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

Dragoons 'Revamped' (2)

The second of my dragoon regiments has now been revamped, adding 6 more effectives and a horse holder stand. New boys were from Sash&Sabre, with officer and standard bearer from Drabant.

New barn for scenics ...

A Scenix barn repainted, with roof altered to thatch, plonked on a base with some spare bits of wattle fnce and a tree made up from Woodland Scenics plastic trunk and foliage clusters.

Dragoons 'Revamped' (1)

First of my dragoons regiment revamps now completed; I added 6 new figures to bring the total unit strength up to 15 and made up a 'horse holder' base.

The new boys:  officer (Jacdaw),  ensign (Drabant) and dragoons (Sash & Sabre)

The whole regiment deployed, with 'horse holder' base at the rear..

The first and the last ...

A couple of items added to my ECW library, picked up while on holiday. First a nice condition copy in hardback of Peter Young book on Edgehill (bought in a second hand bookshop in Haye-on-Wye).

Also a nice booklet on the Battle of Worcester

Now where did I get to with those dragoons ...