Assembling once more for a long game, in the fine traditions of the Christmas Bash (with an Indian meal at the end) the members of the Wobbly Warchest greeted each other once more in John's bunker.
There is no truth to the rumour that the the French players brought some national delicacies, in terms of stinking cheese, in order to psychologically undermine the Allied players... (but it was quite whiffy)...
Warburg 1760 is a Seven Years War battle, seeing a clash between Du May's French and Spoercken and the Erbprinze's British/Hanoverian contingent. The French have seen some success in Hesse, and it is time for the Allies to turn a strategic flank...
The finest Calvados brandy; purely medicinal of course...
Rules used were Koenig Krieg 2 (2nd edition 1986 Frei Korps version (with addition of material from the full blown US published original 2nd ed.)), with some excellent amendments, to suit group play and general sensibilities, from our Umpire Stephen.
Figures are from the fantastic 15mm 7YW collections of John & the 2xSteves.
No figures were harmed (though some may have been splashed by beer) in the making of this blogpost.
The French right, with 3xBrigades on the ridgeline, skirmishers in Warburg itself, and some out of command horse elements defending the flank along the line of the Diemel River all day long. Though these troops were a bit of a glass hammer themselves, they acted as an effective anvil against British and Allied troops - who would take Warburg, then lose it. The tragedy is that I held a Brigade of troops (albeit poor morale) on the back of the hill, when they might have been used in the centre/left - where John got his nose bloodied by Allied charges and very accurate musketry.
Allied assault starts to go in on the French right
French horse on the left
Swiss troops in the French centre - who would be mauled and battered by Allied cavalry and infantry all day
Allied troops advancing in the centre
'Les voici mes amis. Tenir! Vous devez Tenir!!!'
The French centre and left will be bloodied - no question
It's quiet down by the river, where Allied horse will sit at the Warburg bridge
, looking sternly (very sternly) at their French counterparts sitting across the riverbank...all day long.
Though, on the French right, Warburg will change hands a few times. 'Pour La Gloire mes Amis!!!'
A view of the battlefield - you can see the ridge on the French right, the bloody crucible in the centre; what you can't see yet are the thousands of Allied horse, assembling just off camera, in a suitably sized box...
John points out the problem...
Musketry duels in the centre - where the Allies do not hold back.
'Cavalry sir...Mon Dieu!' The Allied right starts to flood with horse.
A view of French centre and left. French troops move and bend as required, in order to stem the tide.
Things remain relatively quiet on the right, bar vicious fighting for Warburg itself, some skirmisher actions and hard looks from each side. The British troops here hold back, not attacking toward the ridgeline ...just yet. This helps delay a brigade of reserve French troops, which might have moved to centre.
The centre becomes a desperate fight.
...and the French left becomes a war of manoeuvre, against very effective British musketry and rapidly approaching Allied horse...
BREAKTHROUGH!!! Allied horse flanks and destroys Swiss troops in the centre.
...even as the Allied assault goes in at centre and partially on the French right
Tension ...as ranges are checked, and firing arcs verified ...
*sighs* 'quiet on the river today, eh Pierre?'
Desperate action on the French left
On the French right, at the ridgeline, a staring contest moves to its 2nd round...
The French left - Allied cavalry emerge in wave after wave from the treeline, west of the woods
It's not going to end well...
Allied might in the centre
View from the Allied centre - a tough nut to crack - but with continued pressure from the horse on their right, it just might work...
Staring contest over, the Allies start also to clear out skirmishers on their own left...
...also with a second demonstration against Warburg
Freytag's skirmishers ...
French cavalry suffer horribly on the left - shot in the back, trampled by numerous allies - and bloody good dice rolls
French infantry move to the centre. There is only one option remaining now. Hold the line of the river - and buy time for the horse to cross it. Thereby, the French can form a secondary defensive line. 'Retournez à la rivière ! Retour à la rivière !'
'Hold ! Damn your eyes!!!'
Yawn... at the river crossing on the the flank, what could have become the crucible for desperate action becomes a holding pen for dice and markers. Ahhh, the vagaries of war.
No such peace on the French left
British attacks on the right, as they finally get onto the ridgeline, however...
By this stage, three French brigades were broken and one (or two) British. It was time for Army Morale rolls - which ended up resulting in a withdrawal for both armies. They had bloodied each other (some more than others ;) ) and decided to call it a day.
A great game in great company as usual. There might even have been some (minor) discussion of rules mechanisms, which hardly ever happens. ;)
In a crass attempt to get a post in before the 'end of the month' (in a similar manner to how the 'end of the month' results haunt business endeavours like the ghost of Christmas past) ...I got a post up before the clock ticked into December...yay! Mind you, it's just the set up that the guys have done for the Big Christmas Game this Saturday. This has become something of a tradition, together with the Easter game, the Summer game, and any excuse for the proverbial p1ss up ;) ...I mean, serious military simulation ...
Warburg 1760 - an epic 7 Years War clash between an Allied Hanoverian/British forces and a larger defending (whilst surprised) French army.
The rules will be Koenig Krieg 2 - with Steve's excellent amendments. A 2nd outing for these.
The guy's fabulous 15mm forces will be in play - it promises to be quite epic.
It's all quiet so far...
French deploying on the right flank
...with some support on the left
Allied forces will deploy fully on Saturday in response to the French dispositions
It's looking fab, and we haven't even sat down yet...
