Following the reorganisation of 1809 each regiment consisted of two battalions of 770 men nominal strength. Few on campaign came anywhere near that number.
Portuguese uniforms conformed by and large with those of their British ally, but they kept their distinctive blue coatees and their distinctive shoulder straps.
Grey trousers in the British style were normally used on campaign although the bue breeches and high black gaiters were still the “official” uniform.
The Portuguese Army was completely re-organized and trained from 1808 by British Officers and NCO under the command of William Beresford. They soon became extremely reliable troops capapble of operating in mixed divisions with British units.
The Cacadores were the light troops equivalent of the British riflemen, French Chasseurs a pied, and German Jaeger. some were armed with the Baker rifle others with muskets.
The basic brown unifrom had different facings decorations according to the unit, and the exact cut seems to have varied as contemporary illustrations and surviving uniforms attest.
Finally having finished the Portuguese artillery train some time ago I am now up to finishing off the rest of the infantry for Sharpe Practice.
The next three blogs will cover the cacadore, and the 11th and 21st infantry regiments.
Time for our monthly get together, this time at Blake’s place for WAT. We love this system as it allows us to have fun, catch up, talk rubbish, drink grog and play a game all at the same time. Given our collective concentration span is that of a gnat, that’s not a bad accolade for a game system.
Blake has an excellent collection for the Anzio and Italian campaigns and has built terrain to suit.
The scenario was a British attack on a Sicilian village. The victory conditions were asymetrical with the British requiring to have the only tank within 12 inches of the village fountain and the Italians to destroy all British tanks. Each side was unaware of the others victory conditions. Only four tanks were allowed per side on the table at any one time with predetermined reiforcements arriving once a tank had been destroyed.
A British Achilles tank destroyer and a Churchill approach the centre of the village.
A second M10 protects their flank.
Meanwhile a second Churchill is still back at the departure point trying to get their engine started.
An M10 protecting the fountain and the centre crossroads.
The M10 has been forced back by several non penetrating hits from a Semnovente assault gun and the Fiat who has no advanced and is trying to get a side armour shot.
A second Fiat tries to shoot through a bulding at the M10 protecting the British right flank but misses. AND STILL the second Churchill cannot get their engine started!
Getting sick and tired of the stalemate the M10 turns around and takes out the Fiat and then……..
Another one!
A third fiat that had already missed a close range side shot moves forward.
With the other British tanks seemingly stopped for “TEA” the M10 takes out a Semnovente assault gun reinforcement. You can see all of his handiwork in the one picture (says a very smug author!).
The Fiat decides to rush past the M10 to try and get a side armour shot, but misses…….AGAIN!
With this budding tank ACE you don’t get any second chances.
A loud rumbling is heard in the distance as a Tiger tank from the Herman Goerring Division arrives on table.
The situation nearing the end of the game with the Churchill just beginning to move; the second Churchill taking out a Semnovente assault gun; and Italian wrecks burning everywhere.
The second M10 now partially crippled puts itself in harms way of the Tiger by threatening its flank. This would force the Tiger to concentrate on it, as although crippled, a short range shot could take the Tiger out.
With a Churchill in the fountain square the British achieve victory.
It is easy for me to say it was a fun game as my M10 destroyed four Italian tanks and my Churchill destroyed the other and finally took the fountain square. My compatriot, Steve, was there for comic relief as his Churchill couldn’t move and his M10 was being beat up by Fiats, and I don’t mean tanks!!!
We did have a second game, but both of us and our crews had been downgraded to Valentine and Crusader tanks for thinking that the town fountain could do with a bit more liquid. Steve was able to redeem himself, but other than a lucky long range shot, first turn of the game, I couldn’t hit anything, including a point blank range side armour shot! Not even naval fire support from a Cruiser and a Destroyer could turn the tide in our favour, with John expertly driving his Stug in between naval salvos avoiding the lot!
The Italians received a minor victory, finally destroying 2 tanks and forcing one to retreat off table.
Another great day catching up with mates and having two great WAT games.
Oops, sorry got it wrong. That would have to be a Danish Heavy dragoon!
The Holstein regiment differs very little from the Jutland regiment described yesterday with the exception of the shako and white plume.
This is my first ever battle report/review of a board game.
Last night the Phillip Island Gaming Society took a change from tradition and played a new board game that “magically” appeared in Buckos letter box. Being a Plains Indian Wars fanatic it was of course Custers Last Stand. Our rule is if you are the host you choose the game and so we waited with bated breath as Bucko ranted on about the rules and gave us a history lesson to boot. Yeah yeah we know……… the Indians won.
Immortalised on the Silver Screen by the movie “They died with their boots on”, the Battle of the Little Big Horn provided fame to a man who up to that point in time, was otherwise, a rather banal Union Cavalry General. Albeit one with overt political aspirations.
“Major General George Armstrong Custer. 23 year old General, Bold Cavalry Commander, and Hero of the Civil War. Wild, Unpredictable, Ambitious. Fast forward 11 years: Suspended, Reduced in rank, returning to command the 7th Cavalry in one more battle, potential presidential candidate. Looking for a fight and a return to glory.
Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and the Sioux nation will give him his fight, and in some ways his glory”…. from the advertising blurb of:
This is an old school hex and counter war game from Worthington Publishing that includes 2 full complete games in one box. Both game maps are hard mounted, front and back on one large game board. Both are playable in under two hours. Both are for 2 players but are solitaire friendly. Both are complete games unto themselves yet use the same basic rule system. Everyone knows about the Little Big Horn battle. The battle of Rosebud Creek was its prelude, just as big, and may have prevented troopers from reaching Custer.
