AWI GERMANTOWN OCTOBER 1777

This Saturday I staged a large scale 28mm AWI game. It was played by 4 gamers from Westlothian at my house and was a refight of the Battle of Germantown 4th October 1777.

The rules used were Black Powder with the revised turn sequence.  We fielded an approximate total of  750 figures.  The table was 12ft long by 6ft wide.  It proved to be good fun game for everyone despite my often very bad dice rolling.



View at start from east end of the table

I have added a separate page to the blog with all the scenario information - background, OB, deployment limits, game rules incl fog rules and troop ratings etc. 

More photos and descriptions at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157632251231789/

The British had 3 infantry brigades deployed on the table at the beginning of the game.  Of these the Piquet brigade was formed up with the 40th Foot occupying the formidable mansion of Cliveden.  The other 2 brigades were encamped in Germantown and these units had to be woken and ordered to form up individually.  They had a further 2 infantry brigades and a small cavalry brigade in distant reserve of table to the south.  The Patriots started with elements of 2 large Continental brigades on table with the rest of these brigades attempting to march on from in turn 1.  They had a central reserve of  table of a Continental brigade and a small cavalry brigade plus a militia brigade on each flank attempting a wide turning double envelopment.



The assualt on Cliveden - heavy fire...

The Patriots made their main effort at Cliveden supported by a turning movement by Greene’s brigade on their left flank which eventually threatened the eastern outskirts of Germantown.  Cliveden counted as a BUA under Black powder and was held by crack British line infantry.   So I was confident my British would hold - as anything but a 1 is a save in the morale rolls.  Well it fell to concerted volleys and a follow up bayonet attack by 3 Continental regiments as I threw 5 ones out of 11 hand to hand morale saves and my unit then broke.



British right wing driven back to edge of town

It was not until Cliveden fell that the 2 British brigades in Germanton were fully formed up and moved the relieve the garrison.  The right flank brigade then withdrew to the edge of the town due to the threat from Greene’s Continentals.  The left flank brigade secured their edge of the town and began a cautious advance on the Patriots west of Cliveden  which developed into a full scale counterattack when the British reserve brigade under Cornwallis arrived.  The patriots held the attack of the British and Hessian grenadiers but the British guards broke their opponents.   However at the end of the game Cliveden was still securely in Patriot hands.   One of Greene’s Continental units flank attacked a British line unit but those heroes held the attack, turned disordered and after a further 2 rounds of combat broke the Continentals.



The British counterattack west of Cliveden

On the British left flank the Hessian brigade arrived after a full and lengthy breakfast and engaged and were driving back the long delayed flanking militia brigade who were being supported by the Continental reserves.
Given that Cliveden was securely held by the Patriots at the end of the game and that the losses were roughly equal on both sides we declared the game a marginal win for the Patriots.