3 June 1430: "Captain that path to the left..."

IR13 moved quickly down the road, still thick woods on either side. Any question of how long the enemy would wait before opening up was dispelled with a loud crack. Xavier watched in horror as he saw a single shell speeding down the lane, heading straight for him. Before he could react the shell was past, and he could actually feel the displacement of air. There was a loud crash behind him followed by screams and raining debris. One of his troopers had been thrown to the ground and his horse on the ground struggling to get up, minus one leg. Luckily the trooper appeared unhurt. Further back tow infantrymen from A Company were down, the whole column stopped and cowering.

Maj Shay of A company and his other officers were shouting for them to get up and press on. They arose unsteadily shouldered arms and stumbled forward amidst the shouts and blows of their officers. Another shell crashed in the trees off just off the road.

Xavier called for the dismounted trooper to fall back and spurred his horse forward. He noticed the trees beginning to thin out on both sides of the road and a small trail heading off to the left. Another shell exploded amongst the trees twenty meters ahead, more debris and splinters rained around them. Soon enough the Freedonians would find the range and they’d be for it.

“Corporal Agarn, take that trail to the left and see how far up it goes. Hurry!” Agarn looked at him with wild eyes, no doubt distressed at the notion of scouting out alone. The trail was fairly narrow and he quickly dismounted grabbed his carbine and tied up his horse in the lee of a thick tree. With a quick glance back at his captain he sped off down the trail.

Another shell passed over head and exploded down the trail behind him. More screams and shouts. Xavier felt his vulnerability keenly mounted atop his horse. He dismounted and left his horse with Private Deets, pressing forward on foot and keeping to the side. At this point he was the lead man in the entire attack. Next came the angry buzzing of rifle fire. Skirmishers up ahead somewhere. Still about 300 yard to go until they reached the opening of the field.

A company was moving at the quick step. Behind them was stacked up the rest of the battalion. The troops realized that they could not back up as they would be stuck in a mass with shells crashing into them. Moving forward as quickly as possible was the only way out of this mess. It occurred to Xavier that the trail off to the left might be away out of this mess. He held up as A company trotted by, Major Shay stopping for a moment to confer.

“Captain, that path to the left…”

“Sir, I’ve sent a man to check it out, I am going after him, it may be a way to flank this deadly lane.”

“Go on Man, Quickly”, said the Major. “We must press forward!” He ran off to catch up to the head of the column, cursing at his mean to press on. Xavier ran off along the narrow path. It ran perpendicular to Atwater, then opened into a small field. He turned right and parallel the lane, following where the tall grass had been beaten down by Agarn’s route. He sped ahead eventually catching up to the trooper. Off to his right here could hear rising musketry.

“Sir, look here”, Agarn pointed ahead. Through the trees, perhaps 150 yards ahead they could see sunlight, an opening, running forward they made out his was quite a large grassy hill.

“Corporal , I’m going back to tell the commander. Push forward a little more to the left to ensure there are no snags and see if we can get a company through here. The undergrowth does not look to bad. Then come back here, and be careful!”

“Aye, Sir.” Xavier patted him on the shoulder and then sped back the way he came.

He had just made it to the clearing when a fusillade of shots opened up and he threw himself to the ground. A head of him, a line of Jaegers were rapidly reloading. “For God’s sake cease fire! I’m on your side!” He had run into the flankers. Furious he called over the Sergeant. “Damn you Sergeant, can you not tell the difference between friend and foe?”

“Sorry Sir”, the Jaeger Sergeant said sheepishly, “We did not know there were friendlies ahead of us.”

Well I have another man ahead of us, so be careful. Now listen. There may be a way through here to flank the enemy. Push forward until you find my man, Agarn and hold with him, Leave a few men over here at the head of this path and I will bring forward reinforcement, the have your men guide them into position. Understand?”

“Yes Sir!”

Xavier sped back down the path t Atwater trail. The sound of heavy fire told him that A company had reached the clearing. The rest of the battalion was still moving forward along the road. With a look of relief Deets handed him his reign. “Deets remain here to mark the entrance of this path.”

