No it's not Panto season yet!!-we fought the battle of Torgau 1760 last night,organised by Paul(to save me from melt-down!!)
The battle was one of Frederick's classic march around the flank of the enemy and throw them off-balance!!-and it worked!(well done Paul)
This is the scenario-I was Frederick,Brian was Zeithen,Graham was Lacey and Dave was Daune(who was not informed of the out-manoeuver by the Prussians until move number 3,when he was allowed into the garage!!-hence,"he's behind you!"
Top photo is the table at move number 2,with Brian and Graham,predictably, sending their cavalry forwards,whilst the Prussians under my command are moving in a "stately" manner towards the unsuspecting Austrians!
Bottom photo is the Austrian army looking the wrong way-could Dave sort them out in time??
Yes he could,and did!resulting in a most furious battle for the position-great stuff.
Brian and Graham are hotly contesting this flank-I moved my cuirassier squadrons across to help out,just as Graham moved his Russian infantry and artillery across the whole board to support Dave-it then became obvious,that,whoever won the ensuing cavalry battle,would dominate the flank and win the game-luckily it was the Prussians-hurrah!!
Dave and I slugging it out!!-Dave is a "wily" opponent,and you know if you're against him it will never be easy-and it wasn't!!-this was wargaming at its best,as far as I'm concerned.
This is a general shot of the table,at about move number 9-one of Dave's regiments failed a morale test and fled off the board,leaving,as they say, an ugly hole!-through which I prepared my allied infantry to pour!!
Graham's cavalry had all but disappeared,and a combination of Brian's cavalry and infantry,plus my cavalry was about to drive along the front,destroying all hope of an Austro/Russian victory!!
One final shot of the table,showing that the Austrians are still holding their own,but with no chance of a clear victory,the Prussians were declared the winners!!
This was a great game,so well done to us all,especially Paul who organised and refereed the whole thing!!
A word of warning-never let a 20 month-old play with balloons beside a video recorder-God knows how many more there are inside!!!
Roll on next Sunday-we will be playing a Napoleonic game at Dave's house.
Thanks to Paul,we had a marvelous game last night,twelve action-packed moves,and a clear result at the end!!
The scenario was that a Prussian camp(defended by Graham) was being attacked by a Russian force(commanded by Brian)-a Prussian relief force(commanded by me) was on its way,but was met by an Austrian force(commanded by Paul)-simple but very entertaining and anybody's game until the last move!!-Top photo shows the camp,bottom photo shows the relief force being attacked by the Austrians.
This shows Brian's attack on the camp,with Infantry and cavalry(too soon!!)-Brian could only attack the town part of the camp with the bayonet,which proved costly!!-the battle swayed back and forth for most of the game,neither side gaining an initial advantage.
Paul is sending wave after wave of Austrian infantry against my Prussians,but my well placed artillery and some damned lucky dice throws(which is unusual for me!) saw them off!!-we both kept sending reserve regiments into position,and our cavalry,which had been "husbanded" for most of the game,were moving to the flank,ready for the inevitable clash!!
Early cavalry melees are wasteful(in my opinion) and this shows what can happen-both Graham and Brian have won and lost melees,and both have rears and flanks compromised!!
Back in the town,Brian has managed to get a regiment into the defenders,and things are looking bad!!-however Graham has support,and used them well,driving Brian's Russians back out again-thrilling stuff!
Austrian and Prussian cuirassiers battle it out on the flank-this looked and felt great,and again by some lucky dice throws(killing officers galore!) from me,I eventually won the melees and Paul was driven back-hurrah!!
The fire-fight on the ridge continues,I have replaced my first line with fresh troops,and Paul has done the same,but with the flank now dominated by my "heavies",the whole Austrian army looks to be in trouble! but what of the camp/town position??
Top photo shows the town has now been "stabilised" and the Russians ejaculated from it!!
