French Indian wars - Attack to the Fort - July 16, 2022

Last Saturday my mates played a scenario set during the French Indian wars.

It was a generic scenario not linked to a specific historical battle. It was an easy “assault to the fort” but they decided to play it two times … or better … they decided to play a first scenario in which the English troops were the besieging force and another one in which it was the contrary … this time the French were forced to defense. For this reason Ezio prepared two different banners.

For a French fort or ...

... an English fort ... it depends ...

A battle in Canada cannot be a real battle without a river and some canoes 

My mates spent a day playing this two scenarios ... below some Canadians and Indians that are approaching ...

... a last look before to play a new scenario

In the second battle the French troops had to defend ...

... and English forces are eager to conquer the fort

In both games the besieged win

John Frost, Elliot "Roy" Urquhartand and Allison "Digby" Tatham-Warter - Red Devils commanders

Time ago I painted some Warlord Games miniatures to complete my collection of British airborne troops. I decided to take the British Airborne Characters blister: Frost, Urquhart and Tatham-Warter ... 

I knew some of them for my keen of history and also for the old movie ... "A Bridge too far" ... and it was a plaesure to paint them 

Major-General John Frost is a famous English officer for a lot of operations ... Op. Biting, North Africa, Sicily and so on ... even if he is best known for being the leader of the small group of Red Devils that arrived at Arnhem bridge during Market-Garden Operation

Warlord games decided to represent Johh Frost with his hunting horn that he used to call all the member of his unit ... I can imagine him into the action between the roads of Arnhem

Frost was captured after days of resistance and held as prisoner of war in at Spangenberg castle. He was liberated in March 1945 by USA troops

Another important Red Devils command was Major General Robert Elliot "Roy" Urquhart ... He was the General Officer Commander of 1st Ariborne Division. The unit that suffered severe casualties in the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944

He was portrayed by Sean Connery in the 1977 movie ''A Bridge Too Far" and so I tried to take a picture similar to one of movie scene

The last miniature of the box was Major Allison "Digby" Tatham-Warter ... member of the 2nd  parachute battalion ... he was famous for his umbrella

During Arnhem battle he  disabled a German armoured car with his umbrella, incapacitating the driver by shoving the umbrella through the car's observational slit and poking the driver in the eye. The took an umbrella during war operations as a means of identification because he had trouble remembering passwords and felt that anyone who saw him with it would think taht "only a bloody fool of an Englishman" would carry it into the battle.

Medusa Operation Sept 2-17 2006 Test - June 11, 2022

I've just finished to read a very interesting book written by Rusty Bradley and Kevin Maurer about Medusa Operation. 

It was part of a American-Canadian offensive that took place during the Afghanistan war.

It was an ISAF operation ... one of the largest.

Its goal was to establish government control over Kandahar Province. The book tells about Usa special forces activities supported by some Afghans forces.

Based on the initial plans the Usa special forces actions should have played a "secondary" role but ... at the end we took a very important for the success of the mission.

At the and it was a "tactical victory" for ISAF forces. I decided to write an article for the Italian wargame magazine "Dadi e Piombo" so I decided to take some pics and to test the terrains before to define with my mates the scenario.

All miniatures are 20mm painted by me. Manufacturer is Caesar miniatures.

Below the CAS in action

Canadians on route for their targets

Street fighting 

Taliban forces

USA special forces in action

Battle of Lake George - Camp Attack - May 14, 2022

Last Saturday my mates Ezio and Jimmy dedided to play an historical scenario using Rebels and Patriots printed by Osprey.

It was a battle fought during French-Indian wars in September 8, 1755. The battle was set in the north of New York province and it was part of a the British campaign to expel the French forces from North America.

This is the battle field my friends prepared ... 

... this is the picture that inspired them

A French, Canadian and Indian of 1,582 men under the command of the Baron de Dieskau attacked 2,932 men including 200 Mohawks under Major General William Johnson.

General Johnson with his forces advance via Lake George and Lake Campalain against the French Fort St. Frederic. Johnson, camped 25 km north to Fort Edward (an English fort), sent a messager to Fort Edward garrison to ask reinforcement  ... unfortunately the messager was intercepted and in this way the French commander obtained the position of enemies.

On September 8, William's column marched directly straight into the trap prepared by Baron de Dieskau. It was knonw as the "Bloody Morning Scout". After a short battle the English were forced to come back to their camp.

My mates decided to play the assault to Johnson's camp. 

After the success of the first attack Dieskau ordered to his Canadians and Indians to charge the enemy till the camp. Unfotunately the Indians and the Canadians, shaken by the loss of their leader during the fight before, attacked the camp without energy so the French commander formed a column of 222 grenadiers directly against Johnson's camp.

The English forces hurriedly constructed defensive barricates using wagons, overturned boats and trees. 

Once the grenadiers were out in the open ground the British gunners crewing Johnson's three cannond loaded them with grapeshot cutting the French ranks.

Baron de Dieskau was hit by the cannons and died during the fight. After the dead of the Baron and the  loss of the Canadian leader in the previously fight, French were forced to retire. 

In our battle the cannon was destroyed by the Indians ...

... that in this opened the way to the Canadians

After a long fight the English troops pushed away the enemy and won the battle