FRW CAMPAIGN. Battle at Bissinghen 5 Sept 1793 Turns 3 and 4

Following on from the earlier post, yesterday I played another couple of moves of the encounter at the town of Bissinghen, sitting roughly half way between Courtrai and Menin on the River Lys.

The Emigre Army of the Conde (no more than a strongish division in the campaign) was being attacked by a corps of Republicans under General Pichegru. The latter had immediately launched an all-out attack in an attempt to destroy the isolated Emigres before the Austrians could intervene. The latter were known to have been on the opposite bank of the Lys the previous day, and had commenced the construction of two pontoon bridges facing Bissinghen. I don’t know the size of this place in 1793 but as it appears on my contemporary map of the Austrian Netherlands I’m assuming it was a town rather than a mere village.

As this is part of an ongoing battle within a campaign where players are largely in the dark as to what’s going on elsewhere in the area of operations I’m only sharing the information that the two commanders (Conde and Pichegru) plus the Austrians who are supposedly ‘rushing’ to save their Coalition buddies. (Austrian armies of this era rarely rush anywhere of course). So the commentaries may be somewhat briefer than normal. Fear not however as a more comprehensive report will appear once the battle has been decided. The photos show the position at the end of T4.

By the end of T4 the French had deployed a company of foot artillery to  fire at the Austrian pontoon bridges. In the background the extent of the French assault can be seen.

This time taken from the West. The Emigre  Hussars have been forced to retreat following the rout of one of their units (Damas Legion Hussars) had routed after clashing with the (totally fictitious for this theatre of war) Polish Legion cavalry. The Emigre brigade actually passed a Faltering test at the start of the turn and had been required to retreat to almost the edge of the table.

French foot artillery shooting up a herd of sheep. The bounce through is however hitting  the Emigre infantry off in the distance. 

The Emigre reserve, a brigade of heavy cavalry, manoeuvres in response to the threat of  enemy cavalry rolling up the flank of the main line of defence. The Uhlans Britanique can be seen getting ready to have a go at the enemy infantry advancing in the centre. 

The Republican left flank. Rather a lot of cavalry.

The Republicans ordered their former Ancien Regime regulars to assault the town. The combined grenadiers are successful in driving the Emigres of the Mirabeau Legion out of half of the town,  but with grievous casualties.

Outside the town the Republican assault overruns a company of Emigre artillery (DREADFUL dice scores from the Emigres) dispersing the gunners. A second assault was repulsed by a well placed volley from the Damas infantry. The loss of the artillery caused the Mirabeau Legion brigade to falter at the end of T4. 

Conde looks on as his troops start to waiver. Can they hold on? 

The regulars attacking the town.

The Battailon Anachronistique steps back to face the breakthrough. They’re actually the  Regiment Bachman from 1799 but they were needed to make up the numbers.

Republican artillery lining up their sights to fire at the pontoon bridge in the distance.

Well, that’s all for now as I won’t be playing any more turns until later this afternoon. Lots of unanswered questions. Will the faltering Emigres rally? Will the bridge be completed? Or will it be destroyed by enemy cannon fire?  Have the Austrians noticed the battle on the opposite bank? You, and I for that matter, will have to wait and see.

(No sheep or rabbits were harmed during the battle, so far anyway).

A few odds and ends and a battle begins.

It was too nice today to be stuck indoors painting so I didn’t get anything finished, apart from repainting a giant decorative milk churn that my wife asked me to do. It needed livening up after years in the garden.

Just like Captain Nolan at Balaklava. My cat is felled by the first shot!

Anyway, I’ve just started another game from my French Revolutionary Wars campaign. I completed two turns last night and another this evening before supper. Here are a couple of photos of the game as it gets going, plus a couple of new ADC figures and bridging train personnel finished yesterday. I'm not going to give anything away in terms of how the battle is progressing in case there are Republican and/or Austrian spies out there.

That's all for now. A couple more turns tomorrow subject to needing to refer to the commanders for anything. Did I say I'm playing this via email? At the end of each turn the commanders get a situation report backed up by horseback-height photos (or from a top storey window if there is a house nearby). Worked well last time. 

Franco Prussian War French

I didn’t feel like painting much today but decided that I’d finish off some figures first started over three, probably four, years ago. They’d been stuck to their bases and then left that way during the house move and I’d never got around to completing them.  Ok, I need a few tufts to really finish them  off but the ones I’ve got are reserved for the French Revolution figures at the moment.And some flags.....

