The river crossing: Austro-Prussian War 1866

My back has much improved since the weekend thankfully. Which was just as well as Conrad was over earlier this week. We both have a great love of the era of Bismark's Wars so as I'd just completed the basing of three battalions of Austro-Hungarian infantry and two regiments of pro-Austrian German cavalry the choice of game was a no brainer. The three battalions had been painted up as a Hungarian regiment; nice. Better still, in a way, were the two cavalry regiments. North Star 1866 had a 50% sale some months ago so I bought loads of their mounted Prussian officers in feldmutz, enough for three regiments of cavalry in field caps, often worn instead of helmets in this war, especially by some of the German states allied to Austria. I'd already done one as a regiment of Hesse Darmstadt cavalry but what to do with the others? As I am drawn to the campaign in Western Germany in 1866 one was painted up as a Baden dragoon regiment. I don't have any Baden troops yet but as the Federal VIII Corps was a right old hotch-potch that isn't a problem. The other I decided would be the 2nd Duke of Cambridge's Own Hanoverian Dragoons. OK, they should have surrendered at Langensaltza with the rest of the army but they could have made a break for it....... Whatever!

So, the scenario had the Austro-Saxon army holding a Bohemian river crossing in the face of a Prussian attack. The forces involved were actually quite even, well, ok, they were at first glance but a quick dig down below the surface reveals vastly superior Austrian artillery and cavalry against superior Prussian command, control, morale and above all the dreaded Needle Gun. As always we used Black Powder, with the appropriate special rules to reflect the quality or lack of it, of the troops. 

Prussians: CinC Command 8

Advance Guard: 1 btn jager, 3 line btns, 1 SB battery (Command 9)

1st Bde: 6 line btns, 1 SB battery, 1 BLR battery (Command 8)

2nd Bde: 6 line btns, 1 SB battery, 1 BLR battery (Command 9)

1st Cav Bde: 2 Dragoon regts, 1 SB battery (Command 8)

2nd Cav Bde: 1 Hussar regt, 1 Cuirassier regt, 1 BLR battery (Command 8)

Reserve artillery: 2 BLR batteries (Command 7)

Austro-Hungarians/Saxons: CinC Command 8

1st Bde: 1 Hussar regt, 1 jager btn, 3 line btns, 1 MLR battery (Command 8)

2nd Bde: 6* line btns, 2 MLR batteries (Command 7) 

Saxon Bde: 1 Jager btn, 4 line btns, 1 cavalry regt, 2 BLR batteries (Command 9)

1st Reserve Cav Bde: 1 uhlan regt, 2 cuirassier regts, 1 MLR battery (Command 8)

2nd Cav Bde: 1 Baden dragoon regt, 1 Hannoverian regt (Command 8)

*3 were classed as 'unreliable' as they were raised from Northern Italy and therefore not terribly enthusiastic.

The Prussians had to secure the river crossings and drive the Austrians off the field or destroy them on it. The river was crossable in one 'move' so there was very little reduction in movement. However, once troops emerged from the river they were deemed to be disordered. Apart from the main bridge, the Prussians could use the railway bridge and could also try and repair the broken bridge on their right flank. Obviously the Austrian objective was to prevent the Prussians from establishing a tenable foothold on their side of the river.

The Prussians moved first and their advance guard appeared on their left flank. They made slow progress and were held up by the appearance of 3 battalions of Austrians and some jager who occupied the village by the bridge.

(Above and below: The Austrian army waiting for the Prussians, two brigades of infantry above and a reserve cavalry brigade of Cuirassiers and Uhlans below).

In the centre the Austrians and Saxons moved closer to the river, as did the cavalry brigade on their far left flank. The main Prussian body then arrived, with one brigade deploying in the centre and the other on the left in support of the faltering advance guard. Both brigades of Prussian cavalry appeared on the right flank, but apart from deploying their artillery and examining the damaged bridge they held their ground for the time being and had to endure pot shots from the Austrian artillery that caused some casualties to their artillery and forced the cuirassiers back from the river.

On the left the Prussians launched an assault across the bridge, despite the fact that the river was crossable (I had forgotten actually!). They barely made it to the other end of the bridge before they were hit hard by massed Austrian and Saxon artillery that sent them reeling back from where they'd come from. The entire Prussian left flank then piled across the river in assault columns and in a very fierce series of fire-fights and melees managed to drive off the three Austrian battalions holding the hills as well as the Baden dragoon regiment which had attempted a charge on the shaken and damp Prussian jager battalion.

