This was my first wargame of the year (two games of King of Tokyo doesn't quite count), it was time for a little Black Powder. All figures are Pendraken 19th Century ranges Bavarians and Saxons, all of which I painted years ago, but have never used in anger on the table as themselves (The Saxon's once proxied as... Saxons in 1870, different uniforms and organisation though).
Saxons here http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,4963.0.html
Bavarians http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,8171.0.html
Dave chose the Bavarians, and Chris and I split the Saxon forces. Chris is used to smaller (brigade) unit actions at Black Powder, and had not met my Corps level fights before, but picked it up very quickly.
Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
Gen Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
So, how do these two friendly forces end up at war? This war happens in a semi-fictional 1868. Post 1866, where Austria and Prussia fought each other to a standstill, and the hegemony over Southern German states that Prussia tried to acquire had not been achieved, leaving these noble states drifting in the winds of history between two bellicose, but exhausted neighbours.
So, the causas belli.
Bavarian Brief
War has been declared with Saxony!
A number of reasons contribute to this:
1) The Crown Prince of Bavaria refused to dance with a drunken Saxon Duchess at a fancy-dress ball, and she poured her drink on him in a fit of pique!
2) We want a united Germany, and Saxony hasn't forgotten who we were allied with for much of the previous 170 years, so think they are going to be sold out to the French, they have decided to launch a first strike to avoid this.
3) They claim their beer and sausages are better than ours, this cannot be allowed to stand!
Saxon Brief
War has been declared with Bavaria!
A number of reasons contribute to this:
1) The Crown Prince of Bavaria, while drunk, refused to dance with our Duchess at a fancy-dress ball, and she poured her drink on him in a fit of pique!
2) They want a united Germany, and we have not forgotten who they were allied to for much of the previous 170 years, so think we are going to be sold out to the French, they have decided to launch a first strike to avoid this.
3) They claim their beer and sausages are better than ours, this cannot be allowed to stand!
There is only a few miles of border between the two states, and it also represents the old border between East and West Germany, so the terrain today is quite different from historical times. Nowadays the Autobahn 72 rips through the plantations on the Bavarian side of the border, while on the Saxon side, small villages and a golf course and farmland are scattered about. So, based on this, I deployed the terrain!
The road is little more than a track, the forests are (in good West German tradition) passable by all in column or skirmish formation, even for cavalry. A small border post opposite a ravine and a few small rises and patches of rough ground are the only real features to fight over (rough and bunkers maybe?).
The forces.
The Saxons fielded their entire 1866 force, while the Bavarians only put out I Corps as II Corps was held back to guard the borders with neighbouring Baden and Wurttembourg as these states might cause trouble later.:
I BAVARIAN CORPS
Gen von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
1st Infantry Division, Lt Gen von Stephan DC
Leib Inf Regt, I & II Btns
1st Infantry Regt
2nd Jager Bn
2nd Infantry Regt I & II Btns
11th Infantry Regt
4th Jager Btn
9th Jager Btn
3rd Chevaulager Regt
1st + 3rd Lt Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Arty Regt
5th + 7th Hv Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Art Regt
2nd Infantry Division, Maj Gen Schumacher DC
3rd Infantry Regt
12th Infantry Regt
1st Jager Bn
10th Infantry Regt
13th Infantry Regt
7th Jager Btn
4th Chevaulager Regt
4th + 6th Lt Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Arty Regt
8th Hv Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Art Regt
Major-General von Tausch
1st & 2nd Cuirassier Regiments, Cuirassier Brigade
6th Chevaulager Regt, Cuirassier Brigade
1st Horse Art Battery
2nd Horse Art Battery
Colonel Bronetti I Corps Artillery
3rd & 4th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
5th & 6th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
7th & 8th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
The Saxon Forces
H.R.H Crown Prince of Saxony
1st Infantry Division Lt Gen von Schimpff
5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Infantry Battalions, 2nd ‘Prinz August’ Inf Brigade
9th, 10th, 11th & 12th Infantry Battalions, 3rd ‘Prinz George’ Inf Brigade
2nd Jagers
3rd Jagers
4th Squadron 2nd Reiters & 4th Squadron 3rd Reiters
3rd 6 Pounder Rifled Battery
3rd 12 Pounder shell battery
2nd Infantry Division Lt Gen von Steiglitz
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Infantry Battalions, 2nd ‘Crown Prinz’ Inf Brigade
13th, 14, 15th & 16th Infantry Battalions, 3rd ‘Leib’ Inf Brigade
1st Jagers
4th Jagers
4th Squadron Guard Reiters & 4th Squadron 1st Reiters
4th 6 Pounder Rifled Battery
2nd 12 Pounder shell battery
Reiter Cavalry Division Lt Gen von Fritsch
Guard Reiters, 1st Reiter Regiments
2nd Reiter, 3rd Reiter Regiments
1st 12 Pounder Horse Battery
Corps Artillery Reserve, Major Gen Kohler
2nd 6 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
3rd 12 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
4th 12 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
2nd 12 Pounder Horse Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
A few notes on the two forces:
While initially, the forces might appear unbalanced, the Saxon's were defending, and had the geography on their side. The Bavarians were attacking through very close terrain, and needed to expand their forces quickly.
