Tuesday, 9 May 2023

The Battle of Hopton Heath, England 19th March 1643.

 This is my personal interpretation of this battle. Any mistakes are my own.

After the battle of Edgehill, King Charles 1st moved his army toward London, intending to take the City. However, Parliament called out the Trained Bands. These regiments consisted of recruits from the City Guilds like Stonemasons, Shoemakers, Silversmiths etc. In all, 24,000 Parliamentarian troops gathered at Turnham Green ready to contest the advance of the King’s Army, 15,000 strong.

At a Council of War. It was decided that, as London was now under the firm control of Parliament, the Royalists had to find a new base. The decision was made to march to Oxford where the King was welcomed by the population.This City was to become the central base of operations for the rest of the War.

For the rest of 1642 and early 1643 both sides started to raid in an attempt to control the area around their main bases. Lichfield in the Midlands of England was one of those places. The town sat on a supply route which the Royalists used to ship ammunition from the north of England to Oxford. Parliamentary forces held the town.

Therefore Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Nephew of King Charles 1st,  was dispatched to retake the Town. While besieging the place, Prince Rupert learned of a Parliamentry force heading south to break the siege. Sir William Brereton, having been ordered by Parliament, made his way south from his base at Nantwich in Cheshire. Brereton decided to move to Hopton Heath where he was joined by Sir John Gell who had arrived earlier.

Rupert decided to maintain the siege and send troops to stall the advancing enemy. Keeping the majority of the infantry in place, a Royalist force mainly of Cavalry and Dragoons supported by artillery under the command of Spencer Compton the Earl of Northampton was sent north-west toward Hopton Heath. An additional force under General Henry Hastings was ordered to support the Earl.

The Parliamentarian forces reached Hopton Heath first. They set up their camp and battle line anchoring their left flank in the grounds of Heathyard House on the higher part of the Heath. A day later, the Royalists arrived from the south east.The army deployed facing north toward the Paliamentry Army.





THE ROYALIST ARMY: 1,200 ( not inc Gunners). = 1.2pts x 20 = 24 points..

Spencer Compton Earl of Northampton  @  1 point.

General Henry Hastings  @  1 point.

100 Infantry = 0.100pts x 20 = 2 points = 2 stands of muskets @ 1 point.

Note: most of the Royalist Infantry had been left in place to continue the siege of Lichfield.

300 mounted Dragoons = 0.300 pts x 20 = 6 points = 3 stands of mounted Dragoons @ 2 points.

( dismounted Dragoons are worth 1 point and can be moved in any direction).

800 Horse = 0.800pts  x 20 = 16 points.= 7 stands of Cavalry @ 2 points = 14 points

( 2 points are allocated for the Generals )

ARTILLERY.

6 guns, each with 30 gunners = 180 gunners. = 0.180pts x 20 = 3.6 or 4 points rounded up.

1 stand of Heavy Artillery @ 2 pts ( Roaring Meg)

2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.



THE PARLIAMENTARY ARMY: 1,450 ( not inc gunners). = 1.450 pts x 20 = 29 pts.

Sir William Brereton  @ 1 point.

Sir John Gell  @1 point.

750 Infantry = 0.750 pts x 20 = 15 points = 

2 stands of Pike @ 3 points = 6 points.

4 stands of Muskets @ 2 points = 8 points.

( Sir William Brereton 1pt)

300 Dragoons = 0.300 pts x 20 = 6 points =

3 stands of mounted Dragoons at 2 points.

( dismounted Dragoons are worth 1 point and can move in any direction).

400 Horse = 0.400 pts x 20 = 8 points = 4 stands of Cavalry @ 2 points.

ARTILLERY;

11 guns each with 30 Gunners = 330 men = 0.330 pts x 20 = 6.6 pts or 7pts rounded up.

4 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt = 4 points.

1 stand of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points.

( 1 General Sir John Gell @ 1 point).



Gaming Notes.

* The Royalist Army moves first on the 1st Game-Turn.

* From Game-Turn 2 until Game-Turn 8, both sides throw dice for priority of movement and firing.

* The Royalists keep the Initiative Point for the entire battle

* The Royalists win any ties.

* The Cavalry do not get the +3 for attacking infantry in the open as Hopton Heath itself is hilly and uneven terrain.

* Dismounted Dragoons can move in any direction.

* Cavalry and  Mounted Dragoons cannot move over or through the Rabbit Warren.

* The Parliamentry Artillery Pieces were captured by the Royalists after changing hands twice. Therefore, if involved in combat, the Parliamentry guns are taken by the Royalist player on ANY low score.

