As discussed last time, we recently played a cut-down version of my earlier full Battle of Strehla scenario for Tricorn. In the original scenario, the two main armies basically just sit and glower at each other, with the Prussians being weak but of high quality and secure behind strong fortifications and lots of heavy artillery, while the Reichsarmee is strong but of very poor quality and unable to launch a direct assault on the entrenchments. The Reichsarmee had therefore decided upon an attack using the new Austrian doctrine of multiple columns converging on a single point, as used for the first time at the Battle of Hochkirch.
When we originally refought the full battle, all the action therefore took place between the Imperial flanking-columns and the Prussian flank-guard, around the Dürren-Berg, an ancient hill-fort, just as in the actual battle. This part of the battle is therefore ideal for cutting out and playing as a stand-alone smaller scenario.
To save you having to fillet the relevant parts out of the original scenario, here’s the cut-down version. For the historical background and account of the actual battle, please refer to the original scenario.
This cut-down scenario uses a 6′ x 5′ table, covering only the western 5 feet of this map (i.e. from the western edge of the table to the western end of the main Prussian entrenchments):
‘Green’ Kleist with his Frei-Husaren-Corps
Prussian Corps of Generallieutenant Johann Dietrich von Hülsen
(Good – 2 Messengers)
Centre-Right (Entrenchments) (Good)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Markgraf Carl’ (IR 19) (elite) [5/2]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Markgraf Carl’ (IR 19) (elite) [5/2]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Burgsdorff’ (38/43) [5/2]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Heavy Battery [3/0]
Heavy Battery [3/0]
Right Wing (Dürren-Berg) – Generalmajor August Wilhelm von Braun (Good)
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Lubath’ (7/30) [5/2]
Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Beyer’ (11/14) [5/2]
IV. Stehende-Grenadier-Bataillon ‘Lossow’ (g1/g11) [5/2]
I. Bn, (ex-Saxon) Füsilier-Regiment ‘Hauss’ (IR 55) (poor) [3/0]
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Braunschweig-Bevern’ (IR 7) (elite) [5/2]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Braunschweig-Bevern’ (IR 7) (elite) [5/2]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Battalion Guns [2/0]
Heavy Battery [3/0]
Light Cavalry – Oberst Friedrich Wilhelm Gottfried Arend von Kleist (Excellent)
I. Bn (5 Sqns), (‘Grünne’) Husaren-Regiment ‘Kleist’ (HR 1) (elite) [5/2]
II. Bn (5 Sqns), (‘Grünne’) Husaren-Regiment ‘Kleist’ (HR 1) (elite) [5/2]
2 Sqns, Frei-Husaren-Corps ‘Kleist’ (FH II) [4/1]
4 Sqns, Frei-Dragoner-Regiment ‘Kleist’ (FD II) [5/2]
Dragoons – Major Marschall von Bieberstein (Good)
I. Bn (5 sqns), (‘Porzellan’) Dragoner-Regiment ‘Schorlemmer’ (DR 6) [5/2 – Large Unit]
II. Bn (5 Sqns), (‘Porzellan’) Dragoner-Regiment ‘Schorlemmer’ (DR 6) [5/2 – Large Unit]
Prussian Formation Breakpoints
Division MR ⅓ ½ ¾
Centre-Right Infantry 23 8 12 18
Right Wing (Braun) 35 12 18 27
Light Cavalry (Kleist) 19 7 10 15
Dragoons (Marschall) 12 4 6 9
Army MR ¼ ⅓ ½
Prussian Army 89 23 30 45
Frei-Dragoner-Regiment ‘Kleist’
Prussian Order of Battle Notes
1. Von Hülsen may not leave the entrenched position, which is the centre of his army.
2. The Centre-Right Wing of Hülsen’s army may not leave the entrenchments.
3. It’s impossible to fully represent the complex of angles and enfilades in well-engineered entrenchments of the period. They were designed to provide mutual support and to enfilade any avenue of approach, thereby catching any attacker in a crossfire. Therefore, infantry units deployed in the entrenchments may offset their flank-lines (i.e. increase their arc of fire to 45 degrees on either side).
4. It’s often difficult or even impossible to physically place infantry models in fortifications where artillery models are already present. Therefore, any infantry unit in base-to-base contact to the rear of a battery in the entrenchments will class as defending the parapet of the entrenchments against attackers. They may therefore fire volleys and conduct melee as normal, even when the artillery has already fired from the same position (in much the same way as infantry support batteries in the normal Tricorn rules). When targeted by enemy artillery, select either the artillery or the infantry as the primary target and automatically conduct a ‘bounce-through’ attack on the other unit present.
