Wednesday, June 23, 2010

AAR Bunker Hill 17 June 1775

Last sunday I and my friends played my Bunker Hill scenario for Black Powder. We were 7 participants all in all and it worked out as a realy good game. Here are some pictures from the game.

OOB

- The British -

Commander-in-Chief
• Major General William Howe

Brigadier General Pigott
• Converged British Light Battalion – 8 figures (small unit)
• Converged British Light Battalion – 8 figures (small unit)
• Converged British Grenadier Battalion – 18 figures (standard unit)
• Artillery – 2 guns, 6pdrs (no limbers)

• 5th Foot - 18 figures (standard unit)
• 38th Foot - 18 figures (standard unit)
• 43rd Foot - 18 figures (standard unit)

• 47th Foot - 18 figures (standard unit)
• 52th Foot - 18 figures (standard unit)
• 1st Marines - 18 figures (standard unit)


- The Americans -

Commander-in-Chief
• No overall commander was present during the battle.

Breed´s Hill - Colonel Prescott
• Massachusetts Militia, deployed in the Redoubt - 18 figures (standard unit)
• Massachusetts Militia, deployed in the Breastwork - 18 figures (standard unit)
• Riflemen, deployed in Charlestown - 6 figures (small unit)
• Riflemen, deployed in the Stone Barn - 6 figures (small unit)

Reinforcements – Colonel Stark
• New Hampshire Militia - 18 figures (standard unit)
• New Hampshire Militia - 18 figures (standard unit)
• Connecticut Militia - 18 figures (standard unit)
• Connecticut Militia - 18 figures (standard unit)
• Artillery – 1 gun, 3pdr with limber

The American orders was to hold the redupt and give the redcoats a real fight. The British orders was to disperse the rebells and capture the redupt.

Due to a shortage of propper sea transports the British force would arrive to Multons Point in 3 separate landing waves...

The British plan was simple: wait until all troops have landed and them make a frontal assault on the redaupt with the Light Infantry as a screan in front of the advancinge troops. Artillery supprot from the hill at Multons point. What could go wrong...


The star set-up.


The 1st wave of British troops.


Colonel Stark and the Militia reinforcements.


Colonel Starks reinforcements starting to deploy in support. The eager British flank companies don´t wait until all troops had arrived before they started there assault...but they got stuck in a conceald swamp in front of the rebel redupt....the shooting starts...


The British Grenadiers manage to get through the swamp in cover of the light infantry...they also start to recive sniper fire from Charlestown...the British respond by starting to bombard Charlestown from the navys ships...


Colonel Starks troops are in possition and the start to shoot at the advancing Rredcoats. The British 2nd wave have arrived but they also get stuk in the swamp... The British Grenadiers have had enough and charges and occupy the rebel fieldworks in a bloody cloase combat...

The naval bombardment have set Charlestown on fire and one unit of patriot rifle men are lost in the flames...


Inspired by the Grenadiers easy win a British line regiment charges the redupt...a long fight will start...at the same time the victorious Grenadiers are pinned down by militia musket fire...

The British artillery discover that they have brought the wrong ammo. and they can now only shoot at short range...


After 3 rounds of hard fighting at the redopt, 2 British Line Regiments brake and flee...


The Grenadiers are shoot to pieces by the Militia that recapture the field works...The British bring up the artillery to close range and start to shoot...


The British manage to make one last assault on the redoupt...


The assulting British Line Regiment are puched back but manage to breake the Rebells in the redupt and the British Light infantry catch the moment and occupy the redopt...

A pyrrhus victory for the British as they historical had some more Line Regiment as reinforcements...

4 comments:

  1. Very nice setup, pictures, and report. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thanks AD, glad to be of service:)

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  3. Thanks for the link Michael, I really enjoyed seeing this and seeing how simular our intial set-up of the game was. You have all the features of the terrain covered and looks like you had a bigger table than me, which is always good.

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    1. Hi Pat

      Hlagg you got the time to take a look. The simularities I suppouse are to the use of the Osprey book as a basic reference for the battle.

      Back then we had a 200x140cm table at the club, unfortunaly no longer...

      We hade a realy nice game, the rules worked out well and the commanders made their mistakes:) muchh due to not knowing the history of battle...and even so they made several dessions that was the same as their historical counterpart.

      But the terrain was nothing compared to your stunning game !

      Best regards Michael

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