Reinforcements for King Louis (Part 10: Du Roi Regiment & Grenadiers de France)

The 18th Century arms-race continues this week, with yet more reinforcements for the Army of Louis XV.  You can never have enough French infantry, so here are another eight battalions; four battalions apiece from the Du Roi Regiment and the Grenadiers de France.  That means that I’m now well over two-thirds of the way toward my objective of 63 battalions for the Battle of Minden and I’ve almost reached the 49 battalions required for the Battle of Dettingen (still rather a lot of cavalry to paint, however).

Above:  The Du Roi (‘King’s’) Infantry Regiment was first raised by Louis XIV on 2nd January 1663.  The intention was for the sons of the most élite noble families in France to start their military careers in the regiment, which would also serve as a ‘model’ regiment for the development and demonstration of new drills and tactics.  Initially designated as the 14th most-senior line infantry regiment in the army, it was promoted to 12th in 1671 and was still in that position of seniority during the Seven Years War.

The regiment saw extensive action during the War of Devolution, the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years War and the Wars of Spanish, Polish and Austrian Succession.  During the Seven Years War the regiment was engaged at the Battles of Hastenbeck, Krefeld, Minden, Corbach, Vellinghausen, Neuhauss and Wilhelmsthal.  Although most of these engagements were defeats for the French, the regiment consistently acquitted itself well and never suffered any catastrophe.

Above:  The Du Roi Regiment was one of the larger infantry regiments in the army, being consistently organised throughout its existence as four battalions.  

These are all Eureka Miniatures 18mm French Infantry figures.  I’ve gone for the ‘with turnbacks’ option to show off the coat-lining and the lace on the waistcoat.

Above:  The Du Roi Regiment was dressed in the usual off-white, unbleached wool coat (often interpreted as ‘grey’), though was slightly more colourful than most regiments, with blue cuffs, tail-turnbacks, waistcoat and breeches.  The exact shade of blue is a matter of some uncertainty, being depicted as everything from ‘French’ or ‘Royal’ blue to light sky-blue.  I’ve opted for the medium ‘Turquin’ blue shown in most artistic depictions. 

The uniform was further decorated with ‘aurore’ lace buttonholes – three sets of three on each side of the breast, another three on each cuff and another three on each pocket.  The waistcoat was decorated with evenly-spaced lace buttonholes.  Buttons were brass and hat-lace was ‘false gold’, while officers’ buttons and lace were gold.  Belts and equipment were natural leather and gaiters were white canvas, secured with black garters.

Above:  The Colonel’s Flag of the Du Roi Regiment had the usual white cross on a white field, but the arms of the cross were decorated with fleurs-de-lys and in 1753 had the motto ‘PAR DECORI VIRTUS’ added to the arms of the cross.  The ordonnance flags had the same decoration, though with alternating red and green cantons (green uppermost at the hoist). 

There is some slight disagreement among the details; Kronoskaf says that the motto started with ‘PER’ rather than ‘PAR’, the picture above shows blue cantons, David Morfitt’s version on Not By Appointment shows more fleurs-de-lys and most versions show gold lettering in a Roman font.  These flags are by Maverick Models.

Above:  The Du Roi Regiment, somewhat unsurprisingly, dressed its drummers in the King’s Livery of blue with red cuffs and smallclothes and lace of mixed silver and crimson.

Above:  The Grenadiers de France were a new regiment, that had only been in existence for seven years at the start of the Seven Years War, having been raised on 15th February 1749.  The regiment was formed from 48 grenadier companies, belonging to 24 regiments that had been disbanded at the end of the War of Austrian Succession.  The King had been lobbied to keep the grenadiers and the best of the officers from these regiments in his service and so this new regiment was created.

Despite being a new regiment, the Grenadiers de France were numbered 40th in order of seniority among the infantry regiments of the line (out of 119 regiments).  The regiment fought at the Battles of Hastenbeck, Krefeld, Bork, Minden, Vellinghausen, Wilhelmsthal and Nauheim, almost always being grouped in reserve formations with regiments of the Grenadiers-Royaux.

Above:  The Grenadiers de France were organised into four ‘brigades’.  These brigades were battalion equivalents, each comprising 12 companies and numbering some 720 men of all ranks when at full strength (which like almost all French units, was rarely, if ever achieved). 

Somewhat astonishingly, the Colonels of the 24 disbanded regiments were maintained on-strength and each would command one of the four brigades for two months of the year, on rotation!  There was therefore no regimental Colonel, though oversight was conducted by the General-Inspector, being the Marquis de Saint-Pern until 8th March 1761 and the Comte de Choiseul-Stainville thereafter.

In wargames terms, it’s often rather subjective as to whether regiments given the title ‘grenadier’ or ‘guard’ should be given elite status when they just recruited in the normal manner, like any other regiment.  However, in this instance, they did actually selectively recruit from the grenadier companies of other regiments, so I would argue that they can be considered to be a true ‘elite’.

Above:  The uniform coat of the Grenadiers de France was coloured royal blue, with scarlet collar, tail-turnbacks and half-lapels.  Cuffs and small-clothes were blue and buttons were white metal.  The lapels were normally worn closed across the breast (with hooks and eyes), though officers and NCOs normally wore their coats open, having longer lapels (as shown above).  There are some slight variations in sources, with some (such as the one below) showing scarlet cuffs and others (above) showing blue turnbacks and no collar.

The lapels were decorated with eight white lace buttonholes.  There were another three buttonholes below the lapels, another three on each cuff and another three on each pocket.  The collar also had a buttonhole on each side, as well as white lace edging.  The waistcoat was also decorated with white lace buttonholes.  The coat was further decorated on the right shoulder with a fringed white epaulette, though Kronoskaf shows it wrongly on the left shoulder.  There seems to have been a blue shoulder-strap on the left shoulder to hold the cross-belt in place.

Above:  Sources disagree as to whether the Grenadiers de France had whitened belts or if they were just left in their natural colour.  I went with natural leather, but should probably have gone with white, as that seems to be the colour shown in most artistic depictions.  The cartridge pouch is always shown as natural leather.  One thing to note is that the waist-belt for the sword (which for the rank-and-file was of the curved grenadier pattern) was apparently worn over the coat by the rank-and-file and under the coat by NCOs and officers.

The regiment’s headdress was the characteristic grenadier bearskin cap in black or dark brown fur, which was brushed upward to form a point.  The bearskin is not normally depicted with a front-plate, though one source (above) shows a brass (?) grenade badge being worn by an officer and NCO.  The cap’s bag was scarlet, with a tassel in scarlet or white.  The bag could be worn hanging loose or could be tucked in to form the infamous cul de singe or ‘monkey’s arse’.  These Eureka figures are depicted in the latter style.  Unlike the grenadier officers of most Germanic nations, French grenadier officers wore grenadier caps as opposed to hats, like the British.

The regiment’s drummers wore the King’s Livery with bearskin caps.

Above:  The Grenadiers de France as mentioned above, did not have a single Colonel, so there was no Colonel’s flag (some speculative designs are seen in sources and wargames flag-sheets, though these are apparently incorrect).  Each brigade therefore carried Ordonnance flags of the same pattern.  These had the usual white cross, emblazoned with the Arms of France, with cantons of alternating dark blue and white.  Most sources show the dark blue canton uppermost at the hoist, though Kronoskaf disagrees and has it the other way around.  The blue cantons were each decorated with 18 fleurs-de-lys, arranged in four rows (5-4-5-4) and the white cantons were each decorated with 18 blue grenades with red flames.

I must admit that when I did these, I was working on the assumption that each ‘brigade’ had a pair of flags in the same manner as an infantry battalion.  However, I’ve subsequently read that each brigade only included a single ensign carrying a flag.  Ah well, they look nice… 😉

These lovely flags are by the talented David Morfitt and are available for download from his super Not By Appointment blog.  I printed them off on my own laser-printer (the best investment I ever made!).

This week I’ve made a start on a new army, the Saxons.  That said, it’s not strictly a new army, as I’ve already got four of the six Saxon cavalry regiments that fought alongside the Austrian army during the Seven Years War.  However, I really need some Saxon infantry to fight alongside the French in the Western Theatre of war and it would also be nice to expand this further into a full Saxon army for the War of Austrian Succession.  Anyway, here’s the first regiment.  More soon!

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Painted Units, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Seven Years War French Army, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 7 Comments

The Battle of Corbach, 10th July 1760 (The Refight)

A few weeks ago, our old mate and W.A.S.P. club-deserter Jase Evans was over from New Zealand for a couple of weeks, so of course we had to put on a game.  He’s a huge fan of 18th Century French history, so a Seven Years War game was the natural choice and I decided to do a test-run of my recently-published Corbach scenario.  Jase took the role of French commander and was joined by Andy James and Kirk French, who recognised a winning position when they saw one…  That left me with the unenviable task of commanding the Allies and I was ably assisted by Dave Llewellyn, who wasn’t quick enough off the draw when picking sides!

After considering the options, I decided that the ‘full fat’ version of the scenario would require far too much dull advancing to contact, so decided to get straight into the action with the shorter version, as per the map below.  This requires the scenario-clock to be ‘fast-forwarded’ to start the game on Turn 8.  I also decided to include Bischhausen’s cavalry division as ‘optional reinforcements’ to even the odds for the Allies (arriving no earlier than Turn 15).  I also added a small patch of woodland to the Allied left flank that I’d completely forgotten to include in the map.

Please note however, that this game report contains scenario-spoilers, so if you’re planning to play it, I recommend NOT reading this report until after you’ve played it! 🙂

Above:  The opening situation as seen from behind Allied lines.  General von Luckner’s mixed corps of Hanoverian and Brunswicker light troops, grenadiers and cavalry is deployed on the left flank.

Above:  To Luckner’s right, General Griffin’s small corps of Hessian and Hanoverian infantry is deployed along the crest of a ridge and forms the left wing of the Erbprinz’s main line, supported by a light position battery of Hanoverian 6pdrs.  General von Oheimb’s small reinforcing corps of Brunswick and Hanoverian infantry has just arrived on the battlefield and forms a second line behind Griffin’s infantry.

Above:  General von Grothaus’ British, Hanoverian and Hessian cavalry regiments have formed a widely-spaced line well to the rear of the main position.  On Grothaus’ left, General Webb’s small column of British and Hanoverian infantry is just marching on to the field. 

Above:  General von Kielmansegg’s large corps of Hanoverian and British infantry is deployed further along the right, along the edge of woodland.  Several British and Hanoverian 6pdr position batteries are deployed on a knoll in front of the right flank, guarded by Geyso’s Hanoverian grenadier battalion.

Above:  With worrying reports of French infantry moving through the densely-wooded hills on the right flank, Kielmansegg has positioned a flank-guard, consisting of two British regiments, the 50th and 51st, along a steeply-banked road and just reinforced it with a further Hanoverian regiment.

Above:  Forward of Kielmansegg’s flank-guard, a detachment of picquets guards the bank of a small stream.

Above:  The whole battlefield, as viewed from the south, with the Allies on the right and the French on the left.

Above:  The Duc de Broglie has just arrived on the field and takes position on the highest point, alongside the Comte de Guerchy’s freshly-arrived position batteries.

[One of the three batteries actually consists of light artillery, but I’d run out of light guns and had to use heavies for all the French position batteries (the labels say what they actually are).]

Above:  On the extreme French right flank, the Marquis de Poyanne’s corps of Carabiniers forms up on high ground, well out of Allied artillery range, to threaten the Allied left flank from a distance. 

[The observant will have noticed that these troops are in fact the red-coated Gendarmerie de France and not the blue-coated Carabiniers!  I hope to have the Carabiniers painted in time for our Christmas game, but for this game I had to use the Gendarmes as rather splendid-looking proxies.  Like the Gendarmerie de France, the Carabiniers were a truly colossal regiment and in game terms are represented by two large units.]

Above:  Keeping the Allies’ attention fixed in the centre is Baron de Clausen’s corps.  Like Luckner’s corps opposite them, this is a mixed advanced guard, consisting of two regiments of Liégeois infantry (the Horion and Vierzet Regiments), the Turpin Hussars, Beauffremont Dragoons, the light infantry of the Volontaires du Dauphiné and the massed Grenadier and Chasseur companies from Rooth’s corps. 

[Unfortunately, I had to cobble this corps together from whatever was left in the box!]

Above:  Advancing against the Allied left wing is the Comte de Guerchy’s massive corps, consisting of seventeen infantry battalions.  However, they have had a hard march to the battlefield and are arriving piecemeal.  Guerchy watches from the heights as the Navarre Brigade (4 battalions of the Navarre Regiment and one from the La Marche-Prince Regiment) advances directly toward the Allied battery and Kielmansegg’s infantry.

Above:  Some distance to the rear, the Du Roi Regiment arrives, followed by the Orléans, Dufort and Auvergne Regiments.  Visible on the left are the massed dragoon squadrons of the Volontaires du Dauphiné and Volontaires de Flandre.

[N.B.  The Du Roi, Royal-Deux-Ponts, Castellas and Diesbach Regiments, as well as the light infantry of the Volontaires de Flandre are the only infantry regiments in my collection that actually match the order of battle.]

Above:  On Guerchy’s left, the eight battalions of the Marquis d’Amenzaga’s corps (four battalions of the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment and two each from the d’Aumont and La Couronne Regiments) have already pushed into the wooded hills and valleys to outflank the Allied line.  

Above: The light infantry of the Volontaires de Flandre push forward through the woods, ahead of d’Amenzaga’s battalions.

Above:  To d’Amenzaga’s rear is the right wing of the Irish Jacobite Comte de Rooth’s corps.  The Royal-Suédois Regiment (here represented by three battalions of blue-coated Germans) form Rooth’s right wing.

Above:  In the centre of Rooth’s corps are the grey-coated German Royal-Deux-Ponts Regiment and the red-coated Swiss Castellas Regiment.

Above:  The left flank of Rooth’s corps and indeed, the entire French army, is formed by two more Swiss regiments; Eptingen and Diesbach.  The dense woodland on the hills has prevented most of the French infantry from deploying their battalion guns, but the Swiss have managed to deploy some of theirs in the open ground of the left flank.

Above:  As the massed position batteries open fire on Kielmansegg’s infantry, the Navarre Brigade advance into the teeth of a storm of shot from the massed British and Hanoverian guns.

Above:  The Du Roi and Orléans Brigades deploy into a deep battle formation and follow the Navarre Brigade into the maelstrom (possibly breaking the all-time record for the number of bounce-throughs from a single shot).  On the hilltop to their left is another battery of light position guns; this one belonging to Rooth’s corps.

Above:  Guerchy’s attack signals a phased advance all along the French line, as Clausen’s corps now also begins to advance.

Above:  In a short time, Poyanne’s Corps of Carabiniers has also joined the general advance.

Above:  The Duc de Broglie watches with satisfaction as his artillery pummels the Allied lines without mercy and the juggernaut of Guerchy’s infantry prepares to smash into the enemy line.  However, is that a new enemy column in the distance…?

Above:  At the head of Guerchy’s column, the Navarre Regiment is taking a hard pounding, but no battalions have yet broken in the face of the Allied firepower.  On the Allied side, Kielmansegg has drawn his left wing in to form a second line.

Above:  D’Amenzaga’s infantry advance through the wood and look set to crush the Allied right flank.  The Volontaires de Flandre make very short work of the tiny detachment of Hanoverian picquets.

Above:  Ignoring the withering hail of canister fire from the British and Hanoverian batteries (who to be fair, would struggle to hit a regiment of elephants parading in close order…), the Navarre Regiment closes with the British-Hanoverian gun-line, forcing most of the gunners to run to the protection of Geyso’s grenadiers.

Above:  [SCENARIO SPOILERS!]  With the Allied right flank about to be overwhelmed by French infantry, fickle fate plays a hand!  The Duc de Broglie, having spotted an Allied column approaching in the distance, misjudges the size of the column and, fearing that he is about to be attacked by the entire Allied army, sends out a flurry of confused orders, halting the attack!  Rooth’s Swiss-German corps on the left flank reacts by immediately turning about and retreating back to their starting positions!

Above:  D’Amenzaga’s corps, deep in the woods, mills about in confusion and adopts a defensive posture.

Above:  However, d’Amenzaga’s light troops, the Volontaires de Flandre, have already reached the road and now lay down a persistent harassing fire on the two British battalions and their supporting battalion gunners.  [For once, Andy’s dice-rolling doesn’t fail him and the Volontaires keep rolling consistent sixes!]

Above:  Unfortunately for the Allies, the only French formation to continue with the attack is also the most powerful formation on the field!  Guerchy’s corps alone has as many infantry battalions as the entire Allied force.  Interestingly, Guerchy decides not to immediately launch a charge with his leading battalions, opting instead to engage in a brutal exchange of musketry and canister.

Above:  With Kielmansegg having shortened his line in order to create a second support line, Guerchy takes advantage of the situation by extending his own line, pushing the Du Roi Regiment out on the right. 

Above:  In the meantime, the British gunners make short work of the French battalion guns to their immediate front, though are soon forced to join their comrades in seeking shelter among their supporting infantry lines.

Above:  At last, an ADC arrives from army headquarters to get d’Amenzaga’s corps moving again!

[Historically, the only corps to continue its attack was Rooth’s, while most of d’Amenzaga and Guerchy’s corps made a temporary retreat.  At that point, the Allies accepted the loss of their guns and made good their retreat.  However, we decided that would be rather dull as a wargame, so we fight on…] 

Above:  Prince Camille of Lorraine’s cavalry corps arrives and immediately moves to attack!

Above:  Clausen’s corps and Poyanne’s Carabiniers however, are still milling about in a state of confusion, waiting for fresh orders.

Above:  The pause in the French attack has provided the Allies with vital time to reinforce the right flank with Oheimb’s and Webb’s corps.

Above:  Grothaus’ Allied cavalry corps (4 squadrons of Hessian dragoons, 2 of British dragoons, 3 of British dragoon guards and 6 of Hanoverian horse) has been dispatched to the right flank, in an effort to prevent Rooth’s Swiss-German corps from crossing the open ground and enveloping the flank of the Allied infantry.

Above:  However, by the time they reach the stream, all they can see are Swiss-German backs disappearing back into the trees!

Above:  Despite the breathing-space given by the stuttering French attack, it’s all going horribly wrong at ‘Kielmansegg’s Korner’!  The first French charge was halted by fire, but attritional losses suffered by the Allied battalions at that point are rapidly becoming unsustainable.  With the threat on the right flank diminished, Kielmansegg swings his two right-flank battalions out to face the main attack and drive back the deeply-irritating Volontaires de Flandre…

Above:  However, a second charge by the Navarre Brigade destroys Kielmansegg’s first line, sweeping away Geyso’s Hanoverian grenadier battalion, the Hanoverian Laffert Regiment, the British 51st Foot (Brudenell’s) and two of the three position batteries!  The deeply-irritating Volontaires de Flandre meanwhile, seem immune to Allied fire as they pick off the last of the British battalion-gunners.

Above:  Their wheel to the left proved fortuitous, as the 50th Foot (Carr’s) and the Plessen Regiment suddenly find themselves in the front line!

Above:  On the left of Kielmansegg’s line, the Hanoverian Bock Regiment suddenly find themselves being the last remnant of the first line, facing the entire Du Roi Regiment alone.

Above:  To the right of the Bock Regiment, the Wangenheim Regiment forms up on the left of the British 50th Foot, supported by the Reden Regiment.  However, the morale of Kielmansegg’s corps is starting to waver…

[i.e. after losing one-third of the corps, they’d become Demoralised in game terms]

Above:  At long last, d’Amenzaga finally gets his corps into action as the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment smashes into the Hanoverian Plessen Regiment on the extreme right flank of the Allied line.

Above:  As d’Amenzaga’s battalions frontally assault the red-coated line, the Deeply Irritating Volontaires de Flandre move to the flank.

Above:  Having already suffered heavy losses, the 50th Foot can take no more and break, leaving a yawning gap in the centre of what remains of Kielmansegg’s line!

Above:  Similarly, on Kielmansegg’s left, the Bock Regiment finally collapses in the face of the Du Roi Regiment.

Above:  D’Amenzaga’s assault destroys the gallant Plessen Regiment, though now faces new enemies in form of Webb’s small British-Hanoverian corps.

Above:  To Webb’s left, Oheimb’s small Brunswick-Hanoverian corps, led by the Hanoverian Dreves Regiment, advances in a desperate attempt to hold the wood.  In front of them, Kielmansegg’s last two units, the Hanoverian Wangenheim and Reden Regiments, finally break and run!

Above:  Guerchy watches with grim satisfaction as his leading regiments finally steamroller into the wood.

Above:  As the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment of d’Amenzaga’s corps forms up on Guerchy’s left, the d’Aumont and La Couronne Regiments are squeezed out and have to form a third and fourth line.  What a bore it must be to have so many battalions…  And as of yet not having even lost ONE of them!  Not that I’m bitter…

Above:  As the fugitives from Kielmansegg’s corps stream past them, Webb’s three battalions; the Hanoverian Jung-Zastrow and British 5th (Hodgson’s) and 24th (Cornwallis’) Regiments of Foot, form a hasty line across the road.  Webb is heard to utter an expletive, “Bugger me, that’s a lot of Frenchmen!”  Nevertheless, Webb’s first act is to finally annihilate the Deeply Irritating Volontaires de Flandre (pleasure before business in this instance).

Above:  At the bottom of the picture, the two battalions of the Brunswick Zastrow Regiment (not to be confused with their Hanoverian neighbours, the Jung-Zastrow Regiment) form up on the left of the Hanoverian Dreves Regiment.  However, this has left a rather large, battalion-sized gap between Oheimb’s and Webb’s corps.

Above:  The Thin Red Line…  Probably about to become a pink smear…

Above:  Things might be going horribly wrong on the right flank, but at least the left flank is secure… Oh, hang on…

Above:  As Prince Camille’s cavalry shake out into battle-formation, they are joined at last by Poyanne’s Carabiniers and Clausen’s corps, who have finally received orders to renew the attack.  In particular, the Turpin Hussars and Beaufremont Dragoons from Clausen’s corps form up on Camille’s left flank and join the charge.

Above:  Waiting on the ridge for the French cavalry are Griffin’s Hessian and Hanoverian infantry, alongside Luckner’s Hanoverian cavalry.  Three of Prince Camille’s brigades lead the charge, supported by the fourth brigade and the Carabiniers.  The Turpin Hussars also get a rush of blood to the sabre and launch a rather unwise charge on the Hessian Gilsa Regiment.

Above:  The view from the French side.  The Carabiniers are subjected to sniping from the Brunswick Jäger in the copse to their flank, but this has little effect (unlike the French light infantry, who seem to have telescopic sights and guided munitions…)

Above:  The frontal assault on Griffin’s Hessian infantry proves to be a disaster for the French cavalry!  The Turpin Hussars and one of Prince Camille’s brigades are utterly smashed against the blue-coated wall and flee the field!

