As mentioned last week in my Review of 2023, during ‘Chrimbo Limbo’ we played my Battle of Warburg 1760 scenario at the Wargames Association of South Pembrokeshire (W.A.S.P.) in Pembroke Dock. We had originally planned to do this at a local tabletop game show in November, but sickness stopped play on that occasion. Sadly, my mate Andy pulled another sickie on this occasion (I think he must have become allergic to me), which meant that we didn’t have him or his walled town model for the game, but we cracked on anyway.
A good crowd turned up for the game: Al Broughton, Kirk French and Dave Llewellyn took the Allies, while Bruce Castle, his son Tane and brother Mark joined me in fighting for King Louis. So while we didn’t have a walled town, we did have a load of Castles…
I thangyou, I’m here all week, try the veal…
While we didn’t have quite enough space for the full 12-foot table, as per the map above, we did manage to get a 10-foot table and didn’t have to compress the map too much (in the scenario I provided an alternative ‘compressed’ 8-foot version of the map).
One slight change to the scenario was that I allowed the French to re-deploy Castries’ brigade of massed grenadiers and chasseur companies to a position roughly to the rear of the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment. Otherwise, it would be almost impossible for Castries to get involved in the fight for the Hein-Berg, as he was historically. I will add this, along with some other scenario-balancing options to the original scenario later.
Above: A view of the, table oriented the same as the scenario map. In the right-foreground is Bülow’s Légion Britannique, on the high ground, facing Warburg. You’ll note that my lovely printed terrain-cloth is only 8 feet long, so I had to dig out my old green parachute silk for this end of the table! It’s not all that obvious in the photos, but the hills are underneath the cloth for this game. I also didn’t put the full array of roads on the table, as I simply don’t have enough roads!
Above: David Morfitt very kindly re-drew his sheet of hypothetical Légion Britannique flags to include orange and light blue regimental colours for the 3rd and 4th Battalions, so I carefully removed the old flags and replaced them with the new designs in time for their first game… Which of course with this lot is just like casting pearls before swine! Dave Llewellyn immediately deployed the whole lot in skirmish order and consigned the formed troops and those lovely flags back to the toolbox for the rest of the game! 🙁
Above: The Chasseur à Pied Companies of the Chasseurs de Fischer prepare to defend the crumbling walls of Warburg. I frantically painted these in the days before the game, along with Fischer himself (who can just be seen hiding behind a house at the back), the Marquis de Castries and the massed grenadiers and chasseurs (who can be seen at the top-right of the photo).
Above: Maupeou’s infantry division consists of eight battalions and forms the right wing of du Muy’s army.
Above: The French centre is formed by four cavalry brigades (each of which is treated as a regiment for game purposes, as French cavalry regiments were absolutely tiny) and two dragoon regiments. To their rear is a small reserve, consisting of a single infantry brigade of four battalions. To the left of the cavalry is d’Amenzaga’s Swiss infantry division of eight battalions and on the far left are another eight battalions under the Marquis de Ségur, forming a ‘fish-hook’ around the end of the ridge.
Above: The Allied advanced guard (Colonel Beckwith with the two British grenadier battalions and two Highland battalions) makes a bee-line for the Hein-Berg, which dominates the French bridges over the River Diemel. On Beckwith’s left is General Spörcken, with three Hanoverian grenadier battalions and five Hanoverian infantry regiments. However, I must confess that I’ve only painted one battalion each of British and Hanoverian grenadiers, so I used the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Hanoverian Fußgarde as proxies.
Above: In support of Spörcken’s division is a mass of Hanoverian dragoons, British dragoons and Hessian regiments of horse under General Hardenberg. These move forward to cover the Hanoverian left flank.
Above: The Allied commanding general, the Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz) observes the French position from one of the Allied battery positions on the Fürsten-Berg. On his left, Zastrow’s division (three Brunswick grenadier battalions, three Hessian grenadier battalions and three Hessian infantry regiments) begin its attack as Bork’s Hanoverian cavalry watch the left flank.
Above: On the ridge, the French artillery opens fire on the approaching Allied lines. General du Muy knows that he’s onto a sticky wicket. Although numbers are similar, his flank has already been turned and his only hope is to capture and hold the Hein-Berg feature, to keep his line of retreat open. He’s already called de Castries’ elite corps and Maupeou’s division back from the right flank and has turned half of Ségur’s division (the Bourbonnais Regiment), to face the approaching threat, but that won’t be enough! He therefore orders Travers’ reserve brigade and d’Amenzaga’s Swiss to pull out of the line and extend the left flank.
Above: With all the French infantry marching to the left flank, the French cavalry and dragoons are now charged with guarding du Muy’s right flank. Du Muy still doesn’t know where the main part of the Allied army is.
Above: Beckwith’s British grenadiers and Highlanders march up the steep slopes of the Hein-Berg. This hill was actually topped by a mediaeval watch-tower, but we sadly don’t own a model of one of those!
Above: Spörcken’s Hanoverians advance on the French left flank, climbing the northern end of the Haum-Berg and pinning the Bourbonnais Regiment in place, thus preventing the French infantry from moving south to block Beckwith’s advance on the Hein-Berg.
Above: The range is long, but British, Hessian and Hanoverian heavy artillery positioned on the Fürsten-Berg hammers the French left flank. The French heavy artillery replies, but is remarkably ineffective.
Above: As Zastrow’s Brunswicker and Hessian grenadiers advance, Bork’s Hanoverian cavalry remain stationary on the left.
Above: Zastrow’s first line, formed by the three Brunswick grenadier battalions and the Hessian 4. Garde-Regiment, start to climb the ridge to get to grips with the French. The French artillery switches to canister, but still seems unable to hit anything! Perhaps their elevated position on the ridge is making them fire too high?
Behind Ségur’s line, d’Amenzaga’s Swiss can be seen pulling back and marching to cover Ségur’s left flank.
Above: The French cavalry swings left to cover the gap left by the Swiss. Behind them, Travers’ reserve marches up the road toward the left flank, followed in the distance by de Castries’ elite corps and Maupeou’s division.
Above: With the French line already softened up at long range by the Allied heavy artillery and battalion guns, Spörcken wastes no time on a firefight and instead gets stuck straight in with the bayonet! However, the Bourbonnais Regiment stands firm and halts the first charge through firepower.
Above: However, the Allies have achieved a massive concentration of force against this point on the battlefield; Ségur’s eight battalions face seventeen Allied battalions (many of whom are elite grenadiers) and the Allies also have a massive superiority in artillery and cavalry massed at this point.
Above: Nevertheless, the Allied artillery has now been masked by their own advancing infantry and their cavalry won’t be able to achieve a great deal until the French line has been disrupted by the Allied infantry.
Above: The Erbprinz confidently watches his attack go in. However, seeing the French cavalry begin to threaten Zastrow’s left, he sends orders to General Bork, requesting that he move his cavalry forward to counter the French horse.
