1735: Wealden Uniforms

Background

For my fictional armies, I want to base them in reality - borrowing colours and flags from contemporary real world armies and uniforms ensures that the armies are grounded, which is handy since I don't really know much about the period at all!

One of the major considerations was to ensure that the armies would be visually distinct on the tabletop and as such a contrasting uniform to that of the cornflower blue of the Army of Cantica is essential. With small 10mm figures, it is also important that the colours are bright and distinct.

Uniform Inspiration

I had strongly considered 7YW French, being white with various brightly coloured turn-backs - but they have simply awful regimental standards, and as a result that ruled them out as a potential OpFor. Instead, I have looked at the Dutch army of the late Williamine period for inspiration:

Uniforms of the Dutch Army 1698-1715

I'm planning to use these liveries pretty much as-wrote, albeit with creamy off-white rather than light grey coats. It'll need some test figures to validate, though!

Image Source:  here

1735: First Week

Weather will not be mentioned unless it is something other than Fair.

1st-6th April 1735

A summary of the First week of the 1735 Campaign is as follows:

In the north, the Wealden 2nd army sends out scouts, and after encountering the Cantware 1st on the Coast Road, sends a unit of Hussars into the hills. The rest of the army under Brig. Gen. Ashburnham digs in at Brighthelm and is besieged by the forces of Cantica.

In the South, the Wealden 1st steals a march on its opposite, and arrives in Hardingly just before the Cantware 3rd turns up. 

In the centre, the scouting forces of the Wealden Hussars (based in Hurst Manor) and the Cantware 2nd Army encounter each other, the Wealden forces are able to send messages back to consolidate an ersatz 4th Army of the two small forces in the centre of the map, under a brevet promoted Col Tarley, which rides out to confront the Cantware 2nd at the crossroads.

Before the battle of the Crossroads is fought between the Wealden 4th Army and Cantware 2nd at the crossroads, and the battle of Hardingley between the Wealden 1st Army and Cantware 3rd, this is the state of play:

Movements of the 7th of April 

The Wealden 3rd Army is due to land at Brighthelm on the 9th, and it's unlikely that significant siegeworks will be constructed by Cantica before that point - so there may be a larger field battle than otherwise considered!

Day by Day Summary

 The day-by-day summary is as below:

• April 1st: 
• WEALDEN: 1st Army begins a march from Wickham Lace to Danehill. Wealden 2nd Army (Brighthelm) and Forester Dragoons (Hurst Manor) sends out cavalry scouts to foothills of Coast Rd. and Pass Rd.
• CANTWARE: 3rd Army begins a march on the Low Road towards Hardingley
• April 2nd: 
• April 3rd:
• WEALDEN: 
• Messengers (from Brig. Gen. Chichester at Hurst Manor) arrive at Danehill to inform the 4th Musketeers to prepare to receive an attack, with a brevet promotion of Lt. Col. Tarley to Brig. Gen. 
• CANTWARE: 
• 1st and 2nd Armies Mobilise
• April 4th - Light Rain.
• WEALDEN:
• Messengers from Wickham Lace arr. Hardingley and inform the 5th Jäger that they are at war, and to report themselves to Bvt. Brig. Gen Tarley at Danehill.
• 1st Army Hussar Outriders in 15,6 come into scouting contact with leading edge of Cantware 1st Army in 17,5 and return full speed back to Brighthelm 
• CANTWARE:
• As above, 1st Army comes into contact with Wealden 1st Army outriders
• April 5th:
• WEALDEN:
• 1st Army Outriders arrive Brighthelm
• Hussars depart towards wooded hills SE of Brighthelm
• Forester Dragoons from Hurst Manor (14,10) come into scouting contact with Cantware light cavalry from their 2nd Army (15,10) and send messengers back, Wealden to Danehill and Hurst Manor, Cantware to the main advancing force.
• April 6th:
• WEALDEN: 
• 1st Army arrives at Hardingley.
• 5th Jäger arrive Danehill
• Forester Dragoon messengers arrive re: Cantware 2nd Army in Danehill & Hurst Manor
• CANTWARE: 
• 3rd Army arrives outside Hardingley
• 1st Army arrives outside Brighthelm - SIEGE
• April 7th:
• WEALDEN:
• Forester Dragoons, 5th Jäger and 4th Musketeers become defacto 4th Army on Crossroads west of Danehill
• BOTH:
• 4th Army battle with Cantware 2nd Army
• April 9th:
• WEALDEN:
• 3rd Army under Prince of Barroch arrives Brighthelm