Above:  The Cavalry battle on the flank however, does result in some limited success for the French horse, as the Hanoverian Walthausen and Heise Regiments of Horse are thrown back.  The Luckner Hussars however, have better luck and repulse their attackers.  However, the defeated French horse manage to rally behind Poyanne’s Carabiniers.

Above:  Having defeated the Hanoverian horse, the Royal-Cravate Cavalry Brigade decides to press its advantage and wheels to charge the Hessian Malsburg Regiment, on Griffin’s left flank.  However, the Hessian infantry, having already destroyed one French cavalry brigade, successfully beat them off.

Above:  Having defeated one French cavalry brigade, the Luckner Hussars decide not to press their luck and instead retire to rally out of range of French retaliation.  As for the Hanoverian Horse…

“Roll anything except a 6 to rally!”

“Ha!  That won’t be a problem, as we haven’t rolled a 6 yet in this entire g… Bugger…”

Above:  Although most of the French cavalry were defeated, there is now a huge gap in the Allied line between Griffin’s Hessian infantry along the ridge and Luckner’s Hanoverian grenadier battalions on the hill.  The French also still have a large body of cavalry in reserve, with which to exploit the gap.  

Above:  Guerchy’s infantry, having rolled over Kielmansegg while barely breaking step, suddenly find their seemingly unstoppable advance halted by Oheimb and Webb.  French infantry casualties rapidly mount and at last, French battalions begin to break.

Above:  Over on the far flank, Rooth has turned his corps back toward the battle, but faced by a mass of Allied cavalry, he decides to play it safe by contracting his line and deploying in greater depth.  The German brigade therefore forms column [as indicated by the arrow markers] and marches across the front of the Swiss brigade to form two lines.

Above:  D’Amenzaga’s eight battalions are now fully formed up on Guerchy’s left, but are making absolutely no headway against Webb’s British battalions.

Above:  On Guerchy’s right, a single detachment of Brunswicker battalion guns has caused a remarkable amount of damage to the Du Roi and Orléans Regiments (the only bright spot in a generally dismal display by the Allied artillery).  This detachment of guns is the only unit guarding a huge, yawning gap between Oheimb’s and Griffin’s corps.  Guerchy orders the Orléans, Dufort and Auvergne Regiments (eight battalions) to silence that battery and drive through the gap.

[NB  I’d run out of French battalions to represent the Auvergne Regiment (in the foreground) and to my annoyance, no broken battalions were forthcoming, so I was forced to deploy the Chasseurs de Fischer and some spare grenadiers to represent that regiment.  As the game went on, I replaced them with grey-coated infantry battalions from the dead pile.]

Above:  Pride comes before a fall… The Orléans Regiment’s charge is shredded by effective canister fire from the heroic Brunswick gunners and to everyone’s astonishment, the infantry break and run!

Above:  Although the Brunswick Artillery Corps has managed to hold its ground, the Hanoverian Schulenburg Regiment on Griffin’s right flank has been broken by the combined effects of long-range French heavy artillery and Clausen’s light infantry.  The gap between the Allied infantry formations has now widened to an unsustainable degree and a couple of battalion gun detachments are simply not going to stop the French infantry, no matter how lucky they get!

Above:  With all their available targets now destroyed, masked by friendly troops/terrain or withdrawn out of range, the deadly French position guns finally fall silent.

Above:  The Duc de Broglie watches with satisfaction as the battle continues to go well.  The Volunteer Dragoons meanwhile, with nothing better to do on the left flank, decide to parade for the headquarters staff…  “Mon Dieu!  Is it Christmas already, Colonel…?”

Above:  The grinding battle of attrition continues in the wood, but at last the Allies are starting to do real damage to Guerchy’s infantry, as a battalion of the Navarre Regiment and two battalions of the Du Roi Regiment are broken!  However, that really is only a pinprick in the side of the French juggernaut.

Above:  Rooth’s corps continues its re-deployment as a desultory duel breaks out between opposing detachments of battalion guns.

Above:  Grothaus’ Allied cavalry have been waiting patiently for Rooth’s infantry to come back out into the open ground.  However, an ADC arrives from Prince Ferdinand, ordering Grothaus to march at once for the left flank and counter the potential French breakthroughs in that sector.  

Above:  Webb’s infantry fight on under the assumption that the cavalry are protecting their open right flank…

Above:  Over on the opposite flank, it’s the Carabiniers’ turn to charge.  However, Wersabé’s Hanoverian grenadiers are made of sterner stuff and send them packing!

Above:  As the rest of the French cavalry pour over the ridge and through the gap, rescue for the Hessians arrives in the nick of time, in the form of Bischhausen’s cavalry (consisting of 4 squadrons of Hessian horse, 4 squadrons of British dragoons and 5 large squadrons of Prussian hussars)!  The Hessians charge the French horse head-on, supported by the British and Prussians. 

However, the French have the high ground and supported by the Carabiniers, manage to hold off the Hessian horse.  Feeling confident, the French horse charge on into the British dragoons, but the vengeful dragoons manage to turn the tables and throw the French horse back over the ridge!

Above:  With the cavalry distracted, Clausen’s infantry press home their assault on Griffin’s Hessians.  The two Liégeois regiments (the Horion Regiment in the fore, with the Vierzet Regiment in support) charge the Hessian Prinz Carl Regiment, but are halted by a withering volley.  The massed French grenadiers meanwhile have more luck, throwing the Hessian Gilsa Regiment back off the ridge. 

Above:  On the opposite flank, the greatest military mistake since Olaf The Hairy bought 10,000 battle-helmets with the horns on the inside is taking place…

Above:  As he sees the Allied cavalry turning and marching away, Rooth can’t believe his luck! 

Above:  And nor can Webb… His lads have been solidly holding off the French infantry, but with French battalions marching past his left flank and now the massive formation approaching his right flank, the only option is to retreat.

Above:  As Grothaus ‘advances in a retrograde direction’, he is rather surprised to see a couple of French battalions emerge from the ‘friendly-held’ woods!

Above:  Unlike the Hanoverian horse, the Hessian horse manages to rally following its drubbing at the hands of the French horse.  The British dragoons rally alongside them, following their counter-drubbing.

Above:  The above-mentioned defeat of the French horse by the British dragoons has resulted in the first major tactical reverse for the French!  The French brigade failed to rally following its defeat and fled to the rear, closely followed by the remainder of Prince Camille’s corps!  That now leaves only Poyanne’s corps of Carabiniers and these are soon set upon by the Hanoverian and Prussian hussars!

Above:  However, the Carabiniers still have plenty of fight left in them and the hussars are swept aside.  The Hanoverian Luckner Hussars are completely broken in this action.  The veteran Prussian Ruesch Hussars however, suffer heavy losses but manage to rally.  The Carabiniers play it safe and fall back to rally behind their support squadrons.

[NB I don’t have any of these hussar units in my collection, so used the Prussian Kleist Frei-Husaren to represent the Luckner Hussars.  The Ruesch Hussars are the famous ‘Black’ Hussars (HR 5) and I really should have painted them by now!  The other regiment should be the Malachowski Hussars (HR 7) in their rather natty yellow and blue uniform.  I really will have to paint these Prussian regiments for the western theatre, complete with the captured French standards they were authorised by to carry.]

Above:  Griffin’s corps is now in deep trouble.  The Hanoverian Schulenberg Regiment was broken some time ago and the Hessian Gilsa Regiment has been thrown back, leaving only two isolated Hessian regiments (Malsburg on the left and Prinz Carl on the right) still fighting on the ridge.  However, this is now reduced to one regiment, as the Prinz Carl Regiment is finally overwhelmed by Clausen’s infantry.  “Thank you Major von Bülow, I agree that now might be a good moment to move the army headquarters…”

Above:  In the woods, Oheimb’s corps has fought bravely, but is slowly being ground down as Guerchy brings his full strength to face them.  The Navarre, Du Roi and Orléans Regiments have all suffered heavy losses, but Oheimb has lost the Hanoverian Dreves Regiment and the brave Brunswick artillery detachment.  Only the two battalions of the Brunswick Zastrow Regiment remain in action and they now grudgingly give ground, in an effort to prevent them from being turned on both flanks.

Above:  The view from behind Guerchy’s corps as they attack Oheimb’s Brunswickers.  The Auvergne Regiment is out of shot to the right, marching to attack Oheimb from the flank.  At the far edge of the wood, the survivors of the Navarre Regiment, together with the single-battalion La Marche-Prince Regiment have broken through and seem to be marching on to Hanover!

Above:  On Webb’s right flank, his battalion guns have just switched to canister against Rooth’s rapidly-approaching phalanx of Swiss and Germans, but they just keep coming!

Above:  FINALLY, Rooth orders his men to charge!

Above:  “Don’t worry lads, the cavalry will cover our flank!  They’re just over th…  Hang on, where in the name of Madame Pompadour’s Purple Posing Pouch are our bloody cavalry?!”

Above:  It was at this point that the Allies, our personal morale broken, conceded defeat.  Rooth therefore never got to actually launch his charge.  Rooth made a note in his diary… Cac a dhéanamh!”

Above:  Over on the left flank, Griffin’s two remaining Hessian battalions have somehow managed to maintain their discipline, but look set to be swept away by Clausen’s corps.  However, the still-intact cavalry corps of Bischhausen and Grothaus should be able to mount an effective rearguard now that Prince Camille’s French cavalry have been driven off.

Above:  Poyanne’s Carabiniers are still in the fight, though one of the two wings has taken very heavy casualties.

Above:  Luckner’s Brunswick Jäger-Corps and Hanoverian grenadier battalions continue to sit on their hill-top, no doubt wondering what all that noise is…

So a well-deserved, if slightly inevitable victory for the French, but still a very enjoyable game for both sides.  I still can’t quite get over how bad the dice-rolling was for Kielmansegg’s Allied infantry or how good it was for the French light infantry, who only missed one shot in the entire game!  I also can’t quite believe how stupid my decision was to bring Grothaus’ cavalry over from the right wing…

Anyway, my thanks to Jase, Kirk, David, Andy and all at W.A.S.P. for a great game!

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Games, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Shako Rules, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 10 Comments

‘Hannover Siegt, Der Franzmann Liegt’ (Part 10: Hessian Reinforcements)

As mentioned last time, we’d decided to refight the Combat of Sanderhausen at Haverfordwest Gaming Club’s recent open day.  However, that would require me to finish some more units, including the Chasseurs de Fischer for the French side and quite a few more units for the Hessians.

I’d already made a start on the Hessians last year, but this latest flurry of painting brings the totals up to seven infantry battalions, one regiment of dragoons, two ‘half-regiments’ of horse, one heavy position gun, one light position gun, two battalion guns, four stands of jäger and four generals.

Landgraf Frederick II of Hesse-Cassel

I’ve still got another four infantry battalions and the same number of cavalry and position guns to paint before I can call the army finished.  As discussed before, I don’t think I’ll bother painting any Hessian (or Brunswick) grenadier battalions, as they are so similar to my pre-existing Prussian and Württemberg grenadier battalions.  I think I’ll therefore use the Prussians and Württembergers as proxies and spend the money, paint and time on other units!

I covered the history and organisation of the army of Hesse-Cassel in Part 7 of this series, but just to recap; when Frederick II succeeded his father William VIII as Landgraf of Hesse-Cassel in 1760, he immediately initiated a programme of ‘Prussianisation’ of his army.  Each of his large, single-battalion infantry regiments was split into two weak battalions.

Landgraf William VIII of Hesse-Cassel

However, this reorganisation added little or no extra combat-power to each regiment (Ferdinand of Brunswick said as much) and the slight increase in manpower was totally absorbed by the expanded grenadier component.  I don’t therefore plan on building a separate post-1760 Hessian army (and my scenarios also just show post-1760 Hessian regiments as single large units).

My Hessian units are all therefore, organised and painted for the William VIII era.  In any case, the organisational and uniform changes would not have taken place until the winter of 1760/61 at the earliest, so the Hessians spent most of the war with the earlier organisations and uniforms.  Additionally, the new Frederick II-pattern flags were almost certainly not delivered until after the end of the Seven Years War (the painting above shows post-SYW flags at the Battle of Krefeld in 1758).

As mentioned before, I’ve also given my Hessian infantry the dark blue breeches shown in the paintings by David Morier from the 1740s and early 1750s (above).  These were almost certainly gone by the time of the Seven Years War, but they do make the Hessians look distinctly different to the Prussians and Brunswickers and I like ’em (which is all that matters, tbh).

Prinz Carl Leopold von Anhalt-Bernburg

Above:  The ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ Infantry Regiment (also known simply as the ‘Anhalt’ Regiment) was raised in 1745 by Prinz Carl Leopold von Anhalt-Bernburg (right), who remained the regimental Chef until 1770.  Carl Leopold served as a Hessian Lieutenant General throughout the Seven Years War and is generally referred to in English-Language accounts of the Seven Years War as ‘The Prince of Anhalt’, though it can be confusing, as there were many other princes of Anhalt (a house of many branches), one of whom actually fought at Minden on the side of the French!

The ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ Regiment fought in the battles of Hastenbeck, Krefeld, Bergen, Minden, Vellinghausen, Wilhelmstal and 2nd Lutterberg, as well as numerous minor engagements and was a solid, hard-fighting regiment.

Above:  The ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ Infantry Regiment wore a dark blue coat with red lapels, cuffs, turnbacks and shoulder-strap.  The uniform may also have included a red collar, though this may only have been added from 1761 onward.  The lapels, cuffs and cuff-flaps were edged with white lace.  Buttons were white metal.  Neck-stocks were black.  Waistcoats were white, as probably were the breeches.  Hats had white lace and mid-blue pompoms.  Belts for all Hessian regiments were white and this included musket-slings, though musket-slings changed to Prussian-style red leather sometime after 1760 and before 1775.

Unlike some regiments, this regiment’s uniform remained unchanged during the 1760/61 ‘Prussianisation’ of the army.  The uniform was also very similar indeed to that of the ‘Prinz Carl’ Regiment and could therefore be used as a proxy for that regiment.

Above:  The ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ Infantry Regiment as seen from the rear.  As with all Hessian infantry regiments, the drummers wore the same uniform as the rank-and-file, though heavily decorated with red & white national lace.  The drums were brass and for this regiment had red and white striped hoops.

The regiment’s grenadiers were always detached and fought as part of a grenadier battalion.  The grenadier battalions were placed on a Prussian-style, semi-permanent footing from 1760 and the regiment’s grenadiers were then grouped with those of the ‘Erbprinz’ Regiment, as part of Grenadier Battalion ‘Mirbach’ (titled ‘Bose’ from 1761).  The regiment’s grenadiers wore Prussian-style mitre-caps with silver front-plates and a red (or blue) bag, a red (or blue) band, white lace and a medium blue pompom.

These are 18mm Eureka Miniatures Prussian infantry figures and the flags are by Maverick Models.

Above:  Here we see Prinz Carl Leopold von Anhalt-Bernburg with his own regiment.  This model actually featured in an earlier article and he’s a 15mm Prussian general officer figure by Blue Moon.  As discussed then, there was no prescribed uniform for Hessian generals, so they usually wore the regimental uniform of the regiment they owned as Chef, or a regiment in which they had served, usually with finer and more expensive detailing and often with white ostrich-feather edging to the hat.  My figure here is therefore wearing the uniform of the ‘Prinz von Anhalt’ Regiment, though the portrait above shows an entirely different uniform; possibly that of one of the post-1760 Garde regiments.  Perhaps he had served in that regiment, or was appointed to it later in life?  It was not uncommon for nobles to be Chef of one regiment, while serving in another.  For example, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick had served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Leibgarde Battalion of the Prussian Garde-Regiment (IR 15) while simultaneously being Chef of Fusilier-Regiment ‘Braunschweig’ (IR 39).

Above:  The ‘Mansbach’ Infantry Regiment was first raised in 1701 as the ‘Schöpping’ Regiment and fought in the War of Spanish Succession.  In 1744 Major General H. von Mansbach became the regimental Chef and the regiment served as one of the six battalions of the Hessian Contingent in Scotland during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745-46.  This was another well-travelled and hard-fighting regiment of the Seven Years War, fighting at Hastenbeck, Krefeld, Bork, Bergen, Minden, Fulda, Emsdorf, Langensalza, Vellinghausen and Wilhelmsthal.  In 1763 the regimental Chef changed to Major General von Gräffendorff and the regiment took his name until 1767.

Above:  The ‘Mansbach’ Infantry Regiment wore the usual dark blue Hessian coat with white lapels and cuffs, yellow ‘metal’ and a pair of yellow buttonholes on the cuff-flaps and below each lapel.  Shoulder-straps were probably blue (Kronoskaf says no strap, but Morier shows a blue strap, which I think more likely).  Waistcoats were white, as probably were the breeches.  Neck-stocks were red.  The tail-turnbacks were probably red, though Morier shows them as white during the 1740s and early 1750s (see the grenadier painting above).  Hat-lace and pompoms were white.

Following the ‘Prussianisation’ of 1760-1761, the regiment’s pompoms changed to red and the lace buttonholes changed from yellow to a red & white ‘toothpaste’ stripe (though still gold for officers).  Neck-stocks changed to black and a white collar and shoulder-strap were added.

Above:  A rear view of the ‘Mansbach’ Infantry Regiment.  The regiment’s drummers again wore the same uniform as the rank-and-file, with red & white national lace.  The regiment’s drums were brass, with blue and yellow striped hoops.

The regiment’s detached grenadiers initially wore Prussian-style mitre caps with a silver plate, white bag, blue or silver band, yellow lace and a white pompom.  In 1760 they were grouped with the grenadiers of the Leibregiment to form Grenadier Battalion ‘Stirn’ (titled ‘Schmit’ from 1761 and ‘Wurmb’ from 1762).  The grenadier caps then changed to a new pattern with a brass plate and band, white bag and red lace and pompom.

These are 18mm Eureka Miniatures Prussian infantry figures and the flags are by Maverick Models.

Above:  The Leibgarde zu Fuß (also simply known as the Garde Regiment) was originally raised during the Thirty Years War as the ‘White Regiment’.  In 1684 it became the Leibregiment zu Fuß and after campaigning against the Turks, finally became the Leibgarde zu Fuß in 1699.  It didn’t fight again until the Seven Years War, during which it fought at Krefeld, Bork, Bergen, Minden, Clostercamp, Vellinghausen and Wilhemsthal.  In 1760 it was demoted somewhat, becoming the Dritte Garde (3rd Guard) Regiment.

Now as you may have noticed, these troops suffered something of a disaster… As any fule kno, Rule No.1 of spray varnishing is: NEVER spray varnish when the atmosphere is humid!  Doubly so with matt varnish!

So there I was, in the tropical paradise of Pembrokeshire, on a very hot sticky early September day, having just finished painting this regiment, when there was a puff of purple smoke, the swish of a cape and the Emperor Mong whispered in my ear “Go on, varnish them and finish them off… What could possibly go wrong…?”  Then with another swish and a cloud of purple smoke he was gone, leaving me thinking “These would look flippin’ great if they were all finished off with varnish, flags and bases!”

Five minutes later they’d once again become ‘The White Regiment’…

I tried all the usual recovery-methods; try spraying them again after drying, using brush-on gloss varnish, etc (which has worked in the past), but this is the best I could manage.  Note particularly the NCO’s polearm on the left – that should be black, not pale grey!  I considered stripping them off with Dettol and starting again, but in the end decided just to re-touch the worst bits, as they look ok on table; it’s just when viewed in close-up that they look bad (I actually thought they looked ok before I flagged and based them, but then looked at these photos and they still look pretty awful).

Above:  The Leibgarde zu Fuß had red lapels, collar, cuffs, tail-turnbacks, shoulder-straps and neck-stocks.  Buttons were silver and there was a white aiguillette on the right shoulder.  The lapels were decorated with lace buttonholes.  There were also three lace buttonholes immediately below each lapel, a further three buttonholes on each pocket and yet another three buttonholes on each side of the rear-waist.  There were three buttons above each cuff, within a ‘ladder’ of lace.  The cuffs and pockets were also edged with regimental lace, which was white with two red ‘toothpaste’ stripes (at this scale it could be argued that the lace would look pink, though I find that it looks best left the dominant colour, white).  Waistcoats were pale yellow and breeches were probably white.  Hats were edged with white lace and decorated with white-over-red pompoms.  Drummers wore the same uniform with heavy lace decoration and yellow/red drum-hoops.  Officers had silver lace.

The detached grenadiers had a Prussian-style mitre cap with a red cloth front, decorated with brass badges.  The bag was blue and band was red, all laced yellow with a white pompom.

From 1761, following their re-designation as the 3rd Guard Regiment, the lace edging was removed from the cuffs and all lace was removed from the pockets.  The ‘ladders’ of lace were removed from the cuff-flaps and replaced with two lace buttonholes.  The number of buttonholes below each lapel was reduced to two and there was now only a single buttonhole on each side of the rear-waist.  The single diagonal buttonhole was also removed from the top of each lapel.  Lace was now plain white with a tassel, though drummers kept the red & white national lace.  Hat-lace was now scalloped and pompoms were plain red.  Breeches were now pale yellow, matching the waistcoat.  Officers’ coats now lacked lapels, though the breast was decorated with silver ‘Brandenbourgs’ (though not as elaborate as those of the newly-raised 1st Guard or Leibgarde Battalion).

The regiment’s grenadiers now wore mitre caps with a silver front-plate, probably with a red bag, red or silver band, silver lace and white pompom.  They were now grouped with those of the 2nd Guard Regiment to form the ‘Schlottheim’ Grenadier Battalion (re-titled ‘Biesenroth’ in 1762).

These again are 18mm Eureka Miniatures Prussian infantry figures and the flags are by Maverick Models.

Above:  The Hesse-Cassel Artillery Corps.  I actually covered the Artillery Corps in Part 7 of this series, when I painted a couple of position guns.  However, I’ve since painted this pair of battalion guns.  You won’t be surprised to learn that nobody makes a suitable Hessian 3pdr gun, so I used the Eureka Miniatures ‘Swedish’ 4pdr from their SYW French range (the Hessians were actually equipped with such guns by the 1770s).

Above:  The Hesse-Cassel Artillery Corps.  I actually covered the uniforms in Part 7, but just to quickly recap; the Hessian gunners were dressed very similarly to Prussian gunners, so I used Eureka Miniatures Prussian Artillery figures.  Unlike the Prussians however, their coats had lapels, so I ‘paint-converted’ them.  Facings and pompoms were crimson, buttons were white metal and small-clothes were straw.

