Today in the 265th anniversary of this iconic battle. As has become a bit of a tradition I hosted another annual refight of Leuthen on Saturday. What again? Yes again. We used Paul’s Panoply of War rules for the first time in this scenario; Black Powder and Honours of War used exclusively in the past so time for a change.
This version of the battle is the one put forward in Charles S Grant’s excellent Wargaming in History volume, so it focuses on the final assault on Leuthen and the turning of the Austrian left wing. It is very hard for the Prussians to win a decisive victory, something they have only ever managed once in a dozen games although they have snatched a few marginal victories, but the Austrians are leading the scoreboard with seven wins. Dave, as is also a tradition if he's playing, was Frederick, supported by Richard (Dessau) and me (Zeithen) in a rare appearance on the tabletop. Conrad was Charles of Lorraine in command of the Austrians until Marshall von Daun arrives hot foot from the north, supported by Paul (Colloredo) and John (Lucchesi).
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| Prussian HQ behind the lines. |
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| My Prussian cavalry advancing on the withdrawing Reichsarmee troops. Will the Austrian reinforcements be able to save them? |
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| The retreating Reichsarmee division was attacked immediately by the Prussian cavalry under Zeithen. One battalion was destroyed and another couple pushed back but the cuirassiers took more losses than I would have liked, not good given the masses of enemy cuirassiers lumbering towards their position. |
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Colonel Mollers Prussian artillery positioned on the hill on the Prussian left. The leading Prussian infantry brigades advance towards Leuthen church. |
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| The Prussian advance towards Leuthen is rapid. Their cavalry has pushed the Reichsarmee battalions back to the baseline but the arrival of four regiments of Austrian cuirassiers puts a stop to any plans to exploit this success. |
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| On the Prussian right Zeithen's battered cavalry are under pressure from the enemy cuirassiers. the Reichsarmee troops proved to be tougher than expected, hence the higher than anticipated losses among my horsemen. |
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| Yet more Austrians arrive on their left, in the shape of four regiments of dragoons. The Prussian cavalry on the right is almost out now action by this point. One brigade is already broken and the other is getting close. |
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| The Prussian right is crumbling under the pressure. |
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| Richard's grenadiers from the advance guard assaulted the village and evicted a battalion of Austrians from one of the houses. |
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| Reichsarmee cuirassiers arrive on the Austrian right wing. |
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| Richard led his Prussians right up to the walls of the churchyard. Repulsed once, a second attack preceded by a deadly volley drove the enemy of the Rott Wurtzberg regiment away. |
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| The churchyard is now unoccupied. |
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| Sadly all the Prussian cavalry on the right wing are now defeated or withdrawing! |
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| On the left wing the arrival of more Austrian cavalry triggered the appearance on their flank of Dreisen's cavalry who soon gained the upper hand. |
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| The battle is over..... |
