Hochkirk

We attempted a refight of Hochkirk using King of the Battlefield - with @ a dozen players all told.



The battle of 'Highchurch' - so named because we used Russians in place of Austrians (but I am afraid I will still refer to them as Austrians throughout this report) - seemed an ideal one for a multiplayer game, because we could make use of the multiple columns of attack / approach which the Austrians used historically to neatly divide up the players into independent commands, and because we could straggle any new players down the line, thus representing the order of arrival of those columns.

We had enough of a gap between the first and last arrivals to straggle them down the line, representing the time dispersal between each column arriving and taking out the sitting about waiting for a 6 which could otherwise have come about. Luckily we also had an overeager Prussian Mollendorf to jump back and forth over his defensive position when he initially thought he was unopposed on the first turn.

I was quietly hoping that both these forces at the far end of the field would be inactive for a couple of turns, and accordingly left the Austrian figures off table initially.

Dispositions were slightly hampered by forgetting the orbat, but thankfully, two weeks before we quickly laid out both sides in order to get an idea of the size of table we would required - we hastily removed them before too many club members had had a chance to see the surprises.

Frederick had deployed with a large dense wood to his rear - preventing him from retiring in that direction. The wood to the south of Hochkirk screened the Austrian advance to his rear. So the point of the attack historically was to cut both ends and tie the ogre up ending the war in a stroke. Given the limitations of Austrian command and control, it came surprisingly close to coming off.



Dispositions

Prussian commands

1 Zeiten and the reserve cavalry behind Hochkirk
a. 2 Cuirassier
b. 3 Hussars (elite)

2 Keith defending Hochkirk and the south east of the town
a. 2 Infantry (elite)
b. 2 Grenadiers (elite)
c. 1 Gun

3 Brunswick and main army part A - adjacent to Hochkirk
a. 4 Infantry (elite)
b. 2 Grenadiers (guard)
c. 2 Grenadiers (elite)
d. 1 gun

4 Saldern and main army part B - adjacent to Rodewitz and including the central cavalry reserve
a. 4 Cuirassiers
b. 1 Dragoon
c. 1 Hussar (elite)
d. 4 Infantry

5 Mollendorf, Seidlitz and the Prussian vanguard defending Rodewitz and the road back into Drehsa and Prussian territory
a. 5 Infantry (elite)
b. 2 Grendier (elite)
c. 1 Gun
d. 2 Hussars (elite)
e. 2 Cuirassier

6 - Two regiments of second class freikorp ineffectively skirmishing in the woods adjacent to Hochkirk (for the umpire to roll some dice with)
a. 2 Freicorps (second class)



Austrian commands

1 O'Donnell - approaching on the back table corner to the rear of Hochkirk
a. 3 Cuirassier
b. 2 Hussars
c. 2 Dragoons

2 Browne - assaulting Hochkirk from the angle
a. 6 Infantry
b. 2 Grenadier (elite)

3 Weist - assaulting Hochkick from the front
a. 6 Infantry
b. 1 Gun

4 Colleredo - a large force of second class infantry and some cavalry with orders to demonstrate in front of the main Prussian army in order to pin it in the trap
a. 8 Infantry (second class)
b. 1 Cuirassier
c. 1 Dragoon
d. 2 Hussars
e. 1 Gun

5 D'Arenburg and Durlach - the main attack to cut the line of retreat.
a. 12 Infantry
b. 2 Grenadier (elite)
c. 1 Gun
d. 2 Hussars
e. 2 Cuirassiers
f. 2 Dragoons

6 - Loudon and three regiments of second class Croats ineffectively skirmishing with the freikrop and given to any late comer player)
a. 3 Croats (second class)



The Prussians all started in pre fixed deployed positions.

Browne, Weist, Colleredo and Loudon were then placed on table, and Zeiten was instructed to address his disposition to the noises in the rear. O'Donnell was then placed, and the Prussians had first move (This was entirely an umpire decision taken on the basis that all troops began in deployed line. Had we started in march columns, then the Prussians could easily have been deployed undressed, and the Austrians given first move). As the Austrians were all starting within artillery range, this seemed appropriate.

As umpire, I was hoping for Mollendorf Saldern, Seidlitz D'Arenberg and Durlach to be later arrivals than the players happened to be. But we did get one over eager Mollendorf who advanced across his defensive stream in order to get stuck in.
The next Austrian move saw D'Arenberg placed, and Mollendorf go scuttling back to his starting positions. As far as fog of war goes, this was sufficient for my satisfaction.

After this, the players were given free rein.

