The 98: Morning at Naughty Rhyme, Campaign Day 5

As noted here day four ended with General Hochemont concentrating his forces for an assault on the Britorcn position at Naughty Rhyme. That evening a rebel sympathizer came into the Ferach camp and revealed the enemy strength and dispositions.

General Hochemont suggested the rebels might assist his assault by firing one or more of the buildings the Artists and Poets Yeomanry were occupying. This the rebels refused to do. You see one building was the Church and the other the Pub!

The tale of the battle thus far is perhaps best told in captioned photos with a bit of text only here and there for continuity's sake.

Deployment:

Colonel Cyril Mon and the 21st Eyes N' Gourds in the center

Sir Morcambe N. Wise takes station between the 21st
 and the Artists and Poets Yeomanry

Baron D'Orcsy confers with with a chaplain while the Artists and Poets Yeomanry
take station on the Britorcn left.

The 21st Eyes N' Gourds

Orc artillery covers their right while the 12th "Prince of Taffsea's Own"
 Light Dragoons provide support

The Artists and Poets Yeomanry 

Legion du Rospo Hippos on my left. 

I posted the Legion du Rospo Hippos on my extreme left. In the unlikely event the enemy counter attacks, the Hippos will counter charge.

The Banshee Boyz

 The Banshee Boyz provided a welcome surprise. I had thought (and so weighted the dice) that the Boyz would be low quality troops. As it happened they turned out to be veterans!

First Guinalea  with Wolfe Toon on the left and General Hochemont on the right

Companie A Field Artillery and 23 Ligne

2nd Ligne and General de Brigade Fefalas

View from the orc left

View from the Ferach left

 First Turn

I opted to forego any pre-assault bombardment. Having only two batteries I decided to keep one in reserve and use the other to support the assault. Any pregame exchange of fire would have eroded my capability and, given the works the orcs had constructed, losses were likely to work out in their favor.

The Advance

 The opening salvo of Companie A Field Artillery felled Colonel Mann of the 21st! However with the Guinaleans so far away the 21st were able to rally with minimal fuss.

The orc artillery opened a withering fire on 1st Guinalea.

Turn Two

My second line entered to support the first. 

My intention is to have the wee folk of 2nd Guinalea pass through the first line to assault the 21st.

55th Ligne would support 2nd and/or 23rd as needed.

Getting to Grips

Received by Rolling Volleys

1st Guinalea suffers mounting casualties

Firefight

  2nd Ligne attempted to charge the Artists and Poets only to pull up short and exchange fire instead. An exchange that did not work out in their favor.

The 23rd advances

The wee folk of 2 Guinalea advance

First brigade engaged

 Turn Three 

Start of Turn Three

The fighting for pub and church took a shocking turn when a stray bullet felled General de Brigade Fefalas. Dismayed at his fall, the 2nd and 23rd retreated.

Retreat from Naughty Rhyme

Piling on the bad news, Colonel Orkean of 1st Gunalea also fell.

The plucky bog orcs of 1st Guinalea were able to carry on regardless of loss.

Wee folk, bog orc, and free!

As you can just barely see on the left of the above photo the Banshee Boyz  have just broken down into skirmish order and entered the wooded gully.

Coupled with the steady advance of the wee folk, I hope to break through the Orc line presently.

On my right 1st brigade has certainly suffered a bloody nose at the hands of the Artists and Poets Yeomanry. Didn't see that coming.

Oh well.  1st brigade should be able to rally.

Now should I commit the second brigade in support of the Guinaleans  or hold them back, whole, for future engagements?

That's all for now!

Stay tuned for the next installment

Same monkey time.

Same monkey channel.