He headed back down the Atwater trail looking for the battalion commander. He found the Colonel about one hundred years back down the road. Colonel von Tripp sat impassively on his horse as his men passed by, looking impassively at the column, a single finger running across his thin moustache.

“Sir, Captain Xavier reporting”. He Saluted. Von Tripp merely looked over to him, annoyed  as if he had been disturbed in deep thought.

“Captain aren’t your dragoons supposed to be back at the intersection?”

“They are. Sir. I took a few men to scout the column forward along this trail. Sir I have found a potential was to flank the enemy. There’s a path off to the left just up there,” he pointed, “where my man is. It’s a narrow path but opens up and eventually we can make our way to te field ahead and perhaps attack the enemy on a broader front, or even flank them.”  

GM NOTE:

At this point the Red commander is emailed this vignette:

A Company coming off the trail and onto the field

Your battalion is pushing up Atwater Trail from Bethmour, quickly moving forward in a compact march column. Eventually  the road beds and ahead is a thousand yard straight section which leads to the open field. A single enemy cannon begins firing down e trail and A company begins taking casualties. The officers spur the men forward since they cannot back up without causing a deadly road jam. Order begins to break down as everyone frantically wants to press forward while shells scream down the road, some impacting amongst the troops, others hitting the trees raining deadly splinters around them.  As confusion increases the pace slows, but eventually A company gains the opening and begins to deploy amongst heavy firing.

You are about three hundred meters from the opening, contemplating how to push  forward quicker, when Captain Xavier of the Dragoons gallops up from the front of the column. You are annoyed to note that he is carrying a carbine in one hand it looks quite wild with excitement. Neither of these things, you find particularly becoming of an officers.

"Sir, Captain Xavier reporting”. He salutes. You looked over to him, trying to figure out why he is approaching form the front of the column where the dragoons should still be back at the intersection..

“Captain aren’t your dragoons supposed to be back at the intersection?”

“They are. Sir. I took a few men to scout the column forward along this trail. Sir I have found a potential was to flank the enemy. There’s a path off to the left just up there,” he pointed, “where my man is. It’s a narrow path but opens up and eventually we can make our way to the field ahead and perhaps attack the enemy on a broader front, or even flank them.” 

GM Adds: Again, you are about three hundred yards from the opening of the field. A Company is already in general action in the field and B Company is coming up behind them followed by the Grenadiers. There is a delay in getting the battalion up the trail and into the field where it can deploy. So your companies are being fed in piecemeal. What do you tell the Captain?

The red commander emails me back: I send a message to the Grenadier commander.  You are to follow Captain Xavier up the side trail and flank and attack the enemy. This mission is high priority so do not waste any time. C company will be assigned to you as well and you may do with them what you see fit as long as they are used to help in the attack.
I call the C Company Commander over (Major Griffin) "You are under the command of the Major Spelling until further notice. Follow him and obey any order he gives you until I say otherwise.

Turning around the Grenadiers is no easy feat, but thy are well trained, Von Tripp assists in the traffic direction it takes five minutes to have both Companies running off onto the path. Von Tripp personally leads D company and the rest of the column up into the fight at the field.  Already the Atwater trail is strewn with the dead and dying of IR13...

Captain takes his Grenadiers to press the enemy flank

3 June: Wasserman's day-long fight to the South

3 June 1400

7^th Jaeger Message Log

Message arrived 1415

From Lt Mahoney, Dragoon troop

To: Major Wiggins

Enemy force observed at 1400 hours approaching from the west Vic of Clay road. Initially just cavalry patrol, now proceed by an infantry force estimated at least a battalion. Will not be able to screen this force with my troop. Will hold as long as possible then fallback along Atwater trail.

Message arrived 1445

From Lt Mahoney, 

To: Major Wiggins

Enemy march column observed at 1430 hours is assembly at intersection of Atwater Trail and Bethmour. Force estimated at 1000 troops, including on artillery battery and small cavalry force. They are moving down Atwater towards your position. Infantry in he lead. AM with drawing to friendly positions but keeping tabs on their disposition. Will hold as long as possible then fallback along Atwater trail.

