Doc is back! Showcasing my French in Egypt project.

Its been quite a while since posting on this blog and to be honest I've focused mainly on Facebook and related groups and ignored the blog. There have been several attempts to restart but something always got in the way and not the least being more recently trying to decide what to post.

In the last nearly three(!) years there's been quite a bit of wargaming production and the addition of several armies to the ever-growing collection including 1917-18 ANZAC and Allied army including our famous Light Horse and then the more mechanized Dunsterforce (for mainly late WW1 and interwar period in the Middle East). There's also been some early WW1 Belgian, French Colonial, French and Indian Wars French and so on as well as Napoleonics - in addition to my commissioned work to help pay for it all!

Hmm... decisions, decisions!

With regard to Napoleonics I am currently in the process of completing my long-running (with several false starts!) French in Egypt project. I had virtually finished my Mameluke & Ottoman armies but the French languished for some time until I finally obtained yet another Corps de Dromadaires from Brigade (US) and some of Paul Hick's earlier sculpts of French in Kleber and got stuck in. So I thought these would be a suitable point to pick up where I left off. The figures of my Armee d'Orient are a mix of what was available at the time with my usual lead horse-trading and a few (ahem) strategic purchases but are in the main Brigade, Perry's, Eureka and Trent with the odd Foundry ring-in.

The Brigade (US) boys make a show of it!

Those of you who have followed me on Facebook will have seen most of them but with the exception of the 'Meccan fanatics' (Mameluke allies) - a recent addition - all are of the French Revolutionary Armee d'Orient including a rather nice ship from Miniature Scenery for my planned Nile Flotilla!

The crusty crew don't come with it but are a mix of Eureka and old Foundry press-ganged for the purpose!

In addition to the armed pinnace there is an unarmed version yet to be built. The average ship's longboat could transport about two dozen marines with a crew of a dozen oarsmen so nearly forty in all - and its half the size of the above boat! Its difficult to imagine they packed sixty or more into them and sailed nearly 1000 kilometers down the Nile - but they did!  I'd like to get Miniature Scenery's spectacular Brig model to represent the flotilla's ill-fated flagship d'Italie but that might be stretching the budget etc, a tad too far!

To go with these are a unit of Legion Nautique (more Brigade figures) all scruffy survivors of Aboukir who formed the crew of the Nile Flotilla and its force protection of Marines - for example d'Italie carried a unit of 200 onboard - all uniformed very similarly to their British counterparts. 

Alas I cannot find anyone who makes these in 28mm so Paul Hick's marooned scruffy sailors will have to do! Lovely figures nonetheless... 

Note the nice medieval billhook in the hands of this matelot!

I think that'll do for my first foray blog-wise for some time! I hope you will once more follow this ancient pensioner's progress but I'll have to see how it goes as I'm heartily sick of the overly politicized Facebook so hopefully returning to Blogdom may be the cure! I'll post the rest of my Armee d'Orient French next time.

Cheers,

            'Doc'

Fun in the AWI, a 50th Birthday Bash!

Down't club a few weeks ago having a most excellent AWI game (re-fighting Germanstown) with all of Doug's magnificent AWI collection for his 50th. We did try to entice him with other celebratory suggestions but in the end we couldn't top beers, steaks and a huuuge wargame!

My Virginian regular Continentals on the American left of a very European-looking Chew House with Owen's 40th Foot loitering in front - but not for long!

Doug's Militia Brigade and the Marylanders in the middle - very cautiously approaching the grounds of Chew House!

Gamers will recall this is the battle where Washington tried to envelope the British position at Germanstown outside of Philedelphia - and nearly pulled it off.  In the end he was defeated and lost over 1100 out of a force of 11000, with Howe's British and Knyphausen's Hessians losing a bit over 500 out of 9,000 - mainly British casualties.

Mark's ruthless Hessians on the British right of Germanstown.

Owen's veterans on the British centre and left. 

The game we played had a remarkably similar result - if anything the Americans came even closer to enveloping the British flank, only being halted when the American centre threatened to give way.  Doug's militia on the right were also rebuffed by Mark's Hessians - although the Germans lost a lot more in this battle than historically.

Owen's Lights surprised my Continentals by suddenly appearing on the ridge of the hill in front of them...

...and poured a volley into them at close range - ouch! But the regulars were made of sterner stuff and held their ground despite many a soiled pantaloon!

The ensuing firefight was brutal with one unit fleeing off the table, its morale shattered and another reduced to half strength but unsupported, the British were forced back with the timely arrival of American reinforcements.

But the climax of the game was in the centre where Mark and Owen's Scots and Light Bob's, supported by the Hessian Jaegers, decided to charge the American guns trained on Chew House.

The courageous Continental gunners supported by the Marylander regulars eventually saw off two British units before a third becoming victorious and capturing the guns at bayonet point!

The Light Bob's go in ...and are met with another blast of canister!

The American commanders

The fight in and around Chew House gets increasingly desperate with my Virginians to the left copping a shellacking.  The Queens Rangers attacking across open ground encouraged the 40th to come out off the house and drive the Americans off. 

The confused fighting in front of Chew House

Doug's militia take it up to Mark's Hessians. They proved unexpectedly resilient against the experienced Germans, not running away for most of the battle!

The militia giving a good as they get - and not running yet!

The Marylanders and 40th Foot duke it out in front of Chew House

On the American left Nathaniel Greene's veterans have arrived and driving back Howe's assault, threaten to overwhelm the flank after the Lights (who started with the ambush on the hill) finally gave way.

Its not looking good for the British who are now holding the flank by the skin of their teeth!

A dramatic and courageous charge by Owen's Queen's Legion troopers saves the day for the British and fatally stalls the American attack on the flank. 

With the centre all but gone (the guns now in British hands), the flank assault going nowhere and the militia/Marylanders pretty well spent, the game was called in favour of the British. Tallying up the points I think it may have been a major victory for King George Owen and his German friend Mark.