Above:  The Hesse-Cassel Artillery Corps.  I’ve painted all my Hessian guns in their rather striking scheme of white wood with red metalwork.  However, given that they lost their arsenals very early in the war and had to be re-fitted by their allies, it’s reasonably likely that their gun-carriages would be in a variety of colours.  But that would be rather dull…

Above:  Lieutenant General Christian Albrecht von Oheimb.  Despite being one of the more senior Hessian officers of the Seven Years War, I can find precious little information about this officer beyond the portrait shown on the right, one mention of him from 1747 as a Major in the ‘Gräffendorff’ Regiment of Horse and another of him from 1769 when, as governor of the fortress of Rinteln, he was awarded a state honour. 

In 1759 he became Chef of the former ‘Miltitz’ Regiment of Horse (which had previously been the above-mentioned ‘Gräffendorff’ Regiment), though in 1760 he was moved on to become Chef of the Leibregiment zu Pferde, which in 1761 became the Gens d’Armes Regiment (his portrait shows him wearing the uniform of this latter regiment). 

Looking at the battles of the Seven Years War, Lieutenant General Oheimb appears at the Combat of Corbach in 1760, commanding a mixed reinforcement column of British and Hanoverian infantry, British artillery and Hessian dragoons.  He then appears again at the Battle of Vellinghausen in 1761, in a position of some considerable responsibility, commanding a division of Hessian grenadiers and Hanoverian dragoons on the extreme right flank of the army.  In 1762 he held the post of commander of all Allied cavalry within Ferdinand of Brunswick’s Main Body and in that year led a column of Hessian, Hanoverian and Brunswick cavalry at the Combat of Nauheim.

Above:  I decided to paint Lieutenant General Christian Albrecht von Oheimb in the uniform of his original regiment, the former ‘Gräffendorff’/’Miltitz’ Regiment of Horse, which briefly carried his name from 1759 to 1760.  This was primarily because I like the uniform of white with medium green facings and gold buttons.  For the later battles listed above, he’d probably be wearing the new uniform of the Gens d’Armes, being a Prussian-style cuirassier uniform in buff, with red collar and cuffs, as shown in his portrait above.

This model is a Prussian general figure by Blue Moon.

Above:  Lieutenant General Heinrich Wilhelm von Wutginau.  Born in 1698, Wutginau joined the Hessian Army in 1718 and in 1747 won promotion to Major General.  At the outbreak of the Seven Years War, Wutginau was promoted to Lieutenant General and was was appointed as commanding general of Hessian troops in the field.  At Minden in 1759 he commanded the largest of eight Allied columns and distinguished himself.  Following the Battle of Vellinghausen in 1761, Ferdinand of Brunswick wrote to King George II, singling Wutginau out for his ‘exceptional bravery’.  However, the strains of campaigning had taken their toll on Wutginau and in February 1761 the old Hessian war-horse resigned his command, handing over to the Prince of Anhalt.  He spent the rest of his days as governor of Reihenfels fortress and in 1772 was promoted to General of Infantry.  He died in 1776, aged 79.  Sadly, I can’t find a portrait of him.

Above:  Lieutenant General Heinrich Wilhelm von Wutginau was appointed as Chef of the Leibregiment from 1760, so I’ve painted him in the uniform of that regiment.  This uniform consisted of the usual blue coat with red collar, cuffs and linings, though without lapels.  Officers had gold lace buttonholes in pairs on the breast, another pair above each cuff and a single buttonhole on each side of the rear-waist.  Small-clothes were yellow.

This model is a Prussian general figure by Blue Moon.

Above:  Lieutenant General Eitel Ludwig Philipp von und zu Gilsa.  Born in 1700, Gilsa was commissioned into the Hessian ‘Prinz Georg’ Infantry Regiment in 1715 and fought in the Wars of Polish and Austrian Succession.  By the start of the Seven Years War he had risen to the rank of Colonel, being Commandant of the ‘Prinz Carl’ Infantry Regiment.  Soon promoted to Major General, he commanded a brigade at Hastenbeck and was later distinguished at Krefeld and Minden.  In 1759 he was promoted to Lieutenant General and became Chef of the former ‘Fürstenberg’ Infantry Regiment (now re-named ‘Gilsa’).  He continued to serve with distinction during the war and died at home in 1765,

Above:  Lieutenant General Eitel Ludwig Philipp von und zu Gilsa here is wearing the uniform of his own ‘Gilsa’ Infantry Regiment, to which he was appointed Chef in 1759.  The regiment’s uniform was fairly plain, with red cuffs, lapels and linings, gold buttons, straw waistcoat and no lace.  The portrait above shows him wearing a coat decorated with gold lace, but it would appear that this depicts him as a younger man (he was 59 in 1759), so presumably is the uniform of one his previous regimental appointments. 

In 1760 the ‘Gilsa’ Regiment was re-designated as a Fusilier Regiment in the Prussian style, complete with fusilier caps (though these weren’t worn by officers).  The uniform changes came into effect from 1761, with lapels and cuffs changing colour to black.  Gilsa would then have worn this later uniform.

This model is a Prussian general figure by Blue Moon.

Above:  The Jäger-Corps.  Hesse-Cassel had actually been the first German state to raise a corps of jäger, doing so as early as the 17th Century.  By the start of the Seven Years War, the corps consisted of two foot companies, each of around 100 men.  This increased to four foot companies during the winter of 1758-1759 and by mid-summer a further two horse companies had been added.  The Hessian Jäger-Corps provided excellent service throughout the war; not only as part of the petit-guerre, but also in direct support of the main armies in battle.  The corps served as the model to be followed by various other jäger corps raised by national armies and the innumerable freikorps.  The Hessian Jäger-Corps went on to achieve nothing short of legendary status during the American War of Independence and afterwards grew to brigade strength.

Above:  The uniform of the Jäger-Corps consisted of a dark green coat with matching small-clothes.  The coat had crimson lapels, collar, shoulder-strap and tail-turnbacks and brass buttons.  Belts were white (they changed to red leather by the 1770s), rifle-slings were red leather and cartridge pouches were black.  Neck-stocks were black.  Hats were unlaced and lacked pompoms, though were decorated with green cockades (these green cockades became something of a universal badge among Allied light troops).

Above:  Although I haven’t yet painted them, the mounted companies of the Jäger-Corps wore much the same uniform and were also armed with rifles, though had golden hat-lace, tall cavalry boots and light cavalry sabres.  Horse furniture was green, edged crimson, with a crimson blanket-roll.  Given their tall boots, I will probably paint my spare Old Glory 15s Prussian Jäger figures as mounted jäger.

These lovely figures are actually Hessian Jäger figures from Blue Moon‘s American War of Independence range.  They’re absolutely perfect for the job, are very nicely sculpted and have FAR more character and pose-variation than the only other option, the above-mentioned Prussian jäger figures by Old Glory 15s.  I’ve also used these figures for my Hanoverian ‘Freytag’ Jäger Corps.  The only slight modification I’ve had to make is to ‘paint-convert’ their ‘American Trowsers’ into breeches and gaiters.

Anyway, that’s enough Hessians for now!  I’m off on my hols for a couple of weeks, but on my return there will be a report from our recent refight of the Combat of Corbach.  Here’s a taster:

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Painted Units, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Seven Years War British & Hanoverian Armies, Seven Years War Minor German States, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 6 Comments

Sanderhausen Revisited (Another Refight of Sanderhausen 1758)

A couple of weeks ago Andy, Kirk and I wandered down to the Haverfordwest Gaming Club’s annual open day.  Last year we put on a small historical SYW refight, the Battle of Clostercamp and this year we decided to do another small SYW action; the Battle of Sanderhausen.  My surviving reader might remember that we played this scenario at W.A.S.P. back in June, resulting in a very narrow victory for the French.  However, Andy and Kirk hadn’t played it and it’s a fun scenario that can easily be played in a short time, so I dug it out again for the open day.

As usual, the game was played using Tricorn, our mid-18th Century variant of Shako Napoleonic rules.  If you want to know the scenario details, follow this link.

Above:  As this was a club open day, I’m not ashamed to admit that I slightly changed the geography in a shameless attempt to show off my new fort.  The city of Cassel has therefore been moved to where the village of Sanderhausen should be (see the vintage map above)!

Above:  The fortress is pure decoration for the purposes of the game, but it does make a rather nice back-drop.

Above:  Two of the three battalions of the German Royal-Deux-Ponts Regiment were left behind to guard the lines of retreat through Sanderhausen and Cassel, so here they are garrisoning the ravelin.

Above:  Nothing beats a good ravelin in the mornin.

Above:  The Duc de Broglie peers at the Hessian positions.  “Good news, Sir!  Our spies report that the Holy Roman Umpire has left Doug’s Purple Dice of Doom at home!”  The Duc nods in satisfaction at this welcome news…

Above:  The French infantry deploys in a single line, with the cavalry forming a widely-spaced second line.  

Above:  I must confess that I forgot to take another photo after giving the Duc (Andy) the option of re-deploying his position batteries; he moved them from the right wing (as shown above) to the left wing, in front of the French battalions.

Above:  Two French regiments (Beauvoisis and Rohan-Montbazon) form the left wing, along with the light infantry of the Chasseurs de Fischer and volunteers from the German Bentheim Regiment.

Above:  The right wing is formed by three German battalions (from the Royal-Deux-Ponts and Royal-Bavière Regiments) and four Swiss battalions (from the Diesbach and Waldner Regiments), with the flank screened by the skirmishing grenadier companies of the Royal-Deux-Ponts Regiment.

Above:  On the heights, Prince Ysenburg (Kirk) affects a deliberate calm and nonchalant air in defiance of the odds arrayed against him as he reads today’s copy of Die Sonne.

Above:  Prince Ysenburg’s Hessian army is massively outnumbered, but occupies a strong position on the heights, with its flanks anchored on woodland and the fortified farm of Ellenbach.

Above:  Unlike the last game when I had to use Hanoverian regiments as proxies, this time I’d painted enough new Hessian infantry regiments to fill the ranks.  The only remaining interlopers are the Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg Regiment standing in for the Invalid Battalion and the Prussian ‘Kleist’ Freikorps-Husaren standing in for the Hessian Husaren-Corps.

Above:  The Hessian right flank is anchored on the thickly-wooded bank of the Fulda River and the woods are occupied by the massed grenadiers of the Hessian militia, as well as the Hessian Jäger-Corps and some huntsmen from the militia (yes, I know jäger means ‘hunter’, but these are actual huntsmen, drafted into the militia, not Jäger in the military sense).  

Above:  The main Hessian line in the open ground is formed by two regular infantry regiments (Ysenburg and Canitz) on the flanks, with two militia regiments (Wurmb and Gundlach) in the centre and a weak battalion of ‘Invalids’ (i.e. pensioned-off veterans) in reserve, with a position battery positioned on the left flank.  The massed Hessian cavalry are formed up behind the battery.

Above:  On the extreme Hessian left flank, the Ellenbach Farm is garrisoned by the Freywald Militia Regiment, supported by some more militia huntsmen and an unidentified unit of Hanoverian Jäger.  

At last the French army starts to move.  Broglie has decided to refuse his left, allowing his position guns to soften the Hessian line at long range, while pushing forward aggressively on his right.  As the Swiss push their battalion guns forward, the Hanoverian Jäger manage to drop a few of the gunners, but vengeance is swift as a whiff of grapeshot, thickened by fire from the skirmishing Royal-Deux-Ponts Grenadier companies, sweeps away the militia huntsmen and inflicts heavy damage on the Hanoverian Jäger.  The Hanoverians immediately fall back, deep into the woods, to reconsider their options.

Above:  The French position battery also quickly finds the range and Hessian infantrymen begin to fall to long-range roundshot.

Above:  As French shot bounds through the infantry line, some unfortunate cavalrymen and invalids also fall victim to stray rounds.

Above:  On the bank of the Fulda, the French chasseurs push forward, seeking prey.

Above:  However, the French left wing has not yet been given orders to advance and Colonel Fischer recalls the more impetuous of his men.  For now, the light infantry are limited to taunts and cat-calls through the trees.

Above:  As the French right wing advances into the copse on the spur above Ellenbach, the Hessian artillery begins to claim victims, but their fire doesn’t seem to be anywhere near as effective as the well-handled French guns.

Above:  In a very short time, the Invalids, having suffered a storm of shot actually directed at the first line, decide that they have already done their time in the army and break and run to the rear!  The Hessian horse on the left also continue to suffer a steady trickle of casualties from the ‘overs’.  Casualties in the main infantry line meanwhile, remain remarkably light.

From his position on the heights, Prince Ysenburg observes the seemingly unsupported advance of the French right wing and decides to intervene with his cavalry.  Leaving nothing to chance, Ysenburg sends both of his ADCs over to the left wing, with orders for General Oheimb to attack!

Above:  As the Swiss pass through the copse, the blue-coated Royal-Bavière Regiment remains in the open ground and at last begins to suffer heavy casualties from the Hessian guns.  The German battalion guns find themselves to be no match for the Hessian gunners and are quickly destroyed.  Then, as the Swiss emerge from the copse, they march straight into a hail of canister fire from the Hessian battery, as well as musketry from Ellenbach and rifle-fire from the Hanoverian Jäger!

Then the Hessian cavalry charge…

Above:  On the French right flank, nearest to Ellenbach Farm, the Swiss Waldner Regiment fire a devastating volley into the Hessian Husarencorps, but it’s not quite enough to stop them and the regiment’s 1st Battalion is broken.  The hussars decide not to push their luck in the face of approaching French cavalry and retire to rally back on the heights.  In the centre of the melee, the 1st Battalion of the Swiss Diesbach Regiment manages to beat off the Hessian Prinz Friedrich Dragoons, though their 2nd Battalion, already shredded by canister, is crushed by the Hessian heavy horse!

Above:  Having broken the Swiss battalion, the Hessian horse charge on into the 1st Battalion of the Royal-Bavière Regiment.  However, the Germans are made of sterner stuff and the Hessians are repulsed!  Nevertheless, the heavy losses suffered by the French right wing have gravely sapped the morale of the Swiss and German infantry.

Above:  Bavarian jubilation at having repelled the cavalry is short-lived, as the Hessian infantry have just received orders to mount a limited attack.  In a move surprising everyone, the Hessian line charges down the hill!  The heroic 1st Battalion of the Royal-Bavière Regiment manages to halt the Hessian Canitz Regiment with fire, but the 2nd Battalion is not so lucky and is swept away by the Gundlach Militia.

Above:  The Duc de Broglie suddenly realises that he has another German battalion (1st Royal-Deux-Ponts) hiding among the grey coats of his Frenchmen!  He contemptuously orders these cowards up the hill to join their doomed comrades!  With the Swiss-German assault failing, he also realises that he may have left it to left to commit his left wing!  He sends an ADC over to order the French infantry to attack.

Above:  The sudden slump in morale doesn’t seem to be bothering the Swiss Diesbach Regiment, which charges and destroys half of the Hessian position guns!  At Ellenbach meanwhile, the Swiss battalion guns are making life miserable for the Freywald Militia.

Above:  The Swiss may well have bitten off more than they can chew…

Above:  The French cavalry, their earlier march to the right flank having been halted by Broglie, mass south of the copse.  On the right, the grenadiers of the Royal-Deux-Ponts Regiment are doing remarkably well against the Hanoverian Jäger.

Above:  In Ellenbach, the Freywald Militia have suffered some losses from the Swiss battalion guns, but have inflicted a steady trickle of casualties on the passing Swiss battalions and proven themselves to be a very painful thorn in the side of the French attack.

Above:  The Hessian cavalry have suffered heavy losses, but are now rallied and have Switzers to their front.  General Oheimb orders the charge!

Above:  In the woods near Ellenbach, the Hanoverian Jäger are on the point of breaking in the face of the determined enemy grenadiers!

Above:  The Swiss Diesbach Regiment pushes its luck and charges the next gun-battery!  However, the Hessian heavy horse charge once again, passing through their own gunners to crash into the impertinent Switzers!

Above:  The Swiss Diesbach Regiment is crushed and the Hessian horse, having learned their lesson from last time (and with fresh French cavalry approaching), retire to their own lines to rally.  In the distance, the remnants of the Swiss Waldner Regiment launch a desperate charge on Ellenbach, but are halted by the defenders’ fire.  [NB for some reason we also removed the Hessian battery, but that was a mistake, as they’d been saved by the cavalry!]

Above:  With the loss of the Diesbach Regiment, the French right wing have finally had enough and break and run en masse!  In the woods, the grenadiers of the Royal-Deux-Ponts Regiment are also forced to withdraw (along with the section of battalion guns) and the Hanoverian Jäger breathe a sigh of relief!

Above:  However, the rout of the Swiss-German infantry has now cleared the way for the French cavalry to mount their own attack.

Above:  On the French left, the two remaining infantry regiments begin their advance up the slope and at last the French position battery falls silent, masked by the advancing ranks.  In the woods, Colonel Fischer finally allows his chasseurs to move forward to engage the Jäger.

Above:  The Hessian infantry have suffered some disruption from the incessant French artillery fire, but they calmly wait at the top of the slope for the French to come to them.

Above:  Colonel Oheimb stands with his exhausted cavalry and hopes that they can recover some of their strength before the French horse arrive.

Above:  Sadly for General Oheimb, the French cavalry are not going to allow him that luxury!

Above:  As the French infantry close to musketry range, the French heavy horse charge the Canitz Regiment, on the left flank of the Hessian infantry.  The Canitz Regiment manages to hold off the French horse, but the Hessian infantry have no time to catch breath before a second wave of French horsemen charges!

Above:  In the woods, the skirmish has intensified; the Hessian militia huntsmen have fled the scene, as have the volunteers from the French Bentheim Regiment.  Nevertheless, the Hessian Jäger and the Chasseurs de Fischer continue to slug it out on the bank of the Fulda.

Above:  On the eastern flank, the French Nassau Hussars and the Apchon Dragoons are shot to bits as they attempt to pass by the Hanoverian Jäger and Freywald Militia.  Seeing easy prey, the Hessian Husarencorps and Prinz Friedrich Dragoons charge down the slope.  However, fortune smiles on the French hussars this day, as the Hessian charge turns into a disaster and both Hessian cavalry regiments break and flee the field!  

However, French jubilation is soon silenced with the realisation that the Nassau Hussars are completely spent and must retire from the battle.  The situation deteriorates even further as the Apchon Dragoons, shot to pieces by the garrison of Ellenbach, also quit the field!  By the skin of their teeth, the remaining Hessian and French regiments of horse manage to maintain their composure and remain in the fight.

Above:  Our chronicler sadly missed a part of the action here; the first charge by the French infantry was largely halted by fire, but the 2nd Battalion of the Rohan-Montbazon Regiment managed to charge home and break the Wurmb Militia.  On the flank meanwhile, the second charge by the French horse was decisively halted on the bayonets of the heroic Canitz Regiment.

It’s now Turn 12… In this scenario’s completely arbitrary time-limit, the French need to break the Hessians by the end of the turn in order to avoid a Hessian victory.  Both sides have been weakened, so there’s still everything to play for…

Above:  The French charge again!  This time, despite flanking fire from the Hessian grenadiers in the wood, all four French infantry battalions manage to charge home on the Ysenburg Regiment (with the buff flag) and the Gundlach Militia (with the dark blue flag).

Above:  On the flank, the first brigade of French horse has rallied and now has yet another go at the Canitz Regiment!

 

Above:  The French infantry charge this time, is a complete success!  The Hessian infantry fail to halt the charge with firepower and despite their strong position on the hill, are unable to withstand the French onslaught.  The earlier loss of the Wurmb Militia, in the very centre of the Hessian line, has crippled Hessian cohesion and the remaining battalions crumble in the face of the solid phalanx of French bayonets!

Above:  To everyone’s surprise, the Ysenburg Regiment, being one of the better regular regiments in the Hessian line as well as being the army commander’s own regiment, fails to rally and keeps running!  The Gundlach Militia however, retain their honour and manage to rally near Prince Ysenburg’s headquarters.  They turn to face the enemy once again.

Above:  On the left of the Hessian line however, the incredible Canitz Regiment stands like a stone wall!  They’ve beaten off an infantry assault and no fewer than three cavalry charges, despite being exposed at the end of the line (thanks in no small part to the exhausted Hessian heavy horse, who provide vital rear support to the Canitz Regiment, but who dare not launch another charge).  This last cavalry charge has ended in disaster for the French horse, who are broken on the wall of bayonets and who are joined in their rout by the rest of the French cavalry division!

Above:  At Ellenbach meanwhile, peace descends upon the battlefield.

Above:  With the Hessians having lost a large chunk of their army, things could now go horribly wrong for Prince Ysenburg.  However, the Prince manages through force of will (and a good die-roll, to be fair) to hold his command together!

The same however, is not true of the Duc De Broglie… With the rest of the army having quit the field, the heroic French infantry division can’t possibly fight on alone and so too, is forced to retreat!  The Duc de Broglie must therefore concede defeat to Prince Ysenburg.

So that’s France: 1, Hesse-Cassel: 1!  We might have to fight Sanderhausen a third time for the decider.

My thanks to Kirk and Andy for making it such a good (if nail-biting) game and thanks to all at Haverfordwest Gaming Club for their usual warm welcome.

So to the next game… As mentioned last time, our old mate Jase is back from New Zealand for a (No Fit) State Visit to Wales, so we’ll be having a game with him at W.A.S.P. on Tuesday.  He’s been itching to play a SYW battle again after all these years, so we’ll be giving the Corbach scenario a test-run.  I’m very much looking forward to it! 🙂

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Games, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Shako Rules, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 24 Comments

‘Hannover Siegt, Der Franzmann Liegt’ (Part 9: My First SYW Brunswickers)

As mentioned in the comments section of my last post, my old mate Jase is back in town!  🙂  He was long ago exiled from Wales to New Zealand for reasons we don’t like to talk about (it was never proved in a court of law and that sheep was sick in any case…).  In commemoration of his No Fit State Visit, I post the above painting; assumed by many to be of the Hereditary Prince of Brunswick, but which is in fact an artistic depiction of Jase in our great War of Jenkins’ Ear campaign of 1995-1997… 😉

Charles I, Prince of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel and Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg 1735-1780 (1750 portrait)

As nice as it is to see him again, the return of the Prodigal Son is something of a double-edged sword, as while here he might remember that I’ve still got some of his wargames armies in my possession…  As a consequence, I need to put on a game that doesn’t feature any of his models whatsoever (least of all the large Russian Napoleonic army that I busted a gut re-basing and re-flagging a couple of years ago)!  I think I’ve found the solution in my recently-published Corbach scenario, as that’ll feature none of Jase’s units, which can therefore stay locked securely in my secret army-vault.

