Best laid plans.... An FIW Encounter.

A little behind on postings of late, however last Sunday saw the Wyverns venture into the northern reaches of Canada as the French with the aid of the Indian tribes attempted to attack the British homesteads.

The mission was a simple one secure the bridge and drive off the defenders, the river ran the length of the table and aside from the bridge was only crossable at the ford.

I think is was Moltke who said “No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” and so it proved on Sunday. I had it all planned rush the bridge drive off the French regulars and turn on the Indians before they could get organised.

It was all going to plan, the counters were first out of the bag and forming a closed column the Brits with supporting skirmishers and the light company pushed ahead and secured the bridge before the French could react.

The French Indian allies were forced to reveal themselves early and ran for the ford.
 

The British flying column reach the dead ground in the valley before the French were able to cross the first picket fence. So far so good.

 

Meanwhile the Indians were pushing hard and I was only able to get a scratch unit of colonial skirmishers upto the fence, they were freshly painted, so I should have known how they would fare.

The British creast the rise and are greated by a french volley and fire from the flank by an Indian unit hidden in the wood, shock was becoming a problem, compounded by 4 Blue flags, curses.

The French prime their muskets and let loose a second round of fire.

The skirmishers are wiped out as shock mounts and force morale falls.

Meanwhile on the western flank the colonials fall back with only the scots saving them from having been routed from the table as the scots ragged fire slowed down the natives advance.

The British column still yet to fire fell back across the bridge and formed into a firing line, but casualties were mounting, including the commanding officer who took a wound whilst trying to steady the line. Force morale fell again.

Under constant fire and unable to remove enough shock points to become effective, the broken formation now separate groups fell back turn after turn, leaving the French and their Indian allies firmly in control of the northern bank and poised to cross the river.

With the British force morale nearing the zero they were forced to leave the table.

Victory to the French.

A great nights gaming even if the result turned out to be nothing like my original plan.