Wednesday 13 March 2024

Points 96 and 77 - Encounter at the Two Charlies, with Battlegroup: Tobruk

A rare game in the desert, which as shame as I really enjoy this theatre. This one was a 600 pt meeting engagement, Brit’s 7th Armoured Division vs Italian Ariete Division, in late ’41. The game would see a battle for two low desert hills, Points 96 and 77, Big and Little Charlie. Both had objectives on them, with two others, one close the Italian entry corner, and one close the British corner, so, the two hills were really the only ones to fight over.

Here is my Battlegroup:
FHQ+staff car    
Radio comms vehicle - Dorchester
Dispatch Rider

Motor rifle section - 7 men in light truck

A13 tank platoon
Crusader II tank platoon
Crusader II tank platoon
1 Captured M11/39

2 x 3” mortars (off-table)  

Motor infantry patrol - 7 men in light truck
Armoured car command - Daimler Dingo
Vickers light tank VI C    

Supply truck
Heavy repair truck
Carrier section     - 3 x 3 men in 3 Brens
Timed P-40 Tomahawk air strike
1 1st Target Priority Request


It began with the recce clash, both moving towards Little Charlie objective, the Italian motorcycle troops dismounting, the armoured car coming under BESA fire and pinned by the British light tank. That short fight would see the Italians claim the objective first, but then withdraw as the main British forces arrived from reserve and moved in their direction. The British could then reclaim Little Charlie and the initial turns of fighting here died down.

The main forces had started to arrive, at a glacial pace as neither side could roll well. As 1 and 2 units moved on, mortar fire was exchanged, resulting first in the unlucky loss of an A13 to a direct hit, then the Italian commander’s FIAT staff car went up in smoke, the commander himself lucky to escape unharmed. As both side’s traded medium mortar fire, the tanks moved on, with some infantry support, both moving against Big Charlie. The lead Crusader suffered an immediate Breakdown and was immobilised. The leader M13, climbing the hill’s slope, engine burst into flames and the crew abandoned it… ‘Wear and Tear’ rule in effect. Both sides continued their build-up and unleashed their timed air strikes, first a Tomahawk bombed the gap between the hills, only pinning an Italian MG team covering it. The Regia Aeronautica’s fighter bombed Little Charlie and pinned the recce infantry patrol… but both had forced a counter on the enemy – job done.

By turn 5 or 6 the British attack on Big Charlie was underway, infantry had dismounted into rocky cover and one tank reached the top to claim the objective, the others turned right to circumvent the hill, Bren carrier teams just behind, but another Crusader broke down, this time with an engine fire and was abandoned. In the centre, tanks were trading long range fire to the occasional glancing hit, and wasting their ammo. But, both had a supply truck on hand now anyway. The British radios had given up the ghost, with the Dorchester comms re-rolls failing for 3 turns on the trot… useless. No mortar fire then, but it would come back when the Dingo spotter changed position to get a better view, as the desert dust rule took effect. The Italians were building up behind the big hill, out of sight. The crucible of the battle would come here.

The main fight for Big Charlie saw the Crusaders come around the hill and meet the waiting 47mm anti-tank gun and infantry support. The Italians were short on other AT shots, and forced to send their tankettes forwards to meet the Crusaders on top of the hill, one with an anti-tank rifle, the other a flame-thrower. Both got off shots, pins, and then were hit and destroyed by return fire. The Italian infantry were trying to pin the Crusaders with area fire, but having no luck (and you need a lot). The Crusader’s co-ax machine guns kept the infantry pinned and the Bren teams joined them. Losing the 2” mortar team to rifle fire as it reached the hill’s summit. The Italian light mortar did sterling work in scoring pins on two Crusaders in 2 shots. The fighting got hot, and both sides were unpinning, but when the Italian anti-tank gun crew was machine gunned, the defence behind the hill was in a lot of trouble. The Crusaders could now turn their 2 pdr guns on the various Lancia, FIAT, etc trucks parked behind… and started destroying them with 2 pdr rounds through the engines.

