Here’s a scenario I wrote for a refight of the Battle of Clostercamp, played at the recent open day of the Haverfordwest Gaming Club.  We were limited for space but wanted to do a historical battle, so this is a nice, small battle with a few divisions per side, playable in a few hours and ideal for a club night (as long as you don’t waste most of the available time talking to old mates you haven’t seen for years…  Sorry Kirk…).

This scenario is designed for Tricorn, being my conversion of Shako Napoleonic rules to 18th Century warfare.

Historical Background

By September 1760, the Seven Years War in the theatre of West Germany had rumbled on for over three years.  The French (with their Imperial German allies) had won victories at Hastenbeck, Lutterberg, Bergen and Corbach, while the Allied Armies of Hanover, Great Britain, Hesse-Cassel, Schaumburg-Lippe-Bückeburg and Prussia had won victories at Rossbach, Krefeld, Minden, Fulda and Warburg.  However, neither side had yet gained a significant advantage over the other.

In an attempt to break the impasse, the Allied Commander-in-Chief, Ferdinand of Brunswick was resolved to go onto the offensive on the Lower Rhine, with the limited objective of capturing the key fortress of Wesel.  By 3rd October the fortress was completely besieged by 15,000 men under the command of Prince Ferdinand’s nephew, the Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz) Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand of Brunswick.  However, the French were very quick to respond and by 15th October, the Marquis de Castries was camped only a short distance from Wesel with a relief-force of 20,000 men.  Castries was in a strong position, with his right flank resting on the Rhine at Rheinberg and his front protected by the Eugène Canal.

Only 7,500 men could be spared from the besieging force, but the Erbprinz was confident that he could cross over the canal by surprise and roll up the French left flank before they could react.  Initially the assault went well, with a crossing over the canal secured at Clostercamp Abbey by the 87th & 88th Highlanders, supported by Elliot’s British and Prussian cavalry.  The French Chasseurs de Fischer were driven off and General Waldegrave brought his column of British, Hanoverian and Hessian infantry over the canal.  However, one Captain Chevalier d’Assas of the Auvergne Regiment, detected the advance of the British Grenadiers in the pre-dawn darkness and alerted his men, shouting “Auvergne, voici les enemmis!” before falling to British bayonets.

Word soon passed to the Marquis de Castries, who quickly ordered the Marquis de Ségur’s infantry into action.  As day broke, the houses, gardens and hedgerows around Kampenbrüch soon became a bloodbath as both sides fought to gain the upper hand.  Even the Erbprinz himself fell wounded in the confusion.  However, with surprise lost, with the Marquis d’Auvet’s infantry also now joining the battle and with more French troops marching from Rheinberg, the only hope for Allied victory lay with General Howard’s reserve infantry, but Howard was still nowhere to be seen.

At last, Waldegrave’s infantry broke under the pressure and fell back in considerable disorder, with one British colour being lost.  However, the jubilant French infantry also lost cohesion as they pursued the fugitive Allied infantry and thus became easy targets for Elliot’s cavalry.  Elliot’s charge was devastating; the left flank of the French infantry was destroyed, with two battalions being badly cut up and losing two colours.  However, French cavalry of the Comte de Thiard de Bissy now launched their own charge and sent the Allied horse packing.  Nevertheless, Elliot’s charge had allowed the Allied infantry to rally and retreat in good order.

With Howard’s reserve infantry now finally arriving, the Erbprinz was able to withdraw his corps back over the canal without further incident.  The battle had been an Allied defeat and a very bloody one, with 1,170 men being killed or wounded and 462 captured, along with a gun and 14 ammunition wagons.  The butcher’s bill for the French had been even higher, with 2,661 being killed or wounded.  The battle had also been very costly for both sides in terms of senior officers being killed, wounded and captured.

The defeat at Clostercamp meant that the Erbprinz was now forced to abandon the siege of Wesel.  However, the defeat was now about to become a disaster as he learned that his line of retreat, a bridge over the Rhine, had been washed away by floods!  However, due largely to their heavy losses at Clostercamp, the French decided not to pursue the defeated Allies and the campaign ended with both sides settling into winter quarters.  The Erbprinz remained very bitter about his defeat, casting much of the blame onto his British subordinates and vowing never to have British troops under his command again.

Scenario

Both sides set up their forces as per the map above.

The Allies have the initiative, owing to their surprise dawn attack, so may adjust their initial deployment positions by moving up to 6 inches to the flank or rear and may occupy the old redoubt.

