Advance on Leith games

Started by pierre the shy, 04 August 2019, 06:16:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

pierre the shy

Had a pretty satisfying weekend at Call to Arms over the weekend.

We played two games of the Advance on Leith scenario using FK&P on Saturday, with honours even between the two sides when the smoke cleared. I will put up a couple of reports in due course but both games were very close, the second one literally coming down to the last combat to see who would be victorious as the local lads went to the "push of pike" against Monck's veterans and saw off Cromwell himself at the head of the aptly named Colonel Hacker's regiment of Horse (they fought several combats but only ever managed one hit IIRC - the regimental quartermaster later denied claims that he had issued the regiment with rubber swords).

On the Sunday the RN were I think going to be splicing the mainbrace after they gave the Kreigsmarine a fairly bloody nose, although the Prinz Eugen's gunnery officer certainly had a good day late on in the game.

I was a good boy and just looked at the bring and buy, though most of it was GW related stuff anyway.

Having used up most of my brownie points its back to reality today ;)         
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

d_Guy

Yes, sounds interesting. Look forward to repost and pics!  :)
Sleep with clean hands ...

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

paulr

There was sunshine :)

Both Leith games were incredibly close with several twists and turns :-SS X_X :-SS #:-S

It is a great scenario with lots of tough decisions and Pierre the Shy has got the balance spot on :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd

On the Sunday the RN's fire control radar was working very well on all but one ship, this meant that the Kriegsmarine were illuminated by starshell and immediately hit by effective salvos X_X

My dice rolling, particularly early on, was outstandingly good :-[ :-[ :-[
Rhys, the other German commander, commented at one point, the British actually missed :o

Prinz Eugen's arrival certainly was dramatic with two British Heavy cruisers badly damaged X_X #-o
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

pierre the shy

The Advance on Leith – 31 July 1650

Parliament Briefing
Between Edinburgh and the border with England, the Scots adopted a scorched earth policy, thus forcing Cromwell to obtain all of his limited supplies from England, mostly arriving by sea through the small port at Dunbar. Knowing that his logistical problems would only increase over time Cromwell decided that a rapid advance to attempt to take Leith, Edinburgh's nearest port, was the best way to solve his supply problems. Such a move would also force the Scots to fight and, if successful, help bring an early end to Charles II's royalist aspirations. To lead the advance on Leith Cromwell decided to put Major General Lambert's experienced brigade of horse and Colonel Monck's infantry brigade in the van, with Lambert in command. Cromwell's own brigade of horse would stay in reserve to start with, eventually deploying where he thought most advantageous once the Scots army's deployment became apparent to the English. To support Lambert's opening attack Cromwell ordered an artillery battery be established on the Eastern most heights of Arthur's Seat prior to the attack. This battery could then dominate the Scots trenched defences and would be defended by a detachment of foot drawn from Mauleverer's Foot.

Covenant Briefing
Leslie initially showed no inclination to fight Cromwell's advancing force on the open ground East of Arthur's Seat, the large, long extinct volcano that dominates the surrounding low lying coastal plain. Despite Leslie's superior numbers, Cromwell's reputation, together with the variable military experience of his own men led him to believe he could use the strength of his defences to greater effect. Why risk fighting in the open when the English could waste their strength against them? In fact, he had already made good use of Edinburgh's natural features, placing an outpost on Arthur's Seat overlooking Holyrood House. By far the most notable of his man-made defences was a multiple line of trenches, in front of which spears were embedded in the ground to counteract charges from cavalry. These ran from the port of Leith in the north along the path of the present Leith Walk to Holyrood. However, his defensive plans were thwarted by the continuing interference from the Kirk and the all powerful Committee of the Estates, both of who insisted that Cromwell's force be engaged before reaching Edinburgh's defences. Unphased, Leslie acted swiftly to put together a plan to counter Cromwell's bold move using roughly half the total forces at his disposal. Two brigades of lowland infantry, commanded by Colonel Sir James Campbell of Lawers and Colonel John Innes respectively, would advance to the east to confront Cromwell's forces as they advanced on Leith, supported by the Earl of Leven's cavalry brigade and long-range fire from field artillery deployed within the Scots defences. A detachment from Campbell of Lawer's regiment would hold the Eastern slopes of Arthur's seat against any English intervention. Meanwhile a further cavalry brigade under the command of Major General Sir Robert Montgomerie would take the road round the south of Arthur's Seat to Jock's Lodge and fall on the advancing English from their left flank and rear.   