Big Charlie all but lost, the Italians put in a brief second attack on Little Charlie, an M13 and more motorcycle troops racing (OK, no M13 races anywhere), up to try and take back the little hill top. But that attack floundered when an A13 KO’d the M13 with a side shot (the only tank KO’d by AP fire all game) and the infantry were pinned down by more BESA fire. That was it, the Ariete had shot their bolt and unpinning resulted in them breaking.

7th Armoured had claimed both high points and won a solid victory. 1 A13 lost to mortar fire, 2 Crusaders lost (breakdown and a mine-strike) and 2 more broken down, so the armour had taken the brunt of the fight. The Italians had 1 of their 3 tanks left, but out of ammo… and withdrawing to resupply

A fun desert fight, we’ve decided to play a few more desert-based games, one for each year, so as we did for the Eastern Front last year, we’ll play one game for ’41, ’42 and then ’43… a mini-series of three games. My guess is, the DAK turn up next for a Gazala fight for ’42.

Shots of the game.

 

 

Brits in blue, Italians in red, the fight for the two hill objectives.  Little Charlie bottom right.


Little Charlie sees the first recce clash and a mortar stonk.

Dingo spots for the mortars from the rear, until the dust cloud meant he had to move up.

Crusaders arrive, and the first one instantly breakdowns... it starts...

Tomahawk bombing run in the gap between the two hills.

Recce infantry section in cover behind Little Charlie.

Busiest unit on the field, recovery Matador.

A13 arrive and trade long range fire, to little effect. A stray mortar round KO'd one.

Their target... if you hit, you can't penetrate anyway.

The first Crusader rush, one immobilised, one on fire... not from enemy action.

Recce tank still doing good work with his 15mm BESA... handy firepower at Little Charlie.

Captured M13... too slow to keep up... it wasted most of its ammo.

Tanks reach the top of Big Charlie. The M13 then went up in flames.

Regia Aeronautica bomb Little Charlie... missing.

Italian motorised infantry arrive behind Big Charlie.

The British are moving around the right of the hill, Crusaders and Bren carrier teams.

A13 firing line across the centre.

Italian 75mm artillery hits the rear of Big Charlie, but no effect.

Brave tankette takes on the immobilised Crusader with its flamethrower, and pins it. It would then tactical co-ordinate, to unpin, and destroy the tankette at PB range.

Mine-strike KO's another tank on Big Charlie.

A13 gets a kill, M13 in the side at Little Charlie. Ending the Italian attack here.

Recce tankette's MG fire keeps heads down, the Brits just can't hit it. A nuisance all game.

Friday 1 March 2024

Warhammer the Old World, Project for 2024

 I started playing Warhammer with first edition, after buying the box set on an impulse in a games store in 1983, thinking it was something like D&D (which to be fair, it was back then). We used it for roleplaying, each with our own characters, but, looking back, we were just playing a one-to-one detailed skirmish wargame, going from fight to fight against various monsters. This developed though, with the arrival of ‘Forces of Fantasy’ into a desire to fight battles and get actually armies. This began as a grand scheme to play Middle Earth wargames… with various players selecting a faction each, I was to be Mordor, and bought Citadel Orcs and Goblins (still got them, great models). As kids, this was way too ambitious, I don’t think we ever played a game. But it had started something, and soon five of us were collecting fantasy armies from the Forces of Fantasy box set. ‘Men of the West’ were my choice, knights, men-at-arms, archers, (available from historical manufacturers), a proto-Empire army really. Others had small forces of Dwarves, Wood Elves, Lizardmen and the Giants (only 5 models required). We created our own fantasy world, and drew a big A2 map, hung it on the wall and the five factions with their own realms within it. Again, very ambitious, and it never got going beyond a few small skirmishes. I had a truce with the Dwarves, my brother, so we would not fight each other, a mistake really, as we could game any weekend… but refused to because of the campaign world! I remember losing to the Giants once… with 5 models I couldn’t kill.


By now, second edition (red box) had arrived and so, purchased from GW, with the first 'Ravening Hordes' book to work with, those of us with enough enthusiasm for it all, carried on collecting models, building our armies, painting them (pretty badly) and playing games on our bright green subutteo cloth covered table with a few model railway trees, lichen and home-made cardboard buildings. My Men of the West finally actually fought my brother’s Dwarves, often, with the occasional game against a friends Elves, in which you always got shot to hell. There were not many Warhammer players around back then. Balance was not a thing.