Reno’s cavalry move towards the Indian camps at the top left and Custer’s contingent enter the battle on the bottom left.
Reno has engaged the Indian warriors, whilst Custer is approaching “last stand hill”, on his way to cutting off the fleeing women and children. Cheyenne warriors are about to cross the Little Big Horn river to intercept.
Custer breaks through the Cheyenne on the way to complete his out-flanking move.
Bentine is coming up to support Reno, who has dismounted (blue markers) in the face of Indian attacks. It was at this stage that the Reno player was heard to make a very politically incorrect statement about wanting to attack the Indian villages rather than their warriors, that for reasons of common decency will not be repeated here.
We also made the same act in character by taking a sip from his glass of Cabernet Sauvignon before each of his moves. Hardly a swig of whisky from a hip flask but we improvised as best we could. I had to keep an eye on this as he was my ride home!
Having dispersed the Cheyenne and causing their chief “Two Moons” to retreat, Custer is about to cross the Little Big Horn and threaten the fleeing Indian Villagers. It was now turn ten and the 7th Cavalry had reached the trigger point of 13 Victory Points to end the game.
How did this differ from the “real” battle? The major difference was that Custer did not split his forces along last stand hill. He also did not stop waiting for Bentine’s arrival, but kept on with his original plan of getting behind the fleeing villages. His concentration of forces made it fairly easy to deal with Two Moon’s Cheyenne blocking force. Reno dismounted to fight and was able to hold off the Indian tribes starting to surround him. Most of Reno’s losses in the real battle were in the mounted retreat back to Reno Hill.
In addition Bentine decided to ignore his conflicting orders from Custer and move towards the sounds of gunfire near the Indian village. In otherwords gamers who know their history generally do not make the same historical mistakes.
The First Nations tribes are activated each turn in a random manner, making it difficult for the Indian player to coordinate attacks. Also another game mechanic (I assume for play balance) does not allow the Indians of one tribe to support those of another.
An owl, or several, must have passed over the Indian encampment the night before the battles as Bucko (as normal) had no luck with dice rolling or which tribes were activated. He continually had the smaller tribes activate making it difficult to launch a major attack.
As a game “Custers Last Stand” was great fun to play, it was historical enough to get the feel of re-fighting the Little Big Horn, but the changes required to make the game balanced took something away from history. Saying that who wants to play a game that is so one-sided it is no fun – NOT me. As Custer, I felt I couldn’t lose – I either died an ignomous death on Last Stand Hill and achieved immortality, or achieved a glorious victory, ran for the Presidency, succeded and was assasinated by a First Nations Baltimore failed actor.
*The first line of the Irish Jig “Garryowen” which was the marching song of the 7th Cavalry.
The word garryowen is derived from the Irish proper name Eóin and the word for garden garrai – thus “Eóin’s Garden.
Irish literature records “Owen’s garden was a general rendezvous for those who sought simple pleasure and amusement. The elderly drank together under the shade of trees and the young played at ball, goal, or other athletic activities on the green; while a few lingered in the near-by hedge-rows with their fair acquaintances”.
As a marching cadence it has become, to Native Americans what, “Deutschland Uber Alles” is to Jews, a hated reminder of the evil past.
It was played at the battle of the Washita in Western Oklahoma in 1868 where Custer and 700 men of the 7th Cavalry crept up on an unsuspecting native American village and played “Garryowen” to signal the start of the battle before plunging into the village and destroying everything and everybody around them. Up to 100 men, women, and children were massacred.
The song is now banned.
The German state of Wurzburg was established as a Bishopric in AD 741 and the bishops ruled it until it was secularized, and in 1803 was granted to Bavaria.
When the state joined the Confederation of the Rhine the French uniform was adopted. In 1809 the Infantry wore white uniforms with red facings.
The artillery detachment, shown here, wore the infantry uniform in grey-brown, including waistcoat and breeches, with red facings, and black Bavarian style helmet (later shako) with red plume.
I am not sure how I ended up with these, or if I will ever use them, but at least they are now touched and re-based. Unfortunately some of the photos are a bit sub standard.
Suchet Marechate Duc d’Alburtera & Aide de Campe
French People’s Representative
French Surgeon
French Trumpeter Train D’Artillery Garde Inmperiale
Officer 7th Chasseurs Aide to Divisional General
French Revolutionary Officer
Junot Duc D’Abrantes Colonel General of Hussars
Officer D’Ordonnance D’ Le’ Empereur 1813
As I said an eclectic group. I particularly like Suchet’s aide shooting his pistol, and the Revolutionary Officer. As I said not sure if they will ever get used but they are out of the box, dusted off and on the shelf.
April is a famous month as we celebrate……………
It was also another productive month as I completed the following:
Behind the scenes I have been working on some New Years Resolutions projects which are not quite ready to reveal. Maybe next week if all goes well. These include about half of my Infinity Nomad Army, Test of Honour Chobei and his renegades, Old school 40k Eldar Fire Dragons, Pulp fiction characters, Japanese metal Ronin and some Japanese peasants.
There were also four battle reports and a couple of works-in-progress posts (Australian Light Horse, and French Musketeers), and a mammoth 37 posts in total. A number of projects have been ticked off, so I am pretty pleased with the month.
I received a number of comments from regular readers, and a large number of personal emails from friends and family regarding my off-topic post “Lest we Forget”. This was both very pleasing and sobering. It was also a timely reminder that my own children, grandchildren, and three great grandchildren were not aware of some of our family legacy, and this I have promised myself that I will rectify before it is too late.
The artillery wore an infantry style uniform with dark blue facings and breeches with yellow buttons. Both foot and horse batteries wore the same uniform.
The gun carriages and limbers were painted a reddish brown with yellow metal.
