Battle of Brundersberg 1757.

We get very "used" to putting on rather large and spectacular-looking games at our small club(it's just because I have the time to spend on the games!) but last night's game,involving Paul's Austrian army and my Prussians and Russians,combined with Brian's Hanoverians was up there with the best.

This game has literally been planned for months,but we haven't been able to get it sorted until last night! I changed one or two things about the terrain and troop dispositions,but the main theme was kept.Brian was Russian commander,Paul was Austrian commander,whilst Graham and I took combined command of the Prussians and Hanoverians.

A happy Paul is surveying his troops-he had to start the game in column of march,along with Brian's Russians .

Graham and Brian in deep discussion-Brian's "marooned" troops were a bit of a concern to him,especially as he had limited ammunition for his gun batteries(as it happened this didn't really matter,as he lost one battery early on in the game,and he had thrown a high dice to determine the number of shots he had with his other gun!!)

Graham had decided to march all of his Hanoverians and two units of Dragoons across the bridge to attack Brian's small,but beautifully formed, force-he was later to regret this move-talk about a sledgehammer to crack a nut!!!!

Graham's Dragoons have charged one of Brian's batteries,and,despite being cannistered and losing an officer,he bravely put his Brigadier in charge and completed the charge,destroying the battery-hurrah!!!
Brian has been behaving very strangely lately,I hope he doesn't start standing with his hand on his hip..................

Oh my God,he's turned!!!! stop it Brian,stop it!!
The Russian Dragoons have counter-attacked and Graham is in trouble-a fire-fight has broken out on the far flank,and the Hanoverians are not doing well-still Graham's got enough troops over there to finish the Russians off-hasn't he?

Meanwhile on my flank and centre,both Paul and I have moved forward and a furious fire-fight is in progress.Paul has moved an Austrian battery onto my flank and is giving me hell!!

In this shot I am moving a brigade through the field to try and out-flank Paul's Austrians,however Paul is too good a wargamer to allow this to happen,and countered this move with a brigade of his own-the swine!!!

Paul "retired"(it's good being retired!) some cavalry in the centre of his line,which caused a gap to appear between his Austrian troops and Brian's Russian troops,and, sensing victory,I ordered my Cuirassiers forward into the gap,hoping to win the game in one fell swoop(fool!!)

A general shot of the table-movement and firing and melees going on along the length and breadth-great stuff!!

As my heavy cavalry crested the ridge,they were subjected to a flank fire from Brian's Russians who had been ordered forward to fill the gap left by Paul's retiring(it's good being retired) cavalry-this caused them to take morale,they failed,and back they came!!
On my left,my infantry are being shot to pieces-despite being given an extra one onto their initial dice throw for firing,and are being slowly driven back!-this is not looking good,but Graham,with all of his troops,will surely win his flank(?)

No!!! working on a narrow frontage,the Hanoverians couldn't get all of their fire power into play,and being matched one against one,with Brian throwing the better dice,they were getting beaten.
A mass cavalry brawl was taking place on the left of the river,and once again the Hanoverian cavalry were not doing terribly well!!(ie were getting "hammered!!)
With my flank in tatters and the centre looking like it would have to form a defensive line against the cavalry,and Graham's attempted attack across the river failing,we had to admit defeat,and hand the victor's laurels to Brian and Paul-well done lads,we all played well and enjoyed the spectacle.
Roll on Thursday-don't know what we'll be putting on yet.