THE ANNEXSTION OF THE NORTH 2 - THE BATTLE OF JANESVILLE

 

The Starting Locations. The UPC on the Left and Empire on the Right.

The second battle of the western front of the Fall Campaign has a repulsed but still highly motivated United Packs Commonwealth (UPC) army attacking the well positioned Empire of Wolfenstein army at the town and heights of Janesville in the Dane County area. With their flanks secured by the Fox River on their left and a massive forest on their right the Empire felt secure along their line of defense. The UPC needed a major success if they were to be able to attack the capital of Dane County by campaigns end. 

The UPC's Well Supported Cavalry Arm Facing Off Against the Empires Grand Battle Cavalry. Questions Remained if These Two Forces Would Clash Today. 

Empire Forces Have Concentrated Their Elite Infantry on and Around the Hill. The UPC have Massed Their Infantry for a Direct Assault on the Town and Valley Beside. 

After the Initial Bombardment the UPC Begin Their Advance. The UPC has Concentrated Their Artillery Attack on the Empires Cavalry, While the Empire has used Theirs to Damage Units Across the Whole UPC Line. 

The Cavalry Arms of Both Sides Leave no Doubt as to Their Intentions as They Open the Battle with Charges Across the Line. 

In the Center the UPC Infantry Advance as the Empire Stand Ready to Meet Them. 

The UPC Spring Their Trap as a Mass of Light Troops Begin to Emerge from the Woods. Both Side Cavalry has seen Success, but the Empire is Finding Itself Suddenly Caught by Concentrated Fire. 

In the Center the UPC Infantry Continues the Advance into the Teeth of the Empire Defenses. So Far Neither Side has made Much Impression on the Other. 

The UPC First Line Falling Back to Recover Yet Still Advancing Along the Entire Length. On the Right the Empire is Bringing in Their Elite Forces to Meet the Attack, but in the Process is Diminishing the Hills Defense. 

The Route of the Empire Cavalry. Unable to Stand Against the Combination of Firepower and Unrelenting Charges the Empire Flank Forces are Swept from the Field. 

After a strong defense the Empire's collapse was both sudden and unexpected. With the hill's troops stripped to concentrate against the UPC's center attack the UPC's right flank commander who had been tasked with holding the Empire in place seized the initiative and went over to the attack. This proved to be the turning point as while the Empire still held, they were being both worn down and pushed back. A sudden failing from a particularly devastating volley of UPC musket fire caused a catastrophic cascade morale failure to the Empires center. Along with the left flanks cavalry collapse it left the whole of the Empires position untenable. What moments before had looked like another Empire success suddenly became a disaster with the Empire needing to quickly retreat to save what was left of the army. 

While a major setback for the Empire the campaign continues with the battles to the east still to determine the fate of these Counties. 

THE ANNEXSTION OF THE NORTH - THE BATTLE OF GOOD WATER

 I have returned from my trip to the UK, and it was amazing, but more on that in a future post. 

The first battle of the Fall campaign has the United Packs Commonwealth (UPC) launching surprise attacks to take the Northern Counties of Dane and Clever Fox. While advancing in the west along the Rock River the UPC forces encounter a blocking force from the Empire outside of the town of Good Water. Initially outnumbering the Empire, the UPC launch an immediate assault. The Empire have sent out a call for reinforcements and need to hold on until help arrives. 

The Lead UPC Advance to Begin Their Assault on the Limited Blocking Force. 

UPC Artillery Moving into Position. 

Much Sooner Than Expected Empire Reinforcements Begin to Arrive. 

The Battle on the Hill Begins. The UPC has Already Forced Their Way onto the Top. The Empire's Forces are Pouring in on all Sides. 

With There Numbers Increasing the Empire Storms Down the Hill to Engage the UPC in the Valley. 

Both Sides Cavalry Begins to Arrive. The UPC Currently has the Numbers, but the Quality Lies with the Empires Cuirassier. Alongside the UPC Cavalry Their Addition Infantry can be Seen Coming Forward. 

Battle on the Hill Continues and While Battered the Empire Forces now Locally Outnumber the UPC. 

The Tenacity and Fury of the UPC's Assault Continues to Gain Them Ground. Will the Empire's Advantages in Numbers and Quality of Troops be Enough to Halt Them? 

With The UPC Force Concentrated in the Center Their Right Flank is Beginning to Giveaway to the Empire's Mass Pitted Against Them. Light Infantry from Both Sides are Dominating this Part of the Field. 

The Masses of Both Sides Cavalry are Content to Watch Their Opposite Number. A Chance for a Decisive Victory Could Have Been Won here by Either Side, but Neither Felt They Would be the Champion. 

At Battles End Neither Side Could Claim Victory, but the Empire had Not Lost the Hill so the UPC Would Need to Relinquish the Field to Them this Day. 

With the UPC held in check here at Good Water they were forced to give up the field. With their superiority in light troops, they were easily able to withdraw and not only that but break contact with the Empire's forces. The race was now on to see where these staunch enemies would next clash. 

Bits, Bobs and Future Projects

 I have been working on a lot of projects simultaneously, so thought I would share what is coming in the future. First off, if the map is not a giveaway, there are the campaigns. WWII Toy Soldiers, see previous post, 19th Century Unification Wars, Dog Wars, and another project are all being given maps. The first two will be sharing the same map, or at least s similar one. The rest will have their own as their setting are quite different. 

