Balaclava: The Heavies & the 93rd

The first part of the Battle of Balaclava now.  A bit more brutal with the set-up though, some fact some fiction.  The Russian Cavalry is already streaming across the valley, the British Heavy Brigade has broken camp & riding to intercept.  The 93rd Highlanders are deployed & waiting to take the Russian Cavalry.  As a side show, a sizeable Russian Infantry force is to launch an attack on the hill held by British Naval units.  Jack would be the Russians, could he succeed & take the British positions?

The Charge of the Heavy Brigade by Alfred Tennyson
http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=1571

Balaclava : The Battle in the South Valley

The Russians swarm across the valley

'Left Wheel into Line!' - Scarlett leads forward the Heavy Brigade

Hordes of Russian Cavalry

The 93rd prepare for the Russians

The British Naval position 

The 93rd fire at the Russian Cavalry, the 'Thin Red Line!!!'

The Russian cavalry is checked...

BOOM! The Russian Infantry will never close the distance...

Overview, the Russian Cavalry charge into the Highlanders.
Whilst Jack manages to release some Cavalry, which way would they go?

Rock Hard... The Highlanders send the Russians backward.

'CHARGE!!!!!'  In go the 300

British Heavies versus Russian Light, no contest... Jacks moaning

Another round, more casualties for the Russians.

Jack rallies his Cavalry & tries another attack.
 He adds his extra Cavalry to get an overlap...

HA! The chest is puffed out, the British Lion is supreme!

Another round & the Heavies attack again!  Game over....

Final positions, the Russian Cavalry is sent packing.

A nice little game, the Russian Lights were no match for the British Heavies.  PiPs were poor for Jack & the Russian Infantry stalled badly, to be fair his combat dice were shocking as well.  Never mind, you can only beat what's put in front of you.  Jack, get packing away the figures.... lol.

There's still a couple of Historic engagements to fight in our Crimean Campaign.  Though there were a few elements to this game that has got us thinking of having a mega Crimean scrap....

The Thin Red Line

The French Attack at Alma

So we don't like to do anything normal... This time The Battle of Alma, from a French viewpoint on the right of the battlefield.

Alma reenactment

Battle of Alma, from British Battles:
http://www.britishbattles.com/crimean-war/alma.htm

The Battle of Alma on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipdjwuSQcfE

Each side consists of two commands, each headed by a General.  The Russians would have to hold the heights dominating the battlefield.  the French would have to move them off.  Each command would consist of 12-15 elements.  Amy & Jack took the Russians.

Battle of Alma, the French Attack

The main French body

The main French Attack

The far right

Boom! the Russian guns find their range...

Poor PiPs & the Attack is uncoordinated

Magnifique!!! Chasseurs D'Afrique hold the flank

The French reserves plough straight up the road.  Whilst the Chasseurs a Pied take out some Skirmishers.

The French Guns take their toll

OOoops! That road hasn't been guarded well..

Jack turns the Russian guns onto the Chasseurs a Pied

In go the French, with mixed results...

The French Artillery doing it's job

Come on! 

Russian Canister wipes out some poor Frenchmen!!

The Russians are being hammered on the right hill.

French Riflepower downs another Russian..

AAAAaaaarggh! I forgot & went hand to hand with the Russian, bad mistake..

However on the hill, Russian resistance is wiped out.

The end is near!

This Russian command is broken & they leg it to Sevastopol.

With the other Russian command near breakpoint, the horrors admit defeat!

There you go, the French won the day with a head on Assault.  Jack's kicking himself for not putting more troops guarding the right hill & the main road.  This time I made use of the Allied superiority in firepower & tried to avoid going hand to hand with those 'Bwutal Wussians'.

This time we used Google Chrome Web Browser, it made a BIG difference in loading the pictures quickly!!!

More Crimean Russians

A few more units to finish off our Crimean Russian Army.

Russian Naval Infantry

Russian Line Infantry

Russian Artillery

Russian Infantry - big Eureka 18mm (probably use these as Elite Infantry)

Russian Lancers

Russian Dragoons

Russian Cuirassiers

Russian Cossacks