Advance Guard

Well they(17th Lt Dragoons) were too late for our last battle. Based on C.S. Grants Table Top Teaser, Advance Guard Action. (see Table Top Teaser link)

The British (me) advanced from the North with the aim of securing the town then assaulting the bridge. The Franco-American force (son) need to secure the bridge before assaulting the town. Our forces were small 4 Regts of Line Infantry, 1 Regt of Light Infantry, 1 Regt of Cavalry and a battery of guns each. We also were eager for reinforcements but that was pot luck as our reinforcements and their time of arrival were to be drawn from a hat.

Perhaps I was a little rash but I headed straight for the bridge with my main force leaving my light infantry to seize to town. The French commander sent his Americans to deal with the town while his French troops headed for the bridge. While the Americans began securing the fringes of the town the British seized control of the town centre and church.

The battle for the bridge was long and fierce, The British Legion cavalry and the Legion de Lausan fought themselves to destruction. But the randomness of the reinforcements played its hand. The French commander drew from the hat 2 Regts of Infantry, the British 2 Coys (4 figs.) of Light Infantry. This pushed the idea of a British victory into the realms of fantasy, despite the brave efforts of a composite battalion of grenadiers who routed the 1st Royal de Ponts and the 69th who routed the 2nd battalion and held the bridge for a brief moment before the Gatinois forced their retreat.

Score in the annual father son challenge, with dinner at Cancon 09 the prize for the winner, stands father 0, son 1.