Dispatch from Eggmuhl 1809, DKH Game Day AAR

 

BEI EGGMUHL, DEN 22. APRIL 1809. 'This original antique plate shows the Battle of Eckmuhl in Germany on 21 April 22 April 1809, it was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign, also known as the War of the Fifth Coalition.

The Battle of Eckmühl fought on 22 April 1809, was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign, also known as the War of the Fifth Coalition.

DKH Gamers, Refreshed and reinvigorated after the “binge gaming” weekend, we have Firelock 15mm this coming Saturday.  Our scenario is the famous battle at Eggmuhl 1809.  Napoleon figure takes the field with Nansouty’s cavalry division of Carabiniers, Cuirassiers and allied Bavarian and Wurttenberg forces in a maximum effort to push the Austrians of Archduke Charles out of Bavaria.  The two-day battle featured ten corps of troops ultimately engaged.  This scenario will focus on Napoleon’s attack centered at the village of Eggmuhl on the second day with the French attempting to turn the Austrian left flank anchored on the twin hills of Vorberg and Bettelberg.  I will send the scenario on Thursday, but there will be over 40 stands of cavalry, much of it heavy, and a considerable amount of artillery involved.  If you like pushing cavalry this is the battle for you!!

 Carabiniers, Cuirassiers and Lancers OH MY! Below is the AAR from the game master, Mark Ritchie:

Eggmuhl 1809, Devon (Austrian) and Tom (French) playing 15mm Firelock, both first time gaming Firelock-Napoleonic.  Scenario is larger game with over 120 stands present (company-level game) representing about 10,000 in forces combined, both sides.  


1st photo overall setup with French Carabiners and Cuirassiers to enter turn 1.  2nd Napoleon with grand battery of 12#. 3rd Cuirassiers cross stream west (left) of Eggmuhl as 4th Wurttenberg line cross bridge to assault Eggmuhl. 5th overall picture end Turn 4. 5th Austrian cavalry incl Cuirassiers Uhlan and Hussars halt French and gaps develop in both. Not pictured Carabiners follow Wurrtenberg and past thru Eggmuhl opening a gap in Austrian line precipitating an Austrian withdrawal, and French Voltiguers engaging in long range musketry gaining an edge on Austrian line infantry and grenzers.   Game outcome similar to historical with Austrian withdrawal preserving the artillery and most of cavalry and infantry in good order.  French Carabiniers and Cuirassiers bore the brunt of action along with Wurttemberg infantry.  Well played by both gamers!!
Mark

 

October SMG club game: 10/31/15 @10:00am FIW in 25mm @ Das Kreig Haus

The October SMG (South Florida Miniatures Gamers) club game was held at our club house affectionately called Das Kreig Haus and is located in Downtown Fort Lauderdale Florida.

We had a very good turnout with16 people in attendance. Jorge set up a cool FIW game with real simple, fun, and fast rules he picked up at a SYW con many years ago. The rules are good fun, they just needs a morale rule, in my humble opinion. Please see the attached rules pics, only (2) pages.

16 total

1- GM

6 - Observers

9 - players

Thank you Jorge for running a very enjoyable game, I do believe fun was had by ALL! We even had one new gamer attend our club house, Ethan who came down with Bob and played on the English side. Ethan is a friend of Bob's and a member of Bob's regular gaming group. We hope he decides to join us more often. Rob Maxwell and his buddy Mark whom I've gamed with many years ago and see at the HMGS-South cons even stopped by to say hi and check out Das Kreig Haus, hopefully they return to game as well. Stephen even drove an hour and a half from Stuart to join us! Jim brought his aides de campe (two young sons) but did not play today as they were more interested in other things than the dice. And as usual John G came by to say hello about mid day and hung out with the crew.

The year is 1758, Brittan and France have been at war for 4 years now. The Native Americans are many divided tribes, and being caught in the middle have joined both sides. Both belligerents have raided each others settlements and attacked each others territories. Raid begets raid, expedition begets further expeditions. Revenge is the name of the game...

