"Field use of amusettes. " Topic

I just got the Perry pack of Hessian jaegers with amusettes. Previously I got the set from Fife and Drum set with Royal Artillery.
So now the vital question is "What do I do with them?"
Obviously they belong in a skirmish scenario. Can anyone give me accounts of when and how they were used?

I've come across references to them being used in sieges (eg Charleston), but also in field actions. Ewald mentions two small pieces attached to Colonel von Wurmb's jaeger outpost, way out on the Crown left flank during the Germantown battle Van Derrin's or Vanderring's Mills, IIRC). From memory, they were deployed with some mounted jaeger as a "tripwire" unit at a "Y" junction some way before the Manatawny (Ridge) Road reached the stone bridge over the Wissahickon Creek at the Mills, and were the first troops to fire on the leading elements of Armstrong's Pennsylvania militia division as they made their feint attack.

I commanded the amusettes and mounted jaeger, in a "British Grenadier" scenario of Vanderring's Mills at our club a year or three back. The game has stuck in my mind because I was throwing 6 dice per turn to represent the two groups' firing, and managed to go 13 turns without throwing a single 6; then on each of turns 14 and 15, I threw a pair of double 6s. The first double 6 on turn 14 lead to the deaths of both Potter (lead brigade CO who was attached to the target unit), and Armstrong (divisional CO) who was technically out of rifle range, but was attached to another unit that was within "shoot through" range of the unit Potter had been with.

[For those unfamiliar with BG, skirmishers throw one D6 per pair (1st Rate) or per three (2nd Rate), but both types hit on a 6 only; however, you normally throw the dice in pairs and a double 6 leads to "special events" and "risk to generals".]

Even more bizarre was that at the end of the scenario, we had enough time to replay it and so we swapped sides. The player who was Armstrong became Knyphausen in the second game – and was killed in exactly the same way! Militia riflemen threw a double 6 firing at the lead unit of Hessian reinforcements (Stirn's brigade), and Knyphausen – who was with the second unit in the column – failed the "risk to general attached to any unit within x inches of the target" throw, despite being outside the actual range of the weapons being used.

I am intrigued by the wheeled mantlets.
Were they transported in wagons?

What color should they be? I primed one set grey and then stained it with The Dip.
But should they be natural wood, barn red?

So far I have simply mounted them on large Flames if War artillery bases so they won't fall over and will just slide the gunner into place before I flock.

The Perry set comes with an extra guy for each set. Is he a spotter? Help with lugging the mantlet?

Winnith, you are like a kid with a new toy. I have no problem with that. It's enchanting. Enjoy your skirmishing with amusettes.

The love of history and wargaming

Winston – Probably pulled by the crews, as they were only wheeled mantlets and I don't think the jaeger had baggage wagons normally (at least not at company level – perhaps they might have done at Germantown as it was a substantial post). Aged (grey) or natural wood would seem most likely – or possibly the RA light grey? The extra man is indeed a spotter.

link

What did you use for mounted jaegers?

They were dismounted for most of the game, so normal jaeger figures; the mounted versions were stand-ins – converted 15mm QRF (ex-Frei Korps) Queen's Rangers, from memory.

Were they used at Brandywine?

@79thPA,

Sorry, I seem to have missed your question. There were 500 jaeger at Brandywine, with another 100 mounted although fighting on foot. The mounted detachment were often used as orderlies or messengers; they were commanded by a Captain Lorey.