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!
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| 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! |
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| 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.
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| Mark's ruthless Hessians on the British right of Germanstown. |
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| 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.
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| Owen's Lights surprised my Continentals by suddenly appearing on the ridge of the hill in front of them... |
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| ...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! |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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! |
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| The Light Bob's go in ...and are met with another blast of canister! |
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| The American commanders |
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| 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. |
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| The confused fighting in front of Chew House |
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| 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! |
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| The militia giving a good as they get - and not running yet! |
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| The Marylanders and 40th Foot duke it out in front of Chew House |
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| 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. |
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| Its not looking good for the British who are now holding the flank by the skin of their teeth! |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
