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Schlacht
im Bayern
Wargaming
the 300th Year Anniversary of
the
War of the Spanish Succession
A
fictitious battle in Bavaria to game test rules written for wargaming large
battles in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Click
on the photographs for a larger image.
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The
Imperial Army attacks two towns in Bavaria. This game was primarily set
up to provide a couple of villages that allows us to play test rules designed
for quick and easy resolution of large scale village attacks such as those
that occurred on the battlefield of Blenheim.
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This is not specifically set up as a blow
by blow account of the battle, but more to show some highlight photographs
of a game played over 5 hours. The rules used a fast play concept that
allow large battles to be played in a shorter period of time than some
of the more detailed sets available - but still provide a period flair. |
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The map shows the game board - set up
on a 12 ft by 6 ft table. Two villages and a farm complex form the Franco
Bavarian front, the right being an impassable river, and the left (at the
table edge) being steep impassable foothills.
The set up positions were provided, and
the troops laid out prior to commencement of the battle. Each side was
allowed some repositioning. |
The
battle began with an assault across the entire front by the Imperial army.
The two armies were each divided into 8 commands with five players per
side. The Allied Victory Condition was to break 4 Franco Bavarian
commands before losing 4 of its own commands. Additionally, the allies
could force a general retreat of the Franco Bavarians by capturing either
Rechtsdorf or Mittedorf. Upon the capture of either village, the Franco
Bavarian commander would roll a D6 for each village lost and each command
lost -each turn - until a "12" total was rolled - at which point their
entire army retreats off table. The Franco Bavarian Victory Condition
is to simply prevent the allies from achieving theirs. |
As
might have been expected, Mittedorf was immediately attacked. Sixteen battalions,
densely packed up into a narrow front smashed into the defenses. The mass
of battalions began to lap around the sides of the village. The French
commander's dilemma was whether to commit the Irish Brigade and it nine
battalions (on the hill behind Mittedorf) to bolster the defense of the
village, or keep them in reserve. That reserve would be essential if the
allied cavalry were able to break the French and Bavarian cavalry on either
side of the village. Holding the village would be pointless if it became
surrounded. |
To
the right of Mittedorf, the eight French battalions were brought forward
to the road and held the German battalions facing them at bay, preventing
the village from being surrounded. However, these were eventually pushed
back and the right battalions of center allied foot. and the reserve from
the right were brought onto the flanks of the village.
Great casualties were inflicted on the
attacking Prussian division and twice they entered and contested the possession
of the village, but twice they were forced back out.
The French battalions, especially the three
of Dauphin took tremendous casualties, but still the held their positions |
Meanwhile,
on the Franco Bavarian left, the four squadrons of dismounted dragoons
that started in the farm area were pushed back out of the farm. However,
the Bavarian division stormed off the hill and engaged the Imperials in
a fierce fire-fight lasting several hours - but slowly, the Imperials were
pushed back out of the farm complex. Both division appeared close to breaking,
but still, both held on. Another
view
The cavalry battle to the right of this
melee was see-saw of chargers, counter charges, retreats and recoveries
that flowed back and forth across several hundred yards of battlefield. |
The
assault on Rechtsdorf took longer to drive home than that of Prussians
at Mittedorf. The twelve Hanoverian and four English battalions made their
way across the plain. Two batteries of eight medium guns had been sent
across the river on a bridge of boats and made their way up the right bank
with the hope of inflicting some preparatory damage on the defenses. However,
these took so long to get into place, the commander decided to press home
his assault on the village.
This assault faired even worse than that
of the Prussians. The leading English battalions took tremendous casualties
and eventually all were destroyed or broken. After several hours of pounding
away |
the
allied general pulled back the assault and formed into platoon firing lines
and tried to inflict losses by musketry. This had little better effect
and the French battalions continued to hold.
Between the two villages, the allied foot
had forced the French foot to retreat. However, over the course of an hour
or two, this division managed to re-order itself and eventually received
orders to go back on the attack. This, and French cavalry soon forced the
remaining allies to retreat and allowed the crack squadrons of the Gendarmerie
and Squadrons of the Royal Blood to burst out of the center and break the
Hanoverian squadrons opposing them. The French Horse were now free to encircle
the Prussians and Hanoverians assaulting the villages.
Seeing that the allied cavalry to the left
of Mittedorf were not going to break through, the French commander brought
the reserve into the village sealing the fate of the Prussian assault.
This was the First French victory in many
many games and a great day was had by all. |
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Copyright
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Ian Croxall
Salem,
Oregon. USA
SIC
TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI
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