All Saxon infantry units class as 'Large' under the rules (they were brigades of four battalions) which means although there are less of them, they are more difficult to break and pack a bigger punch.
All Jagers are small units.
Cavalry regiments are all small, cavalry where noted as having two or more full units in a brigade stand are normal sized. Regiments deliver +1 to resolution, brigades +3.
The Bavarians are post 1866 reorganisation and are equipped and organised along the Prussian lines with the latest Krupp artillery, so fire 2 dice at all ranges. The Saxons are all mid transition with their artillery, so and 'shell' battery are treated as 3/2/1 dice for range, whereas 'rifled' are all Krupp breach loaders with 2 dice at all ranges. The Saxons are also going to war in their traditional light blue uniforms and fieldmurz soft caps.
So, both sides are wearing cornflour blue, what can possibly go wrong!
As ever, with my (19th House rules, cavalry cannot charge steady stationary foot.
The next thing we did was to roll random characteristics from the rules for all the generals, and a random command rating (D6+Average Dice). This was to provide the tone for the evening rather rapidly! The tone was, erm... the generals were useless!
Bavarian Commanders:
Gen von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, Army General
(6) Headstrong, +1 to charge orders, but blunders on 11 or 12.
Lt Gen von Stephan 1st Infantry Division,
(6) Passive (-1 when ordering troops towards the enemy, +1 to retire.
Maj Gen Schumacher 2nd Infantry Division,
(11) Low aggression, -1 to attack, +1 to retire.
Major-General von Tausch Cavalry Division
(11) Low aggression, -1 to attack, +1 to retire.
Colonel Bronetti I Corps Artillery commander.
(9) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
The Saxon Forces
H.R.H Crown Prince of Saxony
(9) High Aggresion, +1 when ordering a charge.
Lt Gen von Schimpff, 1st Infantry Division
(4) High Aggresion, +1 to charge
Lt Gen von Steiglit, 2nd Infantry Division
(5) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
Lt Gen von Fritsch, Reiter Cavalry Division
(6) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
Major Gen Kohler, Corps Artillery Reserve,
(6) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
The Bavarians have a couple of super generals, but their passivity might be an issue, whereas the CinC and 1st Division command look a bit reticent, maybe their heart is not in this fight...
The Saxons are completely beholden to their Crown Prince! The obviously do not want to commit their troops and will not do so unless his Highness personally directs it. von Schimpff, in his 80s and nearing retirement, appears only to be only the field to avoid his 4th wife's plans to redecorate the ancestral pile (he only married her for the inheritance, he outlived the other three too) despite the fact he keeps mumbling about 'Trouncing the French' and dribbling a bit, his men love him.
The Saxons deploy as far forward as the rises, facing the border post with their artillery trained on the road, while the Bavarians arrive up the track.
First time on table, actually, they look pretty good!
Cavalry division in all its splendour!
The Bavarian troops amass, awaiting orders to crush Saxony. They attempt to flank out to their right, with Schumacher making good use of his legendary command status to get his troops moving up through the woods.
Following the new Prussian tactics that are sweeping through the rest of Germany, the Bavarian Corps artillery under Colonel Bronetti stream down the road, attempting to position the guns early. The CinC takes personal command of the Jagers and Cavalry from von Stephen's command and swings them out left to cover his flank. von Stephen does... nowt!
Lt Gen von Steiglit had done his job well, his two batteries cough into life, and immediately scores three hits (artillery in column, on a road, long range, 4+), this in unprecedented shooting, especially as I'm rolling it. Dave had his usual luck and the battery routed back down the road, leaving the shattered remains of their guns behind.