Infanterie-Regiment ‘Blau-Würzburg’
Reichsarmee Reserve Corps of Feldmarschallieutenant Prinz Friedrich-Carl von Stolberg-Gedern (Left Wing)
(Poor – 1 Messenger)
Reserve Corps Infantry – Feldmarschallieutenant Carl Freiherr von Würzburg (Poor)
I. Bn, Austrian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Macquire’ I (IR 46) [4/1 – Large Unit]
I. Bn, Austrian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Luzzara’ (IR 48) [4/1 – Large Unit]
Austrian Grenadier-Battaillon (33/46/48 IRs) [5/2]
I. Bn, Oberrhein Kreis-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Pfalz-Zweibrücken’ (Poor) [3/0]
II. Bn, Oberrhein Kreis-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Pfalz-Zweibrücken’ (Poor) [3/0]
I. Bn, Kurrhein Kreis-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Kurtrier’ [3/0]
Austrian Battalion Guns [2/0]
Kurtrier Battalion Guns [2/0]
Reserve Corps Cavalry – Obrist Prinz Friedrich August von Nassau-Usingen (Average)
5 Sqns, Austrian Chevauxléger-Regiment ‘Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld’ (Ch 39) [5/2 – Large Unit]
5 Sqns, Pfalz Leibdragoner-Regiment ‘Kurfürstin’ (poor dragoons) [4/1 – Large Unit]
5 Sqns, Hungarian Husaren-Regiment ‘Baranyay’ (H 30) [4/1]
Austrian Auxiliary Corps – Feldmarschallieutenant Wenzel Mathias Knoget Freiherr von Kleefeld (Good)
I. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Blau-Würzburg’ [4/1 – Large Unit]
II. Bn, Infanterie-Regiment ‘Blau-Würzburg’ [4/1 – Large Unit]
I. Bn, Hungarian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Nikolaus Esterházy’ (IR 33) [4/1 – Large Unit]
II. Bn, Hungarian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Nikolaus Esterházy’ (IR 33) [4/1 – Large Unit]
1 Bn, Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment ‘1. Banalisten’ [3/0]
1 Bn, Grenz-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Karlstädter-Szluiner’ [3/0]
Grenadier-Battaillon (Blau-Würzburg & Grenzer) (poor) [4/1]
Austrian Battalion Guns [2/0]
Grenadier & Carabinier Corps – Feldmarschallieutenant Peter Alexander Graf von Guasco (Average)
I. Bn, Austrian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Sachsen-Gotha’ (IR 30) [4/1 – Large Unit]
I. Bn, Austrian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Pallavicini’ (IR 15) [4/1 – Large Unit]
II. Bn, Austrian Infanterie-Regiment ‘Pallavicini’ (IR 15) [4/1 – Large Unit]
I. Kreis-Grenadier-Battaillon (Poor – Kurmainz, Effern & Baden-Baden IRs) [4/1]
II. Kreis-Grenadier-Battaillon (Poor – Rodt, Kurköln & Kurbayern IRs) [4/1]
III. Kreis-Grenadier-Battaillon (Hessen-Darmstädt, Pfalz Garde & Alt-Württemberg IRs) [5/2]
Austrian Grenadier-Battaillon (Mainz-Lamberg & Austrian IRs) [5/2]
4 Sqns, Kreis-Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Hohenzollern’ & 3 Austrian Elite Coys (poor cuirassiers) [5/2]
Austrian Battalion Guns [2/0]
Reichsreserveartillerie Light Position Battery [3/0]
Imperial Formation Breakpoints
Division MR ⅓ ½ ¾
Reserve Infantry (Würzburg) 28 10 14 21
Reserve Cavalry (Nassau-Usingen) 15 5 8 12
Auxiliary Corps (Kleefeld) 32 11 16 24
Grenadier Corps (Guasco) 43 15 22 33
Army MR ¼ ⅓ ½
Imperial Left Wing 118 30 40 59
Kreis-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Pfalz-Zweibrücken’
Imperial Order of Battle Notes
1. Grenzer battalions may alternatively be deployed as 2x Skirmisher stands. The stands must remain within 4 inches of each other at all times and casualties are taken by the whole units, not the individual Skirmisher stands. Each battalion may suffer 3 casualties when in Skirmish Order, the same as they would if they were formed.
