Saturday 11 February 2012

The Battle of Roundway Down

With no sign of the Royalist infantry coming up from Devizes, Wilmot and Byron decide to take the intiative and attack. Wilmot sent Smith forward with a 'folorn hope' of  cavalry to engage the first parliamentarian regiment, while fighting begins Heselrig leads his lobsters forwards ...
Wilmot responds by leading the rest of his cavalry brigade foward and charges Heselrig's lobsters, while Smiths folorn hope hold their ground ...
With Wilmot fully engaged, Byron leads his brigade forward to move on the horse on the other parliamentarian flank commanded by Waller; Crawford's brigade hangs back to support Wilmot if needed.
Heselrig's lobsters are just holding their ground but Smiths folorn hope has been pushed back but are still fighting hard ...
Byron takes a wide path across the front of parliamentarian foot, deploying dragoons and a galloper gun as a folorn hope ...
Byron charges home into the parliamentarian horse ....
Crawford moves his brigade forward to support the dragoons and be in a position to support Byron or Wilmot if needed ...
The parliamentarian horse under the command of Waller hold their ground ....
Meanwhile Wilmot after some heavy fighting has broken Heselrig's lobsters who rout and has turned to take the other parliamentarian horse in the flank who break and run .... 
On the other flank Crawford leads his brigade forward to support Byron who his hard pressed ...
Crawford charges home and Byron's brigade has pushed Waller's horse back ...
Waller's horse hold their ground again and have pushed back Crawford's brigade....
The central regiment of Waller's horse has broken and routed, but his other regiments have pushed back the royalists, Byron manages to prevent all of his regiment from pursuing and reforms ready to assist the rest ....
Wilmot having cleared away the parlimentarian horse on his flank, reforms and threatens the parliamentarian infantry ....
On the other flank Byrons' rallied horse has attacked the parliamentarian horse in the rear and they rout, finally after a long struggle Crawford beats his opposition; the parliamentarian horse are routing off the field; Byron reforms a regiment of horse to move on the parliamentarian foot ...
The parliamentarian foot start to form shiltrons to defend against the royalist horse ....
The parliamentarian foot are isolated and royalist horse prepare to attack them ...
Royalist horse attack the parliamentarian foot but not too much effect; the foot have managed to edge northwards.  In the distance behind Wilmot's horse can be seen the royalist foot arriving from Devizes (after having received a messenger from Wilmot)
The arrival of the royalist foot the signals the end for the parliamentarians who are badly mauled and surrender.


A great Victory for ye Kinge

---oXo---

A result that pretty much followed history; brief summary of the forces:
Royalist:
Wilmots Brigade 500 + Smiths Folorn Hope - 300
Byrons Brigade 500
Crawfords Brigade 500
Foot (in Devizes) 3000

Parliament:
Heselrig's flank 1000
Waller's flank 1200
Foot: 2500



A great solo game; I wasn't sure what was going to happen, Wilmot's brigade looked like they were about to lose then the next melee round decided it - Heselrig's lobster were soundly beaten and routed, numbers told. Waller's horse on the other flank nearly won, their central horse regiment breaking was the turning point in the royalist's favour. Wallers horse escaped to the north - and were not pushed down the 'bloody hill' as happened in the real battle.

The parliamentarian foot were in a awkward situation  with cavalry melees on both flanks and  cavalry to their front - they clung to the base of Roundway hill - one regiment moved forward slightly to engage the royalist dragoons.

6 comments:

Remco said...

Looks suberb!

Springinsfeld said...

Brilliant re-fight, and funny how it followed actual events
cheers
Mike

Fitz-Badger said...

Excellent report! Huzzah for the Royalists!

Bluebear Jeff said...

A splendid victory, sir. Well done.


-- Jeff

Mosstrooper said...

An exciting battle !.

Big Andy said...

Ah well so the malignants win one it happened.... Giood looking game though!