AGWA Wargames Weekend - Siege of Havana 1762

This last weekend I attended The Armchair Generals Wargamers Association (AGWA) held a large scale 18th century game at Yeovilton.  A great time was had by all and many thanks to Willz Harley for organising the event.

The weekend event was a "re-fight" of the siege of Havana in 1762, with extra allied forces for both sides and with the scenarios setup so the Spanish had a chance of beating off the British invaders.

The game using a host of Spencer Smiths figures was played over 4 large tables; one table for Havana city's defences and one table each for the main coastal forts.  

The multi-player game was played twice, once on each day with the players swapping tables and roles. I took some photos of the tables and the games in play. I have more pictures from the two games I played in which were:

- on the first day in the role of the Spanish, defending the large fort of El Moro

- on the second day in the role of the British, landing and attacking one of the smaller forts.

Havana city

The allied forces advance to assault the breaches in the defences...

on both days the city was taken.

Coastal Forts (1) - Puntal and Lazarro

The British had already captured the small fort of Puntal in the foreground, but the Spanish still had control of Fort Lazarro further along coast.   The Spanish tried to eject the British from Puntal and push them off the beach...

The Spanish forced a British withdrawal on the first day.

Costal Forts (2) - The Main Fort of El Moro

The defending Spanish forces in position.... I didn't bother with the far half of the table, apart from deploying a couple of artillery batteries...

My lone Spanish ship exchanged broadsides with the Royal Navy...

and paid the price....

Troops landed down the coast from the fort. I managed to sink three barges and reduce the numbers of some units with artillery fire and cannon fire from the fort.

By the time the second wave landed I was withdrawing back to the fort of El Moro and the built up area behind it.

 A small land attack on the fort was beaten off, the attackers withdrew

The fort came under bombardment form the British naval ships, slowly knocking out my fortress guns.

At the end of the first day's play, El Moro was still in Spanish hands, but if we'd have played on the fort would have fallen eventually.

Coastal Forts (3) - Cojimar

The fort and some of the supporting Spanish troops..

British ships bombard the fort, as the first wave comes ashore

The first wave secured the landing beach... with naval battery at each flank...

The second wave on their way in ....

The Spanish advance ....

Second wave form up on the beach, the Spanish attack has stalled...

The third wave come ashore ....threatening the Spanish flank...

As the third wave comes ashore, the British ships start to bombard the fort again, slowly knocking out the cannon...

The third wave have formed up and started their advance inland as the Spanish fell back...

The storming party forms up and advances towards the fort...

scaling ladders up....

and into the fort ...

with the fort taken... thats when play finished on the second day;  the Spanish forces were still present but we didn't have time to carry on.  It would have been nice to have had time to advance the British inland and engage the Spanish.

---oXo---