Ambush! SYW scenario in the wilds of East Prussia x 2

Peter came down on New Years Day evening for another game. I think he is hooked! I'd barely cleared away the last game before Christmas but set up what I hoped would be a testing scenario for both sides. We played a Seven Years War game set in East Prussia, with a smaller Prussian force led by Peter catching the Russians on the flank in line of march. The Prussians piled into the flank of the Russian army but were driven back as they failed to concentrate their forces. A fierce cavalry battle in the centre almost tipped the balance in favour of the Russians as they broke through the Prussian infantry and drove off much of the Prussian cavalry. The Prussians recovered though and plugged the gap, sending the Russian cuirassiers reeling back. Overall losses were about even so with one brigade broken on each side and the Prussian cavalry struggling after taking a battering we called it a draw. No photos of that game sadly.

We fought the game again this week, changing sides so I took command of the Prussians and Peter the Russians.

The Prussian army was as follows:
CinC Command 9
Cavalry Brigade (Command 9): 4 regiments of Dragoons, 2 regiments of Hussars
Infantry Brigade (Command 9): 2 'Crack' Prussian Line Btns, 1 Grenadier Btn, 1 light gun
Infantry Brigade (Command 8): 1 Guard Btn, 1 'Crack' line btn, 1 Garrison Btn, 1 light gun
Infantry Brigade (Command 8): 1 Freikorps Btn, 1 'Recruit' Btn, 1 Lnd Militia Btn, 1 light gun
Unattached: 1 Heavy gun, 1 small btn Friekorps Jager

The more numerous but poorly led Russians had the following:
CinC Command 6
Cuirassier Brigade (Command 7): 4 regiments of Cuirassiers
Cavalry Brigade (Command 7): 1 regiment of Dragoons, 2 regiments of Horse Grenadiers, I regiment of Hussars and 1 regiment of Cossacks
Infantry Brigade (Command 9): 2 Grenadier btns, 1 line btn, 1 light gun
Infantry Brigade (Command 8): 3 Line btns, 1 dismounted Dragoon btn, 1 light gun
Infantry Brigade (Command 6): 1 Grenadier btn, 3 Line btns, 1 light gun
Artillery (Command 8): 1 Heavy Gun, 1 Heavy Unicorn Howitzer
Unattached: 1 small unit of Pandours

The 'Crack' Prussians were offset by the four battalions of second line troops but their cavalry was as good as the Russian Cuirassiers as the latter were very poorly mounted. The Russian infantry were classed as 'stubborn', giving them a re-roll on one save per move. I shall now just let the pictures tell the story......

The top pictures show the Russian army strung out on the march along the whole length of the 12' table.

 The Prussians emerge from the mist. Hussars cover the right flank while the Dragoons threw a blunder and only managed a single move onto the table.

 The Prussians quickly deployed their two lead brigades into line, supported by the Militia and Frei btns to their rear. Both lead brigades closed rapidly with the Russians.

 Russian Cuirassiers lumbering forward. Most of the Russian cavalry stood immobile on the road as they failed their command rolls!

 The Prussian Guard close with the Russian centre. The seemed immune to the enemy fire as they saved every hit until the penultimate move when they burst throughout the Russian line but becomes shaken in the process. Thankfully the Russians were in no state to exploit this as by then one of their infantry brigades had been shattered and the others were badly mauled.

 The Russian combined Grenadier battalion was a hard nut to crack. Although shaken they held on against tough Prussian opponents who were pouring fire into their ranks turn after turn.

 The Prussian left. Grenadiers close with the Russians.

 The Prussian grenadiers on the left were driven off shaken by stubborn Russian infantry supported by their artillery. They recovered to return to the battle later.

 Back in the centre the Prussian Guard after breaking the Russian line.

 Russian Cuirassiers charging the Prussian Dragoons. They were initially successful but were driven back after becoming over extended.

 The centre of the battlefield from behind the Prussian lines.

 The Russian Cuirassiers preparing to charge again, supported by Horse Grenadiers and Dragoons.

 The same scene this time from the Russian perspective.

 The victorious Prussian centre pushing onwards.

 On the left the Prussians took a chance and charged the Russian artillery, luckily taking few casualties in the process. They managed to overrun the first gun easily but it took a little longer to take the second.

The Russian right flank showing the tide of Prussians advancing towards the crumbling Russian line.

At the end of the evening the Prussian army was pretty much intact. Apart from a unit of Dragoons that had been broken and several shaken there were no shaken brigades, although the cavalry had taken a battering holding off the Russians. Concentrating their assault ensured that the Prussians had local superiority in quantity and in part, quality. The Russians were never able to get their numerically superior cavalry into a potentially winning position. The central infantry brigade was shaken and withdrawing, and the brigade on their right was very close to crumbling. Their heavy artillery had also been overrun. We agreed it was a clear Prussian victory although there was an untouched brigade of Russian infantry facing the Prussian centre and the Russian cavalry had finally started to obey orders! A great and rather tiring and stressful game, but for all the right reasons!

