The Battle For Los Luncho, 1909 - The Amerigan Punitive Expedition.

March 14 1909: Amerigan President Troomp has long taken a strong stance on border security. Secretary of State, Archie Bunker, yesterday announced that a Punitive force had crossed the Cortezian border in retaliation for bandit raids into Arizona.

Cotezian President For Life, Fernando Matador has sent General Santa Anna The Third to intercept the invaders.

The calm before the storm, as a Cotezian woman shoos livestock from her home.

                                      The advance guard of the Amerigans arrives.

                                           The Cortezian advance guard arrives.

                                             Amerigan volunteer cavalry survey the scene.

                                     Amerigan machinegunners and volunteer infantry move forward.

                                           Cortezian regulars and militia advance.

                                                                    River marked by cards to indicate hidden depth. The river was un-crossable except for one place onthe Amerigan deployment zone.

                                                            Cortezians advance

Reserve Amerigan infantry arrive.

                             The Rough Rider volunteers arrive and move toward an area of cacti and rocks.

                           Amerigan infantry arrive on the outskits of the village of Loslunch.

                                        Cortezian infantry move towards the monastery ruin.

            Dismounted Amerigan cavalry fire on the enemy advancing on the monastery ruin,

                                                          More Cortezians arrive.

                                      The Rough Riders arrive at thr rock and cacti outcrop.

                                                     Amerigan left flank view

                                          Cotezians advance on the village,

      After sustaining  many casualties Amerigan cavalry on the left flank retreat back to their horses.

                                             Cotezians advance through the bottleneck.

Santa Anna The Third watches the attack on the village.

     Cortezian artillery gets  to action late in the battle but cause significant casualties among the enemy regular and volunteer infantry.

                                          Cortzxian militia retreating

                                          Lancers arrive to late to enter the battle.

              Dismounted mounted infantry in the foreground suffered 50% casualties but one still had time to catch a pig.

Pete O'Malley, Irish foreign adventurer and dynamite expert did not get near enough to the enemy to throw his dynamite.

                                    Dismounted Rough Riders fire at targets of opportunity.

                                         Their horses are left in the rear.

                                         Amerigan infantry continue to reinforce the center.

       Amerigan artillery including the dynamite gun are supported by infantry and machine gun on the right flank. They do terrible execution on enemy forces trying to re-take the village.

                                Amerigan regulars hold their ground but suffer from enemy artillery.

                                          The Amerigan general ad bodyguard

             A heavily depleted Amerigan volunteer unit is ordered to withdraw and move to the left flank.

                      A crack volunteer unit press the Cortezian right flank but despite killing the enemy artillery crew .....

The Cortezians retain possession of the ruin as dusk falls

SET UP

The board was in an L shape wit one point where troops could cross on the Cotezian right flank. We rolled for the gap in the center and it was declared a mountain so we could not shoot through it.

CORTEZIAN FORCES
Three militia regiments
Three regular regiments
One mounted rifles (20 figures)

I lancer regiment
1 cavalry regiment

2 field artillery

general and three lancer bodyguard

1 dynamite expert

AMERIGANS
1 regular infantry regt

4 volunteer infantry (one which proved to be of reguar ability and the rest militia value)

I elite cavalry volunteers (Rough Riders)

I volunteer cavalry of regular status
1 dynamite gun and 1 field gun
2 machine guns

1 General and 4 cavalry body guards

The Cotezian volunteers had a dice rolled for them 1-2 militia status, 3-4 regular status and 5-6 elite status. This roll was taken once they were to fire or be involved in a melee. (No melees occurred in the game).

Mat chose to be the cotezians ad also chose to let me set up and go first. This gave me an edge as it helped me gain some favorable positions early. Also the Amerigan egulr ststus troops fired as elites, giving them a plus one to hit in shooting. Militia grade troops were minus one.All troops arrived from reserve, a 6 required first turn then 5 or 6 and so on. The Amerigans got into favorable firing positions and occupied the two story village house. The numerically superior Cotezians were whittled down and their artillery came into play late in the game when it did some damage to the enemy regulars. The Rough riders dismounted in a clump of rock and cactus and could not be dislodged.

The game went for ten moves at which time the central village was still n dispute and each side owned one other objective. Although the Cotezians suffered more casualties victory conditions were based on objectives only so it was declared a draw.

The countries are analogues of America and mexico. the war is fictitious but a cross between the Spanish American war and the Punitive Expedition against Mexico.

Rules are based on Paul Wright's army lists and rules in Funny little Wars, with some adaptations such as allowing half moves and firing.