Tag: garibaldi

Categories
Mid 19th Century Wargaming wargame rules wargaming

Ruletest D: Battles with Model Soldiers – The Battle of Orchard Hill

This game was thrown in firstly because Battles with Model Soldiers was the source of my original ruleset test scenarios for Fire & Fury.

Battles with Model Soldiers is really a 200 page design/ideas book with rules dotted throughout.

The rules I used are explained briefly at the end of this post. A key aspect is alternate moves with losses incurred before any responses. Initiative (who goes first in each turn) therefore matters.

Donald Featherstones book provides basic rules for American Civil War actions. he shows the mechanics through three stepped up siutations

  • infantry only
  • infantry plus cavalry
  • infantry, cavalry and artillery

In this game I used the last stepped up situation of infantry, cavalry and artillery.

Narrative – Near Rome in 1849

In this confused affair a wargaming Napoleon faces off against Garibaldi – I suppose the nearest real conflict would be 1849 at Rome where Garibaldi gave the French a shock defeat.

The forces were

Roman Republic (Garibaldi) on the left

  • Red Dragoon Volunteers in foreground left
  • White Legion Volunteers
  • Roman Artillery (in liberated Austrian uniforms!)
  • Milan Sharpshooters in distance

The French were led by General Oudinot looking a bit like the great Napoleon himself.

  • 33rd Line Regiment right foreground
  • Austrian Artillery on loan
  • 66th Line Regiment in distance
  • French Cuirassiers

In terms of “ground” the battle was fought on a low ridge (no effect on movement) crossed by a rough track (no benefit) and the fenced orchard (inaccessible to all forces).

The rings denote remaining strength – red = 4 artillerymen/5 figures, yellow = 10 figures, blue = 20 figures with green showing 15 figures in value.

What you see is almost what you get – counting actual figures equals strength. I don’t do figure removal normally – using rings and dice to show remaining strength. So 8 cavalrymen on show were actually 10 in value. I also did some selected base removal in this game (for visual effect) just to confuse matters!

The action was brisk!

This game is a bit short on images – it was quick – almost done in 3 moves really……

Move 1

Both forces deployed and marched forward to drive the other from the ridge otherwise known as Orchard Hill.

Move 2 – Oudinot won the initiative

  • the 33rd Line fired on the Red Dragoon Volunteers inflicting 3 casualties at medium range
  • The Austrian artillery opened up on the White Legion Volunteers missing them completely
  • the 66th Line fired on the Roman Artillery and the artillerymen promptly ran away (die throw = 6 hits versus 4 figures in strength)
  • The 10 French Cuirassiers charged the 20 Milan Sharpshooters.
    • Basically a melee is headcount times 1 point for an infantryman or 2 points for a cavalryman.
    • So this fight was on equal points. 1 d6 is rolled per 5 points – 4 dice each. Cavalry get +1 on each dice throw (2 to 7 range possible) for charging.
    • Cuirassiers scored 17 versus Sharpshooters 20.
    • The points tally HALVED equals the damage. So 17 points halved and fractions rounded down meant 8 points of damage to the Sharpshooters. Thats 8 figures lost from the 20 that started the fight.
    • Meanwhile the 20 points of damage halved was 10 and divided by 2 points per cavalryman gave 5 cavalry killed.
    • The survivors represent their basic morale – 10 points of Cuirassiers x 1d6 throw of 5 = 50 while the Sharpshooters at 12 points x 1d6 throw of 6 = 72.
    • The Sharpshooters won while the Cuirassiers retreated with 50% losses. (bit of Roman gloss there…..)

