“We came, We saw, God conquered” - The relief of Vienna 12 September 1683

So wrote King Jan III Sobieski of Poland in his letter to the Pope after the siege of Vienna was lifted with the defeat of the Ottomans at the battle of Khalenberg on 12 September 1683. The last game here at the Burrow on Saturday was an attempted recreation of this important victory which saved Christendom from the Turk. This wasn’t the first time I’d run this game but in the intervening four or so years I’d acquired lots more Ottomans, a few more Poles and several squadrons of Imperial Cuirassier types. I had been planning to do this game as a demo at the Battleground show in Stockton on 20 November but I’d been forced to withdraw due to my spinal problems and the chronic pain this gives me in the realisation, much to my wife’s relief, that I really can’t expect to run a massive demo game when I can barely walk. The practice/rehearsal game was all set up at home and the guys were coming round so battle was joined. 

Conrad, Neil and Richard were the forces of Christendom while Paul, Mike and I were the dastardly, er no, dashing Turks. The Christian army had spent the best part of the last 48 hours moving into position through the Vienna Woods, a vast thickly wooded area riven with steep ravines, meeting little opposition, until they emerged looking down onto the Ottoman camp and the siege lines surrounding Vienna. The battlefield was covered in vineyards and mostly burnt down small villages and hamlets, some of which had been fortified, and the main camp was protected by a long earthwork called the ‘Turkenkranz’. The photos are more or less in order but I can neither guarantee that, nor claim that it makes much difference anyway. Just enjoy the spectacle!

Janissaries occupied the burnt out village on the Ottoman right.

The Ottoman right,.

The Poles emerge from the Vienna woods!

The Ottoman centre and the Turkenkranz earthworks.

The allied left under Charles of Lorraine (Neil)

I thought it best to attack the Poles as soon as they appeared on the table. 

                                                   

The Poles surge forward

Richard's cuirassiers in the centre getting stomped!

The ottoman centre, and in the background the massed allied attack on our right.

These irregulars just had to go and charge a squadron of Saxon cuirassiers! 

Amazingly they only bounced and the cuirassiers were  already shaken so couldn't follow up.

Janissaries in the ruined village on the Ottoman right.

The Ottomans on the right were successfully holding off the combined infantry attacks from 

 a right Bertie Basset of Austrians, Brandenburgers, Saxons, Hanoverians et al!

Spahi ready to pounce on the allied attack. They never did!

The allied attack in the centre got nowhere and ultimately the central division was broken.

The allied attack against the Ottoman left.

The allied infantry were breaking like waves on the shore!

Richard in the allied centre had by now lost two of his brigades, leaving only a small  command representing Lubomirksi's auxiliary corps which was paid for directly from Imperial funds and were equipped as Western-style cuirassiers. The Turks in the centre advanced from behind their earthworks to engage b both enemy flanks.

Richard's cavalry attacking the Ottoman left before it was forced to pull back shaken.

Allied infantry assaulting the Ottoman positions in the centre.

Balkan irregulars about to be ridden down!

The Ottomans held on to the village on their right wing all day.

The Poles on the allied right piling on the pressure.

The hussars and pancerni were unstoppable!

There were 14 regiments of Polish cavalry on the right wing and they overwhelmed the much weaker Ottoman command facing them. It was a splendid sight, even if it was a brown kaftan moment!

Obligatory cute puppy shot. Toffee was a secret Ottoman at heart as she ran off with and tried to eat a few Polish infantry that had been left within reach!

The length of the battlefield from the Ottoman right.

The shots below are out of sequence but I've left them in just to add to the spectacle of what was an excellent game,

So, by 3:30 it was all over. The allies had lost their centre and their left was going nowhere, but the Ottoman left had been comprehensively steamrollered by the Poles, who were poised to roll up our flank, which they would have managed to do easily enough.....maybe?  The Ottomans were by no means destroyed but were declared the marginal losers of the battle. Much like the real affair, it wasn't a crushing allied victory but Vienna was saved his time as well. Last time we fought the battle the allies were less successful. 

