AMSTERDAM 6SHOOTERS WARGAME CLUB

Bookends

Gepost op 29 december 2024 door in Internetblog

For more than 30 years, we have had a pre-Christmas get together and gift exchange with our dear friends, the Hop[kins Family: Bob and Cindee both shared my passion for books and history…

So every year I could count on new books from them.

This year was no exception. They were planning on taking a Cruise at Christmastime, so this year we held our annual get together in mid November. More great books followed, as ujsual.

We even got together with them again a week later, and had a great time

Then, the day after Thanksgiving, 1 month ago today, we got a call from Bob that Cindee had passed away unexpectedly in her sleep early that morning. She was only 71, in very good health and had been feeling perfectly fine, and, as was her normal, had hiked several miles the day before. 10 days later, I was one of 4 speakers at her Memorial service, held at the Roxbury Town Hall, which was literally standing room only.

Cindee Hopkins

Jan and I moved to New Milford 40 years ago, and lived in the Old Farms condominiums there. Not long after we moved in, another couple roughly the age of our parents welcomed us.. Anna Mae and Ernie Fournier. We shared drinks and happy hours and quickly became friends. They were both so friendly and supportive. While we were still living there, we hosted a 40th Wedding Anniversary party my parents, and Ernie built us a temporary canopy for our back patio just for the event. They soon introduced us to their daughter, Cindee, and her husband, Bob Hopkins, who were them living in Bantam, CT. .

We bonded with Cindee and Bob very quickly; they were both teachers,, as were both my mother and Jan’s mother. They both had a love of history, which I share, and we appreciated Cindee’s boundless enthusiasm and Bob’s wry sense of humor. When we moved to our new home in Bridgewater a few years later, Jan was pregnant with our second daughter, and could only help with organization and light things; Cindee and Bob came to the rescue, and helped us move on a cold January day… right after a moderate snowstorm

A few years thereafter, Cindee and Bob moved closer to us, to Roxbury, and before long they had a daughter of their own. We soon began a 30+ year tradition of having a pre-Christmas gathering with our respective extended families, alternating homes. During the pandemic years, we held it outside on our patios. The weather was cold each of those years, but the warmth came from inside us. We are truly a big part of each other’s families!

Our two daughters both graduated from Shepaug Middle and High Schools, and had the privilege of having Cindee as one of their teachers… as I am sure was the case for many of you here today. Cindee was one of those special teachers that most students remember all their lives – her energy, passion for her subject, and genuine concern for the good of her students and the Shepaug school community were infectious!

When we were breeding Annie, one of our Golden retrievers, Annie needed to go the veterinarian’s office while were away, and it was Cindee who took her. She was the first visitor to see the new puppies a few months later. We have two wonderful dogs that would not be here today without her. Cindee was like that… always there to help out when there was a need.

After her well deserved retirement, Cindee did tutoring, volunteered and was a driving force of nature with the Roxbury Library, worked at the polls for elections, and probably hiked every foot of the trails in Washington, Bridgewater, and especially Roxbury, the town that she so dearly loved. She was able to indulge her passion for history and geography by traveling across Europe and the near East. She shared her love of both of these liberally in her many Facebook posts, making us feel were there with her.

One of my patients had a favorite saying about life, which has always resonated with me… “We’re only here for a visit!” While we all hoped and expected Cindee’s visit with us to be considerably longer, none of us can doubt that she made the most of the time that God gave her. Cindee brightened the lives of so many, and those of my family especially. Her loss will be deeply felt, but the positive impact of her “visit” here will endure long after our sadness eases.

Thank you from us all, Cindee!

Cindee and her daughter, my god-daughter, Alexa, last month.

Battle Report: Rio Gevora, February 19, 1811

Gepost op 26 december 2024 door in Internetblog

For various reasons, I haven’t had a chance to post a write up of this game we played out a month ago until now.

A reminder of the starting positions of the two armies.

The two French Infantry Divisions aggressively pursue the attack on the superior numbers of Spanish on the ridgeline. Recall that the Artillery on both sides was not allowed to fire in the early phase of the battle. I had the far right Spanish Infantry Division, Kevin had the middle Infantry Division and the Spanish Dragoons and Line Cavalry, whilst Sean had the leftmost Spanish Infantry Division and the Spanish Light cavalry. Kyle had the leftmost French Infantry Division opposite me, and the French Light cavalry, while Mike had the other French Infantry Division and the Dragoons.

