Friday 31 October 2008

Fortress Gun ?

In my searches for some guns for my ships, I found the Mantua ships cannon. A nice chunky barrel and gun carriage all for £1.60. Its a bit small for 40mm figs but about right for 28mm figs.

Useful for either a fortess gun or for pirate or other ships.

Friday 24 October 2008

1740 - Schnotwitz (3rd Belgravian Wars) ...

further extracts from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf ...

A skirmish game using 40mm figs...

'Battle Report'
==========

General Waldebeck had spent some time carefully deploying his troops in and around Schnotwitz. The Jagers in the wood, with the militia deployed behind a stone wall. He positioned his Garrison company to block the road with the artillery to their front. The newly arrived Grenadiers were placed in reserve at the rear along with the Uhlans.

Forces: Militia - 2 companies, Garrison Regiment - 1 company, Grenadiers - 1 company, Uhlans - 1 company, Jagers - 1 company

Count Pottensdororf arrived in front of Schnotwitz and pondered his best means of attack to
disperse the Wittenberg troops, last time they had melted away at Verlendt, he didn't anticpate
any problems. Forces:Infantry Regiment - 5 companies (1 grenadier + 4 musketeer), dragoons - 1 company, Jagers - 1 company

The Saxe-Jarlsberg troops moved into position; their plan to clear the woods and bring thier
main weight against the militia.

While the grenadiers and jagers were trying to clear the woods the Dragoons charged down the
road - they suffered some casualties dispersing the artillery crew only to get a stiff volley
from the supporting infantry ..

The attack on the wood failed and the jagers and grenadiers pulled back. The officer of dragoons
reported to the count that he had seen some Uhlans to his flank and white-coated troops beyond
the garrison troops blocking the road.

Count Pottensdororf sized up the situation, white-coated troops sounded bad - that meant some Wittenberg forces had come in via Hausdorf. He didn't want to lose too many men trying to take the wood again - he decided to withdraw - he didn't want to be caught in a trap like the re-inforcements had been at Rottenhausen

Afterwards
==========
General Waldebeck held back his forces from a pursuit, he was satisfied with having held off the
opposition. This would give time for the engineers to finish their work to enable more troops to get in via the gap in the hills at Hausdorf.

Count Pottensdororf set off back to Ottenheim, he needed to ensure General Sticknein new that Wittenberg troops were getting through the hills at Hasudorf. A larger force would be needed.

Tuesday 21 October 2008

Far Far Away ....

A little bit of imagineering follows - excellent opportunities for gaming

-----oXo-----
Many years ago the Wittenberg merchants, using contacts made via the Duchy of Fenwick, bought large numbers of shares in the East India Company; also heavily investing in the Carribean sugar industry.

Due to these contacts adventurers and merchants representatives from Wittenberg and nearby states headed abroad to these 'lands of opportunity'. A trading presence was established on the Caribbean island of Jamaica; also in India at Calcutta. In both cases these growing communities existed under the protection of Britannia. Due to the increasing tension and conflict between Britannia and Gallia, in their attempts to control the Carribean and extend their influence in India, there had been a drop in profits. The merchants alarmed by their recent losses and the potential future losses, petitioned the King of Wittenberg for action. Since he too relied in part on these profits to finance the extravagances of the court, discussions were held with Brittania's ambassador, Lord William de Walloughby. A consequence of this was the drawing up of a treaty with Wittenberg and Fenwick for the following:

a. Provision of three battalions of infantry (with an option for a fourth), to be
known as 'His Britannic Majesty's Colonial German Legion'. These would serve in the
Carribean or in the Indies.

b. In addition the money to build and man a fast pursuit ship (with an option for a
second), to counter the predations of Gallian privateers in the Carribbean.

Saturday 18 October 2008

Scenario: 1740 - Schnotwitz (3rd Belgravian Wars) ...

further extracts from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf ...

For a skirmish game using 40mm figs...

Scenario

After the battle at the Vortvod Gap, both sides re-assessed their strategies.

While the Wittenberg army regrouped after its defeat the Monrovian commander General Stricknein met in conference with Count Pottensdorf in charge of the Saxe-Jarlsberg contingent. After much discussion it was decided to:
1. complete the fieldworks at the Wortvod Gap and keep the bulk of the army to the north of
Ottenheim.
2. the grenadiers and the newly arrived infantry regiment at Vanderhof to moved north to
Ottenheim.
3. the river crossing at Vanderhof to be guarded by a militia battalion from Lower Belgravia.
4. despatches to be sent to army headquarters in Monrovia requesting cavalry re-inforcements.
5. In order to stop further attacks on supply lines to Vanderhof Count Pottensdorf was to take
all the Saxe-Jarlsberg troops and capture the town of Verlendt, then move to take Hausdorf in
order to block the narrow gap in the hills to the west of Ottenheim.

Over in the Wittenberg camp the Field Marshal and the King inspected the infantry regiments of the Boldavian army corps; then followed a heated discussion which eventually led to the
following plan:
1. Bring the Wittenland Army Corps south to allow for a possible attack on the Vortvod Gap.
2. The Guard Corp to be stationed to the north around Heidelheim.
3. Send a detachment through the gap in the hills west of Ottenheim and make contact with
General Waldebeck and his troops. Engineers were to accompany the detachment and assess what whether the army could pass thorugh the gap and outflank the Vortvod Gap position.

Count Pottensdorf set forth from Ottenheim with his troops, here we see them passing thorugh the hamlet of Freihausen ....

and onwards into the more open country beyond ...

Uhlan patrols detected the movement of the Saxe-Jarlsberg troops, General Waldebeck commanding the Wittenberg troops at Verlendt decided to intercept them at Schnotwitz.

Saturday 11 October 2008

Monrovian & Saxe-Jarlsberg Staff - 'closeups'

As requested by Jeff some closeups of the staff figures from the previous post; hope you enjoy them. The Saxe-Jarlsberg staff,


A wave and a hello from the Monrovian staff ..


Friday 10 October 2008

Monrovian & Saxe-Jarlsberg Staff

The Monrovian & Saxe-Jarlsberg Staff consult on their activities for the day during joint manouvres held in one of the southern provinces of Monrovia.

[figs from Old Glory AWI Staff pack; Old Glory AWI Foreign Generals pack; plus a couple of Front Rank mounted officers]

Saturday 4 October 2008

40mm - Grenadiers and Cavalry

I've finished off the units needed for my next skirmish game. Firstly a company of Saxe-Jarlsberg dragoons . .

[Figs: Irregular Miniatures austrian dragoons on horses cast from Creartec moulds]


for the Wittenberg army, the grenadier company of the Wittenland Fusilers,

[Figs: Officer & Grenadiers - cast from Creartec moulds; Standard Bearer and Drummer - Irregular Miniatures]

Again for Wittenberg a company of Uhlans from the Blue Pulk

[Figs: modified hussars cast from Creartec moulds]

An outline of the scenario for the next skirmish game in the 3rd Belgravian Wars - the Monrovians despatch Count Pottsendorf and his Saxe-Jarlsberg troops to disperse the Wittenberg troops at Verlendt commanded by General Waldebeck.