3 June IR 13: Bulling Forward

At 0800 on 3 June, Colonel von Tripp, commander of the 2d battalion IR13, receives the following orders from his brigade commander:

My Dear von Tripp. 
Our Corps Commander wishes to find away around the strong Freedonian positions to 1st Brigade's front. I am attaching to you Captain Lucic who has some familiarity with this area.   Take you battalion along the route he shows and then make for the Atwater trail which will lead to the enemy's rear at the Lourenco farm. With your force astride his line of communication he will be compelled to withdraw or weaken his line, either of which will allow us across the gorge . You must proceed with all due haste. I assign you as squadron of dragoons and a section of guns. Your task is critical. Do not fail!


General Bourque


von Tripp scratches his head at the last sentence. After all if this task is so critical why is only his battalion being assigned?  His brigade is in support of 2d Brigade's attack and there are 5 battalions sitting idle! Nagging in the back of his mind is the knowledge that Bourque and Cronin, the 2d Brigade commander, are bitter rivals.

Regardless, von Tripp sets off at once. Lucic's knowledge of the area is imperfect and the next 5 hours are spent marching and counter marching. However eventually they arrive within view of the Atwater trail. The cavalry squadron drives in the enemy vedettes. there are woods on both sides of the trail. von Tripp's plan is to put the whole battalion down the trail and push through to the farm. The order of march:

A company (Major Shay)
B company (Major Simmons)
Grenadier Company (Major Spelling)
C company (Major Griffin)
D company (Major Zipp)
The artillery (Lt Ellerbe)
The cavalry squadron (Captain Xavier) is to remain at the head of the trail and secure the rear. One section to lad the column forward.
The light company (Captain Millazzo) is to provide flank security to the column. von Tripp will be with the Grenadiers.

Captain Xavier dismounted (Note: Actually the Red Commander)

Captain Xavier peered down the long narrow road, with thick woods encroaching to each side. The Atwater Trail. At this point it was more road than trail and ran straight for over 1000 yards. At the far end he made out the form of a single enemy horseman. He brought his field glasses up to study the figure. An enemy dragoon, halted defiantly across the road at the far end, a carbine resting on his thigh, almost daring the column to come forward.

Xavier’s horsemen had driven back the enemy dragoons ineffectual skirmish fire, peppering the air about them the whole way. Colonel von Tripp’s orders were to take this trail the whole way into the enemy’s rear. So far this route was lightly defended, though there was no telling as the terrain closed around the road and from here on out they would be subject to ambuscades.

Sgt Gill galloped up. “Sir, the Colonel says to move forward with haste, he does not want us to dawdle here.” Xavier had already been directed to leave the squadron here to secure the intersection, though he picked four horsemen to accompany him as the point of the entire column. Behind them, A Company, IR13 was drawn up in march column with a few skirmishers out front. Men from the light company were already moving up on either flank of the road. Others were inspecting the farmhouse at this intersection for signs of the enemy.

With his field glasses still focused on the enemy horseman, he waved his other hand and the column moved forward at a walk. He stowed the field glasses, drew his revolver and cantered ahead with his small party, perhaps fifty meters ahead of A company. The crunch and rattle of the thousand man column behind him made it hard to hear his surrounding, and they moved further ahead. To the north they could hear the booming of artillery where general battle had been joined.

They proceeded forward five hundred yards. Still the enemy horsemen remained unmoving in the center of the trail. Closer they came. When they approached 100 yards, the man turned and left, as if unhurried and unconcerned, around the bend. Two of Xavier’s troopers galloped forward to the bend and halted, when he arrived they reported the enemy horseman as disappeared. The road again a long straight section, perhaps another thousand yards, opening up in the distance to a field....

3 June Extreme left: The 7th Jaeger's plans

An adjutant from General Wasserman delivers the following tasking to Major Wiggins and the 7th Jaegers, currently assembled at the  the Lourenco farmstead


Mission: Your battalion is to protect the Brigade’s flank and rear. Be prepared on order to reinforce the brigade’s main line. In particular, you are to secure the Atwater trail  and prevent any enemy incursions to the Lourenco farmstead. North of your position the Dragoons will defend Bethmour and my immediate left  flank.


Keep me  informed as to the status of his rear security...


General Wassermann

6mm miniatures: 7th Jaegers.

