That damnable Hook .....

The 40mm chaps get back onto the table for 'catch the raiders game' ...

 

The border war in the south with Saxe-Jarlsberg grumbles on, no major military incursions - but mostly raids across the border from Saxe-Jarlsberg - who have paid the local brigands for their services. The most well known of the brigands is the Hook, he and his brethren have joined with a small detachment of Saxe-Jarlsberg regulars. After a successful raid they are on their way back to cross the border, with their booty in a captured wagon and on some pack ponies.....

 

---oXo---

 

The Hook discusses the best route to the border with the Saxe-Jarlsberg army officer ... 

 The border patrols are active, they can summon adjacent nearby patrols by blowing their horns ...

 The raiders make their move and get started ...

The Hook leads the main group through towards the nearby village, while two smaller groups act as flank guards.

 The patrols continue to move on their allotted paths ...

 The raiders are now into the outskirts of the village ..

The chasseurs spot the movement in the village and blow their horn, an answering horn is heard from the nearby jager patrol and some distant responses from other patrols, the Hook and the raiders will have to move quickly ...

The Hook directs one of his flank guards to engage the chasseurs, as the booty is moved through the village..

The small group of Saxe-Jarslberg regulars forming the left flank guard open fire, but soon find they are outnumbered as the nearest jager patrol hurries up to support the chasseurs ...

The raiders left flank guard falls back after taking too many casualties ..., meanwhile the wagons and pack mules carrying the booty from the raid are moved further around the village ...

Two more adjacent patrols arrive, some chasseurs in the path of the 'booty' train, and some more jagers ...

The border patrols close in on the raiders ...

 The Hook directs the raiders to stand and fight ... But their casualties mount ...

The raiders unable to hold their ground, leave the wagon and escape towards the woods with the pack horses, the Hook gives a departing flourish with his hook and a shouts curse at his pursuers before joining the rest of his men.

 

  ---oXo---
 

  The Hook and the remaining raiders escaped capture, but not with all their booty.

40mm: Saxe-Jarlsberg - riding to the capital ...

The 40mm figs shown here now completed; the completed figures, apart from the officer on foot with spyglass from Front Rank, were assembled from various figs and oddments in the spares box (Irregular Miniatures; Mathias Manke; Front Rank and Sash & Sabre heads; Creartec & Prince August home-casts) ....

---oXo---

Near the Saxe-Jarlsberg capital, a couple of soldiers step to one side to get out of the way of an approaching rider ....

The rider is a senior office from the Duchy of Noverre's army, he is to join the Saxe-Jarlsberg general staff...

It is also rumoured that the Herzog of Saxe-Jarlsberg is in discussion with the Duke of Noverre about hiring some troops (we shall see....)

---oXo---

Meanwhile on a hill marking the border between Saxe-Jarlsberg and the Hofland, officers from the Wittenberg army are checking for enemy activity....

A night out ...

The young Marquess of Kronstadt had arranged with Brother James to go into the city of Wittenberg for the evening ....

Have you seen Brother James ?

Ah yes, he's in the garden ..

Marquess: There you are Brother James, shall we set off  ?

Br. James: Oh certainly ..

 

They take a coach into the city

On arrival, a brisk walk down Konigstrasse

Into the Kurfursten arms for a drink to start the evening off

(Br. James has coffee, he's not supposed to drink)

After a little walk,  they pause

Marquess: Where next ?

Br James: I know, the Blue Nun. We can watch a card game or somesuch ..

At the Blue Nun, they watch the card games

(and a have another drink or two - this time Br James has a small sherry) 

Next up the Guild House - a good place to spend the evening ...

It was along evening and they spent a lot of money and perhaps drank more than they should have (especially Brother James).

---oXo---

The next morning, one of the ladies of the court reported the sound of raucous singing to one of the palace guards - who dutifully reported it to the officer on duty.

After some investigation, the source of the singing was located; the palace guard found Brother James and the poor worse for wear Marquess.

The officer tactfully quietened down Brother James and the two of them were taken to the guard house to sleep it off.

 

40mm: Work in progress

I've recently done a casting session for a new infantry batallion plus some others for conversions; this brings the lead mountain up to 4 battalions to paint - 2 for Wittenberg and 2 for Saxe-Jarlsberg.

 

I also bought the officer with spyglass from the Front Rank AWI artillery crew, I was going to put it to one side, but decided to get on and paint it. While I was at it I decided to empty out the spares box and do a few conversions - this'll give me a couple of extra mounted & dismounted officers, plus 3 more engineers/pioneers - not to mention a dog and a horse. They wait patiently for their primer ...

The Irregulars on a mission ...

Captain Schongron had been in Saxe-Jarlsberg gathering information, he had been captured on his way back to Wittenberg and was being held in the small town of Hofstadt just over the border in Saxe-Jarlsberg.   A rescue mission has been assembled, Madame Givenchy and her Irregulars have got the job ....

---oXo---

 

Madame Givenchy receives final instructions form the Grey Rider ....

they have a little assistance - a detachment form the King's jagers led by Captain Scharfe..

 Their objective, the small town of Hofstadt, they have to locate and release Captain Schongron..

Of they go....

across the fields, the mounted contingent gathers by the barn ...

the jagers exchange fire with the defenders as some of the Irregulars move up to the inn by the crossroads ..

the Irregulars get stuck in downing some of the opposition and get in close to the inn...

Meanwhile the jagers clear an outlying cottage ..

fighting intensifies round the inn ...

Madame Givenchy, by the church has just signalled the riders to move up ...

they canter down the road to support the rest of the Irregulars who are still tying to capture the inn

the riders reach the crossroads, while jagers pin down the defenders of the manor house

the Irregulars are nearly into the inn,

with the attention of the defenders focussed on their defence of the manor house, the captive Captain Schongron (in white coat) makes a break for it and runs out into the road - the officer commanding the defenders exits the house agrees to terms ...

another successful mission for the Irregulars, three of the ladies are wounded and one of the King's jagers killed.

Obelisk in the parkland ...

The King of Wittenberg had gone for a ride in the palace parkland with the Field Marshal and stops to admire the new obelisk recently installed at the end of an avenue of poplar trees.

Pelardon: the return of the Duke ...

The Monrovians have exploded a mine .... (continued from the previous posts)..

 

The dust settles from the explosion of the mine ...

The Monrovians look in disbelief - there is no breach - the mine was placed short ..... they continue with their daily siege routine .. and prepare to start work on another mine ...

 

---oXo---

 

With the Monrovians in full retreat after their defeat at Contignac, General Stricknein manages to form a rearguard from the more stable regiments from his command, the rest of the army has degraded into a rabble. The General passes orders for the troops at Fausignac to withdraw to a hussar courier who sets off at the gallop ....

At dusk when the messenger arrives at Fausignac, the commander of the troops sieging the city, orders a withdrawal during the night - they will retire south then head back to Monrovia.

 

---oXo---

Early the next morning at Fausignac, the defenders after what they thought an unsually quiet night take their posts at the defences only to see no enemy in the trenches or anywhere nearby, an officer checks in the distance with his spyglass ....

In the distance he sees the head of the relief column ....

The Duke enters the city to the sound of ringing bells and cheers from the inhabitants...

---oxo---

The Monrovians continued their retreat, harried all the way to the border by Von Messing leading the Pelardon and allied troops. The attempt to annex Pelardon had been another big mis-adventure for the Monrovians.