This
week’s 28mm AWI game that I arranged at the my house was based on the Rebellion
scenario for the battle of Bennington August 16, 1777. Scott Duncan was up visiting from Gatwick
and this gave me a good excuse for the game.
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Hessians and Indians deployed near the Hessian redoubt |
Some History
The Battle of Bennington was a battle of the American
Revolutionary War that took place on August 16, 1777, in Walloomsac, New York,
about 10 miles from it’s namesake Bennington, Vermont. A rebel force of 2,000
men, primarily composed of New Hampshire and Massachusetts militiamen, led by
General John Stark, and reinforced by men led by Colonel Seth Warner and
members of the Green Mountain Boys, decisively defeated a detachment of General
John Burgoyne's army led by Lieutenant Colonel Friedrich Baum, and supported by
additional men under Lieutenant Colonel Heinrich von Breymann.
Baum's detachment was a mixed force of 700 composed of
dismounted Brunswick dragoons, Canadians, Loyalists, and Indians. He was sent
by Burgoyne to raid Bennington in the disputed New Hampshire Grants area for
horses, draft animals, and other supplies.
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Rebels close up on the Loyalist redoubt |
The Setup
The
game was fought on a 10ft by 6ft table. We used the standard movement and
ranges given in the rules not the 66% version that we use in most of our BP
games. The terrain for the table was
based on that in the Rebellion map – it is largely wooded except for an area of
open ground in front of the 2 redoubts and along the road and the ford. I used 20 figure units for the standard
units and 10 figure skirmishing units as small units. The
figures are mainly Front Rank, with some Perry, Foundry, Old Glory and Sash and
Sabre. Given the size of the units used
I slightly reduced the number of units given in the scenario – you will find
the revised OB at the end of this report.
I used the troop ratings given in the scenario including the Militia
with a Ferocious charge but added in some Rebel skirmishers. We used the alternative turn sequence, a
Break Test chart based on the one from Hail Caesar, and I did not count formed
troops in woods as an unclear target but did give them the +1 to their saving
throw for the cover. We decided to
ignore the scenario rule about the inactivity of the British troops in the
first 2 moves.
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Loyalists close up on the River to engage Stark's brigade |
How the Game Played
Scott
Duncan commanded the British Army. Dave Paterson
and I commanded the Patriots. The Loyalists
deployed 1 unit in their redoubt on the south bank of the river with the rest
of that command on the north bank. The Hessians
deployed 1 unit and the gun in their hilltop redoubt with their other 3 units
deployed around the hill supported by the 2 Indian units in the forest.
In turn1 Stark and Herrick’s commands both arrived on table with
Nicol arriving on turn 2. All of Stark’s
command under Dave advanced on the redoubt and after several turns of a
firefight broke the defenders. Then
Stark’s brigade was broken by the steady fire of the Loyalists who had closed
up to the north bank of the river. The Rebel
action was reinforced by Warner’s brigade which after some command issues got across the river and started to force back
the right wing of the Loyalists when Breymann’s reserve finally began to get
into action.
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Continentals cross river and engage the Loyalists |
I commanded Herrick’s and Nichol’s brigades whose objective
was the Hessian redoubt. They came into action
first with some of the Hessian infantry supported by the Indians. I lost one unit very quickly but after that
the ability of the militia showed thru and they broke the Indians and all the Hessian
infantry. Their ferocious charges into
flanked Hessian units was a feature of the action. They took the redoubt and then Herrick’s
force moved west thru the woods to shoot at the flanks of Breymann’s reserve while
Nicol’s force moved to support the Continentals..
We had played 12 turns when we had to end the game. It was agreed that it looked like a Rebel
victory, as though we both had 1 broken brigade, it was obvious that the Loyalists
would be the next brigade to break. Good
enjoyable game – having not played full movement for a long time it worked okay
– possibly because a lot of the fighting near the Hessian redoubt was done in
the forest which halved formed troops movement.
|
Redoubt falls to Herrick's militia |
Notes
All my photos are on flickr at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157647170199483/
I staged my own Hubbardton scenario at the SESWC 3 weeks ago
and it is written up in Angus Konstam’s Edinburgh and Orkney Wargames site at
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20100.htm
I dont have enough troops to stage the Rebellion Princeton
scenario in 28mm with sensibly sized units so our current plan is that we will
stage the game using Dave Paterson’s extensive 6mm collection.
I will write a separate report about the HC based Break test
idea later.
Order of battle
BENNINGTON 6th AUGUST 1777
CROWN FORCES
LT COL BAUM (C-in-C)
4 Brunswick Infantry
Light Artillery
LT COL PETERS
4 Loyalist Infantry
Canadian Militia Skirmishers
2 Indian Skirmishers
British Marksmen Skirmishers
LT COL BREYMANN (reinforcements)
4 Hessian infantry
Field Artillery
Reinforcements arrive on turn 7.
REBEL FORCES
BRIG GEN JOHN STARK (C-in-C)
3 New Hampshire Militia
New Hampshire Skirmishers
COL MOSES NICHOL
2 New Hampshire Militia
2 Massachusetts Militia (reinforcements)
COL SAMUEL HERRICK
3 Vermont Militia
Vermont Skirmishers
COL SETH WARNER (reinforcements)
2 Continental Infantry
2 Vermont State Infantry
Nichol’s reinforcements may try to enter from turn 3 and Warner’s
from turn 4.