As background, two days earlier the German Third Army had attacked Douay’s isolated division at Wissembourg, killing Douay and forcing the remnants of the division to fall back to the west on Froeschwiller, where Marshal MacMahon concentrated the rest of 1st Corps.
The German cavalry failed to pursue and lost contact with the French, who they believed had retreated to the south. As a result the army was repositioned to face south and battle was expected on 7 August. However, during afternoon and evening of the 5th an increase in French activity on the Froeschwiller ridge drew the attention of the Prussian V Corps that held the right of the line. Activity on the picket line overnight prompted two early morning reconnaissances across the Sauerbach stream that flowed across the base of the Froeschwiller ridge. Both those reconnaissances were repulsed by superior forces and with instructions not to bring on a general engagement the Prussians withdrew.
But the stir that those reconnaissances caused had two significant consequences. First, MacMahon call his troops to arms which made three French divisions, well supported by guns, visible on the ridge. Second, II Bavarian Corps that orders to support V Corps heard the commotion and engaged the French left, only to be roughly handled and pushed back out of the action. And here things began to snowball. The V Corps, feeling obliged to help the Bavarians brought up its artillery - all 14 batteries - on the parallel heights east of the Sauerbach and an artillery duel began. The French guns were easily driven off and sniffing victory Kirchbach, the V Corps commander, committed his rightmost division across the Sauerbach without any real support.
The German infantry were quickly contained and pinned in the town of Wörth and in the ditches, with their backs to the flooded Sauerbach and only saved from destruction by their artillery. Kirchbach appealed to the Bavarians for help, but they were too disorganised after their failed attack. Thankfully XI Corps marched to the guns and appeared opposite the French right, but their initial attack was also stopped on the eastern bank of the Sauerbach as Kirchbach's had been.
On the Froechwiller ridge MacMahon had three divisions of his corps in the front line with Douay's battered division (now led by Pellé) in reserve. He also held in reserve a division of 7th Corps that had only just arrived on the evening of the 5th and was without its divisional artillery. He also had the Corps' cavalry division, eight batteries of the corps artillery reserve, and a division of reserve cavalry. Additionally he hoped that one, maybe two, divisions from 5th Corps would arrive during the day. The morning passed with success for the French with all German attacks repulsed or contained.
Early in the afternoon things changed. XI Corps extended further to the left and rolled up the French right. Lartigue's Division collapsed and was driven off in disorder. The Germans moved to a general attack with four corps against MacMahon's remaining and now battered four divisions. It is here, about 2:30 in the afternoon of 6 August 1870, that the game starts.
The battlefield represents the area of the ridge between Elsasshausen and Froeschwiller where it descends towards the water meadows along the banks of the Sauerbach. The terrain is largely open, devoid of hedges and walls with a few small orchards near the towns.
The game begins with Raoult's division in position along the ridge. Most of its units have taken some losses, but it is pretty much intact. One brigade of Ducrot's division is to Raoult's left rear while the other brigade is engaged off table to the left. Conseil-Dumesnil's 7th Corps Division is to Raoult's right rear while Pellé's division, Bonnemain's cuirassier division and the artillery reserve are off table to the rear. With this force (in all 42 infantry battalions, 4 cavalry regiments, 12 field and 3 mitrailleuse batreries) the French must defend the ridge against the Germans.
By this stage the Germans too have suffered loses and of the eight divisions of Third Army nearby only three are fully organised and available to attack, with ample artillery. To represent the fire support that the Germans were able to provide from across the Sauerbach they can fire from off table as far a 1000mm on table, but at a slightly reduced rate of fire to on table units. In all the Germans have 38 battalions and 22 batteries and must drive the French from the ridge. Although they are weaker in battalion numbers their battalions are larger than the French battalions and two French divisions are already carrying losses.
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| Just after kick-off... |
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| The Bavarians move forward |
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| The French left moved to counter the Bavarian advance |
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| At the opposite end of the field the XI Corps move on Elsasshausen |
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| The Bavarians in perfect order... |
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| ...with the V Corps on their left. |
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| Pellé's division has filled the gap between Raoult and Conseil-Dumesnil, and faces off against V Corps |
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| The French Reserve artillery, all eight batteries appear, top centre on the table edge. |
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| V Corps's advance is stalling... |
Here come the cuirassiers...two brigades...four regiments...
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| The first regiment slams into the flank of a Bavarian battalion...and breaks it. |
The second regiment charged another battalion that quickly formed square (yes there are instances of both French and Prussian units forming square in 1870)...and against the odds broke the square...!
They then broke through onto another battalion...
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| And broke it too! |
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| The left hand Bavarian brigade was in a grim position and the other brigade, on their right, was under severe pressure as Durcrot's Brigade pressed forward. |
To the left of the German line V and XI Corps struggled to make headway
I originally set end time at 3:00 PM, but the game was at such a dramatic moment I let it run another half hour.
In the end the French held their position. Marshal MacMahon was very pleased...
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