Trenton Game Report

 

Washington crossing the Delaware River to attack the Hessian garrison at Trenton

Yesterday Earl K and Bill P. of our Fab Four wargame group convened at Schloss Fritz to play my Battle of Trenton. The fourth member of the Fab Four, Keith L., was a combat casualty and couldn't attend.

The Fab Four (minus one) playing the Battle of Trenton

Earl and Bill played the American side, as division commanders Sullivan and Greene, respectively, while I handled the command of the Hessians (boo, hiss!). The Trenton scenario accommodated 8 players at Historicon with each player commanding a brigade of three American regiments or a regiment of Hessians. For this game, I scaled the game down so that each player commanded a division of three brigades. My wargame "regiments" of 30 figures represented a "brigade" in this game rather than a regiment. Because the American forces were scaled down I reduced the three Hessian regiments down from 50 figures to 40 figures.

We used my Fife and Drum rules for the game and the players understood the rules by the end of the second turn. I have been using my Fife and Drum rules since about 1994 so they are battle tested and have stood the test of time. These rules are FREE to download at the Fife and Drum Minitures web store. Click on the link below to access and download the rules. There is also a file that includes "designer notes" that provide some additional background for how to play the rules.

Free AWI Rules

Here are some of the game pictures. I will let the captions tell the story. Click on all of the pictures to enlarge them for better viewing.

The quiet town of Trenton in the dawn hours of December 26, 1776
Things are about to heat up as the Americans form up for the attack.

Fermoy's American brigade forms up to attack the Hessian flank.

The Hessian Rall Grenadiers conducted a fighting retreat towards the safety
of the Bordontown Bridge. Alas, they didn't make it.

Glover's Continental brigade of Massachusetts troops fight their way into 
the town and attempt to cut off the Hessians' only avenue of retreat at 
the Bordontown Bridge.

Lord Sterling's Virginia troops attack down Queen Street which is defended
by two companies of the Rall Grenadiers . Meanwhile, two oblivious civilians
are shoveling snow (lower left).

South of the town, the von Knyphausen fussier regiment fends off the
attacking Continentals. Eventually they are surrounded and have no
choice but to surrender and lay down their weapons.

The Rall Grenadiers make a last stand in front of the Bordentown Road bridge.
They eventually routed and ran across the bridge and into the welcoming arms
of part of Glover's brigade where they surrender.

The Americans attacked at dawn, but contrary to history, Colonel Rall had called his troops to arms and so the Hessians were formed up in the town and ready to fight. The Americans outnumbered the Hessians nearly 3 to 1 and the outcome was never in doubt. The Hessians were required to fight it out for at least four game turns before they could make any attempt to retreat across the Bordentown Road Bridge to safety. The Hessians held off the Americans for eight turns before they capitulated.

The Hessian fusilier regiment von Lossberg defended the eastern side of the town but they were cut to pieces by the Americans. The Rall Grenadiers split up into two wings: the left wing defended the River Road and King Street while the right wing defended Queen Street. The von Knyphausen fusiliers deployed on the open fields to the south of the town and kept two brigades of Americans at bay until the last turn (turn 8) of the game. They were cut off and likely would have surrendered. The Rall Grenadiers performed a splendid fighting withdrawal from the center of the town to the Bordentown Roae Bridge. However, American troops had a big advantage in numbers over the Rall Grenadiers, who eventually routed.

All in all, it was a cracking good fight with the Hessians selling their lives dearly as they fought inside the town. You never know how fighting in built up areas is going to turn out in a wargame, but this one played out easily which made it all the more fun.

A big thank you goes out to the Fab Four inaugurating my new and improved game room. This time I swear that I will keep the game room neat and tidy.

Miss Bella (aka "Trouble on Four Legs") welcomes you to the newly updated game room.

The seating area of my game room.

With the 250th anniversary of American independence, I plan on hosting many more AWI games in the Man Cave. I might even revive the South Carolina Campaign to generate new battles in the South.