Royalists cross the river at Axford

After their succesful move against Marlborough, the royalist commander Sir William de Willoughby is tasked with an attack on Hungerford - this move is in parralel with the Kings forces moving on Newbury.

Sir Warwick Hunt, the parliamentarian commander has moved to intercept the royalists advancing on Hungerford but his troops are strung out on the march. He reinforces the garrison of a regiment of foot at Axford with one regiment of foot and one of horse and makes a hasty defence of the river crossing.

The royalists with 4 regiments of foot and 2 of horse approach Axford ..

The royalists deploy and clear the bridge with the use of their galloper gun ...

The royalist manouvre on their right flank to cross the river ...

After an exchange of musketry and cannon fire the parliamentarian foot regiment routs, they are quickly followed over the bridge by the lead royalist regiment ....

The parliamentarian defence crumbles and they use their horse regiment to cover their retreat ...

The royalist set down to camp for the night at Axford, before moving on along the valley towards Hungerford the next day ...

to be continued ...

Sir William de Willoughby's Regiment of Horse

I thought it was about time my imaginary commander of the royalist forces in my Wiltshire campaign had his own regiment of horse - so I finished painting my TYW Jacdaw figs and allocated them to the royalists (the cornet is from Drabant).

Marlborough discomforted

A little action from history (slightly modified) which fits into my ECW camapign in Wiltshire quite nicely ...

Marlborough town was a potential problem for the royalists. The Seymours nominally held the old castle for the King but the town was for Parliament. With his headquarters in nearby Oxford, King Charles decided that Marlborough must be dealt with and sent Lords Wilmot and Digby with a body of horse to implement his wishes. They journeyed via Wallingborough to add a regiment of dragoons and a galloper gun to their troops, then they marched for Marlborough ...

When they arrived, they chose to parley first, thus giving the inhabitants a chance to prepare a defence. Commanded by Colonel James Ramsey with a small number of professional soldiers they mustered a few hundred poorly-armed men in the simple earthworks at the north of the town. Their response was to refuse to give up the town.

While the confrontation started at the north of the town, the royalists had dismounted a regiment of horse and they had started to try and gain access to the town from the side via its small alleyways.

The dragoons skirmish with the towns defenders at the earthworks on the common ...

The dismounted royalist horse have entered the outskirts of the town and encounter little resistance ....

The defenders fall back as the dismounted royalist horse gain the high street ....

Colonel Ramsey withdrew to the St Mary's church to make a last stand ....

The royalists move into the town from the north having overrun the earthworks, while the dismounted horse move up the high street to attack the church ...

The defence of the church continues, but they cannot hold out for long ....

After a fierce exchange of fire, all the windows were shot away, at this point Ramsey surrendered.

Following the surrender a number of houses and barns were burned down and the town was systematically looted. What could not be carried away was destroyed. Some 120 prisoners, were tied together and marched to Oxford and put in prison to await the Kings pleasure.

[the actual historical events can be read at http://www.marlboroughhistory.org.uk/timeline/Civil%20War.html]

Galloper Gun ready for action

The visiting officers from Oxford watch as the new galloper gun is put through its paces ...

Visitors to Wallingborough

A large body of horse from Oxford has arrived at Wallingborough, the commander has ridden up to the guildhall to meet with Sir William de Walloughby..

A closeup of the officers (Jacdaw TYW french officer pack) ...

Galloper Gun progress

Sir William de Walloughby checks with the local blacksmith on the progress of the galloper gun ..

Gun is complete, draught horse + rider and escort still being painted.

Scratchbuilt Galloper Gun

Reading up on Roundway Down, the royalists had a couple galloper guns with them. So I had a look see what bits I had to make one. I had a couple of plastic wheels the right size and a spare 18c ships gun. I cut the wheels and base off the gun and put it on a cardboard base, then added the wheelset. Completed gun below (with fig for size comparison) ..

I needed a draught horse and rider, so I cast them from one of my 18c moulds. The draught horse needed a little bit of work, the rider a new head and the coat detail altered. I had a spare horse and rider as well to use as the galloper guns escort.

New horse regiment painted ..

These boys have sat for a while in the painting queue. Nice to get them finished; now for the Jacdaw figs, I'm looking forward to painting them.

[figs: Irregular Miniatures, with a couple of Sash & Sabre heads for variety; officer is Sash and Sabre]

How many more units to go ?

I'm aiming to get to enough units to refight battles of the size of Lansdown and Roundway. At Roundway approximate numbers on each side was : Parliament- 2500 foot, 2000 horse Royalist - 3000 foot, 1800 horse

I'm using a ratio of 1 fig:33 men with foot regiments at 600 strong (18 figs) and horse regiments at 300 strong (9 figs); this means to be able to field each side I will need a total of

9 (or 10) regiments of foot
12 (or 13) regiments of horse

Currently I have got the following painted units:
6 regiments of foot, 4 regiments of horse, 2 regiments of dragoons and 4 guns

and the following unpainted units:
2 regiments of foot, 2 regiments of horse

So I need to buy 1 (or 2) regiments of foot and 6 (or 7) regiments of horse (oof ! a bit of knock on the old warchest).

