Please note I will not be hosting any Public events from 31st January 2023. Nothing too drastic from our side, just need a break.

I’ll be providing updates when we’re back, here and on my social media platforms.

Thank you for all the custom and friendship this has brought me to date.

I look forward to seeing you all again soon, both new and old customers.

To the east of Hougoumont the ridge line is now under serious pressure, because of the early and easy fall of the chateau the French troops here are pretty much undamaged, the gun battery on the ridge blasted one battalion but was then ridden down by cavalry. It looks like the allied infantry will have a tough fight to stem the tide of the French here.

The French taking the ridge

The French finally start to push over the ridge, it’s only a matter of time now until the end…

Not too far away to the west of La Haye Sainte the French of D’Erlon’s corp lead by Durutte’s division have finally attacked over the ridge but again are meeting stiff opposition from the Dutch Belgium troops there. At one point the allies stopped the French forcing them to make a morale save to stay and fight, which they in turn miraculously passed… the final round of melee was just one too much for the allies who broke with severe casualties. But directly behind La Haye the British line held out for one more turn turning back the French. Even though a small gap was forming in the lines behind the ridge the allies held on…

Just when there may have been a glimmer of hope the Old Guard are seen marching into the Battle, even if the allies could hold out surely when the guard get to the ridge that will be it with nothing to the west of La Haye to stop them!

British Lines

The British lined out firing volley after volley at the French in front of them.

To the east of La Haye Sainte the French lead by Donzelot are trying to press but the British line are still pounding volley after volley into them, the initial French units are starting to look spent, they need to move forward or move back, standing still and talking what the British are offering isn’t going to get results, they are wavering!

French Old Guard

The Old Guard march forward meaning to attack the gap to the west of Papelotte

The weakest area seems to be the gap between La Haye Sainte and Papelotte; all day the French guard cavalry has been dominating this area but there have been no infantry to take the ridge but now more units of Old Guard are mobilising and finally pushing forwards to the ridge. But there is still lots of fight in the British and waiting for them behind the ridge are the British guard, the Scots and all the British heavy cavalry… I think the term is “Bring it on!”

Prussian Cavalry

Pirch’s cavalry keep the pressure on the Young Guard around Plancenoit

Pirch’s Uhlans survive a round of canister from a six pounder battery to charge home and break through the guns, losing just under half of their strength. They rallied immediately and then declared a charge on a Young Guard battalion of Voltigeurs that were falling back to Plancenoit. The following turn saw them charge the remaining gunners that were now running for their lives and break through the aforementioned battalion which was caught unformed, caught in flank and rear! It wasn’t the best result for the Young Guard division when the Uhlans rallied again.

Heavy musket fire from the ridge to the east of La Haye, as the French try to shoot the British line troops off the ridge… but the British are having none of it and give it back to the French!

French infantry firefight the British

French infantry line out and firefight the British line at the top of the ridge

The plucky Dutch Belgiums forced out the back of La Haye were busily trading fire with the new occupants and didn’t see the Cuirassier creeping up on them in the smoke; it was a very unpleasant surprise when they caught them in the flank. But they weren’t ready to be cut down to a man and fought of the attack in heroic fashion firing a devastating long range volley which deterred the cavalry to the disgust of their leader!
French Cuirassier charge the remaining Dutch Belgium troops behind La Haye Sainte

French Cuirassier charge the remaining Dutch Belgium troops behind La Haye Sainte, but find them a harder nut to crack than they had expected!

The French now completely control Hougoumont and are making it hard for the allies to hold the end of the ridge… it’ll get very tricky for the allies if they can’t find a way to stem the attack here.

French capture Hougoumont!

French infantry push through Hougoumont forcing the allies out and capturing the chateau

In the centre the guard cavalry clashed with a squadron of British cavalry, out numbering them they beat off the allied attack and rolling three ones for their rally roll pursued the allies back through the last gun battery on the ridge in front of them!

Triple Three!

Not usually a role you like to see but on this occasion triple one was probably the best role ever!

The Prussians now are advancing on Plancenoit with the French Young Guard ready for them in the village, the Prussians have the numbers but the French won’t let go of the village without a hard fight.

The Prussians advance on Plancenoit

The Prussians advance on Plancenoit in large numbers, with the Young Guard waiting for them

With troops from Bachelu’s division attacking Hougoumont, the French attacking force to the east of Hougoumount was able to push onto the end of the ridge with very little resistance.

