Action!

Gen. Dachs Advance Guard lying in wait..

 
"At this stage of our war game saga it would not be amiss to stage a practical demonstration of how the rules as they have already been established govern an actual war game".   I really can't argue with Charles Grant, so here goes..

But first,  a special welcome to our first two followers, my old comrade  LiverpoolDave and none other than Bob 'Portable Wargame' Cordery.  It's an honour, and something of a responsibility*.  I hope I can keep your interest!

A word on the rules:  I decided to use  Bob's 'Portable Napoleonic Wargame' brigade-level game,  but I wanted to impart some flavour of the Seven Years' War period, especially its  linear infantry  tactics. Keeping things as simple as possible,  I made only these changes:

(i) Infantry  Square formation  is not allowed.

(ii) Infantry in  column may not 'charge'  i.e. move to close combat. Column is for marching, not attacking.

(iii) Horse Artillery  is not allowed.

(iv) I removed the modifier ( +1 or +2 ) for cavalry initiating  close combat against infantry in Line - and did  not use the 'infantry in line vs. Cavalry' hit resolution table. I considered a bonus for cavalry attacking infantry column, but the circumstances did not arise.

I thought these should be enough to ensure the infantry 'shook out' into line when approaching the enemy, and reflect their confidence in repelling cavalry with disciplined volley fire.   Perhaps the 'no column attack' rule is a bit harsh?  I admit I'm going with my dim and distant memory of Fredrician tactics;   your comments welcome..

The battle for Tragers Grat,  1760

Transporting  Bob's 'Porter's Ridge'  scenario to the Cruel Wars in Higher Germany, we have the somewhat obscure battle for the equally obscure  'Tragers Grat'.   

Having seen  the opposing brigades of Generals Dachs and Erich von Kleist, and  the contested terrain, in previous posts,  we have Dachs and his  Austrian  advance guard of 'Grenzer' foot, artillery and 'rifles' positioned on the ridge and in the woods,  awaiting their Prussian  foe. And so to battle..

Turn 1 : enter von Kleist. Note Austrian 'rifles' in the woods - dozing!

On Turn1 , Von Kleist's column marched up the road led by his splendid Uhlans, with 1st and 2nd von Kleist Friekorps foot following on. Too good a target for the Austrian guns to resist - target in column, and General Dachs in person urging on his gunners.   A hit - and first blood,  the Uhlans lose 1 Strength Point (SP).  Not a good start, but they were not shaken, as we shall see.   Unfortunately Dachs was so preoccupied with his guns that he entirely forgot to order his rifles unit to fire on the Prussian foot - within rifle range , and would have been unable to answer with their muskets. A grievous error!

On Turn 2,  the Austrian Hussars  appeared at the Northern end of the road, and deployed into line. Nothing daunted, von Kleist's Uhlans charged - and in the ensuing close combat, the Hussars lost 1 SP, levelling things up.  And so began an epic tussle between the two cavalry units, evenly matched - first one and then the other taking a hit and losing an SP or being being forced to retreat.  The Uhlans were down to only 1 SP after  Turn 3, but kept fighting back, and were only finally destroyed on Turn 7, leaving the Hussars themselves with only 1 SP remaining, and no doubt exhausted.  Von Kleist's Uhlans had done their part heroically, keeping the flank of their infantry protected from the Austrian Hussars.

Meanwhile the Prussian infantry columns ( joined by 1st and 2nd Jager foot  and with their gun in support)  deployed off the road,  formed battle line,  and by Turn 3  began their assault on the  Austrian position.

Turn 3:  Prussians Deploy. Uhlans and Hussars hotly engaged at top right

Austrian reinforcements arrived in the form of their two 'Wildganse'  Jager foot units  on turn 4 and turn 5, from West (the ridge) and North (the road), but on turn 4 disaster struck - their gun  having been first swept by FreiKorps Musketry, then took a second hit from the Prussian gun, and was destroyed!  A big loss to the defenders of the ridge.   However, this blow was softened by the subsequent performance of the Prussian gunners, who spent the next 4 four turns firing at the Grenzer foot on the ridge and  throwing a succession of '1's ,  missing every time!


The Prussian foot meanwhile advanced steadily, preferring to sweep the ridge with their formidable musketry rather than venture an uphill charge and close combat at subsequent disadvantage.  The Grenzers, joined by 1st 'WIldganse' jagers, returned fire equally steadily,  and both gave and took casualties and temporary retreats.  The Austrian rifles'  sniping  delayed the Prussian advance, but even with  the  cover of the woods they were gradually forced back by the weight of fire from the Prussian line battalions.   Casualties mounted on both sides, but  with Prussians getting more luck with 'retreat' results rather than SP losses, and by the end of turn 7  the Austrians had lost  7 SP  (against their 'Exhaustion Point' of 9) to the Prussians 5 . 

Turn 6 : Austrian reinforcements in action, musketry all along the line.

Turn 8 saw  battle joined between opposing Jager units  by the road in the North, with Uhlans now destroyed but Hussars severely weakened.  Austrian fortunes turned, as their musketry from the ridge took 2 SPs from the Freikorps foot, and the rifles one more SP in repelling a charge by Prussian Jagers into the woods. But Prussian muskets found their mark too.  8 SPs lost each,  only 1SP short of exhaustion on both sides..

And so Turn 9 saw a conclusion - the Prussian gunners finally found the range and took 1 SP from the Grenzer foot on the ridge, so the Austrians were certain to reach exhaustion. The rifles were further pushed back, and indeed out of the woods, by another  charge of Prussian Jagers, and the other Prussian Jager unit's musketry hit and destroyed their Austrian counterparts on the ridge.  General Dachs' defenders were thus well and truly exhausted, and the position on the ridge looking uncertain.  The Austrian Grenzers managed to stave off disaster at the last throw, however - their fire  removed one final SP from von Kleist's Frei Korps foot, and pushed the Prussians to exhaustion in their turn.

Turn 9 : Final Situation, mutual exhaustion!

And so we have the final situation - both sides exhausted and unable to advance.  The Austrians had  held on to the ridge , and von Kleist's men were in no state to attack it further,  but Dachs had lost 10 SPs to von Kleist's  9 SPs.  A tactical Austrian victory , having held the position?  But at greater loss - I think an honourable draw.  I had a lot of fun with this - I hope you have enjoyed it, too!

Next time - the after action analysis.  Confidential report by Herr Pundit von Lineker,  Head of Intelligence..

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*'but how shall we **** off, oh Lord?'