Today, we had another Seven Years War game at our club, as Rhys wasn't with us (he doesn't like 7YW much!)
With Lawrence still absent, I had another Prussian/Russian engagement with Phil.
Dave from our club was without a game, so we invited him into ours! He rapidly got the Gist of how my rules worked and joined my Prussian army as a wing commander.
With Lawrence still absent, I had another Prussian/Russian engagement with Phil.
Dave from our club was without a game, so we invited him into ours! He rapidly got the Gist of how my rules worked and joined my Prussian army as a wing commander.
Our battlefield a kidney shaped steep hill, 2 woods and some low hills.
That steep hill and wood would make things difficult.
I won initiative with enough of a margin to extend into one of the flank sectors with my deployment - but Phil got choice of table side, and took the good one!
I had Frederick II two brigades of musketeers 2 batteries of medium guns a regiment each of Hussars and Dragoons, and two regiments of Kuirassiers.
Dave got Von Seydlitz with 2 regiments each of Kuirassiers and Dragoons with Frei battalion Mayr, three regiments of Musketeers three Grenadier battalions and a heavy gun battery. He had to deploy his horse in the light wood - but I thought he would clear that in short order.
The game began as my artillery went on a hill, while HR1 led a regiment of Kuirassiers past them, looking for the Russian flank.
My second Kuirassier regiment and Dragoons failed to move, however.
One of my infantry brigades began advancing, but the other (with an incompetent in charge!) just stood there! so my other brigade only advanced slowly, in hopes that the incompetent brigadier would catch up!
Frederick was displeased and moved to prompt the miscreant!
Dave, with reasonable commanders, managed to advance in line, though his reserve regiment failed to activate.
Dave, blessed with the Brave and Competent Von Seydlitz, advanced out of the wood, rather slower than I had thought.
The Russians responded with a general infantry advance, a reserve brigade of Grenadiers and a gun moved behind the line to extend the line.
On the Russian left, there was more aggressive infantry movement, but their horse remained quiescent.
Von Seydlitz had got his horse clear of the wood.
His infantry too was advancing in fine style.
With Frederick urging him on, my poor brigadier caught up.
My right wing cavalry managed to get the second regiment of Kuirassiers advancing.
Hussar regiment 1 failed to charge the undeployed Russian guns, and my following Kuirassiers nearly ran into their rear!
One of Dave's regiments advanced on their Russian opponents, and disrupted their line.
Dave's Kuirassiers advanced rapidly to try and engage the Russian horse.
My right wing horse looked to be doing the same, bypassing the Russian infantry.
With Dave's infantry already engaged with more numerous Russian infantry, I sent Frederick to support him.
The Russian infantry reserved their fire, then edged into close range before firing!
The Prussian heavy battery finally got into action...
...damaging a Russian battalion.
Under fire from Prussian infantry and artillery, the shattered front line regiment retreated through their second line, disordering it.
The Russian guns stood alone against the dogged Prussian Grenadiers.
Dave had the chance to charge the Russian Grenadiers, who were still deploying and in disarray, but bottled it! - prefering to advance his Frei troops.
My infantry finally closed with the long Russian line.
My men, too, managed to disrupt the Russian line.
Phil had, by now, finally got his Grenadiers deployed to face Von Seydlitz.
The disordered infantry next to them were getting reordered, slowly.
My Hussars moved into position to attack the poor quality Corps of Observation infantry.
The Russian centre moved to enfilade a Prussian regiment, and destroyed a battalion!
The Prussian Grenadiers finally, with great loss, destroyed the isolated Russian gun!
My infantry were winning their fight with the Russian line.
My Hussars, though, were routed by the surprisingly solid Corps of Observation infantry!
The Prussian Grenadiers were overwhelmed by the arrival of the fresh Russian Grenadiers...
... They rallied in front of the second line. Frederick stabilised IR6 to act as a rallying point.
The lone battalion was now attacked by the second line Russian infantry...
...and finally routed!
Even Frederick couldn't rally such a shattered unit!
My infantry was still fighting the Russian Musketeers, who refused to flee!
My artillery was now playing on the Corps of Observation Grenadiers...
...one of their battalions was taking heavy losses.
Dave's brave Prussian infantry was able to get a final good volley in...but still the Russians held their ground!
My cavalry was unable to attack the Russian militia due to command failure!!!
The Russians facing my infantry were making a mess of my neat lines!
The Russian right wing infantry advanced on the Prussian Grenadiers.
My battered infantry were continuing to batter the Russian line...
...we were still unable to break them...but their return fire was lack-luster!
My infantry got another good volley in....
...the Russian survivors fell back on their second line.
The Russian Grenadiers pushed the Frei Korps back and fired on the weakened Prussian Grenadiers...
The Prussians, though, steadily poured fire into the overconfident Russians!
Overconfident? not a bit of it! The steady Russians let rip with a massive return volley!
At this point, we had to call it a draw, the battle had been a meat grinder, with whole regiment being cut to pieces!...
...but no cavalry action (sigh!)
