In 1861 France tried to make Mexico a part of her empire. The French eventually succeeded in installing Maximillian of Habsburg in Mexico City as the new ruler, however many Mexicans, led by Benito Juarez, continued to resist. Finally in 1867 the French occupation was defeated. Maximillian was captured and executed. There were many intersting battles durng this period.
One bloody battle the Mexians remember was fought on May 5, 1862 at Puebla. The date is now a Mexican national holiday. Cinqo de Mayo is also celebrated by many in the US. The battle best remembered by the French occured in 1863. A small detachment of the French Foreign Legion (FFL) was sent to escort a supply train. The force was intercepted by a large force of Mexican cavalry and infantry. The FFL retreated to a walled farm near the village of Camerone. They were surrounded, low on ammuniton, and outnumbered 50 - 1.
Led by Captain Danjou, who had a wooden hand, the Legionnaires refused repeated demands that they surrender. Instead they vowed to fight to the last man. After repeated assaults, the French were down to a dozen able bodied men when their ammo ran out. Again they refused to surrender. Instead they made a suicidal bayonet charge. The incredible courage of the Legion at Camerone is rememberd every April 30 when the FFL celebrates Camerone Day.
Battle 1: This battle has not yet been playtested. The forces involved are not large enough for a game involving more than a dozen students. Getting the game properly balanced will take some experimenting, so use them with caution until they can be tested with the kids in April or May.
Building the Walled Farm: The outlines of the farm could be drawn in marker, or modeled with pieces of felt or other fabric. Cardboard boxes or foamcore structures can be used for a three dimensional battlefield. A nice rough adobe look can be achieved by covering the structures with spackling compound then spray painting them. A paper wall section is included which you can print and use. These rules will assume that the FFL has had time to barricade the gates and breach in the wall, and to loophole the walls and structures.
The Armies: I used 1/72 plastic figures for the FFL. The Esci are much better than the Airfix, and you only need one box. There aren't any suitable Mexican figures available at this time. You could substitute Imex or Airfix Confederate infantry. With their round hats they could pass for militia. I used paper soldiers for the mexicans. Some paper soldiers are included which you can print and use. The FFL are mounted singly on 3/4" square bases. Two Mexican figures were mounted on each 3/4" x 1.5" base.
Devils Don't Surrender Battle of Camerone
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© Copyright 2004 by Matt Fritz.
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