Russian Seven Years War Observation Corps

I found these lurking in a box under my table last weekend during a search for a pair of pink furry handcuffs (seriously!). I must have bought them, the figures that is, off eBay quite a few years ago and then put them somewhere safe to finish at a later date. I never noticed them during the great migration downstairs but am glad I've rediscovered them.

My interest in the SYW had waned a couple of years ago and I moved on to other things. Full circle, I am now back 'into' SYW big time so having found them I thought I'd better get them based up. I've not done anything to the paint job other than a very basic tidy up and varnish; they will do ok and the basing matches nicely with my other Russians.

I now have 14 x 36 figure battalions of Russian infantry which is probably enough. The only reason I have more Prussians is because of the variety of uniforms and troop types available which is sadly not the case with the Russians. These are almost all Old Glory with a couple of odd Foundry figures added to make up the numbers. The flags are by Maverick Models.

Making a start on some more Russian Cavalry next; two regiments each of Horse Grenadiers and Dragoons and some more Cossacks.

Seven Years War cavalry additions.

In the mad pre-packing up rush  in September I got yet more Seven Years War stuff ready to base up. They have now been unpacked and based, flocked and tufted and are ready to hit the table. That is just as well as my existing Serbski Hussar unit took some casualties during the building work and needs some repair work doing.

Here are four units of Russian hussars. My SYW cavalry are normally 24 figures strong (at least) but I thought for sake of variety it'd be nice to field four smaller units so I would be able to showcase some of the different uniforms used by Russian hussars.

 Makedonskiy Hussars

 Slobodiskiy Hussars

 Moldavskiy Hussars

 Gruzinskiy Hussars

More really useful Prussian SYW units based up....

Slowly getting through the backlog of painted-not-based units caused by 6 weeks hiatus while the builders were in doing their stuff. Here's the latest batch of not so useful Prussians and their allies.

 Top Two: Frei Grenadier battalion von Schony

 Next Two: Schaumburg-Lippe Buckerberg Carabiniers. OK there was on;y a small squadron of them in real life but they loo good.

 Next Two: Dismounted Prussian Dragoons. On the left Frei Dragoons von Glasenapp. On the right Freikorps von Gschray. 

Last Four: Mounted and dismounted Freikorps von Kleist Horse Grenadiers.

New Prussian units added to my SYW army

.....like as if I need any more!

Top Two: East Prussian Land Militia Battalion

Middle Two:  Pomeranian Converged Frei-Grenadier-Corps von Wussow

Bottom Two:Pomeranian Mixed Recruit Battalion von Tettau

The figures are all Black Hussars miniatures.

The Big Day!

Had a great day and thanks for all the good wishes.

Take the bridge! A Seven Years War scenario.

My neighbour Peter came over last night for my last game of 2014. Peter is a novice gamer and this is only his second game, so the scenario was a simple one. The Russians are holding a bridge and are in the process of preparing it for demolition. The Prussians need to take the bridge intact as it represents the only secure route for their forces (especially guns and baggage) retreating in front of the Russian hoards as they invade East Prussia.

The Russians, (me) had two brigades of infantry, one of cavalry, 2 light guns and a battery of heavy guns emplaced on the hill covering the bridge. They also had a unit each of Pandours and Cossacks. The command levels of all the Russians were with one exception 6's and 7's. The exception was the CinC who was an 8.

Peter had the Prussians; two brigades of infantry, a unit of Freikorps light infantry and one brigade of cavalry (Cuirassiers, Dragoons and Hussars). They also had two light guns and a battery of heavy  guns. Command levels were 8's and 9's.

My camera is dead so no photos sadly(?) to record my ignominious defeat, but essentially the Prussian infantry attacked aggressively, drove off the Pandours, assaulted the Russian emplacement from the front and flank and eventually forced the Russian gunners to take a break test, which they lost.

On the Prussian right, one battalion of Garrison infantry broke and another line unit became shaken after taking a pounding from the Russian heavy guns before they were overrun, meaning that one brigade was now spent. The Russian right hand brigade tried to hold back the advancing Prussians but one battalion was broken when the emplacement was taken.

My Cossacks had been trying to advance towards the Prussian artillery but were slowed down by the terrain and the Freikorps. The Russian cavalry attempted to charge their very timid Prussian counterparts but fell short and were broken by the concentrated fire of all the Prussian guns. Luckily (?) I' d only been able to launch one regiment on their death ride but it was enough to stop me doing anything silly the next turn.

Peter then did a 'follow me' order with his CinC, and led a regiment of Dragoons through a large gap in the Russian line, and right across the bridge to attack the engineers working to destroy it. The latter were scattered and the bridge was saved from destruction.

At that point we declared it a Prussian victory. We each had one broken brigade but the rest of mine were very close to becoming broken. I had my usual run of rubbish command roles and blunders and Peter had the benefit of beginners luck...... "till next time Mr Bond.....!"