French infantry push towards the end of the ridge east of Hougoumont

French infantry push towards the end of the ridge east of Hougoumont

The French continue to build their strength around La Haye Sainte getting ready to force their way up to the ridge top, but the plucky Dutch Belgium’s still refused to run and are standing at the back of the farm trading volleys with the occupiers.

French infantry hold La Haye Sainte

French Infantry in La Haye Sante fire down on the Dutch Belgium troops behind the farm.

The troops to the east of La Haye are now moving up to the ridge and forming line, whether trading volleys with the British line there is a good idea we will have to wait and see!

French infantry form line on the ridge

French infantry form lines at the top of the ridge in the centre to the east of La Haye Sainte

Having cleared the guns from the ridge in front of them the French guard cavalry are now looking for new targets and are forcing the infantry along the ridge to form square.

The Prussians are now arriving to the east of Papelotte this is forcing the French there to rethink and they have started forming a defensive line away from the village, but the arrival of the Prussians has also released the Young Guard and they are now moving to help out the French around Plancenoit.

Prussian reinforcements arrive near Papelotte

The Prussians have arrived to the east of Papelotte and are starting to push towards the town. With more of Perch’s corp coming on to the east of Plancenoit the French Young Guard is coming over to try and hold them off

The French after their initial attacks around Papelotte they are starting to reform for another attack, deciding to shoot the occupants out of the buildings… but in the distance dust can be seen so maybe it is too late… Perch’s corp has now been spotted driving in from the east, surely this will relieve the pressure around Papelotte.

The Prussians arrive

Elements of Perch’s corp arrive in the form of cavalry

The French guard cavalry rode hard to the ridge crashing into the three gun batteries there and cut them down to a man… the gunners died valiantly fighting for their position but couldn’t hope to hold in the face of the guard cavalry. All along the line the allied guns are finding it hard to keep firing and more and more are falling to the same fate, abandoned guns litter the ridge line.

Guard cavalry crash into the guns on the ridge

The first troops of guard cavalry ride into the British guns

The sound of more intense musket fire can be heard from the woods around Hougoumont as the French push on the position, seeing how few men are defending the walls the French now seem to want to attack the chateau.

Hougoumont's outer walls captured

French infantry from Bachelu’s corp capture the outer walls of Hougoumont

In the centre French infantry silence the muskets in La Haye Sainte, charging home to prise the farm from the defending Dutch Belgium infantry who stalwartly refused to give in with the Prince of Orange looking on from the ridge. Weight of numbers finally forcing the brave men out and away up the hill.

French capture La Haye Sainte

The French finally capture La Haye but the plucky Dutch Belgium infantry wont lay down and continue to fight from the back of the buildings

The wargames holiday centre is all about large scale wargames, the sort of wargames you dream of but very rarely have, even at the biggest wargames clubs… well we have them every weekend!

Just look through a few of the pictures below and you will an idea of what we mean by large scale.

A view down the valley

The view down the valley from Hougoumont

Battle around Hougoumont

The attack to the east of Hougoumont

The British point of view

The view from the British ridge between La Haye Sainte and Papelotte

French view of the ridge line

The French view up the hill to the east of La Haye Sainte

A view down the ridge

Another view down the valley from the west of La Haye Sainte

French guard cavalry advancing

The French Guard cavalry advancing

the eastern end of the valley

Another look at the French guard cavalry and Papelotte in the distance

Pressure at Papelotte

The French around Papelotte

The French have advanced across the valley and are pressuring the allied lines everywhere.

Pressure at Papelotte

The impressicve sight of the French marching across the valley, in the distance you can see La Haye Sainte

The fierce fighting around La Haye Sainte continued with the attackers being slowed by the artillery on the ridge and firing from La Haye. But they still managed to keep advancing and prepared to charge the farm.

Pressure at Papelotte

La Haye Sainte is under attack now and the volley fire from the buildins hasn’t stopped the French attack!

The French Guard cavalry had continued its advance across the valley floor and was now in front of the guns on the ridge between La Haye Sainte and Papelotte.

Pressure at Papelotte

Hordes of French guard cavalry prepare to attack the thin line of British guns on the ridge

Pressure at Papelotte

All across the line the allied guns are under pressure, these guns on the ridge to the west of La Haye Sainte where charged by cavalry and came out second best!

News came to the French that Grouchy had intercepted a Prussian force lead by Ziethen, is this a sign that the Prussian army is arriving to releave the pressure!