By third edition, we’d dropped out, I think 40K had come along and pretty much taken over all our tabletop gaming for years. We were busy with sci-fi and our fantasy armies languished in boxes. I sold my knights and peasants at a wargames' show bring-and-buy and reinvested the funds in my 40K Squats.

So, we missed third edition altogether (the one version I never played), but were dragged back in by fourth, and the cool looking games in White Dwarf magazine. In 1993, we decided to restart with Warhammer, the old Dwarves were dusted off, and I needed an army. I chose Skaven, they are cool, and began a big collecting and painting project over the next couple of years. I played with that Skaven army (with its one unit of 100 clan rats in the centre) for years. Usually against the Dwarves (by then I had 2 regular opponents, both with Dwarves). I got good at beating Dwarves.

Fast forward, to about 2000-01 and I wasn’t playing much Warhammer anymore, the Skaven had gone into hibernation, so I sold the army for a good fee, and spent the lot on WW2 models and terrain. Most of which I still use.

I restarted with my third Warhammer army for a campaign. Working at GW now, several co-workers wanted to start a campaign and three of them were painting Tomb Kings (it must have been the latest army book out). They need opponents, so we organised three others to paint a Bretonnian army, to fight them in a ‘desert crusade’ themed games, knights vs skeletons in the ruins if Egypt (we bought some ruined pillars, a sphinx, etc. to add to the theme). I bought and painted Knights of the Realm, Men-at-Arms, heroes on pegasus, etc, and we played 4-5 games, all crushing wins for Bretonnia. Interest fell away, the Tomb Kings were not much cop vs the big knightly charges (I wonder, seeing the new release, if it’s got much better for the skeletons facing fast, hard hitting, tooled-up-to-the-nines, heavy cavalry with their skinny boney bodies). Suffice to say, the brief ‘Khemri Crusade’ over as a victory and, well, my part of the Bretonnian’s got sold. [As an aside, that did inspire me to collect actual historical crusaders stuff instead, and later write the 'Soldiers of God' rules to play with them].

Fourth Warhammer army, and it must have been a new edition of the game (5th/6th maybe?), and new plastic daemons were all the rage. I bought some boxes, Bloodletters, and quickly made a 2000 point force for some tournament games, it was a quick army to paint (being largely red) and not many troops, led by a Bloodthirster. It won the tournament, 4 wins from 4 games, because basically the army did nothing but charge across the table and smack the enemy hard (no missile troops, no magic), as the Bloodthirster killed any/everything it wanted. Steam tanks, Wood Elf High Mages on great eagle, a very tough Vampire Lord (almost got the Bloodthirster, 1 Wound away as I remember)… all were crushed by the Bloodthirster (in those days you could tool it up with daemonic gifts, and mine was mean, and expensive). The undefeated red legion of Khorne daemons returned to its box and remained there. It was a bit boring to play honestly. One trick, but very good at it. But I didn’t sell them. I still have them, waiting for the summons…



Along came, I think 7th edition, and the 'Isle of Blood' box set. We all bought it and I’d always, since the first army book, coveted a High Elf army. I read that first book almost cover to cover standing in a Waterstones… anyway, I had new plastic High Elves, loads of them. I collected them all up, buying the spare plastics cheap from those with no use for them, the new Skaven seemed to be more in demand back then. With about 4 'Isle of Blood' sets I set about making my High Elves from them. A leader on a griffon, lots of Sea Guard, Ellyrian Reavers and Sword Masters. I added a few extras as well, and had an army. They fought 5-6 games, did OK, lost a few, won a few (crushed an Orc and Goblin force in about 3 turns I remember), lost to a cheesy Skaven army that turned up to play mostly unpainted (I hate this… a legion of the black spray can, it doesn’t seem right after the hours I’d put in on my models, I'm in favour of unpainted models having a flat -1 to Hit as an official rule). Anyway, it was fun… and along came 8th (and last edition). I played a few games with the High Elves, but interested waned again and into their box they went. There they remained until 2020. No Warhammer to play anymore anyway… and no real interest either. But it's a shame to have painted armies you can’t use. It irks, not to get playing time from the time and work put it.

