Brock's field

My solo battle of Brock's field has come to a conclusion.  Smith's brigade pursued the fleeing Yankees to their ruin.  A hastily formed battery pasted the Tennesseans, driving them back to their starting points.  Wright was also checked in his attack on the Union right.

But the game came down to the final attack by Strahl's brigade through the woods.  His five regiments would be tangling with five regiments in blue.  The Yanks, however, had been diminished in both men and ammunition in fighting off Smith's attack, so they were at a disadvantage.

Strahl's men picked their way through the dense woods to make contact with the Union line.  A firefight ensued and the Confederates got the best of it.  Strahl's left hand brigade advanced through the tall corn of Brock's field and was able to gain the flank of the Union line.  Once that occurred, the end of the battle was in sight.  Strahl's rebels charged out of the corn and drove the Union reinforcements from the field.  Their flank turned, Palmer's division had no choice but to retreat and leave the field of battle to the men in gray.  Casualties on both sides were high, as the photos will attest.

Cruft's brigade counterattacks Smith's rebels and drives them back.  Their success, however, is shortlived.

Coming up in support of Smith is Strahl's brigade of five regiments.  They boldly approach the Union line.



Strahl's line overlaps Cruft's right, which spells doomed for the beleagured men in blue.



Cruft's men are spent and driven back.  The battle for Brock's field is over and a Confederate victory.

Battle for Brock's Field

I am refighting the battle of Chickamauga using Cozen's book for the details.  This game pits Cheatham's divison against Palmer's Yankees.  I have completed three turns and the outcome is still very much uncertain.  The men in gray got off to a good start, but have since been checked by the heroic efforts of Grose, Hazen and Crofton.  But the Confederates will be receiving an additional brigade, Strahl's to be exact, in the next few turns, and this could turn the tables dramatically.  Here are some shots at the end of turn three:

Smith's brigade attack's HAzen on the extreme right flank

Wright's brigade attacks the left flank

Wright's brigade makes good progress

Hazen's brigade stands strong against Smith's attacks

Grose's men regroup and hold back Wright's attack

Grose maneuvers his men to the flank of Smith's attack to great effect

At this point, the Union has been effective in blunting the Confederate attacks.  But in the near future an third rebel brigade will join the contest, and that could change things dramatically.

Today's Game

I ran a Seven Years War game today for 12 fourth through sixth graders. The battle pitted a large host of Austrians against a smaller, more elite group of Prussians. There were 10 brigades on the Austrian side and nine on the Prussian.
Just about all of the players were new to wargaming, let alone the rules, but we were able to get through seven turns in about three and a half hours of actual gaming. The biggest mistake was that the Austrian players didn't start with assault orders, and at least three of their desperately needed brigades sat idly by until the later stages of the game.
Despite that, there were some rousing moments. One of the new players threw double sixes while firing his cannon at some Austrian cuirassiers. The whole group gathered round to see what would happen to the brigadier. He was only slightly wounded and just missed a single turn.
Several cavalry charges were stopped in their tracks by musketry on the way in, but one notable exception saw some Prussian cuirassiers pass their moral test and mele with a line of grenadiers. The grenadiers were literally wiped out and the cuirassiers cantered back to their lines to re-group.

It was a fun morning and all the kids said they had a good time.  Next month we move to the American Revolution.  Should be fun.

Seven Years War game

Tomorrow morning I have 12 kids plus an experienced helper showing up to play a large Seven Years War game based on Hopskirch in 1758.  I'll be using every Austrian in my collection in order to outnumber my Prussians.  It is hope that quality will at least be able to give quantity a run for its money.   We'll be using the Die Kreigskunst rules.  Hopefully, the kids will pick them up quickly.  We have a four hour window to get the game in.  I'll post pictures after the game.

Sudan Wargame

This afternoon 11 brave young wargamers delayed the start of their weeklong vacation to participate in a large colonial wargame.  A 12 foot by 4 foot table was set up, bathed in the late afternoon sunlight.

Six native players were set to take on five imperial ones.  The native commanders could talk to one another, but the British commanders couldn't.  This proved to be a tremendous advantage.

The winner would be determined by points.  These could be accumulated by destroying enemy units as well as taking key geographical objectives on the table.  At one end there was a small town held by two companies of highlanders and two companies of raw militia.  Adding to the defense was a section of royal artillery and one of miserable native stock.  In the middle was a vital oasis defended by two companies of redcoats.  And then at the extreme opposite end was the bulk of the allied force made up of four British companies, three Egyptian, two sections of royal artillery, two troops of British lancers, two troops of Egyptian cavalry and a large baggage train.

To oppose this formidable force were several groups of native warriors.  Initially, this observer thought they would be hard pressed to make their way through sheets of disciplined fire to come to grips with their enemies, but this proved not to be the case.

The town, awaiting the assault

The powerful relief column

The two companies trying to defend the oasis are overwhelmed by native cavalry.



 The British were not able to coordinate their defense.  Each company seemed to fight a battle of its own with little or no support from the others.  Inevitably, each would be swallowed up by vast numbers of howling tribesmen.

This last picture is symbolic of the problems that plagued the British commanders throughout the game.  Note the limbered artillery at the rear of the town.  What a difference it could have made.  But alas, the two young lieutenants found this out too late.  It cost them and their men their lives.

Despite the lopsidedness of the victory, everyone agreed that it was a fun game.  As the young commanders bounded off into the coolness of the evening to begin their vactions, one could hear talk of a rematch being requested.  That's always a good sign.

Unique Opportunity for MBMS Students: Military History Saturdays with Mr. Winser

Unique Opportunity for MBMS Students: Military History Saturdays with Mr. Winser




If your child has participated in a Military History in Miniature class with our very own Mr.Winser then you will be pleased to hear that MBAF is offering several Saturday Military History in Miniature workshops. The first two workshops will be held on Saturday March 10 and April 14 from 8:00-12:00 at MBMS, Room 213.



This class is open to students currently in grades 4-8 and can accommodate 6 students (grades 4-5) and 6 students (grades 6-8) for a total of 12 per class. Online registration with specific class content information and parent cost will be available as of February 15 at psmanhattan.org. (Click on the Military History Class link.) Enrollment is accepted on a first come basis, so please enroll online ASAP. There will be two subsequent Saturdays later in the spring, with information and enrollment to follow after Spring Break. For any questions, please contact Nancy Rosenburg, MBAF Program Director at 503-1771 or nsrosenb@aol.com. If this class is new to your child, then you have an exciting and unique opportunity to consider.

Pictures of Our RFandF game

Here are some pictures of our Regimental Fire and Fury game held on January 27, 2012 at Manhattan Beach Middle School.

The game gets started.  The Confederates on the left, the Yankees on the right.  The objective of the game was to gain control of the bridge seen in the upper middle of this picture.  Just click on the pictures to enlarge them.

This is from the Confederate left flank.  Hood's division, made up of crack troops, is taking on a larger number of green Union troops.  The South's rather aggressive tactics proved to be their undoing in the end.

On the Rebel right, the two sides came into conflict very quickly with the men in grey getting the upper hand.

A lonely rebel battery from Hood's division holds an intersection.

Hood's left flank is collapsing.

Towards the end of the battle, the Union had gained control of the bridge and thus secured the victory.

Unfortunately, our game was rather short.  But we did get familiar with the rules.  All 13 players felt like they were involved in the action and had a good time, so we considered the event a success.