Game 1 – Covenant (Peter) and Parliament (Paul)

The battlefield, with Arthur's Seat nearest the camera and the Scots trenches on the left:



The Scots deployment:



The English arrive, Monck's infantry on the left and Lambert's cavalry on the right:



Lambert's brigade advanced briskly across the open heathland and was engaged by the Earl of Leven's small brigade made up of the Earl's own bodyguard of Dutch style Cuirassiers and Lord Brechin's Lancers. The Earl's bodyguard is quickly overwhelmed by Lambert's veteran regiment, though not before Lambert himself takes a pistol ball in the shoulder, seriously wounding him and forcing him to retire from the field, leaving the English leaderless until Cromwell himself arrives on the scene. Meanwhile after a stiff fight Brechin's Lancers rout Colonel Edward Whalley's Regiment.



As it pursues Whalley's Horse Brechin's Lancers is in turn flanked by Fleetwood's Horse (left hand side). Somewhat fortuitously they fail to score a single hit on my unit and I can turn to face them, meanwhile Monck advances most of his brigade forward, leaving a single battalia to guard the road to Jock's Lodge (very top right). I advance to the meet them (hope those sheep move out the way...).   



Montgomerie's cavalry brigade arrive from the south and I charge the lone infantry battalia in the rear repeatedly, but only inflict a single hit....I need three to destroy it.



While Montgomerie is busy trying to break into the English infantry formation Cromwell's cavalry arrive to save the day.....literally.



There is a huge scrap between the two cavalry brigades. When the smoke clears two of the Scots regiments have disintegrated and Arnott's Lancer's still can't get the last hit on Monck's veteran foot in order to destroy it. The next turn they themselves take a further hit and are removed since they are a two hit unit.



In the centre the two infantry forces come to grips indecisively. Its handbags at close quarters but the English do not manage to roll up the raw Scots units. The Artillery and forlorn hopes on Arthur's Seat exchanged a bit of fire during the game but with their brigade commanders both having higher priorities elsewhere there was not a lot of action on that side of the table.



With the destruction of Montgomerie's and Leven's brigade I handed over the last of my victory medals, giving a final total of 12 to 8 to the English.

I was very happy how the scenario played out and the result was about what I would have expected. We both had occasions where units saved 3 hits in one turn, while in other turns seemingly no one could hit a thing, especially amongst the infantry. We've played enough FK@P now to be quite familiar with the rules and I do like the period feel that they give. It was really great to be able to finally play a game with the Scots as I first became interested in them many years ago but other projects and events have always precluded getting on to them till we found the right combination of scale and rules last year.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
we are not now that strength which in old days
moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are.

paulr

Peter is rather generous at a couple of points in his description of the battle ;)

The battalia "Monck left to guard the road to Jock's Lodge" had fallen behind as it repeatedly failed to activate, yes it drew 1s ~X(

It surviving being charged repeatedly in the rear was a combination of poor to hit chits from Peter, great save chits from me X_X #:-S
If I had lost that unit, as I should, and another couple of units of horse, which I was close to doing, it could have been anyone's game

As I said above, a well balanced & fascinating scenario with some tough decisions to be made by both players :-bd =D> :-bd =D> :-bd
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Techno


Steve J

Excellent looking game, scenario and nice AAR :).

T13A

Hi

Great looking games and write up. I think both For King and Parliament and To the Strongest! are now officially my favourite rule sets, and that is from some one who was very, very dubious about using grids.

Cheers Paul
T13A Out!

Duke Speedy of Leighton

You may refer to me as: Your Grace, Duke Speedy of Leighton.
2016 Pendraken Painting Competion Participation Prize  (Lucky Dip Catagory) Winner

d_Guy

Excellent photos and report. Cromwell's invasion and the maneuvering around Edinburgh are often overshadowed by the debacle at Dunbar. Thanks for highlighting the former and hope you will continue to provide scenarios. Await the second AAR with great anticipation.
  :-bd
Sleep with clean hands ...

Ithoriel

Great looking game and excellent report!
There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

paulr

Quote from: T13A on 10 August 2019, 09:22:33 AM
Hi

Great looking games and write up. I think both For King and Parliament and To the Strongest! are now officially my favourite rule sets, and that is from some one who was very, very dubious about using grids.

Cheers Paul

We haven't dabbled with TtS yet but the rest all applies for this Paul as well  ;) :)
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

paulr

10 August 2019, 10:19:44 PM #14 Last Edit: 10 August 2019, 10:28:59 PM by paulr
On the Sunday as already mentioned we played a naval game

The Germans were trying to get a convoy from Norway to Germany, the RN had other ideas



The above was taken by one of the convention organisers, we were too busy having fun
Near left is the German convoy, screened by minesweepers and illuminated by star shell
Centre left are RN destroyers closing in, also illuminated by star shell and under fire from the German coastal battery on the point behind them
Centre are two heavy and one light cruiser, the main RN force
Near right are a sinking German light cruiser and destroyer, plus a damaged destroyer withdrawing while taking evasive action
Just off the point in the distance are two small and one larger radar contact
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!