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Saturday 30 September 2017

Russian roulette?

Today, with no one else to play with, which would have possibly seen us playing Sails of Glory or some such thing, Lawrence and I tried the newly updated 7 years war rules again! We are really enjoying rediscovering the period! Last night I ordered more 7YW Russians.....!
Despite the new terrain rules, I rolled appallingly and we just got 1 large hill to fight over!



I had a right wing of Serbski hussars, and 2 units of Don Cossacks.
 My centre was conventional, 2 lines of infantry heavily supported by artillery.
My left had Kalmucks leading Kuirassiers, Horse Grenadiers and dragoons. My incompetent commander also had 2 battalions of infantry and 2 heavy guns. 
 Lawrence had less infantry than me, but a lot of (generally heavier)...cavalry.
 His centre was similar to mine...
 Facing my light horse, he had an Austrian Kuirassier regiment backed by 2 of dragoons.
My right wing commander only got the Serbs moving! 
 My left commander got nothing going, until my C-in-C got the Kalmucks and Kuirassiers started.
Lawrence had incompetent commanders too! His left wing only got a Kuirassier regiment going. 
His right was in a little confusion at this point, the Austrian hussars were away, but the heavy horse was stalled by the manoeuvering artillery. 
 (An overview at this point)
 The C-in-C had to prompt the Horse grenadiers and dragoons to start after the Kuirassiers and Kalmucks.
 The Kalmucks were rather overfaced by the elite Austrian hussars, but advanced nonetheless.
 My infantry centre had advanced a howitzer to support the light horse on my right, my plan all the time had been to bait his horse onto my artillery and infantry.
The Serbian hussars got the attention of Regt. Trautmannsdorf. 
I brought my howitzer into play, and detached an infantry brigade to support the light cavalry. 
The howitzer missed the manoeuvering kuirassiers. 
To be fair, Lawrence's artillery was not effective either! 
 Finally, on my left, a breakthrough! One of my heavy guns disordered the Austrian hussars! My commander ordered the Kalmucks to charge them...but they refused, and continued nocking arrows...
The Austrians were rapidly returned to good order, but didn't fancy attacking the fierce Kalmucks! 
 Lawrence's heavy horse was stacking up behind the dilatory hussars... 
...as was mine behind the Kalmucks! 
 The French infantry began to advance into my totally ineffectual artillery. 
 Even my howitzer seemed unable to hit anything!
The race was on, could my infantry and artillery combine before the Franco/Austrian cavalry drove off my light horse? 
 On the left centre, my Kargopol horse grenadiers saw an opportunity to drive into the flank of the enemy cavalry, in process driving off the French light infantry, but they managed to disorder my cavalry.
 Regt Trautmannsdorf on my right drove off the Serbian hussars and crashed into my Cossacks! They rode over them!
 The other Cossacks fled with them, leaving the brave Serbs alone to face the Austrians!

In the centre, I was holding my own... 
 ...but the loss of my left left my right wing hanging in the air!
This was the time for me to concede, while my army was still in a state to march off table, had I continued, my left would probably have lost too...and this would have been a disaster as my foot would be surrounded!

Well done to Lawrence!

Saturday 23 September 2017

Back on the Prussian front!

Today, we did a final 7-years war battle, hoping David would be able to make it, (his wife is ill, sadly.) As it turns out, it was just Phil, Lawrence and I today again. I had brought my Prussians again to try and improve on their last performance!, where my horse were scattered by Austrian Kuirassiers!

Phil had a brigade of Musketeers, and one of Grenadiers, supported by 2 guns. His horse was 2 half squadrons of Hussars backed by a regiment of Dragoons.
 I had Frederick (!) and 2 brigades of musketeers supported by a gun, and a cavalry brigade of 2 Kuirassier and a Dragoon regiment.
Lawrence had a long but weak line of infantry, well supported by guns, and a 'cavalry' brigade of 3 regiments a battalion of light infantry and a regiment of light cavalry on either wing.
 Their brigadiers would have a job trying to command such mixed and large brigades!
The French had command of a low hill. 
 An overview at the start.
I was able to get all my horse on the Prussian left moving, supported by a medium gun from the infantry centre. I thought I might be able to defeat the French horse before they could properly deploy? 
 Phil had a steep hill on his right, but his Hussars traversed it quickly and easily, their supporting Dragoons trailed a bit though!
The French stood awaiting our attack, using their guns to pound us. 
The French left got a pair of '1's for command, and failed to activate!
 My horse were not troubled by the long range artillery.
 Phil, also, was untroubled, and managed to traverse the steep hill untroubled.
Phil advanced his infantry too, I moved more slowly, in echelon, to dissuade the French from using their longer line to outflank me. 
Another bad roll for the Austro-French left command! 
Facing my horse, the French managed to get their light troops deployed to face me... 
... their Cuirassiers, Dragoons  and Cheveaux-Legeres were still trying to get their orders to move!
Lawrence managed to get a gun forward to face mine... 
...but suffered an unfortunate hit on the ammunition store! 
On Phil's wing, the Austrian Széchényi Hussars and a battalion of French light infantry got deployed opposite the Prussian hussars.
Having disposed of the French gun, my gun found a good target... 
 ...the massed French horse! The dragoons were worst hit as the ball bounced through them!
 The French left was still throwing '1's, and was inactive!
The French guns supporting their centre now began to play... 
My dragoons were disordered and fell back!, fortunately, Seydlitz, their brigadier, was soon able to steady them and bring them back.
 Phil's infantry now engaged the French infantry on the hill, a crashing volley broke a battalion and drove back another, though the Prussians took casualties, they pushed on into the French. 
My Kuirassiers, now with the dragoons back in support, first drove off the French light troops... 
...and KR8 smashed into the French heavy cavalry. 
Amazingly, the Prussian hussars beat the Austrian Széchényi Hussars... 
...but now faced the Austrian Kuirassiers 
However, with a hole in his front line, and his right wing destroyed, the unlucky French decided to retreat from the field, covered by their remaining cavalry.

It was an interesting game, though it would have been better had Lawrence's die rolling had been better!, the French cavalry was immobilised for much of the game!