getting back in the saddle ...

 To get me going again I tracked down a couple of books focusing on the civil war events for Wiltshire and Hampshire

I've started the Wiltshire book and finding it a good read and full of useful info. Also toying with doubling up my foot units so they look chunky enough pike-wise ..... trying out ideas using Junior General images ..

having a re-think ....

Have you seen my mojo ?

My ECW 'mojo' has gone - so I've put the Cheriton re-fight on hold for the moment.

I'm going back to do some reading of events during the period and will be trying to obtain some books on the ECW in Wiltshire and Hampshire.

I'm thinking of changing my approach and aiming for small scale battles between the two sides - I find that much more of interest; it will continue my earlier scheme of Sir William de Willoughby (Royalist) and Sir Warwick Hunt (Parliament) .

More to come after some imagineering has been completed.

Battle of Cheriton - planning

Historically after a flurry of activity in December which left both sides in winter quarters, not much happened untill they left winter quarters and the armies mustered during the third week of March - then it was straight into the movements that led to the main battle which was on 29th March 1644.

I was hoping to actually do the re-fight on the 29th March, but looks like I'll miss this date (other things in progress).

I've been studying the accounts of battle and getting an idea of the battlefield layout. One thing thats a bit of a hiccup is that I've not enough figures/units, at 1fig:33men scale, which is what I use for my ECW armies - to be able to represent both sides adequately - I may try out 1:60

Info from one source on size of the armies:
Royalists: 2500 cavalry, 3500 infantry                      at 1:60 --> 42 figs Cav; 60 figs inf
Parliamentarians: 3500 cavalry, 6500 infantry           at 1:60 --> 60 figs Cav; 108 figs inf

Totals: 102 figs horse; 168 figs foot, How many have I got, hmmm 117 figs (13 regiments horse @ 9 figs) 162 figs (9 regiments foot @ 18 figs)   Hoorah 1:60 it is; next stage will be working out the setup of my gaming table with the battlefield key features ....    

Raid on Winterbourne...

The royalists had been collecting supplies from the Winterbourne's and nearby villages (a few miles to the north east of Sarisbury); the supplies had been stockpiled in and near a farm ready for collection by wagon. Two companies of foot had been detailed to guard the supplies.

 

Sir Warwick Hunt (parliament), leads a daring raid to 'obtain' the supplies with two troops of horse and two bodies of commanded shot....

---oXo---

 

A rider approaches to inform the royalist commander of parliamentarian troops moving this way ...

parliamentarian troops start to cross the river

A troop of horse rushes on ahead attempting to catch the royalist fooot off guard ...

 

The royalist foot form up and musket and pistol fire is exchanged ...

The royalists have the edge and the parliamentarian horse retire and move to round their flank...

Another troop of parliamentarian horse moves up and a unit of shot ...

Vollies are exhanged and the royalist come off worst .....

The royalist ranks are thinned out as the other unit of parliamentarian shot joins the fray ...

The royalist foot breaks and the parliamentarian horse charge home ..

The royalists are in full retreat ....

Sir Warwick Hunt directs the horse to keep the royalists on the run ...

Meanwhile the parliamentarian shot deploys to protect the men loading the carts with supplies ...

 

---oXo---

 

A success for parliament....

Ongoing plans ...

The ECW gaming campaign stalled a bit towards the end of 2012. I've summarised the end part of the '1643' campaign year in the previous post. So 2013 will become the 1644 campaign year. I'm planing to refight Cheriton

Using the above small pamphlet as a reference. Although not in Wiltshire, it is Hopton and Waller facing off again which will follow up on my Roundway refight. Also will try and widen the campaign outside Wiltshire where appropriate.

Will also have few items and couple of units to add.

Campaign year 1643 - end piece

With royalists having taken Tilshead after a battle, and Upavon some time back then Amesbury - since then they have been harrying the Parliamentarian outposts around Sarisbury.

Sir Warwick Hunt with insufficient men is unable to defend and hold the city, starting to run short of supplies he reluctantly decides to withdraw south-eastwards to Southampton and join up with Parliamentarian forces there.

Royalist troops enter Sarisbury

These events meant effectively that most of Wiltshire was in the hands of the royalists - except for Wardour castle in the south.

Battle of Tilshead ...

The royalists have been probing into southern wiltshire. Sir Warwick Hunt , the parliamentarian commander decides to withdraw some of his outlying garrisons around Market Lavington (south of Devizes) along with their supplies south-east to Shrewton.

A Sir Warwick Hunt and small parliamentarian force covered the withdrawal; however the royalists commanded by Sir Wiliam de Willoughby were on the move south from Devizes and the parliamentarians were forced to give battle and fight a delaying action while the rest of the column moved to safety.
 

---oXo---

 

Sir Warwick Hunt drew up his men across the road on the rising ground to a mile or so north of Tilshead, using his dragoons as a folorn hope.

The royalists get organised out of their column of march ...

The royalists commence their advance

The parliamentarian folorn hope exhanges fire with the royalists ...

the folorn hope retires under weight of fire ...

The parliamentarian cuirassier charge across between the opposing foot and attack the royalist dragoons ...

The dragoons are scattered and run for safety, the royalist horse come to their aid...

The cuirassiers take it in the flank and rear ....

No too bothered the cuirassiers are pushed back but continue fighting hard .... 

The royalist foot closes in and musket fire is exchanged ....

the cuirassiers and royalist horse fall back to re-group

Meanwhile the royalist foot has pushed foreward onto the hill; the parliamentarians are withdrawing in good order except for one regiment which loses a melee, surrenders and is surrounded

On the other flank the ponderously slow movement of the royalists has little impact on the final moments of the battle

The parliamentarians withdraw successfully, the royalists regroup and wait for their ordnance and baggage - lead elements push into Tilshead.

---oXo---

 

A tactical success for Parliament -

 

but a victory on the field of battle for Ye Kinge