Cheriton 2019 - Game 2

Started by paulr, 25 April 2019, 03:12:18 AM

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paulr

25 April 2019, 03:12:18 AM Last Edit: 25 April 2019, 03:24:11 AM by paulr
This is a report on the second of three For King & Parliament refights of the battle of Cheriton, 29 March 1644, at the New Zealand National Wargames Convention on Kapiti during Easter 2019.

About 10 players were involved over the 3 days with 7-8 playing in each game.

The Parliamentary plan was to push forward on their right using Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Leighton's Brigade from Cheriton Wood to restrict the Royalists response to Sir William Balfour's Brigade of Horse. They would also push forward in the centre and left with their larger numbers of pike and horse.

The Royalist plan was to defend the hedges on the forward slope of Cheriton ridge while pushing forward on their left with Major General Sir John Smyth's three brigades of Horse.

With the rapid deployment of Leighton's Brigade out from Cheriton Wood the Royalist plan to push forward on their left has been thwarted Stuart's Brigade of Horse has been forced to form a flank just out of musket shot.



On the other flank the lead regiments of Hesilrigge's Parliamentary Brigade of Horse has advanced rapidly to engage Lisle's Commanded Shot defending the hedges on Cheriton ridge. While near Yew Farm the leading Horse of Livesey's Parliamentary Brigade has been defeated by Howard's Brigade of Horse who pursue (yellow marker) onto Livesey's Brigade.



On Parliament's right Leighton's Brigade advances to the edge of the open heath, the Commanded Shot will not be advancing further in the face of Royalist Horse. The other Parliamentary forces 'steadily' advance.
The Royalists have revised their plan and Stawell's Brigade of Horse moves to the right to support the Earl of Forth.



On Parliament's left the action between Livesey's Parliamentary Brigade and Howard's Brigade of Horse continues with another regiment of Livesey's Horse broken but the Royalist Horse's pursuit (yellow marker) will lead them over the stream into the nervously waiting Commanded Shot of the Yellow Regiment of the London Trained Band.
The Earl of Forth has advanced Eure's Dragoons to contest Yew Farm, recently occupied by part of Sir William Waller's Regiment of Dragoons.
Colonel Jonas Vandruske's Regiment (yellow pursuit marker) of Hesilrigge's Parliamentary Brigade of Horse has broken Colonel Anthony Thelwall & Sir Theophilius Gilbey's Commanded Shot opening a gap for the remainder of the brigade to exploit.



As Potley's Parliamentary Brigade of Foot advance against the front of Lisle's Tertia of Foot Sir George Lisle own & Colonel William Eure's Commanded Shot are charged in the flank by one of the units of Sir William Waller's Regiment of Horse. To the amazement of all Lisle & Eure's Commanded Shot manage to save all the hits scored on them.
Meanwhile Sir Thomas Blackwall & Colonel Stephen Hawkin's Royalist Commanded Shot stoutly defend their section of hedge disordering another unit of Sir William Waller's Regiment of Horse.



In the centre Potley's Parliamentary Brigade of Foot exchange close range fire with Lisle's Tertia of Foot and Paulet's 'Tertias' of Foot.
Balfour's Parliamentary Brigade of Horse continues its advance



Heavy fighting on Parliament's left has seen Livesey's Brigade lose two of its three regiments of Horse and a unit of Dragoons. Hesilrigge's Brigade of Horse has also lost two units of Horse and have another two units including Sir Arthur Hesilrigge pursuing (yellow markers) in the direction of Alresford, leaving only two scattered units.
Howard's Royalist Brigade of Horse has lost one regiment and appears likely to lose a second as it pursues (yellow marker) pursues across a stream into a fresh unit of Hesilrigge's Brigade
Stawell's Brigade of Horse supported by Lisle's Tertia of Foot and the Earl of Forth seem well positioned



On Parliament's right Balfour's Brigade of Horse moves up but fails to charge home against the first of Smyth's Royalist Brigade of Horse
Leighton's Parliamentary Brigade manoeuvres to allow Colonel George Thompson's London Regiment of Horse to move up in support of Balfour
In the centre the Foot continue to exchange fire and in some cases charge. The Parliamentary Light Artillery has run out of ammunition and the gunners begin the long process of withdrawing their guns