Garibaldi responded

  • The Milan Sharpshooters hit the 66th Line with 4 hits
  • The White Legion hit the Austrian Artillery for six literally – destroying them
  • The Red Dragoon Volunteers charged the 33rd Line
    • 7 remaining Dragoons x 2 pts versus 20 infantry x 1 pt meant 14 points versus 20 points or 4 v 3 dice (round up half or better fractions – 14 points becomes 15 points = 3 dice)
    • Cavalry get +1 for charging. The Dragoons inflicted 16 points damage halved = 8 infantrymen killed
    • The 33rd Line threw 12 in all = 6 Cavalry points damage or 3 actual dragoons killed
    • Now the Dragoons had already lost 3 casualties to firing so were now down to 4 dragoons
    • 4 cavalry x 4 die roll versus 12 infantry x 2 die roll was 16 v 24 or a victory for the 33rd Line
    • The Cavalry retreated

Move 3 Garibaldi won the initiative to move first

  • The Milan Sharpshooters fired on the 66th Line scoring 1 hit
  • The White Legion fired on the 33rd Line scoring 8 hits – destroying the 33rd

Oudinot in Move 3 sent his 66th Line against the Sharpshooters. In the melee the 66th won reducing the Sharpshooters to just 4 men who retired.

The game is almost over!

Move 4 Oudinot moved first

  • The 66th fired at the Sharpshooters but missed
  • The Blue Cuirassiers now returned to the fray

Move 4 Garibaldi

  • The Red Dragoons also returned to the fray
  • The White Legion now closed on the 66th Line
  • The Milan Sharpshooters scored 2 casualties on the 66th Line reducing them to just 10 men.
Move 4 the french right is now under attack – the french left having been destroyed
Move 5 the French Curiassiers charge in as the infantry trade fire

Move 5 Oudinot took the initiative

  • The French Cuirassiers made one last valiant charge into the Milan Sharpshooters.
    • The Sharpshooters killed 1 Cuirassier in turn receiving 3 casualties
    • The Cuirassiers won the melee driving off the Sharpshooters
  • The 66th Line fired on the approaching White Legion scoring 6 casualties (I allowed liberal firing arcs!)

Move 5 Garibaldi

  • The White Legion fired on the 66th Line inflicting 5 casualties in return
Move 5 the French Cuirassiers chase off the Milan Sharpshooters

Move 6 Garibaldi won the initiative

  • The White Legion fired on the 66th scoring 4 more casualities

Move 6 Oudinot attacks in desparation

  • The 66th Line and Cuirassiers charge home against the White Legion.
    • The White legion suffered 2 casualties
    • In return they inflicted 4 infantry casualties with 1 cuirassier loss
Move 6 The last knockings
Move 6 – the 66th Line break leaving the Cuirassiers alone to hold off the White Legion and the Red Dragoons

Oudinot knows the games up and in Move 7 his Cavalry retire covering the rest of his routing forces.

General Garibaldi triumphs capturing the ridge.

Rules used in the Battle of Orchard Hill

Donald Featherstone distributed his many periods (10) rules within the 200 pages of text. The basic rules presented were for horse and musket and his three stepped up situations used an American Civil War example.

My Summary of Rules from Battles with Model Soldiers

  1. 8 moves = 1 dayof daylight and 4 moves = nighttime
  2. Alternate Moves – I opted for “initiative” going to one side for whole move, fire and melee process.
  3. guns picked target after moving is complete
  4. Infantry Firepower
    1. 1d6 per 5 men with muskets/rifles
    2. modify -1 (0″-6″ short range) 1d6 = hit = casualities of 0 to 5
    3. modify -2 (6″-12″ medium range) 1d6 = hit = casualties of 0 to 4
    4. modify -3 (12″-24″ long range) 1d6 = hit casualties of 0 to 3
    5. -1 per dice for hard cover
    6. half casualties for cavalry
  5. Artillery
    1. hit on a 6 @ 18″-36″ then 1d6 = casualties
    2. hit on 5,6 @ 9″-18″ then 1d6 = casualties
    3. hit on 4,5,6 @ 0″-9″ then 1d6 – casualties
    4. half casualties for hard cover
    5. halve casualties for cavalry
  6. Melee
    1. INF v INF = 1pt v 1pt
    2. INF v CAV = 1pt v 2pt
    3. 1d6 per 5 pts fighting
    4. +1 per dice for charging cavalry
    5. +1 per dice attacking rear
    6. half result to get effect in points
    7. half effect for cavalry (they=2pts)
    8. survivors in points x 1d6
    9. compare result – highest is melee winner, loser retreats one full move
  7. Movement
    1. Infantry 12″
    2. Cavalry 18″
    3. Guns 18″ -3″ limber and unlimber
    4. Guns select target in their turn
    5. No firing if moved
    6. Gun target selection is not movement
  8. Morale
    1. Loss of Cin C (not used)
    2. 1d6 is thrown per unit
      1. =1 unit flees the field
      2. =2 retire from the field in good order – will defend itself
      3. =3 surrender
      4. =4 fall back 1 move and rallies
      5. =5/6 carries on

