After lunch the second game of day one at So Glorious A War saw Jenny and myself face up against Carol and Lloyd's 'scruffy' French! This time we had to not only halt the enemy advance but also rescue some farm workers from the inevitable Gallic depredations that would befall them if captured...
"Of all the world's brave heroes, there's none that can compare..." Jenny's noble Grenadiers marched forth to rescue the farmhands and stop the French. Huzzah!
Boo! Some 'scruffy' French sneaked across the valley towards the farm...
Whilst more of their 'scruffy' comrades skulked in the woods. One appears to be partially undressed for reasons unknown but we can suspect...
A group of Grenadier skirmishers then arrived to sort out the 'scruffy' rapscallions...
Who sneaked into and hid behind some rocks, opening fire on the advancing Grenadier column...
The hidden marksmen's fire felled two brave Grenadiers and put Shock on their colleagues.
However the farmhands took the opportunity to run for cover, screened by the Grenadier advance!
The French had obviously been practising their musket fire as two Grenadier skirmishers also fell to enemy fire!
A group of Marylander Provincial skirmishers moved swiftly to the farmstead and took up position to engage the advancing French.
The Grenadier column snapped into line to try and pry the 'scruffy' French out of the rocks (the groups are only separate due to problems of gravity on the hill slope and non-magnetised bases!) :D
More Maryland skirmishers arrived to support the Grenadier skirmishers against the threat to their front...
Whilst their colleagues at the farm opened up on the French in the rocks inflicting some Shock.
The Grenadier line advanced on and fired into the rocks killing one Frenchmen and adding to their their Shock. Unfortunately more 'scruffy' Frenchmen were arriving behind...
But so were more British Grenadier skirmishers who passed the farmhands running for safety.
Unfortunately the French fire against the Grenadier line was proving incredibly effective with seven of the brave redcoats now having fallen in battle.
The 'scruffy' French fired into them once again...
And then it was ten men down!
Jenny dressed the Grenadier ranks combining the groups into one, but the combined Shock was an issue reducing their return fire by two dice.
Fortunately for the British the Lower Counties Provincials then arrived on the field of battle.
However more 'scruffy' French (with a 'smart' officer) were to their front...
And were shooting down Marylander skirmishers with stunning accuracy!
Another volley killed more of the Provincial skirmishers and wounded their leader who was knocked unconscious!
The second group of Grenadier skirmishers moved forward to engage the French shooting at the Grenadier line....
Whilst the Marylanders at the farm continued their musket fire...
Forcing one group of 'scruffy' French to run towards the rear.
However this was not without cost as their leader was killed in the exchange!
The Lower Counties Provincials formed into line and fired a volley at the French hiding in the woods to their front...
Whilst this caused some Shock it was not very effective and the French returned fire...
Killing four of the Delaware boys and their commander - the third leader I had lost in this battle!!! (I had concluded by this stage the French had equipped their troops with FR F2 sniper rifles!)
In the valley the 'scruffy' French deployed into some semblance of a line and fired again at the Grenadiers...
Who by now had almost been wiped out.
The first group of Grenadier skirmishers, now down to half strength, decided to fix bayonets and go down in a blaze of glory, charging a weakened unit of French...
Who they wiped out, leaving their wounded leader wandering aimlessly around the field of battle.
Another group of French shot into the Grenadiers flank forcing them to fall back towards the French table edge...
And the French deployment point!
Unfortunately in a moment of stupidity (well I was playing the Provincials so I must have been in character!) I joked that they had almost retreated onto the enemy deployment point and captured it!
Apparently this was Jenny's cunning (last ditch) plan and I had blurted it out to the enemy - who turned their guns on the Grenadiers and wiped them out! :-(
Hopefully she will forgive me one day...
A final French volley into the Lower Counties Provincials forced them back and saw the British Force Morale hit zero, handing victory to the enemy...
Another good game, though despite rescuing the farmhands the withering fire of the 'scruffy' French inflicted a crushing military defeat on the Anglo-Americans, made all the worse by the Provincial commander's faux pas that ensured the battlefield glory was all Gallic!
It was a very tense and close game. There was clearly a French spy amongst the Provincial Militia ranks.
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