Invasion 1744

First apologies for the absence, the business has been taking up quite a lot of time, the new sculptor has been extremely productive as has my paint bench,

However in between all of that I have eventually started umpiring the 1744 campaign. You may recall this was based upon the proposed invasion of England by Marshall Saxe and around 12,000 men in an attempt to place the Young Pretender on the throne.

The reality was that storms damaged around 12 of the invasion fleet transports and the French lost heart ( if it was ever in it).

The detailed account (now going to be in two parts) will appear in the Wargames Annual.

However for those that would like a heads up and an insight - here we go

The British troops are under the command of Ligonier
deployed in London are 3 battalion of Guard infantry in and around the southern counties are a further 6 battalions of infantry, 2 regiments of dragoons and 3 regiments of horse. In Scotland is General Cope with 4 Battalions of foot and 2 regiments of dragoons.

The British have already sent for the support of 5000 Hessians who could take around 2 -3 weeks to arrive.

The British have effectively sent dragoons to the southern coast and South east with the foot moving to positions around London. In reality the French chose Maldon to land. In this campaign the French player has chosen Sittingbourne in Kent.

The early days saw the French player choose to send the young Prince with two battalions of Infantry and some cavalry to Scotland to raise the clans ( not a move I expected) the remainder of the army boarded ships - not before delays set in due to the failure to load the artillery ammunition and bad weather.
The French started landing at Sittingbourne on the evening of the 10th June the first to land were two squadrons of Dragoons and a German brigade.

On the morning of the 11th the two squadrons moved out one on the road to Maidstone and one towards Ashford it wasn't long before the squadron moving towards Ashford was met by their British opposite number and received a rough handling but not before they observed British infantry deployed on a low ridge.

Marshall Saxe knew the rest of the army wouldn't be unloaded until late on the 11th so he ordered the Gemans and the Fusiliers de Morliere to move out and probe the British lines.

The action that followed saw 3 Battalions of German infantry, 2 squadrons of cavalry and the Fusiliers de Morliere attack the British force of 2 battalion of infantry, 4 squadrons of cavalry and a 6 pounder.

Major Semillon launched an aggressive attack on the British line who's infantry under Major Dundee were reluctant to move off the ridge and who's musketry was decidedly mediocre.

The Fusiliers de Morliere supported the French horse on their right and on the left the Regiment Saxe was ordered to attack the farm whilst La Marck and Lowendhal attacked the British center

On the French right their horse engaged with the British but both sides fought themselves to a standstill, on the French left Saxe drove off a squadron of dragoons but were repulsed by the dismounted dragoons holding the farm,

the attack in the center closed rapidly with only light casualties due to ineffective British firing but just as the attack was about to go in the British found their form and decimated La Marck causing them to retreat.

The British infantry at last started to move but the Fusiliers de Morliere caused some galling fire on the British infantry making them reluctant to pursue as the French withdrew from the field.

La Marck took the heaviest casualties and not many men will return to the colours that night!
Because my son was helping me we used Honours of War with my own house 'tweaks'