French Indian War Campaign - Game 2 Report

The French and Indian War mini-campaign continues with the battle of Fort Robert. General William Colchester, commanding the British forces, has swiftly advanced his troops along the coastal road and is now poised to launch an assault on the fort. Meanwhile, the French forces, led by General Lucien Duvall, have been urgently reinforcing its defences. Among their preparations is the fortification of a nearby hill, recognising that its capture would grant a commanding vantage point over the fort, rendering any defence nearly impossible.

You can find the campaign setup details here.

Tabletop Setup.

A quick reminder of the forces involved:

French

• 6 x Regular Infantry
• 4 x Militia
• 2 x Guns

The French defensive plans require them to have 4 units with 12 inches of the fort and another 4 units within 12 inches of the hill. The remaining 4 units are a mobile reserve and available to move around the table freely.

British

• 7 x Regular Infantry
• 4 x Militia
• 1 x Gun

All the British units arrive from the south on game turn 1.

The Plan…

General Colchester’s plan is to occupy the wooded area in the centre with his Militia units, hopefully tie up any of the French reserves, while the bulk of the regular infantry will assault the hill supported by their single gun. 

Fort Robert. Some of the reserve regular infantry can be seen marching off to support the Militia in the centre.

Opening Moves…

The British forces pressed forward as their artillery start to bombard the hilltop. Meanwhile, the Militia advanced into the wooded area, only to come under immediate musket fire from French Militia already positioned there, supported by two units of regular infantry.

The Militia engage in the woods. The remaining French reserve of two regular infantry units are positioned behind the woods.

The Assault…

The main British assault pressed forward toward the hill, but as they advanced, volleys of flanking fire erupted from French infantry positioned behind the woods. The unexpected attack forced several British units to break formation and return fire, momentarily stalling their advance. The remaining troops reorganised to push on, bracing themselves as they move into muskets range with the entrenched French defenders on the hill.

The British assault receives flanking fire as it advances.

The assault pushes on.

The assault comes under withering fire from the hilltop defenders.

Assaulting the Hill…

The British were steadily gaining the upper hand in the woods, forcing the French to call upon the fort’s garrison for long-range support with musket fire.  

However, the assault on the hill was faltering. The determined French defenders, poured disciplined volleys into the advancing British units, and their accurate fire steadily whittling down the attackers.

Long range musketry from the fort garrison.

The British make a final effort to take the hill.

For a moment, it seemed as though the British might be able to seize the hill, their troops pressing forward despite mounting losses. However, the French defenders, bolstered by a few well-timed rallies, repulsed the exhausted attackers back down the slopes, securing the hill. A hard-fought French victory.

The assault is called off.

Summary

The assault had a two-to-one advantage, but this was not enough for the British to seize the hill. The French effectively disrupted the assault with flanking fire from their two regular infantry units positioned behind the woods, drawing away part of the attacking force. 

This defeat forces the British to abandon their coastal advance, compelling them to move inland instead. Now, their hopes will rest on securing a river crossing downstream from Fort Orleans, which could serve as a launching point for a future attack later in the campaign season.

The campaign map.