My Metal Meneken

Thursday 30 May 2024

1813 - The Battle of Commandwitz - Fictional Napoleonics

It was Napoleonics again, 28mm, Black Powder 2 (plus some CoE additions) with Bart leading the Duchy of Warsaw and John as his secondant, while me leading two infantry brigades of Austrians and Tim having the honour to play my Prussian brigade for the first time! As this was somehow attached to a certain superstition, he was also in command of the finest cavalry of the day - a heavy cavalry Austrian brigade. 800pts each side, two roads and two forrests (each worth 10 points if held longer than 2 turns) - what could go possibly go wrong!

The French (as I shorten them up here) had their Uhlans on the left flank opposite our formidable Cuirassiers the rest of the lines pretty much infantry and artillery - where the French outnumbered us, but within the rules!

The French moved first and the battle started they shelled us heavily but we formed line. We captured our part of the forrest and so it was a draw point-wise from there onwards. Bart crashed first into the Cuirassiers two time but could not break them. Then Tim charged with the Dragoon veterans (possibly cuirassier light heheh!) AAAAND nearly broke them but Bart was lucky!!! That could have been our victory!

Our centre was pretty much untested the whole time and at the last bit the Prussians even managed to get the French forrest (alas too late to get the points).

On my side, jaegers held the forrest against many heavy bombardements over many turns until they had to with draw. Then the Grenadiers stepped in and held that as well - so no problem on that centre part. The same German brigade deserves a honourable mentioning as the withstood Johns attack for over 5 turns with 3!!! breaktest Shaken - which they dusted off and continued the fight, a true Iron Brigade.

On the other hand my Hungarians (I know its just Germans with shakos, but because of leather boots I'm not investing into metals, no sir!) - as veterans they had Elite 4+, but what use is that if you are NOT MOVING for the first 4 (FOUR) turns!!! Ouch! Greetings from the Austrian shitty command system!

This and Tims exhaustion of the heavy cavalry (I mean he had no other choice, but to do so.) cost us our victory.

Eventually the "Iron brigade" was breaking, there was a limit to what they could possibly bear, and my centre collapsed. Tims Cavalry was shaken and spent - no break through on that flank. And my Hungarians were in the side of Johns Flank but comfortably refused by fresh troops. Tactically a disaster - The woods would have fallen in the next turns and we had 3 lost units vs 1, so even if we had an advantage point wise, we conceded defeat as our position was untenable. Very well done Bart and John!

Initial set up

The Baptism for my Prussian brigade!!

Barts Polnish-French hordes!!!

And 4!!! Uhlan units ...

Just half of my units moved ...

But I reached my goals ...

Johns French didn't move either ...

The Charge of the large heavies - The Austrian Cuirassiers!

And the Large Dragooon Vets ...

The Prussian moved ...

The Cavalry clashed - and Bart just survived!

Retreat and reform ...

The Prussians were steady ...

Then the French advance on the whole line ...

The famous German battalion stood firm - waiting ...

The Grenadiers in the middle ...

The french cavalry attack!

And John attacks the iron brigade!

The Prussians hold the centre ...

Yeah, but the Hungarians ... still eating their gulash ...

I'm halfway in Johns flank, but the Hungarians ... nope ...

The Jaegers got literally shot out of the woods ...

The Prussians under heavy fire ...

Finally the Hungarians are in the flank ...

and the iron brigade stood still ...

The French cavalry attack is defended and counterattacked!

Still the iron brigade stood firm ...

Thjis time the Dragoons try their luck ...

Oh yes they still hold the line!

... and continuing ...

Even to the fifth turn! of combat ...

... But then they broke!!!! Game over!

Surrounded by artillery - we gave up!

Tuesday 28 May 2024

The Battle at Miracle-Ville 1870 - FPW - Big Sunday Game!!!

This Sunday it was 10mm, Franco-Prussian War, Valour & Fortitude PLUS some amended army sheets in the valley of all the most famous wines in the region. Mike was this time fighting for the Prussian King and I was defending Napoleon III.

We played Scharnhorst, the Intro game for Sam Mustafa's game Bluecher to prepare the positions and intros for our little fictional battle. I must say it worked quiet well, first Mikes Prussians were too far too quick into the (mini pre-)game, so he had points more than me, but we didn't played for a campaign. So then I choose the battle field quite wisely thus cancelling out 1 complete Prussian division to enter the battle at all!!

Then I had only 2 colonna on the field while Mikes Prussians had 3, but I outnumbered him 5 to 4 AND my colonnas came in quite quickly and through an outflanking (I had achieved on "Scharnhorst") he had to give up a village already and try to focus on his left flank.

It was a spectacular experience as the size of the table (8x6) really forced us to manouver and to think how we march up to battle. Despite he mentioning multiple times his lack of understanding of the tactics of this particular era, he managed to allocate to me 3 black spots. The overall unit losses were also more on the French side. BUT he could not take the first village on my left flank and would probably have no troops to defend the last village either.

The French just pressed onwards and fired a withering storm of lead into the Prussian lines. The overal transit state of the Prussian tactical position was especially in the centre a mess! Even when the Krupp guns on the hill would take out piece by piece of the French, he lacked the second division to press his advantage.

So after a long fight he conceded defeat - The French would have encircled the Prussians, mon dieu!

Who would have thought that? And I was delighted to prove my point that indeed the French (even with a shitty command system) can win.

The initial set up ... a difficult position indeed!

The Prussians advance ...

And try to refuse the flank ...

But lose the village "Chablis" ...

The cavalry tries to plug the gaps ...

And the Prussian attack on "Moselle" begins ...

But the curse of the Chassepot ...

Continuos firing ...

Forces the Prussians to overcommit in the centre ...

While the French defender fall with Moselle ... too slow ...

Even the Death Skull Hussars can't turn the tide ...

Mosell is becoming a fragile position ...

But the centre becomes a killing field ...

A strategical resounding victory for the French! Vive l'Emperor!

Haarlem Heights 16th September 1776 AWI

It was this time again ... 28mm, BP2, Crown forces featuring Bart and Gun-Maestro Alisdair, while the Rebel forces were led by Tim, Mark and David.

Haarlem Heights was just a skirmish after the retreat out of New York between some reconnaissance forces that led to more and more units involved ... lets see where our protagonists will decide to go with this.

First it started with a standoff between two remarkable different units a Militia and the Light Infantry of his majesty, led by Bart, Tim had no chance. Then the American Continentals had severe difficulites to push through and form a line or flank out the crown forces. In total we could summarize the battle as a twofold struggle of the patriots: To get into position AND to actually do damage (considerable) to the British invaders.

To cut it short like most of the unlucky rebels that came too near the British guns and muskets, it was a resounding victory for the crown. 3 British VPs vs nil!!! All the Americans had to show for was empty beer glasses.

Next time we will revisit the famous battle of the White Plains or better Chatterton Hill as I only have figures for that ... and the rest was a sort of stand off anyway ... ;)