However, Corbach does require a few more units to be added to my collection, including the first of my Brunswickers.  The army of the Duchy of Brunswick was a small one, at the start of the Seven Years War consisting of only four infantry regiments, four dragoon companies and a very small artillery and militia component.  This was expanded during the war by the addition of a fifth infantry regiment, a hussar regiment, a jäger corps and the conversion and expansion of the dragoons to a full carabinier (i.e. cuirassier) regiment.  My plan is to paint four infantry regiments, a pair of battalion guns, the carabiniers and the jäger corps.  As with the Hessians, I’m struggling to see the need to paint dedicated Brunswick grenadier battalions, when I’ve already got near-identical Prussian and Württemberg units.

Above:  Infanterie-Regiment ‘Imhoff’.  This regiment was originally raised as a single battalion in 1748, though by the time of the Seven Years War was organised as a two-battalion regiment, having been ‘Prussianised’ in 1754.  Each battalion consisted of four companies, each of 119 men, for a total of 476 men per battalion.  As usual with armies of this period, ‘men’ might just included enlisted ranks and it isn’t therefore clear if this number includes officers, NCOs, musicians and regimental staff.  The regimental chef throughout this period was Lieutenant General Philipp Ernst Freiherr von Imhoff.

The regiment was very well-travelled and hard-fighting, being engaged at Hastenbeck, Mehr, Minden, Fulda, Vellinghausen and Wilhelmsthal.

The regiment also included two grenadier companies, each of 141 men (same caveats as above), which were grouped with those of the Leib-Regiment to form Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Stammer’ (‘Warnstedt’ from 1761).  As with the similarly-organised Prussian grenadier battalions, this battalion was completely independent from its parent regiments and fought at Hastenbeck, Bergen, Minden and Warburg.

Above:  Infanterie-Regiment ‘Imhoff’, like all Brunswick troops, wore a very Prussian-style uniform, consisting of a blue coat with white lapels, turnbacks, Swedish-style cuffs and small-clothes, brass buttons, blue shoulder-strap, no collar and no lace.  The hat had white lace, a black cockade and three pompoms, coloured white over blue.  The regiment’s grenadiers had a Prussian-style grenadier cap with a blue bag, white band, white lace, a white-over-blue pompom and brass plate and grenade badges.  Neck stocks were black.  Belts were white, though musket slings appear to have been of red leather, in the same style as the Prussian army.

Officers had two ‘Brandenbourg’-style gold buttonholes below each lapel and had scalloped gold hat-lace and a silver sash, worked through with yellow or gold threads.  NCOs had straight gold hat-lace, as well as gold lace edging to lapels and cuffs.

Above:  A rear view of Infanterie-Regiment ‘Imhoff’.  Note that the coat turnbacks were white, rather than the Prussian-style red.  Cartridge-pouches were black with a brass plate and scabbards were black with brass fittings.

Sources are split over whether Brunswick drummers wore an elaborate yellow coat or a regimental coat with facing-coloured ‘swallow’s nests’ on the shoulders.  On balance, it would appear that the only regiment dressing its drummers in yellow coats was the Leib-Regiment, so I’ve done mine in blue with white swallow’s nests.  Drums were brass with hoops in blue/white diagonal stripes.

These are Eureka Miniatures 18mm Prussian infantry figures, with Maverick Models flags.  These Prussian-style flags were ordered in 1754, though it’s entirely likely that the Brunswickers were carrying an earlier pattern of flags during the Seven Years War, such as the pair of colours shown below.  I’d have preferred to have used this style, but I’ve not found anyone making them available for purchase or download and while I CAN paint such things (95% of my Prussian army has hand-painted flags), I’m basically too bone-idle.  [Edited to add that Christian Rogge makes the case for these flags on his superb blog – thanks to David Morfitt for finding the link that I’d lost]:

Generallieutenant Phillip Ernst Freiherr von Imhoff

Above:  Lieutenant General Philipp Ernst Freiherr von Imhoff was born in 1702 and at the age of 18 was commissioned into the Prince of Brunswick’s service as an ensign in the Duke of Bevern’s Infantry Regiment.  He fought during the War of Polish Succession of 1733-1735 and the Austro-Turkish War of 1737-1739 as part of the Imperial contingent.  The Duchy of Brunswick was a very late entrant into the War of Austrian Succession in 1748 and Imhoff was authorised to raise a new infantry regiment bearing his name.  However, as he was marching his regiment to the Netherlands, the Peace of Aachen was concluded and the Brunswickers never saw action.

At the start of what would become the Seven Years War, the Duchy of Brunswick was contracted by Great Britain to supply an auxiliary corps of 5,800 men (some sources say 4,800) in seven battalions to the Allied side and Imhoff was appointed as their General Officer Commanding, with the rank of Lieutenant General.  However, the ensuing Battle of Hastenbeck proved to be a disaster for the Allies and Imhoff’s Brunswick Corps was then bound by the Convention of Zeven Abbey to withdraw from the war.  King George II of Great Britain was incensed at the terms the Duke of Cumberland had agreed to and therefore considered the Convention of Zeven Abbey to be null and void.  Imhoff was now torn between the commitments made by the Duchy Brunswick to King George II, the terms of the Convention and his own sense of duty and honour.  He considered that honour came first and decided to march his corps back home.  However, the Brunswick Corps was intercepted by the Hanoverian General von Wangenheim and was ordered back to barracks, to prepare for the resumption of hostilities.  Imhoff himself was arrested and imprisoned until the following year.

Above:  Lieutenant General Philipp Ernst Freiherr von Imhoff was released from prison in May 1758, to find that the situation had changed rather dramatically.  Brunswick was now very much back in the war, with the new Allied commander-in-chief being none other than Prince Charles of Brunswick’s brother, Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick.  However, Imhoff had been relegated to second-in-command of the Brunswick contingent, as command had now passed to the Hereditary Prince (or Erbprinz) of Brunswick, Charles William Ferdinand.

Despite the ‘complicated’ start to Imhoff’s war, he proved to be a most able commander, winning a fine victory at Mehr on 5th August 1758 and being one of only two commanders singled out for praise by Ferdinand of Brunswick following the Battle of Minden on 1st August 1759.  However, he remained something of a prickly subordinate; he had a very bad relationship with Count William of Schaumburg-Lippe during the Siege of Münster in Oct-Nov 1759 and his failure to hold the line of the River Ohm in 1760 led to a catastrophic falling-out with Duke Ferdinand and his dismissal from the army!  Nevertheless, he retained the trust of Prince Charles, who placed Imhoff in command of the defence of Brunswick itself, which he successfully did against Prince Xaver’s Saxons in 1761.

My model of Imhoff is a 15mm Prussian general officer figure by Blue Moon.  As with most armies of the period, there was no regulation uniform for general officers of the Brunswick Army, so they would wear a variation on their own regimental uniform, typically with white ostrich feathers lining the edge of the hat.  Imhoff therefore wears the uniform of an officer of his own infantry regiment, as described above, with the addition of white feathers.  I’ve taken a guess that the regiment’s horse furniture was white with gold lace.

Above:  Brunswick’s Artillery Arm was very weak and simply just provided battalion guns to the infantry battalions in the field and gunners for the duchy’s fortresses.  There was no position artillery component.  The Brunswick artillery arm initially in 1757 had 272 men and a collection of 2pdr and 3pdr pieces (six of each) and a pair of howitzers.   In 1760 this increased to 320 men (equipment unknown).

Above:  The Brunswick Artillery Arm was uniformed very similarly to the Prussians, with a blue coat, red collar, turnbacks and Swedish-style cuffs, brass buttons and straw small-clothes.  Buttonhole lace took the form of elaborate golden ‘Brandenbourgs’, arranged 1, 2 and 3 from top to bottom on the breast, a pair on each cuff and a pair on each tail-pocket.  Hats had white lace, a black cockade and two black-over-white pompoms at the corners.  Officers had striking red small-clothes, gold ‘Brandenbourgs’ and gold scalloped hat-lace.  The colour of gun-carriages is simply unknown, though the general convention among wargamers is to give them light blue Prussian-style carriages with black ironwork (which they did have during the French Revolutionary Wars), so I’ve gone with that.

Above:  For my Brunswick Artillery, I’ve used 18mm Eureka Miniatures Prussian artillery figures.

Right, I’m off down to the club to catch up with Jase!  Nobody mention the armies…

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Painted Units, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Seven Years War Minor German States, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 11 Comments

Reinforcements For King Louis (Part 9: Chasseurs de Fischer & Massed Flank Companies)

Since starting my Seven Years War French army in February 2021 with the ‘Frogruary Challenge’, things have progressed rather well.  The total number of units currently stands at 40 infantry battalions, 3 light infantry battalions, 2 massed grenadier battalions, 4 cavalry ‘brigades’ (each being a 12-figure unit made up from three regiments), the massive Gendarmerie de France (2 units in its own right), 2 dragoon regiments, 1 hussar regiment, 14 skirmisher stands and 10 guns.

I’ve therefore now got enough troops to do most of the small and medium-sized battles of the period and the same is true of my ‘Western Allied’ armies.  However, there’s still plenty to do on both sides, not only to build up the overall numbers and refight some of the larger battles, but also in order to expand the range of unit-types within the collection, especially those pesky units of massed grenadiers and chasseurs, the various foreign contingents and the volunteer legions or ‘free corps’ of light troops that so often appeared on the margins of these battles.

One such free corps that frequently appeared at the battles in Germany is the Chasseurs de Fischer.

The Chasseurs de Fischer were initially raised in 1742 during the War of Austrian Succession.  At this time, the French army of the Duc de Broglie was blockaded within Prague by the Austrians.  However, with such a huge perimeter to cover, the Austrians had nowhere near enough forces to fully surround the city with earthworks and troops and as a consequence, the siege was rather ‘loose’ and there was plenty of work on both sides for scouts and raiders around the city.  An enterprising German native of Lorraine by the name of Johann Christian (or ‘Jean Chrétien’) Fischer was therefore prompted to raise a company of freebooters from the servants of French officers within the garrison (Fischer himself is sometimes described as a ‘servant’ or even ‘cook’) and this irregular unit proved highly successful, even managing to recapture cavalry mounts that had been captured by Austrian hussars.

Johann Christian Fischer (1748)

The French garrison of Prague managed to surprise the Austrians and successfully broke out of the city over Christmas 1742.  It’s not clear if Fischer’s little band remained on the books following the break-out, though it seems likely, as on 1st November 1743, Fischer was commissioned as a Captain and his unit was officially designated as the Chasseurs de Fischer, consisting of 45 Chasseurs à Pied and 15 Chasseurs à Cheval, wearing an exotic uniform of dark green and red.  The unit grew rapidly and in 1747 distinguished itself at the Siege of Bergen-op-Zoom.  By then the unit had grown to roughly 600 men, still with the same ratio of two infantrymen to one cavalryman (i.e. 400 infantry and 200 cavalry) and Fischer was elevated to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

At the end of the War of Austrian Succession in 1748, the Chasseurs de Fischer won a rare privilege, in that they were not disbanded and were instead, allowed to remain on the order of battle of the French Army.  However, they were reduced to only 60 men (a foot company of 40 men and a horse company of 20 men).

With the commencement of what would become the Seven Years War, the Chasseurs de Fischer were ordered on 1st January 1756 to be expanded once again; this time to 220 men (five foot companies of 40 men and one horse company of 20 men).  A second order on 26th October 1756 massively expanded the horse component; the unit would now consist of four companies of 50 foot and four companies of 75 horse, for a total of 500 men.

In 1757 the Chasseurs de Fischer went through yet more phases of expansion, thanks to a successful recruitment drive in Lorraine.  On 8th July the organisation was changed to eight companies of 72 foot and eight companies of 81 horse, for a total of 1,280 men including regimental staff.  Six men in each foot company were designated as grenadiers, who in the field would form a ninth (grenadier) foot company.  The foot would form a single battalion of nine companies, while the horse would form four squadrons, each of two companies.  On 15th August 1757 a further 50 men were added per company, so the regiment now stood at 2,080 men of all ranks, with a further eight lieutenants added in November 1757.

The next few years saw hard campaigning for the Chasseurs de Fischer, with the regiment being engaged in the capture of Marburg, the Combat of Sanderhausen, the Battle of Lutterberg, the capture of Minden, the Battle of Warburg and the Battle of Clostercamp, plus numerous small actions, raids and ambushes.

Fischer himself won promotion to Maréchal de Camp (Brigadier) for his actions at the Battle of Bergen, though the constant campaigning took a heavy toll and as a consequence, the strength of the regiment steadily declined and in 1761 was reorganised with a total of 1,288 men (eight foot companies of 79 men apiece and eight horse companies of 81 men, plus regimental staff).

Then on 27th April 1761, the regiment rather bizarrely changed hands, being passed from Fischer to Louis Gabriel d’Armentières, Marquis de Conflans and being known from that point forth as the Dragons-Chasseurs de Conflans (also being known briefly as the Légion de Conflans for the last three weeks of its existence in March 1763).

Louis Gabriel d’Armentières, Marquis de Conflans

It’s not clear as to what brought about this change in command, though it would appear that the unit was still commanded in the field by Fischer as the ‘Lieutenant-Colonel’, with the Marquis de Conflans being only the Colonel-proprietor, rather than their field-commander (he was after all, a Lieutenant-General, not a mere Colonel).  The regiment had won increasing fame and Fischer wasn’t a noble, so the King probably decided that a regiment of such note should belong to a member of the nobility.  However, this is all my own supposition and I can’t find any information as to why the regiment changed hands.

In any case, it soon became all rather academic, as Fischer died aged 49 on 1st July 1762 near Caassel.  Again, information isn’t forthcoming and I’ve been unable to discover anything about the circumstances of his death.  The regiment had been caught in an ambush on 21st June, so did he perhaps die of wounds suffered during that action?  Or was it simply illness and the stresses of campaign?

Despite Fischer’s death, the regiment fought on and two weeks later were engaged at the Battle of Vellinghausen.  Finally, in one of their last actions of the war, they captured a Hanoverian cavalry standard, thus cementing their legacy as probably the most famous legion of French light troops of the mid-18th Century.

As we were planning to refight the Battle of Warburg last least year, the Chasseurs de Fischer were an absolutely essential addition to my collection, even though that battle wasn’t one of their finest hours, being kicked out of Warburg town by the Légion Britanniques!  However, finding suitable figures wasn’t easy and nor was identifying the uniform that they were wearing at any given time!

According to the Kronoskaf interpretation, the regiment’s Chasseurs à Pied were wearing a green uniform with a red collar, aurore (orange) shoulder-strap and brass buttons.  Headgear was a curious green cap called a pokalem (a word that was liberally applied to most soft French infantry caps of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries), also pictured here on the right (which is probably where Kronoskaf got the design).  This was decorated with aurore piping over the crown and around the turned-up false peak.  The pokalem therefore looked not unlike my old Cub Scout cap with the peak turned up!  The regiment’s grenadiers wore bearskins with a brass plate and green bag.

Other interpretations include mirliton caps in black or green with white lace and fleur-de-lys badge or cocked hats (though the cocked hats don’t appear to have appeared until right at the end of the Seven Years War), red pointed cuffs, red round cuffs, red lapels, aurore fringed epaulette, red fringed epaulette, red shoulder strap, red bags for the grenadier caps, black belts, buff belts, white belts, black cartridge pouches, natural leather pouches, black gaiters, white gaiters…  And we haven’t even discussed the uniforms of the regiment’s Chasseurs à Cheval!  I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a unit that has quite so many contradictory sources and quite honestly, I lost the will to live while trying to work out what was ‘correct’!  I think it’s probably true to say that all variants were worn by some part of the regiment for some part of its existence!

Well that’s my excuse, anyway…

I’ve not found any figures wearing pokalem caps (none I’d want to buy, anyway…), though Prussian fusilier caps might be similar if you filed them down a bit and if you could be bothered… However, Old Glory 15s (available in the UK from Timecast Models) produce a French infantry pack containing 12 rather nice mirliton-wearing figures in advancing poses (including officer and drummer), which would do for both the formed troops and the skirmisher stands.

However, the pack also contains 12 figures wearing bearskins.  I was able to find a use for the bearskin-wearing fellas however (see below), so no worries, but it would be a pain in the arse if you didn’t have a use for them!  Old Glory 15s figures are classics, but one of my bugbears is that for some reason, they reduced the size of their packs (from 100 figures to 24 figures), but didn’t then use that opportunity to separate out the different troop types that were grouped in the same pack!  The most bizarre one is the Hanoverian pack with 4x Luckner’s Hussars, 4x Horse Grenadiers and 8x Freytag’s Jäger in the same pack!

I used three of the Old Glory 15s packs to make two formed units of Chasseurs à Pied (each of 12 figures, plus two three-figure skirmisher stands), representing the regiment at its absolute strongest, circa 1757-1760.  There was officially only one battalion, but as the Chasseurs à Pied numbered more than 1,000 men at full strength, they were roughly the same strength as a two-battalion French infantry regiment.  I’ve therefore decided to put them on table as two four-company ‘battalions’ (with two grenadier figures formed on the right of one of the two ‘battalions’).

Although a lot of French volunteer legions carried flags, there is no evidence that this was ever the case for the Chasseurs de Fischer and as there aren’t any standard-bearers in this pack, I didn’t bother with flags.  However, I will probably be unable to resist the temptation of adding a suitably-green standard or two when I paint the Chasseurs à Cheval.

I haven’t yet painted the Chasseur à Cheval squadrons for the Chasseurs de Fischer, though I have painted one mounted officer figure (a French hussar officer by Eureka Miniatures) to represent Fischer (though a dedicated Fischer figure with that strange hat would be nice).  I won’t therefore go into great detail about the Chasseur à Cheval uniform here and will save that dose of excitement for when I want to show them here.  However, it generally followed the green and red theme of the Chasseurs à Pied, though again there is a great deal of disagreement in various sources.

The sources generally agree that there was a lot more red on the uniform during the War of Austrian Succession, with cuffs, breeches, pelisse, sabretache and horse-furniture all being red and only the dolman jacket being green.  By the time of the Seven Years War, the pelisse had apparently changed to green and some sources say that the horse furniture had also changed to green.  Whatever the colour, the horse furniture and sabretache were decorated with Fischer’s badge of three crossed fish (sometimes shown arranged in a triangle) in gold, with a crown above and surrounded by fleurs-de-lys.

As mentioned above, after sorting out the mirliton-wearing figures (and two bearskin-wearing figures) for my Chasseurs de Fischer, I was left with a pile of spare bearskin-wearing figures.  As it happened, my collection was badly in need of a couple of massed grenadier battalions.

While the French were not as enthusiastic as other nations in the use of massed grenadiers and most certainly did not form semi-permanent grenadier battalions, they did occasionally mass grenadiers on an ad-hoc basis for specific tasks such as seizing key terrain-features, to act as an advance/rear-guard or to support light troops.  This became increasingly common as the Seven Years War went on, especially following the Duc de Broglie’s Instruction pour l’Infanterie of 1760, which stipulated the formation of brigade elite battalions, where the grenadier companies were to be massed with the newly-created chasseur companies, in order to provide each brigade with its own avant-garde unit.

Note that these ad hoc grenadier battalions should not be confused with the Grenadiers de France Regiment, which was a permanently-established infantry regiment of four battalions, formed in 1749 from the massed grenadier companies of the infantry regiments that had been disbanded at the end of the War of Austrian Succession.  They should also not be confused with the Grenadiers-Royaux; eleven regiments of which were formed at the outbreak of the Seven Years War from the grenadier companies of the militia battalions.

It should be noted that French grenadier companies were very small.  A French infantry battalion started the Seven Years War with 16 fusilier companies (increasing to 17 in August 1757) and one grenadier company.  At full strength, a grenadier company would number only 48 men, so the massed ‘grenadier battalion’ of a four-battalion infantry regiment/brigade would therefore number only 192 men at full strength!  Consequently, in Tricorn I’ll normally only represent a single ‘battalion’ of this type as a single skirmisher stand or perhaps designating the lead battalion in a formation as a ‘large unit’ (i.e. may absorb one extra hit).

However, the strength of these massed elite battalions was more than doubled to around 400 men following Marshal de Broglie’s 1760 instruction that they should be massed with the newly-created chasseur companies.  A formed French ‘grenadier battalion’ on the table will therefore actually actually represent the massed grenadiers from two or three brigades or a single brigade’s massed grenadiers and chasseurs from 1760 onward.

The uniforms shown here represent most of the regiments I’ve painted thus far.  I could also use a battalion each of massed Swiss grenadiers in red coats and Germans/Walloons in blue coats.  I also threw in a mounted officer to replace the two grenadiers I’d stolen for the grenadier company of the Chasseurs de Fischer.  Massed grenadiers would not carry flags.

Pictures of French bearskins from the period are fairly rare, though they mostly seem to have lacked front-plates.  However, these figures are modelled with very obvious front-plates, so I had to paint them on.  Some units also definitely wore plumes on their bearskins (British eyewitness accounts mention French bearskin-plumes being taken as trophies), but these figures lack plumes.  If I weren’t bone-idle, I might be tempted to model such things, but…

It should of course, be mentioned that at the start of the Seven Years War, bearskins had only just started to be adopted by a few French regiments and most should probably therefore be wearing hats.  However, that would be rather boring…

At the start of the Seven Years War, the light troops of a French field army would normally be supplied by one of the legions of volunteers.  However, as with every army, each regiment was required to supply a daily company of picquets for guarding the camp and these could sometimes be utilised to form a rudimentary screen.  Very quickly, the need for avant-garde infantry was identified and some regiments formed unofficial chasseur companies from volunteers and/or the best marksmen.  Sometimes these chasseurs were grouped together into battalion and even brigade-sized units known as Volontaires de l’Armée.  However, these concepts were completely unofficial and not universally applied across the army.

In 1760, the Duc de Broglie, in his Instruction pour l’Infanterie, attempted to formalise the establishment of chasseur companies within each infantry battalion, as well as the formation of a massed elite grenadier/chasseur battalion as part of every brigade.  Under de Broglie’s new organisation, each infantry battalion would form a chasseur company of 58 men, in addition to the grenadier company of 48 men.  Each brigade of four battalions could therefore potentially deploy an elite battalion of around 400 men.

There were no specific uniform details for chasseurs, though green sword-knots or epaulettes seem to have been adopted by some units.  Otherwise they just wore the standard uniform of their parent regiment.  I’ve therefore painted these skirmisher stands in the same uniforms as regiments already in my collection.  These are Blue Moon figures.

Erroneously titled ‘Chasseurs de Fischer’, the figure on the right, taken from the Becher Manuscript, actually seems to be a chasseur from a French line infantry regiment (note the green sword-knot).  The number ’42’ and the uniform details suggest that this might be a man from the Rouergue Infantry Regiment, which was 42nd in order of seniority.

