Sugar Islands Test Scenario 2 - The Advance on Port Royal

The arrival of my final batches of British for this project have meant that I can crack on and try out my ideas for scenarios. In this one the British have to March from one side of the table to another, representing their march from the beaches to what they hoped would be a position overlooking Port Royal.

I wanted to try a grid type system of the table with it divided up into 12in squares, each of which would contain a random terrain type and a possible event. Obviously an ambush by French forces, militia or slaves but potentially a water halt, damaged axle or similar just imposing a delay. 

Having made up the tables in my draft version of the book I was keen to give them a go and ran a couple of games this week at Oldmeldrum Wargames Group.  In the first game the British managed to sweep across the table with a mild diversion and a halt for water and it wasn't til they got to the last    square that they ran into trouble. A detachment of Swiss from Rgt Hallwyl managed to hold them up for three turns before they were forced aside and the advance continued.

In the second game things went badly wrong. The redcoats were hit early on by French marines and despite trying to drive them off a volley and bayonet charge the advance was compromised and the. British forced to halt and form if not quite a square, then something pretty close.

Matters worsened when the Grenadiers rou....I mean retired back to the ships and the poor 38th got pretty shot up. The French militia and more men from Hallwyl put a stop to any advance and the Brits got completely stuck. Only steady volley fire and a quick charge kept them safe until nightfall and the game ended.

Some Piccies!

The latter game, despite heavier casualties is a decent representation of the trouble Hopson's men faced. He thought casualties had been heavier than they really were and in the face of a water shortage, difficult terrain and a French foe who just wouldn't play ball, decided to call off the attack and march back to the ships and depart.

Overall I'm pleased with the result, the look of the terrain and figures. One more scenario to test and then on to Guadeloupe!!

Sugar Islands Test Scenario - The Plantation

Tonight at Oldmeldrum Wargames Group we gave The Minden AWI rules another bash and tried out a simple scenario based on action from the attacks on Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Three British battalions advanced to take a plantation which had been entrenched and was defended by milita and men from the Compagnie Franches de la Marine, together with a large cannon which had been hauled into place. 

The British Commander decided on the direct approach and swiftly marched the Grenadiers, 63rd and 64th in column up the table to engage the enemy. The French hoped that they could relay on the strength of their position and the damage caused by their gun. 

The heavy piece fired and swept a file of men of the 63rd away, but the columns were not stayed. The redcoats pulled their tricorns down tighter, helmets their muskets and moved on forward. Again the gun blazed as the columns came into canister range, this time the damage was telling and the 63rd were halted, but the Grenadiers and 64th came on.

In range of the militia now their fire began to pick men off, but both units attacked the breastworks around the plantation. The cannon crew swiftly fell to their bayonets and, breaking into the position they split left and right. The Grenadiers on the left taking on the militia whist the 64th set about the French colonial troops. 

The British fought hard and with superior skill drove the French from their positions, they broke and ran and the plantation fell to King George's men. The price had been high however. The 63rd were badly mauled and the Grenadiers lost a quarter of their number. With victories like these would there be enough men to be able to secure the islands?

French Gun crew painted.....and a new building.

Finished the gun crew. I've painted them as some Cannonier-Bombardiers in their red waistcoats and a couple of civilian supports. The Bombardiers were the colonial artillery deployed alongside the Compagnie Franches. On Guadeloupe they were assisted by numbers of Corsairs, so the figure in the baggy breeches could be one of these chaps.




The building is a new purchase from EBay. Perfect for the islands and for the AWI.

The single figure is from the same pack of labourers, but I have armed him with a musket from the WF/Warlord WSS cavalry. He looks quite a young chap, but everyone turned out to see off the enemy,

French Gun Crew and armed farm workers

Some civilians in military service for Martinique and Guadeloupe.

First some gun Crew - these will be mixed in with the actual French crew I will be ordering from Crann Tara later. A French officer lends encouragement.

The cannon is a model boat piece from Billings, a lovely bit of turned brass, bored out too. I shall be having a couple more of these!

Now some farmhands or townsfolk.. Again Crann Tara labourers, this time with the addition of some Wargames factory/Warlord WSS muskets.



I hope to have these ready for my planned game next tues.