Above: As Zastrow’s division commences a firefight with the French line, he splits his third line (the Hessian grenadier brigade) in order to extend his flanks.
Above: Another view of the battle for the flank. As can be seen by the many casualty and disorder markers behind the Bourbonnais Regiment, the French line might have halted Spörcken’s first charge, but they have been badly hurt and might not be able to stand for long.
Above: In the French rear, Travers’ reserve brigade has arrived and is now ordered by du Muy to drive between the Haum-Berg and Hein-Berg, then swing right to turn Spörcken’s right flank. This manoeuvre will expose Travers to flanking fire from Beckwith’s brigade on the Hein-Berg, but de Castries will soon arrive to (hopefully) deal with that threat. D’Amenzaga’s red-coated Swiss meanwhile, will attack into the gap between Travers and Ségur.
Above: The situation is now getting desperate for Ségur, as his infantry is now fully engaged and is taking heavy losses. The worst-hit part of the line is the ‘angle’, where the right flank (1st Bn) of the Bourbonnais Regiment meets the left flank (2nd Bn) of the d’Aumont Regiment. These two battalions have been hit especially hard by artillery and the Hessian horse seem poised to exploit their weakness.
Above: The view from behind the French left flank; d’Amenzaga’s Swiss continue their march to the left flank, but at this rate Ségur’s front line may well break before they get there! Nevertheless, the French show they still have teeth, as the Hanoverian Post Regiment, on the left of Spörcken’s line and the Hessian 4. Garde-Regiment, on the right flank of Zastrow’s first line, shredded by a sudden storm of canister and musketry, suddenly break and run from the fight! Nevertheless, despite this small victory, the French infantry know that this is only going to end one way…
Above: However, help is on the way for the beleaguered French infantry! Maupeou’s division is almost in place to form a new line behind Ségur.
On the left of the photo, de Castries’ massed grenadier companies have formed a large column à la Ordre Profonde and are advancing on the Hein-Berg, preceded by a mass of chasseurs in skirmish order… If this works, the idea might catch on…
Above: Beckwith’s grenadiers and Highlanders feel secure in their position atop the Hein-Berg, but now start to be stung by fire from de Castries’ chasseur companies and a section of battalion guns firing from the Haum-Berg.
Above: Ignoring the fire from Beckwith’s battalion guns, Travers redeploys his reserve brigade into two lines (Rohan-Rochefort Regiment in front and Rouergue Regiment to the rear) and swings his line to the right. In response, Spörcken refuses his right flank, wheeling the Wersabé Grenadiers back through 90 degrees to face the new threat. But it’s to no avail, as the Swiss throw back both Wersabé’s and Bock’s Grenadiers and Travers advances over the crest of the Haum-Berg! Thankfully, both Hanoverian grenadier battalions quickly rally and form up at right-angles to Spörcken’s second line.
Above: Ignoring the emerging crisis on the Haum-Berg, Spörcken’s Hanoverians charge again, this time in concert with Hardenberg’s cavalry and Zastrow’s Brunswick grenadiers on their left. After a valiant stand, the 2nd Battalion of the Bourbonnais Regiment is finally broken by the Hanoverian Estorff Regiment, while the entire d’Aumont Regiment is crushed by the Hessian horse and the Brunswick Witdorf Grenadiers. Nevertheless, the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Bourbonnais Regiment stand their ground and the 1st Battalion manages by the skin of its teeth to beat off an opportunity charge by the Hessian horse! On Ségur’s right flank, the La Couronne Regiment is also managing to cling on, despite heavy casualties.
Above: To their rear, Maupeou deploys his infantry into line. Ségur’s line may be crumbling, but the injection of this fresh division, along with the attack on the Hanoverian flank, might be enough to save the day…
Above: A groan ripples along the French line as a new formation appears over the horizon…
Above: The Marquess of Granby has arrived! Galloping across the battlefield at the head of a great mass of British cavalry (three squadrons of Royal Horse Guards, four squadrons of Horse, seven squadrons of Dragoon Guards and four squadrons of Dragoons), Granby makes a bee-line for the long line of French cavalry arrayed along the ridge. As he gallops forward, his hat and wig fly off. The sun shining off his bald head make an excellent marker for the British cavalry to follow!
Above: In the meantime, Ségur’s division goes down fighting! The La Couronne Regiment is at last overwhelmed by Zastrow’s Brunswick and Hessian grenadiers, while the 1st Battalion of the Bourbonnais Regiment finally succumbs to a combined attack by the Brunswick Witdorf Grenadiers and Hardenberg’s cavalry.
Above: On the French left flank, the 3rd & 4th Battalions of the Bourbonnais Regiment manage to crush two of Spörcken’s Hanoverian regiments, before they too are overwhelmed. However, Travers’ reserve brigade and d’Amenzaga’s Swiss are steadily crushing the Hanoverian right flank. With losses rapidly mounting, Spörcken suffers a crisis of confidence! [In game terms, Spörcken’s command is now Demoralised]
Above: Another view of Ségur’s last stand.
Above: With Ségur’s infantry cleared away, Zastrow now turns his guns on the left flank of the French dragoons… With devastating results.
Above: The great mass of British cavalry continues to thunder toward the ridge. The French cavalry nervously hold their ground, hoping that the slope will give them some advantage in the coming melee.
Above: Bounding alongside the British cavalry are two batteries of British artillery, commanded by the noted artillerist, Count William of Schaumburg-Lippe. He has ordered the gunners to be mounted on every available horse and limber; even on the guns themselves! They gallop onto the battlefield alongside the British horse and now pour a deadly fire into the waiting French horsemen.
Above: Almost forgotten on the far flank of the battlefield, the ruffians of the Légion Britannique advance, crossing the ground previously held by the French right wing. Du Muy had hoped that Fischer’s corps of chasseurs (particularly the Chasseurs à Cheval) would hold these marauders at bay, but the legion’s dragoon squadrons made short work of Fischer’s Chasseurs à Cheval and are now keeping the Chasseurs à Pied penned up within the walls of Warburg.
Above: Meanwhile, on the extreme western flank of the battle, the Marquis de Castries has finally reached the foot of the Hein-Berg. With his chasseurs already keeping the British grenadiers pinned down, he launches his massed column of grenadiers up the steep slope!
Above: Travers continues his assault on the Hanoverian right flank, though resistance is stiffening as Travers’ charge is halted by fire from Bock’s grenadier battalion and one of the Swiss battalions is repulsed. However, the Swiss manage to outflank and destroy the Hanoverian Scheither Regiment.
Above: At last, the two great masses of cavalry clash on the ridge! However, the French Royal Dragoons, on the left flank of the French horse, have already been routed by fire from Zastrow’s infantry and artillery.
Above: On the Hein-Berg, the French grenadiers charge home on Maxwell’s grenadier battalion! The French chasseurs have done their job, as the British grenadiers are already disordered by fire.
Above: Against all odds, the French grenadiers smash through Maxwell’s battalion and established a foothold on the crest of the Hein-Berg!