A simple set of rules although for some the melee points technique might feel complicated.

Categories
Book Reviews wargaming

Sicilian Interlude

I bought Wargames, Soldiers and Strategy No.118 for January/February 2022.

My magazine buying is haphazard – appropriate for the erratic in me.

This edition certainly caught my eye, enough to part with £5.50 – around the cost of a small 1/72 tank kit.

Sicily for some strange reason has become the epicentre of my wargaming interests.

Originally it was just Romans versus Carthaginians.

Then Renaissance interest emerged albeit in the context of mainland Italy and Spanish/Aragon influence.

Both of these interests have failed to come to fruition.

Then the Normans arrived and I headed south with them – Roger of Sicily beckoned. Except that dragged me back to Normandy/England and the Scandanavians.

A trip to Palermo helped maintain Sicilian interest though.

Byzantine wall painting fused with Arabic wood carved ceilings encased in heroic Norman structures – a legacy of Roger of Sicily
Baroque Sicily was a significant player in the mediterranean
Ever the great market place – a crossroads on the sea
Norman grandeur to be found in the suburbs of Palermo
A bronze helmet from the pre christian Greek era of influence
The baroque gate facing the old port beyond. it manage to survive the WW2 allied bombing of dogged german defence of this old city. Even today some built up areas areas are still simply cleared ground – old plots awaiting a new life 80 years later

However the Normans in the South project stalled at the end of 2020 as Garibaldi hove into view.

Garibaldi has taken me to the Island again in my 2021 project – the Wars of Italian Unification.

Neapolitan Cacciatori elite light infantry from 1859 – Garibaldi did not have it all his own way.
Regular Piedmontese by “lucky Toys are in some cases touching 28mm and come multi pose “ish”. They stayed out of Sicily but headed south when Garibaldi was getting to much hero worship.
A collection of units from the Army of the South 1860 – lucky toys again large 25mm 1/72 figures ripe for skirmish actions
My essential troops for 1848 – Austrians wearing the transitional uniforms that make them look less Napoleonic yet fighting much the same way – except of course in 1848 the troops still wore shakos, breeches and tailed coatees with turnbacks. this new style only really arrived in 1850 and by 1859 was already dated!

Garibaldi and the Unification Wars project is currently stalled as well.

Now my Fauxterre projects around the interwar 1930’s era hover over the western mediterranean as inspiration for an imaginations campaign.

So the magazine promised me much. And yes it was a good buy.

