Franco-Prussian War Game

The last time our group played a Franco-Prussian War game was 19 Feb 2017…more than six years ago… before COVID even…is that going to be the new definition of BC from now on given that the religious overtones of the old BC are now frowned upon?

The game saw three French brigades, with a small reserve of some irregulars, defending against five Prussian brigades. The objective was to hold two robust built-up areas: a walled farm more or less central and a solid church on the other side of a river. Whoever held those positions gained two victory points for every turn they held each one and whoever reached 15 points first won - there were points that could  counteract the advantage of holding these areas - losing a brigade would lose points, for example. 

The table before action began with the church objective in the foreground, the walled farm middle in the distance beyond the long ridge.

For my sins I was made the Prussian CinC and reasoning that the churchyard was likely to be unattainable I deployed one brigade in front of it and determined to strike the rest of the French line with four brigades. 

The French put one brigade in and around the church (separated from the main force by the river) and kept two brigades and the reserve along a ridge line and in the walled farm.

Two of our brigades were on the table quickly and prepared for action, but the two following brigades were slow…mine rolled five bad activations  in a row and dawdled towards its deployment zone.

Our left brigade, facing the church was very roughly handled and eventually bundled back across the bridge - it was always going to be a tough ask to take that position, but at least one third of the enemy force was contained there. 

The initial advance of the Prussians against the churchyard. 

One battalion attempts to storm the church yard, but is repulsed

The French Chasseurs held out valiantly against the Prussian onslaught 

To the right of that force the French came forward in an attack that did considerable damage to our lads, but eventually the French were destroyed, but not before our brigade took crippling losses.

The French advance to the attack against the German left centre

The Prussian guns prepare to go into action

The French gunners responded, with little effect.

Finally our other two brigades got into the fight. One battalion carried the farm and successfully repelled attempt to take it back, but our other battalions failed to make headway. Given more time we might have been able to claw back something positive, but the game was called as a French victory.

It was good to see these figures back on the table again after all those years.

And now for some random pictures of the battle.

It was the best of times, it was the wurst of times…

Yes the mis-spelling is deliberate…I couldn’t resist a play on the famous opening from Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.”

This post shows the Perry wurst gun and limber set for my Austrian light brigade. It is a beautiful piece, but a challenge to base up. The whole piece - gun, limber and team -  measures 270mm in length and the longest piece of MDF I had on hand was 250mm. So my first thoughts were to mount the gun, it’s wurst seat and figures on a separate base that could be fixed to the limber with magnets so that the limber could be used separately on the table, but in the end I placed the team and the vehicles turning slightly and I think it gives an interesting twist (no pun intended) to the model. 

Astute readers will note that the lead and wheel drivers are Franz and Hubert who last appeared in my earlier post on the line artillery. In between them is Otto slumped over his pommel thinking, “OMG…I hope he is not going to go on about Kant’s Nebular hypothesis again! I mean surely he knows that all Kant’s hypotheses are based on that crazy theory that the earth is round, when any thinking man knows it’s flat.”

Meanwhile at other end of the vehicle, the gunners are taunting Norbert, the long suffering NCO, who is the focus of their jokes.

“Come on Norbie” they say, “climb up on the wurst seat with us”.

“I’m telling you,”  Norbert says, sounding very much like Michael Caine, “I am not going in the front again!”

“But it’s better up front than down here at the back where I am,” says Ludwig, “directly over the axel and I feel every bump and jolt!”

“I wish I had stayed with the foot artillery,” Norbert grumbles.

They aren’t a happy bunch these Austrians gunners, but when the action calls they are an efficient crew, as seen here as they are loading their piece.

Regiment Froon Completed

Over the weekend I have finished off the Third Battalion, Regiment Froon.

I have to admit that these 36 figure battalions are a bit of a marathon compared to my usual 18 or 24 man units. But they are done.

And here is the whole regiment with three line battalions and one landwehr (back left).

Next on the painting table is another artillery unit, as a bit of a break from all that white.

Austrian Field Artillery

 Fresh off the painting table is the first of the Austrian Napoleonic artillery.

This set is a 6lb field gun and limber. 

As with most Perry artillery sets this is full of animation and again I like that brown coat.

The limber set is equally animated with the lead driver turning in the saddle and following on from my last post, what is the conversation?  My take is:

Franz: “I’ve just finished reading Immanuel Kant’s Nebular hypothesis. He thinks that the Solar System was formed by a big gas cloud called a Nebula.”

Hubert: “Kant…his brother is a brewer isn’t he?”

Franz: “Yes.”

Hubert: “I hope there is beer in camp to night.”

Franz: “Me too.”

Next it is back to the line infantry.

Austrian High Command

These three are the high command for my Austrians.

Before basing…

…and then on their final basing.