That’s it for now!  I’ll leave you with a picture of these troops deployed on the ramparts of my new Vauban(ish) fortress; more of which will be posted soon:

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Painted Units, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Seven Years War French Army, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) | 17 Comments

The Combat of Corbach, 10th July 1760 (A Scenario for ‘Tricorn’)

Here’s yet another Seven Years War scenario to add to the collection.  You’ve gotta catch ’em all! 🙂

Corbach is an interesting battle, which is actually classified as a ‘combat’ in most sources, as the two armies were only lightly engaged, with one side (the Allies) breaking off and retreating before the armies became fully-engaged.  It’s also something of an encounter-battle, which we don’t often play during this era.  If played ‘straight out of the packet’, this is going to be a VERY difficult battle for the Allies to win, but I include some scenario-balancing options and I thoroughly recommend using the rules listed at the bottom of this article under ‘Umpire’s Eyes Only!’  I’ve also included a slightly truncated version of the scenario, in order to bring the armies together a bit faster.

As always, this scenario is written for Tricorn, which is our Seven Years War & Mid-18th Century variant of Shako Napoleonic rules.  In case you missed it, I recently updated Tricorn and the changes are detailed here.

Historical Background

Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick

The campaign of 1759 in Western Germany had been an unusually long and hard one, extending well into the winter and even into early 1760, over ground that had already been well-trodden by war since 1757.  As a consequence, the Allied armies of Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Brunswick and Schaumburg-Lippe, commanded by Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick, were struggling to recover their numbers.  However, their victory at Minden during the previous summer had given a boost to their supporters in Britain and as a consequence, Parliament approved the doubling of the British contingent in Germany, as well as the funding for the new Légion Britannique and an additional cash subsidy for Hesse-Cassel, whose lands had been ravaged by the French.

Duc de Broglie

Even though he outnumbered the Allies by a ratio of almost 2 to 1, the protracted campaigning was also causing problems for the Duc de Broglie’s French armies in Western Germany.  The whole region had been over-foraged in three successive campaigns, meaning that the main source of feed for the army’s horses would be the new green grass.  De Broglie therefore estimated that he would have to delay his army’s new offensive against Hanover until mid-July.  Broglie also had considerable cashflow problems, though that was eventually resolved through calling in every favour he had remaining at Court. 

Prince Xaver of Saxony

However, this financial support came with a cost; the War-Minister Belle-Isle disapproved of Broglie’s planned attack via an unexpected axis, fearing that this would leave French territory too exposed to an Allied offensive.  Broglie was therefore forced to take the obvious invasion route, straight through Hesse-Cassel (which had already been attempted multiple times, without success).

The French armies in Germany were split into three groups; Broglie’s Grande Armée being by far the largest, was in the centre near Frankfurt, with Prince Xaver’s corps (consisting of the Prince’s own Saxon contingent, reinforced by French formations) on the right near Fulda and extending into the Saale valley, with the Comte de Saint-Germain’s Armée du Bas-Rhin on the left around Köln and Düsseldorf, on the left bank of the Rhine.

Comte de Saint-Germain

As for the Allies, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick’s main army was positioned around Paderborn, covering the likely western invasion route from Köln to Hanover, while the corps of his nephew, the Hereditary Prince (or Erbprinz) Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Brunswick was in the vicinity of Cassel, covering the likely eastern approach from Frankfurt.

During May, Broglie drew in Prince Xaver’s corps from Fulda, but worried about Allied activity on the Lower Rhine (caused by British regulars and the Légion Britannique), ordered St Germain to remain around Düsseldorf.  In the meantime, the Erbprinz wasted no time in recapturing Fulda, though was soon forced to withdraw from the Franco-Saxon response.

The Erbprinz of Brunswick

Probing, scouting and skirmishing continued across the front for much of May and June.  On 15th June St Germain’s army crossed the Rhine at Düsseldorf and on 18th June, Broglie’s main army finally left its winter quarters and began the advance on Hanover.  By 25th June, Broglie had crossed the River Ohm near Amöneburg (roughly half way from Frankfurt to Kassel) and at last, Ferdinand was manoeuvring to oppose him.

In the meantime, on 29th June, the city of Marburg fell to the Irish Brigade of the French army.  However, things were not all well in the French camp, as St Germain disagreed with Broglie’s new plan and had asked to be relieved of command!  With his resignation refused, St Germain finally started marching east from Düsseldorf on 4th July, with orders to concentrate with Broglie’s army at the town of Corbach on 10th July.  Ferdinand in the meantime, had learned of St Germain’s movement, but was not sure if he intended to march directly on Paderborn, via Soest and Lippstadt (and thus threaten Ferdinand’s rear), or march directly to join his forces with those of Broglie.

Nicolaus von Luckner

On 8th July, Ferdinand’s uncertainty evaporated as an intercepted French letter (snigger, fnarr, yuk-yuk, etc…) confirmed that St Germain had been ordered to achieve a junction with Broglie at Corbach.  Ferdinand immediately ordered the Erbprinz and the light troops under Luckner to seize the tactical heights at Corbach and Sachsenhausen, thereby preventing the junction of the two French armies.  In the meantime, Ferdinand would march the main Allied army to Sachsenhausen.

On 9th July, the Erbprinz, together with the Hanoverian corps of General Kielmansegge, the British corps of General Griffin and Luckner’s light troops had reached Sachsenhausen.  Luckner even managed to capture Corbach during the morning, though was soon forced to withdraw when faced by a massively superior enemy force.  This superior force of French troops was Clausen’s corps, which formed the vanguard of Broglie’s Grande Armée… The Allies had lost the race to drive a wedge between Broglie and St Germain.

Graf von Kielmansegge

With the main Allied army’s vanguard identified, Broglie ordered Clausen to pin them in position and ordered St Germain to redouble his efforts to reach Corbach and there make an immediate attack on the Allied army.  In the meantime, he ordered the Marquis de Poyanne’s Corps of Carabiniers to reinforce Clausen and also personally led a further six brigades forward to attack the enemy at Corbach.

On the morning of the 10th and having identified the French vanguard drawn up on the heights just to the east of Corbach, the Erbprinz resolved to immediately attack them with the corps of Kielmannsegge, Griffin and Luckner.  Prince Ferdinand in the meantime, was marching to the scene, having set out at 2am.  The corps of Oheimb and Webb with Charlton’s British artillery brigade, were sent on ahead to reinforce the Erbprinz as quickly as possible.  However, with a better grasp of the overall situation, Ferdinand ordered the Erbprinz not to attack, but to hold the enemy long enough for the main army to deploy at Sachsenhausen, a short distance to the Erbprinz‘s rear.

John Griffin Griffin

On the other side of the field, St Germain’s infantry had started to arrive following a punishing forced-march.  As more French infantry began to appear, the Erbprinz ordered Kielmansegge to extend his line to the right and refuse the flank, in order to be protected against any surprised coming from the woods.  However, unseen by the Erbprinz, St Germain had already pushed a great mass of infantry into the woods.

D’Amenzaga’s corps, consisting of the La Couronne and La Tour-du-Pin Brigades (8 battalions), had pushed deep into the woods, screened by the light infantry of the Volontaires de Flandre.  In response, Kielmannsegge countered them with the Hanoverian ‘Laffert’ Regiment.  This counter-move initially pushed back the French light infantry, but proved to be completely inadequate against d’Amenzaga’s main body and the Hanoverians were soon forced to fall back.

Albrecht Christian von Oheimb

At that moment, with the d’Amenzaga’s French infantry, (closely followed by the corps of the Comte de Rooth and Comte de Guerchy) poised to completely overwhelm the unsuspecting Allied right flank, Broglie spotted the approaching columns of Generals Oheimb and Webb.  Massively over-estimating the strength of these distant columns, Broglie ordered St Germain’s infantry to halt their advance!  The French assault immediately staggered to a halt, with some brigades even retreating from the woods!  Only the Comte de Rooth’s division (consisting of the Swiss Castellas Brigade and German Royal-Suédois Brigade) on the extreme French left flank, failed to receive this order and therefore continued its march around the Allied right flank.  This pause gave the Erbprinz valuable time to appreciate the situation and shift most of his infantry over to the right flank.

Comte de Guerchy

However, it wasn’t long before Broglie realised his mistake and ordered the French advance to resume.  In the meantime, the French had massed a large battery of 24 position pieces on the high ground, which quickly overwhelmed the dozen or so guns that the Allies had managed to mass on the Watchtower Hill.  With this effective fire-support, the French infantry renewed their assault and quickly overwhelmed the Allied right flank, even managing to capture the entire Allied battery.

As four battalions of British infantry (the 5th, 24th, 50th & 51st Regiments) covered the retreat, Prince Camille arrived on the field with three brigades of French heavy cavalry and he quickly led them forward, along with the Turpin Hussars and Beaufremont Dragoons, intending to destroy the Allied rearguard and fall upon the retreating column.  The Allied retreat now had every possibility of turning into a rout!

Ernst Philip von Grothaus

However, the French pursuit was halted by the sacrifice of Major General Grothaus’ cavalry; chiefly the British 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards (Bland’s) and 3rd Dragoon Guards (Howard’s), who suffered heavy casualties.

With the Erbprinz‘s force defeated (and the Erbprinz himself having received a slight wound), the two French armies completed their concentration without further hindrance.  The Allies had lost 824 men dead, wounded and missing, as well as a dozen position guns, while the French had lost some 650-750 men.  Nevertheless, only six days later, the Erbprinz was to turn the tables, winning a remarkable victory at Emsdorf, where he captured General Glaubiz’s entire French brigade of 2,680 men!  Ten days after Emsdorf, the Marquess of Granby won a further tremendous victory over the French at Warburg.

Marquis de Poyanne

Nevertheless, the French continued to advance, occupying Hesse and besieging the fortress of Wesel.  Then in October, the Erbprinz then suffered another reverse at Clostercamp, which left him very bitter (somewhat unfairly) regarding his British allies!  However, while things had been going badly for the Allies in Western Germany, they had gone even worse for King Frederick II’s Prussians against the Austrians. 

In conclusion, despite the inconclusive end to the campaign in Western Germany, the hard fighting in that theatre of war throughout 1760 had therefore achieved a major Allied strategic goal, as the French were unable to release armies to aid the Austrians in Saxony.  If they had managed to do that, it probably would have been Game Over for Prussia and the Alliance as a whole.

Scenario Outline

This scenario requires an 8’x6′ table when using the same scale as me (i.e. battalions with a frontage of 6-8cm).

The game lasts until the end of Turn 20, or until one army is broken or retreats from the field.

After Turn 15, the Allied army may voluntarily retreat from the field to claim a draw.  No units may voluntarily retreat from the table before that point.

[Having now played the scenario, I’d recommend using the ‘short’ version of the scenario (see below) and change the above scenario limit to 25 turns.]

The Allied Army

Lieutenant General Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz) of Brunswick

(Good – 2 ADCs)

Right Column – Lieutenant General Georg Ludwig, Graf von Kielmansegg
British 50th Regiment of Foot (Carr’s)      [5/2]
British 51st Regiment of Foot (Brudenell’s)      [5/2]
Hanoverian Grenadier Battalion ‘Geyso’      [5/2]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Wangenheim’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Bock’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Reden’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Laffert’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Plessen’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
British & Hanoverian Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Hanoverian Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Hanoverian Light Artillery Battery (Eitel’s)      [3/0]
1/British Light Artillery Brigade (Charlton’s)      [3/0]
2/British Light Artillery Brigade (Charlton’s)      [3/0]
Picquets      [1x Skirmishers]

Right Column Cavalry – Major General Ernst Philip von Grothaus
3 Sqns, British 1st (King’s) Dragoon Guards (Bland’s)      [6/2]
2 Sqns, British 3rd Dragoon Guards (Howard’s)      } [6/2]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Leib’ Regiment of Horse      } [combined with above]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Grothaus’ Regiment of Horse      } [6/2]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Hodenberg’ Regiment of Horse      } [combined with above]
4 Sqns, Hessen-Cassel ‘Leib’ Dragoon Regiment      [5/2]

Left Column – Major General John Griffin Griffin
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Schulenberg’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessen-Cassel Infantry Regiment ‘Prinz Carl’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessen-Cassel Füsilier Regiment ‘Gilsa’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessen-Cassel Infantry Regiment ‘Malsburg’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian & Hessian Battalion Guns      [2/0]

Reinforcement Column – Lieutenant General Albrecht Christian von Oheimb
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Dreves’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
I. Bn, Brunswick Infantry Regiment ‘Zastrow’      [4/1]
II. Bn, Brunswick Infantry Regiment ‘Zastrow’      [4/1]
Brunswick & Hanoverian Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Hanoverian Light Artillery Battery      [3/0]

Detachment of Major General Nikolaus, Graf von Luckner
Hanoverian Grenadier Battalion ‘Wersabé’      [5/2]
Hanoverian Grenadier Battalion ‘Bock’      [5/2]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Walthausen’ Regiment of Horse      } [6/2]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Heise’ Regiment of Horse      } [combined with above]
4 Sqns, Hanoverian Hussar Regiment ‘Luckner’      [4/1]
Brunswick Foot Jäger Corps      [2x Skirmishers – MR 5]
Brunswick Mounted Jäger Corps      [1x Skirmishers]

Detachment of Major General Daniel Webb
British 5th Regiment of Foot (Hodgson’s)      [5/2]
British 24th Regiment of Foot (Cornwallis’)      [5/2]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Jung-Zastrow’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
British & Hanoverian Battalion Guns      [2/0]

Allied Orbat Notes

1. Hessen-Cassel infantry regiments actually consisted of two battalions from 1760 onward. However, these reorganised regiments were no stronger than the previous single-battalion regiments, so for game purposes are still classed as single Large Units.

2. In most cases, the Allied cavalry regiments are rather small and are brigaded together into combined units for game purposes.

3. Oheimb’s corps reinforced the army at 0900hrs. His three infantry regiments formed a second line behind Griffin’s division, while his cavalry and artillery reinforced the right flank. I’ve arbitrarily grouped the cavalry under Grothaus’ command and the artillery under Kielmansegg’s command.

4. The Army C-on-C, Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick (not to be confused with his subordinate, the Hereditary Prince (‘Erbprinz’) Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand) arrives on Turn 10 to assess the situation and will take control of the battle. The C-in-C’s rating therefore becomes ‘Excellent’ from that point forth.

5.  The single Skirmisher elements (Kielmansegge’s picquets and Luckner’s Brunswick Mounted Jäger) will be eliminated on the third hit.  They do not count towards army morale.

Allied Reinforcements

All reinforcements arrive anywhere between points C & D, in column of march or column of battalions/regiments (i.e. each unit in line, one behind the other) and all artillery limbered.

Turn 1 – The Hessian Leib-Dragoner Regiment and Charlton’s British battery arrive.

Turn 3 – Oheimb’s column arrives.

Turn 8 – Webb’s Detachment arrives.

Allied Formation Breakpoints

Division          FMR      ⅓      ½      ¾
Kielmansegg        48         16      24      36
Grothaus               23          8       12      18
Griffin                    18          6         9       14
Oheimb                  17          6         9       13
Luckner                  25          9       13      19
Webb                       16          6        8       12

Army                 FMR      ¼      ⅓      ½
Allied Army          146        37      49      73

Optional Allied Forces

Historically, Ferdinand of Brunswick decided not to further reinforce the Hereditary Prince’s corps after sending Oheimb’s and Webb’s detachments.  However, if you want to give the Allies a fighting chance of winning, starting on Turn 9, roll 1 d6 at the end of the Allied Command Phase.  On a roll of 6, the following formations will arrive at the start of the following Allied turn:

Division of Lieutenant General Eitel Ludwig Philipp von Gilsa
Hessian Grenadier Battalion ‘Schlottheim’      [5/2]
Hessian Grenadier Battalion ‘Stirn’      [5/2]
Hessian Grenadier Battalion ‘Balcke’      [5/2]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Alt-Zastrow’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Chevallerie’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessian Infantry Regiment ‘2. Garde’      [5/2 – Large Unit]
Hessian Infantry Regiment ‘Mansbach’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessian Infantry Regiment ‘Bischhausen’      [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessian & Hanoverian Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Hessian Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Hessian Light Artillery Battery      [3/0]
3 Coys, Hanoverian ‘Stockhausen’ Freikorps Infantry      [2x Skirmishers – MR 4]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Stockhausen’ Freikorps Mounted Jäger      [2x Skirmishers – MR 4]
3 Coys, Hanoverian ‘Freytag’ Jäger Corps      [2x Skirmishers – MR 5]
3 Coys, Hanoverian ‘Freytag’ Jäger Corps      [2x Skirmishers – MR 5]
6 Mounted Coys, Hanoverian ‘Freytag’ Jäger Corps      [2x Skirmishers – MR 5]

Division of Lieutenant General J. A. F. von Bischhausen
2 Sqns, British 2nd Dragoons (Scots Greys)      } [5/2]
2 Sqns, British 10th Dragoons (Mordaunt’s)      } [combined with above]
2 Sqns, Hessian ‘Prinz Wilhelm’ Regiment of Horse      } [6/2 – Large Unit]
4 Sqns, Hessian ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons      } [combined with above]
3 Sqns, Prussian ‘Ruesch’ Hussars (HR5) (elite)      [5/2]
2 Sqns, Prussian ‘Malachowski’ Hussars (HR7)      [4/1]

If you use these optional forces, apply the following formation breakpoints. The army breakpoint only changes AFTER the reinforcements arrive, so tough luck if the army breaks beforehand:

Division                       FMR      ⅓      ½      ¾
Gilsa                                    71         24      36      54
Bischhausen                      20         7       10       15

Army                             FMR      ¼      ⅓      ½
Allied Army                      237        60      79     119

La Grande Armée

Maréchal de France Victor François Duc de Broglie

(Good – 2 ADCs)

Vanguard of La Grande Armée – Lieutenant-Général Baron de Clausen
Grenadiers Réunis (from Castellas & Royal-Suédois Brigades)      [5/2]
Chasseurs Réunis (from Castellas & Royal-Suédois Brigades)      [4/1]
1st Bn, Horion Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Horion Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Vierzet Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Vierzet Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
6 Sqns, Hussar Regiment ‘Turpin’      [4/1 – Large]
4 Sqns, Dragoon Regiment ‘Beaufremont’ (poor)      [4/1]
Foot Coys, Volontaires du Dauphiné      [2x Skirmishers – MR 3]

Corps des Carabiniers de Monsieur le Comte de Provence – Lieutenant-Général Marquis de Poyanne
Left Wing, Royal-Carabiniers Regiment      [6/2 – Large]
Right Wing, Royal-Carabiniers Regiment      [6/2 – Large]

Vanguard of L’Armée du Bas-Rhin – Lieutenant-Général Marquis d’Amenzaga
Foot Coys, Volontaires de Flandre      [2x Skirmishers – MR 3]
Dragoon Coys, Volontaires de Flandre & Volontaires du Dauphiné (light cavalry)      [4/1]
1st Bn, La Tour-du-Pin Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, La Tour-du-Pin Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, La Tour-du-Pin Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, La Tour-du-Pin Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, La Couronne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, La Couronne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, D’Aumont Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, D’Aumont Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]

Division of Maréchal de Camp Comte de Rooth
1st Bn, Royal-Suédois German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Royal-Suédois German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Royal-Suédois German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Royal Deux-Ponts German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Royal Deux-Ponts German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Royal Deux-Ponts German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Castellas Swiss Infantry Regiment (elite)      [5/2]
2nd Bn, Castellas Swiss Infantry Regiment (elite)      [5/2]
1st Bn, Eptingen Swiss Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Eptingen Swiss Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Diesbach Swiss Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Diesbach Swiss Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Light Artillery Battery      [3/0]

Division of Lieutenant-Général Comte de Guerchy
1st Bn, Navarre Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Navarre Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Navarre Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, Navarre Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, La March-Prince Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Du Roi Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Du Roi Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Du Roi Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, Du Roi Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Orléans Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Orléans Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Dufort Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Dufort Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Auvergne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Auvergne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Auvergne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, Auvergne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Heavy Artillery Battery      [3/0]
Heavy Artillery Battery      [3/0]
Light Artillery Battery      [3/0]

Cavalry Division of Lieutenant-Général Prince Camille de Lorraine, Prince de Marsan
6 Sqns, Royal-Cravate Cavalry Brigade (Royal-Cravate, Busy-Lameth & Seyssel) (poor)      [5/2]
6 Sqns, Orléans Cavalry Brigade (Orléans, Damas, Rochefoucauld-Langeac) (poor)      [5/2]
6 Sqns, Royal Cavalry Brigade (Royal, Des Salles & Moustiers) (poor)      [5/2]
6 Sqns, Bourgogne Cavalry Brigade (Bourgogne, Charost & Fumel) (poor)      [5/2]

French Orbat Notes

1. The headquarters of the Duc de Broglie’s Grande Armée and the Comte de Saint-Germain’s  Armée du Bas-Rhin are combined for game-purposes.

2. Clausen’s Vanguard Division actually had two battalions each of combined grenadiers and chasseurs.  However, these were very weak (around 300 men apiece), so are combined here into single units.  Each may be split into 2x Skirmishers.

3. The Royal-Carabiniers actually had five ‘brigades’, each of two squadrons, for a rough total of 1,600 men.  For game purposes I’ve reorganised this as two large units.

4. French Dragoons are classed as Poor Dragoons, with MR 4.  However, they may dismount and fight as infantry with the same MR, or as 2x Skirmishers.  Volunteer Dragoon Squadrons tended to be organised and trained for mounted action as light cavalry, leaving their Foot Companies to do the dismounted work.

5. French cavalry regiments were very weak at this time.  Most had only two weak squadrons, with an average campaign strength of only 240 men.  Consequently, in Tricorn a unit usually represents a brigade of three such regiments (listed in brackets after the brigade name).  Note however, that these are classed as Poor Cuirassiers, so are MR 5.

French Reinforcements

All reinforcements arrive anywhere between points A & B, in column of march or column of battalions/regiments (i.e. each unit in line, one behind the other) and all artillery limbered.

Turn 1 – Rooth’s division arrives.

Turn 3 – Guerchy arrives with the Navarre Brigade (Navarre and La Marche-Prince Regiments and 1x Battalion Gun) and his position artillery batteries.

Turn 6 – Guerchy’s Du Roi Brigade (Du Roi Regiment and 1x Battalion Gun) arrives.

Turn 8 – Guerchy’s Auvergne and Orléans Brigades (Auvergne, Orléans & Dufort Regiments and 1x Battalion Gun) arrive.

Turn 12 – Prince Camille’s cavalry division arrives.

French Formation Breakpoints

Division          FMR      ⅓      ½      ¾
Clausen                 38         16      19      29
Poyanne                 12          –        6        –
D’Amenzaga         43         15      22      33
Rooth                      57        19      29      43
Guerchy                 83         28     42      63
Prince Camille      20          7       10      15

Army                 FMR       ¼      ⅓      ½
Grande Armée     245         62      82    123

Terrain Notes

The terrain is set up as per the scenario map above (on an 8′ x 6′ table).

