The Battle of Helmantica 1704

Last Tuesday I had another game using Beneath the Lily Banners at Oldmeldrum Wargames Group. Andy and I continued our mini campaign with his Danes driving further in to the territory of their foes, following up the Bavarians as they retreated from the scene of the previous battle.

I picked a disguised scenario from One Hour Wargames by Neil Thomas, itself based on one of Charles Grants which was based on Salamanca....that's about as covertly disguised as you can get!

Helmantica is the name of the original settlement near to the site of what would become Salamanca.

Andy's Danes advanced down the road in column heading for the town which their scouts had told them was held by the a token Bavarian force.  For two turns they advanced, getting closer and closer while my dice throwing meant that I was unable to activate any units. (Normally one would be activated, but for this scenario it was actually pretty apt that none were!).  As they closed on the town the Danes swung off the road and brought up their gun, where the hell were the rest of my troops!

The Bavarians put their battalion gun into action and sent the first round sailing between the ears of the horse drawing the Danish artillery. Their second took the head off  one of the gunners but it was going to be an uneven fight if this continued.

Then on the hills on the west side of the table the tops of banners could be seen and the Danes began to glance nervously over their shoulders, they'd been flanked. Regiments Maffey and the straggling French infantry of Touraine and Anjou appeared supported by a squadron of dragoons and another of cuirassiers.




The Danes hastily limbered up their gun and withdrew back up the road, their infantry halting and trying to wheel into line while their cavalry closed the end of their formation and protected their rear. This was all accomplished with a degree of calm and order which seemed to unsettle the men of regiment Touraine, and some were observed dropping their muskets and running from the field (I had  draw a "cowardly unit" event card and 25% of them legged it!). Loud curses were heard in German but with 5 units on the flank, one in the town and a battalion gun free to play on the Danes, the Bavarians still had the advantage

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Rgt Spilberg advanced from the town, supported by its battalion gun and fired on the Danish unit to its front, the killing had began.




On the hills the Bavarian cavalry swept down, crashing into the Danish cavalry before they could move. Somehow however the dragoons found themselves facing armoured cuirassier while their own cuirassier faced the opposing horse. Danish morale held and many toppled from the saddles but they wore the red and grey of Bavarian men not the Danes. The attack had failed and over 50% of the Germans had been slain. It was a disaster.

By now regiments Anjou, Touraine and Maffey had closed to within musket range and the engagement was general across the field. The Danes had unlimbered their heavy gun which tore gaps in the French, but the Danish guards were taking casualties to their front and flank.  The decisive moment of the battle had been reached. Both the guards and their attackers from Rgt Spilberg had lost a stand but when it came to morale checks the former passed and the latter rolled a 1 - unable to stomach more losses they turned and headed back to the town in rout.  On the hills Rgt Anjou was forced to withdraw, recovered briefly and then took more casualties and  routed and suddenly the tide was turned. The Danes had the upper hand and now marginally outnumbered the Germans.

The Danish horse chased the remaining Bavarian cavalry from the field and sent a squadron galloping down the road to hound Spilberg into the town, eventually riding down the battalion gunners and sabering the men of Spilberg in the streets. 

There was no option but to withdraw, Touraine covered Maffey and the two remaining regiments retreated up the slopes. The battle was over.