Sunday 18 December 2016

The Battle of Springfield June 1780

This one was fought at Graham's war-games shed last week with Steve C and I playing the part of the Americans and Graham the British.
The shed !


Steve C posing behind the battlefield

We used British Grenadier rules and the scenario was taken from the BG Scenarios booklet No.4

The Americans are on the left and British t'other side of the Rahway River

This is Dickinson's Americans on high ground extreme right of the American line
 These are Col. Israel Angell's troops

The British are trying to force there way across two crossings - this is the bridge on the road to Springfield. Wurmb & Lossberg's Germans supported by 17th Light Dragoons plus artillery.

Here's a troop of 17th ...

Hessian columns press forwards

These are Nathaniel Heard's men, behind Lee's men guarding the approach to the second bridge on the American left flank.

Speaking of Lee, here's his infantry

This is what is facing him - Howard's Guard battalions, Skinner's New Jersey Volunteers & Simcoe's Queen's Rangers.

With RA support

Graham urges his Hessians to get a move on and attack the bridge

Lt. Gen. Knyhausen can be seen on the high ground waving them on !

Civilians by the church begin to feel a bit nervous !

Angell's men wait for the British to try and cross the river

Jaegers lead the way to the river bank

The head of the column gets to the bridge

Skirmishers out front

The same is happening at the other end of the battlefield where Lee's Legion snipe at the enemy

Jaegers exchange fire

Rashly, the 17th Light Dragoons had lined the river bank and promptly lost casualties due to enemy artillery fire - they have to retire.

The Jaegers are across

as others provide supporting fire

Infantry in column on the bridge

Meanwhile, the first of Maxwell's New Jersey troops arrive on the Springfield Road

Steve C has Lee's men engage in a fire fight with the enemy troops crossing the bridge

 Lossberg does not have this problem because Angell has kept his men back

The British skirmishers fan out ahead of Howard & Simcoe's columns with Lee contesting every inch of ground

Its pretty hot at the bridge !

The Royal Artillery add their supporting fire

Over on the American right, Lossberg has his first regiment across screened by the Jaegers

Still Angell stands and waits, just his artillery firing towards the enemy

The British are now crossing the other bridge, despite Lee's efforts.

The Hessians deploy into line as more of Maxwell's men arrive on the road facing them

The British attempt to charge Lee's New Jerseymen

and the light infantry have fanned out between their flank and the woods

But they get chased by Lee's cavalry into the woods !

Weight of numbers show over on Lee's bridge.

The Jaegers facing Angell move steadily forwards

This is the view from the head of Maxwell's column - determined Hessians.

The civilians by the church have still not moved !

Another charge over on our left by the British

At last Heard is committing his men to the fight, just behind Lee's cavalry

Who have missed Queen's Rangers cavalry crossing the river to assist their infantry in the fight

Another view of the steady Hessian lines

now turning to face Angell full on.

The second unit of Jaegers has waded the river, watched by British regulars

Maxwell hurries his men forward to protect Angell's flank

as Dickinson's men arrive on the other side of Angell's force.

Maxwell's men fire a volley

Lee's cavalry retire as the infantry slog it out

The Queen's Rangers horse have retired after throwing back one of Heard's regiments

The British foot hold on the American side of the river is growing

These troops of Heard are out of the fight and skulking behind the lines !

Now the British light infantry emerge from the woods

faced by just a hand full of American skirmishers

Jaegers and American skirmishers exchange fire on the river line right of the Amewrican line.

Can't see Lee holding these forces for much longer.

British and Loyalist troops are now streaming across the bridges

unhindered

Lee is charged again

and defeats the foremost British unit !

But on the other side, Maxwell's troops have charged Lossberg's and lost

They are thrown back in confusion and the road to Springfield is open !

At this point, the Americans concede as Lee does not wish to be stranded alone and as for Dickinson, well he managed to hardly get involved at all, so could retreat with his force intact, leaving poor Angell in deep trouble.

A clear British/Hessian/Loyalist victory.

1 comment:

  1. Good report of a game that looked good and proved great fun. Superb figures and terrain.

    ReplyDelete

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