The French however, are still forming up in their camping grounds and may not alter their initial deployment.  The one exception to this rule is that a single battalion of the Auvergne Regiment may be deployed forward to Kampenbrüch in response to the Chevaliers d’Assas’ shouted warning.  The battalion may be deployed within Kampenbrüch, approximately 2-4 inches to the rear of the skirmish line.

The French heavy battery is on the high ground, but starts the game facing across the canal, so may not be brought to bear on the Allies on Turn 1.

The Allied objective is to cause a collapse of the French army by the end of Turn 20.  If they fail to achieve this goal, the rest of the French army will arrive to restore the situation.  The French will win if the Allies fail to achieve this objective.

The Allied Army

Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick
(Good – 2 ADCs)

Avantgarde – Major General Elliot (Excellent)
2 Sqns, Prussian Hussar Regiment ‘Malachowski’ (HR 7)     [4/1]
2 Sqns, British 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (Cholmondley’s)     } [5/2]
2 Sqns, British 1st (Royal) Dragoons (Conway’s)     } [combined with above]

Main Body – Lieutenant General Waldegrave (Good)
Picked Highlanders from 87th Highlanders (Keith’s)     [2x Skirmishers]
Picked Highlanders from 88th Highlanders (Campbell’s)     [2x Skirmishers]
Maxwell’s Battalion of British Grenadiers     [5/2]
Lennox’s Battalion of British Grenadiers     [5/2]
British 20th Regiment of Foot (Kingsley’s)     [4/1]
British 25th (Edinburgh) Regiment of Foot (Home’s)     [4/1]
British 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers     [5/2]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Marschalk’     [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hanoverian Infantry Regiment ‘Reden’     [4/1 – Large Unit]
Hessen-Cassel Infantry Regiment ‘Erbprinz von Hessen’     [4/1 – Large Unit]
British Battalion Guns     [2/0]
Hanoverian Battalion Guns     [2/0]

Reserve – Lieutenant General Howard (Average)
British 11th Regiment of Foot (Bocland’s)     [4/1]
British 33rd Regiment of Foot (Griffin’s)     [4/1]
British 51st Regiment of Foot (Brudenell’s)     [4/1]
British Battalion Guns     [2/0]
Hessen-Cassel Infantry Regiment ‘2. Garde’     [5/2 – Large Unit]
Hessen-Cassel Landbataillon ‘Müller’     [4/1]
Hessen-Cassel Battalion Guns     [2/0]
Hanoverian Light Artillery Battery     [3/0]

Cavalry Brigade – Colonel Harvey (Good)
2 Sqns, British 10th Dragoons (Mordaunt’s)     } [6/2]
2 Sqns, Hanoverian ‘Leib’ Regiment of Horse     } [combined with above]
2 Sqns, Hessen-Cassel ‘Ensiedel’ Regiment of Horse     } [6/2]
2 Sqns, Hessen-Cassel ‘Prüschenck’ Regiment of Horse     } [combined with above]
4 Sqns, Hessen-Cassel ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Regiment of Dragoons     [5/2]

Screening Force – Captain von Winzingerode
Hanoverian ‘Volontaires’     [4x Skirmishers]

Notes

1. The squadrons of the Prussian ‘Malachowski’ Hussars had been strongly reinforced to around 250 men apiece.  This was therefore a sizeable unit and warrants being represented on table.

2. The bulk of the two Highland Battalions are just off-table, screening Fischer’s corps of Chasseurs, who had been ejected from the bridgehead.  They aren’t therefore included in the scenario, but I mention them here for those who know the battle and are wondering where they are.

2. Given their amazing performance at Minden, you might be expecting more of the British battalions to be rated perhaps as MR 5.  However, at Clostercamp they were down to only around 250 men apiece, hence the downgrade in most cases to MR 4.  Note that the British and Hanoverian infantry still get their +1 firing bonus against enemy units charging to contact.

3. 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.  The exception is Landbataillon ‘Müller’, which is a ‘normal’-sized unit in Tricorn.

3. With the exception of the Prussian ‘Malachowski’ Hussars and the Hessen-Cassel ‘Prinz Friedrich’ Dragoons, the Allied cavalry regiments are all rather small and are brigaded together into combined units for game purposes.

4. Winzingerode’s screening force of Hanoverian ‘Volontaires’ act as independent skirmishers, harassing the French right flank along the canal.  They do not need orders, do not require formation morale tests and do not contribute to the overall army breakpoint.  These seem to have been volunteer picquets taken from the Hanoverian line infantry regiments present with the army.

