The End of the Affair

 We left the battle outside Rahden  at an early stage, with pursuing Prussian Cuirassiers charging determinedly against the  Austrians at bay.  I will give a fairly 'blow-by-blow' account of the ensuing battle, as ( plot spoiler alert! ) it didn't take up too many turns.

Austrians stand fast..

Von Gehirne's Prussians won the initiative and moved first in Turn 2,  bringing on their third cavalry unit ( von Kleist Horse Grenadiers ), and opening ineffective fire with their gun. Their 2nd squadron von Preussen Cuirassiers charged into action against the Austrian Cuirassiers,  forcing them back to the hill they had started from - the Prussians used the 'follow up' rule to attack again, and the dice was with them, taking 1 SP from the Austrians, quite a reverse. The Austrians fought back in their turn, their Cuirassiers pushing back 2nd Von Preussen, while the 1st Battalion Botta infantry counter-attacked 1st Von Preussen and pushed them back, too!  The fighting was really back-and-forth stuff.  At the end of the Turn, losses were even at 2 SP each.

getting stuck in - Turn 2

Turn 3 opened encouragingly for  Baren's Austrians, their gun and 2nd Botta infantry's fire taking 2 SPs from the Prussian infantry, while 1st Botta's musketry further pushed back their Von Preussen Cuirassier opponents. But the Prussians swept back - their gunners found the range and took 1 SP from their opposite number, and their Horse Grenadiers followed-up by charging the Austrian gun, forcing the gunners to retreat ( the alternative, of losing 1 SP, would have wiped them out), and following up, forcing them back yet again! This gave a small rules quandry, resulting in me concluding  that only the crew would retreat, leaving the gun behind them ( it seems unlikely that gunners would be able to trundle their piece backwards with them under cavalry attack!), I decided that if they could subsequently return to the same hex as the abandoned gun, they could resume firing. This was a major blow against the Austrians. To add to the pain, von Kleist foot opened fire on 2nd Botta, and took 1 SP.  After Turn 3,  losses still level at 4SP each.. 

 

Disaster - Austrian gunners do a runner

The Prussian cavalry had torn a big hole in the centre of the  Austrian position, but the fightback was determined - their Cuirassers and 1st Botta pushed back   2nd Von Preussen and the Horse Grenadiers, while 2nd Botta's fire inflicted casualties on the Prussian Fusilers. On the Prussian turn the Horse Grenadiers suffered further, losing 1 SP in the continued melee with Erzerhog Ferdinand Cuirassiers.  6SP to 4SP in favour of Austria,  perhaps the tide was turning?

 Turn 5 began well  for Austria,  Den Baren winning the initiative, and his Curiassiers hit the Horse Grenadiers for another SP loss -   but the Prussians fought back savagely.  Their Fusiliers attacked 2nd Botta, pushed them back and took the wood they had been holding, while both von Preusssen sqaudrons surged forward - 1st squadron pushing back 1st Botta, following up and then taking 1 SP from the battered infantry,  while 2nd squadron tore into the Austrian Cuirassiers, taking their final SP - the end of the Austrian horse. Disaster for the Austrians : 3 SPs lost in one turn,  gun out of action, cavalry gone.  Score at the end of Turn 5, still level at 7 SPs each lost, but things look desperate for the Austrians. 

 

Turn 5 - guns abandoned, no horse: Austrian foot holding on - just

Turn 6 was the coup de grace - aided by good die-rolling, the Prussians 1st Cuirassiers and Horse Grenadiers now thundered into 1st and 2nd Botta infantry, taking 1 SP from each of them, while Prussian foot and guns began to move around the open flank of the Austrian position.  But the Austrian foot were still fighting - their 2nd battalion pushed the Prussian  fusiliers out of the wood, while 1st and 3rd battalions fire forced the 1st von Preussen 'yellow riders' back,  twice. A spirited defence, but crucially their gunners had not been able to recover the guns, and those 2 SPs lost to the Prussian cavalry had pushed the Austrian losses to 9 SPs, meaning that  Den Baren's men had reached their Exhaustion Point. From now on, defensive fire and retreat moves only - and  those Prussian reinforcements would arrive soon. 

Turn 6:  Cavalry coup de grace

 -

And so to Turn 7 - the Prussians won initiative, and could now roll for entry of their 4 battalions of fresh infantry - rolled a 6, success!  An imposing mass of foot marched into view, leaving the three Austrian battalions facing  six Prussian foot units,  three heavy cavalry and two guns - surely an impossible situation?

 

Prussian masses march into view

And so it proved. Rupert Den Baren's men could try to make a fighting retreat, but would surely not be able to take a further 8 SPs from their pursuers to inflict exhaustion. More likely, the three battalions would simply be overwhelmed and destroyed.  Recognising the reality of the situation, Den Baren went forward to seek out his opposite number under a white flag, and agreed to surrender his remaining troops.  His previous panicky decision to abandon the city of Rahden and its fortifications had led him to this, but at least he could save his surviving units from decimation.  And so, into captivity they go - a major blow for the Austrian campaign.  If only they had stayed in the city and faced a siege or storm, they might have held out until a relief force could be sent.  Even during this battle they might have got away -  6 to 4 up at one point, and even having reached 7 SPs lost each on Turn 5, some better dice luck might have inflicted exhaustion on their enemy and allowed them to retire safely -  but now we will never know. The Prussians had the advantage of numbers and those fiercesome heavy cavalry, but their task was not easy, and their horse had performed well against a desperate defence - Fortune  ( in the form of dice )  had certainly been with them. 

What next for the campaign with a large part of the Austrian army eliminated?  Will the rampant  Prussians simply overrun them?  We shall see.. Meanwhile, I hope you've enjoyed reading this, as I did playing and reporting it. Keep safe, and well, eveyone.