Austro-Prussian War Game

Yesterday we played an Austro-Prussian War game. The scenario was quite straightforward. A Prussian infantry division, supported by a cavalry brigade, a Landwehr infantry regiment plus six batteries from the Corps reserve were sent to secure a railway bridge in Bohemia. Three Austrian brigades, supported by a cavalry brigade and the corps artillery reserve were sent to oppose them.

The armies were organised so that the Prussian battalions consisted of four stands, while the Austrians were three stands. To represent some of the tactical differences, the Prussian Needle Gun infantry would roll one and a half dice per stand when they fired. To represent the Prussian schnellfeur good order infantry could re-roll misses in closing fire. The Austrians has the advantage of rifle range, but had a slower rate of fire (one side per stand). The Prussian landwehr infantry, armed with rifled muskets, had the same rate of fire as the Austrians. The Austrian line infantry were encouraged to make use of attack columns by making it one point more difficult to activate if not formed in column. If the columns got into contact, the full depth of the column cold contribute to the melee. The rules, as usual, were home grown and suit our style of play.

The terrain was pretty straightforward. Looking from the Austrian side, on the right was a stream crossed by a railway line. Near that crossing was a small farm. About one and a half meters to the left, pretty much dead centre of the table, was a small town, laying in the hollow of a shallow valley. Still further left was a walled farm.

The Austrians were on the table at the start of the game with all three infantry brigades near the centre of the table, one slightly to the right of the town with the other two slightly to the left. The cavalry held the extreme left. The Prussians had to march on and were centred near the town

The action began slowly. First because the Prussian troops rolled really badly for their activation and were "tardy" and second because neither side had any artillery in position. That said both sides split their forces into three groups, each aiming to control the three key points on the table: the railway line, the town and the farm on the Austrian left.

The "tardy" Prussians

The Austrian left and centre

The action developed on the Austrian left first, where an infantry brigade and the cavalry brigade faced off against the landwehr regiment and the Prussian cavalry. The initial cavalry tussle proved inconclusive with each side driving back one of each other's regiments before each side pulled back to observe. But the infantry action was more deadly. The landwehr occupied the farm but a powerful assault by the Austrian jagers, supported by two line battalions, drove them out, while two other battalions took care of the other landwehr battalion and then drove up the hill beyond and, despite heavy losses, captured two Prussian batteries there.

Th Austrians asdvance on the left

They carry the farm...

...and attack the Prussian batteries on the hill

The cavalry renewed it tussle and although the Prussian troopers pushed off most of their Austrian counterparts, they were held in check by the Austrian artillery.

The cavalry fight

In the centre the fighting became particularly hot. The Austrian seized the initiative and stormed forward in their assault columns, covered by the jagers. Two Austrian battalions were badly knocked about early by artillery fire and the initial assault by the jagers was stopped short of its target. However, three battalions following the jagers managed to press home the attack and drive back the Prussians in front of them. Two battalions to their right drove forward against a badly battered Prussian battalion and, despite taking heavy fire into their flank, drove the Prussians from the field. The Austrians then struck the second Prussian line which, despite being heavily disadvantaged, held. A desperate fight developed. In the end the Prussians came through the town and struck the rear of the attacking Austrians, all but destroying this Austrian brigade, but they had taken severe losses themselves in doing so.

The Prussians occupy the town

The Austrians move on the town

The Austrians attack in the center

The Austrians on the right made it across the stream and covered the railway. The Prussians on this flank continued to move tardily but when they did finally get into position, their superior musketry began to tell. As the game came to an end it became obvious that the Prussians would eventually gain the upper hand here.

In the end the honours were pretty much even. The Austrians were in good shape on their left, with only a regiment of Prussian cuirassiers left there to oppose them. In the centre the Austrian infantry brigade was wrecked, but the Prussians had suffered heavily too and were in no shape to press forward against the massed Austrian artillery. On the Austrian right, the tardy Prussians had been roughly handled, but were pretty much taking out one Austrian battalion at a time with rifle fire.

The tweaks made to the rules had worked really well and caught the flavour of the period. The Prussian musketry was dominant and by making the battalions four stands it meant that they could outshoot the Austrians two to one in a  stand up fire fight. The Austrian assault columns were also well represented. Against a well-positioned Prussian battalion, they could take terrible losses, but if they did manage to close they could sweep the field. The problem for the Austrians was keeping the momentum going. Only on a few occasions could the Austrians make use of their additional rifle range. 

Fresh Crimean Paint

My summer holiday painting project was the first batch of Crimean War French. 

I have chosen to build Général de division Mayran's First Division from 2nd Corps at the Battle of Tchernaya.  This first batch of figures makes up Général de brigade de Peueux de Lavarande's First brigade, consisting of the 19th Chasseur à Pied Battalion and the 2nd Zouave Regiment.

