Battlefield "C" of Shako Mini Campaign.

 Last Saturday, 5 September, 2020, we started a Mini campaign using SHAKO II rules.

The column, or battlefield, chosen was "C".  Which for the Anglo-Portugese, had a foot Division, with a guard unit, foot battery and some line units along with the Heavy Dragoon Brigade (Division in SHAKO II nomenclature).  This went up against the French, who had deployed a light Division, a foot Division with foot artillery and a four squadron cavalry Division.

deployment & orders

We rolled up the random terrain:

three hills, two 'rough ground' and a 3 sector town; two of the hill sections were merged into a larger hill and the two rough ground regions were also combined.

Forces were then deployed and battle joined.

The entire battle was also broadcast on twitch.tv, which had a technical interrupt and a pause while a trailer was delivered to our property.

The French were on the attack and sent in horse on their right and the light division into the gap between the hill and the town, while the heavy foot held a left flank refused and fired artillery from atop the steep hill in that flank zone.

The inexperienced English commander, put the horse on the hilltop with the artillery and a guards unit to cover it.  When the French horse came, this was bad news for the English horse, who were only defeated by a single pip in a bad die roll (which could have gone the other way) yet this left the cannon vulnerable and forced them into a square defense.  This in turn put the attacking French dragoons into a bad choice - either stand and die from canister shot, or charge and take a risk - the risk was taken and the whole of the dragoons were shattered off the field.

Meanwhile the French light division and artillery support were shooting up the English on the flat ground around the town, soon enough there were trading losses - which the English could not bear and remain in the field.

just before the end

End game came with another charge from English Heavy Dragoons, which hit a French unit failing to make square, this damage forced back a French unit - but now the English horse were down to 50% casualties and failed a Division rally roll.  This combined with another loss in the form of the Guards battalion in the square coming under attack by the artillery, then foot and horse combined into an attack which shattered the Guards and cost the English a half battery captured in the retreat from the field.

English were unable to re-constitute the guards from the remaining troops and the French lost a full Dragoon unit when the losses were finally counted.

Up next will be battle #2 in the best of three for the final campaign battle.