Above: In the centre, Maupeou has established a new line in the nick of time and masses a large concentration of artillery, who now rip great holes in Zastrow’s ranks. Witdorf’s Brunswicker grenadier battalion, standing on the right flank of Zastrow’s first line, comes in for particular attention and is quickly broken up by canister fire.
Hardenberg’s British dragoon brigade meanwhile, spots an opportunity in the gap between the d’Amenzaga’s Swiss and Zastrow’s division; the advancing Swiss have left a section of battalion guns isolated and unprotected! The dragoons charge through the gap, but astonishingly, are beaten off by the gunners! The British dragoons retreat with the jeers of both their enemies and allies ringing in their ears!
Above: Travers continues his assault on the Hanoverian right flank, but just can’t break the Hanoverian grenadiers! To add to his woes, Spörcken has brought his heavy artillery forward and is now pummeling the French battalions exposed on the forward slope of the Haum-Berg.
Above: Zastrow’s division pushes forward against Maupeou’s division, in the face of intense canister fire. On the right, Mirbach’s Hessian grenadier battalion moves forward to take the place of the broken Brunswickers.
Above: Despite having the advantage of the high ground, the cavalry battle is a near-total disaster for the French. The Bourbon Brigade is destroyed outright, while the Royal-Piémont Brigade is thrown back. However, the La Reine and Royal-Étranger Brigades on the French right flank manage to gang up on the British 3rd & 4th Regiments of Horse and throw them back.
Above: Having defeated the British 3rd & 4th Horse, the La Reine Brigade sadly run into the Royal Horse Guards and are in turn defeated… Whereupon the retreating French cavalrymen have the misfortune of running into the cutthroats of the Légion Britannique…
Above: The Royal-Étranger Brigade however, have rather better luck and charge on, successfully sabering one of Schaumburg-Lippe’s ‘flying’ batteries! This idea of mounting gunners on horseback is clearly a silly concept that will never catch on…
Above: Having weathered the storm of shot and canister, Zastrow’s grenadiers finally charge home on Maupeou’s infantry and are joined on the flank by some British dragoons. The result is a complete disaster for Maupeou as four of his eight battalions, along with most of his heavy artillery, are immediately overwhelmed!
Above: At last, Travers’ reserve brigade and d’Amenzaga’s Swiss finally destroy the last of the Hanoverian grenadiers, though on d’Amenzaga’s right flank, the Hanoverian Breydenbach Dragoons charge once again.
Above: The Breydenbach Dragoons break the right-flanking Swiss battalion, along with the battery that had earlier repulsed the British dragoons. Flushed with success, the Breydenbach Dragoons charge on into the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment of Maupeou’s division!
Above: By some miracle, the French infantry manage once again too beat off the Allied cavalry in this sector. Hardenberg’s cavalry have had very little tactical success, but they keep on rallying and keep coming back!
Above: Meanwhile back at Warburg… The Chasseurs de Fischer are wondering what all the noise is over the hill and decide to wander out to take a look…
Above: However, Hattorf’s Amazing Technicolour Dragoon Regiment is watching from the heights and would LOVE for them to come out into the open ground…
Above: A final charge by Zastrow’s grenadiers and Hardenberg’s brigade of Hessian Horse finally ends Maupeou’s brief stand on the ridge. Du Muy’s headquarters is almost overrun, but he and his staff successfully break out for the Diemel bridge, escorted by the Thiange Dragoons.
Above: On the Hein-Berg meanwhile, Beckwith’s grenadiers and Highlanders mount a counter-attack against de Castries’ French grenadiers. Daulhat’s British grenadier battalion suffers very heavy casualties due to supporting fire from the chasseur companies and artillery and flees the field, though the 87th and 88th Highlanders press home their attack and successfully drive back the French grenadiers!
The loss of their toe-hold on the Hein-Berg is potentially disastrous for French morale, though Beckwith has now suffered 50% casualties… By some miracle, Beckwith manages to maintain control of his men, the Highlanders remain in control of the hill and then proceed to make extremely rude gestures at the Frenchmen below…
Above: Spörcken meanwhile, has lost all but two of his eight battalions (plus his two supporting batteries of heavy artillery) and finally breaks. However, this small victory is cold comfort to the French, as their entire army is crumbling.
Above: The French cavalry meanwhile, having taken catastrophic losses in their first clash with Granby’s British cavalry, now break and run for the Diemel crossings. This is all too much for the French army, which is now in total collapse!
So a decisive victory to the Allies!
Du Muys makes a note in his campaign diary… “Merde…”
All in all, a great game, despite the catastrophic hoofing inflicted on our side! My thanks to Al, Gareth, Kirk, Dave, Bruce, Mark and Tane for an excellent game in excellent company!
Scenario Balancing Options
As might perhaps be clear from the above account, this is a VERY difficult scenario for the French to win and I offer the following suggestions in order to make it a better game:
1. Allow the Marquis de Castries to alter his deployment position from that shown on the map to a position roughly to the rear of Maupeou’s division. This will allow him to intervene in the battle for the Hein-Berg, as he did historically. We actually invoked this rule for the game, but it’s not mentioned in the original scenario.
2. Class all Swiss infantry battalions as Elite (Morale Rating 5). They often are in many wargames rules, but in this scenario I only rated the Jenner Regiment as Elite (along with the French Bourbonnais and La Couronne Regiments).
3. Remove the ‘Poor’ rating from all French cavalry and dragoon regiments, which means that they will be MR 6 and MR 5 respectively.
4. Historically there was a race between the Bourbonnais Regiment and Beckwith’s grenadiers to the crest of the Hein-Berg. However, this isn’t really possible given the starting positions shown on the map (which is based on the Prussian Grossergeneralstab map). I therefore suggest pushing Spörcken’s and Zastrow’s starting positions back by 12 inches and shift the Bourbonnais Regiment to the left until is is in a position (in column of battalion lines) where it has exactly the same distance to reach the crest of the Hein-Berg as Beckwith’s brigade.
I think that’s enough to be going on with.
More soon. I’ve currently got several Tricorn scenarios on the go for the War of Austrian Succession (Chotusitz, Hohenfriedburg, Soor and Kesselsdorf), as well as some old favourites of ours; namely rather large Napoleon’s Battles scenarios for the Battles of Lützen and Bautzen in 1813, so we’ll see what turns up first…
Well here we are once again, bewildered and wondering “Where the hell did that year go?!”
Anyway, how did I do on the painting front during 2023? I only started seriously counting everything when I did my annual review of 2021. That was the year in which I was really getting back into 15mm SYW and had planned a large 10mm ACW demo game, so had stacks of motivation to paint. I therefore managed to do rather well, with 963x 15mm Foot, 114x 15mm Horse, 17x 15mm Guns, 588x 10mm Foot, 82x 10mm Horse, 21x 10mm Guns and 13x 10mm Horse-Drawn Vehicles. The value of models painted amounted to £1,080.23 at 2021 prices.
