Tuesday, June 29, 2021

The 1st Battle of Pine Ridge Fork

 When the news reached the Origawn Provisional Government that the Dominion had launched an expedition against the Q'ree, they had ordered General Lannigan to launch an attack into Dominion territory to draw off some of the pressure on their allies. When the Origawn cavalry reached Pine Ridge, they found a scratch force of Dominion infantry and artillery blocking the ridge. Lannigan ordered an immediate attack! 

Grey's Brigade, supported by cavalry and artillery, attacked up the North Road.


Along the North Fork,  Colonel Nolan's Black's Black Hat Brigade attacked on the far right where Dominion cavalry had arrived to extend the line while General Strombecker led his men straight up the road to deliver the fatal blow.


Just as the Dominion line began to waver, the 5th Royal Scots arrived, pipes wailing and deployed at the double, filling the gaps. The fight was on!  


The fighting was prolonged and bloody but at last the Dominion troops were forced back off the ridge. The Grey Horse were around the enemy line and poised to cut the mainroad but the obstinate garrison of an old stone house still blocked the North fork.
One more push should do it, but already the sun was sinking toward the horizon.


The final charge was heroic and  seized the fork and the ridge but it didn't break the Dominion  line. The road forward was still blocked as the light faded, and the attacking army which had marched hard and fast to get here and had also suffered tremendous casualties. There was nothing to do but fall back, regroup and try again another day.


19 comments:

  1. The stiff upper lip vs the idealistic dreamers. No contest!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great battle report Ross. I believe I've had the pleasure of storming that old stone house a few campaign seasons ago.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do believe you did! Hopefully one day you'll get another chance.

      Delete
  3. "Another such escapade will ruin the Cause!" I guess this is why many rebellions go gorilla.....er, guerilla.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh I think this Cause will exist till the end of their world.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. Thanks, Its finally looking more like the image in my head.

      Delete
  5. Carl von Clausewitz did observe that sometimes the cost of victory was so great as to compel a retreat. Such seems to be the case here! In victory, the one side failed to achieve its objective; in defeat the other succeeded. Battle is such a chancy business!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Could depend on what reinforcements come in over night!

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Nip and tuck! If a joker hadn't shortened the game by a turn....

      Delete
  7. Great to see your 54's in Action- terrific photos- you've got good light there on your table Ross. It is cold and rainy here -all rugged up for Winter- hope you are coping with the heat wave there in Canada. Cheers. KEV.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Greatly enjoyed the vignettes presented in the game report--worthy of a double-page spread in any wargame book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Ed, I'm slowly getting closer to the image in my head. Got some way to go yet though.

      Delete
  9. Splendid stuff Ross…
    Suitability bloody… which seems to fit with old school games…

    All the best. Aly

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ross, lovely photos, very colourful!
    Michael

    ReplyDelete