Second Punic War - Lake Trasimenus (217 BC)

This is the third scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Much of Hannibal’s "genius" for warfare lay in his ability to take the measure of his opponents’ abilities and intentions. His opponent in 217 BC was Roman Consul Gaius Flaminius, a vain and incompetent patrician. Armed with this knowledge, Hannibal determined to set a trap for his opponent by ravaging the countryside to spur Flaminius to action. True to form, Flaminius rushed headlong into pursuit of Hannibal, marching his army through the narrow defile next to Lake Trasimenus where Hannibal’s army lay in wait. Hannibal posted his veteran infantry as a blocking force, hiding his light infantry and cavalry in the hills. As the day of battle dawned, a heavy mist covered the area – Flaminius further aided Hannibal’s plans by neglecting to send out scouts. The Roman vanguard stumbled into the Carthaginian blocking force, and the battle was joined. Almost immediately the ambushing Carthaginians descended from the hills and fell on the Roman column before the soldiers had enough time to deploy. Flaminius died early in the fighting; more than half of his army died along with him, either in the desperate fighting or drowning trying to escape. It was noteworthy that the only portion of Flaminius’s army to escape intact was the vanguard – those soldiers fought their way through Hannibal’s best infantry to do it. It surely was not through lack of bravery that the Roman army met disaster at Lake Trasimenus.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

Hannibal ordered his right flank forward and to move onto the hill.

The 3 units on the extreme Roman left advanced to counter the Carthaginian movement.

Two units of Gallic warriors and one of Carthaginian cavalry charged over the crest of the hill and into the Romans infantry below.

A Carthaginian cavalry unit moved forward into the defile to attack the auxilia beyond.

The charge over the hill was stopped, they took heavy casualties and were repulsed. Even the general leading the charge was killed; although in doing so the Roman's took heavy losses themselves.

The Carthaginian cavalry in the defile was slightly more successful, in that they inflicted losses on the auxilia without any noticeable casualties themselves.

The Roman infantry in the centre moved forward to attack the few remaining Gallic warriors.

The Roman medium infantry attacked the Carthaginian slingers hoping to drive them off.

The remaining Gallic warriors were wiped out.

The cavalry slaughtered many slingers but took surprisingly heavy losses themselves

The Gallic warriors on the hill, charged down and wiped out the Roman legionaries and killed Consul Gaius Flaminius. An unlucky result for the Romans, but historically correct!

The Carthaginian slingers, which were under pressure from the Roman cavalry, retired over the hill to safety.

The Carthaginian auxilia, with their commander at their head, advanced to face the Roman cavalry causing them to evade back to the safety of their own infantry.

With a cry of "Avenge The Consul !!", the Romans attacked the Gallic warriors. Their auxilia and light infantry surrounded the warriors as the remaining cavalry charged head-on.

This attack was not as successful as it was hoped, the Roman cavalry was destroyed and the auxilia and light infantry took losses. The Gallic warriors to heavy losses themselves, but still stood firm.

In the centre, one Carthaginian unit wiped out the remaining Roman auxilia while a second unit caused the Roman light infantry to evade.

On their left flank, a unit of legionaries advanced to attack the Carthaginians from the front while a unit of light infantry sneaked over the hill to take the cavalry from behind and cut of their possibility to evade the coming attack.

The legionaries wiped out the Carthaginian cavalry and the auxilia on the hill wiped out a unit of Numidian light cavalry which could not evade because they were packed in so tightly.

Hannibal order his Numidian light cavalry to move towards his centre. In doing so they skirmished with the Roman light infantry causing them to retreat back over the hill.

Seeing the lone band of Gallic warriors, a long way in front of their comrades, the Romans attacked them with their light infantry, in a bold action that could win the the battle. One unit through their javelins from a distance while the other charged in for hand-to-hand combat.

However the Roman attack was not successful, and the brave light infantry we surrounded by Carthaginians and wiped out. 

The Carthaginians had defeated the Romans, but it was not the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for; the Carthaginians had lost almost as many men as the Romans.

Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 6 - Romans 5

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	1	17
Carthaginians	2	17

Second Punic War - Trebbia (218 BC)

This is the second scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

After the battle at the Ticinus River, Hannibal soon faced an entire Roman army under the Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus. As vain as he was inept, Sempronius wanted a victory to finish our his year as Consul. He took no cautionary advise from the wounded Publius Cornelius Scipio, but instead sent his army, cold and hungry, through the icy waters of the Trebbia to engage Hannibal's army on the far side. Hannibal had prepared the first of many traps for unwary Romans - he had placed his brother Mago and a picked force of cavalry and infantry out of sight in a ravine. The Romans did not discover them as they passed by. Despite their cold and hunger, the Roman infantry was doing well against Hannibal's main line. Then twin disaster struck. Mago's detachment emerged from hiding and struck the Romans from behind, and the weather turned markedly colder. Assailed from two sides, and now literally freezing to death, the Romans broke. Many died trying to recross the Trebbia. Sempronius's army of two double legions was effectively destroyed.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

View from the Roman lines

The Romans started the battle by advancing units on their right flank.

The Carthaginians used the same tactic, advancing units on their right flank.

The Romans advanced 3 units of infantry on their left flank: one of warriors, one of auxilia and one of light infantry. The light infantry used their javelin's to annoy the advancing elephants. This caused the elephants to rampage and retreat out of javelin range. They rampaged through the nearby Carthaginian heavy infantry and Numidian light cavalry causing heavy losses to both.

Hannibal then sprung his ambush. Hannibal's brother Mago, had been hiding in a ravine behind the Roman lines, and now charged out at the head of a unit of Carthaginian medium cavalry and two units of warrior infantry straight into the rear of the Roman right flank.

This surprise attack, destroyed the Roman right wing cavalry, caused severe damage to their supporting light infantry and even the warriors.

Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus then ordered the Roman infantry in the vicinity of the ambush to double-time and attack the advancing Mago and his men.

The Roman initial attack destroyed the Carthaginian cavalry causing Mago to retreat to the relative safety of a unit of warrior infantry, while his other unit of warriors fled towards their own lines.

The Romans continued to attack Mago's ambush, until Mago himself was killed and all his troops destroyed with the exception of a few warriors fleeing towards the safety of their own lines.

Seeing the seriousness of the situation, the Carthaginians ordered their heaviest troops into the fray. Hannibal himself led forward the heavy infantry on the Carthaginian left flank, while the other heavy infantry unit on their right flank advanced support by the elephants.

Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus then ordered the Roman infantry line on the left and centre to advance. The warriors on the far left attacked the Numidian light cavalry causing them to evade without loss. The Roman light infantry and auxilia threw their javelins at the advancing elephants, but this time with no noticeable success.

Hannibal ordered his two elite units on his right flank into action.

The Carthaginian elephants charged into the Roman left flank auxilia.

And the elite infantry charged into the Roman legionaries.

The elephants destroyed half of the auxilia but took heavy losses themselves before rampaging to their rear, luckily no Roman troops were trampled underfoot.

The elite Carthaginian infantry caused serious damage to the Romans legionaries and then beat a hasty retreat back to their own lines, forming up between the light infantry.

The Romans ordered their line to reform, moving up fresh troops. They still tried to annoy the elephants with their javelins but again with no success.

Hannibal ordered the line of Carthaginian infantry to advance towards to Romans. The light infantry threw their javelins at the Romans but with no noticeable effect.

Two units of Roman legionaries, led by Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus himself, charged into the elite Carthaginian heavy infantry. The elite Carthaginians manages to get in the first blow, causing Roman casualties, before they themselves were wiped out. 

On the Roman left, the Consul and his legionaries were attacked by Carthaginian infantry supported by Hanno and his Numidian light cavalry. They caused some casualties on the Romans before being forced to retreat.

While on the Roman right, Hannibal led his elite infantry to attack the Roman auxilia, but only caused them to retreat.

The Roman left flank cavalry performed a mounted charge at the Numidian light cavalry who still hadn't recovered from being trampled by the rampaging elephants. They were wiped out.

In the centre, the Carthaginians wiped out the legionaries, causing the Consul to retreat to the safety of his own auxilia.

The Roman left flank cavalry performed a mounted charge into the rear of Hanno and his Numidian light cavalry. The caused some casualties but this was not the overwhelming success they had hoped for.