The Bavarians, using the ravine and buildings deploy the guns into a firing line (now more difficult to hit as they count as skirmishing target and at long range). In the distance, Schumacher's two jagers lead his division out into the open.
von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen brings forward the cavalry and jagers of von Stephen's division, but as the cavalry break cover, they garner the full attention of von Steiglit's artillery, Dave's dice do their thing and he is disordered and takes two wounds. Despite only having a 6 command roll (on 2d6, good luck with that) a Saxon infantry brigade and a jager unit manoeuvre towards the ravine to try and take advantage of the skirmishers being the only thing between them and the juicy, soft, artillery target.
The Bavarians on their right break cover out of the wood. The Saxons deploy their cavalry to threaten the columns, but their command structure is so good that they only manage one move rather than the glorious, column shattering charge. "We ain't moving until his highness authorises it."
Sneakily, the Bavarian cavalry division had found a clear path through the woods, deploying their guns and swinging the cavalry through to threaten the Saxon line.
The Bavarian columns form out into line, stopping the cavalry threat.
The Bavarian Cuirassier cavalry, emerging from the woods, is immediately targeted by Saxon Corps artillery. They take a hit. On their next orders, in an attempt to charge the Saxon jagers, blunder their orders as the ADC carrying them is hit by shrapnel, and they only advance one move and stop behind their jagers instead. (The artillery barrage was so vicious that the battlefield artist was shaken from his easel).
The artist bravely remounted his canvas on the easel and finished his sketch.
The Saxons brigade and the jagers charge into the ravine, forcing the Bavarian jagers out (under 12cm is initiative moves, as long as forces stay in that range they can act without orders from their general, Colonels have more sense, at times).
Bavarian artillery accurately ranges in on a Saxon brigade, causing it to shake The horse artillery disorders a unit of Saxon Jagers, but these brave souls stay on the battlefield (their morale was truly impressive, it made up for many other naff dice rolls during the night).
The Bavarian guns turn to face the threat in the ravine, and the jager move to the lip of the gulf and poured fire into the Saxons now trapped in their ditch.
Meanwhile, von Steiglit guns shake the Bavarian cavalry holding the flank, even direct intervention from the CinC could not help them!
Nor would they listen to his orders!
These dice represent the combat that then ensued in the centre, as the Bavarian Cuirassiers thunder into the shaken Saxon unit nearest the road. A shaken, large, brigade vs fresh cavalry. The infantry inflicted one hit on 5+
The cavalry smashed home with eight dice, causing 7 hits on 3+ on the dice! 7! OUCH! 25% of the Saxon infantry force simply whipped out by one charge. The Saxon's could be in real trouble here.
The Saxon gun line and supporting cavalry is seriously threatened by rampaging Bavarians. In the distance, a Bavarian infantry unit is disrupted, but the Saxon divisional guns are threatened by the approach of the rest of the Bavarian division.
Help comes from an unexpected direction! His Highness gets the undisrupted Jagers to turn and fire into the cavalry flank, but from their other flank springs von Steiglit's cavalry, only made up of
4th Squadron, Guard Reiters & 4th Squadron, 1st Reiters and counting as a small unit, with a general who not only has low command (6) and a -1 for aggressive action, somehow make two moves into the Cuirassier's flank (on a roll of 3). 3+ attacks on 5 dice vs 5+ attacks on 8 dice.
The Infantry brigade in the ravine was shaken and disordered by two units fire from the Bavarian Jagers while the Saxon Jagers managed to dodge the closing fire and take a swipe at their opposing number.
On their flank, the Bavarian cavalry emerges, but find itself facing fire from one artillery battery, an infantry brigade and attached jagers.
The other battery from 2nd Division causes a disordering hit at extreme range on a Bavarian artillery battery. This was the start of the ongoing artillery duel that would shake the air for the rest of the battle, where the weight of the Bavarian gus would cause all sorts of isues.
The Bavarian Cuirassiers routed, the 6th Chevaulager Regiment, in a position to support and flank the Saxon Reiters, was struck many times by artillery and disordered, stopping the threat in it's tracks hooves! My shaken infantry was still stuck in the ravine. Meanwhile, the Royal Highness had scuttled back, shouted at his cavalry and they followed him back up the road (Saxon officers were being sent for serious retraining after this). Various Bavarian infantry units, despite out-numbering the Saxons, were being pinned down by their fire.
Oh, and von Stephen still had not moved from his starting line in the woods.