The British forces have decided to teach the French a lesson. They have picked a local French and Delaware Indian settlement in the Ohio Valley as their target for the punitive expedition. The British column was made up of a Battalion of English Grenadiers supported

The homestead


French Marines defend fort Le Froge from charging Militia. 

The British column moves up the road. 

Ambush! Roger's Rangers get wiped out, one man survived!

Boooooya, 4-6 hits!

The Brits are counter attacked by the Canadian militia aka Les Canadians and a brave band of French allied Indians. 

The British retreat and are pursued by the settlers, French Marines, and Les Canadiens Militia. 

The gun is lost and the Grenadiers suffer badly.The British retreat but with their head held high. They will most assuredly return, with reinforcements of course, to punish the villainous French colonists and invaders. For the moment the valley remains firmly in the hands of the French and their allied Native American tribes.

Tomorrow it's back to farming .....

Best regards,

Jeff Baumal

Sgt. Guinness

May 2015 SMG club game

                      
                                          May 2015 SMG club game

For our monthly club game we played a 25/28mm American War of Independence game at Duane's new house in the Red Lands. We used Saber & Musket for our rules set. It's a club set developed by Bill Moreno and Tim Harwood which we've used for many years for all sorts of linear combat. The rules are great but need a little tweaking and updating. Nothing that hasn't been said about ALL rules sets in general.

The premise was American were trying to gain ground with a last hurrah of an offense to gain ground and prestige while peace talks were begging. The Colonials objective was to inflict more casualties than their counterparts and prevent the Brits from reinforcing the position. The British were tasked with holding their ground whilst taking fewer casualties then their enemy. I mean, no one wants to die at the end of a war, now do they.......?

The Colonials got off to a splendid start and raced across the fields of the Cunningham house. The British fired rather ineffective volleys (poor dice rolls) and fell back to the cover of some woods on the outskirts of the farm. Both flanks saw charges and counter charges. The Colonial left flank lost a cavalry melee but their right flank pushed back the British light infantry manning the works protecting their camp. Oddly enough the Colonial Militia continued to advance in the center, this being later in the war, they are more resolute. As the Brits received reinforcements they started to stabilize their line, but it was too little too late and the upstart Colonials soon to be Americans won the day. The American artillery did sterling work this day and most significantly affected the outcome of this battle.


                                                                                     

                          British Light Infantry defend the hasty works.

                                          The Colonials advance.



                                                                             

                       The British hold the Cunningham House farmstead.

                                          Bring up the guns.

                                    Duane in his "NEW" game room.

                                   The American take the British camp.

                 All this fighting and marching has made me thirsty.....

                                              The Militia advances....

                                             And the Militia retreats......

                                        British guns taken in the flank.

                                                                             

Dawn Raid in the Mohawk Valley - TSATF F&IW at Recon 2014

              
                                               Dawn Raid in the Mohawk Valley


Bill Hogan ran his exciting French and Indian Wars game, "Dawn Raid in the Mohawk Valley" at HMGS-South's convention RECON 2014 in Orlando Fl. The unsuspecting and sleeping British troops were caught unawares by a lightning quick and devastating raid which decimated the surrounding county side. Many a militia man and civilian had fallen, but in the end the British maintained possession of the central fort, albeit on fire, and with minimal casualties to the regulars.

                                        TSATF F&IW at Recon 2014

                             The day starts just like every other day.....

   The French allied Indians sneak up on the unsuspecting homesteads.

                      All is quiet, the garrison is at rest in the wee early hours.

 The militia has still not arisen as their sentries have drank way too much during the night and have  fallen into a mead induced slumber.

                                         The all out attack begins!

                                          Alarm, Alarm..........

                     Stand to, Stand to, every man to his post!!!!

               
The Mountain Men's camp has been overrun in the onset of the attack.

The Mountain Men fall back onto the relative safety of the fort and an artillery piece manned by British Regulars.

As the French emerge from the woods after defeating the militia they are taken under fire by the British Battery #2 guarding the main gate and covering the retreat of the broken militia.

The Battle ends with the British and their allies firmly in control of the fort, albeit a slightly burning fort.