Most of the terrain is open.  The road network is largely for decorative purposes only, but clearly allows all troop types to pass through woodland at full speed, provided they are in column/limbered formation.

All hills and woods give a +1 defensive mêlée modifier.  These are not cumulative.

The effect of woodland on movement, for the most part is as described in the rules.  However, the area of woodland occupied by Kielmansegge’s corps (south of the road) is a bit more open and/or crisscrossed by tracks and may be traversed by cavalry in column formation and limbered artillery at half-speed.

There is an area of steep, rocky ground at the top of the stream-valley.  Treat this as a Linear Obstacle for infantry.  It provides an additional +1 defensive mêlée modifier if infantry are defending from the higher (western) side.

The Grossergeneralstab map shows some form of linear feature along the southern side of the road, where the British 50th & 51st Regiments are deployed.  I’ve marked this on the map as a thick black line.  I suspect that this was probably a steep bank overlooking the road, so treat this as a Linear Obstacle and give the defenders on the southern side an additional +1 defensive mêlée modifier.

DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU PLAN TO PLAY THE SCENARIO WITH AN UMPIRE!  UNLESS YOU ARE THE UMPIRE OR IF YOU’RE PLAYING WITHOUT AN UMPIRE, IN WHICH CASE, CRACK ON…

Umpire’s Eyes Only!

Broglie’s Crisis of Confidence

At the start of the Command Phase, from Turn 5 onward, the umpire secretly rolls 1d6:

On a roll of 1, Broglie will spot the Allied reinforcements approaching the field and fearing disaster, will fire off a panicked series of orders, halting the attack!  All ADCs are immediately returned to the Army HQ, all delayed/pending orders are immediately cancelled and no orders may be transmitted during this turn.

Roll again for each division currently on Attack orders and apply the following results:

6     No effect. The division doesn’t receive the Halt order and continues with its orders.

3-5     The division immediately goes to Defend orders on its current position.

1-2     The division retreats!  The division immediately reverses the direction of its ‘Attack arrow’ on the headquarters map and marches back to its originating point.  ALL units* in the division will immediately turn about (artillery will automatically limber up) and must retreat at full speed.  Charges may only be made if the enemy is within 12 inches of their line of retreat.  Once they reach their originating point (or the table edge if they arrived as reinforcements) they will adopt Defend orders.

* Up to one-quarter of the division’s units and all Skirmishers may act as a rearguard and retire facing the enemy.

Divisions on Defend orders are unaffected.

If Broglie doesn’t panic on Turn 5, roll again on Turn 6, requiring a roll of 5-6.  On Turn 7, the required roll will be 4-8 and so on, until Turn 10, when he will automatically panic.

Orders may be transmitted as normal on the next turn.  Retreats may therefore be stopped by the successful delivery of new Defend or Attack orders.

Formations under Retreat orders will suffer a -1 on Formation Morale rolls until the retreat is halted.

Optional Shorter Scenario

The main scenario might take rather a long time to play, with all the reinforcement-arrivals and marching to contact.  For that reason, here’s a slightly ‘quicker and dirtier’ version, with the French reinforcements already fully committed on their left flank and the troops largely deployed as per the Grossergeneralstab map (see below), with reinforcing corps having arrived on both sides.

In this instance, the game starts at Turn 9, but Marshal de Broglie has just suffered a crisis of confidence due the sighting of an Allied reinforcement column (Oheimb’s corps) and has halted his attack!

Only Rooth’s division has not received the order to halt, so may be given Attack orders. 

All other French divisions are on Defend orders.  However, before the game starts, roll 1 d6 each for d’Amenzaga’s corps and Guerchy’s corps.  On a roll of 1 or 2, that corps must be deployed facing the rear, with artillery limbered and must retreat directly toward the table edge at full speed.   A retreating corps will halt and revert to Defend orders when it reaches the table edge (it may also respond to new orders received in the meantime).

(As a scenario-balancing measure, it would probably be best for at least one of these divisions to retreat, so the umpire could make an executive decision, or could flip a coin to see which of the two retreats).

All Allied formations may be given Attack or Defend orders.

The game will still finish at the end of Turn 20.

Anyway, that’s it for now!  I’m pleased to report that after a break of seven months, I’m back painting again and am already 80 figures in (Hessians, Brunswickers and French SYW), so more painted units appearing here soon.  As promised, I’ve also got a series of scenarios and a campaign history coming for the 81st (West African) Division in Burma.

Posted in Eighteenth Century, Scenarios, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Shako Rules, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules), Tricorn Scenarios | 17 Comments

‘Tricorn’ Rules Amendments v1.4

Well it’s about time I posted an update to Tricorn, our Seven Years War/mid-18th Century variant of Shako rules.  We’ve actually been playing a slightly different version to the one posted on this website for around a year now and we’re very happy with how it works, so it’s time to roll it out to our Adoring Public (I hope they’re both well)!

I’m going to be running my Sanderhausen 1758 scenario again at the Haverfordwest Gaming Club’s annual open day at Haverfordwest Cricket Club on Saturday 28th September, so come on down if you’re anywhere in West Wales.

OK. so what’s changed on the Tricorn playsheets?  Firstly, I’ve decided to put the SAME version number on each page, as it was far too confusing, having a different version for each page.  Every page is therefore now marked as Version 1.4.  As for the rest, I’ll go through this page by page, starting oddly enough, at Page 1 (changes and new items are marked in red):

Initiative Phase

Clarified that C-in-Cs do not modify their dice.  They just roll a number of dice (depending on their quality) and may use these to replace divisional commanders’ dice.  These dice are not then modified by the divisional commanders.

Divisional commanders now use their MODIFIED die roll when assessing if sixes have been generated (which may then be used to remove Staggers or Casualties).  This means that the better generals will have a far greater impact on the battle and Poor generals will need greater assistance from the C-in-C.

Movement Phase

A clarification added to point out that cavalry units which only took half of their move (or less) during the turn may make Support Charges once all other movement has been completed.  These will be made in divisional initiative order.

Morale Ratings

Uhlans have been moved to the MR 3 Militia Horse & Cossacks bracket.

Units classed as ‘Unreliable’ have an MR two grades lower than their normal class (e.g. some Reichsarmee cavalry units).

Artillery Fire

Counter-Battery factor for Heavy Artillery changed to 5-6.

Counter-Battery fire with canister now uses the Canister factor, though with a -1 modifier.

Ballshot may now only bounce through enemy units to a maximum of 12 inches beyond the first target unit OR until maximum range is reached (whichever happens first).

Small Arms Fire

Musketry range has now been reduced to 4 inches for formed lines and to 6 inches for skirmishers.

Movement

A 1 inch side-stepping movement rate has been added in order to make it a little easier for units to dress ranks and close gaps between units.

Mounted Jäger have been included in the Cossack/Irregular Cavalry movement rate bracket.

Uhlans have been moved from the Hussars/Light Dragoons bracket to the Cossack/Irregular Cavalry bracket.

Terrain Effects

Mounted Jäger, Uhlans and Irregular Cavalry may now move through woods at half speed, like Cossacks.

Hasty Lines

French infantry were routinely drilled during this period to form lines on the head of a battalion column, so they gain the same benefit as Prussian infantry in that regard.

The ability for infantry battalions who are NOT the target of a charge to form a hasty line has been added for those battalions who would then be able to provide flank or rear support to the target unit (the thought behind this was to allow a line with flanking columns the chance to ‘square off’ the end of the line (a common tactic of Prussian and French brigades, as well as Imperial armies when they were facing the Turks).

Cavalry Breakthrough & Recall

No rule changes, but some clarifications and corrections added.

Cavalry Fatigue

No rule changes, but clarification added.

‘Solid Lines’ (Without Intervals)

A slight rule-change in that to claim a ‘solid line’, infantry lines must be ‘without intervals’; i.e. the gap between each battalion must be no more than 1 inch.  This means that guns may not be placed in the gap between battalions.  Units within 2 inches may still claim Flank Support as before, but not ‘Solid Line’.

Rallying Units

No rule changes, but clarification added.

Large Units

Explanation added regarding Large light infantry units being able to deploy an extra skirmisher stand.

Leader Quality

Correction: Excellent DIVISIONAL commanders apply a +2 to their initiative die roll, NOT Army Commanders!  Excellent Army Commanders just roll 3x d6 and distribute them to deserving divisional commanders; these dice are not modified.

NEW Page 5!

This is a whole new page with expanded rules for skirmishers, dismounted dragoons and mounted jäger.

Skirmishers

We’d always thought that the light infantry rules were very much an afterthought in Shako and Shako 2.  This was especially apparent where you had an elite unit capable of skirmish action, but when deployed as skirmishers was suddenly no better than the worst unit!  So why would you ever choose to deploy an elite Highlander battalion as skirmishers, when you could be stomping through the enemy with your MR 5?!

Light infantry during this period weren’t the ‘big deal’ that they became during the Napoleonic Wars and later, but they did exist.  In the Western Theatre and especially in America, they appeared in almost every battle, usually contesting key terrain on the flanks and were not simply relegated to the petit-guerre of raiding and scouting.

We therefore needed a method to bring the MR of skirmishers into line with the rest of the game-system.  Light infantry battalions still deploy as two skirmisher stands, but may now do this DURING the battle at the player’s choice.  They also need to remain as a fairly coherent unit, remaining within 4 inches of each other.  They may also be recalled into close order, though this requires a roll against their MR.

Light infantry battalions deployed as 2x skirmisher stands will remain in action until their casualties equal their MR, as for formed infantry units.  Individual skirmisher stands are not removed from the battalion until the who battalion is broken.  This means that units with better discipline, while not having greater firepower than less-disciplined units, should be able to sustain the skirmish-battle for longer.

Large infantry units without any hits may deploy an additional skirmisher stand.  This skirmisher stand will absorb the unit’s first casualty and will be immediately removed when that happens.  It may be deployed as a third skirmisher stand in the skirmish-line or it may be deployed as a single skirmisher stand, while keeping the rest of the battalion formed.

Skirmishers now have a chance to evade charging cavalry.  They also have a chance to doggedly fall back in front of advancing enemy infantry (previously they would simply flee from enemy infantry or be ridden down by cavalry).

Dismounted French Dragoons

French dragoons now have the ability to dismount and/or mount during the battle.  They may fight as a formed infantry battalion or as skirmishers.

This ability may also apply to dragoons of other nations, though by this period the dragoons of Prussia, Austria, Great Britain, Hanover, Hesse-Cassel, Saxony and the Empire had essentially become ‘medium-weight’ heavy cavalry, geared toward mounted shock-action.  I’ll have to read up on the dragoons of Sweden, Russia, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and the Italian States.

Mounted Jäger

This introduces a whole new class of skirmishers, using horse-power to provide mobility, but fighting on foot with rifled carbines.

That’s it for now!  I’m going to try to find away to make these playsheets available in a higher resolution, but if you want better copies, just mention it in the Comments section and I can then email them to you.

Posted in Eighteenth Century, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Shako Rules, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules), Tricorn Rules Resources | 9 Comments

“No Longer Having A Go”: The Filthy Fifth’s Darkest Day

5th Royal Tank Regiment at La Lande, Normandy
Operation BLUECOAT, 3rd August 1944

A Scenario for Battlefront: WWII

As it’s the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Campaign, I thought I’d finish off a Normandy scenario that’s been sitting 75%-finished on my hard-drive for the past ten years.  The scenario was inspired by a trip I made to Normandy in November 2011 with my mate Mark Urban when he was researching his book ‘The Tank War‘ (which also became the BBC TV series ‘Tankies’).  This superb book followed the story of the men of 5th Royal Tank Regiment or 5 RTR (‘The Filthy Fifth’) from their baptism of fire in France, to North Africa and Italy, their return to France via the Normandy Beaches and on to Belgium, the Netherlands and the final act in Germany.

At the time I was running battlefield tours for cadets and regular military personnel, so he invited me along to serve as a researcher and guide.  I’m not good, but I am cheap…

Mark particularly wanted to have a good look at the ground for 5 RTR’s action at La Lande, just to the west of Aunay-sur-Odon on 3rd August.  This wasn’t an action I was familiar with, but I do know the ground and from reading further into it, it quickly became apparent that this was a very significant action, not only for that regiment, but for 7th Armoured Division and XXX Corps’ role in Operation BLUECOAT as a whole.  It was the point at which 5 RTR and a significant portion of the ‘Desert Rats’ finally reached the end of their tether.

This scenario is designed for Battlefront: WWII rules by Fire & Fury Games, though could be easily converted to other systems with a similar organisational level, such as Dave Brown’s Battlegroup: Panzergrenadier and ‘O’ Group.  In these systems, each model tank or gun represents 2-3 actual items and each troop stand represents an infantry section.

Historical Background – Operation BLUECOAT

Following the titanic battle of Operation GOODWOOD (17-19 July 1944), seven of the nine German Panzer Divisions in Normandy were now concentrated in the area south of Caen, defending against any further British/Canadian drive south to Falaise.  With the Germans’ attention fixed to the south of Caen, the time was now ripe for Bradley’s US 1st Army to break out of western Normandy.

On 25th July, 1,500 bombers of the US 8th Air Force plastered the German positions west of St Lô, almost completely destroying the Panzer-Lehr-Division and 275. Infanterie-Division.  Then, preceded by a massive artillery barrage, the US VII Corps and US VIII Corps drove south to commence Operation COBRA.  Within two days, the Americans had broken through the crust, were passing through Coutances and were driving hard for Avranches, the gateway to Brittany.  Patton’s US 3rd Army meanwhile, was being shipped across the English Channel to Normandy, ready to exploit the breakthrough.

With the Americans forging ahead in the west, Dempsey’s British 2nd Army was now ordered to launch its own offensive to support the Americans’ exposed left flank and to keep the Germans off-balance.  The three British Armoured Divisions (7th, 11th & Guards), having rapidly made good the losses suffered in Operation GOODWOOD, were now rushed westward to form the armoured punch for the new offensive – Operation BLUECOAT.  The plan for was for 2nd Army to break out of the sector between Tilly-sur-Seulles and Caumont and to drive southward to Vire and Flers, thus protecting the exposed American left flank and drawing the German counter-attack onto themselves, rather than the American spearheads.  In detail, O’Connor’s British VIII Corps, consisting of 11th Armoured Division, Guards Armoured Division, 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division and 6th Guards Tank Brigade, with 3rd Infantry Division in reserve, would attack from Caumont toward Vire and Flers.  Bucknall’s British XXX Corps meanwhile, consisting of 7th Armoured Division, 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and 8th Armoured Brigade, was to attack from Tilly-sur-Seulles toward Villers-Bocage, Aunay-sur-Odon and Condé-sur-Noireau.

VIII Corps Pushes South

Preceded by massive heavy bombing and artillery preparation, Operation BLUECOAT got underway on Sunday 30th July.  Things were soon progressing largely to plan in the British VIII Corps sector, despite the best efforts of the German defenders.  The 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division, supported by the Churchill tanks of 6th Guards Tank Brigade and the ubiquitous ‘Funnies’ of 79th Armoured Division, quickly broke through the crust of the defending 326. Infanterie-Division at Caumont and by the afternoon had achieved their initial objectives – Hills 226 and 309.

Strong counter-attacks; first by the Jagdpanther tank-destroyers of Schwere-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 and then by 21. Panzer-Division (which had been reinforced with the remnants of 16. Feld-Division (L), replacement Pzkpfw IVs and the surviving Tiger Is & Tiger IIs of Schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 503) did significant damage, but failed to dislodge the Coldstreamers’ tanks from Hill 309 (soon to be known as ‘Coldstream Hill’).  21. Panzer-Division in particular, had dashed itself to pieces against Coldstream Hill and was forced to retire on 1st August to a new defensive line facing northwest, roughly equating to the line of the highway from Jurques to Cathéolles.

A few miles to the west, the 11th Armoured Division was breaking out.  The town of St Martin-des-Besaces was liberated following a stiff battle on 31st July and the armoured cars of 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment (2 HCR) were soon pushing on southward, through undefended wooded hills and into the deep valley of the River Soulevre.  Incredibly, an intact and undefended bridge was discovered by 2 HCR and this fact was soon transmitted back to General ‘Pip’ Roberts, commanding 11th Armoured Division.  Electrified by this news, Roberts soon had armour racing to the scene and the bridge was firmly in his hands.  As the Guards Armoured Division moved up to cover his open left flank, the ‘Black Bull’ of 11th Armoured Division was soon in full charge across the Soulevre.

On the morning of 1st August and having crossed the Soulevre, a strong armour-infantry battlegroup from 11th Armoured Division pushed on into Le Bény-Bocage, achieving complete surprise and swiftly overcoming enemy resistance there.  With the town secured, another battlegroup pushed further east, to cut the main Villers-Bocage to Vire highway at the crossroads of La Ferronnière (incorrectly identified on British maps as ‘St Charles de Percy’, which in fact, lies about a mile to the east of the highway), while 2 HCR patrols pushed on as far as Presles.

The Guards Armoured Division meanwhile, having passed through St Martin-des-Besaces on 1st August, was still encountering strong resistance from elements of 21. Panzer-Division, but was pushing on and by evening had reached the Soulevre at Le Tourneur.  That night, the infantry of 3rd Irish Guards managed to cross over the Soulevre at Le Tourneur and on 2nd August captured the vital bridge at Cathéolles.  Elements of the Guards Armoured Division then pushed across the bridge, to join the 11th Armoured Division south of the Soulevre.  The British VIII Corps had now succeeded in driving an armoured wedge of two armoured divisions, not only between the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division and 326. Infanterie-Division, but also between the II. Fallschirm-Korps and the XLVII. Panzer-Korps.  Nothing now stood between the British and Vire.

XXX Corps Pushes East

In contrast to VIII Corps’ thrusting spearhead, XXX Corps on the left of Operation BLUECOAT was making slow progress.  The 43rd (Wessex) & 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Divisions immediately found the going between Tilly-sur-Seulles and Caumont extremely tough.  The Germans had had six weeks’ grace to fortify the area and had prepared the ground well.  Carefully-prepared killing grounds formed by minefields and other obstacles, covered by mutually-supporting anti-tank guns, mortars and machine-guns soon slowed the advance to a crawl, despite the best efforts of the Royal Engineers and the ‘Funnies’ of 79th Armoured Division to breach the defences.  As a consequence, the ‘Desert Rats’ of 7th Armoured Division were unable to start rolling from Caumont until 1st August.

Attempting to pass between 43rd and 50th Divisions, the 7th Armoured Division struggled through narrow lanes choked by transport belonging to the two infantry divisions.  Finally breaking out for the ‘Green Fields Beyond’, the 7th Armoured Division struck south-eastwards from Cahagnes, with the high ground at Breuil as their objective.  However, despite their earlier losses, remnants of the 326. Infanterie-Division, backed up by some Jagdpanthers of Schwere-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654, held firm and rebuffed the 7th Armoured Division’s advance.

The repulse of 7th Armoured Division did not go unnoticed at 2nd Army Headquarters and General Dempsey was furious with everyone from XXX Corps downwards – particularly Lieutenant General Bucknall (GOC XXX Corps), Major General Erskine (GOC 7th Armoured Division) and Brigadier ‘Looney’ Hinde (OC 22nd Armoured Brigade), whose performance had been in the spotlight since the ignominious end of Operation PERCH at Villers-Bocage.  Heads would roll!  Bucknall and Erskine would be summoned to 2nd Army Headquarters on the following day, to be informed of their sacking and replacement.  Hinde’s sacking would follow on 6th August.

II. SS-Panzer-Korps Reacts

The Germans meanwhile, were not sitting idle and were now beginning to move reinforcements to the area of the British penetration.  SS-Obergruppenführer (General) Wilhelm Bittrich’s II. SS-Panzer-Korps, consisting of 9. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Hohenstaufen’, 10. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Frundsberg’ and Schwere-SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102, was ordered to move from its positions south of Caen, to the threatened sector.  Hohenstaufen was on the move by mid-afternoon on 1st August, but Frundsberg and the Tigers of Hans Weiss’ Schwere-SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102, were not ready to move until nightfall.

Hohenstaufen was ordered to counter the British bridgehead at Le Bény-Bocage and the bridge at Cathéolles, in order to prevent any deeper penetration by the British VIII Corps.  Weiss’ Tigers, along with Viktor Gräbner’s SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 9, would form Kampfgruppe ‘Weiss’, with orders to rush directly to Vire and there form a blocking position to plug the gap between II. SS-Panzer-Korps and II. Fallschirm-KorpsFrundsberg meanwhile, was ordered to move via Aunay-sur-Odon to the head of the Odon Valley at La Bigne, to plug the rapidly-widening gap between the crumbling 326. Infanterie-Division and 21. Panzer-Division21. Panzer-Division was also now brought under the command of II. SS-Panzer-Korps, so that all three panzer divisions on the eastern side of the BLUECOAT salient were under unified command.

On 2nd August, the 7th Armoured Division had another go at Breuil, this time with more success.  The shattered defenders had simply had enough and scores of prisoners were taken. The infantry of 131 (Queen’s) Brigade took possession of the high ground at Breuil and pushed on further to Hill 188 and reconnoitered the village of St Georges-d’Aunay.  7th Armoured Division was now within sight of Aunay-sur-Odon, only a few miles to the east.  The road to Aunay finally seemed to be opening and 5 RTR, with ‘I’ Company, 1st Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (1 RB) under command, was ordered to be prepared to move at first light on 3rd August for a probe toward the town.

Unbeknown to the Desert Rats, Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’, formed from Frundsberg‘s most mobile elements, had been rushed forward to stem their advance.  SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Paetsch, the Commanding Officer of SS-Panzer-Regiment 10, was at this time ‘surplus to requirements’, as neither his Regimental HQ or his Panther battalion had yet arrived in Normandy.  However, his divisional commander, SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Harmel had a job for him; the whole division would be slow to move, so Paetsch was ordered to rush forward and insert his mobile Kampfgruppe into the gap emerging between 21. Panzer-Division (whose right flank rested on Jurques) and 326. Infanterie-Division (whose left flank was crumbling at St Georges-d’Aunay).  A regiment of Werfer-Brigade 8 was also assigned to provide fire support.  The rest of Frundsberg would follow on as soon as humanly possible.

