Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Battle of Argaum



I've been thinking about the battle of Argaum as a possible candidate for another scenario. Wellington fought plenty of sieges during his time in India and while I'm eager to try a siege using the Command  & Colours: Napoleonics rules, I think the system as it is handles field engagements rather better.

At present my wish list of battles reads as follows

- Argaum
- Laswari
- Porto Novo

While Assaye, Laswari and Argaum occur at about the same time, Porto Novo is the odd one out as it predates the others by twenty years and involves supporting gunfire from a naval vessels. I think Argaum is an interesting battle because while superficially it's quite similar to Assaye, a British force attacking a Maratha force drawn up in line of battle; there are some important differences.

- The British force is divided in two, Lake and Wellseley operated seperate commands. It is a testament to the skill of both men that they managed to pull together without too much difficulty.

- While the nullah that divides the battlefield is relatively easy to represent, the smaller channels will require some thought.

- The battlefield was also covered in millet which was apparently of such a height that it drasticially reduced visibility for infantrymen. Cavalry were typically able to see over the crops, but simulating this in a manner that doesn't grind the game to a halt is going to be interesting.

There's nothing much online for Argaum, but Weller has a chapter on the battle, which is a good start. I'd like to get another source if I can, but we'll see.

1 comment:

  1. Some suggestions for the millet:
    infantry/artillery must stop on entering, cavalry may continue;
    Millet blocks line of sight for infantry/artillery unless they are on hills;
    Despite the above, cavalry in the millet can always be seen by any troops outside the millet.

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