28MM AWI GAME: WHISKEY CREEK 12TH OCTOBER 1777

I got back on Monday from a week away on holiday to Italy.  The weekend before I went I setup a 4 player Black Powder AWI game at my place.  It was a fictional follow up action to the Battle of Germantown in October 1777.

Action all along the line.....the British cavalry move to flank the fence line

Mr Ray Neal and Bart Zynda commanded the Patriots whilst Kevan Gunn commanded the British and Hessians with my support.  It proved a good game and we played 11 of the planned 12 moves.   Each side won on their left flank but the British victory on their side was greater than the Patriots so we agreed between us that it was a British victory.   My command rolls on hte British right proved very bad – my first brigade at the key point of the game not moving for 4 turns.  Eventually they got going but by then the Patriots had awoken lined a fence and broke both my highland units with their fire.  Far too many of my return shots simply hit the fence posts!


Too late - the British right closes with the Patriots

We used my fog rules but the visibility improved to the maximum on 30” on move two and never worsened!

Bart has written a fuller account of the gameplay on his blog at:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/

There are more of my photos with descriptions on flickr at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157633366039734/

I may add this game as an AWI scenario page.

Background

Following the failure of their surprise attack on the British at Germantown Washingtons’a army retired towards Valley Forge.  The rearguard under Greene camped on the Whiskey Creek on the night of 11 October.  

Earl Cornwallis commanding the British vanguard decided overnight to launch a surprise attack on Greene’s isolated command.   Marching before daylight his plan is to fall on Greene’s camp at first light as had been done at the Paoli massacre.  He is helped in this by well paid local guides.

Except for a few pickets the Patriots are still encamped as the first British troops approach their positions.

The game starts at this point……

British and Hessian left pushes Patriots into the creek....

Outline of Scenario
The Patriots have 3 infantry brigades encamped on the table south of the Whiskey Creek with a further 2 brigades deployed north of the creek.  Two units of skirmishers are alert and deployed as pickets.  All the encamped units have to be woken and ordered to form up individually.

The British start with 2 brigades marching on from in turn 1. They have 2 further brigades marching to the action who may arrive from turn 2.

Game Notes

Formations
The first 2 brigades of the British can move onto the table in any formation.
The other reinforcements arrive in march columns coming down the entry roads (battalion by battalion) so it will take a couple of moves for a complete command to come on.  Attack columns are not permitted - this is the AWI….

Fog Rules
This battle can be effected by early morning fog. Here are simple rules for this.
Visibility at the start of the game is 24”. D6 from the 2nd turn onwards.
Score 1,2 - result is visibility falls by 6”.
Score 5,6 - result is visibility increases by 6”.
Worse visibility is 12”, best is 36”.
Troops cannot fire at any target outwith the visibility level. Charges can only be ordered if the target is visible at the start of the chargers turn.

Command Ratings
Command rating of all commanders is 8.
However orders to wake/form up the Patriot units encamped on the table start at command level 4 on turn 1 and increase by 1 each turn until it gets to 8. Individual unit orders have to be given to form up these units - not brigade orders.

House Rules/Terrain
We used our usual House Rules.  The houses on the table are symbolic and it is their boundary fences which have an effect, counting as an obstacle to movement and giving a +1 Morale Save to units behind them.

Time
Each turn is 20 minutes. Game ends after 12 turns or exhaustion.....

Loyalist butterfly gun gets last blast at charging Patriot militia....

British Army order of battle
General Earl Cornwallis (8)

1st Brigade BG Edward Mathew
Comb Guards Battalion                  24 figures

1st Grenadier Battalion                   24 figures
4th Foot                                           24 figures

Lt Inf Det                                         12 figures
Foot gun

2nd Brigade MG Grant
Loyalist NY Foot                               24 figures
42nd High Foot                                 18 figures
71st High Foot                                  18 figures

Lt Inf Det                                           12 figures
Butterfly gun

Hessian Brigade MG Johann Daniel Stirn
Erbprinz Infantry Btn                       24 figures
Donop Infantry Btn                          24 figures
Grenadier Btn Minningerode           24 figures
Hessian Jaegers                             12 figures
Foot gun

Cavalry detachment
Light Dragoon Sqds                          12 figures
Legion Sqds                                      12 figures

Patriot Army order of battle
General Nathaniel Greene (8)

South of Whiskey Creek

Right Wing Continentals Major General Sullivan
2nd Connecticut Regiment             24 figures
4th Connecticut Regiment              24 figures
1st Virginia Regiment                     24 figures
5th Virginia Regiment                     24 figures
Morgans Rifles Sk                          12 figures

Left Wing Continentals Col Hartley
1st Maryland Regiment                  24 figures
2nd Canadian Regiment                24 figures

2nd Pennsylvania Regiment         24 figures

Militia BG John Armstrong, Sr.
Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures
Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures

Pennsylvania Militia                        24 figures
Pennsylvania Skirmishers              10 figures
Butterfly gun

North of Whiskey Creek

Cavalry Captain Allen McLane
Delaware Horse                               8 figures
Continental Lt Dragoons                  6 figures

Brigade MG William Alexander, Lord Stirling
North Carolina Regiment                 24 figures
New Jersey Regiment                     24 figures
New  Jersey Militia                           24 figures
Gun