(Prussians make an attempt, their only attempt in fact, to cross the bridge. It failed in the face of close range fire from Austrian Jager holding the village just out of shot to the right and the accurate fire of the Austrian reserve artillery, seen below)

(Above, the Prussian Dragoon brigade holding the army's right and below another shot of the failed Prussian assault over the bridge in what I called my 'Burnside Moment')

(Above, two newly finished regiments of cavalry. They had no right to be in this theatre of the war as they were part of the Austrian and Federal German forces in the west but what else to do? Baden Dragoons in the front supported by the Hanoverian Cambridge Dragoons).

(Above and below, Austrian infantry moving forward to stop the Prussian river crossing with cold steel!)

(Above, a murky photo of the Austrian reserve cavalry brigade before their advance to thwart the Prussian river crossing in the centre, seen below)

In the centre, the Prussian reserve artillery finally made it onto the table and immediately began bombarding the Austrians across the river. Sadly they were soon hit hard by the better Austrian artillery and two batteries forced to retire. Nevertheless, the entire Prussian centre formed up and crossed the river in the face of some stiff Austrian and Saxon opposition.

(Above and below the Prussian assault on the left builds up momentum and forges across the river)

(Above, a general view of the battlefield before both sides got to grips in the centre and below the Baden Dragoons halted and forced back by the fire of the Prussian Jager who had used the railway bridge to help them cross the river).

The Austrians charged the Prussians as they emerged from the river in disorder but only managed to force one battalion back. The rest held on and drove off the Austrian assault columns. This was the potential battle-winning moment for the Austrians. Had they been more successful in their attack a massive gap would have appeared in the Prussian centre which their cavalry and the Saxons in reserve were ready to exploit. As it was the assaulting brigade of Austrians were driven off shaken and had to withdraw.

(Above, the Austrian assault columns attempt to push the Prussians back across the river in the face of close-range Needle gun fire. One units almost succeeded but was left isolated and forced to withdraw. Below, Prussian cavalry cross the river and crash into the Saxon Reiters).

On the Prussian right I threw my cavalry across the river to prevent the Austrian and Saxon horse from attacking my withdrawing  infantry's exposed flank. Despite the fact that my troops were disordered after crossing the river one Dragoon regiment charged the Saxon Reiter but were thrown back in the melee along with all their supports. The Saxons followed up and hit the Dragoons again but being now unsupported came off the worst and had to retire.

(Above and below, the Prussian left flank are safely across the river after driving off their Austrian opponents, except for the Jager in the village who kept up a harassing fire and repulsed every attempt to dislodge them).

(Below, the Hanoverian Cambridge Dragoons cover the withdrawal of the Austrians brigade forced back by the Prussian attack across the river at the railway bridge). 

The Austrian right flank with withdrawing shaken and their central brigade was also shaken and unable to take any more offensive action. Only the Saxons and both cavalry brigades remained as viable units so with the Prussians firmly across the river in overwhelming strength Conrad conceded defeat. We agreed however that the Saxons and the cavalry would be able to cover the withdrawal of the remainder of their army effectively.

'Casualties' in Black Powder terms are always hard to determine other than in the number of broken and shaken units; only one Austrian battalion had actually been broken and removed from play compared to no Prussians.  Several Prussian units were shaken but spread across the whole army this had no immediate effect. The Austrians had I must admit very nearly pulled off a victory with their massed assault in the centre but it didn't quite go to plan. Their artillery had however dominated the battlefield at longer ranges while the Prussian Needle Gun had done the same at close range, so it all seemed about right.

Well fed up...!!!!

I was planning to take part in the Grimsby Club's 28mm Blenheim game today. Train booked. Games bag packed with necessary accessories, medicines etc. Womenfolk booked into a spa for the day while I was away. Sadly my health took a nose dive and Friday saw me barely able to walk as my back and the sciatica decided to party leaving me almost immobile, walking with a pronounced 60 degree list to for'ard and doped up to the eyeballs on opiates! Oh well, but not like I needed a rest. So, one of the potential gaming hi-lights of the year has slipped into a morphine fug. Am I bothered? No, but thats probably the pills speaking.

