BREED'S HILL / BUNKER HILL
Gents,
Having spent many moons acquiring AWI figures and painting I am getting to teh stage where I can actually play a game or two.
I plan on putting together a Breed's Hill/Bunker Hill game to serve as my introductioon to the rules. I figure that even a novice can handle the colonials on the basis that all you do is sit on yr backside and shoot. Playing the Brist is probably a good next step up in that you get to manouvere against an enemy that does nothing but sit on its backside and shoot!
I am thinking of scratch building the redoubt and was wondering about dirmensions. I understand that each side of the redoubt was about 40-50m long. Assuming two men could stand shoulder to shoulder and fire within each metere, that would mean that you could get 100 muskets to bear on each side of the redoubt, translating into a single 20 figure unit occupying the redoubt with a mximum of 5 figures firing from any one side ( I am assuming that one could not fire in two ranks).
Looking at maps, I get the impression that the breastwork was about twice as long as each face of the redoubt - on that basis, I would propose to build a breastwork that is sufficiently long to provide cover for 2 x 20 figure units - here I am assuming that it was possible to fire in two ranks.
Does the above sound right? I woudl be grateful for any thoughts.
Tks
Orange
I seem to recall that the main redoubt was 130 feet square, so nearer 40 metres than 50 I would say.
With each man occupying two feet of space, you could get between 60 and 70 men along each face (again, I would go for the lower number). However, I would suggest that the actual garrison was about 2-3 times that size - whilst only the front rank could fire, the other rank(s) could load and pass muskets forward, thus maintaining a higher rate of fire than one would expect from a single rank. If you allow two ranks, plus command, you would have around 500 troops, so your 20-figure unit (if in two ranks) would be close to the right number, IMO.
As regards the breastwork, twice the length of each face of the redoubt sounds about right; however, this would give you enough space for a single 20-figure unit - or perhaps two 12-figure units - in two ranks, rather than two, I suspect.
The best plan I have come across is the one drawn by Lt. Thomas Hyde Page R.E. ADC to General Howe during the battle. There are two versions one is a sketch and the second is overlaid on a survey of the Charlestown peninsular.
From the base of the breastwork the Connecticut Troops fortified a fence in in a similar manner to Stark and the New Hampshire Troops. I can find no evidence for the earthworks out side of the redoubt and the breast work.
We took this battle to Historicon this year and picked up a gamemaster award using BG rules. Great game every time we have played it came down to the last turn with a fight in the redoubt and you can not ask for more than that.
Rich.
No I have not,but thank you for the tip!This could be very useful as myself and a few friends are putting on a demo of BG using the Bunker Hill scenario at TACTICA in Feb. :D
You might find the following usefull
Redoubt : 130 ft Square with a point facing Charleston and a 'gorge' on the opposite face as an entrance
Breast work : 110 yds (drawn in a line level with the 'front' face of the redoubt)
Distance from breast work to mystic river approx 200 yds- 250 yds (dependant on Source)
Distance between breast work and rail fence approx 170- 190 yds (dependant on source)
Rail fence/Stone wall approx 200-250 yds (dependant on source)