Disaster has befallen Howard's Royalist Brigade of Horse, as expected the unit pursing into the fresh unit of Hesilrigge's Brigade has been lost. To the surprise of many the other unit has been held at the stream by a unit of Commanded Shot of the Yellow Regiment of the London Trained Band and more surprisingly the second unit of the Yellow Regiment has turned onto their flank and delivered a destructive volley
To compound Royalist woes Hesilrigge's exposed Regiment of Horse has managed to withdraw from the ridge. Sir Arthur Hesilrigge has also managed to halt the pursuit of the unit of Horse he was with
In the centre disorder is increasing in the Foot of both sides as they charge and counter charge across the hedge
Royalist Colonel George Lisle was stunned as he encouraged Owen & Lloyd's Commanded Shot



Colonel John Middleton's Regiment of Horse is the first unit of Balfour's Parliamentary Brigade of Horse to be activated, he is to charge diagonally across the hedge into Smyth's Brigade of Horse. Colonel John Dalbier's Regiment of Horse having already discharged their pistols will follow up straight ahead if required. Lieutenant-General Sir William Balfour remained with Sir John Meldrum's Regiment of Horse as they needed to do two complex activations to charge the flank of Stuart's Royalist Brigade of Horse
Colonel John Middleton drew a 1 (circled in orange) stopping the activation of Balfour's Brigade ~X(



Two regiments of Stawell's Royalist Brigade of Horse push forward in an attempt to threaten the flank and rear of Potley's Brigade of Foot
The Earl of Forth brings up Gerard & Bard's Commanded Shot to support the right of Lisle's Royalist Tertia of Foot against Hesilrigge's Regiment of Horse



To avoid a repeat of debacle last turn Lieutenant-General Sir William Balfour joined Colonel John Middleton's Regiment of Horse. Colonel John Middleton drew a 1, but Balfour can replay the chit, another 1 (both circled in orange) again stopping the activation of Balfour's Brigade ~X( ~X(



Dramatic events in the centre, 3 out of 4 of the battalia of Paulet's Royalist 'Tertias' of Foot broke. The remaining battalia Astley & Appleyard's destroyed Colonel Samuel Jones' Regiment of Foot and broke through the Parliamentary line but was flanked by Colonel Ralph Weldon's Regiment of Foot
Major-General Christopher Potley's Regiment of Foot destroyed Owen & Lloyd's Royalist Commanded Shot and captured Colonel George Lisle then managed to turn with Sir William Waller's Regiment of Foot and face the charge of Stawell's Brigade of Horse despite both being badly disordered
Stawell & Pierce's Regiments of Horse from Stawell's Royalist Brigade of Horse had destroyed the White Regiment of the London Trained Band and pursued onto the Yellow Regiment of the London Trained Band



Balfour's Parliamentary Brigade of Horse has finally charged and met with mixed success destroying a regiment of Smyth's Brigade of Horse but losing a regiment to a counter attack from Stuart's Brigade of Horse



On Parliament's left there are very few intact units and all attention focuses on the desperate attempt by Stawell's Royalist Brigade of Horse lead by Lord Hopton to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat



The charge by Stawell & Pierce's Regiments of Horse fails to break Sir William Waller's badly disordered Regiment of Foot
The charge by Lord Hopton at the head of his own & Gunter's Regiments of Horse meets with disaster. The blown and disordered regiments are destroyed and Lord Hopton is forced from the field seriously wounded



The Royalists lost all 32 of their victory points
Parliament had 9 of their 35 remaining giving them a close victory

A great time was again had by all the players and the result could, with a few different chits, easily have been reversed

When designing the scenario I had allowed Lieutenant-Colonel Walter Leighton's Brigade to deploy anywhere in Cheriton Wood, including close to the Royalist left flank. I had underestimated how slowly Colonel Matthew Appleyard's Brigade would move through Cheriton Wood if unopposed. Leighton deploying in the south west corner of Cheriton Wood had effectively taken Appleyard's Brigade out of the game. This will be addressed by limiting Leighton's deployment area to the northern part of Cheriton Wood in the updated scenario.

Fortunately the player commanding Appleyard's Brigade was also commanding Sergeant-Major-General Sir John Paulet's 'Tertias' of Foot and so was involved in the thick of the action.

Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Techno

Great stuff, Paul ! :-bd

Cheers - Phil

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

Steve J

Thanks for another great report on a wonderful looking game 8).

sunjester



Westmarcher

Another great report. The names of the units in green and blue to differentiate the sides are a great help, too.  :-bd
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.

paulr

I can't expect you to identify the units by their coats and flags, even I have to look some up ;)

I used green and blue backgrounds for the unit labels as they clearly differentiate the two sides without standing out too much on the table
Lord Lensman of Wellington
2018 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2022 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!
2023 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!