Nice shirt Dave!
The action on the Saxon left hots up as the Bavarians decide to engage. Jagers pour fire onto Jagers, infantry regiments crash into each other. The Bavarians also charged the Saxon cavalry, who relished the idea of tangling with infantry on the move in the open! A Saxon battery was silenced by the weight of Bavarian counter-battery fire.
In the ravine, the Saxon infantry under fire from two directions decides it has had enough, splits and runs! The Jagers however continue fighting and force their Bavarian counterparts back.
The Saxon artillery holds on, but the cavalry after two turns of fighting crack the Bavarian infantry, claiming the kill but just missing capturing the Bavarian standard.
The flank is open, but with good order troops behind, the cavalry falls back into line.
My Jagers break their Bavarian counterparts, and enter Bavarian territory.
But are soon met by fire from the other two Bavarian jager units!
Look, von Stephen actually managed to move!
Oh, and more importantly, the Crown Prince Albert personally took the lead, charging in on the Bavarian guns, and illegally crossing the border without the proper paperwork! Good thing the Prussians were not here, they would have had a fit of apoplexy!
My jagers routed after being taken on by the remaining two of von Stephen's Jagers.
Colonel Bronetti and the corps artillery were swept away, and unfortunately the next target in line was General von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen himself. At this point, honour was satisfied, and von Stephen and Schumacher, seeing their CinC captured, and with no cavalry to cover their withdrawl, decided this fight was never theres to solve and the royalty can talk it over rather than sacrifice any more men.
The situation as the battle ended, the Saxons were badly mauled with two infantry units, a jager and a gun lost. The Bavarians had two divisions left, but they had all taken losses, including von Stephen, lost in the woods, which had lost its jagers and cavalry, however, they had lost their Corps artillery and their cavalry division was badly mauled.
Saxon losses. 50% of their infantry battalions, 25% of jager forces, the Crown Prince could not afford to prosecute this war any further with losses like that.
Bavarian losses.
A brilliant game, with many laughs, mostly about how useless all our generals were (apart from Schumacher, who was awesome). Black Powder works really well for these games, and we must, honestly, play it more often!
Saxons here http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,4963.0.html
Bavarians http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,8171.0.html
Dave chose the Bavarians, and Chris and I split the Saxon forces. Chris is used to smaller (brigade) unit actions at Black Powder, and had not met my Corps level fights before, but picked it up very quickly.
Crown Prince Albert of Saxony
Gen Ludwig Freiherr von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
So, how do these two friendly forces end up at war? This war happens in a semi-fictional 1868. Post 1866, where Austria and Prussia fought each other to a standstill, and the hegemony over Southern German states that Prussia tried to acquire had not been achieved, leaving these noble states drifting in the winds of history between two bellicose, but exhausted neighbours.
So, the causas belli.
Bavarian Brief
War has been declared with Saxony!
A number of reasons contribute to this:
1) The Crown Prince of Bavaria refused to dance with a drunken Saxon Duchess at a fancy-dress ball, and she poured her drink on him in a fit of pique!
2) We want a united Germany, and Saxony hasn't forgotten who we were allied with for much of the previous 170 years, so think they are going to be sold out to the French, they have decided to launch a first strike to avoid this.
3) They claim their beer and sausages are better than ours, this cannot be allowed to stand!
Saxon Brief
War has been declared with Bavaria!
A number of reasons contribute to this:
1) The Crown Prince of Bavaria, while drunk, refused to dance with our Duchess at a fancy-dress ball, and she poured her drink on him in a fit of pique!
2) They want a united Germany, and we have not forgotten who they were allied to for much of the previous 170 years, so think we are going to be sold out to the French, they have decided to launch a first strike to avoid this.
3) They claim their beer and sausages are better than ours, this cannot be allowed to stand!
There is only a few miles of border between the two states, and it also represents the old border between East and West Germany, so the terrain today is quite different from historical times. Nowadays the Autobahn 72 rips through the plantations on the Bavarian side of the border, while on the Saxon side, small villages and a golf course and farmland are scattered about. So, based on this, I deployed the terrain!
The road is little more than a track, the forests are (in good West German tradition) passable by all in column or skirmish formation, even for cavalry. A small border post opposite a ravine and a few small rises and patches of rough ground are the only real features to fight over (rough and bunkers maybe?).
The forces.