My Key Connections were

  • Miniature Reviews – Butlers Printed Models H39 and Lorraine 38L VBCP for Fauxterre 1930+
  • Lundehogda 1940 – a Norwegian campaign scenario that looks adaptable to use for Fauxterre 1930+
  • Stepping Stone to Europe article – all about Sicily and its strategic geographic position – touching on Greeks, Normans, even Austrians (1859 in Neapolitan Lands?), Garibaldi and Operation Husky (1943)
  • The very last “Desperta Ferro” – although 1300 era (so a bit late for my Normans in the South project) were dragging my thoughts back to medieval Italy and Sicily and some glorious castles I had seen watching the pro cycling – Giro d’Italia.
  • Spedizione Dei Mille Garibaldi 1860 – One of the actions that propelled me into reading more about Garibaldi……
Irregular Neapolitans ready to fight the Garibaldini reviewed by Guy Bowers in WSaS108, however I have them looking vaguely like French 1848 Line Infantry fighting? you guessed it Garibaldi – this time in Rome…….
  • the section “An Offer you can’t refuse” – figure choices – amongst the 28 mm and 15mm usual suspects, Irregular Miniatures Garibaldi figures in 20mm get a mention…….
The irregular 20mm Garibaldini reviewed by Guy Bowers in WSaS108 – in COLOUR
Garibaldi – The man himself from unloved “lucky toys” where 1/72 stretches to 28mm on occasion !!!!
  • Carving out an Island Kingdom – back to Roger of Sicily and his multicultural Kingdom – a quick one pager about this amazing character.
  • This thing of ours – Chris Breese – writing about our hobby and who might join us. I actually met Chris at Fiasco in 2021 by his fantastic display. Great communicator and unlike me able to deliver his vision of Stoke Field 1487 – a late late show in the Wars of the Roses complete with Irish and German interests.
  • I failed to take a pic but did get one of the equally grand rennaissance demo next door…….

My discards were minimal out of 21 articles. Excellent work by the editor Guy Bowers.

Of the other articles I learnt some new ideas from those on figure conversion and scratch built walling.

Street fighting the Punic Wars or Gangs of Rome go south, looks good visually while Assault on Johnny 1 was a nice scenario for the parachutists amongst us.

The features section included

  • Killing Yamamoto – interesting but not my thing
  • Defend the King – again interesting and contemporary with Norman/Saxons/Viking wars so very enjoyable
My converted 1/72 Normans in the South – shields on left straight lift from osprey of a certain family.
Been there done that – 28mm Vikings by Garrison circa 1977 – they were shown the door by the hobby at the time……………
  • Guardian of the Shrine – Napoleonic Zombies – must be very compelling but again not my thing – well the zombies bit anyway
  • Six steps to Naploeonics was an ok read but seemed to side step the material problems with the demise of the 15mm metal market segment, no mention of 6mm and the rise of 28mm – it seemed to keep taking you towards bigger battles with large 25mm and out of most peoples budgets. Its sister article about Warlord Epic Battles – bulk plastic 15mm units did not get a link but seems complimentary?
Back end Napoleonics 1848 Austrians are still visibly of that era, handling the same smoothbores.
The 1st War of Unification ended in 1849 with an Austrian Triumph, ten years later the styles are bleeding over to ACW era – kepis all the way. In this case some English Legion Volunteers who served Garibaldi’s Southern Army.

So this particular edition was actually packed with interesting material. I don’t read just what I prefer – often periods or rules I don’t do give me ideas, that can be transferred. At the end of the day its all wargames in some way or other.

happy reading

In my 2021 year end post this model theatre appeared and originates from Palermo and celebrates the history of puppet theatre – wargames stories in another mode?

Categories
Military History wargame rules wargaming

landlubber sets sail

Photo by Sharon Wahrmund on Pexels.com

Having decided to try out Mike and Joyce Smith’s Table Top Battles (TTB) – the naval rules, I suppose the question might be why? why now?

The consequence of being taken in by post napoleonics and 19th Century Italian Wars has led me to 1848. In that year there were a series of revolutions across europe. Some, like the First War of Italian Unification involved such unlikely naval opponents as Piedmont and Austria in the Adriatic, while on the Baltic Denmark squared up to an aggressive German Confederacy.

Now I also stumbled across something else.

The Wars of Italian Unification are reckoned to have really got going after Napoleon first defeated Austria in the 1790’s fuelling the peninsula with raw ideas of revolution.

So reading about Napoleonic Italy led me to the US Navy in the mediterranean sea! This is something I have completely missed. Mind you the 1812 Anglo-American War has passed me by as well.

All these steps were made possible by reading books. I love book reading – yes I need access to online material but I love reading a “printed” page.

