Assault on Dybbøl - 10mm Black Powder

"Op Ewig Ungedeilt" 

A Schleswig-Holstein saying in Plattdeutsch,(we shall never be divided again).on many a stone in many Hamlets up north.(Thanks Juergen Olk for the quote)

Last night we played through a Prussian assault with a play by email game, based on the redoubts at Dybbøl, using my Pendraken 10mm Winter Prussians and my 1864 Danes.

Ralph: On the left, on loan from 2nd Corps, 13th and 7th Jagers. Brigadier Karl Von Marmolise (not to be confused with von Marmalade, serving with the artillery).

Mark: 1st Brigade, 35th & 60th in the middle, with Brigadier Walter Modellbauer

Clive: 2nd brigade of 24th and 65th regts. Refusing to speak to Karl von Marmalade with the artillery, as he believes he has a ridiculous name, is Friedrich von Tegetthoff on the right.

This is a small slice of the action of a wider event.

My table set up, those are Timecast roads and their vietnam range fortifications. Bit out of place, but in these strange days, you go with what works! The actually battle was not fought in snow, but as my troops are winter based, I thought a late winter snow shower was the way to go.

The forces, ready to go. Ralph at the top, Mark in the middle and Clive nearest.

The view from the Prussian parallel, there is slight rise on the field.

The Danes, not yet visible, observe with dread as the artillery barrage lifts and the Prussians ready themselves.

The plans become visible, as Ralph swings the Jagers (in skirmish formation) and 13th left. Danish crews in the northern redoubt man their guns (random event 1 for the night, Danes man their guns efficently).

The Jager's progress is swift and efficent, even under accurate and disrupting shell fire.

The first blunder of the game! Ralph orders the 13th to go to ground, instead they swing right.

In the centre, Mark orders full speed advances with the 60th and 35th. However, the 60th, being newly intergrated into the Prussian command structure, hesitate when forming attack column.

Clive ordered his forces forwards at full speed, which was great, but he forgot to give orders for his formation! His units advance in march column rather than attack column! This brings the attantion of the Danish guns and the 24th is hit and disordered.

This would become a foot race between the two units. Mark had to shout, quite a lot, at the 60th to get them moving!

Clive rallies the 24th, and the 64th push quickly forwards in attack column.

 

The 60th and 35th are now really racing for the redoubt, Danish artillery fire is shrugged off by all.

Friedrich von Tegetthoff asks who is advancing on his right, asks what the issue with von Marmalade's jagers are and who is supporting his right. His ADC looks at him and mutters ' 2nd Corps and the Guards are on the RIGHT, Marmalade is with the artillery, do you ever read your briefings?!'
The 24th nearly make it to the Danish fortifications where a lot of movement is detected.

Brigadier Von Marmolise (Ralph) leads the Jagers forwards, and start shooting at the northern redoubt (causing a wound on the dug in guns, impressive shots). The 13th refuse to move.

From behind the fortifications, a regiment of Danes deploys and moves to counter the approach of Friedrich von Tegetthoff and his units. They pour on fire, but it makes no difference.

In the face of cannister fire,  Brigadier Walter Modellbauer leads his 35th and 60th into the teeth of the storm. Danish defenders are joined by two battalions of infantry, and to the rear, a special event brings the Danish 8th Brigade into the game (historically accurate, they were kept as a reserve).

Ralph tries to close on teh Northern redoubt, but is slowed by combined artillery and musket fire from the Danes. The 13th reluctenly close up too. 

It's as if they co-ordinated it all, all three brigades charge at the same moment.

The jagers charge the redoubt, and even with cannister fire, the artillery cannot stop them, disordering the jagers, who bravely pass their morale and charge in. 9 was the minimum they needed...

And the 7th Jagers take the guns.

On the right, the 24th smash a Danish battalion on the charge. The 64th are stuck in combat and are even pushed back by the plucky Danes.

On the left, a Danish battalion counterattacks into the Northern Redoubt, and pushes back the Jagers, who are now shaken as well as disordered. Not a good position for them really.

Mark's regiments charge. The 35th break into the redoubt, but the 60th is stopped short by cannister fire, reinforced by Danish musket fire from within the earthworks.

The 24th rout the battalion facing them and carry the line (a base fell off the table here, no damage done).

The 35th carry their assault into the Southern Redoubt, where they slaughter the crew of the battery facing them, then turn to face the second battery.

A charge elicts six dice, hitting on 3s, not a bad result really!

However, the Danish artillery crew manged to save EVERYTHING! The counter attack from the Danish battalion throws the Prussians back to the eedge of the redoubt.

The Prussian regiments regroup, and charge in on the Danish guns and the battalion again. Their fate is sealed...

But putting two regiments into a battaion and a battery crew was never going to go well, the battalion is wipped out to a man. The guns follow. Ruthless Prussian efficiency.

On the right, von Tegetthoff's brigade smash into the battalion with two regiments, the result was never really in doubt, shattering them and they flee. von Tegetthoff received a couple of minor scratches, and had a hand on the Danish standard, but in the confusion of the rout they recovered it...

So close!

The Danes tried to counter attack on the flank of the Southern Redoubt, but were stopped by disordering hits. Mark reformed in the redoubt as elements of 8th Brigade form up, ready to counter attack. 

The Danish counter assault, but are stopped by closing fire.

The 13th advance pouring fire into the Northern Redoubt, but the fortifications are too strong.

The third random event happens, the Danish Ironclad Rolf Krake off shore shells the  24th, stopping them in their tracks and both disordering and shaking the Prussians. (Slightly more effective than historical result).

The 64th, led by von Tegetthoff himself, catch the disordered Danish battalion in the rear and squash them.

There is no doubt that the Southern Redoubt is securely in Prussian hands. As the regiment from 8th Brigade comes under heavy infantry fire, it fails its morale and routs.

The second Danish regiment withdraws in good order, the Northern Redoubt stands firm, they surrender their arms.

 Time for the cavalry to arrive and follow up.

A comprehensive Prussian victory, well played gents.

All the Prussian forces were incredibly lucky, they lost no units and Ralph had rallied the Jagers before they broke. Disordered and shaken on skirmishers is very brittle. The 24th were no longer effective, but with the aid of the 64th, Mark's units, while battered, took the centre and held.

 

Damage inflicted: 

Mark 1 regiment, 2 battalions, 2 gun batteries

Clive, 3 battalions,

Ralph, 1 battery.

Iron crosses and buns all round!