This scenario designed by Pat, was to have been played by four of us, but the inclement weather reduced our participating force to two just Carmen and I. Basically the two opposing forces (Carmen the French and me the British), deployed in line across the board west of the Lamato River. As British commander I tried to think like Wellinton and use the terrain to my advantage. I placed some militia lights on the British left flank in some thicket hedges and with a strong light infantry battalion anchoring the right flank resting on tt~e river I had secure flanks and a compact field of fire. The French advanced immediately and there seemed to be hordes of them. The French Legere advanced upon my militia lights and after a brief exchange of small arms fire, my militia failed a CE test and fled from the board in disgrace. The second turn saw maneuvering and jockying for position as the wily Frenchies shifted their attack to my left as I wheeled forward the two right-most battalions. The deadly Leget+e won the contest for the hedges and killed the light companies I had detached to that area to assist the now departed militia. At the end of turn two the British left was dangling and the French cavalry was advancing to strengthen the threat. Turn three brought an expected (for me) windfall: prior to turn one I rolled a die to determine what turn the British 20th Regt. of Foot would arrive on the board and where. Since I had rolled a '1', I was able to bring the 20th in at the board center just in time to aid its comrades to repel the French on the left. The 27th Foot which had wheeled back to meet the onslaught of the French, shot the hitherto lethal Legere to pieces causing it to fail CE and also causing the single French battery to rout. The gallant 27th Foot, the Inniskillings who would go on to immortal fame at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, halted the French, but alas, also suffering heavy casualties, routed after a CE check. Turn four saw the ;enter receive some attention as the French and the Highlancters duked it out and the French cavalry stayed just out of musket range waiting fur their chance. On turn five DeWatteville's Swish crossed the Lamato River and advanced to flank the French. They were to be the only force ever east of the river during the battle. The French light horse and some British light infantry companies exchanged fire and the light infantry battalion's thunderous fire ripped the Poles and caus4d them to fail CE thus leaving the field. Following a very optimistic beginning, things were starting to look bad for the French. The following turns were a lesson in carnage. The French cavalry bravely charged the British left flank hoping to turn the tide with one brilliant, daring stroke. Unfortunately, luck was not with them and the charge withered under intense British pass through fire. On the right flank a furious fire fight erupted as the French attempted to shoot their way into the red coated lines. The French did well, shooting the 81st Foot down to the man and crippling the 718th, but the combined fire of peveral British battalions and the threat of Dewatteville's Swiss who had recrossed the Lamato and were ready to plunge into the decimated French right flank proved too much for any soldier to bear, lead or otherwise. The once proud and confident French force had been shattered and destroyed. The luck of the French commander seemingly intact early in the game ran out after a few turns. Without the Legere and his artillery, much of the French threat had been silenced. In addition to this, I fired my British using "sheet of flame", rolling one die for the entire battalion firing and adding a "plus one" which, with the added increment, became a '6' or '7' and knocked out from 15 to 17 or more figures per firing phase e.nd thus almost always caused the French to check CE every turn. Never-the-less it was a fast paced, fun, game, hotly contested and played to seven turns in under two hours. MAIDA: JULY 4, 1806 8 turns or CE break, French check army CE after 40% loss, British check army CE after 50% loss. Perfect weather. Lamato River: 1/2 move turn crossed, no fire that turn and breaks charges. FRENCH ORDER OF BATTLE French set on north of the road and west of the Lamato River. 1st lights, 36 figures, 42nd Rgt., 111 figures. 2 battalion of Poles, center, 48 figures. 8 lb. gun 2 battalion of 23rd Rgt., 72 figures. 2 squadrons Chasseurs, 20 figures. Swiss, use British line, 30 figures.* * Any unit firing at the Swiss before the Swiss troops fire must roll to identify them. Over 12 inches roll 1,,2. Under 12 inches roll 1,2,3,4. BRITISH ORDER OF BATTLE British set up 2 feet in from the south edge west of the Lamato River. British Lights, 44 figures. Militia Lights, 15 figures. 27th Line, 33 figures. Grenadiers, 24 figures. 8 lb gun 78th Line, 33 figures. 81st Line, 33 figures. 58th Line, 33 figures. Watteville's Swiss, 12 figures. 20th Line* *20th Line arrival roll; 1 - arrive turn 3, mid south edge, may double move on entry. 2,3 -- arrive anywhere along SE edge turn 4, may dcuble move on entry. 4 - arrive turn 4 on SW board edge, may double move on entry. 5 - arrives by east road on; turn 4. 6 - arrives west of Lamato River within 0" south board edge, no double move. Back to MWAN # 38 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1989 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com