The Frogs and the Lobsters – character/skirmish
This is based upon the Hornblower television episode
link
set within the Royalist French invasion of France of 1795.
Scenario:
The British are ordered to help de Moncoutant defend Muzillac village in case it is needed to cover a retreat by the Royalist invasion force. The British believe any attack will come from the West. Moncoutant orders Edrington to the northern ford, Kennedy via Hornblower to the stone bridge.
After three turns, Pellew on his ship orders Master Bowels to land, go to the village and then report back.
If the French come, their skirmishers arrive within firing distance two turns before their battalions and four turns before their foot guns. The French skirmishers have sharpshooters.
10 full-powder barrels are needed to blow the bridge. It takes one turn to rig two barrels, one turn to lay the fuse and one turn to spike canon.
French roll a d6 to find entry point: 1-2 from the North-East, 4-6 from the North-West.
The Directorate French may move and fire captured cannon.
O.o.b.
Allied Commander: Colonel Marquis de Moncoutant.
Royalist major and one battalion of Foot infantry.
Major Edrington's battalion of 95th Foot.
Naval commander: Captain Pellew of H.M.S.Indefatigable with longboats.
Liaison officer and naval shore commander: Lt. Hornblower.
Act.Naval Lt.Kennedy: two 12 lbers, sailor crews (20 men) with pistols, 11 powder barrels, spiking equipment and fuses.
Beautiful Mariette, a schoolteacher.
Master Bowels.
Vs
Directorate French:
General de Brigade, three infantry battalions, one battalion of detached skirmishers with sharpshooters and two foot guns and crews.
Rules: You need skirmish rules. If those rules cannot cope with battalion-sized fighting, then use battalion-suitable rules for the battalions and skirmish rules for everyone else, including all officers.
theminiaturespage.com
"TMP link
Terrain: The river Saint Eloi flows north-south (ie top-down). To the south there is a stone bridge. The village of Muzillac lies just to its east. Half a league* north, upstream, there is a ford. The land south of the village and east of the river is marsh, passable by individuals. The village (marked with a black square) is surrounded by walls with open access by the main roads. In the village is a square with a guillotine, horse carts and/or market tables, barbells etc and a schoolhouse. The beach lies just under a league to the south-west.
A "league" is the distance a man can march in an hour.
Objectives and points,
Directorate French: take the town (2). Prevent any Royalists disembarking from the beach (2).
Allies: Disembark from the beach: both Edrington's battalion and some gun crew (1), some Royalist French (1), Beautiful Mariette (1) and Bowels (1).
Characters:
Marquis de Moncoutant: will never leave the village, nor order his battalion to leave. Once in the village he insists on trying every townsperson and executing them. Does not organise a defence. Will fight when the village is attacked.
Left to himself, nervous Kennedy always fires both canon as soon as French are in sight but has to roll a d6 each time to see if he has expended a powder barrel. Gives no "officer present" advantage.
Crewman Styles: shoots at all allies or civilians he's not met before unless a full officer present.
Master Bowels: Can ride. Must question the Marquis and report back to Pellew. A master of disguise.
Lt. Hornblower: Inspirational leader (troops or crew take an extra action) so long as Beautiful Mariette is alive. Cannot rest more than one turn between (in this order) seeing to his gun crews, arguing with the Marquis, ordering the Marquis' infantry to see to the village's defence and meeting Mariette.
Beautiful Mariette: insists on staying near the schoolhouse until the Directorate French take it.
Major Edrington: Will follow the Marquis' orders until the stone bridge is attacked. Will not let his battalion abandon the bridge unless the Marquis dies.
If you want to play the larger whole campaign, or parts of it, the orders of battle can be found here:
link
receives a gift from his wife…