For the zouaves I chose to use the Perry plastic ACW zouaves. The figures are not quite correct: The water bottle was different, the bayonet should be a sword bayonet rather than a triangular one, the drum should be of the African type (although some sketches show a standard drum) and there is no eagle on the standard pole. These few things I am happy to accept. So I bought one box plus six additional command frames. This gave me enough figures for all three battalions of the regiment. There were even two figures left over to make up the brigade command group.

The entire regiment

Brigade command

I wanted all of the figures to be advancing at slope arms and about one third would have fez, while the remainder had turban.

The First Battalion, 2nd Zouaves

The Chasseur à Pied were from the Great War range.

The 19th Chasseur à Pied battalion

With the same order from Great War I ordered Lord Raglan and his staff, together with Baron Osten-Sacken and his staff.

The Crimean War will take a back seat for a month or two, but when I start again, probably in May, I will split purchases between Russian and French.

Franco-Prussian War Game

Last week we played a Franco-Prussian War game. The scenario was based very loosely on the battle of Borny. The French were in retreat, preparing to cross a major river, when a Prussian force appeared behind them more rapidly than anticipated. Two French infantry divisions turned back to face Prussian corps.

The objective of the Prussians was to secure the road that led off the table toward the river crossing. The French objecitive was to deny the Prussians control of the road.

The terrain was relatively open with two parallel ridges. Between the ridges was a village. 

The French were permitted to deploy 350mm in from the table edge, with the exception of the six batteries of the reserve artillery that had to move onto the table after the first turn. The French chose to deploy on the reverse slope, with a division either side of the road. They chose to bring the reserve artillery on between the divisions, opposite the village.

The Prussians could deploy 300mm in from the table edge. Their divisional artillery could be deployed, but the six batteries of the reserve was in limber. They too chose to deploy either side of the road. The division on the right was to push one brigade through village. The reserve artillery and the cavalry brigade were also assigned here.

The initial Prussian deployment on the right.

The French position to their left, opposite the Prussians show above

For the first turn the French remained concealed behind the ridge, while their reserve artillery arrived on the table. The Prussians, meanwhile, deployed all their artillery while one brigade occupied the village.

The Prussians take the village

On turn two the French reserve artillery rolled into position. At the same time the French divisional artillery came forward to cover the reserve's deployment. This commenced a battle for fire superiority that lasted for the next four turns. At first the French guns held their own against superior numbers, but in the end the numbers began to count and the French batteries were being driven off or destroyed one by one.

With fire superiority achieved the Prussian right hand division prepared to step off. Then a battalion of French chasseurs à pied rushed forward and occupied a small farm on the Prussian flank. The Prussians were compelled to turn three battalions to neutrailise this threat, while the remaining nine battalions advanced.

The Prussian right advances

As the Prussian reached the foot of the ridge, the French pushed to the top of the ridge and opened fire, but failed to halt the Prussian advance. When they attempted to close the French stopped the advance with a second volley then counter attacked and drove back three Prussian battalions. But when the French attepted to push the advance further the Prussian gun mass held them in check.

At that moment the other Prussian division went forward. The brigade on extreme the left was abruptly halted by the French divisional artillery and pushed back, but the right hand brigade, assisted by some battalions from the other Prussian division, forced the French back.

The French right begins to give way

At that moment the Prussians on the right pushed forward again, gaining the flank of the French, driving them back. A large gap was opened in the French centre and the Prussian established themselves in a dominant position astride the road to the bridge. Unable to dislodge the Prussians the French broke off the action.

It was a good game lastng for six hours. It was good to see theses armies out if their boxes, for the first time since November 2012.

Franco-Prussian War Infantry Formations

Following on from a query on the Miniatures Page, I have included some illustrations of typical Prussian infantry formations in the Franco-Prussian War.

The first image shows the formation taken by the 9th Bavarian Regiment, covered by the 6th Jägers, prior to their advance into the woods opposite Langensoultzbach at the Battle of Froeschweiller. It shows three companies of the jägers in the advance (the fourth company was detached to support the artillery) led by a chain of skirmishers formed by one platoon from each of the companies, with the remaining two platoons formed 100m to the rear in company lines. Two hundred metres further to the rear were the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 9th Bavarian Regiment in line of companies, with the three platoons formed one behind the other. A further 200m back came the the 3rd battalion, in double column of companies, sometimes referred to as column of companies by half battalion.

The second image shows the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 37th Regiment formed in double column of companies astride the Woerth-Soultz road with the, 4th company from 1st battalion attached.

In the third image the deployment of the 41st brigade is shown with the 1st and 3rd battalions of the 87th Regiment in the front and the 1st and 2nd battalions of the 80th Regiment to the rear. All the battalions are formed in double column of companies.

This image shows the Geman movement around Morsbronn. The two battalions of the 32nd Regiment are deployed forward as a heavy skirmish line with supports to the rear, while the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the 94th are formed in double column of companies to the rear. Three companies from the 80th Regiment are behind the 94th.

This final image shows the French 20th Chasseurs at Rezonville with an odd mix. The 1st company is in the skirmish line with 2nd, 4th and 5th behind in line, while the flanks are reinforced.