Wiggins deployment on the sketch map

7th Jaeger commander: Major Wiggins adopts the following deployment:

1 Company: (Cpt Spaulding) AT the southern end of lin astride Atwater trail. One gun attached.
2 Company: (Cpt Tanner) 1 plt atop hill in the field, 2 plts back in position within the woods to cover the retirement. One gun attached.
3 Company: (Cpt Shlitz) on the right deployed in treeline covering south and blocks any flanking attempts.
4 Company: (Capt Lyons) Two plts in a defnsive position covering the trail where it crosses a swamp
1 Troop Dragoons: Screening out front
Bn HQ Section: Cpt Riccio with one plt of 4th company in reserve at Lourenco farm.

 4th Company off  the top left in a position covering the trail

Major Wiggins (normally the Blue commander in this campaign)

3 June the Second Battle: Bethany

With Makowsky’s brigade extracted from Bertogne, we now turn out attention to the Southern thrust. Brigade Wasserman has constructed some hastily prepared positions. Amongst the low rolling hills east of Noville lies the rural village of Bethany, mostly a collection of farms. A sharp fight developed between Wasserman’s Brigade and the Slobobian I Corps.

The focus of our attention over the next few days will not be this fight per se, but a smaller action that occurs on the flank of the man action. I am using maps from an area we have hiked and patrolled in extensively for the past six years. Myself and both commanders have also engaged in many tactical terrain walks back there. I have constructed a miniatures table based on this terrain and it will be a mass skirmish battle with each player controlling at least a battalion of troops. I have put together some rules; we are using 6mm forces at a figure scale of about 1:2 and terrain scale of about 1”=25m.

General Situation

The Slobobian Army's I and II Corps continues its advance west along the main southern route and is currently 10 miles east of Noville. Freedonian cavalry have identified the strength of this force at approximately 40,000. This force is advancing at a rate of 10-15 miles per day. Brigade Wasserman is the designated covering force along this southern route. It conducted a delaying action along the frontier on 1 June and withdrew along the main route on 2 June and began preparing positions at Bethany. General Wasserman has selected what he believes to be a strong position along the enemy’s route of advance.

Tactical Situation (Blue):

Gen Wasserman has tasked the 7^th Jaeger battalion under Major Wiggins with flank and rear security for his position. Wiggins has headquartered himself at the Lourenco farm which is astride Wasserman’s route of withdrawal. The terrain surrounding this position is heavily wooded and swampy, but there is a trail that provides access to Wasserman’s rear. Wiggins is tasked with securing this area and keeping the Brigades route of withdrawal open. Major Wiggin’s force is comprised of:

7^th Jaegers (four companies) about 800 men.

1 section of two 4-lber guns

1 troop of Dragoons.

Tactical Situation (RED)

I Brigade have been tasked with conducting an assault against the Freedonian positions direct from their line of march. II Brigade supports the main effort. Slobobian cavalry have identified a potential flanking route to get around the Freedonians. II brigade commander has been directed to develop this flanking option. He has tasked Colonel von Tripp to take a force along the route discovered by the cavalry and cut the enemy’s route of retreat. Colonel von Tripp’s force consists of:

2bn-IR13. (6x companies) about 1000 men

1 section of 6-lbr guns

1 squadron of dragoons

Battle Area inside back rectangle

The actual table

Checking out the applicability of two computer games for camapiagns

Over the holiday break we conducted a few experiments using Gettysburg:Scourge of War and Histwar: Les Grognards. These are two good strategy wargames. SOW takes place in the American Civil War and Histwar is Napoleonic.

During these tests I controlled all the forces yet passed orders and updates to the players via maps.  I found SOW easier to us in his manner. In SOW I was able to find a good printed map of the battle area and pass sketch map updates to the players. Then I would use the courier system to send my interpretations of their orders to the various brigades.  It actually works very well, though you cant save a battle in process so its something that pretty much needs to be done in one day. Making custom scenarios and OBs requires learning less than easy secondary apps. (Histwar has better editors in this respect).

Here are more detailed discussions on using these two games for kreigsspiel:

Finally a kriegsspiel on the PC? Gettysburg: Scourge of War review

Another kriegsspiel on the PC? HistWar les Grognards