Then it was time for 
Another French unit that we needed for 
I actually painted two units of 
I needed to paint a second regiment of French dragoons for Warburg and with Christmas approaching, it HAD to be the 
I also managed to get Johann Fischer and his Chasseurs à Pied finished in time for the game. I will at some point in the future, have to add some skirmishing Chasseurs à Pied and the squadrons of Chasseurs à Cheval (we had to use proxies in the game):
And to finish off the year, I painted the very first units for my SYW Brunswick contingent; the ‘Imhoff’ Infantry Regiment and a battalion gun. OK, I haven’t QUITE finished them yet, but I will have by midnight tonight, so I’m taking that…
The above game was in preparation for a much larger (and much-postponed) refight of Cornwallis’ attack at the Battle of the Brandywine (below) with Kirk French and my old mate Anthony Oakley. Again, I have completely failed to produce a game-report (yet), so no spoilers, but suffice to say that I was once again left wondering if this is perhaps the hobby for me…
In April, we went back to the Seven Years War. As I’d finally finished painting the Reichsarmee, it was time to get it all (well, nearly all) on the table with the 
Following the trial game, we set up the full scenario and played it over a whole weekend in June. This time I actually managed to play… And got a kicking… Again, I MUST get around to writing up the game! I’m actually going to be setting the game up again in February for some more friends and that might be the last outing for Murfreesboro:
In August, my old RAF mate Bruce was down in Pembrokeshire with his family. Back in our Officer Cadet days, Bruce and I were often the only ones left on camp when everyone else went home for the weekend (New Zealand and Pembrokeshire being equally difficult to reach from Lincolnshire) and games of Risk, Diplomacy, Junta, Turning Point: Stalingrad, Air Cav and Empires in Arms were cheap entertainment. He then joined 
In September, a local club, the Haverfordwest Gaming Club (HATS), was having a club open day. We’d never been there before, so Andy James, Kirk French and I decided to put on a refight of the SYW 
In November I was back at W.A.S.P. and had my first Tricorn game with Gareth Beamish since the 1990s. It was Gareth who first turned Shako into Tricorn, so it was great to play a game with him again. The scenario was the War of Austrian Succession 
Finally to round off the year, we refought the SYW 
There were some other games throughout the year, but they were mostly board-games and I didn’t bother photographing those! I lost them for the most part…
I’ve also recently started a Franco-Prussian War of 1870 campaign via e-mail, so expect some reports from that once it gets going. It would also be nice to do some Napoleonic games again, as well as some ACW battles other than Murfreesboro!
As it’s Christmas, I thought I’d share with you what is possibly the most festive all all regiments, the French 
French dragoon regiments during this period were much stronger than the vast majority of the heavy cavalry regiments. Each dragoon regiment had four squadrons, each of four companies, for a total of 694 men at full strength (including officers and regimental staff), increasing slightly in 1757 to 710 men. This means that for 
French dragoons were unusual during this period in that they were still mostly used for scouting and flanking and were expected to routinely fight on foot. In almost all other armies, the dragoons had become a medium-heavy class of shock cavalry. The French dragoons therefore, were armed with infantry-pattern muskets and bayonets and retained buckled leather gaiters (known as bottines) to theoretically allow ease of movement when fighting dismounted. However, shortly after the start of the Seven Years War, bottines were rapidly replaced by shoes and white canvas gaiters when a unit was fighting on foot.
Then in 1757, most dragoon regiments had a facing colour added to their cuffs and the pokalem turn-up. For the Mestre de Camp Général Regiment, the new facing colour was white. The lace edge-colour also changed back to white, which at this scale is impossible to see on white facings, making the cuffs and pokalem turn-up just look plain white.
The musicians’ livery for the regiment isn’t known for certain. The arms of the Colonel, Marie François Henri de Franquetot, Comte de Coigny were red, with a yellow horizontal central band, three yellow crescents (two above and one below) and three blue stars superimposed on the yellow band. With the dominant armorial colours being yellow and red, coats in these colours would seem to be as good a fit as any. As it happens, I’ve since discovered that the first uniform for the Tessé Dragoons was a yellow coat with red cuffs, so this (accidentally) links back to the regiment’s past.
Anyway, have a Very Merry Christmas! I hope that unlike mine, your family gives you lots of what you ACTUALLY want for Christmas (models, books, etc) and that you manage to get some Christmas wargaming in. We’ll be doing out Christmas refight of Warburg on the 27th, so more of that soon. Cheers!
As discussed last time, we’re going to be refighting the 
I therefore needed to paint some Highlander skirmishers for 
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). Keith’s three companies of Highlanders were sent to Germany in November 1759 to join Ferdinand of Brunswick’s army. Initially tasked with joining the petit-guerre of raiding and reconnaissance. With cattle-raiding in the blood, the Highlanders proved to be naturally adept in this role and greatly impressed Ferdinand, who requested that the unit be expanded to a full battalion. Therefore, in early 1760 a further five companies were dispatched to Germany, thus establishing a weak battalion of eight companies.
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). Traditionally considered to be light infantry experts of the petit-guerre, the Highlanders in Germany also proved themselves more than capable of fighting alongside other regiments in the line and at Vellinghausen demonstrated their fearsome ability to conduct close assaults.
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). This regiment wore the typical short Highland jacket in red. This garment lacked lapels and tails, though had cuffs and collar in the facing colour. There is some debate in sources as to whether the regiment wore green or buff facings. The original cadre taken from the 42nd Regiment would have initially worn the buff facings of their old regiment, but it’s clear that the regiment soon changed to green facings, as modelled by Captain James Gorry on the right and Colonel Keith above.
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). Waistcoats were red, with white lace edging and buttonhole lace. However, officers often wore fashionable buff waistcoats, as modelled by Captain Gorry above. Kilts were of the standard Government sett of dark green with green-blue stripes and blue squares where the stripes meet. The stripes are edged and over-striped in black. However, while I have in the past done the ‘full fig’ with fine black lining, this time I just went for ‘impressionist’ tartan, leaving out the black lining. To be honest, it looks no bloody different when viewed on the tabletop! 🙂 The excess kilt-material was pinned up behind the left shoulder and a black or dark brown ‘purse’ (sporran) was worn at the front, along with a couple of scabbarded sgian dubh daggers and a black belly-box, decorated with the crowned ‘GR’ cypher.
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). Belts and scabbards were black with brass fittings and buckles. All ranks carried a broadsword which had a steel basket-hilt, lined with red cloth. This was suspended from a broad black belt worn over the right shoulder. Hose were the universal red-and-white diced pattern, held up with red garters.
Above: The 87th Regiment of Foot (Keith’s Highlanders). The regiment’s drummers were dressed in reverse colours; i.e. green jackets with collar, cuffs and waistcoat in red. Lace decoration was ‘as the Colonel saw fit’ and as there is no record of what they wore, I’ve kept it reasonably plain and simple. Tartan was probably the Royal Stewart sett, which at that time consisted of green stripes (in pairs or threes), over red, with fine over-striping of white and yellow. Again, I’ve gone for ‘impressionist tartan’ and haven’t bothered with the over-striping. Drums had red edges and the front part was painted in the facing colour, with the crowned royal cypher and regimental number.