Then lock-down came. Which was, for wargamers, just extended hobby time. Days stuck in the house, I’ll get cracking on new armies then. I started my sixth Warhammer army… something to fight my High Elves…  I chose Dark Elves, bought a second-hand army and other models for sale on Ebay, to revamp and add to, and cracked on at the painting desk. The Dark Elves did not get finished. By ’21 I had, half an army… not really game-able. Stalled out. I was playing and painting Napoleonics.


This is all a long pre-amble to where I’m at today. A new project for 2024, and the arrival of the Old World rules, a new edition of Warhammer. I was tempted by a ‘new edition, new army’ (Chaos Dwarves look cool), but resisted and decided instead to finish those Dark Elves I already had. That’s currently almost complete. I’ve added some new stuff too… a few new hero types, from 3D printers, because in the time away from Warhammer, this has become ‘a thing’. I was amazed at the choice and quality of these alternative model ranges. Anyway… the main thrust of all this as my project for ’24. French Napoleonic army now ‘complete’ (if any army is ever actually complete), short break and what is next?

I have always, since first edition, wanted to play an extend narrative campaign with Warhammer. Repeat battles with the same characters and units, gaining experience, losing men, taking objectives, with sieges, ambushes, scenarios, etc., and a story to create and tell. The standard ‘mode’ for Warhammer is the one-off 2,000 point tournament-style line-up and fight game. I plan to avoid this, by having a theme and story to drive the campaign, small skirmishes up to large set-piece battles, siege assaults, allies arriving, heroes fighting and dying, etc. Basically, a proper wargaming campaign. So, I’m just going to do it, and now, after all these years, I actually have the armies to provide both sides for it too.

High Elves, with a few new reinforcements units and heroes (they’ll all get names), will fight Dark Elves (once they’re completed, which is about 1-2 weeks off) and they will get some allies, my re-summoned Khorne Daemons, via a daemonic pact with their Master Sorceress. All 3 of my Warhammer armies will fight again.

So, as well as rebasing every model to fit with the new rules (wholly-molly that is a lot of 25mm square bases required and a big dull job), I will write a background for my Elf vs Elf war (not hard, given the Warhammer background pits them as old foes against each other anyway), make-up a setting for it (again not hard, somewhere on the fringes of Ulthuan will work fine) get some themed terrain and create a campaign system so characters and units can gain experience throughout, and losses can be taken, reinforcements arrive, etc. I’ll write it all to work with my army collections, and if, say, for some reason, I find I need a new character or unit, I’ll just get them and introduce them to the on-going story.

I have already made a start, ‘War for Tor Helethion’ will see a merciless Dark Elf invasion of an Ulthuan island, my setting, and each game’s result will build the story of the campaign. Finally, after 40 years, I’ll get to play Warhammer as I always really wanted to. One-off games have been fun, even the tournaments (which I now mostly dislike), were OK, I generally did alright. The one brief campaign only lasted 5-6 games and was one-sided. But one-off games are very limiting to the scope of the game. Hopefully, now, each battle will actually mean something more, and be a step towards a Dark Elf conquest of Tor Helethion, or the High Elves heroically repelling them. Much hobby work to do before the battles can begin, with the last units to paint and about 350 miniatures to rebases!!, oh lord!, and some characterful terrain to sort too. But, by the spring/summer (when the seas are calmer), the Dark Elf invasion fleet can arrive off Tor Helethion, and my Warhammer gaming can resume (and any of the new rules I don’t like will just get changed… it’s a set of rules with problems, always has been, fun, but it needs some nuance or it’s too often just a predictable slug-fest, I have some ideas already, I think I can make it far better). First, just play some games though...





