15mm Battle of Quatre Bras 16th June 1815 - Shako II rules

 Everyone knows or has heard of the 100 days campaign culminating in the Battle of Waterloo. Quatre Bras one of two battles two days before Waterloo. Here is our refight. The scenario is from the rules with some modified units from Michael Hopper.

Napoleon had given Marshall Ney orders to cut the Nivelles-Namur road and push a wedge between the Anglo- Allied and Prussian armies.

Ney had little alternative but fight at Quatre Bras, due to the Allies already waiting for him there, and Ney was aware of the approaching Allied reinforcments, Ney had to take Quatre Bras quickly, and push North and then cut lines of communication between Wellington and Blucher.

A Dutch/ Belgian force under Perponcher, Brunswickers under the Duke of Brunswick and General Thomas Picton’s British Divisions deployed to defend the crossroads as best possible until Wellington’s reinforcements could arrive.

The game: The Anglo Allied plan was to re-inforce Bossu When Alten Arrives from Road by red dice, Push up to the stream with Brunswick and Pictons Divisions to hemn the French in to the South, making manouver difficult. The Guards would re-inforce Quatre Bras when they arrive. The Battlefield with Quatre Bras in the center. Bossu wood on the left of picture.

The white dice with red pips on and the purple dice are the Frontal Morale with mods. Staggers are shown as wounded/ routing figures on round bases and casualties are the square bases to rear of units with the casualties taken, touching the unit.

Army Deployments along with the French units still on the march to the battle

The Dutch / Belgians / Nassau occupying Bossu wood

Picton on the British left and Brunswickers in the center

Ney's French deployed

TURN 1: Today's fox gentlemen, the British artillery open the battle

Causing Casualties and staggers (Shaken).

The French start their advance, The Allies move toward the stream.

TURN 2: Alten's Hanoverian/ British march on from the Nivelles Road

Meanwhile the Allied right can see they will be taken the force of the French.

TURN3: The fight for Bossu wood ensues.

From the French side looking North

Foy's division marching towards Gemincourt, and allowing Pire's light cavalry to advance through.

TURN 4: lots of manouverings on the French side and lots of musketry from Bossu wood to zero effect!

TURN 5: sees Bossu under immense pressure from the French

The French attacked in line to shield other troops marching towards the Brunswickers in the center ground,.

The Brunswicker Avante Guard are the first unit to fall from short range grape shot.

Their flank is now compromised. And the second rate units are failing their morale tests.

The Brunwicker Lieb Regt, holding the stream are charged and the chargers are repulsed with two casualties.The white dice with poppy on (4) and the purple dice are the Frontal Morale with mods and the other dice are the random rolls.

The fighting for the woods is not great for the French! they are getting repulsed all along the line and the allies are holding their own!

End of turn 5 overview

TURN 6: The Guards under Cooke march on to the table and head straight for Quatre Bras and Wellington

Alten Division is reinforcing the Allied right to the rear of Bossu Wood

The Brunswick line are hit in the flank but, a light battalion help their comrades by counter charging the French.

Action in Bosso Wood as the French try and out flank the Dutch in the wood, but Perponcher had prepared his men well and they were making a fight of it!

The Division of Bachelu cross the stream and charge the unit if 2nd rate Hanoverian (this was a deployment error on my part) causing the second rate unit to fall back with 2 kills.

Fighting on the Allied left is intensifying

TURN 7: Kellerman's Cuirassiers arrive.

The Dutch still hold on desperately to Bossu, a year before the French were their allies.

The French are now trying to outflank the British left but it is taking time to get the village of Piraumont and deploy in force.

The French launch another assault against Picton's Scots in the center, but once again repulsed. This time the French battalion are killed to a man. 13 - 9.

A combined French assault overwhelms the Brunswicker Lieb Regt and destroys it. 10 - 4

Then another Brunswicker is destroyed in melee (the white flash shows a failed volley)8 - 2. This in turn causes a Divisional Morale check at the Command phase.

In Bossu Wood the French gain ground and kill two Dutch units

The Brunswicker Division becomes demoralised. Can the Guards arrive in time to bolster the center.

The French attach are going in un-coordinated in the center against Picton's lads, and they are repulsing them "in the same old style". 13 - 10

The French are Clearing the Bossu Wood, but it would appear to late, as Alten is deployed covering the wood and block the French route to the Nivelles Road

Bossu Wood

Alten finishing his deployment

Brunswick passed his Morale.

TURN 9: Brunswick Cavalry made a last ditch charge against a French column, supported by a unit from the wood. The melee broke the Infantry as it failed to form square and lost a casualty against Cavalry.

At this point we had to stop, due to time restraints of the hall. The French failed to get any of their objectives, as did the British, a tactical draw and probably the Guillotine for Marshall Ney.