Above: The 
Above: The 88th Regiment of Foot (Campbell’s Highlanders). Sources are again split as to whether this regiment wore green or buff facings. However, there are this time no portraits or other pictures from the period to give us a clue and as a consequence, I’ve gone for buff, just to make them look different from the 87th.
Above: The 88th Regiment of Foot (Campbell’s Highlanders). All other details of uniform and equipment for the 88th are exactly the same as the 87th, except the the officers’ lace colour was now silver.
Above: The 88th Regiment of Foot (Campbell’s Highlanders). Again the drummers of the 88th were dressed in reversed colours with Royal Stewart tartan. However, this time I’ve opted to dress the piper in the regular red coat of the rank-and-file.
Above: The 88th Regiment of Foot (Campbell’s Highlanders). Some skirmishers for the regiment.
Above: The 88th Regiment of Foot (Campbell’s Highlanders). The skirmishers again.
Above: Colonel John Beckwith (20th Regiment of Foot). In 1759, as a Lieutenant Colonel John Beckwith commanded the 
Above: Colonel John Beckwith (20th Regiment of Foot). Following almost two years excellent service as commander of the elite brigade, Beckwith had still not received his deserved promotion to Major General. However, he had a cunning plan. In late 1761, he wrote to the King of Prussia, recommending that the 
Above: Colonel John Beckwith (20th Regiment of Foot). Being commissioned into the 20th Foot, Beckwith would probably have worn a variation on his old regimental uniform, which had pale yellow facings and silver lace.
Historical Background
Scenario Outline
For those who can’t stretch to a 12-foot table, I’ve also done this compressed version of the map, adjusted to 8 x 6 feet (below). I actually did this as the result of limited space at the show we were due to attend, but thought it might work rather well and I may well use this compressed version of the table for our Christmas game at WASP.
The Advanced Guard of the Allied Army
Allied Order of Battle Notes
The Advanced Guard of the Grande Armée
French Order of Battle Notes
Terrain Notes
Having shocked the surviving readers of this blog last week by 
These are particularly bland; all with white coats and most don’t even have lapels… I can sense some of you starting to snore already, so pull up a pillow…
Above: 
Above: Dragoon Regiment ‘Breidenbach’. As in the Hessian and French armies, Hanoverian dragoon regiments were roughly double the strength of the line cavalry regiments, having four squadrons instead of two. Each squadron had two companies, each of 87 men. However, as an added complication, eight men from each company would then be detached to the Horse Grenadier Company, which had its own permanent staff of five men (1 lieutenant, 2 NCOs and 2 drummers), so in the field, the regiment would have nine companies, for a total of 712 men at full strength.
Above: Dragoon Regiment ‘Breidenbach’. The regiment’s coats had light blue lapels, cuffs, aiguillette and tail-turnbacks, with white metal buttons and white shoulder-strap and buttonhole lace. Neck-stocks were red and the aiguillette had red tips to the cords. Small-clothes, belts, gauntlets and cartridge-pouches were light buff, with light blue lace edging to the waistcoat. Hats had white lace, black cockades and were often adorned with a sprig of oakleaves or other greenery. Scabbards were black with iron fittings and swords had iron hilts.
Above: Dragoon Regiment ‘Breidenbach’. The regiment’s Horse Grenadiers wore a mitre cap with a white bag with light blue piping and a red-over-light blue pompom. The front-piece and headband were light blue. The front-piece was decorated with the crowned Badge of Hanover, flanked by white foliage. Below that was a red false-flap, decorated with a white or silver grenade badge. There was another grenade badge worn centrally on the rear of the headband.
Above: The ‘Dachenhausen’ Regiment of Horse (left) and ‘Gilten’ Regiment of Horse (right).
Above: The ‘Dachenhausen’ Regiment of Horse (left) and ‘Gilten’ Regiment of Horse (right). All Hanoverian regiments of horse wore white coats without lapels or aiguillette. I’ve therefore used yet more British dragoon figures by 
Above: The ‘Gilten’ Regiment of Horse (left) and ‘Dachenhausen’ Regiment of Horse (right). Officers of horse had metallic lace edging to cuffs, collar, hat and horse furniture, as well as a silver gorget worn at the throat and a yellow sash worn over the shoulder.
Above: The ‘Zepelin’ Regiment of Horse (left) and the ‘Reden’ Regiment of Horse (right).
Above: The ‘Zepelin’ Regiment of Horse (left) and the ‘Reden’ Regiment of Horse (right).
Above: The ‘Reden’ Regiment of Horse (left) and the ‘Zepelin’ Regiment of Horse (right) again dressed their musicians in livery-coats matching the facing colour and heavily decorated with lace.
It was something a bit different for me last week, as I went down to 
Above: A small Shū of only two Sonae, belonging to Oda Nobunaga’s army. This is the Akechi clan, commanded by Akechi Mitsuhide (identified by the ‘F’ marker on the Sonae bases). The clan’s two Sonae are average across the board, with both Sonae having a factor of 2 for both Command and Military ability. The right-hand Sonae (to which Akechi Mitsuhide has attached himself) also has a dot above its Command factor, indicating the inclusion of guns.
Above: Peasants work in the paddy-fields.
Above: In the nearby village, more peasants hang out the washing and do a spot of fishing.
Above: Other peasants take a stroll with the kids.
Above: Two peasants play Go in the shade of a pine tree, while a third looks on, probably offering ‘helpful tactical advice’.
Above: I thought I’d add this coin to show the scale of Gareth’s incredible modelling and painting. His figures are mostly by Baccus Miniatures, with a few 3D-printed models mixed in. The scenery is all scratch-built. For the purposes of our game, the scenic items (aside from woods and hills) were purely for decoration and were simply moved aside as troops moved through. The underlying terrain cloth is a golden-brown ‘teddy-bear fur’ rug, painted with large patches of green. This harks back to our old demo games, which used the same colour scheme in an attempt to match those wonderful Japanese folding screens (such as the famous Ōsaka Screen), which use gold leaf as the ground-colour, with large patches of green grass.
Above: The opening positions, showing the army of Oda Nobunaga on the left and the army of Mōri Terumoto on the right. The Mōri army is slightly stronger, but the Oda have the qualitative edge. Here’s Gareth’s outline of the scenario, together with a rough order of battle showing the ID letter for each Shū, the clan to which they belong and the name of the Bushō. Each Shū has 2-4 Sonae. Most Shū have one Sonae equipped with guns. I must add that this period is not my my area of expertise, so any errors below are entirely Gareth’s… 😉
Oda Army (Gareth):
Mōri Army (Me): 
Above: Mōri Terumoto’s headquarters is situated on top of a hill near the right flank. Terumoto gains a bonus when transmitting orders provided he remains within his headquarters, but will lost that bonus if he decides to mount up and move.
