The Battle of Croissant 1798

A fun Saturday came and went yesterday at the Border Rievers Wargames Society in sunny Northumberland playing out the battle of Croissant (Ha!) set around 1798 or thereabouts during the French Revolution.
The scenario, developed by Chris was for a mixed British/Vendean force having made a raid in force into Republican territory to escape off the beach taking the spoils with it. A certain percentage of the allied force must be picked up by the boats, taken to the ships anchored off shore while being covered by the rear guard on the beach which is being assaulted by an ever growing force of French Republican troops. The French reinforcement would depend on a die roll.
The troops were mainly mine but with health contributions by the aforesaid Chris and Tom.

A general view of the battlefield, the beach can be seen on the right, the French will deploy on the left of the picture and the British/Vendean troops plus supplies on the hoof are on the table.

HMS Bell End

Marines and ships crew

Jolly Jack tar to the rescue

The beach area

Would the boys make a pigs ear of this!

Monsieur Le Pumpernickel's servants about to leg it out of the chateau.

The first Republican Demi Brigades arrive on the table

A 24pdr siege gun placed on the headland.

The allied right, Vendean cavalry and foot

Peasant infantry armed with, well just about anything!

An episode of Trumpton, Windy Miller has legged it. (only middle aged Brits will get this!)

The British centre, AWI Brits but they will do.

The Republican French in their centre got somewhat carried away, charged the solid line of British infantry with artillery in support and got the predicted result!

On the French left an exposed Vendean battalion is about to be charged in the flank. It didn't happen by the way, my dice were of the usual standard.

They did force the Vendean's back however.

Two to one, hit in the flank with columns and the Vendean troops were still just pushed back disordered, sometimes you dispare.

The allies were beginning to get troops off the beach by this time.

Vendean cavalry

A brigade of French dragoons arrive commanded by Mick.

They soon get pitched into the opposing cavalry routing them immediately.

The French left pushes on past the windmill

It was later agreed that we should have attempted to get the French artillery onto the field much earlier than we did, they could have then bombarded the beach slowing the allied withdrawal.

The allies eventually succeeded in getting the troops and supplies off their beachhead, we all concluded that though the French made some mistakes, charging the British centre unsupported and not getting the artillery on fast enough, that if doing a re-run that the french needed one more brigade of any arm on the field from the start and that a greater percentage of allied troops needed to be embarked for victory.
Never the less a great game and fun was had by all.
Dave.