Baltic campaign part 2: 2nd battle of Tomio

February 5th 1809. On the same ridge east of Tomio where a week before they had indecisively clashed, Lord Blantyre and Brigadier Roman again viewed each other across the frost bitten Finnish landscape. Both had brought up more troops and resupplied their lines and troops, and Roman was again ready to mount an assault on the British position.

This was our second attempt at this game (having had to declare the last indecisive despite heavy slaughter since I had to leave the sports centre cafe where we have our games early in order to catch a train.) This week we had our full time and the same forces again. It would be the result of this conflict that would either send the Russians flying back over barren Finland in defeat or marching on through Sweden's coastal cities. 

Lord Blantyre's expeditionary force

-2nd Battalion, 42nd black watch regiment of Highlanders, Grenadier (captain William Jenkins and light (Captain Angus Firthson) Companies.

Two companies: thirty eight men, one sergeant Colour's ensign, piper and drummer.

-16th Bedfordshire regiment of foot, 1st company.

one company: twenty men, two musicians and two sergeants

-Royal Horse artillery, two 8pdrs.

five crewmen and one master gunner

Brigadier Roman's invasion force

-Don Cossacks of the royal guard, 1st and 2nd troops.

two troops: seven lancers, five troopers and two captains

-Pavlov grenadiers, 1st and 2nd companies

two companies: forty four men, colour ensign, Captain, fifer and drummer

-Foot artillery, two 6pdrs

ten crewmen, two master gunners and a caisson

Both armies deployed similarly to the last time they had met, but this time the British had secured their flanks against charges by the Don Cossack lancers of the guard. The Russian elite too were deployed as they had when previously attacking the Tomio ridge, though they had managed to come closer than they had last time when launching the assualt

But before Roman could order the charge, Major Parkhill's battery was opening fire on the massed companies of mitre capped Pavlov grenadiers. However the gunners merely proved to be testing their ranges as both shots missed their targets completely.

Unable to manouvere around the flanks of the British, the 1st troop of Guard Cossacks now levelled their lances and charged over the rocky escarpment in the centre of the ridge and on towards Parkhill's elevated battery. But as they came on the British horse artillery loaded their gun with cannister and sprayed the charging horsemen with grape as they crested the hill.

Though within sword's breadth of the crewmen the casualties, the Cossacks, frightened by the close range shooting and shaken by the loss of life, scarperd back the way they had come and clean off the battle field, trailing their dead behind them.

Only slightly concerned by the loss of one troop of their cavalry, the Pavlov grenadiers now charged, in column, up the hill, supported by artillery fire. The artillery, like their British counterparts, shot wide and both round shots tore harmlessly into the ground.
But despite the failed bombardment the grenadiers charged on. The 2nd company charged with fixed bayonets for the Bedfords. However the redcoats fired a hurried volley down the line before counter charging the column in line.

 Despite their heroic reaction and their defensive position, the Bedfords took by far the worse of the ensuing combat losing more men than they inflicted in the hand to hand and becoming disordered as the steady Russian column bulldozed its way up the slope.

But the British took a harsh revenge on this successful column, the grenadier company of the 42nd launching a ferocious highland charge upon their flanks.
Parkhill with his range now sorted and seeing the threat posed to the highlanders' flank by the enemy lancers now readied his guns and took a couple of long shots at them. One of these struck home and sent horsemen scattering in all directions. The lucky shot broke the guard lances, all show and not for blow, and they followed their other troop from the field.

 On the other flank of the British positions, Lord Blantyre ordered the other highlanders into a charge on the 1st company of Pavlov grenadiers, halted on the slope in column. The redoubtable Russian columns were now surrounded and both subjected to terrifying highland charges tipped with cold steel.

The 2nd company of Pavlovs took an appalling casualty count compared to their last  successful round against the Bedfords. Eventually the small group left standing in column fell out in disarray, however these were the mitre topped elite of the Russian army and they would not run at such things.

 On the British left the combat was going just as well, the highlanders taking out bit chunks of the opposing column whilst taking but a single casualty and leaving the enemy disordered but again the Pavlovs did not flee and continued to stand.

Both units of Pavlov grenadiers, though heavily outnumbered, outflanked, outgunned and ousted in combat nevertheless retained the good order and refused to flee despite such heavy losses scattered across the slope of the ridge. The British in their turn shrugged off the casualties attributed to the Bedfords and continued to stand, holding the position.

 But the Russians soon got their revenge, firing an enfilading artillery shot at rather close range into the flank of the highland grenadiers. But the 42nd, imbued with success, stood and continued battling against the Russians' flank.

The other Russian 6pdr pop gun fired on the Royal horse artillery's battery, severing through a crewman with a round shot and sending his blood and two separate parts flying across the gun's trail.
But it was not enough and in the final round of combat the British line broke both attacking columns, sending them flying down the hill and far away, the only small consolation being the destruction of the Bedfords.

Not ready to admit defeat to the kilted British, and armed with but two artillery pieces, Colonel Stanislas of the Don Cossacks of the guard, came out with sabre drawn to issue a duel against lord Blantyre. Blantyre accepted the colonel's challenge and as such both men rode out to confront one another in single combat. The bout continued for some time in medieval fashion (in fact the first three rolls in our roll off to see who won ended up being drawn) but in the end Blantyre retired, injured. But the British army did not recognise Cossack honour or custom and as such the Russians retreated.

The Russians had no close hand supply posts south of Tomio and as such Blantyre, still wounded, followed up their retreat as far as Kokkoa where, once again, he would meet Brigadier Roman in battle and, he hoped, push him yet further south to reclaim Finland before the next winter fell.