French Dragoons advancing rapidly on their right, whilst the French Light cavalry decides to threaten the Spanish infantry on the Ridgeline. An early end to Turn 1 meant the Artillery was in action relatively soon, and the Spanish could form Square sooner than might have been anticipated.

Kyle’s French infantry badly out-rolled my Spanish at most opportunities; you will note three of my 5 infantry regiments doling their impression pf “Run Away!” very early on!

French Light cavalry charging up the hill.

First charge by the French Dragoons as well.

The Spanish battery is overrun and destroyed by the French cavalry, but otherwise the charge was indecisive.

French Dragoons defeat two of the Spanish Light cavalry regiments, the Spanish general being laid hors de combat!

In the center, Mike’s general is hit by a stray cannonball!

Kyle’s Division has pulverized mine, and he is planning to wheel in upon the Spanish Center.

Facing a bunch of Spanish squares, the French Light cavalry call off any further attacks, and try to move around the Spanish left flank. The Spanish heavier cavalry gives as good as they get in a series of melees with the French Dragoons..

Cavalry situation later in the game.

Another view.

The infantry battle sees new Spanish routers from the center command!

With the last unit of my command now either routed, destroyed, or retreated off the table, my commander seems to have fallen upon his sword rather than face the Junta’s inquisition as to his conduct!

General Virues (yo!) in an appropriately Spanish red cap shortly before my untimely demise, with Kevin (playing Generals Garcia and Butron) looks on.

The Spanish lost all their Morale points by about halfway through the game, but survived THREE Army Morale tests. Still by games end, these were all of our Morale points that the enemy had NOT taken. A pretty decisive result in Field of Battle terms! We Spanish claimed moral victory, as the army did not break and considerably outperformed the historical result, with the performance of the Spanish cavalry being strikingly better than in history. We were happy to slink away under the cover of an early February sunset….

Aleander Leslie’s Regiment of Foote

Gepost op 24 december 2024 door in Internetblog

Alexander Leslie was the illegitimate son of George Leslie, and raised as a foster child of the Campbells of Glenorchy.

He entered the service of Sweden in 1608; by 1627 he was a full Colonel, and was knighted by the King of Sweden.

Leslie enjoyed the trust of Gustavus 2 Adolphus, and in 1628 he successfully defended Stralsund as Sweden entered the 30 Years War. In 1631, he organized the Scottish troops in Swedish service. He was present at the Battle of Lutzen in 1632, where Gustavus Adolphus perished in battle.

Alexander L:eslie was made a Marshal of Sweden in 1636, and was one of the commanders at the Battle of Wittstock later that year. By 1637, he had returned to Scotland. He lead the Covenanter armies very successfully during the first and second Bishop’s Wars, and was created 1st Earl of Levin by King Charles I in 1641.

Leslie was senior commander at the Battle of Marston Moor, when the Scottish army combined with 2 Parliamentary armies under Fairfax and the Earl of Manchester decisively defeated the Royalist army under Prince Rupert. He had charge of Charles I when the King surrendered to the Covenanter forces 1646, subsequently transferring the King to his Presbyterian allies in Parliament. He retired in 1647, and took no active part in the disastrous Dunbar campaign against Cromwell.

Figures are by Old Glory, coats are painted Delta Wedgewood Blue, a light to medium grey with a very strong blue tone.

1st Portuguese Line Regiment , “Lippe”

Gepost op 21 december 2024 door in Internetblog

The old Portuguese army was largely destroyed in the French invasion of Portugal in November of 1807, and had to be recreated when the British arrived in August 1808.

The British chose William Carr Beresford to lead the army, with a rank of Marshal in the Portuguese Army. Unusually, he was moderately fluent in Portuguese. His efforts over time greatly increased the size and effectiveness of the Portuguese army, from roughly 25,000 men in 1809 to 50,00 in 1812; by that time Wellington acknowledged that the Portuguese troops were every bit as good as the British.

The 1st regiment had a dark blue collar and white cuffs. Belong to the Center Division organizationally, it had white piping, turnbacks, and white mixed with dark blue cords on its shako.

The King’s color is by Adolfo Ramos flags. The figures are Old Glory 2nd edition British painted as Portuguese.

The Regimental color would have been white, for the Center Division.

The 1st Line regiment was brigaded with the 16th Line Infantry, and, from late 1810, the 4th Cazadores. That particular Brigade spent most of the war in independent actions.