5.  The Landbataillon ‘Müller’ was a militia unit and you might therefore expect it to classed as MR 3.  However, the Hessian militia regiments fought well at a number of actions and I’ve therefore rated them as MR 4.  Note however, that the Hessian militia are not classed as Large units.

Allied Reinforcement Arrival Schedule

Turn 2 – Harvey’s Cavalry Division.

Turn 4 – Winzingerode’s ‘Volontaires’.

Turn 8 – Howard’s Reserve Division.

Harvey’s Cavalry Division and Howard’s Reserve Division arrive in march column in the order listed, at the western ford.

Winzingerode’s ‘Volontaires’ arrive in skirmish order, at the bridge adjacent to Rosenray

Allied Formation Breakpoints

Division         FMR      ⅓      ½      ¾
Elliot                     9           3        5        7
Waldegrave        45         15      23      34
Howard               28        10      14      20
Harvey                 17         6        9       13

Army              FMR      ¼      ⅓      ½
Allied Army        99         25     33     50

The French Army

Lieutenant-Général Marquis de Castries
(Good – 2 ADCs)

Left Wing – Lieutenant-Général Marquis de Ségur – (Good)
1st Bn, Alsace German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Alsace German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Alsace German Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, Alsace German 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]
Chasseurs & Grenadiers of Auvergne Infantry Regiment      [2x Skirmishers]
Picquets of the Army      [2x Skirmishers]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Heavy Artillery Battery      [3/0]

Right Wing – Lieutenant-Général Marquis d’Auvet – (Average)
1st Bn, Normandie Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Normandie Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
3rd Bn, Normandie Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4th Bn, Normandie Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Briqueville Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Briqueville Infantry Regiment      [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]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]

Cavalry Division of Lieutenant-Général Comte de Thiard de Bissy – (Good)
Royal-Piémont Cavalry Brigade (Royal-Piémont, Descars, Balincourt & Poly)      [5/2 – Large Unit]
Royal-Étranger Cavalry Brigade (Royal-Étranger, Bourbon, Crussol & Royal-Pologne)      [5/2 – Large Unit]
4 Sqns (Right Wing), Gendarmerie de France      [6/2]
4 Sqns (Left Wing), Gendarmerie de France      [6/2]

Elements, Far Right Wing – Lieutenant-Général Comte de Montbarrey – (Average)
1st Bn, La Couronne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, La Couronne Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
1st Bn, Horion Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
2nd Bn, Horion Walloon Infantry Regiment      [4/1]
4 Sqns, Thianges Dragoon Regiment      [4/1]
Battalion Guns      [2/0]
Heavy Artillery Battery      [3/0]

Notes

1. French cavalry regiments were very weak at this time.  Most had only two weak squadrons, with an average campaign strength of only 240-280 men.  Consequently, in Tricorn a unit represents a brigade of three or four such regiments.  The two brigades listed here are four-regiment units, so are classed as ‘Large’.  Note however, that these are classed as Poor Cuirassiers, so are MR 5.

2. The Gendarmerie de France was a very large regiment of eight squadrons, totaling some 1,400 men.  They are therefore represented in Tricorn as two units.

3. 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.

French Reinforcement Arrival Schedule

Turn 2 – Montbarrey’s Right Wing.

Montbarrey’s Division may arrive anywhere on the eastern table-edge, in any formation.

French Formation Breakpoints

Division         FMR      ⅓      ½      ¾
Ségur                   48         16      24      33
D’Auvet               44         15     22      33
Thiard de Bissy  22         8       11       17
Montbarrey        52         18      26      39

Army              FMR      ¼      ⅓      ½
French Army    166        42      56      83

The canal is passable to Allied units only, at the bridges and fords, but only in column, skirmish or limbered formation.

The villages and farms are very scattered affairs, within a dense network of hedged fields. They are therefore classed in game terms as Woods, rather than as Built-Up Areas.

The ‘Ancient Redoubt’ is shown on one map of the battle as a four-bastioned, all-round defensive feature from some earlier war.  I would therefore class this as a Built-Up Area with a defensive modifier of +1, large enough to accommodate a single battalion and a battery.

Anyway, that’s me for now!  As you might have guessed, WordPress has been fixed!  That means I can finally start posting the scenarios and game reports that have been stacking up, as well as more of the usual unit photos.  More soon!

[Edited 21/10/23 to correct a mistake in the French breakpoint numbers]