Seriously though, far better I didn't go than have this kick in while I was there and spoil the day for someone/everyone. Feeling a bit better now and able to tidy up my paint station and try and peel the months-old newspaper of the top of the desk, urgh! I have some Hinchliffe 18pdr guns on garrison carriages that I want to try and assemble, and I might even have another go at trying to get the next couple of Vauban fortress pieces painted. Or I might just read, watch tv and spend money on internet purchases!

Its a shame 'cos Rob and I were planning a game last Thursday evening which we put off as we were both expecting to be taking part in the Blenheim game. Hopefully we can fit it in next week or over the Bank Holiday weekend. I need to get as many games in as possible (or is that as is sensible?) before mid-September when I will loose my current games room when it gets converted into a guest bedroom with en suite. We are going to convert the garage into a man cave at the same time so I hope to be installed there by mid October......

I hope the girls are enjoying themselves being pampered at the spa with my credit card..... (I do actually).

Rebellion! AWI Black Powder Supplement.

The postman kindly dropped this off for me today. This isn't a 'proper' review as I've only had the opportunity to have a brief skim through but at first glance it looks pretty good. Lots of eye candy, quite a few what look to be well thought out scenarios and some interesting suggestions on how to best adapt the AWI to Black Powder given the small size of some of the battles. I don't think there's anything that clashes massively, or even at all, with how I handle troop characteristics and stats. Plenty of information for everyone whether they're new to the period or not.

AWI Two for the price of one: How I lost the same game twice in a week, Part II

On Wednesday Rob was here so I decided to replay Monday's game, with a few amendments to the armies and the objectives. As well as minor changes to the British force the Americans now had the additional objective of getting a supply train from the right flank off the table on their left, thus having to traverse the entire width of the table. We threw for sides and Rob got the Americans. As I'd been the Americans I was quite happy, especially as I had a cunning plan to defeat them based on what happened when I commanded them earlier in the week. Big mistake #1. Big mistake #2 was forgetting that the British combined Grenadier and light infantry battalions were supposed to be classed as 'large', giving them an extra D6 in shooting and combat as well as, more importantly, an additional stamina point.

The game began with a very slow entrance onto the table by by lovely Hinchliffe Hessians, accompanied now by the newly-based and painted Fusilier Regiment von Knyphausen. Together with IR Prinz Karl. The rest of the brigade of the Leib IR and IR von Mirbach, supported by a battery of 6pdrs, barely made it onto  the table before the end of the game due to really poor command rolls. They must have taken a wrong turn or something........

The Americans (on the right of the picture below) were deployed more or less as they had been in the previous game except for the Continental Dragoons who were moved over to the left flank.

The Native American's allied to the British were quite brittle but I thought that their presence might be enough to help the right flank troops (The Queen's Rangers) drive off the American militia. Sadly, no sooner had they emerged from the woods than a volley of musketry and cannon fire hit them hard, forcing a break test which not surprisingly they failed.

Rob moved his Continentals, Webb's and Sherbourne's regiments, to form a solid line defending the hills on his right flank, supported by a battery and a unit of skirmishers.

Rob pushed his militia mounted rifles right up towards the Hessians, without any support. Shortly after this photo was taken they were fired at and as a result they made a very precipitous retreat back to their farms!

I had great hopes for my Hessian Grenadiers, especially the leading unit (another newly-based Hincliffe battalion) which can be seen here well in advance of the other battalions about to cross the stream. Sadly my hopes came to nothing and the brigade did not live up to my expectations! What didn't help were three consecutive blunders by the Hessian Grenadier commander, which rather spoiled my plans to put it mildly!

The British Grenadiers were much more aggressive this time, but perhaps my aggression was about to come to nothing (see above, big mistake #2) as, battered by American artillery and rife fire, they assaulted the American line. Despite causing severe losses and overrunning a gun battery, first one, then the other battalion became shaken and had to withdraw.

Back to the left flank, the other half of the Hessian brigade finally arrived on table, and then steadfastly refused to budge as they failed every command roll!

Back in the centre the British Grenadiers were withdrawing following their repulse by the Continentals.

The American supply convoy made steady progress across the table, and was only slowed down twice, once at the ford and once when Rob forgot to move them!

Another shot of the stationery Hessians in the background. In the foreground are the British Light infantry who were beaten back by concentrated American musket and artillery fire. It just wasn't the elite of the British army's day!

