This week the guys chose to play the Bridgehead scenario from the One Hour Wargames book by Neil Thomas. We adjusted the scenario by making both sides deploy one formation per move so the Russians could not overwhelm the British by weight of numbers at the beginning of the game. We also made both sides roll randomly to see what command turned up each turn with the Russians also rolling to see at which location the command arrives. The Russian C-in-C chose to take one regiment (4 battalions and two heavy batteries) under his own control to make up the 6th command.

In the game, the British Guards Brigade and the 1st Division artillery were deployed on table guarding the bridge. In the first move the Russian 1st Brigade 16th Division was the first Russian formation to arrive on the British right and the commander chose to redeploy his artillery in the fields to face this threat. In turn two the Russian C-in-C arrived on the road and moved forward. On the British side George Brown (Light Brigade commander) arrived with the Rifle Brigade and Horse Artillery and moved to the left of the bridge to give fire support to the Guard's left flank. In the next turn the 2nd Division arrived on the road and began to move to the left of the C-in-C to attack the British right. Also in that turn the Highland Brigade arrived to support the Guards.

On the fourth turn, the Russian 1st Brigade was reinforced by the 2nd Regiment of the 3rd Brigade and Brigadier-General Codrington arrived and moved across the bridge, with the Highlanders moving to the right of the Guards but not managing to deploy. The Russian C-in-C moved his infantry forward to cover their heavy artillery deploying in canister range of the British Guards, while the Russian 1st Brigade came under heavy fire from the British artillery with the Guards and the Horse Artillery and rifles from the Light Brigade on the other side of the river. The Highlanders moved to the right of the Guards but did not have the initiative to deploy. Brig-Gen Codrington arrived and moved over the bridge vacated by the Highland Brigade.

In the next turn, the Russians started with the C-in-C opening fire on the guards with his heavy artillery at close range, inflicting heavy losses. The Russians on the British left continued to move forward, threatening the British cavalry to the front and flank and forcing them to retire to the safety of their infantry. The 2nd Brigade continued to move forward towards where the Highlanders were trying to deploy. The Russian Dragoons arrived on the British right and moved round the cultivated land to threaten the Highlanders. In response, the Highlanders managed to deploy with their backs to the river and Codrington's Brigade moved forward to fill the gap in the line between the Guards and Highlanders. Brigadier-General Buller and his infantry brigade were the next to arrive and started crossing the bridge into the congested bridgehead.

In the next turn, the Russian advance continued on the right coming under heavy fire from the British guns and fire from across the river. The Guards and Codrington’s infantry came under fire from the heavy Russian artillery. On the Russian left the Russian cavalry charged the Highlanders to cover the deployment of their horse artillery. The 16th Division commander then arrived behind the cavalry with two more batteries of light artillery.  In the British bound, the Highlanders managed to force the Russian cavalry to fall back. Buller’s brigade moved off the bridge to the left, deploying in support their left flank and the Heavy Brigade and Lord Lucan finally arrived and started to move across the bridge.

Over the next few moves the Russian 1st Brigade, supported by the 2nd Regiment of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, continued to move forward, suffering heavy casualties as they tied down the British left flank.  In the centre the Coldstream Guards and Royal Welsh Fusiliers were forced to retire from the Russian heavy guns. The Russian horse artillery and light artillery brought the Highlanders under heavy fire as the 2nd Brigade advanced and attacked them. Over then next few moves the Russian attack on the Highlanders developed with more and more units moving in to the combat until the Highlanders finally cracked. The Cameron Highlanders routed with the other units being forced back to the riverbank, with Coddrington's light infantry also being pushed back. The Dragoons from the Heavy Brigade formed up and charged and forced back a Russian column, only to be attacked in the flank, when they followed up. On the other flank the Russian infantry were finally forced back after losing four battalions but this only uncovered their infantry to canister fire from the Russian heavy artillery.

The game ended with the British still holding the bridgehead by the skin of their teeth.