The Battle of Chatham 1779 - An AWI Batrep

 

A few weekends ago we had two visitors to Rejects HQ, Phil Turner and Jenny Owens, who both had been wanting to come across to Kent to play a game of AWI for ages. It had to be AWI as Phil painted quite a few of the figures we played with.

Joining Phil and Jenny was myself,  BigLee and of course Postie.

Postie gave the command of both sides to our guests. Phil picked out the Americans, leaving Jenny with the British. Then it was Lee's turn to pick out the hat, he got the Americans, leaving me with the British.

OOB

Americans C/O Maj-Gen Washington

1st Brigade
1st Maryland 20 figs
2nd Maryland 16 figs
3rd Maryland  20 figs

Webbs Additional 24 figs

2nd Brigade

2nd Pennsylvania 16 figs

5th Pennsylvania 16 figs

7th Pennsylvania 12 figs

10th Pennsylvania  12 figs

Riflemen 16 figs

3rd Brigade

1st Rhode Island 16 figs

2nd Rhode Island 16 figs

Sherbourne's Additional 16 figs

Jacksons Additional 16 figs

4th Brigade

1st Pennsylvania Militia 16 figs

2nd New Hampshire Militia 16 figs

5th Brigade

2nd Light Dragoons 8 figs

British C/O Maj-Gen Clinton

1st Brigade

7th Fusiliers 16 figs

42nd Highlanders 24 figs

43rd Foot 16 figs

64 figs 16 figs

2nd Brigade

Combined Grenadiers 20 figs

Erbprinz Fusiliers 24 figs

von Mirbach Musketeers 24 figs

Jagers 16

3rd Brigade

Prince of Wales regt 20 figs

Volunteers of Ireland 20 figs

2nd Battalion New Jersey Volunteers 12

4th Brigade

17th Light Dragoons 12 figs

 

The set up

Being as my commander Jenny had never played the rules before, we had a little chat about the rules and trieds to come up with a battle plan.

We were told the two hills opposite our main lines had to be taken.

Trouble was the main American army were sitting on it!

Lee and Phil both look a little bemused?

Jenny had the right, I had the left. Our plan was for Jenny to push around our right flank and I would hold the centre and hope the Americans would come off the hill?

Some plan right???

Left of centre were more troops under Jenny's command, the 3rd Brigade.

During our chat, Jenny said that Phil could sometimes be a little gung ho?

She was right, Phil moved the units off the hill towards us, which immediately changed our plans

We moved our entire line forward.

Phil also moved around his left flank and Jenny moved her columns round as well.

I pushed my Jagers forward to take a shot at the Jagers.

Facing Jenny's 3rd Brigade were Lee's 2nd Brigade

Lee's 5th and 4th Brigade

Facing my 4th Brigade the 17th Light Dragoons

A big mistake from Lee, he changed into line and advanced towards my Dragoons!

There wasn't a lot of room for Jenny to attack, so she set up defensively.

Would Lee attack?

Regt Erbrinz

The Jagers and artillery open fire!

Lee moved over the Riflemen shooting at the New Jersey Volunteers

Lee charged and I countercharged

On the other flank, Phil and Jenny squared up to each other

2 British v 4 Americans

Phil's two units look a little isolated.

We both lost figures in the firefight, but Phil's unit ran.

Things were looking up

The Dragoon melee went my way. The Americans lost the first round and ran, but I caught them up.

Scattering them.

The Militia looks very inviting!

The 17th lost 3 figures in the melee, but captured their flag (hence the blue marker) As I'd fought 2 rounds of melee I was disordered (hence the yellow marker)

The whole table

As the Militia had seen a friendly unit destroyed they had to take a morale test, which they failed.

Back you go Lee!

I then initiated a charge on the other Militia, who immediately ran!

I didn't think I'd catch them, but I did!

The 42nd swapped fire with the Americans

On the right the 43rd were hit with a hard volley

The Volunteers of Ireland, their first ever out on the table top.

Gotta love the great flag too, from Flags of War

Jenny charged the 42nd........

The Americans are still on the hill.

After both units take heavy casualties the 43rd and their American counterpart both fall back.

Jenny smashes the enemy who rout backwards capturing their flag on their way.

My 17th Light Dragoons stand firm after defeating Lee's last Militia unit. This could cost the Americans dear. They were only small, but that's 2 destroyed American brigades!

I did mean to get a closer pic of Phil and Jenny, This is the best one I got.

A view across the table

Things are really going our way, Phil's earlier good dice throwing has clearly left him.

His unit on our right of the hill runs.

After losing the melee and losing their flag. Jenny is well in range for another charge next turn, and with any luck she'll hit them in the rear!!

Oh gawd. Somehow Jenny manages to rally the failing 43rd but fail a test on the 64th how retreat back.

But the 7th Fusiliers, advance towards the American gun.

Crap, Jenny was just out of command range with the 42nd, she had to throw a 2 or up on a D6.

The dice gods left her as she threw a 1.

The charge failed and so did their morale, they had to retreat.

Bang goes the charge in the rear on the hill!

Jenny moved closer the the American artillery, while the 64th foot are destroyed by musket fire.

Lee, Phil, Postie and Jenny

Its a very close game, & I've gotta go soon!!!

We seem to be pushing the Americans back as the Rifleman fail a morale test

And clear the slopes of the hill, but can we take the hills or have we done enough damage to force s retreat? 

Unfortunately it was time for me to go, I was under orders from SWMBO!

The next day I spoke to Postie and went round to see how the game ended and to take a few more photos.

They only managed to play one more turn and  it was pretty significant.

Jenny continued to move forward pushing the Americans back centre left.

And moved towards the hill again

But it looked pretty bleak for us on our right. Only the artillery stood now.

The Highlanders were going to charge the next turn

Lee standing firm

My Light Dragoons were heading back towards the bridge

Lee's view of the table

So who won?

The American casualties

The British casualties

The points chart

I knew we'd done well, but still didn't think we stood much of a chance. 

But we thrashed the Americans 28-8!!!

The Americans lost too many casualties and were forced to retreat. You can see how the points went our way in the chart above. I couldn't believe the difference, thinking it was a much closer game than I thought.

Well done to Postie, for another great game, Thank you to Phil and Jenny for attending the bash, I hope you both enjoyed it. I'm sure Jenny did, Phil maybe not so much. Apparently Jenny always beats him. 

I'm sure they'll becoming back for another game sometime soon.