Tuesday 19 March 2019

(Big Game) Ramillies "The Crumbling French Right" [Game 16] Post #18

The fighting on the left wing of the Allies is condensed around the French baseline. Never a good sign for the defender when one errant move can see formations disappear off-table in the blink of an eye. Even more concerning is that the French and their Bavarian allies have "no room" to manoeuvre. They are literally tripping over themselves, with their flanks and rear being constantly threatened (see below, a draw would be the French could hope for here!): 


Ramillies is assaulted ... the "first wave" goes in and both sides extract casualties on the other. The Allied artillery has done good work on the original brigades (including the Wild Geese) and reinforcements sent it to take the place of casualties (see below, more disconcerting for the French is the second wave of Allied infantry advancing to reinforce the contest next turn):



The bravest of the brave ... foolhardy souls simply obeying orders (see below, the Allied Cavalry Commander[me] only hopes their sacrifice will not be in vain):


All eyes focus back on the Allied cavalry wing. They [the outnumbered Allied line cavalry] fought and died hard ... killing more of the enemy that they lost themselves which meant they actually won the melee. Therefore no morale test for the Allied Cavalry (see below, a tense time suddenly comes for the French C-in-C because, if the Bavarians fail they will rout "off-table" and that is the best part of his "last" cavalry on this wing):


The die is cast and the Bavarians morale crumbles. The Allied line cavalry had fought them so hard that despite being inferior in numbers they astounded all and won! The Bavarians could not take it and will flee (see below, with this one result in particular you could see the French C-in-C's personal morale crumble too - one stand will be pursing four stands off table):


Rather than take a devastating infantry fusillade it is clear that the Hanoverians will charge and try and fight their was out of a tight corner (see below, with the French on their own baseline a win means an unrecoverable rout off-table - the Allied cavalry will pursue off table but in battle terms they are deemed 'recoverable'): 


The first wave of infantry assault Ramillies. These are the poor unfortunates who will take the brunt of the defenders fire. Three units go in against the defenders two. It will now become a slogging match and the bodies of the dead will pile high (see below, flags a flying the boys go in):


A final glimpse of the chaos that is now the French right wing. Soon there will be more Allied units on the French baseline than the French themselves have. This is not a good sign (see below, the "L" in the French line is being turned in on itself):


Posing briefly for the camera the 'luckiest' Allied cavalry unit of the day departs off table chasing the Bavarian Cuirassiers (see below, this exposes the flank of the remaining French cavalry unit on the French baseline):


Once again the Allies have a distinct cavalry advantage which means an "end run" into the French rear is now possible (see below, the slow moving Allied infantry brigade is now free to move down the enemy baseline to their camp and behind Ramillies):


The French cavalry may have one final fling of the dice, but all know they are doomed. Along with their demise then the French hopes of holding Ramillies flounder.

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