Neil Thomas Horse & Musket Scenario 19: A Polemos Ruse de Guerre game

Okay, next one up is the "Blow From The Rear" Neil Thomas' One Hour Wargames scenario which is loosely based on the Battle of Krefeld (1758).  I think this is somewhat similar in feel to the previous scenario, with 'Red' (here, the British) counter-attack 'Blue', with the difference being that in the previous scenario Blue attacks whereas here everything happens against a 'stalled' Blue.

 

As in the previous few games of this series, I have been using Polemos Ruse de Guerre rather than the 'One Hour Wargame' rules themselves to fight out the action.

 

The Forces:

Franco-Jacobites:

6 bases of Foot, 1 base of Dragoons, 2 bases of Horse

British:

6 bases of Foot, 2 bases of Horse, 1 base of Artillery

The Franco-Jacobites are not permitted to cross the river.  3 units must be held in reserve and cannot move until turn 7.

The Set-Up:

The Franco-Jacobites in position, defending the line of the river with the reserves in the rear (bottom-right)

Foot and Horse block the main bridge

Foot and Dismounted Dragoons block the ford

Another perspective

And again: Clare's and Dillon's regiments guard the bridge

The Battle:

The British roll forward, bringing Foot and Guns up against the bridge; a single regiment demonstrates against the ford (top)

Another view of the British: Seymour's Marines and the 27th Foot

And the stand-off at the ford

The Jacobite Horse has re-deployed to meet the Scottish regiments advancing from an unexpected direction

Meanwhile, the British Horse rides hell-for-leather to attack the resting French reserves...

The Jacobite Horse and dismounted French Dragoons form a new line to protect the flank

But a spirited British bayonet charge conducted after a bloody musketry exchange sees off the French at the bridge

The British Horse rides down the French infantry before they can get properly organized!

The Irish regiments fight hard at the bridge and rout one of the British battalions, but the other continues its attempt to get forward

but the French reserves have been swept away

The position at this point in the battle

The British Horse reforms (left) and looks for the French flank...the remaining Irish regiment at the bridge continues to hold up the British...

and even push them back!

Accurate fire from the French Dragoons routs one of the Scots' battalions too...

But the Hanoverian general renews the attack on the bridge and finally sweeps away all resistance

And the charge of the British Horse (centre-left) scatters the Jacobite horse! the Franco-Jacobites are in utter confusion...

Game Notes: 

More good fun, but another disastrous affair for the Franco-Jacobites!  Again, although the fortunes of war in the tactical battles seemed quite even, the scenario set-up didn't seem to do them many favours...attacking the French reserves before they could move seemed obvious if it could be done - this is probably an area where Ruse de Guerre, which has relatively generous move distances, interacted poorly with the scenario which may have envisaged the reserves being almost impossible to reach in the OHW tactical rules - unsure on this point.

Figures by Baccus 6mm (as ever!)