The Yanks Are Coming - Trans-Slovania Invaded

The Amerigan force landed unopposed on Trans-Slovanian coast and pressed inland, encountering Hookscanski Farm (translations vary).

As a mixed force of regulars and untested volunteers moved toward the farm, a hovel and a church a fog made vision limited to a few feet. meanwhile the trans-Slovanians moved across open ground to intercept this insult to the Motherland. The trans-Slovanians were a mixture of irregulars and regulars with an elite guard infantry and elite hussars. There was also a lancer unit. Fine cavalry they were but prone to suicidal charges, unlike the Amerigan cavalry's preference for dismounting in cover and firing carbines. (In fact, to encourage the difference the European types had to roll a 10-12 on a D12 if they were to dismount and shoot. The Amerigan regular cavalry fire as elites which gives them some good firing dismounted, taking advantage of cover(Elites have +1 shooting).

The trans-Slovanians were almost on top of the Amerigans around the farm when the fog lifted.

The cards each represent a unit with three blanks for Army Light green and two for Army Red White and Blue. The Church is at the far end. (The terracotta buildings were not part of the game). The farm is next to the near forest.

                                           View from the Amerigan left flank.

                     Amerigan machine gunners on their far left flan enfilade the Tran-Slo-vanians

                                            TranSlovanian guard advance only to be mown down.

                                          Amerigan volunteers hold their ground in forest next to the barn,

                                              Regulars fire from behind the stone wall.

                         Trans-Slovanian militia and regulars advance on the farm - they don't get there.

                                  Trans-Slovanian units hold the cottages opposite the farm.

   Trans-Slovanian artillery suffer many casualties from the enemy dynamite gun.

   Trans-Slovanian infantry guard against marauding cavalry in the rear but an attack does not come.

                    Trans-Slovanian advance on the church. Minoe casualties are suffered from dismounted Amerigan cavalry and more serious from the Amerigan field artillery.

   Dismounted Amerigan regulars supported by volunteers (not visible here) take position next to the church.

                                              Amerigan field gun and dynamite gun (right).

       The hovel defended by volunteers and regulars. The volunteers proved to be lousy shots (right).

Trans-Sovanian cavalry attack and kill the crews of the Amerigan artillery.
 

                     Amerigan infantry turn to deal with the enemy cavalry, wiping out most of it.

                                                        The farm remains defended.

                                             The  Amerigan dynamite gun failed to escape.

 The Transylvanian regiment, distinguished by its flag with pasty faced Prince Vladmus and the brass bat on the tip.

                                               View from the trans-Slovanian centre

               Amerigan cavalry mount up and leave the church to the enemy as their numbers look overwhelming.

The Trans-Slovanian general surveys the battlefield.

                  Trans-Slovanian irregulars shoot without effect at the withdrawing Amerigan cavalry.

                        Amerigan infantry having seen off enemy cavlry still hold the center.

                               Trans-Slovanian forces are decimated in front of the farm.

                                            Some very satisfied Amerigan machine gunners.

Trans-Slovanian machine gun and artillery have very limited results from their fire.

GAME SET UP

This was loosely based on HG Well's battle of hook's farm. The difference was the hidden movement for two turns (each move diced for fog lifting) and the use of Padre Paul's special army list rules. For Army red White and Blue the following advantages were: Volunteer units are diced for when they first fire or require a morale resolution. They can be of militia, regular or veteran quality in firing and breaking point. Regulars, meanwhile, fire as elites. Supply trains are unreliable and may be delayed. 

Artillery is prone to mishap so a roll of one signifies the gun does not shoot that turn. For dynamite guns I added that a further one implies a nasty explosion.

Machine guns can be manually moved and still be fired.

For Army Light green the Balkans type army: when defending from cover units get a plus two on breaking points. Infantry move , if preferred, at charge rates. The disadvantages are  supplies can be delayed, and, most catastrophically, each move a D6 is rolled and a one signifies a mutinous unit, randomly selected, which may decide a 'friendly' unit is not friendly at all and fire at it and attack it until destroyed, after which this unit retires to base line. other posibilties are marching to join the enemy, retiting from the battle field or refusing to move. I forgot to remind Mat of this rule and he missed out on four rolls of the dice. The remaining three moves he rolled for them without mishap.