 

Sunday 18 February 2024

Prussia Rising - campaign game 6 - Rearguard at Dolmau

It is game 6 of the 1813 campaign. August 27th, the day after the battle of Katzbach, and the French, defeated are retreating out of Lower Silesia ahead of Blucher's army. McDonald’s corps is returning to link up with Napoleon’s main force, and in this fictional engagement, my division, General Houlier’s, has been selected as the rearguard and must fight a delaying action against the Prussia pursuit. This was a 'Special Circumstance' rolled randomly, so I would lose any brigades in reserve , of which there was one, the poor Wurttembergers, as they are marching away. My other three brigades, 2 infantry, 1 dragoon, would be required to hold up the Prussian advance, on the Katzbach stream, near the village of Dolmau. The French would be defending, whilst the Prussians chose a 'steady advance', with their 3 deployed brigades, advanced guard, infantry and freicorps, with their light cavalry in reserve. So, could Houlier’s men hang-on long enough to let the rest get away? Breakpoints were a big problem, 31 to the Prussians, just 19 to the French… tough ask then.

 The battlefield, randomly generated - Prussians top, French bottom.

 

I set up my defence, with my strongest brigade facing his best route of advance, through the village. In the centre was a weak infantry brigade (2 battalions and a battery) but they were dug-in with the earthworks. On the left was my dragoon brigade of two regiments. The plan was simple, sit tight, let him come and counter-attack to keep him out of my deployment zones (big VPs on offer for me if I could). The Prussians had something of an issue, in that attacking with his three brigades would be problematic. The freicorps, on his right, are weak landwehr and volunteers. The advanced guard, on the left through Dolmau, are also weaker now, 5 battles having taken their toll, their fusiliers and grenadiers and uhlan are now all reduced battalions. The centre then, facing earthworks was a weakish brigade of just 2 battalions but with extra guns (the 12 pdrs again). So, post-deployment, I felt confident my lines would hold. Only his light cavalry, once here, would be the threat, and my dragoon’s job would be to stop them. Initiative was with the Prussians, so time for the off.

The first deal of cards changed my plan. I had, in hand, both ‘at the gallop’ events and a ‘stalled’ event. Looking at my dragoons, opposite them was his weak freicorps troops, all in lines, with only reserve cavalry (lancers though). All militia. With those cards my dragoons could be across the table, stall his own cavalry from counter charging, and hit his infantry lines. Very aggressive, but moving like the wind, my dragoons would in amongst his poor infantry very quickly, it could be slaughter… but the defensive plan? Damn the plan, let’s give it a go!

So, again, my Dragoons set out at top speed galloping for the enemy lines, to the Prussians great surprise… they hadn’t even deployed any skirmishers yet… then, with his reserve uhlan frozen into inactivity, another ‘at the gallop’, and then the orders to charge! Both dragoons regiments plunged into landwehr lines and, the result was a hammering for the surprised infantry, who retreated,through their own lines and rallied… I wasn’t going to stop, after an order on the infantry to fire some cannons and get skirmishers out, then the dragoons charged again, hitting his cavalry and smashing them up too, before overrunning the freicorps’ artillery (a single howitzer)… the brigade was a mess and rallied again to avoid losing any units. My dragoons rallied too, for free, and by the end of the turn 1 the French eld by 5 VPs to 0. Lutzow’s men were in a panic, as the dragoons ran over/through them and their table edge was very close. I could drive them off it in turn 2.

My dragoons continued having their heyday… winning another couple of melees as his uhlan tried to counter-charge but where beaten back and fled the tabletop. The landwehr soon followed, but the dragoons did take one heavy musket volley, so again, needed to rally and lose some stands, but supporting cannon fire was also hitting the landwehr and lacking any more militia rally cards, another battalion broke, leaving just 1 left before the brigade was wiped out. The dragoons had done amazing working, torn a brigade to shreds. Turn 2 ended 12-0 to French on VPs… and the big disparity in starting VPs had been nullified. Time to recover the dragoons to my lines as best I could. The Prussian main attack hadn’t really started, at Dolmau his uhlan came forward, too far, and took accurate cannon crossfire from my batteries, then retreated and rallied as well, down to just 2 stands… maybe I would hold the line. Because an attack here would be without any cavalry, and my musket lines were waiting.