It should be noted that the use of the column of companies was generally only used to approach the point of combat, but it was a very common practice and the Germas Staff History is riddled with such references. There are examples of the French infantry attacking in this formation, but rarely did the Gemans remain in column once they came under small arms fire. To do so was quite against their tactical  doctrine.

Further Reading

There is no one book (that I have found) that gives a clear description of the formations of the Franco-Prussian War, but there is ample information on the subject if you are prepared to read some of the more obscure works out there. All of the works referred to here can be found in the Internet Archive.

A good place to start is the Geman Staff History The Franco-German War. It is heavy going and dreadfully biased (it is the victors writing a victorious history afterall), but it does describe the action often down to company level. 

The French Staff History La Guerre de 1870-71 is equally vaulable, not only because it contains the original reports of the various commanders, but also because if offers a critique. The downside of this work is that it is very difficult to read.

Boguslawski's Tactical Deductions from the War of 1870 is worthwhile, but doesn't go down into the detail that we wargamers often seek.

Henri Bonnal's Froeschwiller and La Manoeuvre de St Privat (from which the images here are drawn) are good sources, as is Lehautcourt's monumental 7 volume Histoire de la Guerre de 1870

Ardant du Picq's Battle Studies Ancient and Modern is worthwhile, but was published before the introduction of the Chassepôt and the change of French drill.

Helvig's Tactical Examples is interesting. Although it provides insight asto how units approached specific situations, it was published several years after the war.

Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen's Letters on... provides much discussion, but there is a fair amount of hero worshiping going on and needs to be read with a degree of caution.

De Lonlay's Français et Allemandes... is a colourful read, but not totally reliable.

The Count for the Year

Well it is the last day of the 2014 and I have finished the year by making four small Masai houses for the WWI in East Africa. This is part of a planned Boma that I hope to have finished by the time I go back to work on 5 January.

With those four buildings, 15 Franco-Prussian French infantry and nine Austro-Prussian Austrian hussars completed in the last couple of days (the latter two items had been sitting around in a partly finished state for some months), it is time to tally up all of the hobby work for the year, and what a busy year it has been - possibly the busiest for ten years or more.

Since my last tally in July, the count of new items completed is:

Ten bases of woods, around 5.6 metres of hedges, a large farm house, 4 x Masai huts, 4 x kopjes, 37 x British Crimean guardsmen, 58 x Crimean Highland infantrymen 4 x Crimean mounted officers, two Crimean British guns and 8 crew, 72 x Russian Crimean infantry, 33 Franco-Prussian French Infantry, 9 Austro-Prussian War Austrian hussars, 2 x scratch built Krupp 4.7inch howitzers, 20 x gabions, 4 x Russo-Japanese Russian field guns (each with five crew), 6 x Russo-Japanese Japanese field guns (each with three crew).

This gives a grand total for the year of:

464 foot figures

45 mounted figures

23 guns or HMG models

16 scratch built vehicles or weapons

37 scratch built buildings

28 1:600 scale ships (complete with that cursed rigging)

64 pieces of terrain

5.6 meters of hedges

First Crimean Russian Infantry Completed

On Christmas Eve I completed the first of my Crimean Russians. Seventy two figures that make up the Azov Regiment. I must say that Russians are remarkably easy to paint, since the are all in greatcoat, but they become a bit monotonous when there are 72 to paint. The next purchase will be the first two battlions of the next Russian regiment, as well as a battalion of French line infantry and one of chasseurs to get some variety. Then the order after that will complete both the Russian and French line regiments.

By then I am hoping that Tsuba miniatures will have the Japanese cavalry ready for purchase, and I can finish the Russo-Japanese arimies.

Two battalions of the regiment

The whole regiment in column of battalions, two battalions abreast

Russian Napoleonic Command

Recently saw on fellow Kiwi wargamer Roly Hermans' blog, "Dressing the Lines", his article about the Foundry British and French Napoleonic command groups (https://arteis.wordpress.com/2014/11/09/napoleon-and-wellington-with-their-respective-staffs/) and I was reminded that I had a set of the Perry Russian Borodino command set that I bought on a whim a couple of years back, and were now stacked away in a box somewhere, painted but not based.

So since I am waiting for my order of Russian Crimean infantry to arrive, I thought that it was time I based it up. After a brief search I found the set of eight figures in a box with some other forgotten friends and set about sorting out the base. Here is the result (sorry the photos could be better).

Front and centre is, of course, Kutuzov, with his map spread before him on a drum. To the right of him following the general's pointing finger, is the Artillery Chief, General Koutaissov, while the cavalry commander, General Ouvarov looks on.

In the group below Quartermaster Colonel Toll discusses something with the British observer General Wilson, watched by General Osterman-Tolstoy. 

While below General Barclay de Tolly is pointing out to something to Kutuzov's Chief of Staff, General Yermolov.

Who knows, this might even inspire me to build that Russian Napoleonic army I have been thinking of.