Battle for Red House Farm : AWI

Not a historical battle but I only had limited time to prepare the scenario. Thought it would be nice to give the AWI a run out but go up a scale and use my house Bolt Action rules adapted from the ACW. They needed very little change really, the British Grenadiers play as veterans, the British combined Lights are given a slightly longer movement. To represent the more limited experience/leadership of the Americans I only gave them one Brigade commander whilst the British had two. The Americans would deploy during turn one but have to enter the battlefield after a successful activation the British would have to come on one brigade at a time with the second brigade an unpredictable entry point.

The overall battlefield after turn one. The American Minutemen /militia were allowed to deploy upto the road. 

The battlefield split by the roads into 4 sectors victory would go to the side controlling the most of these sectors.

The American local militia positioned out front the rest of the American force can be seen neatening from the left, only one unit failed to arrive on turn one

The Americans push forward towards the Barn, the British first brigade can be seen entering behind Red House Farm 

American gunners open up

More American regiments are pushing forward to Church Road, but the militia have already taken fright and have pulled back 🙁 when faced with the British grenadiers who are advancing towards them through the wheatfield and open up with a volley

The British 2nd Brigade enter turn two between the Church and the Wheatfield and immediately fire towards the American forces at the road

A random action forced one of the American guns to redeploy wasting valuable time

An American volley back at the British

The British have manoeuvred into a strong position where they can maximise their fire power

One of the American regiments was forced into the barn looking for food or perhaps liquor ? But the following turn they charge out to assault the British combined Lights In the road

Battle is now in the balance firing and fighting all along the battlefield

The broths are getting the better of it by church wood where they have forced another unit to pull back, but the militia have rallied hoorah !

American sharpshooters (Virginian Hunters perhaps) force the broths back at the church

Hand to hand fighting continues close to the Barn

The British grenadiers are caught in the flank and although they are very resilient they are pinned down for several turns unable to push forward

Oh dear things not going well in the Woods, the American officer attempts to rally

The Virginians are holding though

British advance towards the road support by their Hessian Regiment

Time is now running out and the Americans are still clinging on in the woods

The second American cannon is finally able to get into the action

Finally the British lights and the Americans they were fighting are spent, it is fairly even around Red House Farm itself

But at Church road the British have managed to get two units over the road the first are driven back by a bayonet charge, but the Hessians stand their ground.

A British victory in the end with control of two sectors to the American one the fourth sector being contested by the Hessians. The rules worked well although I’m thinking in this period I should reduce the effectiveness of moving and firing after all this is AWI not ACW. Very happy with the look of the collection, the nice thing is I have at least one brigade each which we didn’t play with. Not sure what is next although the next AWI is likely to be more Forage war skirmishing.

It has been the long Easter Weekend here with some more nice weather so I have been out again

My route for the day along the ridge to the right into the distance

Thanks as always for taking the time to look Matt