Turn 3 and his light cavalry had arrived, led by the Leib ‘Totenkopf’ Hussars, with uhlan and horse jaegers as well. They came at the gallop, heading straight for the dragoons. Using a ‘well-drilled’ event, they turned about and rode back, but consecutive orders saw the light cavalry keep galloping in. The uhlan charged, and just caught one dragoons regiment from behind…eek… just not far enough away. The dragoons lost (no surprise) and would, by the end of the turn be broken. I’d lost 1 regiment, could the other escape? Almost, but not quiet. I moved at the quick to escape but the faster hussars’ charge, elite troops, and in column for speed caught up with them again. Another melee lost and Dragoons had to rally and loose stands. Not much left now, but the last 2 stands escaped back to my lines.

Whilst this (3,30 from Haydock-like) cavalry chase was on going, the Prussians had also fired some guns and finally moved up to occupy the front buildings of Dolmau. This allowed them to claim an objective, but did mean they were taking including cannon fire. They hunkered down, obvious now that no attack was coming. Their cannon did some good work on my veteran light infantry battalion though, steadily building up the disruption, I need to take care of that, because standing around in front of guns is never great. In the centre, the Prussian infantry hadn’t moved, just fired long range cannons at the earthworks to no effect.

So, the cavalry pursuit continued, My skirmishing infantry where now hitting his hussars and uhlan (the horse jaegers got left behind), I tried to protect my horse battery, but the Leib hussars saw an easy win and charged in to cut down the crew, as my infantry wheeled around to get a volley lined up. Not quick enough, the hussars rallied, fell-back and then, consecutive again, fell-back again to get out of range after their bold raid on the guns. Still, my skirmishers were shooting them, but they are very good troops in the Leib regiment. It was going to break them.

Well, thinks had changed quickly in that turn. Suddenly the Prussians had 14 VPs and were closing on my breakpoint quickly. The French had reached 25. It was very close again.

Now, into the final turn, things became cagey, both sides not risking much. My last dragoons stragglers moved back to some ‘safety’, we traded cannon fire and skirmish fire but nothing looked like breaking. I had to rally the dragoons again, giving up the VP. The Prussians had the card advantage though (4 brigades vs 3 and Blucher had turned up to inspect this ‘attack’, so 2 extra cards), and used it well. Unable to react, his hussars moved forwards into my deployment zone, thus deny me the big VP gain… drat! Then, last card of the game, an ‘artillery bombards’ on my veteran light infantry, which scored enough hits to break them… hammered by shot my stalwarts broke… and no cards left to rally. Seasoned troops gone. 

The final VPs total, Prussia now had 21 vs French 30, 1 point short of his 31 breakpoint, but over my own… the Prussians had sneaked it at the end.

Well, somehow, that was defeat from the jaws of victory. I really good and exciting game, in which the Prussians looked doomed, but had a big comeback, led by the Leib Hussars’ speeding counter attack. My dragoons bold attack had almost won it, but again paid the heavy price. So close. Maybe I should have sat back and waited.

Now it went... roughly...



In the campaign ‘March Phase’ we sorted casualties and rolled for the ‘Sue for Peace’, and the result was the Prussians had won. After 6 games it was over. Houlier’s division, cut-off in the retreat from Lower Silesia would have to surrender and become POWs. The Wurttembergers got away, but they’ll soon be throwing in the towel anyway as Napoleons allies desert him. No fight left in them (not much to begin with really). It was real fun, Prussia has defo risen and given the hated French a bit of kicking… time to play some other games for a bit and paint/plan for another SoN campaign later in ’24, ‘1815 - the Road to Waterloo’ I’ll call it.

Cherou's big infantry brigade blocks the way through Dolmau village. They moved across some guns and a battalion to occupy the centre earthworks as well.

Prussian advanced guard move into Dolmau, but not the buildings, yet. There battery hits the French lines, and annoyance, that became vital.


The field, turn 1, at the far end, the dragoons have already charged across and into the freicorps, and the slaughter begins.

Gerrard's dragoons, at the gallop (twice) and Charge! The reserve uhlan can't counter them, stalled! Lutzow freicorp take a sabre-ing...

The earthworks and the battery of 8 pdrs, picking away at the far Prussians

 
The dragoons see of the uhlan in short order, driving them back into the infantry again.

