Garibaldi and his song

Garibaldi is one of the Italian Independence wars heroe. I think it's normal that some of my club friends have decided to paint miniatures of Garibaldini to play a skirmish game. Garibaldino (or Garibaldini if you use plurals) refers to every volunteer soldier who served in the numerous formations established and led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, or inspired by his ideals.

In the last months Ivano painted a lot of Garibaldini and Bourbonic troops. Last week end my mates played a game using Rebels and Patriots by Osprey games. The idea it is to create a campaign that could illustrated some of the battles between Italians and Borbonics troops.

Miniatures are all 28mm by Shakò64 miniatures

In this scenario Garibaldi and his name had to catch a strategic village controlled by Bourbonic soldiers.

Considering that I'm Italian ... I love Garibaldini. In the common usage the term was used in reference to all those who fought with Garibaldi during his 1,000 expedition (1860-61). We have to consider that Garibaldi and his volunteers fought during the invasion of Trentino (1866), in the battle of Mentana and Dijon (1867-1871). After Garibaldi's death, new expeditions were mounted under the leadership of his son Ricciotti in 1897 and 1912 in favor of Greece's independence from Turkey. In 1914, Garibaldi's expedition intervened in favor of Serbia against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. 

Few people know that Garibaldi and his troops fought against the "new" Italian army. In 1862 only Rome was not part of the new Kingdom of Italy. In the August 1862  Garibaldi took possession of the steamships Abbattucci and Dispaccio in the port of Catania and set sail during the night. After a short night navigation, at four in the morning on 25 August 1862, he landed at the head of three thousand men in Calabria. Garibaldi's idea was to take the control of Rome ... to defeat the Papal army. The Italian government did not agree with this new initiative. The King of Italy decided to send his troops against Garibaldi. 

Reached Aspromonte (to be correct a little village called Sant'Eufemia in Aspromonte), the Italian troops took contact with the volunteers on 29 August. Well disposed, the Garibaldini observed the fast approaching march of the Bersaglieri, led by General Pallavicini. Once within rifle range, Pallavicini arranged the troops in a chain, the Bersaglieri in front of him, and resolutely advanced on the volunteers "advancing fire".

At that point Garibaldi ran in front of his line and started shouting for a cease fire: “No, stop. Don't fire. They are our brothers." He was obeyed by the bulk of the volunteers, until part of Garibaldini center began to respond, or rather charged the Bersaglieri and pushed them back.  During the battle Garibaldini was wounded. Once the General fell the Garibaldini retreated into a near forest while their officers ran around their leader wounded.

Garibaldi was still leaning against a pine tree with half a cigar in his mouth when Lieutenant Rotondo (of the Italian army), without salute, ordered Garibaldi to surrender. The lieutenant was disarmed and arrested but, when the commander of the Bersaglieri arrived, Garibaldi decided to accept the capitulation. Among the Bersaglieri Garibaldi recognized soldiers and officers who had been with him in previous campaigns: he saw them saddened and contrite so he decided to surrender

King Vittorio Emanuele, to celebrate the wedding of his daughter Maria Pia in 1862, amnestied the rebels on 5 October of the same year. Garibaldi lead another Italian force (I corpi volontari) during the 3rd Italian Independence war and he was elected as member of the Italian parliament.

"Garibaldi was wounded, he was wounded in the leg, Garibaldi who commands, who commands the battalion" /"Garibaldi fu ferito, fu ferito ad una gamba, Garibaldi che comanda, che comand il battaglion"/ are the opening lines of a song that was very famous in the Bersaglieri units 

M&TII and Rebel and Patriot July 3, 2021

After a very long period I write again a post ... My club opened again two weeks ago after seven months of pause due to Covid emergency. 

My mates last weekend played two matches with the French-Indian wars as scenario.

In the morning they played using Rebel and Patriot while in the afternoon other two of my friends decided for M&TII.

Below some pics of the scenario ... Indian houses and English units are painted by Ezio while French forces are a Jimmy's work.

During the Covid quarantine some of my friends worked on new scenic elements that now we decided to use them

Rogers' rangers are the last unit I painted last week end. I have to admit that French-Indian conflicts and American Revolution are a very interesting period with a lot colored and different type of miniatures to paint. I painted also for the AIW some minis ...

... but now other pics of the miniatures used by friends for the battle

Von Rall and Von Bose Hessian regiments for Musket&Tomahawk II - June 2020

During the Italian lockdown, Studio Tomahawk published the second version of his rules system: Musket & Tomahawk. 

