EDITOR'S COMMENT... We noted, in our December issue, of the valiant attempt of Charles Osinski to start a wargaming monthly, the SILVER CREEK DISPATCH, in the Allentown, Pennsylvania, area. Without dislocating a shoulder, we must attempt to pat ourselves on the back, for the DISPATCH was modeled after our very own REVIEW. But, alas, we were forced to record that Charles` efforts went unrewarded, as the DISPATCH sank into oblivion quite rapidly after it first appeared ( survival of the fittest, we are wont to say. ). Having published one of Chas' articles in the December REVIEW, which received raves from the critics (an almost indecipherable scribbled note from Messr. Osinski himself), we herewith present another of Chas' fine works, a description of a Napoleonic skirmish encounter. The discriminating reader will note that Senor Osinski's introductory remarks in his article include a reference to another set of rules. In fact, the good fellow goes so far as to point out with great particularity that this other set of rules is an "absurd set of rules": Now here is where Your Friendly Editor must draw the line. Yes, Osinski Sahib has gone too far... he has, in effect, attacked motherhood and apple pie. Let us forget about the fact that, in these rules to which Herr Osinski so caustically refers, Your Friendly Editor has a vested interest, that they are his very own, that he created them, that he nurtured them, that he wrote articles about them... yes, let us forget all that... Let us focus solely on Signore Osinski's comment that in these "absurd" rules, "a person can suffer a burst from a sub-machine gun at close range and still fight on." Is this to be distinguished from a person "suffering" a burst from a sub-machine gun at far range?? Should he who "suffers" at far range fight on, while he who "suffers" at close range should not?? Ah, yes, Don Osinski ... it is obvious that you put pen to paper too hastily. You concentrate on the minutia, leading to an absurdity in your own logic rather than in that of the rules you seek to abuse. Honi soit qui mal y pense. So much for philosophy. We shall not keep the reader from Citizen Osinski's skirmish battle description any longer. --Wally Simon THE FORAGE PARTY I. Introduction by Charles Osinski The following battle report was a skirmish game fought under a modified Donald Featherstone rules system. The basic rules were taken out of Featherstone's Skirmish Wargaming book. These rules prove to be very lively providing a a fair balance between realism and playability. Individuals suffer realistic type wounds such as "light head wounds," "serious body wounds," etc. A much more vivid and fun approach to skirmish battles than is provided in some other rules where the figures only lose "points". I am aware of one absurd set of rules where a person can suffer a burst from a sub-machine gun at close range and still fight on. But then again, the people who use those rules are to wargaming what "Ripple" is, to wine. II. The Scenario: 1814 A Polish forage party consisting of six men from Dombrowski's Division suprised a rag-tag group of French Straggles attempting to find shelter in a near-by farmhouse. III. The Battle: Casimier and Stosh alerted the French with ringing musket shots which missed their mark. Half of the French column started running down the road toward the farmhouse on the other side of the woods with Jacque leading the way. The other half of the party took up timing position. The Poles split into three groups with Stanislaw and Joshu attempting to cut-off the French from reaching the farmhouse. Johnus and Fritz circled to take the French in the rear. A raging musket battle ensued at long range. Johnus was dropped by a shot in the chest, while Jacque was rendered unconscious with a light head wound and Marcel had his left arm grazed. The French were being held off by Stanislaw and Joshue while Stosh and Casimier advanced in the center. Fritz, a brave but stupid novice decided to rush Marcel who was attempting to retrieve his Musket. Before Fritz could reach Marcel, the grizzled old veteran of many campaigns intercepted him, slashing his arm and then finishing him off with a bayonet to the bread basket. Meanwhile, Stosh and Casimier closed into a close range musket duel with the French. The result: Veteran Stosh was killed and so was the Frenchman Louis. Pierre and the Novice Le Beau charged Casimier and engaged in a hot melee. At this point Joshu charged Jacque who was just getting up after being rendered unconscious by the earlier light head wound. Stanislaw fired his musket at Marcel who was running down the road attempting to join the melee. Joshu dispatched Jacque but upon seeing Casimier fall in his melee, decided to flee along with Stanislaw. The Novice Le Beau, who had not fired his musket during the entire battle, turned and got off a wild shot at the running Joshu with only a 20% chance of a hit, Joshu was hit in the back of the head. Stanislaw managed to escape to report the skirmish to General Dombrowski. "All in All a decisive victory for the French. The. French suffered one dead and two wounded while the Polish party reported four dead and one wounded. IV. The Final Field See illustration at right. Back to PW Review January 1981 Table of Contents Back to PW Review List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1981 by Wally Simon 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