Above: To the rear of Mōri Terumoto’s headquarters are his household troops (A), consisting of three high-quality Sonae. On the forward slope is the Shū of Fukubara Sadatoshi (B) with two Sonae. On the right flank stands the large Shū of minor clan contingents (E), consisting of four Sonae under the command of Awaya Motonobu.
Above: In the centre of the Mōri line is the Shū of the Kikkawa clan (D), resplendent in their black-and-white-striped sashimono. This formation consists of three Sonae, commanded by Kikkawa Motoharu.
Above: The Mōri left wing is refused, lurking in the dead ground behind a hill. This wing comprises mostly Poor troops and is therefore kept as far away from the enemy as possible! Behind the Kobayaka clan are the Murakami and their retainers (G). The Sonae of Murakami household troops (with the brown sashimono and nobori) comprises average troops, but the two retainer Sonae on their right are universally poor.
Above: Gareth’s overall view of the Mōri army.
Above: Oda Nobunaga has also positioned his headquarters on a hilltop, to get a good view of the action. In front of him stand the three Sonae of his household troops (A); two Sonae with black sashimono and nobori banners, plus one Sonae (on the right) with yellow. On the left flank stands a Shū of four Oda household Sonae (B), under the command of Sassa Narimasa.
Above: To the right of Oda’s headquarters is a third Shū of Oda household troops (C), comprising three Sonae, commanded by Oda Nobutada.
Above: To the right of the Oda household is the Shū of the Shibata clan (D) commanded by Shibata Katsuie, with two Sonae carrying red sashimono and white nobori.
Above: In front of the Akechi clan is the Shū of the Maeda clan (G), carrying white banners. This clan again has two Sonae, led by Maeda Toshiie. Toshiie himself is easily identifiable on the battlefield thanks to his famous gold catfish-tail helmet and his personal banner depicting ‘Shoki the Demon-Queller’.
Above: Gareth’s overall view of the Oda army.
Above: With a wave of his tessen, Mōri Terumoto orders his right wing (the small Shū of Mōri troops under Fukubara Sadatoshi and the large, rag-tag Shū of Awaya Motonobu to advance rapidly, to take up more advantageous defensive positions on the high ground to their front. The respective Būsho are marked with a circular base of pack-mules, indicating that they are under March orders.
Above: The rest of the Mōri army remains stationary in their original positions under Defend orders (as indicated by the fence markers). Terumoto-sama has decided to refuse his left flank and anchor it on dense woodland, but now starts to regret his decision, as the hill forward of the left flak might have been more defensive ground.
Above: Oda Nobunaga meanwhile, knowing the quality of his troops, decides on a much more aggressive approach. His entire right wing moves forward in echelon, hoping to destroy the poor-quality troops on the Mōri left flank and then rolling the Mōri army up from there. The tip of the yari is formed by the excellent Sonae of the Hashiba (red banners) and Maeda clans (white banners).
Above: Next in the echelon are the Akechi and Shibata clans. Note the marker with a mounted tsukai-ban (messenger) figure, wearing a voluminous red horo on his back (looking rather like a Ninja Turtle). This marker indicates a Shū on Attack orders. A marker with a single nobori banner-bearer indicates a Shū on Regroup orders, but there are none of those on the table yet.
Above: The Hashiba clan quickly closes to contact and charges the leftmost Sonae of the Harmia clan. The Harima are not good troops and casualties quickly mount, despite despite their reasonably good position.
Above: Despite Bessho Nagaharu’s best efforts, his leftmost Sonae quickly collects a critical number of grass-tufts, but inflicts only one in return!
Above: The view across the battlefield from the endangered Mōri left flank.
Above: The view from the opposite flank. In the foreground, Awaya Motonubu’s mixed Shū has occupied the hilltop and adopted Defend orders in the nick of time as in front of them, Sassa Narimasa’s Shū is moving to attack the hill.
Above: Back on the Mōri left flank, the Harima clans are collapsing in the face of the ferocious Hashiba attack! Bessho Nagaharu has thus far managed to escape death or capture, but now he makes his last stand with his household Sonae.
Above: The ferocity of Hashiba Hideyoshi’s attack has been so astonishing and rapid that Murakami Motoyoshi has not managed to organise a counter-attack to save his neighbour!
Above: The Akechi (light blue) charge home on the Kobayakawa (red)! However, Oda plans quickly unravel as both Akechi Sonae suffer heavy casualties while assaulting a single Kobayakawa Sonae.
Above: Over on the Mōri left flank, Bessho Nagaharu is still holding out with the last remnants of the local Harima clans. However, the leading Maeda Sonae has charged home on the left-flanking Murakami Sonae, inflicting heavy casualties (at some expense to the Maeda). The second Maeda Sonae meanwhile, wheels to outflank the Kobayakawa, who are already hard-pressed by the Akechi! [edited to de-gibbish]
Above: Over on the right flank however, things are going rather better. Awaya Motonobu’s Shū is still managing to hold his hilltop against Sassa Narimasa’s Oda troops, while on his left Fukubara Sadatoshi has charged into the fight with his Shū of Mōri household troops, inflicting significant damage on the right-hand Oda Sonae. All they have to do is hold their ground…
Above: In the centre, the black-and-white striped banners of the Kikkawa clan charge through the paddy-fields to strike home on the Shibata! However, Shibata Katsuie proves to be a wily foe and wheels one of his Sonae to outflank the Kikkawa assault. In turn, Kobayakawa Takakage orders his clan to counter-attack and succeeds in outflanking the outflanking Shibata Sonae! However, the Kobayaka are now being outflanked by the Maeda…
Above: Back on the left flank, Bessho Nagaharu’s heroic resistance finally ends as he goes down fighting, having inflicted heavy losses on the Hashiba in sweet revenge. The brown-bannered Murakami Sonae has also gone down fighting, beset on two sides by Hashiba and Maeda Sonae. However, Murakami Motoyoshi is starting to get his act together and has managed to turn one of his Sonae to face the threat on the flank.
Above: Over on the opposite flank, Awaya Motonobu’s mixed bag of minor clans is starting to be pushed off his hill!
Above: At last, the Mōri army has some success as the Shibata clan is destroyed by the combined efforts of the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa! However, One of the red-bannered Kobayakawa Sonae has been destroyed by the combined efforts of the Maeda and Akechi clans, while the hoped-for Mōri breakthrough in the centre has now been blocked by the intervention of a fresh Shū of Oda household troops led by Oda Nobunaga’s son and heir, Oda Nobutada.
Above: “Amaterasu on a jitensha! Do I have to do everything myself?!” Alarmed by the deteriorating situation on the left, Mōri Terumoto calls for his horse and leads his personal household troops to stabilise the situation!
Above: Determined to push Awaya Motonobu off the hill, Sassa Narimasa presses home his attack. However, Sassa Narimasa’s right-flanking Sonae is destroyed by Fukubara Sadatoshi… The battle for the hill could still go either way.