Upon arriving at Aunay-sur-Odon during the afternoon of 1st August, Paetsch set to work establishing a defensive line; while Leo Reinhold’s mixed battalion of Pzkpfw IV and StuGs remained in reserve at La Roserie, Heinz Brinkmann’s SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 10 was sent forward to La Bigne (Hill 248), 1km SE of Jurques, to establish contact with Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 21 on the extreme right flank of 21. Panzer-Division.  The leading elements of Wilhelm Schulze’s SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 21 meanwhile, were ordered to form a blocking line based on the bridge over the Odon at ‘Bassieux’ (‘Beaussieu’ on modern maps), as well as on the high ground south of Bassieux Bridge and at Hill 188, NE of Bassieux.  There they would establish contact with Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326, which was on the extreme left flank of what was left of 326. Infanterie-Division.  However, the situation was already deteriorating before these movements were complete and Paetsch himself was forced to lead a small force (comprising the divisional 1. Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie and the 7. Panzer-Kompanie of Reinhold’s battalion) to reinforce Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 21, which was coming under extreme pressure from 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division at Hills 301 and 321, on the Jurques to Vire highway.

These movements were largely complete by the afternoon of 2nd August.  However, it was soon discovered that the British had beaten them to Hill 188 and Basseiux.  As discussed above, the 7th Armoured Division had driven Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326 from Breuil and Hill 188 earlier that day, so despite the insertion into the line of Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’, there was still a yawning gap in the line west of Aunay-sur-Odon.  Harmel, under pressure from Bittrich, who in turn was under pressure from Eberbach (GOC Panzergruppe-West) to close the gap, ordered Paetsch to re-take Hill 188 at once with the forces available to him.  At 1900hrs that evening, Paetsch launched a reconnaissance-in-force on Hill 188 and Bassieux.  However, the reconnaissance progressed slowly and Paetsch judged that he had insufficient forces to achieve his objective.  He called off the probe to await the arrival of the rest of his Kampfgruppe.

5 RTR Probe Toward Aunay-sur-Odon

If this probe against Hill 188 and Basseiux worried the British, it doesn’t show in the official record, as it isn’t mentioned in the War Diary of 1/6th Queen’s who were occupying the area.  The only other British force still present on Hill 188 was a thin screen on the road to La Lande and Aunay-sur-Odon formed by Major Peter Luke’s ‘I’ Company of 1 RB.  It is not clear if Lieutenant Colonel Gus Holliman, Commanding Officer of 5 RTR, had even been made aware of the threat to his right flank, but his regiment’s mission to mount a probe toward Aunay-sur-Odon remained unchanged and they set off in thick mist, at first light on 3rd August.

Major Deryck MacDonald’s ‘A’ Squadron led the way, passing through 1/6th Queen’s positions at Hill 188 and pushing on toward their objective; Point 138, which lies 1.5km north-west of Aunay-sur-Odon.  ‘A’ Squadron made good progress, reaching La Lande and Courselles, in the crook of a hairpin bend of the Villers-Bocage to Jurques railway line and surprising forty men of 326. Infanterie-Division, who promptly surrendered.  However, at 0830hrs the thick mist lifted and they found themselves under clear observation from the high, German-held ridge of the Bois de Buron, south of the Odon, which in parts is over 300m high and dominates the whole area.  Any movement by the tanks in the open was now accompanied by shelling.

Suddenly, contacts were being reported.  ‘I’ Company, 1 RB was suddenly facing strong infantry opposition at the railway bridge in the centre of the village and No.3 Troop of ‘A’ Squadron had a very close encounter with a panzer.  ‘C’ Squadron were also reporting ominous contacts with tanks.  Nevertheless, ‘A’ Squadron had nearly reached its objective and ‘B’ Squadron was moving up in support.  They had to bash on…

Scenario Overview

This is a large and rather ‘involved’ scenario, designed for approximately 2-4 players per side, with a large amount of troops, vehicles and terrain and fought over 25 turns.  I’m not ashamed to say that this might be something of a two-day epic!  However, at the end of this article I present two smaller ‘vignette’ scenarios; one covering the ill-fated attempt by 5 RTR to reach Point 138 and the second covering the defence of Hill 188 by 1/6th Queen’s; both of which should be rather more manageable for ‘normal’ people.

British Briefing

Briefing For Lieutenant Colonel Charles Alexander ‘Gus’ Holliman MC, Commanding 5th Royal Tank Regiment, 7th Armoured Division.

Situation, 1100hrs, Sunday 3rd August 1944, near St Georges-d’Aunay

The probe toward the town of Aunay-sur-Odon is going largely to plan, though enemy resistance is stiffening as your leading elements near their objective.  ‘A’ Squadron has reached the village and railway crossing of La Lande and has reported taking some forty prisoners, which is excellent news.  They are going firm on La Lande and the bend in the railway line, to allow ‘B’ Squadron to pass through to seize the spur of Point 138, overlooking Aunay-sur-Odon and the main Aunay to Villers-Bocage road.

Your headquarters is presently on the ‘Breuil feature’ west of St Georges-d’Aunay, where you have a grand-stand view of the operation.  However, Jerry is making life rather hot for you here and your Adjutant is pressing you to move your Tactical HQ to a position with better cover.

‘C’ Squadron is in reserve near Point 188 and ‘I’ Company of 1 RB are screening the right flank of your advance, against threats from beyond the Odon at Bassieux, where the enemy was very active last night.  Enemy activity to their front seems to be increasing, which is worrying.  Nevertheless, the Brigadier and GOC are leaning on you to succeed and the objective is in sight, so your leading squadrons must bash on!

Mission

You are to seize and hold Point 138, with the intention of establishing a firm base for the infantry to assault Aunay-sur-Odon.

Execution

General Outline

• ‘A’ Squadron and ‘I’ Company are to go firm on their current locations, while ‘B’ Squadron moves through to take the objective and the rest of the regiment moves up in support.

• 1/6th Queen’s will dig in at Hill 188.

• 8th Hussars and elements of 1/5th Queen’s will pass through to exploit once the objective is secure.

Friendly Forces

• Your order of battle is detailed below.

• All elements of 5 RTR, 1 RB, 5 RHA and 65 AT Regt RA are rated as ‘Experienced’.

• All elements of 1/6th Queen’s are rated as ‘Trained’.  The Queen’s Brigade was reportedly suffering from a severe lack of confidence by this stage of the campaign and came in for a great deal of criticism from the Tankies after this battle.

• 5 RTR is very much ‘out in the blue’ ahead of the division here.  43rd (Wessex) Division are somewhere on the right, advancing from Jurques to La Bigne, but the enemy is firmly control of the far bank of the Odon and the high ridge of the Bois de Buron beyond.  Most of 7th Armoured Division is on the left, struggling up the main road toward Villers-Bocage.  8th Hussars and 1/5th Queen’s are to the rear, waiting for 5 RTR to take Point 138, so they can pass through to exploit the penetration.

Fire Support

• ‘G’ Battery (‘Mercer’s Troop’) from 5 RHA will be available in off-table Direct Support.  The battery’s two FOs may either call for their own troop (half-battery) or for the whole battery.  The entire regiment is available as General Support for MIKE Targets.

• The two FOs, with their Cromwell OP tanks, must each be attached to any ME or HQ Element within their deployment areas.

• The Battery Commander of ‘G’ Battery is co-located with the CO of 5 RTR.  The regimental command tank may therefore call for fire as a FO.

• The artillery is hard-pressed across the front, so VICTOR Targets (i.e. divisional shoots, combining 5 RHA and 3 RHA) will not be available until Turn 15.  VICTOR Targets may then be fired with a -1 Call-For-Fire modifier.

• AGRA support is not available.

• Note that a FO may not call for fire if the other FO is attempting to call for a Battery, MIKE or VICTOR Target.

• ‘G’ Battery 5 RHA has up to three rounds of smoke available (note that a single troop may for example, therefore fire six rounds of smoke if the other troop fires none).  MIKE and VICTOR Target missions may not include smoke.

• Artillery fire support comes in from the western table-edge.

• 5 RHA may pre-register three Defensive Fire Target Reference Points within line of sight of 1/6th Queen’s positions.  These may be used for Troop, Battery or MIKE Targets (or VICTOR Targets once they become available).

• Pre-registered Defensive Fire missions are classed as Barrages, in that they do not need to align with the table edge and will also Interdict any units attempting to move through them.

• 1/6th Queen’s Mortar Platoon is available as Organic Fire Support for elements of that battalion.  These mortars may not be called by elements of ‘I’ Company, 1 RB.

• The 3-inch mortars have three rounds of smoke available.

• 2-inch mortars may fire unlimited smoke, but it always counts as ‘dispersing smoke’ for spotting purposes.

Air Support

• A flight of RAF Typhoons (i.e. one model) will become available for CAS missions on each turn from Turn 15 onward.  There is no dedicated Forward Air Controller, but the 5 RHA FOs may direct CAS missions with a -1 modifier.

Deployment

• The German player will start deployment, by deploying one ME or HQ Element.  Then the British player deploys one ME or HQ, then the German player again and so on, deploying alternately until all on-table MEs and HQs are deployed.

• All unit attachments must be included with an ME when it is deployed.  Any attachments left over after deployment of all MEs will be deployed with the Battlegroup HQ Element.

• All units are deployed initially as hidden unit markers.

• Dummy unit markers are allocated to all MEs and HQ Elements, as per the table on Page 9 of the BF:WW2 rulebook.

• After all deployment has been completed, reveal all markers that are already within spotting distance and reveal all tanks belonging to ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons of 5 RTR (the Germans have been observing and shelling them sporadically since the mist lifted).

• HQ Squadron 5 RTR starts the game deployed within Area ‘R’.

• ‘A’ Squadron 5 RTR and one platoon (x2 Infantry and x1 Halftrack) of ‘I’ Company 1 RB starts the game deployed within Area ‘A’.

• ‘B’ Squadron 5 RTR starts the game deployed within Area ‘B’.

• ‘C’ Squadron 5 RTR starts the game deployed within Area ‘C’.

• The remainder of ‘I’ Company 1 RB starts the game deployed within Area ‘I’.

• 1/6th Queen’s start the game deployed within the Areas marked ‘QA’, ‘QB’, ‘QC’ and ‘QD’.  The second letter indicates the company deployed within that area.  The Battalion Tactical Headquarters is deployed with ‘B’ Company (Area ‘QB’).

• The 1/6th Queen’s Carrier Platoon and Assault Pioneer Platoon are deployed at Le Monde Ancien (Area ‘R’).  All other Support Company elements (6pdr anti-tank guns and 3-inch mortars) may be deployed within any 1/6th Queen’s deployment area.

• The two anti-tank troops from 65th Anti-Tank Regiment RA may deploy within any of the 1/6th Queen’s company deployment areas and are placed on table at the same time as the ME they are deployed with.  Alternatively, each troop may be split into individual detachments of 1x 17pdr & Quad or 1x M10c SP 17pdr, which will then be directly attached to an ME of the 1/6th Queen’s.

• HQ Squadron 5 RTR and all elements of 1/6th Queen’s may start the game in Improved Positions/Hull Down.  The remainder of 5 RTR and 1 RB are on the move, so may not.

• 5 RTR made remarkably little use of its Recce Troop during this advance ‘into the blue’, so in this scenario the Recce Troop is grouped with the RHQ element.

• While the tanks had been able to make good their losses from Operation GOODWOOD, it was a different story in the infantry.  1/6th Queen’s and 1 RB are therefore operating at reduced strength (typically six sections per company instead of the usual nine).

Enemy Forces

• Your main opposition have been identified as the 326th Infantry Division, which is known to be a reasonably well-equipped and well-trained formation.  However, they have been shattered by Operation BLUECOAT and fragmented elements of the division are fighting desperate rearguard actions in front of Villers-Bocage and Aunay-sur-Odon.

• The enemy has committed veteran panzer troops to counter Operation BLUECOAT: 43rd (Wessex) Division in particular is reported to be fighting elements of two panzer divisions south of Jurques, one of them SS.  SS panzer troops also seem to have mounted last night’s probe against 1/6th Queen’s at Point 188.

• The enemy seems to be reasonably well supported by armour in this sector – Mk IV Panzers and self-propelled guns have been reported near La Lande and Bassieux, while heavy ‘Ferdinand’ self-propelled guns have been reported by other units nearby and by way of confirmation, one such wreck has been found near La Lande.  However, according to the Intelligence Officer this is a new type of Ferdinand, based on the Panther chassis.

• The entire battlefield is overlooked by the high, wooded ridge of the Bois de Buron, south of the Odon.  Jerry clearly has observers on those hills, as your movements have been subjected to sporadic artillery fire.

Game Sequence

• The British have the first turn.

• The game lasts 25 turns or until one side concedes.

Victory Conditions

• 1 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 25% casualties OR each knocked out gun or armoured vehicle.

• 2 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 50% casualties.

• 3 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 75% casualties.

• 5 VP for possession of Point 138, Breuil Hill or St Georges-d’Aunay.

• 2 VP for possession of La Lande or Point 188.

• Any units captured or panicked off table count as casualties.

• Note that the VP values for objectives are different for the British and German players, so refer to your own VP chart.

• An objective is held if one side has the only un-disordered units with 6 inches of the objective.

German Briefing

Briefing for SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Paetsch, Commanding SS-Panzer-Regiment 10, 10. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Frundsberg’

Situation, 1100hrs, Sunday 3rd August 1944, west of Aunay-sur-Odon

Once again, the British have seized the initiative, with a colossal assault on our lines and once again, II. SS-Panzer-Korps are rushing to plug the gaps and restore the situation.  The British broke through at St Martin-des-Besaces last week, driving a wedge deep between II. Fallschirmjäger-Korps and XLVII. Panzer-Korps and breaking out toward Vire.  21. Panzer-Division tried to stop them but failed and now Hohenstaufen is rushing to head off the British at Vire.

In the meantime, your Kampfgruppe has been sent west to plug a gap that has opened up between 21. Panzer-Division and 326. Infanterie-Division.  The British are threatening to break through in this sector and if they succeed, the Führer’s planned counter-attack and indeed our entire position west of the Orne will be compromised.

Upon reaching your allotted sector at La Bigne yesterday, you found the situation to have deteriorated markedly since you were given your orders: 21. Panzer-Division was on the point of breaking, forcing you to detach a large portion of your force to restore the situation at Hill 321.  In the meantime, 326. Infanterie-Division’s defence line north of the Odon has evaporated and a huge gap has opened up, through which enemy tanks and infantry have poured, to seize positions at St Georges-d’Aunay, Breuil and Hill 188.

Last night, you mounted a reconnaissance in force across the Odon, against British positions at Hill 188, but were forced to pull back in the face of stiff opposition.  However, orders have now come all the way down from HQ Panzergruppe-West, instructing you to take Hill 188, to restore the situation there and to plug the gap in the line.

The landscape has been covered in a thick mist this morning, which was ideal as it concealed your movements as you prepared for the attack.  As the mist clears, you are astonished to see a British armoured formation crossing the high-ground in front of you.  Fixated on the town of Aunay-sur-Odon, the British commander seems to be ignoring his flanks and that is something you can use to your advantage!

Mission

You are to seize and hold Hill 188, with the intention of establishing a firm base for the panzer-grenadiers to assault and recapture St Georges-d’Aunay and Breuil Hill, thereby eliminating the British salient.

Execution

General Outline

• Your Kampfgruppe will assault northwards from the Odon valley, preceded by a barrage courtesy of Werfer-Brigade 8.

• You have entrusted this attack to Leo Reinhold’s panzer battalion and Wilhelm Wolter’s panzer-grenadier battalion.

• You have managed to contact 326. Infanterie-Division.  They assure you that they will do their best to halt the British drive on Aunay-sur-Odon and will also attempt to mount a spoiling attack in the St Georges-d’Aunay sector, in concert with your own attack. However, they don’t have any artillery to spare and the only infantry they have available are the raw recruits of the divisional replacement battalion.  Nevertheless, they do have the assistance of an understrength company of Jagdpanthers.

• Elements of 326. Infanterie-Division (including some StuGs) at La Lande are already doing their best to blunt the British advance on Aunay-sur-Odon.

Friendly Forces

• Your order of battle is detailed below.

• If desired, a company can be swapped between Reinhold’s panzer battalion and Wolter’s panzer-grenadier battalion before the start of the scenario, to create two combined-arms battalion-sized kampfgruppen.

• All elements of Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’ and Schwere-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 are classed as Veteran.

Panzerjäger-Abteilung 326 are classed as Experienced.

• The infantry element of the Blocking Detachment from 326. Infanterie-Division is classed as Trained.

Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326 is classed as Raw.

• The advanced elements of your Kampfgruppe are holding La Bigne and Hill 321 on your left, with 21. Panzer-Division beyond them.  The rest of your Kampfgruppe is still on the march.  The remnants of 326. Infanterie-Division are holding Aunay-sur-Odon on your right.

Fire Support

• Elements of Werfer-Brigade 8 are standing by to lay down a preparatory barrage ahead of your advance.  Their ammunition is extremely limited, so the brigade will only be able to give you a single salvo.  This will consist of eight Large indirect fire templates, arranged four templates wide and two deep, aligned in any direction (+0 vV & +1 vTGsV).  You must pre-register the location and timing of this barrage prior to the start of the game, after the British player deploys his units.

• Werfer templates may not be concentrated and may not thicken other fire missions.

• The 1. Battery of I./SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 10 is equipped with Wespe SP 105mm howitzers, which are available in Direct Support.  The battery has a FO that must be attached to an ME or HQ Element.

• The Wespe battery has two rounds of smoke available.

• You also have observers up on the high ridge of the Bois de Buron, where they have a panoramic view of the battlefield and are reporting targets of opportunity to the artillery as they see them.  To simulate this, any British vehicle moving in open terrain will be automatically spotted by observers on the Bois de Buron ridge.  These observers may then direct a maximum of one 105mm battery per turn to fire a Shelling fire mission at the spotted vehicles (-1 vV & +0 vTGsV).  Call for fire as General Fire Support.  May not fire concentrations, smoke or thicken other fire missions.

17. (sIG) Kompanie of SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 21 is also available in Direct Support. It is very well equipped, with x4 15cm infantry guns.  The company has a FO that must be attached to an ME or HQ Element.

17. Kompanie may not be used to thicken other fire missions.

17. Kompanie has four rounds of smoke available.

• The panzer-grenadier company Sdkfz 251/2 8cm mortar carriers are available as Organic Support to that company.  They may not be used in conjunction with other mortars unless additional mortars are directly attached to that company from the battalion’s Heavy Company.  Each mortar has two rounds of smoke.

• The panzer-grenadier battalion 8cm mortars, 7.5cm infantry guns and Sdkfz 251/9 self-propelled 7.5cm guns are available as Organic Support to their respective battalions.  They may alternatively be directly attached to front-line companies.  Each mortar or gun has two rounds of smoke.

• The ‘Stuka zu Fuss’ belonging to 4. Kompanie, I./SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 21 may only fire over open sights, at directly-observed targets (though using indirect fire templates).  They must first be emplaced.  They may not be called in by an observer and they may not concentrate their fire.  These are one-shot weapons and after firing function simply as MG-armed halftracks.

Air Support

• You will not be surprised to learn that you have no Close Air Support available to you.

Deployment

• The German player will start deployment, by deploying one ME or HQ Element.  Then the British player deploys one ME or HQ, then the German player again and so on, deploying alternately until all on-table MEs and HQs are deployed.

• All units are deployed initially as hidden unit markers.

• Dummy unit markers are allocated to all MEs and HQ Elements, as per the table on Page 9 of the BF:WW2 rulebook.

• After all deployment has been completed, reveal all markers that are already within spotting distance.

• All elements of Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’ must be deployed south of line A-B or may arrive as reinforcements on the table-edge within this area.

• All elements of the 326. Infanterie-Division Blocking Detachment must be deployed within Area C.

• One company of Feld-Ersatz-Abteilung 326 may be deployed within Area F.

• The artillery are deployed off-table to the south.  Their FOs and associated OP tanks must be attached to an on-table ME or HQ Element of Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’.

• The 15cm infantry guns may be deployed on or off-table.  Their FO must be attached to an on-table ME or HQ Element of Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’.

• All 8cm mortars, 7.5cm infantry guns, Sdkfz 251/2 and Sdkfz 251/9 must be deployed on-table and emplaced in order to perform indirect fire.

Enemy Forces

• Your main opposition have been identified, from the ‘Desert Rat’ worn on the arms of prisoners taken last night, as the British 7th Armoured Division.  They seem to be present in roughly battalion strength, including approximately two companies of tanks.

Reinforcements

• Roll a D10 at the start of each German turn for the arrival of the remaining company of Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326 and the Jagdpanthers of the understrength 2./Schwere-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654.  They will arrive on a roll of 8, 9 or 0, on the table edge between points D & E.

• The original version of this scenario included Paetsch’s two reserve (motorised) panzer-grenadier battalions as optional reinforcements that could be committed at the expense of Victory Points (VPs).  However, from more recent research, it does not seem that these battalions were committed to the battle and the scenario is complicated enough as it is!

• Some sources (notably Paetsch’s citation for the Knight’s Cross) record that the pioneer company present with Paetsch was actually 1. Kompanie (Gepanzert), Panzer-Pionier-Abteilung 10 and not the regimental 19. (Pionier) Kompanie.  However, other sources record that this unit had already been sent to help stabilise the situation at La Bigne.  If you want to replace the motorised pioneers with their armoured brethren, replace the MG42 LMG sections with two additional Pioneer sections (1 with flame), add 1x Panzerschreck section and replace the trucks with 3x Sdkfz 251/7 pioneer halftracks, 2x Sdkfz 251/1 and 1x Sdkfz 251/2.

Game Sequence

• The British have the first turn.

• The game lasts 25 turns or until one side concedes.

Victory Conditions

• 1 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 25% casualties OR each knocked out gun or armoured vehicle.

• 2 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 50% casualties.

• 3 VP for each enemy Manoeuvre Element with greater than 75% casualties.

• 5 VP for possession of Point 188, Breuil Hill or St Georges-d’Aunay.

• 2 VP for possession of La Lande or Point 138.

• Any units captured or panicked off table count as casualties.

• Note that the VP values for objectives are different for the British and German players, so refer to your own VP chart.

• An objective is held if one side has the only un-disordered units with 6 inches of the objective.

Terrain Notes

Here’s the map with the troop deployment-areas removed for clarity.  The map is scaled to the usual Battlefront: WWII ground-scale for 15mm models, so each red/black border division is 12 inches on the table, representing 0.5km.  The table is therefore 8 feet x 6 feet, representing 4km x 3km and is taken from the 1944 British Army Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 maps of the area, as well as an aerial recce photo and our own personal recce of the ground.

Yes, it is a very dense map that is going to be quite an investment in terrain models.  Believe it or not, I’ve actually removed around one-third of the field-boundaries and hedges in order to de-clutter the map!

Contours always cause problems unless you’ve got an expensive terrain system like Geo-Hex.  However, in order to simplify things, place a single, large hill on the western side of the map to represent Breuil Hill, with spurs extending at least as far as Hill 188 and the chateau at St Georges-d’Aunay.  South of the River Odon, the slope drops from the high ridge of the Bois du Buron, so it can be automatically assumed that there is a line of sight to/from any German units that aren’t conformed to the rear edge of dense concealment.

