We played a scenario of the 1755 Battle of the Monongahela (better known as Braddock's defeat) using slightly modified One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas. The modifications: we used a roster for hits instead of marking them on the table, so players didn't know exactly how many hits enemy units had. Any unit wishing to do a move other than move directly forward without pivoting had to roll 3+ on a D6. Indians and Troops de la Marine got a +1 to this die roll if they were in cover. Both sides had more than 6 units, based on the historical Order of Battle. The British also had 3 wagon supply units. These could not be fired at, but if a French/Indian unit started and ended their turn in contact with one it was removed and counted as a lost unit. We played on a 4 x 6 foot table instead of 3 x 3. Rick wisely chose to play the French and Tom wisely chose to play his Indian ally. That left me playing Braddock.
For this game each skirmisher unit represented 100 combatants, giving 7 Indian units with tribal names, a unit of Troops de le Marine and another of French militia giving 9 units in total. On the British side each infantry unit represented 200 troops. I thought of treating the 200 provincials as skirmishers but Braddock did not allow them to "take trees" during the battle so they were fielded as infantry. This made 7 infantry units (1400 troops). Since there only 20 Royal Artillerymen present, I gave the British one artillery unit. I assumed the heavy guns and mortars were in the supply train for use against the fort during a siege but that only some 4 guns could actually be manned during the fight. Terrain was mostly woods, with at least 4 inch gaps between so formed infantry could pass between. Our infantry units are 4 inches wide. There was more open ground right around the British deployment area, representing their having cleared a road as they advanced.
The game started with both sides on a collision course.
The head of each column soon opened fire, the French in the deep woods.
British artillery became confused (low dice) and remained in a masked position. It is hard to ascertain what the problem was since so few of the gunners survived.
Gage's advance guard collapsed under heavy fire and cleared the front of the artillery. Tom's Indians began feeling for the British flank. He also began channeling Magua from the Last of the Mohicans, providing an ominous source of levity.
On the other flank Rick's Indians engaged in a firefight from cover. One of his tribes didn't like the omens and took some talking to before they would probe that flank (low dice again).
More British units broke under heavy fire from the woods.
With the left flank under severe threat, the Hurons now ran around the British right. Things were looking bad for the British.
I tried to form something of a square with the wagons in the center, but the artillery and the remains of the 44th were just about used up.
The 44th and the artillery routed. I threw in the towel. The British had 5 combat units rout while the French had only lost the Ottawa tribe. The game ended of turn 12 of a possible
15. I think if we had played the remaining three turns all of the British would have been broken. The game took about 85 minutes and would have gone faster without the photos but they look nice. The casualty figures have no effect on game play. I just sprinkle them around when lots of hits are dealt out.
The scenario is a fast and surprisingly accurate game. I think the Brits would do better but still face heavy pressure if the Provincials were fielded as two skirmishers and allowed to "take trees". The only way to "balance" this scenario is to artificially declare that if the British manage to make it to game end with say 3 combat units still on the table they win, or something like that. Anyway, this extremely simple system seems to work for French and Indian war battles. I'll be looking for another candidate for the table.
For fans of silly statistics: the British took 110 hits. 11 of them were excess hits, the product of using rosters. The French/Indians took 60 hits, 4 of them excess.
paints brigs for the British fleet.