Above: Suddenly, the gods smile on the Mōri! By some miracle, the Murakami, hard-pressed on the left flank, manage to repulse yet another Hashiba attack, breaking one of the two Hashiba Sonae! Shocked by the repulse, the rest of the Hasiba clan break and run, closely followed by one of the two Maeda Sonae! The astonished Murakami immediately advance, hoping to crush Maeda Toshiie in concert with the Kobayakawa and roll up the Oda right flank.
Above: However, Oda Nobutada soon pisses on the Mōri osumi… The injection of a third Kikkawa Sonae into the battle at the village makes little difference as the other two Sonae are destroyed. The lead Kobayakawa Sonae is similarly destroyed by the Akechi and yet another Kobayakawa Sonae flees the field in response to the unfolding disaster!
Above: As the Taishō leads the charge against Oda Nobutada, the Murakami advance to roll up the Oda right flank. However, Maeda Toshiie escapes the trap, ‘advancing to the rear’ with his remaining Sonae to regroup. The Akechi meanwhile, find themselves in trouble, having suffered heavy losses and now beset by the remnants of the Murakami and Kobayakawa clans, as well as fresh Mōri household troops! In the distance, Oda Nobunaga has also mounted up and is riding to join the battle…
Historical Background – The First Silesian War
The Austrians meanwhile, were in complete panic, as the Prussians had appeared in their rear, forcing them to deploy in an unthinkable (for the 18th Century) reversed deployment (the shame)! However, perhaps due to inexperience and caution, Frederick decided to deploy his army instead of charging headlong into the panicked enemy, thus giving the Austrians time to recover their composure and await the Prussian advance… And wait… and wait…
When the King finally returned to the army, he was clearly a man on a mission. The shortcomings of his cavalry arm were manifest and despite the war in Silesia still going on, he immediately implemented a programme of reforms and training, often conducting the training in person. In the meantime, the Silesian Campaign remained locked in a stalemate and on 9th October 1741 he agreed to an armistice that ceded Lower Silesia to Prussia.
The Prussian Army – King Frederick II
The Austrian Army – Feldzeugmeister von Neipperg
Terrain and Weather Notes
Above: The bulk of the French army starts the game having just been alerted and in the process of forming up in its camping-grounds (Note to self: I must make some tent-lines…). The Gendarmerie de France are in the foreground, with the remainder of the French cavalry and d’Auvet’s infantry in the background.
Above: Ségur’s infantry, consisting of eight battalions from the Auvergne Regiment and the blue-coated Alsace Regiment (here represented by my German Brigade) are deployed in the straggling village and farmland of Rosenray, with a battery of heavy artillery to the rear.
Above: Historically, Ségur was very aggressive, throwing his infantry forward to meet the Allies at Kampenbrüch. However, on this occasion he’s happy to wait at Rosenray until Thiard de Bissy’s cavalry and d’Auvet’s infantry secure his left flank.
Above: D’Auvet’s division has ten battalions from the Normandie, La Tour-du-Pin and Briqueville Regiments. Aside from the aforementioned Gendarmerie de France, Thiard de Bissy’s cavalry consists of two brigades, each of four weak regiments (in game terms, two large (16-figure) units).
Above: Seeking a better view of the situation, de Castries takes up position on the high ground, next to the heavy guns.
Above: The French guns are presently facing north across the canal, covering the approaches to the bridge at Rosenray. However, they will soon be slewed left to engage the approaching Allies.
Above: Meanwhile in Kampenbrüch, the picked Highlanders of Keith’s 87th and Campbell’s 88th Regiments make short work of the French picquets.
Above: The Highlanders push forward into the village, passing an old redoubt left over from earlier wars.
Above: With the Highlanders making headway in Kampenbrüch, Waldegrave’s infantry swing right into the open ground south of the village. The division is led by a British brigade of three battalions; the 20th Foot (Kingsley’s), 25th Foot (Home’s) and 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers. A German Allied brigade forms the second line; the Hanoverian ‘Marschalk’ and ‘Reden’ Regiments and the Hessian ‘Erbprinz’ Regiment. The two British grenadier battalions, Maxwell’s and Lennox’s, are formed on the extreme right flank. The only artillery support is provided by a handful of battalion guns.
Above: Elliot’s cavalry brigade forms up to the rear of Waldegrave’s infantry. Elliot has two small British regiments; the 1st (Royal) Dragoons (Conway’s) and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons (Cholmondley’s), which for game purposes are massed into a single unit. On their right is a detachment of the Prussian ‘Malachowski’ Hussars; this theoretically small unit of only two squadrons has been reinforced to around 400-500 men, so I’ve represented it as a separate unit, rather than mass it with the dragoon brigade.
Above: The Gendarmerie de France move forward, determined to dominate the southern flank of the battle and threaten any Allied advance on Rosenray.
Above: As Waldegrave’s infantry advance, Elliot’s cavalry take post on the right flank. However, Elliot is outnumbered and outclassed by the Gendarmerie and doesn’t fancy his chances!
Above: The Highlanders meanwhile, mop up the last French picquets in Kampenbrüch.
Above: At Rosenray, French battalion guns begin to open a long-range fire on the approaching lines of infantry.
Above: On the hill behind the village, Castries and his staff watch as the 12-pounders commence their bombardment of the approaching enemy force.
Above: As the two formations close with each other, Elliot seizes the initiative and orders the ‘Malachowski’ Hussars to charge! However, the leading squadrons of the Gendarmerie de France, their lineage and traditions going all the way back to the Hundred Years War, contemptuously repulse the Prussians with ease, sending them reeling back through the supporting British dragoons!
Above: Retiring from the combat with only light casualties, the Gendarmerie are sure to rally… Aren’t they…? However, the Gendarmerie have succumbed to 
Above: The British dragoons breathe a collective sigh of relief and reform their ranks alongside the grenadiers. The ‘Malachowski’ Hussars also failed to rally, but the Erbprinz considers this to be a fair swap; two squadrons of Prussian hussars for four squadrons of elite French heavy cavalry! The dragoons also don’t seem to be too bothered about the loss of their Prussian comrades, despite the mass of French cavalry building up to their front.
Above: Thankfully for Elliot, Harvey’s reserve cavalry division has crossed over the canal and is marching to deploy on Elliot’s exposed right flank, just in the nick of time. Leading Harvey’s column is a combined brigade formed from the British 10th Dragoons (Mordaunt’s) and a Hanoverian regiment of heavy horse, the Leibregiment. These are followed by the Hessian ‘Einsiedel’ and ‘Prüschenck’ Regiments of Horse.
Above: Bringing up the rear of Harvey’s column is the Hessian ‘Prince Frederick’ Dragoon Regiment, resplendent in their Prussian-style sky-blue coats.
