Blunders on the Danube

Monday, May 11, 2026

1st Quarter 2026 Statistics

"The Hessians are coming!"

Expenses:

January 2025
Nil

February 2026
Renedra (AWI buildings and fences) $179.78, Brigade Games $193.81 (additional AWI figures and related items), Flags of War $45.50 (more AWI flags) Total $419.09

March 2026
Scenic Express (Trees and other items for AWI games, etc) $79.03 Litko (bases and hobby supplies) $143.28, Home Depot (shelf unit, spray primer/paint) $92.23 HAVOC registration $22.77, HAVOC Hotel $155.26 HAVOC meals and gas $40

Total $ 533.36

1st Quarter Total: $ 952.45

Painting:

January 2026

Queen's Rangers (foot) 60, Continental Commanders 30, 3rd Continental light Dragoons 60, Pennsylvania Continentals 60, 52nd Foot 60, AWI British Commanders 30, 30th Foot 60, 64th Foot 60, New York Continentals 60.

Total 480 points

February 2026

Hessian Musketeer Von Wuttginau 60, British Artillery #2 70, Patriot Artillery 70, 47th Foot, 1st Pennsylvania 60, Hessian Feldjagers 60, 42nd Highlanders 60, Rhode Island Infantry 60. Total: 440 Points

March 2026

Hessian Musketeer Von Trumbach 60, 2nd New Hampshire 60, Hessian Musketeer Von Dunop 60, 1st Continental light Dragoons 60, 16th Light Dragoons (60), Virginia State Infantry 60, 71st Highlanders 60, 4th Maryland 60, 24th Foot 60, Pennsylvania Rifles 60

Total: 600 Points

1st Quarter Total: 1520 points

Games:

(All at HAVOC) Concord North Bridge, White Plains, Geronium, Square Eagles

1st Quarter Total: 4

Friday, May 8, 2026

2nd Canadians - "Congress' Own Regiment"

Congress raised a first Canadian regiment in November, 1775, followed by a second in January 1776.

These were "additional Continental" regiments, and not assigned to any state. The 2nd bwecame known as "Congress' Own Regiment", or by the name of its commander, "Hazen's Regiment".

The uniform specified was brown coats with white facings.

The regiment included a Light company as early as 1776.

The Light Company (not shown but depicted in Mollo's Uniforms of the American Revolution" ) wore caps with "COR" for "Congress' Own Regiment", and the motto "Pro Artes et Focis".

The regiment was said to have maintained excellent discipline throughout the war. It particularly distinguished itself at Brandywine, where it stood against Howe's attack on the flank of the Continental army.

The nickname was unofficial, and indeed, Congress and General Washington sought to suppress it, feeling such designations were a feature of Monarchial armies and not suitable for a revolutionary army.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Queen's Rangers: Hussars

Robert Rogers was born in Massachusetts in 1731, and lead a famous and very effective unit of colonial Rangers during the French and Indian War (Seven Years War in Europe), 1754 - 1763.

A known Loyalist, with the beginning of the American Revolution, Rogers was arrested on the order of General Washington in July, 1776, on suspicion of espionage. He contrived to escape, and made his way to an offshore British Naval vessel. In August 1776, General Howe commissioned him to raise a unit of Loyalist Rangers.

The regiment didn't get off to a good start; they were caught off guard by a patriot night attack on October 21, 1776 near Mamaroneck, NY, and suffered heavy losses despite eventually repulsing the attack. A January 1777 visit by a British Inspector General found the regiment not up to snuff, leading General Howe to relive Roberts of command. Roberts was plagued by heavy debts after the French and Indian Wars, and was drinking heavily.

In his place, Howe appointed Lieutenant Christopher French to command the unit. Col. French trained the unit relentlessly over the winter, resulting in much improved performance when the fighting resumed in the Spring of 1777.

The regiment participated in the Philadelphia campaign, now under the command of Major James Wemyss, and particularly distinguished itself at the Battle of Brandywine creek, September 11, 1777, where 2/3 of the officers were wounded or killed, along with 1/3 of the enlisted men. It fought again at Germantown on October 3, 1777, where it performed well but Major Wemyss suffered multiple wounds, causing him to relinquish his command of the unit.

With the unit's reputation now well established, an ambitious lower ranking officer in Howe's command, John Greave Simcoe, pushed hard for the command, and was granted it buy Howe as of October 15, 1777. The son of a Naval Captain, Simcoe had attended Eton and the Merton college at Oxford. However, he dropped out of college after a year, purchasing an Ensign's commission in the 35th Foot. He was only 25 years old when he took command of the Rangers.

Under Simcoe’s leadership, the Queen’s Rangers became a mixed unit, eventually combining elements of all three combat arms. When at Philadelphia a superior officer offered Simcoe the use of his cavalry, he set up his own troop of hussars. Meanwhile, a Highland company from North Carolina sporting the MacNab tartan had joined the Regiment as well, and over time there would also be sharpshooters armed with rifles, a grenadier company, and even a trio of gunners firing a “grasshopper” three-pounder cannon. Eventually growing to 11 companies of foot, in addition to the hussar troop, during the Revolutionary War most Rangers remained light infantry outfitted with Brown Bess muskets and bayonets.

Saturday, May 2, 2026

HAVOC 2026, Part 5: Other games

Here are shots of some of the other games at HAVOC the end of March, in chronological order from Saturday AM until Sunday AM. I didn't get to take as many pictures as usual with running 3 games one after the other!