In the past years I played with their first version and I found it very amazing. In the last weeks every times they can … Aurelian, Riccardo and Andrea played it … and they confirmed me the second release is fantastic. I played some battles with my son last month and I can confirm their opinion.

So … I decided to paint two army for two different periods: A French army for French-Indian wars and another of English for the AWI.

In the meanwhile Dadi e Piombo asked me another article for the next number of the magazine and a friend of mine decided to give me a WWII British Airborne started army … so now I have finished only to paint part of the English AWI army: the Hessian troops.

I bought a box of Warlord Hessian regiment and some plastic sprue to create two different command groups with the support of some jägers.

Part of the hessian forces were companies of jägers. These were recruited from woodsmen and armed with rifled muskets that have a greater accuracy than the smoothbore muskets carried by other infantry. 

https://allthingsliberty.com/2015/05/the-hessian-jagerkorps-in-new-york-and-pennsylvania-1776-1777/

Generally the jägers served as individual companies on foot. I assembled them using the plastic sprue of the Warlord but to increase their poses I utilized some Victrix and Perry plastic parts

For the regular troops I decided to paint two regiments: Von Rall and Von Bose

The Hessians  served as auxiliaries in the British army during American Revolution. Great part of them came from two German states: Hesse-Kassel and Hesse Hanau and they took part to many of battles across North America.

The Hessian regiments were organised in the same way of the Prussian army. A typical infantry regiment was composed of five companies of musketeers or fusiliers and one of grenadiers.

Rall's Regiment was a regiment of grenadiers.  

A image from "An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms from 1775-83 by Lorenz books

They arrived in America on August 15, 1776 and started to fight in the Long Island invasion twelve days later.  They fought at Chatterton's Hill, White Plains, Fort Wahington. 

When the British and Hessian forces were sent into winter quarters, Colonel von Rall was given command of the troops at Trenton. On December 26, 1777 General Washington attacked Trenton and surprise cost to the Hessians 22 killed and 948  prisoners. 

Their commander, the colonel Rall, was  mortally wounded during the battle. He was shot twice and he died during the night

Only 500 men escaped from the battle and were used to form other combined battalions ending the war fighting in the Quebec army

The regiment of musketeers I painted arrived in America in 1776 remaning in New York until October 1778. His original name was “Von Trümbach” … they changed name a couple of years later when Carl Von Bose became the regiment’s Commander.

The regiment took part to many actions (ie New York, Savannah, Charleston, Guilford Courthouse and Yorktown. They received a special note for his bravery during Guilford Courthouse battle

I was inspired by to choose this unit by the pics I found below

https://reenactingvonbose.weebly.com/

The main body of the unit surrendered with Cornwallis's army at Yorktown 

Rebels and Patriots – 18/11 May and 8 June 2019

Ezio, Alberto and Ivano started a short campaign using the new rule system written by Osprey: “Rebels and Patriots”.

The rulebook is designed for American Independence War but they decided to use American Civil War miniatures. The idea is to start with a small group of inexperienced soldiers and a “regular” commander that can have development during the different scenarios they are going to play.

Ivano painted all the miniatures. The scale is 28mm 

The first scenario was a field battle

The second one  the conquest of a bridge

Last week-end Ezio and Ivano played a second scenario that was an assault to a Confederate fort

Ezio lead the Unionist zouaves that are trying to take the fort

After a stubborn resistance Ivano's Confederates are forced to move back so ...

... The Unionist troops enter into the fort

The final scene sees the remaining Confederate troops leave the camp while the Unionists pillage their resources

Rebels and Patriots - February 23, 2019

Last month my club mates tested the new Colonial rule system published by Osprey: “Rebels and Patriots”. It was a long wait because the rule book was announced a year ago but, in my opinion, the new Osprey idea seems a good mix between The Men Who Would Be Kings and Lion Rampant. My mates played two games using some scenarios of the rule book.

Rebels and Patriots includes different unit types: line, light, shock infantry; skirmishers; natives; artillery; light and shock cavalry and different levels of upgrade for them: veteran, green, good shooters and so on.

Below some examples of line infantry with the miniatures in 28 mm painted by Ezio, Flavio and Giancarlo

In "Rebels and Patriots"  you can give orders to your units obtaining a 6+ with the dice and this standard value can be modified. Orders are the standard list: move, attack, fire, close order, rally, skirmish

The ability to resist damage in not linked to troop types but depends on the defence and cover value

I think all thing considered, it is an enjoyable game system that can be utilized with good results not only for AWI but also for French-Indian Wars as the games played by my mates can confirm