* Roaring Meg; 

This was a rather large piece of ordnance that the Royalists bought onto the field. Apparently when it did hit something it did some damage. Therefore these special rules apply;

1) The Gun cannot move. If the gun requires a “move-back” , deduct 2 points from the die roll when the Gun fires 2nd within the same Game-Turn

2)  The gun has a range of 5 squares and can only fire every 2nd Game-Turn.



HISTORY:

This wasn’t an overly important battle. But was hailed as a victory by the Royalists keen to trumpet a success after Turnham Green.

The Earl of Northampton lost his life in this battle. He was thrown from his horse leading one of the Royalist Cavalry charges. He was offered quarter by the Parliamentarians but refused and was killed.

At this time neither side had a set uniform and it was left to weathy individuals to raise troops. Therefore some regiments might be provided with a coat of a certain colour but many just had their civilian clothes.

Both sides made use of “ field signs” such as a piece of ribbon tied around the hat or the arm. The Royalist Earl of Newcastle had his WhiteCoats, so named because each man was given a coat of  undyed  wool.



To make identification easier in my games, I use Red  for Paliament( which later became the adopted colour for the Army), and Blue for the Royalists.

In regard to armour, well, as the war progressed, the use of body armour decreased. Pikemen were lucky if they acquired a breastplate. Some pikemen shortened their pikes to make them easy to carry. The musket gradually became lighter, doing away with the rest but still relied on the lighted match for firing. Infantry swords were used for cooking, the men relying on using their muskets as clubs even against Cavalry.

Cavalry were lucky if they had a leather jacket. Helmets were a luxury with most relying on a metal scull cap under their hats. Good horses were kept for the Cavalry where possible and Dragoons used ponies or lesser animals

There were no organised artillery Trains. Each side made use of any field pieces they could get from small galloper guns up to the Saker, which was, generally the largest field gun available. Roaring Meg was an exception.

THE GAME;

The playing area is a piece of felt cloth, 3 feet ( 90cm ) by 2 feet ( 60cm ) marked out in 2” ( 50mm ) squares.

The hill sections are 2” ( 50mm ) x 8” ( 200mm ) long, made of two sections of foamboard glued together and topped with green card. I made them so that they would pack easy in the box.

All the figures were from Peter Dennis’s Paperboys English Civil War book printed onto paper in A5 size.

The buildings and trees were made from the same book.


Monday, 17 April 2023

The Battle of Pea Ridge; March 6th-7th 1862.

 This article is my personal interpretation of the battle. Any mistakes are my own.

The situation in The Western Theatre for the Confederacy had not been going well. A Union Army under General Curtis had moved south from central  Missouri, pushing the Confederate forces further back in front of him. Sent by the Confederate President Jeff Davis, Major General Earl Van Dorn had high hopes of taking Saint Louis and restoring Missouri along with control of the Mississippi to the Confederacy.

However the situation had not gone according to plan. Van Dorn,s Army of the Trans-Mississippi numbered 16,000 troops. He was more than confident that he could overcome the Union Army of 11,500 opposed to him. However, partly through disorganisation and a fragmented command structure, events proved otherwise.

The Union troops under Curtis had pushed the Confederate force south west out of Missouri and over the border into Arkansas. Eventually, realising that his supply line was becoming tenuous, Curtis called a halt at Sugar Creek. A defence line was established, along the northern bank of  the Creek, facing south in expectation of a Confederate counter attack.

 Van Dorn did indeed want to attack, but not frontally, against the well positioned Union troops. From their position at Camp Stephen, south west of the Union position, Van Dorn wanted to outflank the Union army from the left.



Using a track known as The Bentonville Detour, Van Dorn hoped to circle his Confederate troops around the Union Army attacking it from the rear and cutting off the supply route. The Confederate forces still suffered from some lack of organisation , and disharmony amongst the Senior ranks. The men were already exhausted from their previous manoeuvres. Orders were issued that only light rations and limited ammunition were to be carried.

With Sterling Price’s Missouri State Guard leading the column, the army started its march. It took time for the army to cross Sugar Creek and a gap opened up at the rear of the column, between Pikes Brigade and the rest of the Army. Also, small Union detachments had felled trees along the Detour. 

Such was the delay that Van Dorn ordered McCulloch to take his three Brigades back along the Ford Road, east toward Elkhorn Tavern. Meanwhile Prices Division continued northeast around Big Mountain to meet up at the same place.

General Curtiss became aware of the Confederate movement when McCullochs troops were spotted moving east along the Ford Road toward the Union army. General Curtis was not prepared to sit still while the Confederate army maneuvered on his flank——————-.