Bottom photo shows the Prussian dragoons dominating the flank,and forcing Brian to form a defensive line with his remaining Infantry,so a grand Prussian victory,but well done to us all for playing this great game in great spirit-long may it continue!!
Roll on next Sunday,and we'll have to start planning for "Border Reiver" on the 7th September!
Because we didn't really get a chance to actually play this game at Falkirk,we thought it would be a good idea to run it through as a club game last night.
Charlie Wesencraft turned up,to bring our numbers to 5 (Dave couldn't make it as he was working(?))
I had set the table up exactly as it was at Carronade(minus a few cavalry and infantry units!) and off we went-Charlie and I were in charge of the Bavarians,Austrians and French,whilst Brian,Graham and Paul took command of the Prussians,Dutch and British.
Top photo is the "Hand-out" we provided,and bottom photo is the table before any movement(taken from the allied position)
This shows the village which Charlie was defending against a very determined attack from Brian's Prussians-the village was held until the very last move of the game!!
We're off!! with guns blazing and little lead feet marching,this magnificent spectacle of a game commenced-the concentration of all 5 of us was something to behold!!
Brian and Charlie were first to come into contact with a mass attack on the village! Charlie manoeuvered one of his Austrian infantry regiments onto Brian's flank,and gave him hell from front and side-wonderful stuff!! Brian hit back by charging the Bavarian gun positioned outside the village,and,despite heavy casualties,managed to destroy it!!-Charlie responded by sending a Bavarian regiment to defend the walls,thus preventing a total Prussian victory in the first few moves!!!!-that's why the man is a legend!!
Look at the concentration!-I have started my advance and attack on the Allied-held village,and have moved my cavalry to protect their flank as they advance-classic stuff(??)
Paul was defending the village,and gave me a scare when he drove my first line back!-he then had the audacity to come out of the village and attack my attackers!!!!-however my second line proved to have more mettle than the first,and all hell broke loose on this flank!!-hurrah!
This is the state of play at about move 7,just before we had a welcome break for coffee and bickies!-Charlie is deep in thought,whilst Brian is blowing his nose!!
With coffee drunk and noses blown,we were off again!-Brian's attacks on Charlie became even more fierce,and his guns,combined with Graham's guns were doing Charlie's Austrian infantry no good at all!! They were trying to weaken his centre before mounting an infantry attack by Graham's Dutch-this is looking perilous for Charlie's flank!-I had to try and stabilise the position by advancing my cavalry,just as Paul and Graham advanced theirs!-this led to a very spectacular looking cavalry "affair".
You couldn't get moved in the Windmill area for horse shit(although it is good for the gardens you know!)-we both kept flinging in unit after unit,even though we both knew we should keep some reserves,but what the hell!!!-pile 'em in and hope for the best!!!
More concentration from the commanders.Charlie still holds the village(but just!) the cavalry battle is still progressing(without any obvious winner) and my attack on Paul's village has faltered!-the whole table is ablaze with action-marvellous stuff!
The British infantry,sensing victory over their French counterparts,advance and with devastating volleys,drive them from the board-woe is me!!-in the background the cavalry battle seems to be going my way-I will win if Graham doesn't send Paul his cavalry as reinforcements-he wouldn't ,would he?
Well, yes he did,and swung the balance against me!!-in the background you can see Brian in a most serious case of "Gloating" throwing his arms up in the air,because he has managed to eject Charlie from the village(move number 12!)-it looks like "curtains" for the French,Bavarians and Austrians!
One final shot from the Prussian side of the table,showing the Dutch about to launch an attack on our denuded centre-this didn't happen because,as gentlemen,Charlie and I capitulated,and the game went to Brian,Graham and Paul.
Well done to all of us.
Paul and Dave are off to Belgium on Wednesday,to do a tour of Waterloo,Quatre Bras,and other linked battle sites,ending up driving across Arnham bridge-have a good trip lads,and come back safely.
