Prussian Resurgence (3)

 Today, at IPhil's request, we repeated last week's game, and did Seven Years War again. We don't mind as we love the period!

As ever, I failed to get the Initiative!!! - but the table was a forgiving one, with only one side having a light wood in their deployment area, so we gave the French that side!...the French didn't get to deploy in the flank sectors, so we had to cram in the central sector.

Its sad our tables aren't big enough to deploy our cavalry properly on the flanks, an extra 2 foot would be great!

The overview of our battle at game start. French on the left.

I had placed our grenadiers in the front line today, in the right centre, I commanded the weaker flank on the left, Mick took our right, and Von Seydlitz, with a strong cavalry wing.

The French had to deploy their Cavalry in the light wood, which would slow their deployment into the fields beyond. Lawrence took the right, IPhil the left, with the mighty Swiss and the Reichs Cavalry.

We randomised our brigadiers, and I got a Brave Incompetent cavalry commander!...

It was made better that I had a Competent infantry brigadier commanding my large left wing command on the hill.

The French had a Competent brigadier too, and chose to have him command a small central brigade, primarily made up of Rgt Alsace.

The French began the battle, the Turpin Husars and the Cuirassiers Du Roi were the only ones to get through the wood!. To their left, Lawrence's infantry refused to advance, only a heavy gun battery moved forward.

IPhil got a fair amount of his horse advancing headed by the dreaded Szechényi Hussars. 

Their centre advanced slowly at first so as not to leave some regiments who had not got their orders -behind!

Mick had Seydlitz, and their cavalry wing advanced steadily and in good order.

On my left wing, My Half-wit only got Hussar regiment 1 and a Kuirassier regiment moving, but it was enough for now. The Frei Korps moved left too.

The Prussian infantry line remained in place, to allow our artillery to play on our advancing enemies!

The French artillery halted at the advance of my Hussars, and my guns disordered them for good measure!

I had hoped my Hussars, with a Brave general, would charge the gun, but no. Another '1' on the dice!!!! - we halted, forcing the following Kuirassiers to deviate.

Lawrence tried to reorder his battery, but failed, the following infantry was forced to halt behind them!

Supported by his Heavy artillery, Mick got the Prussian right into a beautiful line to attack.

As they charged forward, though, a French battery blasted them, causing casualties!

On our left my Hussars had clashed with the French Turpin Hussars, both sides threw low on the dice, but mine were better, and we had greater numbers...

The French routed, pursued by my Hussars...who hit the French heavy artillery and destroyed it!

Lawrence had got his horsemen through the woods, and deployed them to engage my wing.

My Hussars were engaged by French infantry, whose volley went high!

On Mick's side, the Austrian Bretlach Kuirassiers charged the disrupted Prussian horse.

IPhil had retreated the Szechényi Hussars as he didn't fancy their chances fighting Mick's Heavy cavalry.

In the centre, the French infantry clashed with their Prussian counterparts, but only the Swiss caused heavy casualties.

As usual (!) my left wing regiment, having taken minor losses, retreated through the second line, disordering them too!- fortunately it was in the Competent Brigadier's command, and he rapidly reordered his men!

Our return fire was much more effective, and the French replicated my bad morale roll twice, forcing half the French front line to retreat in disorder too!

Mick's cavalry fight, predictably, did not go well! Rgt Bretlach smashed the damaged and disordered Prussian regiment.

However, the brave Prussian survivors extricated themselves from the melee and retreated to safety.

My Hussars, having failed to get an order from my Brave Nincompoop decided their best action was to charge the French infantry!

Amazingly it almost worked! If the French brigadier had not been so close, the French infantry would have fallen back and been cut to pieces! - as it was, they steadily fired into the charging Hussars and stopped them short of contact.

The following Kuirassiers had advanced to engage the Cuirassiers Du Roi.

The winded Bretlach Kuirassiers were faced by a fresh Prussian one...

...and the rest of the front line Prussian Kuirassiers charged the Reichs Cavalry.

The Prussians rolled over the Reichs troopers easily!

As the Szechényi Hussars escaped to the centre, the Reichs Cavalry retreated in disorder through their supporting units...the Prussians only needed to charge to sweep them away!

In the centre the Swiss were losing badly against the brave Prussian Fusiliers and Grenadiers.

In fact they were close to breaking!

The weakened Austrian Kuirassiers were (probably) about to get their arses handed to them...

...The French infantry was in a difficult state...

...Abd the Cuirassiers Du Roi failed to charge my Prussians!

Lawrence, probably sensibly saw the game was up, and declared a retreat.

It was another day decided by some freaky dice! Poor Lawrence and IPhil got the worst of it, even though they played well!