pushed back again but a moment for the British to celebrate. The Life Guards (middle of photo) successfully defeat a Cuirassiers regiment buying time. There is a risk of it being isolated if it conducts a sweeping charge, tempting though that is against a light cavalry unit. Therefore the Life Guards hold their ground being the only British cavalry unit not subject to the 'Gallop at Anything' rule reflecting their greater discipline.

The Young Guard charges the Brunswickers with one being caught in square formation. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, both Brunswick units hold on - just!

A Dutch horse artillery battery, despite being shaken, delivered a shattering round of canister into the Guard Lancers. It proved too much for the Guard cavalry unit. Already shaken, the huge losses inflicted caused them to break leaving the field.

Continued -

Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 1 - 6

 

The battle began with an artillery bombardment from both sides inflicting minor casualties so far. The only significant movement being the Dutch and British heavy cavalry brigades ordered to reposition towards the right flank in order to counter the large French cavalry threat. Ghigny's light cavalry Brigade had also been ordered to reposition but started the game with a Command Blunder causing it to retire a full move!

The allied cavalry made good progress repositioning.

In response to the allied cavalry movement the French 4th Cavalry Corps remained strangely static.

Continued -