First up, a battalion of Voltiguers of the Imperial Guard. 

Next a battalion Of Tirailleurs Algerians, or Turcos. Foundry figures.

Finally two battalions one of the four Colonial or Marine Regiments. They weren’t  marines as such but  belonged to the  Ministry of Marine which oversaw all Colonial ‘stuff’. Feel free to correct me but it was an arrangement something like that.

I’d forgotten how nice my FPW collection was, so I think a 28mm FPW game is on the cards sometime soon.

Now back to the main task in hand, the French Revolutionary Wars.

The British and the Sikhs book review

A new book from Helion, in their ‘Musket to Maxim’ series. I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading this book, but I have to say it was an enjoyable and enlightening read. It's also very objective and non-partisan when it comes to the relationship between the Sikhs and the British which I like, especially where the author describes the myriad of treasures taken by the British after the two Anglo-Sikh Wars. No demands for the return of the artefacts, as they are safe and accessible where they are. Obviously much of the book covers the aforesaid conflicts between the British and the Sikhs, of which I know a fair bit, but these wars served as a foundation for the recruitment of Sikhs into the army of the East India Company and later of the British Indian Army where they were to serve valiantly for almost 100 years through many conflicts including the Indian Mutiny, Wars in Afghanistan and on the NW Frontier and of course the two World Wars. New to me was the description of the neglected era of rise of the Sikh confederacy, prior to Maharajah Ranjit Singh, and their conquest of the crumbling Mughal empire and capture of Delhi. The author has done a great job in whetting my appetite to learn more about the Sikh empire prior to their conquest by the British by producing a deeply researched, well written and scholarly work. Well worth it. 

More oddments for the French Revolutionary Wars

Hardly an impressive amount of output for today bit I have several units close to completion that may even be finished on the same day.

Anyway, I've now sourced a suitable figure to accompany my Representative of the People. I think this is a Gringo 40 figure. He looks the part I think.

 The new figure is clearly discussing who on his list might need to be recalled to Paris for a short meeting with the Directory.

 The lone figure below is by Trent Miniatures and depicts a Lombard Legion Drum Major. I have three battalio.s of the Legion, plus a squadron of cavalry and a battery of guns, so why not ha e a Drum Major to go with them? Why not indeed.

The big thing about these close ups is that they show up all the errors and wobbly bits in my painting.  If I had the energy I'd go back over them all but that'd be a waste of precious proper painting time.

As always, keep safe and keep attacking your lead mountains.

Monthly progress report Feb and March 2020

”And all of a sudden it was April.” Where has the year gone?  As the days creep closer to Easter Sunday and my 62nd birthday (yikes!) the first three months of the year appear to have passed in a blur. Ok,  now we have the major crisis of ‘The Great Confinement’ the world is slowing down big time, but my painting mojo has gone up a few notches and the output has been quite staggering even for me.  The list below  contains figures painted and based wholly by me. Most have already seen action, and those that have yet to do so will be on the table next week in another campaign game. Everything completed over the past two months has been for my French Revolutionary Wars collection, due largely to the 1793 Flanders Campaign I’ve started with the participation of a number of my wargaming friends.

Hanoverian horse artillery x 12 + 3 cannon
French horse artillery x 12 + 3 cannon
Hanoverian 14th Light Infantry skirmishers x 14
Hanoverian 14th Light Infantry close order x 20
Hanoverian for artillery x 17
Emigre Light Infantry x 12
Emigre command group x 3 figs
Emigre general x 1
Scots Greys x 12
Military band x 6
Hanoverian Light Dragoons x 12
Dying general vignette 3 figs
Emigre Mirabeau infantry x 24
Austrian Grun Lauren Freikorps x 28
Hanoverian Cavalry x 12
Hanoverian Riflemen x 7

French Hussars du Mort x 12 (repaint)

Wargame shows - 2
Games - 6 (including 2 at the Club in Durham)

Sometime over the last week I apparently also passed 500,000 views on this blog. Ever since the lockdown the daily number of views has doubled or more. Of course, I don’t know how accurate the counter widget thingy is but not a bad effort if I may say so. (And I did set it not to count my visits).

April onwards, well from now really, I REALLY MUST get cracking with my 1/72 scale WSS figures, although the pressure is off as I doubt they will see the table and the big game we were planning until later this year. Plenty of time therefore to finish off more FRW figures and even base up the rest of my War of 1812 collection painted by friend Barry earlier this year. And then there’s the Italian Wars........