Battle of the Crossroads

This consists of an action by Brev. Brig. Gen Tarley with the Forester Dragoons, 4th Musket and 5th Jager regiments, and one half-regiment of Militia - up against the Cantware 2nd Army: the Lifeguard Cuirassiers, 3 units of Fusiliers and the heavy gun company.

Forecast

April 14th - Light Rain

April 27th - Light Rain

April 28th - Heavy Rain (half movement)

April 29th - Light Rain (only half movement on roads)

April 30th to May 3rd - Heavy and Light Rain (no movement)

May 4th to May 10th - Fair (but no movement until the ground has sufficiently dried (10/12)

1735: Mobilisation

The Army of Cantica

The operational goal of Vice Margrave Ridley is the seizure of the disputed lands west of the Harpeck River, encompassing Brighthelm, Danehill, Hardingley.

The Cantware army is spread across the border towns (off map), with three strategic options, the bold option has been decided randomly:

1. A thrust to capture Brighthelm via the Coast road before it can be reinforced, and secure and potential amphibious landing by Barroch, with token forces on the Middle and Low roads.
2. Attempt to capture the river crossings west of Brighthelm, Hardingley and Danehill with broadly equal forces.
3. Attempt to capture Danehill as a central defensible position, with one force each to Brighthelm and Wickham Lace.

Their distribution is as follows:

• 1st Army - Coast Road - GdA Waverley, Vice-Margrave Ridley, Lifeguard & Lobster Cuirassiers, Grenadier Guard, 1st, 3rd and 5th Fusiliers, Light Guns
• 2nd Army - Pass Rd - GdB Neville, Rivertide Dragoons, 7th, 9th and 11th Fusiliers, Heavy Guns
• 3rd Army - Low Rd - GdB Fielding, Umbran Cuirassiers, 13th and 16th Fusiliers, 2nd Light Guns 

With a Competency Roll for each active brigadier of 1, 1 and 5 - the 1st and 2nd Army mobilisations are delayed by 2 days, while the Low Road mobilises immediately. 

The Army of the Weald

Wealden army disposition at the point of Cantware mobilisation is as follows:

• Brighthelm: 2nd Army of Brigadier Ashburnham, 2nd & 3rd Musketeers, Pink Hussars, Heavy Guns
• Westbourne:  n/a
• Hurst Manor: Brigadier Chichester, Forester Dragoons
• Danehill: 4th Musketeers
• Hardingley: 5th Jäger
• Wickham Lace: 1st Army of Crown Prince Henry, Brigadier Egremont, Cuirassiers, Royal Grenadiers, Light Guns
• Barroch: 3rd Army of Barroch - Coreshall Dragoons, Galswood Fusiliers, Wealden Foreign Legion

The various Brigadiers are housed in Wickham Lace, Brighthelm and Hurst Manor.  Without knowledge of the intent of the Cantware forces, Mr. M. Smith has defined the defensive strategy:

1. Garrison the three main towns and hunker down until Principality reinforcements arrive from Barroch
1. Try to cut supply lines with roaming light cavalry and/or Jägers
2. Land Barroch Forces amphibiously as far east as possible

With a 1D6 roll of a 1 in Initial Mobilisation and Reaction, the Wealden forces coincidentally mobilise into a defensive position at the same time as those of Cantica cross the border: clearly someone has leaked the Cantware war plan! Maybe to Brig.Gen. Chichester with his swarthy charisma?

With a Competency Roll for each active brigadier of 3, 4 and 5 - none of them delay mobilisation, however the leaderless regiments at Danehill and Hardingley will need to be notified by horse (2 and 3 days respectively).