It's been a while....
Welcome to 2019! It's been a while due to a hefty work load, flu and a car crash but time to get back to the fun stuff.
This weekend Graham H and myself kicked off our 18thC campaign using Graham's superb 40mm figures. Using the Murat campaign maps and a very simple set of campaign movement (weather mod+terrain mod+command mod+random die= movement ok, delayed or halted), we played the first few moves yesterday.
The Prussian army commanded by myself were based on Dresden and at Waldenburg near Breslau. Graham commanded the Austrians and Saxons, based around Leitmeritz. Forming and not yet involved in the War was a French Army somewhere off to the west.
My first move, with the main army under Frederick, didn't get off to a good start and I was halted by poor weather. However my other column, a smaller force under Brunswick, moved off into the mountains forming the border between Silesia and Bohemia, heading for Koniggratz.
To add a further random factor and some campaign effects we trialled the Campaign Cards which I have been putting together. These add events and other effects just to add a bit of extra flavour. This they certainly did. Fredericks troops suffered from the hostile Saxon population which halted their march. Brunswick's column had a boost however when they discovered some wagons which helped them move a bit quicker. Graham received cards which gave him a fierce first volley but suffered from standing too most of the night which caused his army to move slowly the following morning. More about these cards later....but suffice to say they work and are great fun!
Graham split his army and sent columns to find out what I was doing up around Konniggratz and we had an encounter battle around Nachod. My column, that of Brunswick was a compact all arms force of cavalry, infantry and guns. Graham had a mounted command of Hussars and Dragoons, handy for scouting but not for holding ground. The Prussian 5th Hussars clattered toward Nachod and spotted the Austrians coming up the road. They halted and deployed, waiting on the infantry to come up. Two units of Fusliers were hard on their heels, followed by Dragoons and Brunswick himself, eager to see what was going on. Graham swung his two regiments of Dragoons out towards the high ground above Nachod and my Fusiliers raced them up the hill, gaining the summit and managing to get a couple of rounds off with their battalion gun before the Dragoons were upon them. They stumbled back in recoil which brought the first Austrian squadrons up short. However the second unit charged home. A short melee ensued and the Fusiliers legged it back down the hill, but the Dragoons were also badly shaken and faced with fresh Prussian cavalry plus more blue coated troops marching down the road towards them, decided they had done enough to satisfy both their orders and their honour and retired. By now the Prussians had occupied Nachod and so the first encounter ended. Graham had located Brunswick's column whilst I succeeded in reaching my march objective.
The Austrians ride into Nachod.
But the Prussians are ready.
But what of Frederick?
The main army moved swiftly after its initial delay and moved up, into and through the mountains from Dresden to Sayda, Marienburg and Komotau. Approaching Leitmeritz from the east, they could see the main Austrian army and its Saxon allies encamped to the south of some hilly terrain between Lobositz and Klapy.
Frederick deployed his army. 18 regiments of infantry, 5 regiments of cavalry and three batteries of heavy guns. Facing him were the Saxons, in Lobositz itself, with 7 regiments and the Austrians in Sulowitz and stretching southward from there with a further 10 units of infantry, 5 heavy gun's and 2 regiments of cavalry.
A truly massive battle stretching all the length of Graham's table with around 950 figures on the move......
Graham and the table.
Frederick deployed his army in two lines, closed off by columns of Grenadiers. His plan of attack was to hold on the right wing, covered as it was by boggy ground, and break through the centre, cutting the road to Prague and splitting the Austrians from the Saxons. He hoped his heavy guns would batter the way through and break up the Austrians. However it was the Prussians who were roughly handled by the Austrians guns as we shall see.
The Prussian right.
The Prussian centre advances
The Austrian left wing, behind the boggy ground, heavy guns firing.
Von Browne deployed his mixed forces along the line of the Prague road, and sat and waited. His heavy guns were massed in two batteries on either side of Sulowitz. The southernmost battery dealt great distraction to the weak Prussian right wing. With nothing to reply with all Fredericks men could do was to stand and try to survive. The Grenadiers launched an attack on Klapy to gain a strong point but were driven off. The Prussian cavalry put in several charges but were not able to break their Austrian counterparts, despite causing heavier casualties. On the whole this wing was poorly handled and sustaining heavy casualties from the Austrian guns made it very vulnerable. Only suicidal bayonet changes by the Grenadiers managed to disrupt Austrian movement long enough until late in the day.
In the centre four Prussian regiments attempted to batter their way through the Austrian line. However the Prussian gunners repeatedly fired high and for several hours the attack was paused until enough damage had been done to drive in the Austrians. This was achieved but not without cost. Two more Austrian guns played on the Prussians and wore down the leading units, blunting the attack.
The battle for the centre.
Only on the Prussian left, the northern end of the Austrian line around Lobositz, where the Prussians had not planned an attack was there any actual success. 4 Grenadier battalions and three regiments of infantry advanced on the Saxons supported by cuirassiers. With an almighty crash this wing of the Prussian army smashed into the far end of the Austrian line and sent them running for the bridges over the Elbe.
The Austrian right. The Saxons are driven back into Lobositz
By this time it was clear the that attack on the centre was not going to succeed. The Austrians had crossed the bad ground and were threatening the Prussian right however their attack had been disrupted and they now hard three regiments of Prussian Dragoons and Cuirassiers to their rear. Light was beginning to fade (we'd been playing for a day and a half) and it was clear that no one was going to get the upper hand. Frederick called a halt to further attacks. Browne dragged his battered army off the field and headed down the road to Prague. The Prussians were in no state to follow up but, camping on the field, claimed a victory of sorts. The campaign would continue !
What a wonderful game with lovely figures. Thanks to Graham for hosting and for letting me play with those wonderful 40mm's again.
