Battle of Cheriton 1644 - Remote Game Rematch

Yesterday, the rematch of the English Civil War Battle of Cheriton took place. It was hosted by Jon from the Palouse Wargaming Journal. I had hosted the first game a couple of weeks ago where Jon commanding the Royalist forces had secured a victory (details can be found here).

Jon has some wonderful looking English Civil War armies.

Below is a photograph of the deployed armies which was included in the briefing details provided by Jon. I chose to command the Parliamentarian army under Waller once again, hoping to redeem myself after losing with them in the previous game.

The deployed armies

The Plan…

My plan was to attack on the left wing and try to out flank the Royalist army’s position while the infantry centre would advance and use the woods occupied with dragoons to protect their right flank. All bar one of Balfour’s cavalry units would move to the left flank to support the attack. One cavalry unit was to be held in reserve, just in case the infantry centre needed support.

This screenshot highlights the opening move along with my planned strategy indicated by the red arrows.

Opening Moves…

My right-wing cavalry advanced, led by Haselrigge, and were quickly engaged with the Royalist cavalry on the left flank. The results were mixed, some of my units were successful, while others withdrew after the clash. Overall, my cavalry appeared to gain the upper hand, with the remaining Royalist cavalry opting to remain behind the hedges.

Balfour’s cavalry continue to reposition themselves to the left flank as Haselrigge leads the cavalry charge on the left flank.

The Royalist infantry centre had advanced and taken up positions behind the hedge running across the middle of the battlefield. With Balfour’s right-wing cavalry still manoeuvring into position, my infantry centre, led by Potley who had joined the front unit, charged forward. They managed to push back part of the Royalist centre away from the hedge, but much of my infantry centre had become worn in the process. One very annoyingly and stubborn Royalist infantry unit crossed the hedge and positioned itself awkwardly toward my left flank, obstructing my cavalry's movement.

Meanwhile on the right flank my dragoon’s were slowly making their way round to position themselves on the Royalist left.

Parliament’s infantry centre push forward while their cavalry have the upper hand on the left flank. The hedges were creating problems.

The Middle Game…

Potley pressed his infantry forward, taking advantage of their momentum, while on the left flank, Haselrigge’s cavalry continued to engage but were now becoming worn and fatigued. Any further attacks on the left flank would now depend on Balfour’s cavalry, who had finally taken up their positions.

Potley's infantry continue their advance in the centre while on the left flank cavalry continue to engage with little effect.

Potley’s advance in the centre, while successful, had resulted in his unit becoming very exposed and surrounded by Royalist forces. It was crucial to clear the Royalist infantry unit blocking movement on my left flank. After a series of desperate cavalry charges they were finally routed.

On the right flank, Balfour’s one reserve cavalry unit moved forward to be ready to charge the Royalist artillery. While the Dragoons, after making very slow progress through the woods, emerged on the Royalist flank.

After a series of cavalry charges a problematic Royalist infantry unit is routed, freeing up movement on the left flank. On the right flank preparation is underway to charge the Royalist guns.

The End Game…

With the blocking Royalist infantry unit removed, Balfour’s remaining fresh cavalry on the left flank were able to charge the Royalist infantry centre. They successfully routed a unit but failed to pursue, leaving them vulnerable to a flank attack that ultimately forced them to rout. Potley’s infantry unit was finally routed by Royalist assaults, he managed to escape and rejoin the remaining infantry, who were all at various levels of exhaustion and merely observing the battle.

Note - this is a view from the Royalist side of the table. Parliament’s cavalry on the left wing are finally able to charge on the flank of the Royalist infantry.

With my infantry centre units all in a worn state, my final attacks now all depended on my remaining fresh cavalry units, which managed a somewhat successfully charge and destroy the Royalist artillery near the woods before quickly retreating back. On the other flank, my cavalry repelled a Royalist charge. These final Royalist losses were enough to break their army’s resolve, leading to a Parliamentary victory.

Note - a view from Royalist side of the table. The final moves see the Royalist artillery destroyed and Parliament’s cavalry repulse the Royalist cavalry charge.

Summary…

The game began slowly as I worked to reposition Balfour’s cavalry and advance my infantry. The hedges restricted movement, causing my initial left wing attack to stall, which led me to charge with my infantry against the Royalist centre infantry lining the central hedge. Not part of my original plan, but Potley’s charge proved to be crucial, as it pushed back the Royalist centre and limited Parliament’s ability to move units and coordinate attacks. Removing the Royalist infantry unit that had restricted cavalry movement on the left was crucial. If this had not been done promptly, the Royalists could have reorganised after Potley’s successful charge.

By the end of the game, nearly all my units were exhausted and had limited attack capability, with most loitering on the battlefield like lost sheep. The remaining Royalist units were still in relatively good condition, but after witnessing other units routing the overall army resolve had been undermined.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable and close game and took 3 hours to play. Thank you to Jon for hosting the rematch. Below are a few close-up photographs of Jon’s armies from the game. One downside of remote gaming is missing out on appreciating the miniatures up close.

A view of the Royalist centre as Potley begins his attack.

The last hurrah of Potley’s unit.