Hammerin' Sickles, Again!

Following my umpiring of a remote battle with the Rejects last Monday (see Hammerin' Sickles, Again), I had a chance to play a Face-to-Face (F2F) game over the same ground on Thursday.  Vol (A Miniatures Hobby Room) made the hour drive from up north for an afternoon's gaming session.  Vol also brought along a custom gatehouse he built for the Gallia castle he sold to me a few weeks ago and a Show & Tell of a pair of beautiful 1/700 sailing ships.  The gatehouse will make an appearance in another post.  Unfortunately, I did not take any photos of his meticulously built ships.  Next time!  Actually, I had to run upstairs at the last minute to grab the camera before the game began.

Today's action is a replay of Hood's Attack at Gettysburg.  The game is Vol's first Fields of Honor introduction.  After a brief overview of troop dispositions and rules, we began.  As a reminder of the battlefield layout, the battlefield stretches from Emmitsburg Road in the west to the Round Tops in the east bracketed by Millerstown Road in the north and Bushman's Farm in the south.

Battlefield geography and place names.

Initial army concentrations.

Army deployments.

Hood is on the attack with objectives of Little Round Top, Houck's Ridge, and reaching Millerstown Road in order to turn the Federal left.  

Let's see how the battle played out.

The Confederate attack opens with Robinson, at the head of the Texans, storming across the saddle between the two Round Tops.  The 83PA is in the Texans' path and they do not stand long.  The Pennsylvanians fall back to the open area on top of Little Round Top to join the 44NY.  Suffering from the initial blows, the disordered 83rd passes through the ranks of the 44th.  In the valley below, the 4TX drives the 4ME back from Plum Run.  Seemingly isolated, the US sharpshooters cling to Devil's Den.

With threat from the Texans in Plum Run, Ward sends two regiments down from Houck's Ridge in a counterattack along the marshy creek.  The resolve of the Texans is too great.  Ward's two regiments are driven back to the north along Plum Run.

Robinson's Texans drive the enemy back to Little Round Top.

Ward counterattacks the 4th Texas at Plum Run.

Ward's Federals are repulsed in the fighting along Plum Run.

Federal regiment removed from play.

With reports of Rebels approaching Houck's Ridge from the southwest, Smith's four guns on Houck's Ridge make preparations for the attack they expect.  To support Smith's guns, Ward sends one regiment into the woods to the southwest.  De Trobriand brings his brigade up onto line on Ward's right in the wheatfield as his exposed position on Stony Hill takes fire from Hood's artillery.

Hood's guns target Stony Hill.

Out of Rose's Woods erupt Benning and his brigade of Georgians.  As they scale the heights of Houck'e Ridge, the Georgians are hit by canister.  The canister blast does not slow the attack.  Unsupported, Smith's guns are overrun in minutes.  The southern most heights of Houck's Ridge are in Rebel hands.  Below, in Devil's Den, the sharpshooters hang on repelling attack after attack.

Smith's guns prepare canister.

Benning leads his Georgians up Houck's Ridge.

Smith's guns are overrun.
Benning presses on.

Situation about 5:30pm.

Back at the fight for Little Round Top, Robinson brushes aside Vincent's Federal infantry positioned on the barren cap.  Both the 44NY and 83PA are carried away in the attacks.  Robinson takes the heights!  Vincent's Brigade is broken.  Vincent moves to join the 20ME positioned on the lower eastern slopes of Little Round Top. 

Along Plum Run, the 16MI is attacked by regiments from both Robinson and Law.  The green 16MI is overwhelmed and scatters.  Only the 20ME remains of Vincent's Brigade on Little Round Top.

Robinson seizes Little Round Top!

With the heights in Rebels hands, the 16MI
is the next victim in the Rebel attack.

Another Federal regiment removed from play.

With Vincent broken,
Little Round Top is firmly in Rebel hands.

Back on Houck's Ridge, the battle rages.  Ward draws up two regiments to counterattack Benning along the ridge before the Rebs can establish a foothold.  Through the rough terrain, Ward's attack fails to dislodge the Rebels.  In a ferocious counterattack, Benning, at the head of two regiments strikes Ward a severe blow.  Having one regiment destroyed in the clash, Ward and his survivors fall back to the north.

Ignoring the casualties suffered in the attack, Benning grabs a nearby regiment and throws both in against Ward.  In heavy fighting in the woods on the ridge, Benning prevails.  Ward falls from his horse, mortally wounded.  The guns are overrun and his brigade broken.  

Ward attacks Benning on the ridge. 
Ward is repulsed.

Still another Federal regiment removed from play!

Benning presses on.

A Federal gun is lost.

And another Federal gone.
This is embarrassing.

Ward's Brigade breaks as Ward, himself, falls.

With news, that both Houck's Ridge and Little Round Top are in enemy hands, de Trobriand attempts to salvage an increasingly dire situation.  Seeing Anderson leading his brigade to the east to swing toward the Round Tops, de Trobriand strikes.  Driving in Robinson's Arkansans in Rose's Woods, the Federals see some success.  The Arkansans suffer heavy losses and are pushed back.  As de Trobriand reaches Rose's Run, Anderson realizes the danger to his flank march.  Forming his brigade up in line of battle, Anderson attacks.  De Trobriand's attempt to turn the enemy left stalls.

Jon searching for any opportunity on the Federal right.

De Trobriand attacks!

Anderson counters.

With Little Round Top and Houck's Ridge in Confederate hands, two brigades broken and two generals dead on the field, Birney orders a general retreat back to the north.  Not much left to save from this debacle.  For the Federals, this fight is over.

Victory to the Rebels!  Congratulations Vol!

Armed with a packet of brand new D10s, Vol and his Rebels tore my Federal defenses asunder from the get-go.  My Federals were on the backfoot almost immediately.  Little Round Top fell in the first hour of fighting with seeming ease.  Houck's Ridge fell in the second hour of battle.  The only rays of hope for the Federals were the sharpshooters' rugged defense of Devil's Den and de Trobriand's brief attack upon the Rebel left.  All else, ought to be forgotten.

Being new to the rules and, really, not having gamed in a long time, Vol picked up the rules and play of the game quickly.  He is a vigorous attacker and my hapless Federals had a very tough time passing morale tests throughout the game.

Great fun especially to see a long, dormant wargamer dive into the action with vigor.  We completed three turns in about three hours with heavy fighting throughout.  You should have heard the laughter as Vol snapped a photo every time I lifted a Federal regiment from the table.  Yeah, very funny!

Can I redeem Federal honor in a rematch?  We will see.

Thank you, Vol!