MacAulay’s Book 1 of his Garibaldi trilogy includes his hero’s failed attempt to join the besieged Venetians. Michael Embree’s Radetzky Marches covers the siege in more detail including some sea action.

The red book of McAulay written in the early 1900’s about his hero Garibaldi. I am sure Sharp Practice would work for Garibaldi at least in 1848 anyway!

General reading about the italian wars of the 19th century introduced the presence of the US fleet in the mediterranean.

this educational book is just right for quick reference – it gives excellent summaries

The First Schleswig Holstein War of 1848 includes some fascinating sea action – where the shore batteries won!

This is a fascinating war related to a famous question – the Schleswig Holstein question of course.

A book about Barbary pirates fighting the US Navy in the Mediterranean in the early 1800’s actually covers some of the effects of the Anglo-US war of 1812 and the whole issue of the lack of a US fleet that could even put to sea when blockaded in home ports by the dominant British Navy.

an interesting story about the USA squaring up to the Barbary states of North Africa who had got used to being bought off by the Europeans when it came to enslaving captured ship crews and passengers.

And that final book has led me back to the USA and some of its naval experiences during the Napoleonic era. That has somehow triggered in my head the need to test simple naval rules.

I am after small actions and a high level of abstraction.

a favorite abstraction icon from the Ferens Gallery Hull – East Coast Port by Paul Nash

While abstraction is an essential part of wargaming your mind of course fills in all the gaps to give something like this…………

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/fr/deed.en
Categories
battle anniversaries garibaldi wargaming Mid 19th Century Wargaming Military History Vienna Treaty Wars

173 years ago this month

Photo by Rachel Claire on Pexels.com

173 years ago this month events were gathering pace across Italy after the Vienna 1848 uprising. Earlier in the year protests in Lombardy and the Veneto about tobacco taxes with boycotts had set in train popular unrest.

And then the news of an uprising in Vienna itself fuelled the powder keg of rebellion that had built up since the Vienna Treaty of 1815 had ended the Napoleonic era.

In Milan the people revolted and after 5 days Marshall Radetsky withdrew his forces to the east.

Venice declared itself a republic again with the Austrians capitulating while their Italian soldiers simply deserted – many even declining to join the rebels.

And then Piedmont declared war on the Empire and mobilised its army to march on Milan and Lombardy.

Across the Papal States and Southern Italy into Sicily uprisings installed populist governments. Many only lasted just a few weeks or months.

This week 173 years ago the Austrians were bottled up in the “quadrilateral” (bounded by Verona, Legnano, Mantua and Peschiera). They were about to inflict serial defeats on Piedmont and its Italian allies.

An Armistice followed.

Then a year later the Piedmontese and Austrians did battle again at Novara, resulting in a decisive victory for the Austrians and giving them 10 more years of power in the peninsula.

So in 1849 while the Piedmontese were being defeated to the north, Guiseppe Garibaldi was leading the doomed but heroic defence of Rome under its short lived Republic. By summer 1849 Garibaldi was retreating north into the Romagna, with the remnants of his forces, having fought the French and Neapolitans to a standstill despite being massively outnumbered.

Garibaldi was pursued across the spine of Italy tying up 100,000 troops of 4 nations (the spanish joined austria, france and naples to destroy this most wanted rebel).

Fortunately Garibaldi escaped with amazing help from Italians all across the lands he travelled.

He lived to fight another day – it would be 10 years before his chance would come again.

Categories
Book Reviews Mid 19th Century Wargaming wargaming

Garibaldi Part 1 of a trilogy

I have just finished the first part of a trilogy written by George Macaulay Trevelyan. Trevelyan was an enthusiastic supporter of Garibaldi so these 1200 odd pages (the three books) are a tribute to the man who sits centre stage when it comes to the wars of the italian unification.

The innocent red book volume 1 of 3 covers Garibaldi’s early life (1807-1831) and then exile in Uruguay (until 1848) in its first 41 pages. The next 350 are devoted to the “Defence of Rome” years 1848/1849 before a second exile in the USA followed.

