The Battle of Vigie Peninsula

The Battle of Vigie Peninsula

December 18^th, 1778

Kati and I finally found time to get a game in this weekend.  With work and the Kids we just haven't been able to sit down for a full game(we have started at least half a dozen though).  We went with a scenario that I've been messing with for a few months about the battle of Vigie Peninsula. 

I have always had a love for the lesser known battles of the American Revolution and in college, I studied the effects of the war on the Caribbean and this was a battle I found interesting.  It also doesn't

hurt that it includes my favorite regiment the 55th.  I originally playtested it with some friends and used the Land of The Free ruleset with is a fine ruleset but Kati and I are more comfortable with Black Powder so we went with it.

I've decided to include the history and scenario write up first so If you want to get into the battle just skip ahead

The History of the Battle 

The battle of Vigie peninsula is one of those forgotten moments in American history. This is largely due to the fact that no American was at the battle. The battle took place on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia during the American Revolution after the French declared war on Great Britain. The Caribbean was important for both Britain and France and controlling the rich sugar islands became a major part of the war. Sir Henry Clinton would have to ship over 5000 of his men down to protect it right after the battle of Monmouth.

The purpose of this post is not to discuss the battle in detail but the short version is as follows:

The British under Major Grant sailed to the island of St. Lucia in December of 1778 and took it from the French. On the very day that they sailed for the island the French also sent a fleet to the Caribbean under the command of the Comte de d'Estaing. Both forces left North American.

Grant divided his force into three to protect the area they were to occupy.

The red circle shows where the three brigades were stationed on the Island of St. Lucia.

When d'Estaing decided to land his force of around 9000 men on December 17^th he did so in Choc Bay. His plan was to dislodge the 1400 men entrenched on the Vigie Peninsula. The force on the Peninsula was under the command of Brigadier General Meadows and it consisted of the 5^th Regiment of Foot and the Flank companies of the: 4^th, 15^th, 27^th, 28^th, 35^th, 40^th, 46^th, and 55^th. These were divided into a battalion of the lights and one of the Grenadiers. He also had some cannon. Some reports say three 3 pounders and two 12 pounders but in Colin Lindsay's first-hand account of the battle “The Occupation and defense of St. Lucia” he only mentions the 3-pound guns.

D'staing's force attacked at dawn on the 18^th. Meadows had deployed the light infantry in front of his main defenses. They were stationed between two small hills one of which had an old redoubt that was useless due to a lack of a parapet. The French attacked in 3 columns and had to stay in attack column when advancing due to the narrowness of the neck of the peninsula.

The lights fought a fighting withdrawal to the main line where the British held off three French attacks.

The battle lasted 3 hours in which time the French lost approximately 400 dead and 1200 wounded. The British suffered around 250 casualties.

The French tried another landing but gave up before firing a shot and left.

I have drawn very heavily from 3 sources to make this scenario:

Colin Lindsay's first-hand account of the battle “The Occupation and defense of St. Lucia”

“The Battle of Vigie Peninsula” By Bob Ruppert

https://allthingsliberty.com/2016/02/the-battle-of-vigie-peninsula/#_edn18

“La Vigie, France's Bunker Hill 17^th December 1778” By Mark Urban

this was an article in Wargames illustrated for the game “British Grenadier”

Please feel free to check out these sources as they are all awesome.

The Scenario

The battle is fought on a 6'x4' table(or whatever you prefer) The French are divided into 3 columns and enter from the top of the map. This area is narrow and wooded except for the small path. The French may attack however they like.

The British should be deployed as shown on the map(I know its a cheesy paint map)

Light infantry picket between the two small hills and the rest should be behind entrenchments.

The British also have an Additional unit commanded by whoever is Meadows it is an off table 12lbs battery that fired on the French during the battle. It must roll a Command Roll of 10 to act and can target any French Brigade, not within 12” of a British unit. The Unit in the Brigade that is targeted is rolled for randomly

The victory conditions are as follows: The French must take the main entrenchments and the British must force the French to retire.

Stats for Black Powder

French Forces:

Leaders:*

Field Commander

D'Estaing

command 8

Lovendhal

command 8

Dillion

command 8

Bouille

command 9

*All of these men were here and high ranking officers I am not sure if they were the actual commanders on the day. Lovendhal was the commander of the Armagnac regiment.