The game was a tremendous spectacle and I was able to field Poles, Ottomans and my late seventeenth century armies. Everyone had a great game, although historically I reckon the Ottoman commanders will all have an appointment with a bow string while our collars size is checked!

I reckon the Polish hussars were too effective, even though I'd made them not quite as tough as in the 'Pike and Shot' book. Of course we were using Black Powder with my own stats and amendments (so more like Pike and Powder, or Black Shotte). Maybe I need to buy some more pancerni or reduce the number of hussars? Nah!

More Seventeenth Century Ottomans

If one accepts the premiss that you can never have enough ......... [insert as applicable] then some time ago I purchased a few more seventeenth century Ottoman Turks to swell the army as I was a little short of infantry (honest dear!). They were nearly all painted for me by friend Barry last year, or probably even the year before, and then bunged into the abyss that is the space under my table and, while not quite forgotten about, were pushed to the back of my mind as I had newer projects on the go. Well, having got a little tired of Late Romans and Goths of late I decided to base up these errant Ottomans up so I can use them in a forthcoming game I have planned, and here they are.

This and the following five pictures are the four new Janissary units. The deeper bases denote 'large' units if I'm using Pike and Shot or another set that has such a distinction.

The last two photos are of the three units of Balkan irregulars.

                              

The Janissaries are from Warfare Miniatures and are in campaign dress rather than the fancy dress we normally see them attired in (not that I don't have and won't use the ones I have dressed that way of course). The irregular Balkan infantry are all from Steve Barber's fantastic but-needs-to-be-bigger Greek Wars of Independence range, being a mixture of various wild and savage Ottoman, Balkan and Greek figures. unsolicited plug here.

All the flags are from Warfare Miniatures - another unsolicited plug here

I expect great things of the Janissaries when they take the field, rather less great of the Balkan irregulars. We shall see.

The Saxon Mars and His Force - Book Review

What a super book. For some bizarre reason I have a soft spot for the Saxon army in the 17th and 18th centuries so this lovely book floats my boat in every respect. A niche subject perhaps but it contains a wealth of fascinating information about the development and composition of the Saxon army and its campaigns during the latter end of the 17th century, a time when the country was a bit of a mover and shaker in Western Europe and against the Ottomans further East. Tremendous colour plates, lots of black and white illustrations. Helion continues to produce book after good quality book under the banner of the Century of the Soldier series and this is another great addition, and one I bought myself for a change! I have plans, and the castings already, to beef up my late 17thC Saxons in order to fight the dreaded Turk so this book and the information therein is a tremendous bonus. 

Exciting Stuff so start saving now! Forthcoming titles from Helion and Co.

Amongst the many books on wide ranging and diverse topics that Helion will be publishing in 2020 as part of the ‘Century of the Soldier’ and ‘Retinue to Regiment’ series are these little gems. I don’t know when they will hit the shelves exactly, but early in the New Year I expect. I think ‘The Saxon Mars’ is out now.

I’m looking forward to these three immensely.

Yet more goodies from Helion

I thought Christmas had come early last Saturday as three books dropped on the doormat courtesy of my friends at Helion & Co. Here are my thoughts on the first.

Well Helion have done it again. This is the latest book in their 'Century of the Soldier' series and quite probably the author Bruno Mugnai's best to date. The Wars and Soldiers of the Early Reign of Louis XIV Volume 2 focuses on the Imperial army between 1657-87. It is a fascinating and informative read.

After setting the scene with a chronology of the seemingly endless list of wars, uprisings and sieges (43 in total that took place during the period under review, many of which I'd never heard of), the book then includes a further scene-setting chapter with an informative discussion on the House of Austria before launching into the administration and organisation of each element of the Imperial army (i.e. the high command, infantry, cavalry and artillery), as well as that of the Royal Hungarian Army and the Reichsarmee, which is dome in great detail. The next section of the book covers the Imperial army on campaign, from Poland and the Baltic between 1657-60, the Ottoman War of 1663-64, the many uprisings within the Empire between 1671-81, the War against the French along the Rhine and in the Spanish Netherlands from 1671-78 and the years leading up to the siege of Vienna in 1683. While entire books could and no doubt have been written on each of these campaigns the author provides more than enough information for both the casual and serious reader to garner a pretty good understanding of events as well as the 'whys' and 'wherefores' of each campaign. The section on the Ottoman War is particularly useful to someone, like me, with limited knowledge of this subject.

