Today, with no one else to play with, which would have possibly seen us playing Sails of Glory or some such thing, Lawrence and I tried the newly updated 7 years war rules again! We are really enjoying rediscovering the period! Last night I ordered more 7YW Russians.....!
Despite the new terrain rules, I rolled appallingly and we just got 1 large hill to fight over!
Despite the new terrain rules, I rolled appallingly and we just got 1 large hill to fight over!
I had a right wing of Serbski hussars, and 2 units of Don Cossacks.
My centre was conventional, 2 lines of infantry heavily supported by artillery.
My left had Kalmucks leading Kuirassiers, Horse Grenadiers and dragoons. My incompetent commander also had 2 battalions of infantry and 2 heavy guns.
Lawrence had less infantry than me, but a lot of (generally heavier)...cavalry.
His centre was similar to mine...
Facing my light horse, he had an Austrian Kuirassier regiment backed by 2 of dragoons.
My right wing commander only got the Serbs moving!
My left commander got nothing going, until my C-in-C got the Kalmucks and Kuirassiers started.
Lawrence had incompetent commanders too! His left wing only got a Kuirassier regiment going.
His right was in a little confusion at this point, the Austrian hussars were away, but the heavy horse was stalled by the manoeuvering artillery.
(An overview at this point)
The C-in-C had to prompt the Horse grenadiers and dragoons to start after the Kuirassiers and Kalmucks.
The Kalmucks were rather overfaced by the elite Austrian hussars, but advanced nonetheless.
My infantry centre had advanced a howitzer to support the light horse on my right, my plan all the time had been to bait his horse onto my artillery and infantry.
The Serbian hussars got the attention of Regt. Trautmannsdorf.
I brought my howitzer into play, and detached an infantry brigade to support the light cavalry.
The howitzer missed the manoeuvering kuirassiers.
To be fair, Lawrence's artillery was not effective either!
Finally, on my left, a breakthrough! One of my heavy guns disordered the Austrian hussars! My commander ordered the Kalmucks to charge them...but they refused, and continued nocking arrows...
The Austrians were rapidly returned to good order, but didn't fancy attacking the fierce Kalmucks!
Lawrence's heavy horse was stacking up behind the dilatory hussars...
...as was mine behind the Kalmucks!
The French infantry began to advance into my totally ineffectual artillery.
Even my howitzer seemed unable to hit anything!
The race was on, could my infantry and artillery combine before the Franco/Austrian cavalry drove off my light horse?
On the left centre, my Kargopol horse grenadiers saw an opportunity to drive into the flank of the enemy cavalry, in process driving off the French light infantry, but they managed to disorder my cavalry.
Regt Trautmannsdorf on my right drove off the Serbian hussars and crashed into my Cossacks! They rode over them!
The other Cossacks fled with them, leaving the brave Serbs alone to face the Austrians!
In the centre, I was holding my own...
...but the loss of my left left my right wing hanging in the air!
This was the time for me to concede, while my army was still in a state to march off table, had I continued, my left would probably have lost too...and this would have been a disaster as my foot would be surrounded!
Well done to Lawrence!
