Flashback February: Highland Clansmen

 

Here are my Highland Clansmen from Warlord Games:

NORM!!!

American Civil War Field Battery Guide

 

"Why does the artillery have to take up so much space? I just want to be able to maneuver around!"

There is always a fine line between realism, playability, and price (money we spend in our hobby!). As a retired officer and military historian, I do realize the space field artillery takes up in real life - especially in the horse and musket era. Most rules make a compromise; one of the better I have seen is illustrated in the above photo of 15mm ACW artillery for the game Fire and Fury which has one gun and one limber represent a battery. My favorite set of English Civil War rules is Victory without Quarter which has one gun on a big honking base to represent an artillery battery.

Yep. That's a big honking base. 28mm Figures and saker (the gun) by Warlord Games.

During a family event I had the opportunity to revisit Chickamauga National Battlefield. (Don't you hate it when a family event takes you near a battlefield?) The Battle of Chickamauga was the only significant victory for the Confederacy during the American Civil War and the result was thoroughly wasted. While in the Visitor Center I came across some excellent models of the horses, wagons, teams, etc., that you would see in an artillery battery during the ACW. 

By 1863, most Union batteries consisted of 6 guns, not all of which would be the same; sometimes 4 of one type and 2 of another for tactical flexibility and commanded by a captain. By 1864, it was not unusual for Union Army batteries to be reduced to four guns, due to shortage of available horses. Confederate batteries were usually 4 guns at this time and may or may not follow the Union organization of gun flexibility. 

On with the pictures:

Cannon, limber and team.

Okay, we are a typical Union Battery of artillery at full strength so there are 6 guns. A gun, or “piece”, typically was operated by a gun crew of nine. There were three drivers for each six-horse team, who rode the horses on the left side. Two guns operating under the control of a lieutenant were known as a “section”.

Caisson, limber and team.

Each gun in the section was supported by a caisson which carried two ammunition chests, plus a limber for the caisson, which limber had one additional ammunition chest. Typically, there were available about 1,200 rounds for the battery going into battle, which would be divided into the sections according to the number of guns in the battery. 

Horses were required to pull the enormous weight of the cannon and ammunition (close to two tons for a cannon and its attached limber chest of ammunition). On average, each horse pulled about 700 pounds (317.5 kg).

Each gun in a battery used two six-horse teams: one team pulled a limber that towed the gun, the other team pulled the limber that towed a caisson. The limber was a two-wheeled carriage that carried an ammunition chest. It was connected directly behind the team of six horses and towed either a gun or a caisson. In either case, the combination provided the equivalent of a four-wheeled vehicle, which distributed the load over two axles but was easier to maneuver on rough terrain than a four-wheeled wagon.

Battery wagon, limber and team.

The large number of horses posed a logistical challenge for the artillery, because they had to be fed, maintained, and replaced when worn out or injured. The average horse only lasted eight months before death. The battery captain had command over as many as 170 men and 98 horses in a six gun battery with six horse teams. Above the 70 or so men needed to operate the guns and handle the horses moving the guns, additional men were needed to handle and supply the ammunition during the battle, and also to handle and move guns, horses, and limbers.

Traveling forge, limber and team. 

Batteries were self-sufficient units, so therefore, teamsters for supply wagons, blacksmiths and farriers, and various other support and administrative personal were included in each battery. In addition, batteries retained a number of extra men above the minimum required for the battery to function properly. These men were assigned to the batteries for training and for replacement of hospitalized sick, and furloughed men of the battery, and more importantly for quick replacement of battle casualties.

Scottish Regiment of Foot for the English Civil War

 

"Lads! we hae finally bin mustered!" 

Wow. This is probably the longest I have ever taken to paint a unit; ironically, it is one of the easiest units to paint. I started painting the pike block way back in late July of 2018 and finished the pike block on August 3 of 2018. Better late than never I guess - but it's time to finish my Scottish Army and get back to the 17th Century.

The figures are from Perry Miniatures with the exception of the Ensign on the left and the officer to his right which are from Warlord Games.

Truth in Advertising time. My Scottish Army is going to be generic, based on some history, but mainly planned by what I think are cool units and cool flags. I love flags. My army will fight for the King (Montrose) for the Convenanters, for Parliament and against Parliament. So you are going to find a mix of units which will include 3 regiments of Scottish Foot, 2 Regiments of Irish Foot, 2 to 3 units of Clansmen (depending on how they are organized at the time), at least 2 Squadrons/Regiments of Horse and one big ole gun. At least that's the plan for now. Currently the Irish and the Clansmen are complete, now time to do the other units.

Lord Leven, Covenanter Lord General inspects the regiment.

So I'm building an army based on cool flags, tartan color and Hollywood! The rules I use are the excellent FREE RULES Victory without Quarter, which in my opinion, do an excellent job of recreating warfare during this period and are fun, fast and not overly complicated to play.

I see the flags need a little touch-up.

I'm not sure which flags I chose for this unit because frankly, I forgot where I got them. My best guess based on my feeble research is that they are either the Marquess of Argyll's Foot or the Duke of Hamilton's foot. But it really doesn't matter. Hopefully the history police won't get me.

ECW: The Fictional Battle of Upper Downington

Note: Originally published on July 30, 2018 and republished by a friend's request.

 In celebration of Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) and his beautiful bride (the Future Lawyer) coming back to the lower 48, Honorable Son #2 wanted to play a table top battle since it had been about 4 years since we last played.  I was given choice of period and chose the English Civil War (also known as the War of Three Kingdoms) using the excellent (and free!) rules Victory without Quarter.

