A Bit of Reading

I found this book in a charity shop, snapped it up, and read it straight away.

I cannot say that I learned much new about the developing military technology and its corresponding application. However, I found that the strength of the book was in how Stephen Turnbull took me, as the reader, across Europe and through time to narrate examples of the evolving art of warfare.

From the fall of Constantinople, to the conquest of Granada, past the Italian Wars, through the lowlands, onto Poland and to the Balkans, Turnbull writes of the changes in action.  

The campaigns and individuals are dealt with in a clear fashion without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail.  The biographies of the Chevalier Bayard, de Monluc, de la Noue and Captain John Smith (yes! He of Pocahontas legend) left me waiting to know more... especially about John Smith and his time fighting the Ottoman Turks.

The book has opened up to me an awareness of previously little known conflicts.  If I was made of weaker stuff (thinking of some of my fellow Rejects!!!) I might now be consider a new wargaming project.

Turnbull has not written a great, in-depth tome. Nor do I believe that was his intention. This is perhaps more of a survey over space and time.  And, for me, he has done a great job

Thoroughly enjoyable.

The Battle of Hoch-Zwölf

Steve and I went up against each other in a fictional remote game, via Zoom, using Koenig Krieg rules adapted for hexes.

Not having the figures for the Prussian army, I used my coloured blocks (see also The Battle of On Alti).  Steve commanded the blue Prussian army.  I took charge of the red Austrian army.  Both armies were compiled from my adaptation of the army lists from the Age of Reason ruleset.

It was a time limited encounter. We had a maximum of two and a half hours to play.  So, the battlefield was left open and flat.

The Deployment

Prussians (Steve)
5 line
1 grenadiers
1 mercenary/freikorps
1 jagers
2 dragoons
1 hussar
1 cuirassier
2 medium and 1 heavy artillery

Austrians (Me)

3 line

2 Croats

1 grenadier

1 Hungarian fusilier

2 cuirassiers

1 dragoon

1 hussar

2 medium and 1 heavy artillery

The Battle

My battle plan was to get my superior heavy cavalry, on the left, to throw back the Prussian horse then turn the Prussian infantry flank.  Whilst on the right flank, I aimed to hold and reduce the cavalry threat there.  I was hoping that this would be done before the better Prussian infantry could draw too close to mine.

Both sides advanced with all cavalry quickly cantering into close proximity.
Austrian Croats swarmed forward.  After pushing the Prussian Jagers back they began to harrass the infantry line.

Both centres continued to make a cautious approach towards each other.  Both sides testing the range of their artillery and inducing some nervous tension.  Croats and Jagers continued competing against each other.
On the left, the Prussians decided to trade space for time by withdrawing their cavalry slightly.  Meanwhile, on the right, both cavalry commanders were clearly overcome by martial excitement and charged.

Honours seemed even in the cavalry clash as Prussian dragoons and Austrian hussars were thrown back.  However, the Prussian hussars seized the initiative to thunder into the Austrian flank...

... with devastating consequences for the imperial horsemen!

So far, things were not going to plan!  But at least a regiment of Prussian Freikorps were compelled to retire and reorganise due to Austrian gunnery.

With both flanks still being fought over, there was much to play for.

On the left flank, the Austrians were able to force the issue and bring the Prussian cavalry into contact against their well trained cuirassiers.

Meanwhile, on the right, the Austrian hussar commander barely had enough time to rally and reorganise his troops before having to face the fury of a Prussian charge.

And furious it was!  With great savagery the Austrians were cut down.  The Prussian horsemen now turned towards the imperial flank.

In the centre, increasing artillery fire was starting to nibble at the ranks and morale of both sides with the Croats having had enough and withdrawing to cover and a Prussian line regiment faltering on the left and retiring out of danger.
However, the clash of horse on the left resulted in the Austrian cuirassiers failing to live up to their reputation and forced backwards and showing their tails.

After much action, time defeated both of us.

A Prussian victory was declared.  With one flank now horribly exposed to Prussian cavalry, the other one being contested and increasingly weak, and the Prussian infantry making its presence felt, the Austrian commander declared that, "if this was part of a campaign, I'd withdraw from the field of battle."  And so it ended.

Afterthoughts

That was a lot of fun.  That took 2.5 hours but with questions and rules clarification/explanation it was probably less than two hours of actual playing time.

The outcome was pretty clear.  With one flank turned, there was probably only one likely outcome.

However, I also did a countdown "clock".  Starting on twelve (each side had a 12 strength point army), I took one off the clock with each retreat and loss of melee.  As you can see, the Prussians had 9/12 left on their clock.  The Austrians 6/12.  This seemed to work and I'll try it again.  Koenig Krieg has it's own method for determining victory but I think that it works better with bigger games with more brigades.  Hence my trial with the "clock".

The two army "clocks".

I'm really pleased with the blocks for remote games.  Steve's first reaction on seeing the table was along the lines of, "that's really clear, much clearer than with figures."

All in all, a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

Renaissance Halberdiers... Plus...

A while back, Reject Ray, of Don't Throw a 1, gifted me these halberdiers that he had "lovingly" stored in an ice cream tub.

They look like old Games Workshop Empire models.

A few of the halberds needed repairing and there was a lot of green.  All green in fact!  So, after gluing and some brushwork, here's the result.  Apologies for the dark photos.

Plus...  I acquired some minis from ebay. They were all on individual bases, but well painted to not need any touching up.  I was tempted to break up the blue, but decided to just hoist a flag or two and rebase them.

So, here are the rebased acquisitions.

Arquebusiers.  All Warlord Games Miniatures.

Doppelsoldners.  All Warlord Games Miniatures.

I have 28mm Austrian FRW cavalry currently on the go.  I would like to get them done before moving onto some Italian Wars command stands.

Lucky Find

Whilst escorting my better half on a shopping expedition - and acting as pack horse, I looked in a charity shop and found this for £2.

A swift purchase was duly made.

I will enjoy going through this. I might even pick up some ideas for a possible campaign.