The Saxons fielded their entire 1866 force, while the Bavarians only put out I Corps as II Corps was held back to guard the borders with neighbouring Baden and Wurttembourg as these states might cause trouble later.:
I BAVARIAN CORPS
Gen von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen
1st Infantry Division, Lt Gen von Stephan DC
Leib Inf Regt, I & II Btns
1st Infantry Regt
2nd Jager Bn
2nd Infantry Regt I & II Btns
11th Infantry Regt
4th Jager Btn
9th Jager Btn
3rd Chevaulager Regt
1st + 3rd Lt Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Arty Regt
5th + 7th Hv Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Art Regt
2nd Infantry Division, Maj Gen Schumacher DC
3rd Infantry Regt
12th Infantry Regt
1st Jager Bn
10th Infantry Regt
13th Infantry Regt
7th Jager Btn
4th Chevaulager Regt
4th + 6th Lt Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Arty Regt
8th Hv Batteries, 1st Div, 1st Art Regt
Major-General von Tausch
1st & 2nd Cuirassier Regiments, Cuirassier Brigade
6th Chevaulager Regt, Cuirassier Brigade
1st Horse Art Battery
2nd Horse Art Battery
Colonel Bronetti I Corps Artillery
3rd & 4th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
5th & 6th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
7th & 8th Heavy Batteries, 1st Bavarian Corps Artillery
The Saxon Forces
H.R.H Crown Prince of Saxony
1st Infantry Division Lt Gen von Schimpff
5th, 6th, 7th & 8th Infantry Battalions, 2nd ‘Prinz August’ Inf Brigade
9th, 10th, 11th & 12th Infantry Battalions, 3rd ‘Prinz George’ Inf Brigade
2nd Jagers
3rd Jagers
4th Squadron 2nd Reiters & 4th Squadron 3rd Reiters
3rd 6 Pounder Rifled Battery
3rd 12 Pounder shell battery
2nd Infantry Division Lt Gen von Steiglitz
1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Infantry Battalions, 2nd ‘Crown Prinz’ Inf Brigade
13th, 14, 15th & 16th Infantry Battalions, 3rd ‘Leib’ Inf Brigade
1st Jagers
4th Jagers
4th Squadron Guard Reiters & 4th Squadron 1st Reiters
4th 6 Pounder Rifled Battery
2nd 12 Pounder shell battery
Reiter Cavalry Division Lt Gen von Fritsch
Guard Reiters, 1st Reiter Regiments
2nd Reiter, 3rd Reiter Regiments
1st 12 Pounder Horse Battery
Corps Artillery Reserve, Major Gen Kohler
2nd 6 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
3rd 12 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
4th 12 Pounder Shell Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
2nd 12 Pounder Horse Battery Corps Artillery Reserve
A few notes on the two forces:
While initially, the forces might appear unbalanced, the Saxon's were defending, and had the geography on their side. The Bavarians were attacking through very close terrain, and needed to expand their forces quickly.
All Saxon infantry units class as 'Large' under the rules (they were brigades of four battalions) which means although there are less of them, they are more difficult to break and pack a bigger punch.
All Jagers are small units.
Cavalry regiments are all small, cavalry where noted as having two or more full units in a brigade stand are normal sized. Regiments deliver +1 to resolution, brigades +3.
The Bavarians are post 1866 reorganisation and are equipped and organised along the Prussian lines with the latest Krupp artillery, so fire 2 dice at all ranges. The Saxons are all mid transition with their artillery, so and 'shell' battery are treated as 3/2/1 dice for range, whereas 'rifled' are all Krupp breach loaders with 2 dice at all ranges. The Saxons are also going to war in their traditional light blue uniforms and fieldmurz soft caps.
So, both sides are wearing cornflour blue, what can possibly go wrong!
As ever, with my (19th House rules, cavalry cannot charge steady stationary foot.
The next thing we did was to roll random characteristics from the rules for all the generals, and a random command rating (D6+Average Dice). This was to provide the tone for the evening rather rapidly! The tone was, erm... the generals were useless!
Bavarian Commanders:
Gen von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen, Army General
(6) Headstrong, +1 to charge orders, but blunders on 11 or 12.
Lt Gen von Stephan 1st Infantry Division,
(6) Passive (-1 when ordering troops towards the enemy, +1 to retire.
Maj Gen Schumacher 2nd Infantry Division,
(11) Low aggression, -1 to attack, +1 to retire.
Major-General von Tausch Cavalry Division
(11) Low aggression, -1 to attack, +1 to retire.