The Austrians were not given an overall commander - being independent columns, they received a briefing on the plan (as they arrived as players, not collectively) - the most notable of which was instructing Colleredo that he was given a large second class command in order to pin attention but not attack, although he could if he wanted to, but he would probably fail, and instructing D'Arenberg and Durlach that they were to cut the road to seal the trap, and if possible, roll up the line.

The Prussians were simply given a 'Frederick' to issue orders if they had any doubt (this happened to be the Brunswick player in our case).

Narrative wise, the Prussians held out well, almost destroying Colleredo's infantry, and holding both Hochkick and the road to Drehsa until the final turn, when the Austrians did break through and take Hochkirck entirely, and D'Arenbeg cut the road. At this point, rather than declaring a Prussian 'well played' for retaining the escape route, I had to declare an Austrian total victory - the Seven Years war is ended, Prussia has no main army, and Frederick is likely captured.



Interesting points of play, were the total collapse of Zeiten - he simply could not roll to save himself, a regiment of 'Austrian' horse grenadiers (I did mention the figures were Russian, didn't I?) breaking through Salderns command and overrunning some of the tents before being driven off, the swift victory for louden's croats - and the remarkable ability of Keith to defend Hochkirk itself until that very last turn.

The secnario worked well. Making the Prussian infantry and Hussars elite, and the Austrian Dragoons and Colleredo's infantry second class (again, a Russian figures decision, as Russian Dragoons were essentially postmen on horses) made for a balanced game.

Had I remembered to put the designed orbats in the bag, it may have been different - you can try for yourselves, as those are the basis for the disposition layout map below.

Terrain wise, we folloed a simple adaption of this map - taken from Kronoscafe (http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=Main_Page)

we placed Hockkirk on the only hill, had a large wood to its south, and a huge wood to the Prussain rear between Hochkirk and the only other town - Rodewitz. Hochkirk also had a redoubt to its rear.

A stream meandered along the Prussian front line, and the roads were for visual effect only.

Zondorf Photo

I found two old Zondorf photos from the game start.

This seemed the best place to put them.

We are playing another game next week, so If someone remembers the camera, we will put some shots up again as well.

Zondorf Map

Here is the map from the first game, Zondorf.

(Assuming I uploaded them in the right order, that is) Zondorf has a wood in the middle. Kunersdorf has the Russians in trenchments.

Kunersdorf Map

Alisdair dug out his setup map for the two games below.

I thought I would produce it here for reference.

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.

...



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.

Kunersdorf 2009

Kunersdorf

The first real posting, is from yesterdays display game at Carronade in Falkirk.

Phoenix put on a 250th anniversary of the Battle of Kunersdorf.

All figures are 10mm Pendraken miniatures. Terrain is mostly scratch built by Alisdair, with a church from Timecast.

The battle opened from after the Prussians had made their attempted Oblique.


The assault on the Observation Corps quickly broke through, as Prussian numbers went in with bayonet fixed.

But as happened historically, the bottle neck coming off the Muhlberg soon halted the Prussian advance.

Saltyakov threw in sacrificial regiments to the Kuhgrund ravine which brought him enough time to reform a second line on the Grosser Spitzberg, and await the Austrian reinforcements which would give the numbers he hoped would crush the Prussians.

Our Frederick, had a Wateloo day, and repeatedly delegated control to his subordinates as he popped off to do some shopping. This futher added to the disorder in the Prussian plan (well, so they argued)

The Prussian attack from around Kunersdorf was soon met by the same historic difficulties as happened 250 years ago.

But our Frederick was able to get onto the Grosser Spitzberg, even though he was unable to maintain the volume of casualties needed to retain it.

Line after line of Russians was thrown in to hold the line, and the sheer numbers made the Prussian efforts fruitless.

Meanwhile, Austrian reinforcements were all ordered immediately to the flank, which at one point the Prussians thought may mean a weakness was opening in the Russian centre. It was not to be. Austrian pressure crumbled the remains of the Prussians on the flank, and at this point, the few remaining Prussians, who had by now all been committed into the Grosser Spitzberg and the Kuhgrund ravine conceeded that they had not only lost the battle, but would struggle to extricate much of their army at all.

Most of our references came from either Duffy or from Project SYW.

The game played brilliantly, as always with the excellent rules we used, King of the Battlefield, by Ian Godwin, which are available through Miniature Wargames Magazine.

Phoenix Horse and Musket Blog

Prompted by the closure of Geocities (and general slackness for over 6 years), Phoenix Wargaming is moving its club website to a series of period related blogs.

We hope this will allow us to keep ideas and recent games up for the world to see.

Also, its a lot easier to post a blog and some photos, then write a web page.

This one is for Horse and Musket gaming.

Enjoy.