Wilsons Hospital at Partizan

At Partizan this year we decided on an expanded game of the Wilsons Hospital Scenario we played a few months ago.

Its a very pretty and unusual collection which is a good enough reason to use it for our demo game. It also played quite well as it turns out.

The collection is Chris Charltons and excellently painted by chum Steve Shann. Rules are amended Black Powder.

The game is set during the 1788 Irish rebellion, with the Franco-Irish army successful in the Midlands the rebels of Westmeath muster at Wilson's Hospital.

Cornwallis's British army head to break up the rebels with the vanguard arriving led by General Moore.

The main Franco Irish army march to support the Westmeath rebels.

Closely followed by Lakes British forces.

Chris and Chris command the Irish whilst I have the British. The game quickly splits into three differing areas of combat. On the British right one Brigade of Lakes force faces the Irish Midlands troop with the legion Irlandais, in the centre a second British Brigade faces the best troops on table being the French regulars supported by more Irish troops and on the left Moores vanguard faces the Westmeath rebels.

The British are outnumbered, the Irish are almost exclusively pike armed other than the Legion Irlandais and a couple of units of Skirmishers, but int he centre the French have a strong force with artillery support.

The British form up hoping to take advantage of the cover provided by numerous hedgerows and the majority of their cavalry pushes towards the centre where to the left of the hospital is the only open ground on table which the French will have to cross to relieve the hospital.

Chris C pushes a strong brigade at my right to pin me down whilst his best forces push on for the hospital, the British get lucky with movement and unlike the last game are able to line out in cover for the most part before the Irish are upon them.

The first casualties on both sides are inflicted by some inconclusive skirmishing and Chris's Irish push on into my first brigade, funnelled by the hedgerows.

On my left Chris F throws his first brigade of Pikemen at my British line and starts to take casualties, his second Brigade are content to skulk behind the hedges of the Hospital demesne protected from the Cavalry massed in the centre.

On the left two battalions of pike charge home on the British under Moore whilst a third is stopped by the volleys of the British.

On the left the British have managed to wheel in on the flank of the Irish creating a crossfire and the Irish there are taking horrendous casualties and unable to close with the British.

In the centre the French continue to advance and an artillery duel begins as the French close on the open fields next to the hospital.

As the French deploy into the field the British now have a line of three units of horse lined up to take them on with a further unit on the right flank covering the Irish in the hospital.

The first attack from Chris F is driven off with heavy losses for both sides, things get sticky once the Irish get into contact with those pike but the British are able to hold their own....just!

On the right things are getting worse for the Irish under Chris C, badly mauled the Legion Irlandais are forced to retreat and the pike block are halted by fire from two guns and two battalions. A further battalion of foot marches around the flank of the Legion and pours a devastating enfilade fire into them, forcing them to again retreat disordered, the only saving grace here being decent die rolls keeping them in the game.

On the left flank Chris Fs Irish charge again, they are driven off with great loss again and one unit breaks entirely, however so does one unit of British and the Irish are cheering and getting in the Guinness, they think its all over!

In the centre the French have deployed now and the Cavalry charge home, the closing fire from the French is dire causing no casualties, damp powder? In both cases the British cause horrendous casualties to the French but their moral holds and a second round of melee ensues.

On the left the Irish are charging again but are driven off with increasing casualties.

Deciding that now is the time, the reserve brigade of the Westmeath rebels charges out of the Hospital grounds at the single unit of horse facing them, which counter charges. Unfortunately for them the horse know their job and they break the first battalion and force the second one to retreat pell mell back behind the hedges.

The Melee in the middle goes to a third round but eventually the cavalry are sent reeling by the French and one unit of light dragoons is broken entirely.

However the damage is done with both French units, the only quality troops they Franco-Irish army has, now shaken.

The British are in a very strong position now with the Irish being pushed back and the French very badly mauled, unable to sustain the fight the eventually surrender.

Taking the opportunity to have a look around the show I got a few snaps of Barry Hiltons gorgeous Great Northern War game, the artillery battery was fantastic and I liked the added touch of the tartar horse archers with the Russians.

I had a flick through the new Talon and Claw supplement, this looks fantastic, I will be picking this up in the near future for sure.

Behind Barrys game was an equally lovely League of Augsburg period game which caught my attention.

There were also loads of other great games, Partizan is my favourite show of the year, but apologies I didnt get nay decent snaps of these.

As always great to meet up with the great and the good of the hobby, catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Colin Ashford and Charles Singleton lovely to meet you both at last, look forward to a game in the near future.

So I will leave you with this little shot of the nasty British burning and pillaging as their chums beat the Irish at Wilsons Hospital and hope you enjoyed our little game.

See you soon.