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Wargaming the Seven Years War with 40mm miniatures, done by: Johann-Peter Scheck and Anselm Scheck

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Short Battle: France - Russia


Yesterday evening my neighbour and friend Robert and his son Luis were here to know more about our hobby of wargaming and wanted to play a short battle. They aren´t wargamers, but Robert is Master Sergeant in the German Bundeswehr. So it was easy to explain him our gaming rules. During the battle he presented himself very serious in manoeuvring and absolutely cruel with the ennemy...

We deployed our armies in the short sides of the terrain not to use the whole latitude of the field and placed several hedgerows imitating the East-european landscape how it is be found in Moravia, Silesia, Pommerania.
I leaded the Russians wit 4 regiments of infantry and 4 regiments of cavalry- Robert the French with 6 regiments of infantry and 3 regiments of cavalry.

Russians in the foreground, French in the background




My first attack was formed by two spearheads of cavalry to break the week parts of the ennemy´s deployment (heavy cavalry used the street, the lightblue hussars the field). The artillery prepared the movement by some hot volleys of 6 pdr-guns.

Russian cavalry attacking in spearhead formation: Archangelsk dragoons and Jelisawetski Ulans (bottom), yellow Charkowski hussars and lightblue Slobodski hussars.
Russian cavalry attack (view from above) - the French dithered, unsure what will happen. The regiment Commissaire Général did a bow (bottom left).

Then the French reaction: the Mousquetaires du Roi launched a counterattack, supported by artillery fire.

I a second step, the French closed their ranks and prepared themselfs to buffer the attack - with some success.

The Swiss regiment "Lochmann" suffered under some hits, but did not wave..

Same scene, total view: the French benefit from their superior number of infantry - and the reserves.
just a funny impression - because of the lack of good light in the basement, a little bit blurred.. 
Russian artillery firing from the background. Left side: the secret howitzer "Shuwalow" from Manske

Robert was very nervous, as the Russian Ulans broke his defending lines and circumvent the French on the left side. The French regiment Orléans could not stop them. In the next two moves, the Ulans circuit the ennemys´ lines and attack the French artillery from behind. Great shock for the French, because their general is in danger!


French counterattack on the left side. Funny is the mix of Sash and Saber figures (Auvergne, center) with some Nürnberger Meisterzinn (Royal, bottom left), Prince August (Piemont, center left) and Manske (Permski, top).

The battlefield was tattooed by fire and destructions.. on the right the Russian Manske-Grenadiers forwarded. They prepared already the hand grenades... 

Great victory for the Russians: the Ulans captured 2 24-pdr. mortars (center) and bombed the French lines from behind. Quel terreur!!
But, after nearly 2,5 hours of wargaming, the Russians gave up. The tactic with a fast cavalry attack between the French ranks was impressing, but not enough effective: Russian cavalry lost 80% of its troups by passing the 3 ranks of the French army.
The captured mortar did some hits, but not more. The French general, target of a the Ulan´s capturing command, escaped to the left side.
The French reorganized their infantry and moved on left flank forward against the weeker Russian lines. So, if we had continued the game, 1 hour later the Russians had to move back and defend the rest of the army - 4 French regiments against 1,5 Russian regiment.

As gentlemen in wargaming, the Russian general send his greets to Monsieur le French Général and withdrawed.

A nice game and a good test of the new gameboard.


14 comments:

  1. Atmospheric looking game ! - very good indeed

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  2. Looks great and sounds like fun. Thanks for sharing.
    -Ross

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  3. Yes! The table and armies look great. It sounds like the game was great fun too.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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  4. Very nice battle, I really enjoy the fields and the figures!

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  5. A splendid introduction to the hoby for Robert.A great set up !

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  6. Thanks, gentlemen - I am so glad about all your comments! I will post news overnext week - I am on a trip to China to our partner university in Qingdao.
    Greets
    Monseigneur

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  7. Super looking game, new terrain mat and all your figs - great ensemble

    -- Allan

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  8. And also it is very good to see the cruel, ruthless and victorious opposing general when he had cause to be a bit nervous. The smiles I see make up for any blurriness on the field. Very good battle.

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  9. Sir may I nominate you and your inspiring blog for the Liebster Blog Award
    http://tinsoldieringon.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Dear Mosstrooper, I am ravished aboout this honour and will accept this unexpected Award. I thank you deeply. I don´t really know what to do now except to nominate 5 most inspiring blogs, isn´t it? I hope I can come up to that rightly..
      Monseigneur

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  10. Did Robert become a war-gamer as a result of this impressive first battle for him? What fun!

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