Nov 6, 2012

Operation Killing Ground

I wanted to test my Guard Grenadiers in the bloodiest combat. Freshly painted units brought victory to the Jackewlinese in the Battle of Leqte Manor, now let us see if the Guard would stand the might of Dorrosean.

Prequel for the battle so the thumbnail on your blogs will be more interesting:


Sketched map of the battlefield:




Forces:

Jackewline is defensive, initiative to Dorrosean.

Jackewline, initiative
  • 2 bat. Green Guard Grenadiers
  • 1 bat. Green Guard light infantry
  • 1 Marine regiment
  • 2 sqd. Besberg Uhlans
  • 1 (medium) howitzer with crew
  • 1 light regimental gun
Goal: hold positions (strategic points: the hill and the yard; left bank of the river in general) for 10 turns.

Jackewline, reinforcements 
  • 3 sqd. Guard Mounted Chasseurs
  • 3 sqd. Royal Bodyguard
  • 3 rgt. Red line infantry
  • 1 rgt. Red Guard Grenadiers

Dorrosean 
  • 3 foot regiments (3 bat. each)
  • 1 Chasseur regiment (3 bat)
  • 1 Guard Grenadier regiment
  • 1 Militia regiment
  • 3 dragoon sqds.
  • 2 cuirassier sqds.
  • 2 medium field guns
Goal: capture strategic positions before the Jackewline main force arrives.

The Jackewlinese entrenched themselves in the strategic positions on the hill and in the yard behind the wall. Their commander, a cavalry officer from the red clans intended to send the Besberg Uhlans into the back of the enemy, but otherwise keep close to the entrenchments and go on a full defense.


Turn 1, the Dorroseani advance. 


Cannons start shooting.


On the Dorin left flank, an attack column made of militia and Guard Grenadiers moves too close to the wall and receives a volley from the Marines, the militia as a first glorious deed on the battlefield runs away.


Jackewlinese left, a regimental size force (a light infantry battalion, a grenadier and a Marine battalion) crosses the swamp and takes up the fight with the Dorroseani chasseurs and dragoons.


The grenadiers advance further and stand the charge of the cuirassiers.


The dragoons start a melee with the Uhlans who arrive through the ford and the rest of the infantry.


Turn 2, the main attack reaches the wall.


Uhlans slip through enemy lines and attack the Dorroseani cannon. Militia forms square in time, protecting their General.


Volleys are fired all along the Jackewlinese entrenchments.


Another angle, rather heroic. 


Turn 3, overlay of the table. Continuous firing by the infantry in the centre, a steady infantry square on the Jackewlinese left flank, and Dorin light cavalry reaches the back of the yard on the right. 


The South Dorroseani 52th Regiment advances in attack column, but the first rank battalion breaks and causes confusion in the lines.


Smoke covers everything. Another foot battalion climbs the wall.


The cuirassiers charge the square head on but fail to break it.


Turn 4 I believe, after the howitzer on the hill joins the fight two Dorin battalions run while a third is being destroyed in a melee by the Marines' command unit.


The Guard's column reaches the yard while the light cavalry attempts to kill the light gun's crew and the Uhlans charge in their back.


The light cavalry blocks the Guard's sight so they can't shoot a full-on volley.


The Marines on the left kill the remaining cuirassiers.


The Jackewlinese force becomes more and more weak. A foot regiment crosses the wall and forms attack column.


A ragged dragoon squadron enters the yard and makes it to the Jackewlinese commander... The light gun is turned in time and fires canister into the ranks, the dragoons scatter in terror.


Reinforcements arrive from the less threatened positions on the hill, the Guard's column takes canister and volleys, two battalions run and the Uhlans are after them.


The positions at the wall begin to fail. This is Turn 8 I think.


The remaining Jackewlinese force gathers at the foot of the hill in Turn 9, the yard is occupied by a Dorroseani attack column formed of the remaining units of the three foot regiments.


Overlay of the table at the end of Turn 9. 


Turn 10, Jackewlinese reinforcements arrive. The Dorroseani are torn and tired, what would the battle bring?


Situation from the Cavalry Guard's point of view.


The main red force crosses the bridge.


The red Guard Grenadiers and a regiment of foot marches into the yard in column, changes facing to the right  and with two thundering volleys wipes off the rest of the enemy Guard like a firing squad.


The red foot regiment advances on the far left, the green light infantry joins them.


The militia, surprisingly, holds (they held against the greens too).


The red and green combined force forms a battle formation against the Dorins.


Light infantry harassing the enemy while the cuirassiers take out the gun and destroy a battalion of foot..


This was the point when the Dorroseani had given up, seeing no reason to continue so much overwhelmed.


State of troops at the end of the battle.

The VP system invented for the game was:
  • Taking/holding the hill after 10 turns: 1p
  • Taking/holding the building  and the yard after 10 turns: 1p
  • Units ont he left bank of the river after 10 turns: 0,5p/unit to Jackewline
  • Remaining force of 1 regiment after 10 turns: 1p for Jackewline
  • Taking the hill and the yard after the Jackewlinese reinforcements spent 5 turns on table: 2p for Dorrosean
  • Destroyed, captured enemy unit: 0,25p
  • Killed/captured enemy officer: 0,25p
  • Destroyed/captured enemy gun: 0,25p
  • Game is a draw if VPs do not differ at least by 1.
  • After reinforcements enter table, they have 5 turns to retake strategic positions if they are held by the Dorroseani.

At the end the opponents earned the following:

Jackewline 1 1 3 1 for goals

2 captured, 12 destroyed, 1 escaped 3,75
1 captured officer 0,25

Summ= 10

Dorrosean 1 for goals 

3 destroyed 0,75p 

Summ= 1,75


A landslide for the Jackewlinese then but the green Guard Grenadiers paid a heavy price for the victory.. The next battle must be a Dorroseani victory, maybe against the yellows.

6 comments:

  1. What a battle! Great report Andrew.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You're having too much fun, Andrew. Remember the books! Great job and fun, Sir.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice pictures and battle report! Thanks for sharing!

    Greetings
    Peter
    http://peterscave.blogspot.be/

    ReplyDelete