Fort Project - 6, Guns

A fort is no good without the guns to protect it. I ordered a couple of Eureka naval cannons. I found the gun carriage a little small so I made my own. Comparison below, my prototype gun carriage is on the right, one of my garrision sentry figs give some idea of size.

Satisfied with the prototype gun carriage I made another seven; they are all made of cardboard with wheels made from some soft plastic rod on brass rod axles.

I painted up two and fixed on the gun barrels, as you can see they look good poking out from the fort walls ....

A view from the side showing the gun carriages ...

[Gun barrels - Eureka long 9pdr; Gun crew - Hinchcliffe; Wooden running boarding - Busch HO7419 decor sheet]

1740 - Werlendt (3rd Belgravian Wars) ...

further extracts from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf ...

A skirmish game using 40mm figs...

Scenario

While the main body of Monrovian army was advancing into Upper Belgravia, the commander of the allied Saxe-Jarlsberg and Hesse-Limburger troops, Count Pottensdorf, was given the job of following up behind and securing the line of march with garrisons.

The commander of the Wittenberg Corps of Observation in Upper Belgravia, General Waldebeck, had decided to try and get some troops together to threaten the Monrovian supply lines, he had called out the local militia and some garrison troops. The pulk of Uhlans he had at his disposal were despatched to attack the Monrovian's river crossing garrison.

After Count Pottensdorf had reached his main objective to secure the town of Ottenheim; his scouts had found out that a small force of Wittenberg troops was gathering near the village of Werlendt; to protect the supply lines he took some troops and marched for Werlendt...

'Battle Report'

In the cold light of dawn Count Pottensdorf arrives near Werlendt with the following troops: Saxe-Jarlsberg: 2 companies IR-1 and a detachment of jagers; Hesse-Limburger: 1 company IR-1 and 2 field guns

General Waldebeck, straddled the road into Werlendt with two companies militia and the artillery, holding his company of garrison troops in reserve.

The Saxe Jarlsberg infantry advance quickly ...

The local militia and some jagers move forward to engage the advancing enemy ....

On one flank the militia run away from a charge by the Saxe-Jarlsberg infantry ..

The first company of Saxe-Jarlsberg infantry reforms after the charge and comes under fire from the Wittenberg artillery. Meanwhile the second company advances forward to outflank the Wittenberg garrison troops ...

On the other flank the milita have held up the advance of the Hesse-Limburger troops but they are starting to fall back after taking casulaties ....

Saxe-Jarlsberg infantry charge the Wittenberg artillery, overwhelming them and move along the road threatening the flank of the Wittenberg garrison troops ...

General Waldebeck seeing his position is no longer tenable starts his withdrawal ....

Afterwards
Count Pottensdorf was pleased to beat the Wittenberg forces. This was a great morale boost to his troops as they had been lumbered with garrison and supply line duties.

General Waldebeck, suprised at the effectiveness of the Saxe-Jarlsberg and Hesse-Limburger infantry retired northwards to try and re-organize his forces for another strike at the supply lines.

Fort Project - 5, basic dimensions

For all you budding fort builders an elevation plan of a cross section (click on image to see a larger view) ...

Feel free to copy, use or adapt as you feel.

Section widths, these depended the sizes of my hoard of bits of cardboard, the main gate section is 28.5cm, 2 side sections are 27cm. Bastions sections are about 25cm across.

Fort Project - 4, one section completed

In order to try out the final look of all the sections, I decided to do the 'half-bastion' section.

I used GW Goblin Green for the 'grass'ed parts and SuperQuick building paper Grey Rubble Walling (D12) for the stonework.

Fort Project - 3, all sections constructed

After some rather frenzied activity I've completed making the sections for my fort. The fort as initially planned with the main gate outworks:

I made a corner turn and a half bastion, so that I could set up for a siege scenario, with the fort/city walls in the corner of my gaming table.

Then I made the breached section ...

All sections made (for now ?), I've stopped building as I'm suffering from 'fortress fatigue'. I'm now deciding on how to finish off the sections - to do the stonework I'll definitely be using some printed paper sheets.

Fort Project - 2, construction of fort sections

As it was Bank Holiday here in the UK and the weather was a bit unpredictable I decided to have a bash at some fort sections. I have been drawing and doodling plans for about 3 months, so I knew exactly how I wanted things to look. Once I got going I couldn't seem to stop - so I bashed on for a few hours today. (I hope the piccies that follow are clear enough.)

Dimensions - firing platform which is 6cm deep and 4cm high, 2cm wide and 2cm high for the parapet; 3cm wide for the ditch; with the glacis on the main gate section 5cm wide. The internal width of the main gate is 5cm.

Out came my stock of glue, cardboard and foam board. Firstly I added the glacis to the main gate section, then the gate itself.

Then the supports for the firing platform ...

Added the firing platform ....

Then to top it off the parapet ...

Flushed with success I went on to complete a side wall section using the same techniques ...

I just had to complete a bastion, I just wanted to know how it would look ....

A check that the bastion section fitted in ok with the main gate section ....

I had great fun building the fort sections today but I am well tired now. I'm off to have a rest and relax (and possibly a snooze).

I will be making a breached side section (Murdocks suggestion) and I am tempted to make some outer works for the main gate. Now I'll need some garrison troops, some fortress guns and .......

Fort Project - 1, initial ideas and section bases

For a while I've been considering building a fort (or part of town defences). Inspired by my Osprey Vauban fortification book (Fortress 42) - I've finally started. I set out some guidelines for myself (to stop me making something too massive), these were:
1. to hold 2 battalions
2. main gate section
3. two corner bastions
4. two side sections
5. Sections to have firing platform(terreplein), parapet, ditch/moat and glacis (slopey bit at the front).
6. height of firing platform+parapet to be no more than 3".
7. section bases to be max of 6" deep and 12" wide.

I've been hoarding thick card for some time, ready for this project. One source of card I find useful is the booards from old guide and road map books; books were stripped of the outer boards and the paper put out in our recycling bin.

After drawing out on some bases I limited the glacis to being on the main gate section with a narrow bit on the other sections to show where the ditch is. A shot of the base of one of the corner bastions:


All the bases ready for construction, the fort overall is about 36" wide at the back, and approx 20" deep.
More pics to follow as construction proceeds.

Wittenberg - Review of Household Troops

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the treaty of Witzend (signed in 1740) which ended the 3rd Belgravian War; the Household Troops pass in review before the King and the court.

Firstly the Chevalier Guard and the Horse Grenadiers of the Guard, led by the combined mounted bands of the guard cavalry.

These were followed by the Grenadier Guards and the Wittenland Fusilers (the Queen's regiment), led by the combined bands of the foot guards.