I hope everyone can keep safe and well (their loved ones too) during these difficult times. In the meantime we must be grateful for never having grown up and allowed ourselves to be immersed in our wonderful hobby.

French Revolutionary Wars campaign, battle at Hondschoote, turns 6 to 14

Apologies for the delay in posting Part Two of this game (Part One ici ). Well, things are hotting up! In fact they hotted up, gone to boiling point and are now on a gentle simmer in the old pressure cooker of wargaming. It’s been exhausting just playing the game solo at a leisurely pace so I could send updates and photos to each of the players involved in the game from afar. I tried as a rule to only sent photos to the players of what they or their ADCs could actually see, mostly at horseback level, although one of the French commanders has spent much of the battle at the top of a windmill. I bet the French was regretting not deploying his Aerostatier Corps prior to this game.  No helicopter or hot air balloon views for the commanders in this game which I do think has proved to be rather frustrating, which was the objective. (Cue evil laugh).

Since the last post I’ve finished the game and played turns 6 to 14, taking us in 'Campaign Time to 6.30pm on 4 September 1793. As the game is over and the commanders are already aware of the result, normal ('ish) commentary will be resumed. I will prefix each caption with an E or a W to indicate which end of the table the action refers to. If you’ve not already done so, it might help to refresh your memory of the event that unfolded in turns 1 to 5 here .

E. French light infantry working their way around the open flank of the Hanoverian  Guard.

W. French grenadiers, supported by several battalions of ex-regulars, have taken the Hanoverian position and overrun their artillery.

E. Houchard's attack against the Eastern end of the village, defended by several Hanoverian battalions. The latter are seriously outnumbered.

W. Seen from the Hanoverian position, the French have occupied the captured earthwork and are forming up for  an attack across the road.

W. The same location but this time from the French perspective.

E. The Hanoverian cavalry brigade has forced the enemy into square but even charges against unformed and faltering squares were bounced.

W. Jourdan's heavy artillery advancing, but finding somewhere to deploy is an issue at the moment.

E. As the French legere battalions ease around the flank of the Hanoverian line, a battalion of Hessian grenadiers from the reserve moves to stop them, which it does.

E. The Hanoverian Guard were engaged in a lengthy musketry duel with French skirmishers and artillery and were being slowly worn down.

The brigade facing the Hanoverian Guard must retire soon as its battalions are all close to breaking.

W. On the other side of the village the one of Jourdan's less enthusiastic brigades prepares to assault the Hessians. 

W. The Hessian jager have dispersed the French skirmish screen but the brigade still advances.

W. The same scene from the Hessian perspective.

W. An assault across the road by one of Jourdan's brigades is repulsed. The leading French battalion disperses due to  casualties.

W Jourdan's horse artillery has run out of targets as the dastardly Hanoverians are hiding behind the raised causewof the road.

W. Hessians holding the barricade across the road where Jourdan's attack yesterday faltered.

W. French skirmishers, the survivors of the brigade skirmish screen, take pot shots at the Hessian battery.

W. Hessian jager lurking in the undergrowth.

W. Jourdan's troop poised to attack the Hessians.

E. Meanwhile on the other side of Hondschoote Houchards division is pressing hard to overwhelm the outnumbered Hanoverians facing them. What the French didn't know at first was they were facing the Hanoverian Guards.

E. The Hanoverian Guards slowly being whittled down holding back the French, who are also attempting to  edge past their open left flank.

The Guards giving the French a pasting.

Finally after several hours of dithering Jourdan's cavalry brigade joined the fray.

French and Hanoverians face off across the road. The causeway is high enough to prevent either side seeing the other unless one elects to shoot.

E. The fictitious Polish Legion of the North supports the attack on the town.

E. Houchard's legere battalions have suffered badly. One battalion has already broken and can be seen the one on the right already carries nine hits!

Houchard's cavalry also make an appearance, and their attached horse artillery races forward to engage the Guards.

W. Looking from the North. The Hessian brigade holding the road leading northwards out of Hondschoote.

The Representative of the People urges two battalions of volunteers to attack down the road, still carpeted with the French dead from yesterday's failed attack.

E. Houchard's dragoons take advantage of a dicey situation for the Guards. The Guards failed their Discipline Test so were unable to form square. Battered and unformed they were ridden down!

E. A rather pointless advance by the Hanoverian Lifeguard sees of the Polish skirmish screen but makes no impression on the square.

E. Sadly an exposed Polish battalion was charged in the rear by Hanoverian cavalry and broken. To be honest I'd forgotten about this battalion as they'd shimmied off to the left to avoid more punishing fire from the Guards. They were ridden down.