A very tense enjoyable game

20mm East Africa 1939 - Abyssinia using Rapid Fire Rules

This was part of a fictional campaign where a British VIP's plane was shot down and a South African force was sent to recover them or the bodies. Set in pre-war 1939 in an area where the Bi-plane still ruled the sky and 2 pounder was the Queen of the battle.

The South African/Kings African Rifles were from Alan Patricks collection. All the Italians, Germans and Native forces were from mine.  

It is July 1939, The Nazi war machine is building in strength in Europe, having reclaimed the Rhineland and the rest of Europe is seeing military activity on Germany’s eastern border, and in Libya, North Africa. The Italian army is now secretly mobilising in Abyssinia and Eritrea since their invasion four years earlier.

British Intelligence in collaboration with the RAF has been flying photographic reconnaissance missions over North Africa coastal regions and Italian held East Africa. One Aircraft lost communication and is believed to have been shot down over Eritrea. On board was the new commanding officer of British forces in Africa, Brigadier General Sir Norman Averley Smythe-Jones and is now MIA.

A South African Infantry Brigade is moving North along the Sudanese/ Eritrean border making its way to Cairo, Egypt as part of a show of force against building Axis and Italian troops in Libya and surrounding countries. They have been assigned to send a force to search and recover all the occupants of the plane, dead or alive and to bring them back across the border and to Kassala with all intelligence and equipment from the wreckage.

The commander of this SA force is Lieutenant Colonel Alan Patrick. Here is what is to be his brigades first actions of World War II, which no one will hear about if he is successful.

A message has arrived at SA Brigade HQ from HQ Cairo:

From British High Command, Egypt.

An allied aircraft was reported to have been fired on and has crashed close to the village of Keru, Eritrea 50 miles into enemy territory. You are to base your main force at Kassala in Sudan and send a probing force into Eritrea, search and locate and passengers and important documents that are on board.

You will leave at 2300hrs under the cover of darkness and should arrive in the vicinity of Keru at approx 0300hrs. Search the area at first light which will be at 0500hrs. Locate aircraft and any survivors and dead and return to Kassala. There were 6 VIPs on board and 6 crew.

This is a very delicate situation as no aggression on the Axis part has yet to be proven. The safe and fast retrieval of all concerned is of prime importance. Being caught in enemy territory could have dire consequences, utmost secrecy & stealth is required by all involved.

Italian and local militia patrol the border, so pick a small mobile force and good luck.

The Saffas received  some intelligence that the crew were being held in a small border fort occupied by the National Guard. The Commonwealth forces were to enter from the Valley to the right.
 

Mounted rifle scouts to the fore.

But as always in heroic films, they had not envisiged an Italian column coming from the north to collect the lost crew/ prisoners.  

Situation, end of turn 1, lead elements spotted each other, but the Italians thought the scout as locals.

Turn 2: The Italians now realise the scout are not locals and dismount to hold them up. As the column enters the valley Tanks are visible ( don't giggle, they're armoured units)
 

The noise of the Marmons wake up some unfriendly local Abyssinian tribesmen, which the Saffas have to deal with before moving on to their objective. 

Turn 3 : The SA/KAR scout ACs move on and leave the infantry to chase off the locals.
 

The Column is getting longer and this worries the CO of the SA/KAR. one af the SA ACs becomes the first casualty. 

It's not looking good for the SA/KAR as a bus load of German Soldiers of the newly formed German Expeditionary Force turn up for the same thing the SA's are after.
 

They Mounted KAR scouts are killed to a man. The Boyes AT Rifle causes a Light Damage on the L6 
 

Turn 5: The local Abyssinian tribe rout (eventually). The SA/ KAR can move in force on the fort. 

They take another hit to an AC on the way, from a German AT Rifle and lose a transport to infantry fire. There is a race for the fort.
 

Turn 6: At the beginning of the game the SA/KAR stated what turn they required air support (they chose turn 5 which it failed and was delayed one turn). The Italian had to roll two D6 and rolled 6. Ooops!
 

View form the fort. Neither the SA/KAR of the Axis force knew who the fort was occupied by, friendly or not and to whom would they ally? The first Italian scout trike was allowed in, looked ominous for the Allies. 

From the fort, which was purchased from Andy Grub @ Grubby Tanks. 

The Column plods on through another village. 

The SA/KAR 2 pounders are having a Turkey Shoot. 

Turn 7 : Lots of firing above but missing. 

Some Italian Colonial Infantry debus to aid the Germans. 

Could only fire at short range this turn.  

All getting to close quarters. The SA/KAR then realised if they stay in their transports, the transports become target and they have no means of getting away, so they start to debus troops. 

Italians transports going up too!  

Turn 8 : Guess who are still up their above missing each other.

The Italian troops are making for the safety of the fort.

 As it was the last game turn of the evening. It turns out that the crew and VIPs escaped the night before, for campaign purposes. What was left of the SA/KAR made a fight withdrawal and back into the valley. MEANWHILE UPSTAIRS:  still never actually hit each or drove the other off!