Battle of Long Island : AWI Von Heister Attack

 This is our second scenario covering this battle. Whilst Grant ‘demonstrated’ against Stirling see our battle here  https://wargamesinthedungeon.blogspot.com/2021/05/battle-of-long-island-1776.html) General Howe famously took the bulk of his British troops on a flanking march to the East through one of the undefended passes through the Heights. Von Heister was ordered with his Hessian troops to assault the centre of the Heights to keep forces under Sullivan pinned down. The agreed signal for the assault was a cannon shot but it seems this was delayed allowing many of the American forces to pull back to Brooklyn. The map below shows our Battle One in Yellow and today’s second scenario in Blue.

Interestingly I found the sketch below although pretty hard to glean much info from this ?

Jon had once again done the hard work creating the scenario map below accompanied by the detailed orders of battle.

Obviously we were waiting for my Hessians before we could do this battle, but like so often happens I now realise I need to have at least one unit of Hessian Musketeers , oh well we made do but another unit to collect and paint 😀 the hard life of a wargamer

Here is the battlefield converted to the table. The American forces in place behind their abatis. I am not sure Jon’s source but he had deliberately left a gap in the western pass so this was faithfully reproduced on the table. The escarpments are impassable, the woods provide cover. I added a few fences and small buildings on the assumption that the area close to the village of Flatbush would be beginning to be farmed and populated by this date.

Sullivan with Little’s, Hitchcock’s and Knowlton’s continentals those American unit with Flags are classed as veterans

Chester’s Veterans manning the defences and in the woods Allen’s PA  Riflemen

Von Heister’s force arrives from the south, they must enter on the road but can then deploy out required.

The jägers in skirmish formation and British combined light infantry spread out whilst the artillery takes up a position on the road, the main Hessian infantry then brings up the rear, ready for the final assault ?

One unit of jägers moves to the left flank drawing fire away form the main column, the Continentals behind the abatis immediate open fire

Sullivan realises that his position is not as strong as he had hoped and dithers slightly on which hole to plug

The British artillery opens up

There is firing now all along the line

 whilst the cannons are not devastating they gradually inflict damage on Sullivan’s force

Allowing the main infantry to begin advancing towards the defences

The 42nd Highland Regiment have been ordered to pin the Americans on the right flank (I also need to get a unit of Highland infantry !) and they exchange fire for much of the battle with Chester’s command neither side really having much impact

Eventually under combined artillery and skirmish fire one of Sullivan’s regiments is forced back

Despite being at half strength the jägers who are better shots cause considerable damage

To the sound of drum beats the Hessians advance, they won’t be taking any prisoners

Spotting the gap they charge through successfully charging the defenders, Sullivan himself is lucky to escape, and at the same time the three unit of defenders wavers and pulls back (the Americans rolled a double 1 morale check !)

Sullivan forced back

Manages to rally his command

and the grenadiers who are isolated due to their exuberant charge are attacked with fire from all sides.

Suddenly the Americans who looked beaten are back in the battle

Then one of the rallied regiments changes it’s mine a flees the field

Having been blasted with a volley from the Hessian second unit

The jägers are now upto the defences and causing annoying casualties, until they too are temporarily forced back

The British light infantry is now also through the gap, although they are down to half strength 

The artillery continues to blast away at targets in range although as Sullivan pulls back they move out of range

Finally Sullivan fails a morale check and pulls back off the battlefield (flees) back to Brooklyn

The last few Americans stay but they know it is only a matter of time as more enemy troops advance

Making a dash for safety Chester’s command

They are given a volley from behind to speed them on their way

Even on the right the Scott’s have advanced to the defence

Von Heister has taken the field destroying the defenders or forcing them to retreat

Finally the artillery falls silent with no more targets

A very fun game, we both thought the British had failed their initial assault and the Americans would be able to hold out, but things gradually turned around. Then it looked like the British were over stretched. In the end according to the specific it was 11 to 7 in favour of the British so a clear victory but far from one sided even though at the end the Americans had been mainly eliminated. We are now deciding how we might complete the battle with a third scenario ? There is clearly something in the withdraw back to Brooklyn which would make a nice final challenge.