1/13 SBGC Meeting: The Battle of Germantown, Battle of Christina and Thompson Creek, Atlantic Ironclads

 

This Saturday, the SBGC held it's first meeting of 2024. My proselytizing for the club has been paying off as this week we had the pleasure of being joined by a couple of new players. A good thing because we had a bunch of very large games being played this month with plenty of slots to be filled.

 

The first one I'll talk about is the one that I played in, the Battle of Germantown in 20mm, using General d'Armee. This game was hosted by Paul and Keith, the guys I had been playing games with in Fremont. It was Paul's second time attending, and Keith's first, and was their first time hosting a game for the club and they did a fantastic job, which is no surprise to me because they ran many games at Game Kastle Fremont, and every time was great.

The Battle of Germantown was a key conflict during the American Revolutionary War in 1777, where General George Washington's Continental Army attempted a surprise attack on the British forces under General Sir William Howe near Philadelphia. Despite initial confusion and intense close-quarters combat, the Americans were ultimately forced to withdraw. While the British claimed victory, the battle showcased the Continental Army's capability and boosted morale, delaying the British advance and solidifying Washington's leadership.

 

 

In this battle, I would control 2 brigades, one of regular infantry and one of militia. I held the right flank, along the Wissahickon Creek. In the image above, my forces would be on the left side, along both sides of the creek, partially out of frame. Along side me would be my teammates Chris and Richard in the center, and Mike on the left.

Just like the real battle, the Americans would start the game with the initiative, while the British received penalties to their activation due to being caught off guard, still asleep, during the early morning hours.

 

The villages in the middle of the table were held by British light infantry on picket duty, the first objective for the American center was to seize those villages. My teammates in the center marched their brigades to encircle and assault the villages.

On the left, our opponent Tejinder audaciously charged a brigade of British Guard infantry into the forest in the middle of the table, hoping to use it as cover against the coming 2 American brigades.

 

On the right, I decided I would take my militia brigade and march them across the creek. I was not confident in the militia's ability to stand against the veteran British infantry standing across the table from them. I would try to hold the right flank using the creek to hamper the enemy, and use my other brigade to support my teammates in the center.

 

Back on the left, Mike was doing very well against the British Guard. Although the British were able to inflict heavy casualties on my teammate, he had 2 brigades to the British 1, and his numerical superiority allowed him to eventually beat the British back. He would eventually get into a position to roll up the British left.

 

 

In the center, Chris and Richard were hammering away at the British center with artillery and assaulting the villages. The cannons inflicted heavy casualties, however the assaults on the village were more challenging. It took a few turns before the British and Hessian light infantry were eventually chased out.

 

 

On the right, I was able to eventually get my militia across the river to join my other brigade. Due to losing initiative rolls for several turns, I was only barely able to get my guys into a defensive line before the British were able to race up to my flank and almost catch my militia before they could form up. 

My regular infantry did not perform well against their opponent, and were unformed or forced to retreat, while not being able to inflict significant casualties on the other side. My militia performed a bit better, they were able to outshoot their opponent and repel a charge by British veteran infantry, but I was in a poor position and many of my battalions had incurred Fire Discipline penalties due to poor rolls.

 Unfortunately, I had to leave early and we didn't get to finish the game, but I think we had the upper hand by the end of it. I wasn't doing so hot, but I was doing well enough to hold the left, meanwhile the right and center were doing very well on their sides of the table and I think they might've eventually been able to push the center and left back, and come over to save me.

The other games being played were Ix's Atlantic ironclads wargame using the rules that he wrote...

 

 

And Pete's Civil War Game, using Rank and File.

It was a great meeting to kick off the new year, with a bunch of new players (I counted 6!). I hope they had fun and continue to join us! 

You'll be hearing from me again next Sunday, when I run a practice game of Chain of Command: DMZ at Game Kastle Fremont, in preparation for DunDraCon next month, so until than folks!