Long Range Gaming Group

 

My second game of the day was “Rome or Death - The Battle of Mentana, 1867”. 

 While Garibaldi had succeeded in unifying most of Italy an independent Papal State remained supported by the French. 

Garibaldi took the field to complete the unification of Italy and marched on Rome.

The game was played using a set of rules called Pickett’s Charge.  As you can probably tell from the title the rules were originally intended for use during ACW games.  Garibaldi marched in 1867 so pretty much contemporaneous with ACW.  

The battle was fought for control of the road to Rome (so any old road really. After all, “All roads lead to Rome”)

The French held the ridge at the bottom of the photo. The road and the right wing were held by Papal troops.  Garibaldi’s Red Shirts deployed opposite the Papal forces and the remainder of the Italian army faced off against the French.

Forward elements of Garibaldi’s army had occupied the Monastery and villa in the centre of the battlefield.

The Franco-Papal forces decided to hold on the left and drive forward on the right led by the elite Papal Zouaves. 

Garibaldi’s plan was a mirror image, attacking with his Red Shirts on his left and feinting on the right against the ridge.

The armies were deployed in brigades of around four regiments each.

The Papal Zouaves advanced smartly forward into the fields ahead of them covered by their skirmisher screens.  Opposing them were Garibaldi’s Red Shirts supported on their left flank by light artillery.

In the centre the Papal infantry and the French skirmishers moved forward to engage the Italian garrisons in the monastery and villa

 

From the start the Zouaves (on the right) had a bad time of it. Their skirmishers were quickly forced to withdraw by the advancing Red Shirts.  As they came under fire first one Zouave regiment was forced to withdraw and then a second.  The Red Shirts pressed forward relentlessly.

 

Meanwhile in the centre both the villa and the monastery were suffering under heavy attack from the Franco-Papal infantry and artillery.

 

On the French left both armies stood off daring each other to charge.

Finally the Italian garrisons were forced to flee but before the victorious allies could advance and occupy the strongpoints fresh Italian troops were rushed forward to occupy the monastery and villa.

 

On the Papal right flank two regiments of Zouaves had become over extended and had now been exposed to flank attack by their retreating comrades.  The Red Shirts, abandoning all order, charged forward throwing back the Zouaves and threatening the road to Rome. 

As a final roll of the dice the Papal cavalry charge boldly through the centre forcing back a unit of newly arrived infantry and opening up the centre for exploitation. 

Despite throwing back the elite Papal Zouaves the Italians had taken heavy casualties and the game was declared an honourable draw.