W. On the road the Volunteers survive a truly awful volley from the Hessians and make it into contact. They force their way over the barricades and push the Hessians back into the town.

W. Jourdan takes a chance and attacks the Hessian fusiliers exposed on the wrong side of the hedge. The French are forced to retreat with heavy casualties.

E. Meanwhile the victorious Hanoverian cavalry get to 'Charge On!' and hit another battalion of Poles, breaking them also. Sadly for the Hanoverians this puts them too close to Houchard's artillery who blow them to Kingdom Come the following turn. Back in the box!

E. The victorious French dragoons also charged on into the flank of the second Guards battalion, who are miraculously also ridden down.

E. They repeat the trick against the final battalion in the now much reduced brigade, who were formed up behind half completed gabions and easy prey for another flank attack. The Hanoverians are broken and the entire Guards Brigade has been destroyed.

W. Jourdan charges the Hessian battery.

W. Despite heavy casualties to the French the battery is overrun and the guns captured.

W. Another attack against the Hessian fusiliers gets into contact but fails to make any impression on the enemy.

E. Houchard looks on, making good use of the windmill to get a better view.

W. The Hussars du Mort charged recklessly across the road into a retreating Hanoverian battalion and rode over it.

W. In the same turn the two volunteer battalions, flush with their successful charge down the road turned onto the flank of the Hanoverians. One battalion failed and was dispersed, while the other forced their opponent to retire.

W. The Hessians have pulled back behind the hedge as the loss of the battery caused them to be faltering. Luckily they were forced to retreat, but they didn't break.

E. French horse artillery cover the withdrawal of two brigades of French infantry , or what was left of them.

The Hanoverian infantry brigade threw low so it was Sauve qui Peut for them! Covered by  Hanoverian cavalry.

The victorious Hussars du Mort. Weren't going to risk anything silly at this stage.

I called the game at that point. I'd played 14 turns over three days, and it went pretty well and was actually really good fun. Both armies were terribly battered thanks to a stout defence by the Hanoverians and some unlucky dice rolls for mainly the French but also for their foes. Again we had turns where the availability of ADCs was almost zero, and some horrible shooting dice (or great if you were the target) left the enemy unscathed. It was clearly a French victory but they were in no fit state to pursue. Two of Houchard's brigades were demoralised, and another had each of its battalions down to the last hit they could take before running. The Volunteer battalions were pretty untouched, likewise the cavalry and the artillery, but the cavalry didn't pursue as they were busy looking the Hanoverian Guards' tents and billets. Joubert had a faltering brigade and another that had been faltering on two occasions during the game but had come through both tests ok. It was fragile to say the least. Joubert's cavalry was still a force to contend with although not against Hanoverian cavalry even after this battle, but his artillery had taken some punishment, especially that caused by throwing really low several times and racking up approx 4 fatigue casualties on the horse company alone!

Given the state of the armies.....well I can't really say without giving even more secrets away, other than to say the French were in no fit state to pursue especially when the Hanoverian cavalry was almost intact. By comparison to the French brigades referred to above, the Hanoverians only had their cavalry under orders and and in good shape. The Hessians had to withdraw North off the table, which they did except for one battalion that was captured en masse in Hondschoote. The Hanoverian brigade withdrew south'ish covered by the cavalry, and no doubt joined by survivors from the Guards.  The French plan was sound but things just didn't roll their way enough, and the Hanoverian (& Hessian) defence was solid, until it all just crumbled at one.  For added fun I diced for commanders to see if anything happened to them during the rout/retreat. This resulted in the Hanoverian General Diepenbruck and the Hessian von Buttlar coming to sticky ends while the Duke of Cambridge, commanding the Hanoverian Guards, had been captured when his command ran away. None of the French were lost as they didn't do any pursuing.

Many thanks to the players for being on hand to respond to my emailed sit reps, questions and photos each turn.  It worked really well and I definitely felt that I wasn't just playing it solo by myself. I hope the photos and the narrative made enough sense to follow the game and anyone reading this will have enjoyed the experience.

Throughout the battle I was also feeding the relevant French commanders and the Anglo-Hanoverians and other Coalition commanders of other stuff "brewing" in their locale. For example, the French garrison in Dunkirk made a sortie to upset the English left to hold the almost complete siege works.

In campaign terms we have by the time this is published, started on September 5th. Some interesting developments and trouble brewing in a few places...... (cue evil laugh).