Intro

The last campaign game saw the would-be Spanish uprising quelled, thus leaving the French free to concentrate their dwindling resources against the anticipated second British assault on the city streets. Although still in a strong position the defender no longer fields a full strength squad. This is due to losses sustained in the first British onslaught .

French 377pts

• Officer
• NCO
• 1 Sharp shooter
• 2 Grenadiers
• 3 Veteran infantry
• 1 line infantryman

British 400pts

• Officer
• NCO
• 6 Veteran infantry
• 2 Line infantry

French Deployment

Stationed on a balcony in the middle of town the French officer orders his two companions to deploy, standing with muskets at the ready. Although smoke from the burning building obscures a small area to their front the roof top vantage point still offers good fields of fire across most of the town. Forming a central reserve the NCO and two grenadiers await the British attack. Further up the street a lone sharp shooter checks his musket as he crouches behind a low wall. The remaining two veterans cover the French flanks.

British Deployment

The British Officer issues his last orders from behind the buildings just inside the ruined walls. With command of all troops stationed around the abandoned barricade the NCO is to engage any visible enemy with musketry. Once the French are fully occupied the four remaining veterans will accompany their commander in an attack on the left flank.

Seizing the initiative the British open fire. A well-aimed shot from behind the abandoned barricades finds its mark, wounding one of the Frenchmen stationed on the roof top balcony.  As the British musketry intensifies the French start to realize that they are spread too thin to offer any effective resistance.

With Pressure building on their right the French NCO decides to lead a counter assault from the left flank. Hopefully the sole sharp shooter located in the center of town will discourage the British from charging across the open ground long enough for his grenadiers to get into assault range.

A crushing volley from the corncob patch kills the remaining French veteran on the roof. His captain, paralyzed with fear remains face down on the balcony floor as he has done for the entire action. The following rounds of musket fire dispatch the sharp shooter and a grenadier for the loss of two British troopers. With French morale close to collapse the British decide to push forward into the city streets in an effort to end the battle quickly.

A final drama plays out on the French left where the British launch a preemptive charge on the advancing grenadier and NCO. Caught left footed the French are unable to discharge their muskets before the British are upon them. Even with the odds stacked in their favor the French not only lose the in-suing hand to hand combat, but also their hold on the outer streets.

With a foothold in the city streets now secured and new information obtained from the French wounded, the British set their sights on their next objective, the French armory.

Debriefing

What worked so well for the French (me) in the first round of Take the outer streets was to prove a disaster this game. Stationing my troops on the roof top where I thought they could dominate the battlefield back fired horribly. The only viable target in the first few rounds they immediately came under a heavy cross fire and were dispatched without loss to the enemy. Spread far and wide I only managed to commit my remaining troops piecemeal and not surprisingly, suffered the predictable result.

Hats off to the British player who had me on the back foot from the get go.