I have previously written about the red book in this post.

https://wordpress.com/post/thewargamingerratic.home.blog/2234

In May 1848 Garibaldi was sailing from Montevideo in Uruguay, heading for Italy, the land not yet a Kingdom!

the lands that made Garibaldi the tough and resourceful General in Italy – viva south america!

In my previous post I dwelt on his South American experiences which probably made his military capability so powerful.

On the Painting Pedestal – The “lucky” man himself – made by Lucky toys as it happens.

I don’t think you will find a better wargamers guide – heres hoping volumes 2 and 3 are of the same mould. The book may be 114 years old but you will find precious little wargamer books on the subject of Garibaldi. In fact it seems there are not that many military history books either. There are a lot of books about the politics of the “Risorgimento” which it seems is very much a live debate even today.

Categories
Book Reviews Mid 19th Century Wargaming wargame rules wargaming

TFL’s Sharp Practice on World Book Day

Back in 2008 Richard Clarke of Too Fat Lardies published Sharp Practice. I had always considered this black powder ruleset very Napoleonic. Yet it is for black powder wars and these ran well into the 19th Century.

Take Two books – published in 1907 and 2008 but connected in just the right way

Enter George Macaulay Trevelyan (GMT) who a mere 100 years before Sharp Practice wrote a trilogy on Guiseppe Garibaldi hero of the Wars of Italian Unification (WotIU).

This little post is not about my current interest in WotIU. We must travel back to the 1830’s and sail to South America. Uruguay to be more accurate.

If I was not up to my armpits in Bersaglieri and Kittel dressed Austrians I might just be tempted south……………

The War for Rio Grande do Sol was fought out between Uruguay and Brazil. Later Uruguay fought Argentina along the rivers that fed the Rio de la Plata.

Garibaldi fled Piedmontese execution in 1836, having failed to cause rebellion in its navy, served in both these wars and became a local hero by 1848.

Garibaldi on his return to the Papal States and revolution

In the process he developed his expertise in warfare, leading bands of highly motivated and very mobile forces. This experience would serve him well on his return to Italy.

Warfare in and around Uruguay was fast, furious and often mounted

I am not sure how you might acquire the GMT trilogy – I got mine from Paul Meekins Military books. There are a few other more modern Garibaldi biographies.

In the introduction to Richard Clarkes Sharp Practice the author makes it clear the rules aim to relive the exploits of 19th century literary heroes. GMT hero worships Garibaldi not least because of his political leanings – a true revolutionary of the people. GMT adds a lot of praise and enrichment to the story shall we say.

Contemporary accounts and later biographies recount small naval actions with Garibaldi being shot on deck and his wife Anita Riberas also being shot as she fought with him. Lagoons, amphibious assaults, cattle rustling (the key cash crop), sieges, river gorges, forests, upland ridgeways, prairie, pampas, arroyas (wooded streams) and canadas (ground dips deep enough to hide your forces in!), not to mention lancer cavalry fighting musket armed soldiers.

If your desperate for figures maybe you could try the Carlists, while at least some of the regular enemies kitted out in napoleonic kit with british style shakoes.

In fact the Risorgimento continues to be fought over as a literary subject in itself. I have enjoyed Lucy Riall’s book which injects some 21st century objectivity into it all. Lucy has also authored a book about Garibaldi, that might be a good starting point for using Sharp Practice in a different way.

Those pesky Bersaglieri cannot be left alone…………..postings to follow

So my offering today is to the jaded “Richard Sharpe” player – cast way those green jackets and take on the slaughterhouse cloth of Monte Video* and march or should I say ride with Garibaldi across the uplands of the Rio Grande do Sol, grossly outnumbered yet most often victorious: And he lived to tell his tales.

*the famous italian red shirts apparently started life as a very cheap industrial clothing for Garibaldis Italian Legion in Monte Video.