Painting, painting and more painting. My never-ending chore that is self-inflicted. Like most gamers I have enough figures already to keep me at this for two lifetimes. OK, more like three or four lifetimes. I will never be done, as there is always a next project. I don't really finish any project, I just need to add a few more figures. Honest! Everything just needs that extra unit, or two, or three, or dozen, or ... To that end I added the new Army Painter SpeedPaint 2.0 to my collection. It's just a few colors. OK, OK, it's 89 colors, including 10 metals, and as SpeedPaint that means no deep shades, highlights, just each one doing a single full shade coat. Will I use all of these? Oh sure. 

Organized and Ready to Go. 

WWII Toy Soldiers painting continues. I have completed all the basic forces and am now on to the filling out stage, things like more First Line Infantry, Mortars, Anti-tank Rifles, trucks, tanks and so on. I have multiple sets of rules to tryout, Arriba Espana, Xenos Rampant, and Chain of Command. Each of these has their own feel and complexity and I need to decide which works the best for the games I want to run. 

Republican MGs

Royalist MGs

Royalist SMG Unit

Royalist Mortar and Anti-tank Rifle

High Command of Both Sides and Kaboom Markers

Bob and I got in a few play test games of Arriba Espana and Xenoes Rampant. I need to create a crib sheet for Arriba to help track all the things you do in the game. Xenoes turns out to be a bust. We played two games in under twenty minutes, and both were disasters. Xenoes looks like it would be fine to play alternative rules for 40K, but not very good at WWII. 

First Turn of Game One. 

Start of Game Two. We Both Have Learned a Few Things from Our Earlier Playthrough. 

End of Game Two. Bob Nearly Won This as His Forces are About to Breakthrough When His Army Becomes Exhausted. My Own Army was on the Brink of Exhaustion Too. 

WWII Toy Soldiers Progress - Part 2

 

I have started working on a map for amongst other things the WWII Toy Soldiers. This is the outline I am working from and there is a lot of changes I will be making, but this is the starting point. 

I got some more figures completed and am close to having enough ready for the first play test. My target is to have that ready early next week. No new troop types like Machineguns and Mortars added yet, but those are next on deck. I thought while I was posting I should add some better pictures of the Republicans. 

Royalist First Line Infantry

Royalist Second Line Infantry and High Command.

Royalist Artillery 

Royalist Army

Republicans and Royalist Side-by-Side View. 

Republican First Line Infantry. 

Republican Second Line Infantry.

Republican Artillery. 

The Republican Army. 

Royalist Defending a Border Town Against a Republican Attack. 

Republicans Storm the Town. 

Republican and Royalist Second Line Infantry Clash Outside of Town. 

THE RELIEF OF FOX RIVER GROVE - Spring Campaign Battle 5

The Relief of Fox River Grove Commences. 

The Union of Pacts Commonwealth has taken a slight lead in the Spring Campain. This last battle will see if they can turn this into a decisive victory, or will the Empire be able to continue its goals of reduction of UPC gains?

With the Union of Pacts Commonwealths destruction of the Empires Field Army at Ridgeville it freed up troops to rush to the relief of the besieged town of Fox River Grove. This key point along the Fox River if taken would provide the Empire a strong position to continue campaigns into the Northern Territory of the UPC, while its relief would secure this area for the Commonwealth for years to come.

This would be an attack Vs defense battle, with the attackers holding a fort under siege able to launch a supporting attack into the defenders rear if the opportunity arose. 

The Field of Battle as Seen from the West. UPC Forces will be Approaching from the top area.  

Battlefield as Seen from the East. The Town of Fox River Grove on the Lower Right. 

Empire Reserves Await a Breach to be Made for Their Opportunity to Launch an Assault. 

Fort Springtail Under Siege Outside Fox River Grove. 

The Empire's Northern Hill Defenders Await the UPC Onslaught. 

The Southern Hill Defenders. 

Ranks of UPC Infantry Advance on the Hill Position, while on both Flanks Their Cavalry Moves to Envelope the Empire. The Town of Fox River Grove is Under Heavy Pressure. 

With the Town Taken the full Weight of the UPC Hammers at the Empire Forces on the Hills. Behind can be Seen the Empire Reinforcements Beginning to Come Up. The Siege Lines Remain Manned Keeping the Forts Occupants from Joining the Attack.   

Empire Forces Surge Forward to Reinforce the Center and Hold the UPC on the Flanks. 

UPC's Massed Grenadiers Take the Hill, While the Light Infantry in the Woods Drive Back the Empire's Cavalry. The Second Line of Empire Infantry Prepares to Meet the Advance. 

On the Right Flank the UPC Drives the Empires Light Infantry from the Woods and Continues Forward in the Center. Undaunted the Empire Continues to Bring Forward more Reserves to Contest the Next Line of Defenses. 

Despite their wave like advance taking one defensive line after the other the UPC was running out of daylight. As darkness fell the Empire still tenaciously held on to their last line of defense coving the trench lines. The relief was halted short of its goal and rumor of addition approaching Empire forces forced the breakoff from the battle.  

Empire Forces Still Manning the Siege Line. 

The Spring Campaign was over. The UPC had won a minor victory over the Empire. Both sides would go home and lick their wounds while preparing for the next coming Campaign Season.