UNION ARMY OF THE SOUTH-WEST.

11,500 = 11.5 points x 3 = 35pts r/u.

Brigadier General Samual R. Curtis.  Commanding   @ 2 points.


1st DIVISION,

General Peter Osterhouse  @  1 point.

2 stands of Line Infantry @ 2pts = 4 points.

1 stand of Skirmish Infantry   @  1 point.

1 stand of of Light Artillery  @ 1 point.


2nd DIVISION

General Alexander Asboth  @  1 point.

3 stands of Line Infantry  @ 1point  =  3 points.

2 stands of Regular Cavalry  @ 1 point = 2 points.

2 stands of Light Artillery  @ 1 point = 2 points.

1 stand of Heavy Artillery  @ 2 points.


3rd DIVISION

General Franz Sigel  @ 1pt,

General Jeff Davis  @  1pt.

2 stands of Infantry  @ 2pts = 4 points.

1 stand of Infantry Skirmishers.  @ 1pt.

1 stand of Regular Cavalry  @ 1pt.

1 stand of Light Artillery  @ 1pt.


4th DIVISION,

1 General  Eugene Carr   @ 1pt,

4 stands of Line Infantry  @ 1pt, = 4 points.

1 stand of  Regular Cavalry   @ 1pt.

1 stand of Light Artillery  @ 1pt.



THE CONFEDERATE ARMY of the TRANS-MISSISSIPPI;

16,000  = 16 points x 3 = 48 points.

RIGHT WING;

Divisional General Benjamin McCulloch  @ 1 point.

General Albert Pike  @ 1 point.

3 stands of Line Infantry  @ 2pts = 6 points.

2 stands of Regular Cavalry @  1pt = 2 points.

2 stands of American Native Cherokee Light Cavalry @ 1pt = 2pts.


Major-General Earl Van Dorn ( commanding ) @ 1point.

 General Louis Hébert @ 1pt.

4 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 8pts

1 stand of dismounted Cavalrymen ( no horses) @ 1pt.

1 stand of Skirmish Infantry @ 1pt.


General James McIntosh @ 1pt.

4 stands of Regular Cavalry @ 2pts = 8pts.

3 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt = 3pts.


LEFT WING;

Missouri State Guard;

Major-General Stirling-Price @ 1pt.

2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt = 2pts.

3 stands of Line Infantry @ 2pts = 6pts.

3 stands of Regular Cavalry @ 1pt = 3pts.



Playing Notes for the historical battle.

First Day:

* This Part will be played for 8 Game-Turns.

* No stands of either side may enter Freetown Wood, ( a fictional name I’ve used as a geographical location).

* Big Mountain and Little Mountain cannot be crossed by any stands.

* Sugar Creek can only be crossed by the bridges. Any stand entering the Creek will be lost.

* The fence around the field is only a boundary marker and does not impede movement for any stands.

* Only Hébert’s Brigade will move toward the Ford Road first on the first Game-Turn. The stands of Osterhouse’s Brigade cannot move until they have line of sight to any Confederate stands on Ford Road.

* From Game-Turn 2. On the Confederate side, Hebert’s and McIntosh’s Brigades move into the Ford Road. On the Union side, Osterhouse and Asboth’s Brigades can move.

* From Game-Turn 3, Hebert’s, McIntosh’s and Pikes Brigades can move up the Ford Road. On the Union side, Osterhouse, Asboth and Davis’s Brigades can move.

* From Game-Turn 4, All stands of both sides can move.

* If any Stands from McCullochs division have to “ move-back”, they must do so on the Ford Road. Any stands that cannot move back are removed from play.

* The Union side retains the Initiative Point for the entire battle of  eight Game-Turns.

* The Union side also wins any tied results.

* At the end of  eight Game-Turns, the side with the lowest number of stands lost, is the winner. If the result is tied, the battle goes on for another eight Game-Turns.

Note: The stands start the battle from their finishing position from the previous battle.

* Any stands on Pea Ridge being fired on by Union Artillery will suffer a 2 point reduction to their die roll if they return fire within the same Game Turn. 

* Union Artillery add 1 point to their die roll when firing on any target on Pea Ridge.

This is because Pea Ridge had a layer of rocky shale on the surface. Every time a cannon round hit the Ridge, shale was thrown up like shrapnel, causing Confederate units to retreat.


Playing the Game;

This is a tough battle for the Confederates. They have the numbers but not the space to deploy. I have tried to reflect the lack of mobility and cohesion within the army by reducing the space for movement. 

This battle was a bit tricky to re-enact as it was not a set-piece but a running battle consisting of a series of  moving  skirmishes.