2. Kleefeld’s grenadier battalion has been downgraded to MR 4/1 as it was weak and was 50% Grenzer.
3. I’ve arbitrarily numbered Guasco’s grenadier battalions for game purposes. These were temporary units and would be known by the name of the officer designated to command them on the day, but they aren’t known. There were actually six grenadier battalions under Guasco’s command, but I’ve reduced this to four battalions as they each had only four companies and were less than two-thirds the strength of a regular battalion.
4. The Austrian ‘Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld’ Chevauxléger Regiment (Ch 39) is a retitled Dragoon regiment (D 39) and is classed as Dragoons (MR 5/2) for movement, combat and morale purposes.
5. One Light Position Battery of the Imperial Artillery Reserve is grouped with Guasco’s Corps. It’s classed as part of Guasco’s corps for formation and army morale purposes.
6. The Hungarian ‘Nikolaus Esterházy’ Regiment (IR 33) was actually part of Würzburg’s Reserve Corps infantry division, but joined Kleefeld’s attack on its colonel’s own initiative. I’ve therefore placed this regiment under Kleefeld’s command for scenario purposes.
7. The ‘Baranyay’ Hussar Regiment (H 30) was listed as being part of Kleefeld’s corps. However, at Strehla it was operating alongside the cavalry of the Reserve Corps, covering the flank of Kleefeld’s attack. I’ve therefore transferred them from Kleefeld to Nassau-Usingen.
Pfalz Leibdragoner-Regiment ‘Kurfürstin’
Deployment
You can use the historical deployment as shown on the map at the top of the article. Alternatively, the deployment may be varied slightly, with units being rearranged within their formation deployment areas.
Infanterie-Regiment ‘Markgraf Carl’
Terrain Notes
Most terrain features function as per the terrain chart on Page 2 of the Tricorn QRS, but here are a few clarifications:
The hills are for the most part, gently rolling and do not provide a defender with a +1 melee modifier. The exception is the ring-contour of the Dürren-Berg, which thanks to its ancient earthworks, is steeply banked. It counts as a Linear Obstacle to cross and provides the defender with a +1 melee modifier, but no cover modifier. The ring contour is big enough for roughly eight battalions to form a circle within it.
The village Clanzschwitz is prepared for defence and therefore provides a defender with a +2 melee modifier and 11 cover modifier. All other villages have a +1 melee modifier and -1 cover modifier.
The Prussian earthworks are well-built and provide the defender with a +2 melee modifier. Class as a linear obstacle to pass through (in reality there are covered gaps for units to pass through). The old Swedish earthworks on the Otten-Berg can be ignored.
In terms of combat, infantry defending the earthworks may extend their firing-arc out to 45 degrees on either side, but suffer a -1 modifier if they do so (the earthworks are well-built and designed to enable enfilade fire, so defending units can mutually support each other). Units defending the earthworks may claim flank and rear support, but attackers may only claim rear support.
It’s probably also worth reminding that units defending villages may fire at opportunity targets in any direction as Skirmisher fire. They may also conduct volley fire simultaneously at ALL units attacking the village, but do so with a -1 modifier. They may not claim any support modifiers in melee, but the attackers may claim rear (not flank) support.
The streams are very minor and class as linear obstacles, as per the QRS.
Kreis-Infanterie-Regiment ‘Kurtrier’
Scenario Notes & Victory Conditions
1. The game lasts 12 turns.
2. The Prussian player may issue any orders to his commands at the start of the game.
3. Once the Austrian player has written orders at the start of the game, roll on the Aides de Camp Table to see if those divisions implement their orders, applying a +1 modifier to Kleefeld’s roll. Remember that new orders may not be written and transmitted until the Orders Phase at the end of Turn 2.
4. In order to claim a tactical victory, the Austro-Imperial player must break two Prussian commands, by the end of Turn 12.
5. The Prussians may claim a tactical victory if they prevent the Austro-Imperial player from claiming victory.
6. The Latten-Berg Wood restricts visibility to only 2 inches and provides a -1 cover modifier against musketry and Skirmisher fire only. Rear Support may only be provided within 2 inches. There is no melee modifier.
Kreis-Cuirassier-Regiment ‘Hohenzollern’
That’s all for now! Yesterday we actually played the sequel to Strehla, the Combat of Wittenberg, so there will be an after-action report and scenario for that game soon (also for the Combat of Mehr, which we played a few weeks ago).
