Last Sunday morning saw a change of pods down BIG for day two of En Avant II, and a change of tables. My third opponent at the event was Joe with his mixed force of Kings German Legion 2nd Light Battalion and 52nd Light Infantry (he did cause me some heart palpitations when he started laying out his troops as I thought the KGL were 95th Rifles!)
This scenario was set in the small town of Villa Cojones where the Honourable Miss Ophellia Knutts had been enjoying collecting flora and fauna from the area before the French forces invested the valley. The French commander believed that Miss Knutts had found plants that would provide the elixir of youth so despatched my Italians to either seduce her and persuade her to come with them, or just drag her back to French lines. Joe's Anglo-German force was tasked with finding her first. Unfortunately neither of us knew where in the wonderful Charlie Foxtrot MDF town she was residing...
For this battle I decided to utilise more groups of skirmishers but forgot my cunning plan to use them like Carole had done the previous day! They also didn't check the windmill for the errant Englishwoman which is where I would have put her if I had designed the scenario! :D
As the Italian Volteggiatori moved towards the village the English light infantry were already clambering over the walls of houses in their search for Ophellia Knutts...
A clatter of hooves saw the Italian Cacciatore a Cavallo canter into the town square. Whilst they could not search buildings(!) I was hoping they would prove a distraction to the British and their speed allow them to take any opportunities that might occur...
Smashing down a door, the English light infantry searched the first building for the Englishwoman...
Whilst other Light Infantry skirmishers from the 52nd moved swiftly towards the monastery...
And the King's German Legion deployed outside the village after their early morning breakfast bratwurst!
The Italian light infantry Volteggiatori moved into the village picking a central building to search...
Whilst the line Volteggiatori followed them...
And two groups of Fucilieri brought up the rear.
The British Lights checked the upstairs rooms...
With the light infantry Volteggiatori demanded entrance to another building... Aprimi!
And two groups of line Volteggiatori knocked politely on the door of the house opposite. Scusi?
Another formation of Volteggiatori entered a third building but found no sign of Miss Knutts. Where was she?
The English Lights moved up the side of the town towards the monastery entrance and its granary.
Another fruitless search! Come out come out Ophellia Knutts, wherever you are...
Spotting the Germans outside the town the Fucilieri moved up to provide support to the searching Volteggiatori.
The light infantry Volteggiatori searched another building without success. Was the intelligence correct? Was this the right village?!
The English kicked in the door to the monastery (heretics!)
But there was no sign of Ophellia within (or any sacramental wine...).
The Volteggiatori cleared another building. Where was this blasted woman?!!
Their early morning bratwurst having lead to a confused strange deployment in line, the KGL decided to form a column so they could actually move between the buildings and enter the town!
Another floor was cleared, another fruitless search...
Then a cry of "Ecco!" The Volteggiatori at last discovered the hidden Miss Ophellia Knutts!
Somewhat surprised at the sight of thirteen handsome burly Italians bursting into her room, Ophellia fired a hidden pistol at the Italian Sergente! Mamma Mia! Fortunately she missed and her bullet buried itself in the MDF wall!
To this point there had not been any actual fighting between the British and Italians but Miss Knutt's pistol discharge was to change all that!
One group of light infantry Volteggiatori fired at the enemy Light Skirmishers from the balcony of the building they had been searching killing one Englishmen.
Whilst elsewhere in the village another group of Lights opened fire into the flank of the Italian cavalry...
Killing one and piling double Shock on them! Oddio!
Their breakfast bratwurst now settled comfortably in their stomachs, the King's Germans moved into the town.
Whilst the Fucilieri swung around to protect the Italian left flank from the enemy...
Only being a non-commissioned officer and therefore unable to seduce the Englishwoman, the Volteggiatori Sergente prodded Ophellia Knutts in a delicate place with his bayonet and pointed her towards the exit.
Suddenly British troops began to pour into the village square with the German column supported by skirmishers of the 52nd Light Infantry...
They opened fire on the Cacciatore a Cavallo killing another two cavalrymen. At this point I was starting to wonder what kind of fool brings cavalry to a town fight...
Hearing the musket fire the third group of Volteggiatori ran down the stairs to the ground floor of the building they had fruitlessly searched and headed for the exit.
Meanwhile the British sneaked along the edge of the town, outflanking the Italian force and their prize!
The line Volteggiatori exited the building they had searched and were ordered to cover the Italian flank and their potentially vulnerable deployment point.
Meanwhile the light infantry Volteggiatori kept firing at the enemy Skirmishers in the square killing another and inflicting Shock on the Englishmen.
Sensing an opportunity the Cacciatore a Cavallo cantered across the village square towards the reeling enemy Skirmishers...
Whilst Ophellia Knutts exited her refuge escorted by the Volteggiatori with their sharp bayonets.
With the KGL and enemy skirmishers pouring into the square all that was protecting the Volteggiatori and their prisoner was a battered unit of cavalry and one group of Volteggiatori shooting from a balcony.
Trying to stop the British turning the Italian flank the Fucilieri opened fire on the enemy skirmishers inflicting two points of Shock on them.
Under cover of the gunfire the Volteggiatori and their captive put a spurt on and rushed towards the safety of their deployment point.
With the English Lights losing another man to the Volteggiatori on the balcony the Cacciatore a Cavallo decided to do what cavalry do and attempt to charge down the enemy to their front!
The Lights tried to evade the cavalry charge but were unsuccessful...
And two redcoats fell to the flashing sabres of the Italian cavalry...
The survivors broke and fled the battlefield!
Meanwhile on the other side of town another group of Light skirmishers moved swiftly towards the windmill to cut off the retreating Volteggiatori and Ophellia...
In the town square the second group of light infantry Volteggiatori exited the ground floor and joined their comrades in firing at the advancing British...
More English skirmishers fell dead and their Group accumulated Shock.
The Englishmen heading to the windmill suddenly found themselves under fire from Italian Volteggiatori, taking double Shock after being hit in the flank and leaving one man lying dead on the ground.
Not that it mattered as the Volteggiatori with Miss Ophellia Knutts reached the safety of their deployment point, handing her over to their French allies who immediately whisked her off to head-quarters and a date with the French general!
A fun game with Joe over some wonderful terrain (thanks to Leigh for letting us play in and around his buildings), for once everything worked as planned this time, even the cavalry who had their moment of glory!
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