Lutzow's last battalion standing...

As Cherou's men wait in lines (and columns) for an attack that isn't coming. Cannon fire traded. Uhlan seen off.

The Prussian centre, in march column for a quick advance, but no order came.

The uhlan come forward, to threaten and intimidate, but cannon fire rakes through them and they fall back, rally and have taken heavy losses.


The dragoons attempt to get away, but the hussars are faster and catch them.

Victorious the 'Totenkopf' ride on down the flank, eyeing a vulnerable French horse battery.

Another charge, and the battery is cut down with ease.


The French left flank at the end, Prussian cavalry have us outflanked, the rearguard position must be abandoned... but Houlier's division will not escape the pursuit. For them, the war is over...




Sunday 11 February 2024

Prussia Rising - campaign game 5 - the Battle of Gorlitz

Game 5 of the campaign, this time a made-up battle at Gorlitz, as my division, part of MacDonald’s corps, moves against Blucher’s Army of Lower Silesia. The summer truce is over and both side’s forces have started moving again, Napoleon with the goal of taking Berlin. The Austrians have entered the war (so Austrian allies are allowed for the Prussians).

This action would be outside the town of Gorlitz as Blucher, believing Napoleon is in command, is pulling back and throwing rearguards in the French path. This is one such rear action.

The Prussians, defending, have occupied a large hill and dug-in with a redoubt on it. My division, General Houlier’s, is ordered to attack, but that hill looks formidable, another plan must be found.

Here is the day’s battlefield. 

Looking at this, my plan was to use my cavalry arm to try and win this one. An infantry attack up the hill, against his strongest brigade, dug-in with extra guns, would be bloody and the Wurttemberger allies are reluctant (and mostly militia quality) troops, they can’t do it, they just die attacking a stronger enemy. My French might, but again, half of them are reservists and militia, so not a strong attack force. Instead, they would just threaten an attack, a diversion, whilst I used my cavalry. I wanted a cavalry on cavalry fight, he only has light stuff, uhlan mainly, some hussars, but I have the dragoons, they would be the hammer, they can beat this lot! (I think). So, draw them forwards with my light cavalry, skirmish, draw his lance charges, then hit them full force with the dragoons. His reservist cavalry are weak, maybe I can destroy that entire brigade. Meanwhile, behind the cavalry, the Wurttembergers would aid as they can with skirmish fire and artillery fire. 

So, deployed, French infantry on the left, Wurttembergers on the right, screened out front by my 3 light cavalry regiments (4th Hussars, 10th Chasseurs and 1st Wurttemberg chevau-leger). It was time to go, and await the dragoons from reserve.

It started very well. Both sides sent out some skirmishers and my light cavalry cautiously advanced. With an ‘at the gallop’ special event his uhlan sped forwards to engage (good), and I used a 'stalled' event to stop the lead regiment cold. Oops, they stopped immobile in the centre of the field, under skirmish and cannon fire, before the Wurttemberg chevau-leger charged them and routed them! A win… the German light cavalry got shot-up for that but pulled back, rallied and lost some stands… but worth it.  We exchanged cannon fire and I moved some infantry up, then rolled for a senior officer arriving, it was Napoleon himself, come to see what the hold-up was with these Prussians. Than obviously spurred the dragoons into action and they arrived, ready for the main strike.

Up front, sparring still, I pushed my hussars up, and his reservists cavalry came forwards and deployed into attack columns. A first clash with the hussars saw them narrowly defeated and pullback to rally, but the lance sting was drawn. My chasseurs covered the horse battery guns from a sudden charge, and drew cannon fire themselves. From up on the hill, the Prussians opened fire with big 12 pdrs which covered most of the field from there. My counter-battery fire couldn’t hit, so he had my gunners ducking for cover with his longer range (and full caissons). Those cannons would be a pain for the rest of the battle, chipping in with hits.

Time for the main cavalry fight to get underway. My reserve dragoons galloped up and formed lines, ready to charge, as his cavalry lined up as well. We faced each other, and then… wait for it… nothing! The Prussians didn’t advance (it turned out without any militia rally cards in hand they were not about to start a big fight) and my dragoons were too far away yet and not risking the counter-charge. So, cannons fired and two primed cavalry forces looked at each other, waiting for the other one to blink.

