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.