Colonel Bronetti I Corps Artillery commander.
(9) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
The Saxon Forces
H.R.H Crown Prince of Saxony
(9) High Aggresion, +1 when ordering a charge.
Lt Gen von Schimpff, 1st Infantry Division
(4) High Aggresion, +1 to charge
Lt Gen von Steiglit, 2nd Infantry Division
(5) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
Lt Gen von Fritsch, Reiter Cavalry Division
(6) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
Major Gen Kohler, Corps Artillery Reserve,
(6) Low Independence -1 to command if his orders are issued before his CinC. If he blunders he rolls twice and picks the result.
The Bavarians have a couple of super generals, but their passivity might be an issue, whereas the CinC and 1st Division command look a bit reticent, maybe their heart is not in this fight...
The Saxons are completely beholden to their Crown Prince! The obviously do not want to commit their troops and will not do so unless his Highness personally directs it. von Schimpff, in his 80s and nearing retirement, appears only to be only the field to avoid his 4th wife's plans to redecorate the ancestral pile (he only married her for the inheritance, he outlived the other three too) despite the fact he keeps mumbling about 'Trouncing the French' and dribbling a bit, his men love him.
The Saxons deploy as far forward as the rises, facing the border post with their artillery trained on the road, while the Bavarians arrive up the track.
First time on table, actually, they look pretty good!
Cavalry division in all its splendour!
The Bavarian troops amass, awaiting orders to crush Saxony. They attempt to flank out to their right, with Schumacher making good use of his legendary command status to get his troops moving up through the woods.
Following the new Prussian tactics that are sweeping through the rest of Germany, the Bavarian Corps artillery under Colonel Bronetti stream down the road, attempting to position the guns early. The CinC takes personal command of the Jagers and Cavalry from von Stephen's command and swings them out left to cover his flank. von Stephen does... nowt!
Lt Gen von Steiglit had done his job well, his two batteries cough into life, and immediately scores three hits (artillery in column, on a road, long range, 4+), this in unprecedented shooting, especially as I'm rolling it. Dave had his usual luck and the battery routed back down the road, leaving the shattered remains of their guns behind.
The Bavarians, using the ravine and buildings deploy the guns into a firing line (now more difficult to hit as they count as skirmishing target and at long range). In the distance, Schumacher's two jagers lead his division out into the open.
von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen brings forward the cavalry and jagers of von Stephen's division, but as the cavalry break cover, they garner the full attention of von Steiglit's artillery, Dave's dice do their thing and he is disordered and takes two wounds. Despite only having a 6 command roll (on 2d6, good luck with that) a Saxon infantry brigade and a jager unit manoeuvre towards the ravine to try and take advantage of the skirmishers being the only thing between them and the juicy, soft, artillery target.
The Bavarians on their right break cover out of the wood. The Saxons deploy their cavalry to threaten the columns, but their command structure is so good that they only manage one move rather than the glorious, column shattering charge. "We ain't moving until his highness authorises it."
Sneakily, the Bavarian cavalry division had found a clear path through the woods, deploying their guns and swinging the cavalry through to threaten the Saxon line.
The Bavarian columns form out into line, stopping the cavalry threat.
The Bavarian Cuirassier cavalry, emerging from the woods, is immediately targeted by Saxon Corps artillery. They take a hit. On their next orders, in an attempt to charge the Saxon jagers, blunder their orders as the ADC carrying them is hit by shrapnel, and they only advance one move and stop behind their jagers instead. (The artillery barrage was so vicious that the battlefield artist was shaken from his easel).
The artist bravely remounted his canvas on the easel and finished his sketch.
The Saxons brigade and the jagers charge into the ravine, forcing the Bavarian jagers out (under 12cm is initiative moves, as long as forces stay in that range they can act without orders from their general, Colonels have more sense, at times).
Bavarian artillery accurately ranges in on a Saxon brigade, causing it to shake The horse artillery disorders a unit of Saxon Jagers, but these brave souls stay on the battlefield (their morale was truly impressive, it made up for many other naff dice rolls during the night).
The Bavarian guns turn to face the threat in the ravine, and the jager move to the lip of the gulf and poured fire into the Saxons now trapped in their ditch.
Meanwhile, von Steiglit guns shake the Bavarian cavalry holding the flank, even direct intervention from the CinC could not help them!
Nor would they listen to his orders!