Name	Command	Type	Hand to Hand	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
Armagnac 1st Bn	Lovendhal	Inf	6	3	4	3
Armagnac 2nd Bn	Lovendhal	Inf	6	3	4	3
Chasseurs	Lovendhal	Inf	4	2	4	2	Skirmish, Small
Auxerrois 1st Bn	Dillion	Inf	6	3	4	3
Dillion's Regt	Dillion	Inf	6	3	4	3
Chasseurs	Dillion	Inf	4	2	4	2	Skirmish, Small
Martinique	Bouille	Inf	6	3	4	3
Viennois 1st Bn	Bouille	Inf	6	3	4	3
Grenadiers	Bouille	Inf	6	3	3	3	Elite 4+
Chasseurs	Bouille	Inf	4	2	4	2	Skirmish, Small

Close order Drill: The French still fought in the Traditional 3 ranks of European armies and therefore are limited to a maximum of 2 moves per turn

British Forces:

Field Commander

Meadows

command 9

Major Harris

command 8

Major Murray

command 8

Name	Command	Type	Hand to Hand	Shooting	Morale	Stamina	Special
Light Infantry Picket	Murray	Inf	4	2	3	2	Elite 4, Crack, First fire, Small, Marauders
Light Infantry	Murray	Inf	6	3	3	4	Elite 4, Crack, First fire
5th Foot	Harris	Inf	6	3	3	4	Elite 4, Crack, First fire
Grenadiers	Harris	Inf	6	3	3	4	Elite 4, Crack, First fire
3lbs guns	Harris	Arty	2	3,2,1	4	2	36” range
Off table guns	Meadows	-	-	2	-	-	May fire on any element not within 12” of Brits

**Elite is given here to represent that these are veterans of the fighting in America.

Special Rules

Skirmish:

Unit may use Skirmish formation

Crack:

The unit may re-roll one failed morale save if they have taken no casualties so far in the battle.

Elite:

Unit may attempt to remove disorder status at the start of their turn by rolling a 4 or higher on a single die

First Fire:

Unit may roll +1 dice the first time they shoot in the battle  

The Game

The board we used was a 6x4 table I narrowed it around the tree line as all the accounts talked about this.  The whole table sloped up to the British position and included the two hills.  One with a redoubt and one with heavy brush on it. 

The British were positioned as noted on the map.  As is our custom I played the British and Kati took the French.

The French started off table formed in attack columns. 

The first turn saw the French begin the slow advance through the woods.

The Brits watch on as the 12lbs cannons across the bay fire wild into the woods.

Turn 2 sees the Chasseurs start to skirmish with my pickets who begin a fighting withdrawal.  The off table arty lands a direct hit on the Viennois regiment causing disorder in the ranks.

On turn 3 the skirmishing continues up the center of the table.  My elite lights manage to fail every morale roll and end the turn shaken. 

The advance continues.

The Chasseurs start to put serious pressure on my lights 

Another round from the 12lbs guns disorders the Grenadiers.

By turn 6 my lights are up against the breastworks(but not yet in them) and the French are started to spread out for the attack.

  

A closer view of the Brits.

The next turn sees my lights break...they were so close to making it into the breastworks! 

Off table is not slowing them down as much as I would have liked but it does disorder another unit in Dillion's brigade.  

The Chasseurs start to take shots at the defenders with little success. 

The French begin the work of dislodging the defenders with some pitiful volleys.

The view after turn 8.  The French left(Dillion's Brigade) is in a musket duel with the 5th Foot.  The other two Brigades have lagged behind a bit with the Grenadiers taken up the rear.

The French units are starting to take some casualties at this point.

My next turn leaves one French unit shaken and another broke and ran under the fire from the barricade.

Kati's face after she fails EVER command roll on this crucial turn....

Kait decides(correctly in my opinion) that she will never win a firefight against me and goes in for the assault.  Regrettably, she rolls fails on all of her morale rolls in the defensive fire and the men break before even into melee.

Her Grenadiers do end up charging home and the melee ends in a draw so they stay locked in combat.

My turn sees another French unit break after rolling terribly on what should have been a fairly easy break test. The Grenadiers are forced back as well but manage to do so in good order.

The last moment of the game.  Dillion's regiment tries to charge but never make it and break and run.
At this point, all three of her brigades were broken and the French retired from the field.  God save the Queen rang out from the British line!

And the final picture.

We had a lot of fun playing out this scenario.  If we play it again I will make the British morale a 4 instead of a 3 even through with the fortifications they are basically saving on anything but a 1.  After playing this with Black powder and Land of the Free the one huge difference was the moral effect of the fortifications in Black powder.  The Brits held out way easier than with LOFT where they lost quite soundly.  I might also give the French a higher stamina the next time as well