Finally (almost) we get a very useful section on the evolution of uniforms and standards of the army. This section is supported by sixteen gorgeous colour plates, depicting uniforms and flags from this period, all drawn by the author, with explanations of each at the back of the book. There is also a vast array of interesting contemporary black and white illustrations.

Completing this excellent volume are several appendices which include several highly useful orders of battle, the contributions (in men or money) of the various states to the Reichsarmee, and a list of Imperial regiments including uniform details where known. Overall this book is a gem. Well written and referenced, and judging by the select bibliography painstakingly researched. This is an absolute must for anyone interested in this era and the Imperial army whatever the reason.

Volume 3 of this series will cover the Ottoman Army, which I expect will be an absolute treat!

The Relief of Vienna, 12 September 1683, Part 2: The Wargame

As promised the other day, here is the account of the game we played refighting the relief of Vienna. Can the Holy League drive off the besieging Ottoman army and save Europe and Christendom? To recap, you can look here . The game was split into three distinct phases; the initial attack by the Saxons, Austrians and other Germans on Nussdorf, the arrival of Max Emanuel of Bavaria in the centre with more Imperial troops, then finally the arrival of the Poles. As is normal I shall let the numerous photos of the ups and downs of the battle tell their own story.

Phase 1: Charles of Lorraine's attack on the Allied left:

The Ottoman camp and reserve.

The main Ottoman entrenchments defended by a single unit of Janissaries, together with Tufceci, Balkan  irregulars and Azabs, and some big cannon.

The Holy League had thrown up earthworks during the night to protect their cannon. Now the Holy League left wing is poised to attack  Nussdorf.

The Holy League infantry advance down the hill, facing fierce fire from the Janissaries defending the ruined village.

No pressure Dave. The Allied commanders look on as Dave throws for a break test, and fails, sending one German regiment back in rout.

The cavalry attached to the left wing also advanced down the hill but came under fire from the Ottomans in the entrenchment.

Some Ottoman Dellis tried to charge a regiment of Bavarian cuirassiers in the flank but their target was able to turn to face and drive them off easily.

The Holy League infantry pressed home their attack, at one point driving the Janissaries from their earthworks, but only temporarily. A Brandenberg-Bayreuth regiment was broken, followed soon after by a Bavarian one. 

Dave's (Lorraine's) infantry assault had been bloodily repulsed, thanks largely to some completely dreadful break test die rolls by poor Dave. Over half of his infantry was destroyed or shaken so the whole command, or what was left of it, was forced to withdraw a spent force. The cavalry had also taken a battering from the troops in the earthwork and were close to breaking. It was all going wrong for the League.


A final look at the assault of Nussdorf, at the League's high water mark. The Saxon regiment on the left drove the Janissaries back but were unable to gain a foothold before a counter attack broke them. The Papal regiment on the right fared no better.

 

League cuirassiers clashed with Ottoman Spahi in a series of bloody fights, coming off worse in the long run, until, enfiladed from the village, the League cavalry command broken.

Phase 2: Elector Max Emanuel of Bavaria's attack in the centre:

Turn three and the rest of the Germans arrived in the centre. Slowly. It had only taken three moves to demolish the League's assault on Nussdorf but with a bit of good fortune things could improve. Neil was facing a large number of low quality but entrenched infantry, some big cannon and several units of Spahi so he wasn't facing an easy task by any means.

League troops advance down the hill towards the entrenchment.

Ottoman feudal Spahi await their foe silently.

More Spahi move up in support.

