Wednesday 13 May 2009

Zondorf 2008

In 2008 we did Zondorf for the club display at Claymore.

I have pulled the report posed to Mark's blog, and reproduced it here with some additional photos.

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A pic of the Zondorf game we did last year in 10mm.

This is well into the battle, over half way through. The Russians (in red on the Right Hand Side) have lost most of their first line between the stream on their right flank and the woods. But equally, most of the Prussians assaulting this area are also beaten.

This near side of the wood, you can see some of the Russian front line is angling to enfilade the second Prussian attack, advancing down the woods.

The Main Cavalry wings are beginning to engage to the fore ground over the small stream.

The Russian second and third lines in this second front look solid, and the baggage is untouched. The Prussians are pushing forward with their last real formed brigades against almost three times their numbers.

What is less clear, is the totally unhistoric (says the Russian) Prussian cavalry manoever around the rear of the Russian right wing by the town on the top right of shot. A series of appalingly lucky strikes enabled this to effectively beat any Russain hopes on that flank. In fact, I couldn't even claim a stalemate there (as happened historically)

Further, at the wood, the Russian regiment angling in its fire on the second Prussian advance is about to be charged in the flank by Prussian Hussars. You can't see those Hussars, they are pretty much the rear most Prussian figures on the table. But in the next firing phase, the remaining frontal Russian units on that far side of the wood are routed, and when the next Russian regiment along moves up to square off the line again, it to goes down in a hail of shell, leaving this angled Russian regiment with its flank in the air and engaged to the front.

Finally, all the Russian Cavalry in foreground, despite correctly being supported by second line troops, fails miserably, and the Russians are forced into a retreat for the end game.

But on the bright side, the Russian Horse Grenadiers did get to sweep over a number of Prussian units, as per the illustration in the Zondorf Osprey. Seidlitz's charge was never required however, so we must assume he was the clever sod who sent his troopers around the 'back' in a thoroughly gamey game winning move. Not that I'm bitter... Kunersdorf in a few weeks, we will see a different side then, I trust.

1 comment:

  1. What a pleasure to see SYW played as it should be played; no columns, ample spacing between battalions, brigades, no cavalry hanging on the flanks of own infantry.

    We also use infantry in double ranks too. With cavalry regiments between 12 and 18 troopers they need a lot of space, but there combats are quick.

    Great presentation.
    Cheers,
    Robert
    http://18thcenturysojourn.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete