Edgehill refight at the Worcester Club (FOGH)

Thanks to Phil for umpiring and coming up with the forces list for this refight of the first set piece battle of the English Civil War. We settled on Forlorn Hope rules. Parliamentarians are all Phil's troops while the majority of Royalists are from my collection.

Royalist front line

Massive cavalry clash on the Royalist left.

The two lines close.

Another view of the cavalry melee.

Typical early ECW result. Royalist cavalry successful in patches but generally uncontrollable which left their foot isolated but doing well in the centre. major blow to the Royalist cause was me managing to get Prince Rupert killed. I even rolled to see if his dog Boye took the hit (which he did not!).

61-65 at the Worcester Club 15th October 2011

I set up an introductory game of 61-65 on my second visit to the Worcester club (Friends of General Haig). I based it on the capture the farm scenario played previously. By way of recap, both sides have identified the farm (top of the picture) as an important part of the line in an ongoing battle as the area also has a ford by which troops could threaten the flank. In this case the area north of the ford is held by 4 squads of Rebs. 5 Union squads are tasked with seizing the farm.

The field, woods and stream (apart from at the ford) are difficult going for formed troops. The fences, wood and banks of the stream provide cover). The Union (Clive and Ed) have one veteran unit (Q3 C4), all other troops are regulars. The Rebs (Paul) are all regulars and will get one more squad which will turn up on their board edge after the 6th turnover by either side (the Reb commander does not know this).

The Union advance steadily, forcing a keen Reb squad back over the ford.

The first exchanges between skirmishers.

A nice ordered Union line.

The Rebs' skirmishers have been driven back exposing the squad to Union fire.

The Rebs prepare for the onslaught.

The Union prepare to push on towards the stream.

The first exchange of squad volleys.

Having pushed the Rebs away from the stream, The Union line advances, much the approval of their drill instructor.

On the Union right, the veteran squad gets ahead of the rest of the line, softens up a Reb squad with skirmisher fire and then routs it at the points of their fixed bayonets.

The Union veterans are counter attacked by the Reb reserve squad and with no skirmishing screen they are decimated by volley and skirmisher fire. Their morale holds however.

The Union squads, having lost a number of their protective skirmishers, fix bayonets and get in close, charging a Reb squad in the central woods

With much whoopin' and a-hollerin', at last the Rebs try their hand at charging. Both sides throw in their junior officers and both sides lose their junior officers! Morale holds and the fight will continue until the end of the game.

The lines begin to swing diagonally across the field of battle. To the left of the wood, a Reb squad is formed into column to counter the Union advance on the farm.

The farm is threatened now as the Union bring another squad alongside the beleagured veterans.

The Reb Captain encourages the column to move at the double.

The fight in the wood rages on. This time, the NCOs call each other out and both are killed during the melee. Casualties continue to mount on both sides but neither squad breaks.

As darkness falls across the field, the Rebs still hold the farm, but are under serious pressure, having lost two squads completely to the Union's one. Both sides have taken heavy casualties and have fought themselves to a stand still.

Dettingen - More Photos

Another close up of the Austrians.

A thin red line....

...aimed at by the massed French guns.

The French artillery.

Allied cavalry.

Dettingen at the Worcester Club (Friends of General Haig)

A splendid day out with the fine fellows of the Worcester Wargames Club (The Friends of General Haig) refighting the battle of Dettingen in 1743. This was during the War of Austrian Succession between the "Pragmatic Army" of British, Hanovarian and Austrian troops and the army of France. Notable for being the last battle in modern british History to see the King (George II) take to the field.

I was placed in charge of French and Swiss infantry and tasked with pressing the Allied rearguard in the east of the battlefield, ideally to cause the allies to draw their forces away from any attack to the West where we expected their main thrust to be.

British Guards advance through the marshy ground below the heights where the French Infantry look on.

The Guards clash with the French infantry unable to make their quality count against the more numerous French Battalions.

With pressure mounting on the allied rearguard, a brigade of Austrians turns to support them.

The Swiss finally force the Austrian and Hanovarian rearguard battalions away from the bank of the stream.

At last the Hanovarian and Austrian fire fails to disorder their opponents, giving the Swiss and French battalions a chance to close to the bank of the stream.

British and allies in the centre under long range bombardment throughout the battle from the massed French guns on the other side of the River Main.

British Infantry swarm across the marshy ground to the North of Dettingen. French on the high ground.

The French brace themselves for the arrival of the British Guards Brigade.

The Irish advance along the bank of the River Main to support the French outside of Dettingen
.

Hanovarian infantry hold the southern end of the Allied rearguard line.

Hanovarian rearguard.

The British Infantry.

French Infantry on the high ground north of Dettingen.

French Infantry hold Dettingen.

Close up of Dan's splendid Austrian battalion.

After a long hard slog the bulk of the British Infantry were defeated by the French on and around the high ground above Dettingen. At my end of the field It was also hard going with five French/Swiss infantry and cavalry brigades being broken by the end of the battle. The stream at the rear was eventually forced, forcing the Austrian reserves to turn to support the rearguard rather than the western attack.

Fabulous game with a very friendly group who made me feel most welcome on my first visit.