Neil's German infantry advance quickly towards the entrenchment but walk into a storm of musketry and cannon shot. One regiment falters and another is forced to retreat.

The Elector ordered his cavalry to charge, driving away the Tartar horsemen barring his way from the Ottoman Spahi.

Christian and Ottoman cavalry clash in the centre. There is no clear winner.

The Elector's infantry charge the entrenchment. The red-coated regiment on the right were devastated by eleven hits from closing fire (unfortunately they charged artillery and infantry) and not surprisingly were broken.

The cavalry fight in the centre swung first one way then the other, but the League troops were golding their own, just, and had driven back their Ottoman foes.

The Elector's cavalry reformed and his infantry broke into the entrenchment.

There were now only three League infantry regiments left in the centre, although their cavalry was pretty much intact.

In a final fling the Azabs were charged by Neil's German infantry. Miraculously the Azabs passed every break test and stood their ground.

At this point the infantry command in the centre was deemed broken as more than half of its battalions were out of action. In fact four out of six had broken and one more was shaken but still locked in melee with the Azabs. The cavalry however were still a force to be reckoned with. Which was to be just as well as the game entered its final phase.....

Phase 3: The Poles arrive!

To recap, both brigades of Imperial and German infantry, totalling 12 battalions, had been broken, as had the left wing cavalry brigade of six regiments. One large battery of heavy guns had also been abandoned. Still, it couldn't get any worse......could it?

Thankfully it was now turn 6 and time for John III Sobieski to join the fray with rather a lot of Polish cavalry, and some infantry.

Whats this advancing through the trees?

The remaining League cavalry in the centre was still more than holding its own against squadron after squadron of Spahi.

The Poles threw well with their first command rolls and raced down the hillside and right into several units of Feudal Spahi which were quickly bundled backwards.

The Polish winged hussars, supported by Pancerni and 'regular' cossacks appear unstoppable.

Polish Cossacks, Tartars and in the rear Pancerni covering the flank of the Winged Hussars. The lead unit was charged by Spahi and annihilated.

A sea of cavalry on the Ottoman left!

The Poles have a breakthrough move/sweeping advance and hit more Spahi, again forcing them back.

Shaun and Conrad look on as the two units of Winged Hussars carve trough their cavalry like a knife through butter. Casualties were mounting among the Hussars however, so one regiment was withdrawn to be replaced by another that had been in reserve.

Neil swung his German cavalry around 90 degrees to face the threat from Ian's Ottomans who had marched over from the far flank. The Ottoman shad successfully riven the broken infantry off the battlefield and overrun all their cannon.

The last line of Spahi bravely faces the onrush of the Polish hussars, who overwhelmed them.

Neil's cavalry were still sparring with Ian's Ottomans but were able to contain them.

The Poles are victorious having driven all before them. 

The battlefield at the end of the game. More than half the Ottoman commands were broken so, thanks to the Poles, victory was assured. Lets not diminish the efforts of the Imperial/German troops as they held the Ottomans and wore them down before the Poles arrived. In fact the Polish infantry only arrived on the final turn!

What a corker! Early in the game it looked like the Ottomans would destroy the Holy League before the Poles arrived. The League troops and commanders did well and to be honest were incredibly unlucky when it came to break tests, especially Dave as Lorraine. The Ottomans fought well on their right as they did in the centre from behind their earthworks, but poor troop quality for the latter played a part in the final collapse of the army. Poor Shaun and Richard had a bad day, either not being able to move or not being able to stop the Polish juggernaut. The rules amendments and additions worked well, although I do think that Polish Winged Hussars are pretty unstoppable. Then again, they were, and there were not that many of them so maybe thats ok. Unless you were a Turk!

So, a great way to spend a hot Saturday with a massive and spectacular wargame played in a most gentlemanly manner throughout. Thanks to everyone for taking part.

Below are some more photos of the game. Richard and I took lots of photos of the game. Only a small proportion have been included in the body of the post but I've included a fair few more below to help fill in any gaps in the narrative, and because its a shame not to use them.