Jacdaw Cavalry figs

I succumbed and bought enough of the newly released Jacdaw French 30 years war french cavalry (sold in packs of two) to make up another regiment of horse to add to the painting queue. So today I've been assembling the figures - the cornet is from Drabant Miniatures.

A closeup of the two figs assembled from the Officer pack...

A closeup of some of the troopers, the Drabant can also be seen.

Overall - lovely figures, fiddly to assemble but worth the effort.

New boys to paint ...

A regiment of horse awaits the brush. Figs are Irregular Miniatures with a few S&S heads, the officer is a S&S fig.

Also waiting in the lead pile are two regiments of foot. I'm short of horse regiments so I'm concentrating on these at the moment; I'm tempted by the Drabant figs, I have bought one will I go mad for more - we shall see.

Battle of Chipping Snodbury

Really great ECW battle with piccies, at the Painting Wargames Figures blog it is posted in three parts; definitely worth a look:

http://nigbilpainter.blogspot.com/2009/07/battle-of-chipping-snodbury-part-one.html

http://nigbilpainter.blogspot.com/2009/07/battle-of-chipping-snodbury-part-two.html

http://nigbilpainter.blogspot.com/2009/07/battle-of-chipping-snodbury-part-three.html

New buildings ...

Firstly the middle story of the gargantuan 3 story building I got a couple of weeks ago. It's had two of windows converted to doors, a roof added and central chimney; then a good repaint. Its a tad large but should be ok


Next is the pottery building I got a couple of months ago, its been given complete repaint and put on a base ..

I've also ordered some more Conflix buildings to provide some more variety.

Wardour Castle - falls to Parliament

Sir Warwick Hunt, commander of the parliamentary forces laying siege to Wardour castle mounts his horse after finishing his breakfast and gets ready to direct an assault on the outworks of the castle.
Attempts with artillery and mortars have failed so far to provide any results; his miners are still digging tunnels. His main weapon the big siege gun has still not arrived; impatient he orders his foot regiments to prepare for an assault ...

The whole of the royalist garrison get ready to defend the outworks against the oncoming assault; the foot regiment has been reinforced by some dragoons and some horse who have dismounted.

The parliamentary artillery battery opens fire; its main target is the gun near the castle outworks gate - the aim to destroy it or reduce its fire as the assault goes in ...

The first wave of the assault forms up and approaches the outworks ...

The heavy mortar prepares to start firing, they aim for castle gatehouse and the gate in the outworks ....

The first wave of the assault reaches the outworks ....

The parliamentary foot take heavy casualties but cross the outworks forcing back the defenders ...

The large siege gun arrives and they set it up, it may be needed if the assault fails ...

The royalists have repulsed the first assault, hovever the second assault wave arrives and an attack is made on the outworks gate ....

The gate slightly damaged by mortar fire gives way under the sheer weight of numbers and the parliamentary foot gain the outworks, the royalist foot retire towards the gate house. The dismounted horse troopers lay down their arms, the dragoons prepare to fire ...

The garrison commander to surrenders to Sir Warwick Hunt; the outworks have fallen, his troops are laying down their arms and he has no alternative.

--00X00--

End notes:

1. My model of Pokesay castle is 'masquerading' as Wardour.

2. Historically Wardour Castle, fell to parliament in May 1643 - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardour_Castle.

Dismounted Horse (7) - Ready for Action

At last I've finished painting the dismounted horse troopers, below are both of the horse regiments ..

One of these will be off to help defend Wardour castle.

A rather large town house !

I bought this beastie at my local 'car boot' sale for the princely sum of £2. Although probably in scale for 40mm figs its a bit on the large side. Its made of cardboard and can be carefully (?) cut up, my plan is to make separate buildings of the top two stories and maybe do something with the remnants of the ground floor.

On to Wardour - Skirmish at Barford

At Sarisbury

The parliamentarian commander Sir Warwick Hunt leads out a regiment of foot from their quarters in the cathedral close, via the high street gate. They will be joining the troops marching to make siege at Wardour castle to the south-west.

---oXo---

At Barford

The route to Wardour to crosses the river at Barford St Martin, an outpost of Royalist dragoons is stationed there.

Two regiments of parliamentarian horse approach Barford, they have been ordered to take and hold the river crossing..

The parliamentarian horse attempt to charge into the village but are held off by steady fire from the dragoons.

The parliamentarians regroup. The commander of the horse waits for a regiment of foot to arrive before making another attempt to capture Barford.

The royalist dragoons seeing the arrival of the regiment of foot and other troops marching in the distance decide to withdraw and get word of the approaching column to the commander of Wardour castle.

---oXo---

At Wardour Castle

The commander is making preparations for a siege, the gate in the outworks is being re-inforced.

The commander reviews the regiment of foot which is the main part of the garrison.