Following on from the victory achieved by the Turkish players at Kurudere, we fought the second battle in the Crimean War campaign set from BBEB: The Alma.
Scenario map:
CRI2 Crimean War The Alma map by
bbbchrisp, on Flickr
This is a very well-known battle, so I won't do too much scene-setting. However, this game did depart from the history a bit. The Russian players took an option permitted by the scenario, of setting up further east and threatening the flank of the Allies' intended march upon Sevastopol, rather than as a speed-bump directly across their path. Meanwhile the Allies had had to choose between British caution and French urgency. They chose the latter.
The consequence of these combined choices was that the Allies had just 7 turns to achieve their objectives. They needed to clear both stretches of the Russian road leading towards the Russian base at Simferopol via Bakshisarai; or, if they only cleared the first stretch, they could win by clearing their own path and marching some troops off towards Sevastopol.
When we've fought this battle before, the British advance has generally been painfully slow. Not this time: it was the French who straggled a bit moving through Bourliouk, while red coats swarmed swiftly through Tarkhanlar and Kanysch and across the Alma.
British on parade. Check out the handpainted Union Jacks in 1/300 scale!
Crimean War British 2 by
bbbchrisp, on Flickr
Messy French march columns. They should all be heading towards the camera. Kostas, you might recognise the building pretending to be a Bourliouk mosque:
4 The Alma by
bbbchrisp, on Flickr
General Kiryakov's men pushed west to intercept Saint-Arnaud's French, whom they distracted considerably. A rolling fight developed, in which the Russians took casualties, but were able to delay the French long enough to prevent a successful march-off towards Sevastopol. Seven turns turned out to be just one turn too few …
In the east, though, it was touch and go. Kanysch had been seized easily, but emerging from the gully to attack Uleschel, which was flanked by Russian batteries in redoubts, was a tougher proposition. The Fourth Division suffered heavy casualties and was forced to retire from the fray. The Russians had also lost heavily though. (They were also weakened by having detached a regiment to march towards Bulganak and menace the Allies' supplies on the beach. This would have negated a French march-off – but as that didn't happen, it became irrelevant.) On the last turn, just two exhausted Russian regiments stood between the British and victory. Could the Russians get onto the northern stretch of the road and steal a victory themselves? No. Could the British brush them aside and clear the southern stretch? One redcoated division stormed the artillery to mask the batteries. Another formed up in assault columns and – missed its movement roll! End result, after a rollicking big fight: a Draw!
Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
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