Nothing fancy for us.  Just line 'em up and point them in the right direction.  We are professionals after all!

We decided on just a simple, minimal terrain scenario with enemy destruction the criteria for victory.  Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) commanded the forces of Parliament (in rebellion against the rightful king, me) consisting of 3 Infantry Brigades of 2 Foot regiments each and a cavalry brigade with a regiment of galloping horse (led by Cromwell) and a regiment of cuirassiers (trotters).  The Royalist also had 3 Infantry Brigades of 2 Foot regiments each, a Cavalry Brigade of 1 Horse regiment (gallopers) and one heavy artillery battery.  All units were rated as Trained except the Irish foot which was rated as Veteran.

Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) drinking his coffee prior to battle.

Here is the initial set-up for both forces.  At first I was going to position one of my infantry brigades to take advantage of the hedges at the top of the table.  Yep . . . I should have done that.

The forces of Parliament.

The (cramped) forces of King Charles I.

Prince Rupert leads his cavalry forward on the left flank of the Royalists while the infantry slowly advances.  I kept my best troops, the Irish, in reserve.

The Royalist saker.  Like most heavy guns it had little effect during the actual battle except for causing the occasional moral check on the enemy.  But they will have their moment of glory later in the battle.

This is the brigade I should have had behind the hedges.  

Lord Saye and Sale's regiment advances confidently for King and Parliament.

Victory Without Quarter is a card driven game that keeps all players actively engaged.  Between it's unit card, brigade commander card and army commander card I think Lord Brooke's Regiment was the most active unit on the field.

Talbot's (The War Poodle's Own) Regiment moves out.

Sample cards we use.  For units we just use the flag, brigade commanders and army commanders (except for the King who has the Royal Flag) are pictures of the figures, reload are figures reloading and Turn Over is Turn Over!

Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) just exclaimed, "I should have put my cavalry on the right flank."

Essex's Regiment moves up in support of Lord Saye and Sele's Regiment.  Behind is Sir John Gell's Regiment who had Hold orders the entire game and never moved.

Talbot's (The War Poddle's Own) and Newcastle's Whitecoats form an impressive line.

Meanwhile, the representatives from the King's Oxford Army just can't seem to get moving.

Rupert (of course) continues to advance.

Huzzah! We moved!

Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) strengthens his right flank in anticipation of Rupert's cavalry heading that way.

The weighted right flank of the Earl of Essex's army.

Newcastle's Whitecoat's are hit first.  Three hits = a casualty marker.  When a unit has the same amount of casualty markers as stands, it is eliminated.  We use die to keep track of hits during the turn.  At the end of the turn, the hits, but not the casualty marker, go away.

An overhead shot showing the well deployed Parliamentarian forces and the haphazard advance of the Royalists.

"Enough of this nonsense" declares Rupert, "prepare to charge for we have a War Poodle!"

The infantry are not nervous at all.

Meanwhile the Roundheads skirt the hedges and start to make the Royalist right flank very nervous.

A nice view of Parliament's forces.

The Royalists move up to support Newcastle who is out in front all my his lonesome . . . and taking some hits.

Going . . .

 . . . going . . .

 . . .gone!

 

Now that there is an open field of fire, let's make some smoke and noise and actually hit a large body of troops standing still and cause them to take a morale check which forces them to be shaken!

Lord Saye and Sele's Regiment is shaken by the artillery fire and Rupert charges home.  The infantry break and are pursued and cut down.  Long live the King!

My second worst decision of the game (the first was the hedges) I decide not to continue to charge, turn around and get blasted to smithereens by the Green Regiment of the London Trained bands.

Prince Rupert and the War Poodle are captured.

The battle rapidly becomes a fire fight at medium range.

The Royalist line is ragged while the Parliamentarian forces are ganging up on the Royalist regiments with firepower at 2 and 3 to 1.

With no real room to maneuver, the Parliamentarian cavalry uses their pistols to fire at the King's Lifeguard while Heselrige's Cuirassiers stay in reserve.

The King's Lifeguard is shaken and taking casualties.  Contributing to the outcome was an event card that gave the Earl of Essex 2 orders instead of one and the Lifeguard was hammered by musket fire.

Summon the Irish!

In a last desperate attempt to do something to salvage my reputation I commit the Irish to the fight.

. . . and the Irish also get hammered by the line of muskets that Honorable Son #2 (The Captain) has deployed.

Oh and did I mention that the King's Lifeguard was destroyed? The Brigade commander was attached and killed.

The Irish do get off a good volley which hurts the Parliamentarian line. Note the reload marker that was placed after the volley.

Dang.  Looks like an engagement area to me.

Time to finish this.

The enemy horse charges, the Irish try to form a pike stand and fail.  They are now shaken and  -

 - are put to the sword.  The King realizes that he only has 2 Foot Regiments left and surrenders the field of battle.

What did I do wrong: I did not take advantage of the terrain.  Throughout the game I was mentally kicking myself for not deploying a brigade of foot behind the hedges to threaten the Parliamentarian left flank.  In addition, I should have let Rupert charge the other foot regiment - who knows what might have happened?  Most of all, I kept reacting to Honorable Son #2's (The Captain) moves and was never able to make him react to my moves. As I lost units and commanders (2 captured and 1 killed) their cards were removed which nicely simulated the momentum of Parliament.  Once he had that solid line of shot established, it was all over.  We shook hands and a "Bravo" well done was exchanged.  Now lets drink some beer and eat some barbecue!