1.  There is an appropriate crossing (level crossing, over-bridge or underpass) wherever roads cross the railway line.  Any units using a road to cross the railway may therefore cross at normal road speed.

2.  Units may travel along the railway if they wish.  Troops will move at full cross-country speed, while vehicles and guns will travel at half cross-country speed.  However, units travelling along embanked railway will be spotted with an additional +1 spotting modifier.

3.  There are bridges wherever a road crosses a stream, river or railway cutting and wherever an embanked railway crosses a road or stream.

4.  Some built-up sectors are châteaux (marked with a C) or Church Towers (marked with a †). These are one level higher than the surrounding terrain and Troop units positioned within them will gain that height advantage when spotting.

5.  Embanked Railway is assumed to be one level higher than the surrounding terrain.

6.  Some degree of common sense is needed with regard to Railway Cuttings and Embankments.  Troops can effectively use them as a trench or breastwork (albeit one that can be easily enfiladed) and can therefore observe and shoot over the edge.  Vehicles and Guns may not.

7.  Where a road passes between two Built-Up Sectors, the road becomes ‘Streets’ terrain-type.

8.  It’s not all that easy to make out the difference between boundary-types on the map, but to save you a headache, the only area of High Hedges is surrounding the large orchard on the SW edge of St Georges-d’Aunay.  The only areas of High Walls are the boundary surrounding the St Georges-d’Aunay Château and the field surrounding an isolated building to the NE of the L’Abbaye Château, in the SE corner of the map.  Everything else is Low Hedges.

9.  There is a very distinct crest-line along the main highway from around Point 188 to Le Manoir.  This is marked with a dashed line.

‘Vignette’ Scenario Options

The full scenario is a fairly major undertaking in terms of model tanks, figures and terrain pieces.  However, the scenario can be split into two smaller ‘vignettes’; one covering the desperate fight for survival by ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons of 5 RTR in La Lande and the other covering Paetsch’s assault on St Georges d’Aunay.

Vignette Scenario No.1 – La Lande

• This scenario uses only the Southeast corner of the map, with a table size of 5 feet North-South and 4 feet East-West (see below).

• The British player has only ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons 5 RTR, plus the platoon of 1 RB deployed with ‘A’ Squadron (designate one Infantry unit as the platoon commander). There is no artillery support.

• The German player has the Blocking Detachment from 326. Infanterie-Division, plus a Kampfgruppe from 10. SS, comprising x1 Commander with Sdkfz 251/3, x1 company of Pzkpfw IV, x1 company of panzer-grenadiers, up to x3 support attachments (plus transport) from the heavy weapons company, x1 Sdkfz 10/4 2cm Flak vehicle and the battery of Wespe or the sIG company as off-table Direct Support (FO and transport must be attached to one of the on-table companies).

• The German player will receive reinforcements from Feld-Erstz-Bataillon 326, but these will comprise only x1 infantry company and x1 Jagdpanther.

• The German player may commit a reserve battalion to the attack using the method described above. Alternatively this may be disregarded if you are short on time or models.

Vignette Scenario No.2 – Hill 188

• This scenario uses only the western half of the map, giving a table size of 6 feet North-South and 4 feet East-West (see below).

• The British player has his entire force, minus ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons 5 RTR and a single platoon from ‘I’ Company, 1 RB.

• The German player has all the troops in Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch‘s order of battle, minus x1 company of Pzkpfw IV, x1 company of panzer-grenadiers, x3 support attachments from the heavy company (selected at random) plus transport, x1 Wespe or sIG battery, x1 Sdkfz 10/4 2cm Flak vehicles and all elements of the 326. Infanterie-Division Blocking Detachment.  The single company of Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326 is deployed in St Georges d’Aunay.

• If reinforcements from Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 326 arrive, roll again.  The reinforcements will go elsewhere on a roll of 1-3 and will not be available.

The Historical Outcome

As mentioned above, elements of ‘I’ Company 1 RB and Roy Dixon’s No.3 Troop of ‘A’ Squadron 5 RTR had encountered the enemy at the railway bridge in La Lande, resulting in the destruction of a Panzer IV.  However, more panzers were joining the fight and were now engaging Dixon’s troop from different directions.

No.4 Troop in the meantime, had reached the objective at Point 138 and had begun shelling German transport moving along the main Aunay l’Odon to Villers-Bocage highway.  However, they were exposed in the open and German artillery soon began to land around them, forcing them to withdraw to cover along the railway line.

With ‘A’ Squadron coming under increasing pressure from up to twenty enemy tanks around La Lande, Lt Col Holliman fed ‘B’ Squadron into the battle there.  However, panzer-grenadiers had also joined the battle, capturing Le Manoir from ‘I’ Company and working their way closer to 5 RTR’s tanks, in order to strike at them with their panzerfausts.  To make matters worse, a second enemy force was now reported to be attacking from the north, being mainly infantry with a few ‘Ferdinands’ (i.e. Jagdpanthers).

At 1450hrs, a determined German attack developed against 1/6th Queen’s at Point 188.  A 17pdr of 257 Anti-Tank Battery RA, deployed in the ‘B’ Company sector, destroyed a Panzer IV and the rest of the attack was beaten off.  However, having identified the British anti-tank gun positions, the Germans renewed their attack forty minutes later, this time in greater force and preceded by an artillery barrage and smoke screen.  The barrage succeeded in destroying ‘several’ 257 Battery 17pdrs and three of the four M10c self-propelled 17pdrs from 258 Battery.

Despite Defensive Fire missions fired by the RHA and air-strikes called in by the artillery FOOs, by 1600hrs the Queen’s ‘D’ Company and part of ‘B’ Company had been overrun by tanks and infantry, forcing ‘A’ Company and the remainder of ‘B’ Company to withdraw to better positions.  At 1700hrs it was reported that the attack was being held and by 1900hrs the situation was reported as ‘quiet’.  Nevertheless, 131 Brigade ordered the withdrawal of 1/6th Queen’s to better positions near St Georges-d’Aunay, thus relinquishing Point 188 to the Germans.

In the meantime, ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons of 5 RTR had been forced to fall back to the cover of some orchards near Courcelles.  They were now completely cut off from RHQ and ‘C’ Squadron by enemy panzer-grenadiers and roaming panzers.  ‘C’ Squadron was also under fire from ‘tanks’ (probably Jagdpanthers) at St Georges-d’Aunay and was forced to aid the 1/6th Queen’s in the defence of their positions, and so could do little to aid the isolated squadrons.

As night fell, the tanks of ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons, devoid of infantry support, became easy prey for the prowling panzer-grenadiers and their panzerfausts, who claimed a steady toll of victims.  Nevertheless, several individual tanks and one complete troop did manage to break out of the encirclement and made it back to RHQ and the RHA attempted to keep enemy heads down with barrages at likely forming-up points.

At last during the early hours of 4th August, the last twelve remaining tanks of ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons, covered by a barrage from the RHA, broke out and drove hell-for-leather for friendly lines.  Nine of these tanks made it to friendly lines.

During the Battle of La Lande, 5 RTR had suffered the loss of 7 dead, 23 wounded and 8 missing, with 8 tanks permanently lost (the Germans reported 7 British tanks destroyed).  1/6th Queen’s reported the immediate loss of 23 dead, 36 wounded and 87 missing.  65th Anti-Tank Regiment reported the loss of 15 missing and ’34 casualties’ (it’s not clear if the 15 missing are included in this number), as well as 3 M10c self-propelled 17pdr and ‘several’ towed 17pdr guns.  5 RHA suffered the loss of one of its Cromwell OP tanks, with the troop commander being killed and one crewman being wounded.  The Germans claimed to have taken 130 PoW.

German losses in terms of personnel are largely unknown, though in terms of tanks they started the battle with 20x Pzkpfw IV and 15x StuG III being operational.  By 5th August this number had been reduced by 50% to 10x Pzkpfw IV and 7x StuG III (this number includes the StuGs of  Riedel’s 7. Kompanie, which was detached to La Bigne).  5 RTR reported taking around 40 PoW during the early stages of the battle (all from 326th Infantry Division, plus one from 654th Heavy Anti-Tank Battalion).

Once the dust had settled, ‘A’ & ‘B’ Squadrons of 5 RTR were temporarily amalgamated while the large number of damaged tanks were repaired and casualties replaced.  Similarly, the remnants of 1/6th Queen’s ‘D’ Company, which alone had lost 69 men, was absorbed into ‘B’ Company and would not be reformed until late November.  However, there were other less obvious casualties; many men, including officers and SNCOs had been described during the battle as ‘bomb happy’ or ‘refusing to soldier’ (i.e. those we would now consider to be suffering from sever PTSD).  On 17th August forty men in 5 RTR were replaced by new blood and it was a similar story in 1/6th Queen’s.

The new General Officer Commanding 7th Armoured Division, Major General Gerald Lloyd-Verney immediately conducted a review of his new division and was dismayed at what he found.  He described 1 RTR and 5 RTR as ‘no longer having a go’, while 1 RB was ‘in a bad way’ and 131 (Queen’s) Brigade was ‘the worst of all’.  Indeed, the Tankies were extremely angry at the infantry for what they perceived as their failure to hold Hill 188, thus allowing 5 RTR to be surrounded.  A short time after La Lande, one of the Queen’s COs reported that he would have to cancel an attack, as his companies had simply ‘melted away’ on the start-line!

From the German point of view, Kampfgruppe ‘Paetsch’ had bloodied the nose of the Desert Rats and had kicked them off Hill 188 (earning Paetsch the Knight’s Cross).  However, they then evacuated that location almost immediately and Aunay-sur-Odon fell to the British two days later anyway, so it’s difficult to see what the point was of Paetsch’s attack.  That being said, the blunting of 7th Armoured Division’s advance gave the Germans two days’ respite, during which they were able to extricate and rally what was left of 326. Infanterie-Division and 21. Panzer-Division, while moving 10. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Frundsberg’ yet again, this time to counter the main British penetration near Vire.

Models

The models pictured in the article are 15mm models by various manufacturers, from the collections of Paddy Green, Richard de Ferrars and myself, pictured during some of our Big Bovvy Bash games at Bovington Tank Museum.

Posted in Battlefront: WW2, Battlefront: WWII Scenarios, Scenarios, World War 2, World War 2 - Normandy 1944 | 2 Comments

The Combat of Sanderhausen 1758 (The Refight)

Last time I posted a scenario for the Combat of Sanderhausen, which was fought on 23rd July 1758, between the French corps of the Duc de Broglie and the Hessian corps of Prince Ysenburg.  I covered all the history, orders of battle, etc then, so follow the link if you want a recap of the details.

So with the scenario scribbled on the back of a fag-packet, last Tuesday I headed down to W.A.S.P. in Pembroke Dock to play the game with Mike, who’d never played a SYW game before, let alone Tricorn or Shako.  I gave him the option of which side to play and seeing the larger army, he obviously opted to be French…

Ha!  He had fallen into my trap!  My Hessians had the better troops and as Obi-Wan Kenobi would appreciate, we also had the high ground!  Ahahahahaha!  Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!

What could possibly go wrong…?

Above:  Prince Ysenburg’s Hessian corps (on the left) has deployed on a hill astride their line of retreat to Münden.  The Hessians are outnumbered, but have their flanks secured by thick woods on each flank, as well as the River Fulda in the west and the fortified farm of Ellenbach in the east.

Above:  I must confess that I don’t yet have quite enough Hessians in my collection, so had to use some proxy units.  Two of the Hessian Militia battalions were represented by red-coated Hanoverians, the Invalid Battalion was represented by the Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg Regiment, the Hessian Husaren-Corps were represented by the Prussian ‘Kleist’ Frei-Husaren and I used Prussian Jäger figures for the two Jäger-Corps.

Above:  Another view of Prince Ysenburg’s Hessian army.  Prince Ysenburg’s own infantry regiment is nearest the camera and is the most newly-painted unit on the table, having not yet seen action… And we know what that means… 🙁

Above:  The Hessian Jäger-Corps (here represented by Prussian ‘Kleist’ Frei-Jäger) lurks in the woods on the bank of the Fulda.  This elite unit should easily deal with the French light troops…

Above:  The Duc de Broglie’s French army forms up.  Nearest the camera, the Chasseurs de Fischer and volunteers from the ‘Bentheim’ Regiment push into the woods.  I must confess however, that I still haven’t painted the skirmishers for my Chasseurs de Fischer, so we were forced to use some more blue-coated light infantry when they deployed into skirmish order.

Above:  For once, I do actually have a few of the required French regiments in my collection; namely the ‘Royal-Deux-Ponts’ Regiment (the central battalion with the red & purple flag-corners), the ‘Apchon’ Dragoons (in red), the ‘Diesbach’ Swiss and the ‘Royal-Nassau’ Hussars.  As usual, I had to use random French regiments for the rest, though I used red-coated Swiss troops for the remaining Swiss regiment and a blue-coated German regiment for the ‘Royal-Bavière’ Regiment.

Above:  However, all the heavy cavalry regiments should have been wearing blue coats, but I’ve only got one such regiment; the ‘Raugrave’ Cavalry.

Above:  On the French right flank, the massed grenadiers of the ‘Royal-Deux-Ponts’ Regiment skirmish forward, supported by the ‘Royal-Nassau’ Hussars and the massed guns (I’d run out of light guns, so had to substitute a 12pdr for one of them).

As the game starts, the French guns immediately begin to pummel Ellenbach Farm!  This initially causes some discomfiture among the Hessian ‘Freywald’ Militia, though their commander manages to steady them.

Above:  As the French army begins to advance up the hill, Broglie decides to form a small tactical reserve in his centre from the ‘Royal-Deux-Ponts’ and the 2nd Battalion of the ‘Royal-Bavière’.  Somewhat remarkably, the Hessian artillery completely fails to do any damage to the approaching mass of Frenchmen!

Above:  With his artillery completely failing to make any impact, Prince Ysenburg decides to see if his cavalry can do any better and orders them forward against the French right flank, hoping to roll up the French right flank from there, or at least damage the French right wing and cavalry sufficiently that it will no longer be a threat.

Above:  Down on the bank of the Fulda, the ‘elite’ Hessian Jäger-Corps are having their arses handed to them by the French light troops.  It would seem that nobody in the Hessian army knows how to shoot!

Above:  As the French army closes to within range of the battalion guns, some gaps appear in the ranks on both sides, but the Hessian artillery seems to have received its marksmanship training from the same bloke who trained the Jäger! 🙁

Above:  With nobody apart from the French artillery bothering the garrison of the Ellenbach Farm, the Hanoverian Jäger sneak out to occupy the small copse on the spur, from where they start sniping at the French hussars.

Above:  On the French left flank, the Chasseurs de Fischer are very much gaining the upper hand over the Hessian Jäger-Corps, who are falling back on their grenadier supports.

Above:  On the French right flank, the Swiss ‘Waldner’ Regiment has wheeled to the right, forcing the Hessian cavalry to ‘run the gauntlet’ as they charge home.  The Hessian cavalry commander realises too late that he has been invited into a trap, but he has his orders and therefore must order the charge!

Above:  The Hessian ‘Prüschenck’ Horse and Husaren-Corps charge home on the ‘Royal-Nassau’ Hussars, but the French heavy horse counter-charge in support.  To make matters worse, the Swiss infantry and the French battalion guns succeed in emptying several Hessian saddles before they make contact.  The charge goes badly for the Hessians, who are beaten off with significant losses!

Above:  Having beaten off the Hessians, the French heavy horse are blocked by their own infantry, so opt to recall and rally behind friendly lines.  The ‘Royal-Nassau’ Hussars however, have only the ‘Prinz Freidrich’ Dragoons in front of them and the so their Colonel orders his trumpeter to sound the charge!

Above:  As the hussars charge home they suffer some disruption from the Hanoverian Jäger lurking in the copse, but with the Hessian dragoons having already suffered casualties from Swiss fire, they have an even chance of winning the combat.  Nevertheless, the Hessian dragoons manage to salvage some honour from the débâcle and send the hussars packing!

Above:  With more French cavalry massing behind the Swiss infantry, the ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons decide not to exploit their victory over the hussars and instead fall back to rally behind friendly lines.  All the retreating cavalry units also manage to rally… this time…

Above:  As the French infantry close the range, the Hessian artillery FINALLY manages to do some serious damage to the French infantry!  Then, as the French close to musketry range, one detachment of battalion guns is destroyed on both sides and the remaining gunners withdraw to relative safety behind the lines.

Above:  The opening volley from the Hessian infantry tears wide gaps in the French ranks, yet the French manage to do little damage in return.  The Hessians start to believe that they can actually win this battle!

Above:  The 1st Battalion of the French ‘Rohan-Montbazon’ Regiment has suffered particularly heavy casualties and falls back to rally.

Above:  However, things continue to go badly for the Hessians in the woods!  The Jäger-Corps have now been driven off by the French light troops, who now turn their attention to the Garrison-Grenadier Battalion.  Nevertheless, the grenadiers give as good as they get, inflicting losses on the Chasseurs de Fischer and the ‘Beauvoisis’ Regiment.

Above:  The cavalry of both sides rally as the Swiss reload their muskets and wait for the Hessians to comply with their orders and charge again…

Above:  Sure enough, they don’t have long to wait as the Hessian cavalry try again!  The ‘Prüschenck’ Horse strike at the 1st Battalion of the ‘Diesbach’ Regiment, which stands on the right flank of the French infantry.

Above:  Incredibly, the Swiss infantry this time fail to inflict any damage on the charging horse!  The French cavalry, masked by the infantry, can do little to assist the Swiss, but the ‘Apchon’ Dragoons immediately mount a supporting charge on the Hessian Husaren-Corps.  The honours are even; the ‘Apchon’ Dragoons succeed in sweeping the already-depleted hussars from the field, while the ‘Prüschenck’ Horse utterly destroy the Swiss battalion.  This time there are no bold attempts at exploitation; the cavalry of both sides retire to rally behind their own lines.

Above:  In the centre, the French infantry continue to get the worst of the firefight.  Confident that his line can hold, Ysenburg orders the reserve Invalid Battalion to march to the right flank, to help the Grenadier Battalion, which is being mobbed by light troops (note the arrow, which shows that the Invalids have formed a column to march to the right flank).

Above:  However, Hessian confidence is very short-lived, as the French infantry starts to recover its form!  In particular, the Swiss ‘Waldner’ Regiment is wrapping around the Hessian left flank and is starting to inflict significant casualties on the ‘Canitz’ Regiment.

Above:  There is another temporary pause as the cavalry of both sides take a breather between charges.  Over on the far flank, a pair of Hessian messengers gallop toward Ellenbach Farm, with orders for the ‘Freywald’ Militia to march out and intervene in the copse.

Above:  In a sudden flurry of violence, the Swiss ‘Waldner’ Regiment attempts a two-battalion charge against the ‘Canitz’ Regiment on the left flank of the Hessian infantry!  The 2nd Battalion is halted by fire, though the 1st Battalion successfully charges home, only to then retreat from the combat.  The French infantry has better luck at the opposite end of the line, as the 1st Battalion of the ‘Beauvoisis’ Regiment throws back the ‘Ysenburg’ Regiment, though the Hessians manage to rally.

Above:  The Hessian ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons meanwhile, charge once again against the Swiss ‘Diesbach’ Regiment, but this time are beaten off.

Above:  The ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons need less than a 5 to rally…  Sigh… 🙁

Above:  The Swiss meanwhile, need less than a 4 to rally… 🙂

Above:  “Don’t look now Hans, but I think there’s someone behind you…”

Above:  The French infantry are absolutely determined to break the Hessians and to that end, mount a general charge all along the line!  The ‘Gundlach’ Militia (represented by the red-coated Hanoverians) manage to hold off the ‘Royal-Deux-Ponts’ and ‘Royal-Bavière’ Regiments in the centre with musketry, but two French battalions on either flank manage to charge home!

Above:  One the French left, the 2nd Battalion of the ‘Rohan-Montbazon’ Regiment charges home on the ‘Wurmb’ Militia (with the orange flag).  Despite the support of the Invalid Battalion (who have hurriedly turned back into line), the Militia break and flee the field!  However, things again go badly on the French right flank, as the 2nd Battalion of the Swiss ‘Waldner’ Regiment dashes itself to pieces against the solid ‘Canitz’ Regiment.  With losses mounting on both sides, the Hessian infantry, the Hessian cavalry and the French right wing (i.e. the Swiss and German regiments) are now officially Demoralised.

Above:  On the edge of the woods, the Hessian Grenadier Battalion is holding on by its fingernails, but is still inflicting considerable damage on the ‘Beauvoisis’ Regiment.

Above:  The French cavalry meanwhile, have been ordered to halt and are content to watch the remaining Hessian horsemen dash themselves to pieces.  The Grenadiers of the ‘Royal-Deux-Ponts’ Regiment attempt to push into the copse, but suffer heavy losses to the Hanoverian Jäger still lurking there.  Just out of shot, the ‘Freybach’ Militia have received their orders to march out to the rescue of the cavalry, but at that moment catch an accurate barrage from the French artillery, which inflicts a timely delay on their intervention in the battle!

Above:  The Hessian cavalry have suffered heavy losses, but are still managing to stay in the battle and are good for one more charge!  All they need are some fresh orders and to that end, a messenger rides over from Prince Ysenburg…

Above:  Oh, scratch that plan…  A shot from a section of French battalion guns puts an ignominious end to the Hessian horse…

Above:  Having seen off the entire ‘Waldner’ Swiss, the Hessian ‘Canitz’ Regiment is finally defeated by the ‘Royal-Bavière’ Regiment and as they flee, they carry away one of the Hessian position batteries.

Above:  In the woods, the Garrison-Grenadier Battalion continues to hold out against overwhelming odds!

Above:  In the centre, the ‘Ysenburg’ Regiment has re-entered the fight and stands alongside the Invalid Battalion as the French charge yet again!  In front of them, the heroic ‘Gundlach’ Militia continue to stand their ground as much of the rest of the army folds around them.  However, it’s Turn 11 and the Hessians only have to hold out until the end of the next turn!  They can still do this! 🙂

Above:  The ‘Freywald’ Militia finally march out of Ellenbach Farm to save the day!  Hurrah!

Above:  It’s the end of Turn 11 and with one-third of the Hessian army broken, it’s time for another Army Morale test…  All we need is a 3 or more and to hold out for just one more turn…

Bugger…

Once again, I ask the question “Is this REALLY the hobby for me?”

Anyway, that’s it for now.  As mentioned last time, there are a few Burma things brewing, as well as a Normandy scenario, more 18th Century stuff and probably something I haven’t even though of yet.

Posted in 15mm Figures, Eighteenth Century, Games, Seven Years War & War of Austrian Succession, Shako Rules, Tricorn (18th Century Shako Rules) |