The British light battalions are shaken and retreating. I just don't know how I allowed my self to get so carried away that I forgot they and the Grenadiers had an extra stamina point (being 'large' units) and therefore should not have been shaken and as a result should not have withdrawn from the fight!

My new Hinchliffe Hessian battalion, Fusilier Regiment on Knyphausen, advancing towards the enemy. Sadly most of their brigade were stuck immobile some distance to the rear wasting a golden opportunity to fold up the American right flank.

One Hessian battalion did close with the Americans but are held; again the melee is inconclusive .

The gunners in the redoubt were a little more effective this time and caused some damage on the advancing British, contributing to their eventual withdrawal.

Hessian Grenadiers in the centre finally made it into contact with the militia holding the American centre but by this time the advance on the British right had stalled, the left was held up by superior numbers of Continentals and the centre had ground to a halt and the elite of the British force, the Grenadiers and Light infantry, was shaken and in retreat.

New York Continentals amongst others recovering after driving back the overenthusiastic British attack. Had I held them in check and rallied stamina points back the result would have been very different.

The dismounted troop of the 16th Light Dragoons were caught and badly hit by the Americans early in the battle after I had been overconfident in deploying them in a location where they were overexposed. Shaken, they had to withdraw, and this proved to be the tipping point in determining that the brigade to which they belonged (the Grenadiers and Lights) became spent.

The British reserve artillery deployed on a hill in the British centre and for much of the game were masked by the blundering Hessian Grenadier brigade. When they did get to fire they proved to be completely ineffective and didn't hit a thing all game! (as the man at the back is saying, "I'll get me coat then!" - one for any 'The Fast Show' fans).

The British centre/left, with the Grenadiers and Light infantry falling back into the woods and behind the thick hedgerow.

On the British right the Queen's Rangers Hussars and the 16th Light Dragoons were unable to make a move against the enemy flank.

Finally, the American baggage column made otto the table edge and departed in safety. The British had failed to stop them, had failed to capture either the redoubt or the ford, and had failed to defeat the Americans. They had succeeded in showing exactly how NOT to win a battle, i.e. unco-ordinated unsupported suicidal attacks might work against some American troops, but not against decent Continentals supported by artillery.

Actually it was a very good and fun game. Rob's die throwing was generally appalling at the start of the game while I managed a constant stream of 6's (5 times in a row) when trying to hit and/or save; a run that came to an end with the three consecutive moves of double 6's (resulting in blunders) thrown when trying to get the Hessian Grenadiers into forward gear ALL AT THE SAME TIME! That would have been very helpful. Rob normally gets his fair share of blunders but this time only managed it once, and it didn't spoil any of his plans at all.

The Hail Caesar break test table worked really well as it added a certain something and another level of uncertainty to the game. It certainly meant that it was risky to have your skirmishers exposed up front as it proved to be quite annoying seeing them suffer casualties from a line or a battery and come tumbling back to safety. Not unrealistic I reckon. We also had plenty of units dithering while disordered and everything felt right, even when my soopa doopa Grenadier thugs got bounced! I am now getting very excited about the imminent arrival (I hope) of the BP AWI supplement. NOT because I am a slave to rules and army supplements, but because I am very interested to see how Steve has translated the 20 or so real battles into workable BP scenarios.

My next planned game isn't until mid-August when Conrad is coming up, but I hope to get another game in before then, depending on my health.

AWI Two for the price of one! Or, "how I played more or less the same game twice in one week and lost both times!" Part 1

Two games this week, both AWI. John the Red came up Monday evening and Rob was here on Wednesday night. I was keen to give the 'revised' BP break test and disorder rules (derived from those used in Hail Caesar) another try out, slightly tweaked to allow for the possibility of having more units in a state of disorder and unable to move than we saw in the game last week. To recap, in BP if a player throws a 6 during shooting, the target unit is automatically disordered. This is not necessarily a  physical state, ie as a result of crossing a river or after a melee, but more of a mental/command and control one, where the unit has momentarily lost cohesion due to the effects of officers and NCOs being hit and that effect on command, or the smoke, disorientation and so forth. The Hail Caesar variant simply adds in a further degree of uncertainty. If a 6 is throw the target has to throw on the break test table (slightly amended); they might be absolutely fine, they might be disordered, or even have to retire. The unit could in extreme circumstances break. I also decided to try and reflect the American habit of picking off officers and NCOs. Any unsaved hits from rifle-armed American skirmishers would automatically cause the target unit to become disordered.