Above: However, the remaining half of the Gendarmerie de France are très énervé…
Above: The cavalry clash once again as the Gendarmerie de France charge the combined British-Hanoverian brigade. Elliot’s British dragoons also get stuck in, but the Allied cavalry is thrown back by the vengeful Gendarmerie. The British-Hanoverian brigade manages to rally, but Elliot’s dragoons keep running, carrying Elliot along with them. A short while later, the brigade of Hessian horse also makes a charge, but too is defeated by the Gendarmerie! The situation is starting to look bleak for the Allied cavalry. In the meantime, the French Royal-Piémont cavalry brigade charges the right flank of the British grenadiers, but is beaten off and retires to rally behind the Royal-Étranger brigade.
Above: As the cavalry battle continues on the flank, Waldegrave’s infantry press on and are soon engaged in a sharp firefight on the southern edge of Rosenray, with elements of Ségur’s and d’Auvet’s divisions.
Above: Waldegreave’s confidence is soon shaken, as the French infantry are numerous and are closely supported by artillery. Allied casualties quickly mount.
Above: On the flank, the Allies have another crack at the Gendarmerie de France, again throwing in the British-Hanoverian brigade, as well as the fresh Hessian ‘Prince Frederick’ Dragoons. The Hessian Horse move up in support. This time the Gendarmerie are thrown back with heavy losses!
Above: However, Waldegrave’s Allied infantry are starting to suffer very heavy losses in this increasingly attritional battle. This style of battle suits the French, as they have a lot more men to throw in to the fight.
Above: At long last, Howard’s reserve infantry division has arrived at Kampenbrüch! This division consists of three British battalions; the 11th Foot (Bocland’s), 33rd Foot (Griffin’s) and 51st (Brudenell’s), as well as the Hessian 2nd Guards, Müller’s Hessian Militia Battalion, some battalion guns and a position battery of Hessian 6-pounders.
Above: But is Howard going to be thrown into the existing battle on the right? Or is he going to open up a new axis of attack against Rosenray on the left?
Above: The Highlanders continue to skirmish in front of Rosenray, but are only a minor irritation that would easily be swept away if Ségur decided to attack
Above: A slightly more serious threat to Ségur are Winzingerode’s Hanoverian volunteers, who have inflicted losses on the 1st Battalion of the Alsace Regiment, as well as the heavy battery on the hilltop.
Above: On the French left, Montbarrey’s division deploys to form a second line behind d’Auvet’s extreme left flank. He also pushes a 12-pounder battery forward to provide close support. In the foreground, the Normandie Regiment finally moves forward from its camp. The regiment has remained inexplicably motionless for much of the day until now, but finally lurches forward to form a second line extending south from Rosenray.
Above: With the Gendarmerie de France beaten off, the British-Hanoverian brigade exploits the situation, launching a desperate charge against the Royal-Étranger cavalry brigade, who had been disordered and halted by fire from the grenadiers.
Above: Allied worries soon prove unfounded however, as Andy’s dice once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With the loss of the Royal-Étranger brigade, Thiard de Bissy’s division has lost 50% of its fighting strength and now decides en masse to quit the field!
Above: With the French cavalry cleared away by Harvey, the threat to the Allied flank is removed.
Above: A short time later, the British grenadiers, with the Hanoverian Marschalk Regiment in support, have advanced to plug the gap between Waldegrave’s line and the southern woods. The Allied cavalry’s part in this phase of the battle is over and they form up to the rear.
Above: The infantry lines become more generally engaged. The Allies have the qualitative edge, but have taken more casualties. The French also have a lot more battalions in reserve and also now have a battery of 12-pounders right in the firing line! However, most of the French battalion guns have been knocked out by British musketry.
Above: The Thianges Dragoons arrived with Montbarrey’s division and now form up on the left flank, ready to pounce on any Allied breakthrough. With both flanks anchored and with stacks of reserve, the French seem set to win this battle of attrition, though Castries doesn’t look very happy about it!
Above: Meanwhile, the Erbprinz orders Howard to open up a new axis of attack on the left, where the French Alsace Regiment, defending the northern half of Rosenray, looks much weaker. However, Howard’s column has drawn the attention of the ever-present French 12-pounder battery on the hill.
Above: With the French slowly winning the battle of attrition in the centre, the Allies MUST do something to break the impasse!
Above: Waldegrave orders four battalions of his first line to charge! In the centre, the 20th Foot and Lennox’s Grenadier Battalion are halted by fire from the two battalions of the Briqueville Regiment, but the two flanking battalions (25th Foot and Maxwell’s Grenadier Battalion) make it into contact with two battalions of the La Tour-du-Pin Regiment.
Above: The British charge is a partial success; while the Briqueville Regiment stands firm in the centre, the two flanking battalions are smashed.
Above: French retribution is swift! The 1st Battalion of the Horion Regiment (on the left) and the 3rd Battalion of the Normandie Regiment (on the right) advance to plug the gaps and the French line charges the impudent Rosbifs!
Above: However, the French charge is something of a damp squib as 1st Horion are stopped by the fire of Maxwell’s grenadiers, while the 1st Briqueville and 3rd Normandie are repulsed by the 20th Foot and 25th Foot. The only successful French battalion is 2nd Briqueville, who throw back Lennox’s grenadiers, though only inflict light casualties.
Above: The situation as viewed from the southern flank. Lennox’s Grenadier Battalion has retreated, but manages to rally behind the cavalry.
Above: The situation as seen from behind French lines. The retreating battalions of the Briqueville and Normandie Regiments have managed to rally behind the second line.
Above: Another view from behind French lines. At present the French line appears rather ragged with two battalions destroyed and another two thrown back. Another British charge at this point might break d’Auvet’s first line altogether. However, the French still have sixteen battalions in this sector, nine of whom are completely fresh. By contrast, Waldegrave has eight battalions, all of whom have suffered losses, some of them dangerously so! Three of Waldegrave’s battalions are elite (so have a morale and combat grade one better than the French) and three are large units (so absorb an extra hit before breaking), but it’s unlikely to make a difference in the long term.
Above: However, Castries’ main cause for concern is now on his right wing.
Above: In front of Rosenray, Howard’s reserve division is advancing with grim determination against three battalions of the Alsace Regiment. The Alsace Regiment’s 1st Battalion is still pinned down, fending off Hanoverian and Highlander skirmishers near the canal.
Above: The Auvergne Regiment, deployed in the southern half of Rosenray, has been largely unengaged, aside from an indecisive firefight near the chapel with the 23rd Royal Welch Fusiliers and Waldegrave’s battalion guns. The Erbprinz was terrified that these battalions might move to envelop Waldegrave’s left flank, but this for some reason hasn’t happened.
Above: Sadly, that was where we had to leave the Battle of Clostercamp! It was 3pm and the open day was winding down, with everyone else packing up to leave, so we thought we’d better do likewise… 🙁 As mentioned above, I blame myself, as Andy and I probably wasted FAR too much time talking to old friends (and a few new ones)… However, we had played through fourteen turns in around four hours, so it wasn’t too shabby! 🙂
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.
Scenario
The Allied Army
Notes
Allied Reinforcement Arrival Schedule
The French Army
Notes
French Reinforcement Arrival Schedule