Ignoring the Roman cavalry to his rear, Hanno, the Numidians and the Carthaginian infantry charged onwards, destroying the remnants of the Roman legionaries in front of them.

But the Roman cavalry didn't give up that easily, and yet again attacked the rear of the Numidian cavalry. This time wiping them out.

The Carthaginians had lost so many troops, their morale failed, and they retired leaving Consul Tiberius Sempronius Longus and his Roman army in control of the field.

Scenario Result 

Roman Victory: Carthaginians 5 - Romans 7

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	1	12
Carthaginians	1	11

Second Punic War - Ticinus River (218 BC)

This is the first scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Hannibal has completed his epic march across the Alps, but has lost fully half of his soldiers in doing so. The Consul in Southern Gaul, Publius Cornelius Scipio, has shadowed Hannibal’s advance following the coastal route. He intercepts Hannibal in Northern Italy as he is rebuilding his army with Gallic recruits. Neither commander is willing to bring on general battle, but Scipio does advance his light troops and cavalry, unaware of how much better the Carthaginian cavalry was than his own. Hannibal counters with his cavalry, including the fearsome Numidian light horse. Hannibal gives Scipio a tactics lesson. His heavy cavalry smashes into the light infantry, drawing the Roman cavalry into the fight. At that point, the Numidians hit both flanks, driving off the disorganized surviving cavalry, wounding Publius Scipio in the process. One capable Roman now knew how formidable Hannibal’s army was. Unfortunately, three other inept Roman Consuls would lose thousands of Roman soldiers at The Trebbia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannae because they failed to heed the warnings.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

View from the Roman lines

The Carthaginian Commander ordered one unit of Heavy Cavalry in the centre to advance and supported this with one unit of Light Cavalry on each flank.

The Roman Consul, countered this by advancing his whole line of light infantry.

The Carthaginian Commander continued with his strategy and ordered one more unit of Heavy Cavalry in the centre to advance and supported this with one more unit of Light Cavalry on each flank.

The Roman consul ordered his light infantry to skirmish with the advancing Carthaginians. The light infantry rushed forward, hurling their javelins at the enemy, but before the cavalry could react, the light infantry returned to their original positions.

The Carthaginian Commander ordered forward his two remaining heavy cavalry units in the centre to complete the line.

The Roman consul ordered the light infantry to remain in place, not wanting to enter charge range of the Carthaginians.

The Carthaginian Commander ordered forward his left flank Numidian light cavalry, to skirmish using their javelins against the Roman medium cavalry and light infantry. They caused some casualties among the light infantry, but the medium cavalry stood firm against them.

As the advanced, the Roman cavalry caused the Numidian light cavalry to retire before them. This allowed the Roman cavalry to surround one unit of Numidians with their commander Mago.

But unfortunately for the Romans, Mago resisted and the attack didn't go as planned, and the Romans took heavy losses and retreated.

The Carthaginians ordered forward their Numidian light cavalry on their right wing, and withdrew what was left of Mago and his Numidians on their left wing.

The Romans ordered forward their 2 units of medium cavalry onto their left wing in order to counter the advancing Carthaginians.

Hannibal led his heavy cavalry in a mounted charge straight at the Roman light infantry in the centre.

Seeing the charging Carthaginian Cavalry, the Roman light infantry chose to evade and fell back towards the relative safety of their own cavalry, taking only slight losses in the process.

Publius Cornelius Scipio chose to counter attack, and led his medium cavalry in a charge straight at the Carthaginians.

The Carthaginian cavalry we wiped out, but with severe losses to the Romans, and Hannibal was forced to flee for his life.

Marharbal, the Numidian commander, led his cavalry in a charge at the remains of the Roman medium cavalry.

This charge was a great success and destroyed all but one of the Roman cavalry units.

The battle now hung in the balance, with both Carthaginians and Romans sensing the possibility of either victory or defeat.

The Roman centre tried a final attack on the Carthaginians, but failed.

The remaining Roman light infantry withdrew, leaving the Carthaginians in control of the field of battle.

Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 6 - Romans 5

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	0	5
Carthaginians	1	6