I did first, OK, we’ll take it to them, both dragoon regiments and the hussars moved up, the dragoons ‘at the gallop’, then charged, crashing home, sabres out, and smashing his uhlans as they counter-charged. It was on. The fight was close, but the dragoons won, the hussars followed up to lend their handy aid too. Keeping up the pressure, the dragoons went in again, and won again, and his cavalry was in mess, trying to rally and losing stands as they tumbled back through his infantry lines. One reservist unit broke and ran. But my dragoons paid for their aggression, in skirmish and volley fire from a lot of Prussian infantry and riflemen, and cannon fire. They had to pullback and rally too, and loose some stands, and suddenly another two fresh uhlan units came forwards to try and finish them. My hussars intercept one and they fought and won, but the other’s charge broken a dragoon regiment in their counter-attack.

Phew, to-and-fro with the cavalry, but his reservists were not worth much in VPs. I need to break the line uhlan units really. Rallied, my last dragoons tried again, and won again… driving the uhlan back, but they rallied to avoid breaking. Last restort, I sent in the chasseurs at speed to try and break an infantry line, but their brief attack didn’t do enough damage (it did win, first for my chasseurs), but the return fire was costly. In two intense turns of action, casualties had been high for both sides. His guns (especially those 12 pdrs on the hill) were hammering my cavalry and I lost the hussars.

My cavalry attack was spent, it had come close to breaking the reservist brigade, two units had been routed, one was badly mauled on his own table edge, but I could not get to them to finish the job. The return damage done to my dragoons had been horrific (just 2 stands left from 10)… and the lost of the hussars cost me the VPs to win it for the Prussians… what?  

Lost again… I did more damage, but to far less valuable units (rolling 1s 3 times on the VPs table for militia cavalry didn’t help). Luck just didn’t go with at the end. My dragoons won fight after fight (8 out 10 cavalry to cavalry melees went to the French), but the Prussians claimed a cheeky ‘Hold the Line’ objective too, and the hussars are very good troops to lose.

Post-game discussion, and really we both wanted the other side to come to us, I blinked first and was tempted by the ‘at the gallop’ special event (again). So my cavalry was taking punishment from his skirmishers and cannon, which I couldn’t do back. Maybe I should have waited longer (patience, patience), used 'Intimidate' actions with the dragoons to force his cavalry to do something, and/or moved my infantry into skirmish fire range first, so they could help. I fought with basically 1 arm, the cavalry, he had all 3 in the action. In the end, it was cracking fight, a real cavalry brawl this time. Infantry was largely untouched for both of us. The only Prussian ‘mistake’ was, perhaps, to be too strong in the redoubt. A weaker force might have attracted an attack, but his best infantry and most guns up on the hill made it an easy call for me to ignore them. If there were the poor old freikorps up there, maybe I have a real go at them, and its a different game.

Shots of the action. Game 6 is due soon, if I can’t get a win, it’ll likely be the last of the campaign. Our next campaign plan is to do one set in the hundred days… Brits and Prussians vs the French in Belgium for 1815... later this year, some units to paint first.  

Wurttemberger's screened by the light cavalry on the French right.

French left, infantry lines around the copse, no attack order here.

Prussian left, the advanced guard, now rather battle weary.

The heavily defended redoubt on the hill, 12 pdrs with a rand stand view (and line of sight)

Wurttemberg cavalry, first to charge, but suffering for it. The smoke is for 'obscuring smoke', from all the muskets shooting them.

Skirmish lines square up as the French light cavalry manoeuvre.

More action on the French right flank, the Wurttembergers have withdrawn, replaced by the hussars, chasseurs lurking if required.

The arrival of the dragoons... well, command stands, until they all gallop on and deploy into lines.

The Emperor arrives, and looks grumpy... 'the Dragoons will carry the day your Majesty'

There they go, hammering into the Prussian cavalry in the centre, but too close to their infantry lines.

The ill-starred 10th Chasseurs, they did, err.. a bit... no glory, but not disgraced again today.