These dice represent the combat that then ensued in the centre, as the Bavarian Cuirassiers thunder into the shaken Saxon unit nearest the road. A shaken, large, brigade vs fresh cavalry. The infantry inflicted one hit on 5+
The cavalry smashed home with eight dice, causing 7 hits on 3+ on the dice! 7! OUCH! 25% of the Saxon infantry force simply whipped out by one charge. The Saxon's could be in real trouble here.
The Saxon gun line and supporting cavalry is seriously threatened by rampaging Bavarians. In the distance, a Bavarian infantry unit is disrupted, but the Saxon divisional guns are threatened by the approach of the rest of the Bavarian division.
Help comes from an unexpected direction! His Highness gets the undisrupted Jagers to turn and fire into the cavalry flank, but from their other flank springs von Steiglit's cavalry, only made up of
4th Squadron, Guard Reiters & 4th Squadron, 1st Reiters and counting as a small unit, with a general who not only has low command (6) and a -1 for aggressive action, somehow make two moves into the Cuirassier's flank (on a roll of 3). 3+ attacks on 5 dice vs 5+ attacks on 8 dice.
The Infantry brigade in the ravine was shaken and disordered by two units fire from the Bavarian Jagers while the Saxon Jagers managed to dodge the closing fire and take a swipe at their opposing number.
On their flank, the Bavarian cavalry emerges, but find itself facing fire from one artillery battery, an infantry brigade and attached jagers.
The other battery from 2nd Division causes a disordering hit at extreme range on a Bavarian artillery battery. This was the start of the ongoing artillery duel that would shake the air for the rest of the battle, where the weight of the Bavarian gus would cause all sorts of isues.
The Bavarian Cuirassiers routed, the 6th Chevaulager Regiment, in a position to support and flank the Saxon Reiters, was struck many times by artillery and disordered, stopping the threat in it's tracks hooves! My shaken infantry was still stuck in the ravine. Meanwhile, the Royal Highness had scuttled back, shouted at his cavalry and they followed him back up the road (Saxon officers were being sent for serious retraining after this). Various Bavarian infantry units, despite out-numbering the Saxons, were being pinned down by their fire.
Oh, and von Stephen still had not moved from his starting line in the woods.
Nice shirt Dave!
The action on the Saxon left hots up as the Bavarians decide to engage. Jagers pour fire onto Jagers, infantry regiments crash into each other. The Bavarians also charged the Saxon cavalry, who relished the idea of tangling with infantry on the move in the open! A Saxon battery was silenced by the weight of Bavarian counter-battery fire.
In the ravine, the Saxon infantry under fire from two directions decides it has had enough, splits and runs! The Jagers however continue fighting and force their Bavarian counterparts back.
The Saxon artillery holds on, but the cavalry after two turns of fighting crack the Bavarian infantry, claiming the kill but just missing capturing the Bavarian standard.
The flank is open, but with good order troops behind, the cavalry falls back into line.
My Jagers break their Bavarian counterparts, and enter Bavarian territory.
But are soon met by fire from the other two Bavarian jager units!
Look, von Stephen actually managed to move!
Oh, and more importantly, the Crown Prince Albert personally took the lead, charging in on the Bavarian guns, and illegally crossing the border without the proper paperwork! Good thing the Prussians were not here, they would have had a fit of apoplexy!
My jagers routed after being taken on by the remaining two of von Stephen's Jagers.
Colonel Bronetti and the corps artillery were swept away, and unfortunately the next target in line was General von und zu der Tann-Rathsamhausen himself. At this point, honour was satisfied, and von Stephen and Schumacher, seeing their CinC captured, and with no cavalry to cover their withdrawl, decided this fight was never theres to solve and the royalty can talk it over rather than sacrifice any more men.
The situation as the battle ended, the Saxons were badly mauled with two infantry units, a jager and a gun lost. The Bavarians had two divisions left, but they had all taken losses, including von Stephen, lost in the woods, which had lost its jagers and cavalry, however, they had lost their Corps artillery and their cavalry division was badly mauled.
Saxon losses. 50% of their infantry battalions, 25% of jager forces, the Crown Prince could not afford to prosecute this war any further with losses like that.
Bavarian losses.
A brilliant game, with many laughs, mostly about how useless all our generals were (apart from Schumacher, who was awesome). Black Powder works really well for these games, and we must, honestly, play it more often!
Enjoyed, thanks very much, there is a ton of work in that report, it does make me want to get Black Powder back to the table.
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