Anyway, Game 1 saw the Americans holding a river crossing defended by a redoubt and some entrenchments against a British attack. The British objective was to capture the crossing and destroy as many Americans as possible. The Americans had to hold and drive off the British.

Forces were as follows.

British: CinC Command 8

1st Brigade: Command 8
Queen's Rangers infantry ( in close order supported  a small unit of skirmishers)
Queen's Rangers Hussars
Native Americans

2nd Brigade: Command 9
2 battalions Grenadiers (large units)
2 battalions Light Infantry (large units)
16th Light Dragoons (including a dismounted troop)
3pdr battery

3rd brigade:Command 7
4 battalions Hessian infantry including 1 of Fusiliers
6pdr battery

4th brigade: Command 8
2 battalions Hessian Grenadiers
1 battalion Hessian infantry

Artillery reserve: Command 8
2 batteries (6pdr and Howitzer)

For Game 2 I replaced the Hessian line infantry regiment in the Hessian Grenadier brigade with a third Grenadier battalion (Hinchliffe figures) which I had just finished basing. I also swapped the Hessian Fusiliers in the other brigade for another newly-based Hinchliffe battalion.

American:  Command 7

Continental Light Dragoons
Militia mounted rifles

1st brigade: Command 8
3 battalions Virginia Militia
3pdr battery

2nd brigade: Command 8
3 battalions Continentals
3pdr battery

3rd  Brigade: Command 9
4 battalions Continentals
3pdr battery

Redoubt: Command 8
12pdr battery
6pdr battery

Pictures and a brief commentary for game 1 on Monday with John, who was the British commander, Sir Henry Clinton.

 (Above, Continental infantry on the march, while below, the British Grenadiers begin their attack. They were very slow in getting moving! In the far distance the Hessian brigade)

(Above,  Continentals and skirmishers holding the hills on the right of their line. Below, the American redoubt guarding the river crossing). 

 (Above, the view from the redoubt. Below, Continentals lurking behind the main American position) 

 (Above and below, the Hessians made a slow if dignified entry as befits my venerable 25mm Hincliffe figures. The British Light battalion can be seen engaging with American skirmishers).

 (Above, the Hessians closed with the American right flank and drove them off with the bayonet, taking severe casualties in the process, enough to see the entire brigade spent and unable to take any further part in the battle. Below, the other Hessian brigade steps forward in an attack on the American centre).

 (Above, The Hessians on the American right still pushing on regardless of casualties at this point. Below, on the other flank the Queen's Rangers have crossed the stream and are advancing on the American left, supported below by Native Americans).

 (Above, another view of the very slow Hessian advance in the centre while below the British grenadiers and light dragoons fail to move).

 (The American defences: above the redoubt and below the earthworks defended by Virginia militia).  

 (Above, the Militia mounted rifles supported by the 2nd Continental Dragoons. Below, the British right flank engages the Americans and begins to push them back).

 (Above, Hessians in the centre closing on the American entrenchments while below the 1st Light Infantry charge the enemy, eventually breaking them!) 

 (Above and below, the British Grenadiers making a move, albeit a very slow and small one!)

(Above, the Hessian Grenadiers charge and carry the American earthwork, as a result of which the American centre began to buckle).

Essentially, the Hessians (after a slow start on the British left) pretty much spent themselves in their attacks on the American line but did severely damage their opponents and kept them out of the battle. The brigade eventually became shaken thanks to the attention of the Hessians and the Light infantry. In the centre the combined light battalions made hard work of driving off the Americans on the hill and around the barn but in the end beat them off, shattering the brigade in the process. The British Grenadiers were supposed to punch a hole through the American line towards the redoubt but due to some unfortunate command rolls by the time they got into position it was all over!  The Hessian Grenadiers took heavy casualties and took several attempts to do so but eventualy made it across the stream and after a sharp melee drove off the militia defenders. Pressure from the British right flank caused the whole militia brigade to break. With over half of their forces shaken or dispersed the Americans admitted defeat and that was that. Victory for the British, despite the fact that skin on custard sets quicker than their attack developed!

The amendments worked really well.

Part 2 later.......