Horse & Musket

One of the first wargame books I read back in the early 70s was Charles Grant's The Wargame.
I'd always wanted to emulate him & after several unsuccesful attempts finally found myself in a position to buy painted figures (never again...) so I made up 2 massive armies of Old School 48 man, 5 Officer Regts as the Grand Old Man specified & was able to field them on a purpose built 12' x 6' table.
Each game took forever but was written up just as Mr. Grant espoused & I still have those war journals.
Ah, happy days!

However, leaner times prevail & after one or two false starts I rebased my figures into 24 man units (so I have, for the want of a few officers & standard bearers) another 2 armies in waiting.

Using the "short inch" rulers, where each inch is represented by 2/3 of an inch & with the Peter Pig standard table of 5' x 3' (thus rendered 7.5' x 4.5') I was able to give Alte Fritz another outing.

Using Will McNally's excellent Seven Year's War rules as a starting point I came up with a set I am reasonably happy with.

I recently tried out the new rules for BUAs with a small game.

"An astonishingly documented report of the recent action at Chardonay"

The Germanic might of the Vereinigte Freie Stadte fell upon the unsuspecting town of Chardonay where the defending troops of the Grand Duchy of Lorraine made a characteristically gallic effort to repulse the marauding Hun.

GDL        12AP

1 HC

3 COI     

1 ART

VFS         18AP

1 LI

1 DRG

3 COI

1 GRD

1 ART

1 HWZ

Several Daguerretypes were taken of this skirmish & are reproduced as an addendum to this report. The numbers refer to these miraculous images & may assist the Gentle Reader in understanding the otherwise confusing course of the battle. To whit:

001          GDL held the town in some force but covered the approaches too.

002-4       VFS chose to attack on a wide front & took some ART fire in the advance.

005-7       GDL moved out their right to meet the attack while VFS took the woods & kept back the DRG

008-11     VFS deployed GRD out to approach Chardonay, the advance under heavy fire from the Guns in front of the town while GDL shored up its right.

012-14     VFS line fell back under fire but the GRD advanced on Chardonay despite receiving some fire.

015-20     Repeated attacks by GDL on the right kept VFS advance in check while the HWZ rained shell on the town causing damage & casualties.

021-23     VFS GRD attack the town causing the defenders to Retire.

024-25     Mixed results on the other flank with reverses for both sides.

026-27     Defender’s ART take a pounding & have to LU & Retire.

028-29     GDL press on VFS left.

030-32     Defenders fall back into the town while VFS press the attack, bringing up their ART

033-36     VFS DRG take their chances charging in to support the COI but the infantry is Shaken & the DRG are hit badly by the HC & must Rout – the Brigadier moves to try to rally them.

037-39     VFS GRD fight house to house & Rout the defenders & Commander taking more of the town.

040-43     The centre hots up but VFS begin to crumble while GDL hold firm, defending the last of the town.

044-51     VFS reserves plug the gap & push back the GDL line while the VFS GRD move on the last of the defenders in the town who pivot their ART in support. There is fierce fighting in the BUA

052-55     GDL HC desperately try to hold back the advance but Rout while the VFS ART move in on the other flank & the last INF holds on in the town.

056          GDL ART must Retire so the defender’s Commander starts his withdrawal.

057-60 The shelling finally ignited the buildings  & while the attacking GRD pulled back to safety & the GDL Commander held a shaky rearguard the remnants of the defenders withdrew from the field.