The attack on Fort Fisher - part 1

This was a game played a few weeks ago by Bertrand and I.  An opportunity arose to use a large room for an evening, so a game  - using some of our collection of ACW figures - was quickly agreed on and toys packed accordingly.

The scenario was based on the Federal assault on Fort Fisher in 1865.  The fort was on a spit of land which guarded the approaches to the port of Wilmington.  Our usual museum-quality terrain was deployed - with a few rolls of hessian representing the land and an apparently random collection of trenches and gun emplacements making up the fort.

I - for what I believe was the first time ever - was on the Yankee side.

Bertrand brought most of the kit - I provided the sailing ships, the US infantry and a couple of heavy guns for the fort.

Above - one of the fort's heavy guns opens fire on the distant US fleet.

The fort at the start of the game.  Guns were only placed as they fired.

The US er, 'fleet'.  Three steam-driven ironclads and three wooden ships of line - one towing a bomb ketch.  The ironclads were (from left to right) bodged from boxes, a repaired resin model and a bodge based on a lamp stand!  The sailing ships were found in junk shops and the bomb ketch is a cut-down plastic kit.

Fire was soon being exchanged between the fleet...

...and the shore batteries.  My plan was to suppress at least some of the batteries with my ironclads before moving my wooden ships into range and bringing their broadsides to bear.

Happily my gunners had some early success.

I wasn't enjoying the look of those huge guns though.  Especially as two of the three heavy guns (Barzso models) were actually mine!

The elevated battery, known historically as 'The Pulpit' made a splendid aiming point.

Fire was by now pretty heavy in both directions - I scored a lucky hit on this ammunition store.