OBJECTIVES

The church 25 pts
  Farm 20 pts
Hovel and cottages 15 points each for two objectives

enemy units completely destroyed or vanquished: 5 points each.

Game duration 12 moves but due to heat we went for seven moves, which advantaged mat, who was suffering from high casualties. He lost three units and a further three were down to almost being wiped out, At the end of seven moves he had the church and cottage, giving him forty points and he had wiped out two of my artillery crews leaving him a total of fifty points. I had possession of the farm and the hovel, giving me 35 points, I had destroyed one cavalry unit and two infantry regiments. So we had a technical draw, although, his cnetre was being thretened as my Left flank moved through his right. Mat's cavalry charge had destoyed my artillery bit had been amost wiped out by my infantry in the centrer.

CONCLUSION

Mat had the choice of where to set up and to make my Amerigans set up first. i was surprised that he picked the side with least cover but it did give him possession of the cottage at the start of the game and he had the cover of fog at the start of the game. Although mat had the stronger cavalry for charging and a guard unit of infantry the Army Red White and Blue had the better fire power which was effective because the Amerigans were able to establish good positions in cover by turn two.

SUMMARY OF FORCES.

(Cavalry consist of 12 men unless noted otherwise. Infantry consist of 24 man units)

ARMY RED WHITE AND BLUE

2 machine guns with four man crews

Dynamite cannon (fires as field gun but with large 9 inch blast template)

Field cannon  ( All guns have 4 crew)

2 regular infantry regiments (regiments are of 24 men)

3 volunteer infantry regiments (one proved to be of militia quality , one of elite status and one of regular status)

1 volunteer cavalry regiment (didn't get to test for quality)

1 regular cavalry regiment

1 general with staff officer and four man cavalry escort

1 staff officer on foot to place with an infantry unit

2 supply wagons

ARMY LIGHT GREEN

3 light artillery pieces (one of which is mule mounted mountain gun and two horse artillery)

1 machine gun with four man crew.

1 Guard unit of infantry

2 irregular/militia units

4 regular infantry regiments

1 lancer regiment

1 elite hussar regiment (The Grey Wolves).

General with cossack escort of 8 (Mat used these as an extra cavalry unit in his charge) and a staff officer

2 supply wagons

1 extra staff officer dismounted to place with an infantry unit

FIGURES AND THEMES

Why use werid names like 'Amerigans'? Well this is just my little conceit; America was named after explorer Amerigo Vespucci (have to check that spelling) so it could have been called Amerigo or Ameriga, This is an alternate universe and it gives me license to include fictitious units  and countries that are similar to ones from 'our universe' but may have also uniforms from various decades and wars. My Marxman unit has figures from WW1 period and also early 1900s. My cavalry include Indian wars types and my infantry and artillery include ACW types. In fact my large ACW armies are often called upon to fill the gaps before I eventually make more figures to suit the 'period'.

Trans-Slovania 9Sometimes spelt Trans-Slovenia when I can't remember which way I originally spelt it) is vaguely Balkan and includes various provinces, including Snookum Ookum and Transylvania. I can strengthen such an army with Crussian forces when required and sometimes they are used ingerchangebly.

RULES

We used Paul Wright's Funny Little Wars rules. We do have our own rule though that units can have half moves and still shoot. Also, this time we did not use firing cannon. Our alternative was to guess the range and then use a direction dice (from Games Workshop) with 3D6 scatter for non-bull'seye.. The guns guess range should occur before other shooting. Also we have alternate shooting instead of simultaneous. For cover we have separate saving throws rather than deductions from the 'to hit' rolls.

SUPPLIES

Each cannon and machine gun had eight rounds of shooting (kept track of with 8 sided dice. As it happened the cannons were put out of action fairly quickly, although my two guns did some good damage in two turns before over-run. The wagons came on from reserve and had to be diced for when they would arrive.