Birthday Battles at Black Hills

Chris & Jim helped PeterC celebrate his 66th birthday with 2 wargames.

Battle 1:  Zama 202BC:
Chris' Romans v. Peter's Carthos
The Carthaginians are on the right.  Their infantry are deployed in Hannibal's 3 lines, but their elephants have been put on the wings to support the cavalry.  (On the right the elephants are already in contact with the Roman horse).

The Roman left wing cavalry is already broken by the combined elephant & cavalry attack.   The Roman light cav on the far flank is giving ground but not beaten.  In the centre the legionaries have smashed the front line & are moving up on the second line.

The Roman left is still holding on.  On this flank the Carthos are reorganising to attack the legion's flank.  The triari are forming to prtect the flanks as the legions keep pushing forward. 

The Roman left has finally broken, but they enemy right is scattered and largely shaken.  The Cartho attack on the near flank  is meeting stubborn resistance.  The Roman attack in the centre still hasn't broken the second line.

The Cartho centre held on just long enough for the flank attack to break the RH legion and give Hannibal victory.

This battle got a bit messy, I think largely because we are using narrow frontage units with Peter's old 15mm's (single 60mm stands for small, 2x=120mm for standard).

Battle 2: Brienne 1814
Jim's French v. Chris' Prussians

The Prussians are deployed in and around the village & chateau (on the hill).  They have anotehr Infantry Corps coming up.  The French are coming on the far end with an Infantry Corps and 2 Cavalry Corps.  They have another Infantry Corps coming up, but "it's Ney so don't hold your breath".  The French objectives are to take the village & Chateau plus get troops over the raod to the left behind the Prussians.

The French struggle to get their cavalry from their right to the left where the clear ground is & theri infantry from their left to their right to attack the village.

Afetr a good deal of blundering about and confusion the French finally sort themselves out so theri cavalry can attack the enemt cavalry and their infantry can attack the village & chateau. 

The French have taken the village, but not the chateau.  The narrow front between the village & the wood full of yegers makes it hard for the French to get advantage from their superior numbers of cavalry.  The Prussian reserves are coming up behind the village, but no sign of Ney.. 
A counterattack by fresh Prussian troops has retaken the village, but the Prussian cavalry has finally broken. 

The French cavalry just make it to the road to the left as night falls, but the Prussians still hold the town and chateau, so the battle is declared to be a draw.