Asquithian Maida - Well, Sort Of...

I fought a wee battle with these fine figures now that I took the time to set them out. I started adding in mounted Hinchliffe officers and artillery etc., and I thought, "Nooo, just use the figures to hand".
So what follows is a simple fight using the rules in Stuart Asquith's book "Military Modelling Guide To Wargaming". Due to the number involved, I did away with volley fire and instead let each figure fire. Range was 12", with 6 " close with a 5 or 6 a hit. Over 6" a 6 is a hit. I also did away with morale and changed the melee. I let the points stand (1 per foot, 2 per light horse) and counted them as dice to roll, a 6 is a hit. Here's the basic table, with converged battalions of 20 on the French side, and four battalions of 10 on the British side.

Sorry for the blurry photos. I count on the sun to add to the light when I photograph, and today was the gloomiest snowy day in a while. I had to get an extra lamp from upstairs. This is the basic layout for the fight. French columns advancing on British line. Two ranks can fire, so the French are at a disadvantage. "They're coming on in the same old way..."

A view from behind the 92nd.

The advance continues as the "Pas de Charge" beats. Those hussars look menacing on the flank....

The French columns are within musket range. The tension is about to break...

A handful of casualties. The columns halt and prepare to form line, if they can...

The French deploy to engage in a musket battle, but the tight confines of the field mean that many soldiers are stuck in column. Those Hussars are doing some fast movement in the center.

The hussars charge the 92nd Highlanders. Echoing future glories, they shatter the front rank with precise close fire, the hussars are just short of contact. On the right, the desultory musket battle is interrupted by an amazing volley by the 4th Foot, who shred the first two and a half ranks of the column!
Surely morale and good sense would see these men off, but they are made of sterner stuff, and they close ranks in grim continental determination...

The 92nd takes some stick. Better musketry from the French reduce the left flank, as the right flank Highlanders engage in hand to hand combat with the looming hussars.

Bad dice throws! The 92nd Highlanders begin to dissolve as the French add a column attack to the swirling melee. On the right, half the 4th Foot are laid low by a devastating volley from the converged Bavarian/Confederation battalion. There will be steins hoisted in victory tonight as the British line collapses and begins to withdraw.


A fun little game.
(*edit* I have no idea how I ended up with giant photos on my blog.
Seriously, no idea.
At any rate, I'm leaving it as is, and I apologize to one and all for the odd sized photos and strange arrangement.
And I stand by the judgement that it was a fun game)

Something Special

After shamelessly using my little blog to whine and whinge about a laughable transaction, I thought I'd better do something toy soldier related.
I see that I'm approaching 30,000 visits, so I thought a post about some special figures would be in order.
Several years ago I was able to purchase some Napoleonic figures from wargames legend Stuart Asquith.
Mr. Asquith didn't do Paypal, so I sent an International Postal Money Order.
And his bank didn't recognize it.
By now I was pretty embarrased, so I went to a local exchange and sent Mr. Asquith some British cash.
He was really nice about my mix ups, and sent me the following figures.

I blurred his address out of respect. And yes, all his prior correspondence was written with a caligraphy pen, pretty classy!

Here are the soldiers, some of which, I believe, were featured in "Practical Wargamer" magazine.

Most of the figures are Spencer Smith Miniatures, with other lead figures for officers and specials. The men on foot are mounted on coins, the horses on card.
Excellently presented, with an unfashionably shiny finish.
Just a short post this time 'round.
I'll play a scenario with these guys today and post tomorrow!

Stow-On-The-Wold - March 21st, 1646

Stow-On-The-Wold was the last battle of the first English Civil War. Fought in spring of 1646, it was the culmination of Charles I last attempt to raise an army. The disastrous battles of Marston Moor and Naseby were in the past. What soldiers were left were at Oxford, and scattered about in town garrisons. Even Prince Rupert was gone, he had returned to the continent, following the loss of Bristol.

I looked through my own books and found precious little on the battle. I finally found an excellent article in Henry Hyde's "Battlegames" magazine. The article was written by wargames legend Stuart Asquith, (Battlegames Issue 6, January/February 2007, pages 9 through 11, "Battles for wargamers, Stow-on-the-Wold, 21st March, 1646).

I used his article exclusively for the following picture narrative using my toy soldiers.

In the Spring of 1646, King Charles Ist was hoping to raise new armies with soldiers from Ireland and Scotland and even France. In the North, Montrose had been defeated at Phillipaugh the previous September. Meantime, Charles summoned his experienced commander, Sir Jacob Astley, to take a small force into the west counties and Welsh Marches to raise what soldiers he could.

Astley was accompanied by several other commanders, including it is believed, Sir Charles Lucas, one of Charles' best cavalry commanders.

They scoured towns and recruited some 3000 men.

These were unpaid and hungry soldiers from garrison towns and many had never seen action.

The King was waiting in Oxford for these soldiers to bolster his own forces. Astley began his march back, careful not to confront any Parliamentary forces that were shadowing his progress.

The Parliamentary Forces were led by Colonel John Birch. He had a mixed force of 600 foot and horse.

He was to link up with Colonel Thomas Morgan near Evesham. Morgan was bringing 1000 men from the garrison of Gloucester. Heading towards them was a third force of 1000 cavalry under Sir William Brereton.

Astley found his route blocked at Evesham. So he marched and counter marched and made his crossing of the Avon River at Bidford. He noted that the Parliamentary forces were not very agressive, and this aided him in his task of getting these soldiers to Oxford. By March 20th, Astley's force was approaching Stow-on-the-Wold.

Early on March 21st, the three Parliamentary forces linked up when Brereton's 1000 cavalry arrived. The Parliamentarians had heard that Charles had sent a powerful cavalry force to meet with Astley, and that it was now imperitive to confront the Royalists before their numbers grew.

The battle itself was fought with the Royalists holding a ridge about a mile before the town of Stow-on-the-Wold. They were deployed with the 2000 infantry in the center under Astley, their right flank comprised of 350 cavalry under Sir Charles Lucas, and the left flank of 350 cavalry under Sir William Vaughn.

Facing them at the bottom of the slope, the Paliamentarians adopted a similar deployment. Colonel john Birch had 1600 infantry in the center. On his left were Colonel Thomas Morgan and 500 cavalry, and on his right Sir William Brereton with 800 cavalry.

Sir Astley's strong position suited his footsore and untried recruits.

 The Parliamentarians began to climb the slope, pausing to give fire with shouts of  "God be our guide!". The Royalists replied with fire and "Patrick and Saint George!". It was a disaster for the Parliamentarians.

Morgan's cavalry broke, as did the left half of Birch's infantry.

On the Parliamentarian right, the more numerous cavalry of Sir William Brereton broke their opposite number under Sir  William Vaughn, and the Royalist infantry soon followed the cavalry in an all out rout.

Below them, Morgan rallied his forces and began to follow up the victorious center and right.

The Royalists ran back a mile to Stow-on-the-Wold, where a short and bitter street battle ensued. In all the battle lasted some 30 or 40 minutes. The Royalists lost 200 dead and 1700 prisoners. It was the end of Charles. His last field army was in tatters, captured or scattered to the wind. Sir Jacob Astley was captured and accorded the respect due his reputation and his 66 years of age. The man whose prayer at Edgehill is so oft remembered, said to his captors "Gentlemen, you may now sit and play, for you have done your work. If you fall out not among yourselves."

Charles abandoned his wartime capitol of Oxford and headed north, to surrender to David Leslie at Newark in May of 1646.