Frederick back in the saddle!

Today, we returned to the Seven Years War after a couple of weeks, I left my Russians at home licking their wounds from their last defeat, and dug my Prussians out again.

Typically, I won the initiative and a greater deployment area (- my Russians always seemed to be defending!!!!), so my Austrian opponent Lawrence had the choice of side to defend in. With reverse slopes and woodland on his flanks, he could hide a good part of his troops...

Our deployments, Prussians to the right.

 I had Frederick, and on my left, a Prussian cavalry brigade of Hussars and Kuirassiers, supported heavily with light and medium guns.

 Next to them I had two brigades of musketeers.

Phil, on my right had a musketeer brigade, and a grenadier brigade, supported by a heavy gun. 

 On his right, he had two Kuirassier regiments, two dragoon regiments and a battalion of Frei Korps.

 The Austrians opposite only displayed 4 brigades of infantry, and four medium guns.

Von Seydlitz, my cavalry commander, sent forward his light gun covered by the hussars, who scouted ahead for the Austrian flank. 

My infantry failed to move as a group, one of my brigadiers must have been having a nap! 

Only my big battery of medium guns advanced, cautiously. 

 I had Frederick help the incompetent brigadier in Phil's half of the army, so he could advance on the Austrian centre.

 His cavalry probed forward.

 Even his Frei Korps left the relative safety of the hill! - the Austrians must have been shaking in their boots!

 My Hussars triggered a massed Austrian cavalry advance from their hidden deployment area.

 Most of the Austrian infantry advanced on my infantry.

 The Reichs infantry advanced on Phil's brigades.

The Reichs Kavalrie sent a Kuirassier regiment forward to chase my Hussars away. My heavy cavalry were heavily outnumbered by theirs, would I be able to hold them? 

Three of the four Austrian regiments advanced on my infantry, the fourth failed to move. 

By this time, the Reichs infantry were almost in musket range of Phil's line. 

The Bretlach Kuirassiers emerged from the wood, and advanced on Phil's Kuirassiers and Frei Korps, who fell back.

More Austrian horse waited behind them. 

 My brigades engaged the Austrian infantry, and rapidly gained the upper hand.

 The Reichs infantry were doing the same to Phil's Grenadiers, who brushed off the casualties!

 Phil's Kuirassiers smashed into Regiment Bretlach... 

...who routed them in short order! 

Bretlach pursued into Kuirassier regiment 7...

...but were routed in turn by a brisk countercharge!

On my wing, my Kuirassiers were allowing their supporting artillery to soften up the advancing Reichs Kuirassiers.

They only managed to cause a little disorder though. 

 The Reichs Kuirassiers charged and my Kuirassiers flinched, being caught at the halt and routed! - Ignominy!

My second line drove them away under Seydlitz's direction...the survivors could not outrun my men, and surrendered.

My infantry were continuing to win in their fire fight with the Austrians. 

Indeed, the Austrian line was looking fragile now. 

Soon, a regiment broke off, falling back through their second line. 

The other was still resisting the heavy Prussian fire, bravely. 

The Austrian second line advanced on my victorious infantry, who were still recovering from their long musket exchange. 

Phil's grenadiers were still failing to break through! 

 ...but the rest of the Austrian front line had collapsed.

 Regiment Trautmannsdorf - apparently seeing the way things were going, failed to charge the pursuing Prussian Kuirassiers.

 With his line in disorder, Lawrence now ceded the battle and withdrew.

Poor Lawrence, he had several incompetent brigadiers and some awful combat dice, and this sealed the Austrian's fate. I definitely felt it wasn't my stellar generalship which won the day, but rather the stout Prussian infantry!