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Saturday 7 March 2020

A return to the Silesian front

Today, we had a return to our Seven Years war gaming. Phil brought my Russians down, and I my Prussians, for another refight!-- Surely my dice would behave this game?
Things started well enough, as I got to be the attacker, though the Russian light cavalry advantage stopped me deploying in either of the flank sectors.

The Russian deployment.
I deployed my horse on the right, though the steep hill in my deployment area, and the dense wood between me and the Russian left would slow things!, Lawrence deployed the Prussian left wing horse in rough ground.
We had a strong infantry line facing the Russian infantry.
Lawrence began by getting two Kuirassier regiments deployed, behind his advancing infantry. 
 I got all my horse moving, with Hussars leading, my Frei Korps headed for the dense wood, of course!
Lawrence had a battery of medium guns in our centre, and opened up on the Russian infantry opposite. 
At this range though, all he managed was to disorder an infantry battalion. 
The rest of Lawrence's horse were now clear of the rough ground. 
 His lead Kuirassiers (KR8) headed for the weaker Russian right.
Phil was advancing his infantry to meet ours, and sent his horse to meet ours! 
 Phil's left wing horse was still in position - they too thought our wing would be a bust.
The Russians reached the low hill before my men got there, Russians on a hill are hard to shift, as I well know! 
Lawrence's infantry was advancing - at this stage he outflanked the Russian infantry. 
The Russian left wing horse, led by the fearsome Kalmyks finally advanced! 
Their right wing horse finally got deployed into line... 
...to our surprise he kept the Serbski hussars in the lead. 
 He also got his reserve infantry, mostly converged grenadiers, to extend his right.
The Russian left wing began forming in a defensive formation. 
My lights opposite hoped to sting their wing into action. 
 My infantry began their assault on the hill, supported by a detached grenadier battalion from my second line.
Lawrence's line halted in front of the Russian right wing infantry. 
 He began a fierce fire-fight with the men in green.
He enveloped the Russian artillery, killing the crew...
The corps of observation grenadiers next to them also took casualties.
They retreated in disarray, disordering the dismounted dragoons and infantry of the second line.
Thing didn't go all the Prussian way, a Russian heavy gun ripped into one of Lawrence's battalions.
On his left, Lawrence used an echeloned Kuirassier attack to disrupt the Russian horse. 
Meanwhile, on the low hill, my men were making progress. 
My men were taking casualties too though, as the battle became brutal! 
 Somehow, the Russians on the hill, despite being outnumbered, were holding on! 
 Lawrence's KR8 was attacked (!) by the Serb hussars, who obviously came off worse!!!
 They didn't rout though, just retreated from the unharmed Prussian horse!
Back on my hill, I got a crashing volley in on the dwindling Russian defenders... 
One of the regiments fell back in disorder... 
 ...only rallying at the rear of the hill.
KR8 had a nasty surprise - following up the Russian hussars, they met a battalion of Russian grenadiers who fired a volley. 
The other Prussian Kuirassier regiment (KR11?) beat a Russian cuirassier regiment which had been following their hussars. 
Amazingly, again, the Russian horse didn't rout, but continued to fight in melee!! 
Lawrence's Kuirassiers broke through them, passing the retreating KR8. 
The Serb hussars rallied on the rear Russian regiments.
 The second line Russian infantry now counterattacked the victorious Prussian regiments.
One of the already battered regiments... 
...fell back through their second line. 
In the centre, the Prussians were, however, still getting the best of the infantry fight. 

Lawrence's second Kuirassier regiment crashed into another Russian one. 
 
Within 2 turns, only a single squadron of Russian Kuirassiers remained, both regiments had been ruined by the combat!
 Meanwhile, my hussars, supported by the Frei Korps in the wood advanced on the Russian left wing horse.
On the hill, new Russian reserves had moved up. 
 I had been trying to use the hill to put pressure on the Russian centre... 
  ...with some success!
I was held by the Reserve Russians, though.
The weakened first line units were even coming up to reinforce the line!

As Frederick the Great said: 'Its not enough to kill the Russians, you need to knock them over too' 
Lawrence had by now moved a regiment of fusiliers from his second line to engage the Russian grenadiers. 
His front line infantry were getting rather... swamped.
The Fusiliers deployed, though under fire from a battalion of Russian grenadiers! 
 The Prussians got the best of the exchange, the wing was saved.
 Encouraged, the Prussian musketeers of the front line drove forwards.
My Hussars had been forced back, meanwhile, by some Russian cuirassiers, so I faced them with my own Kuirassiers! 
My infantry were still fighting for that damned hill!
At this point, we really had run out of time, so both sides decided it was a bloody, Zorndorf like draw!


My dice had behaved at least, its been a while!...

2 comments:

  1. Wonderful battle, plenty of tactical maneuvers and intensive fights and skirmishes!! Love to read it. Which rules do you use?
    Peter

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  2. Thanks for the kind comment!, the rules are my own, available free to download from this link https://herkybird.tynesidewargames.co.uk/syw.html

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