My Metal Meneken: 1870 - Night falls at Kicheren III

Wednesday 9 June 2021

1870 - Night falls at Kicheren III - Franco-Prussian War

This is the conclusion of the fictitious battle at Kicheren, 1870 (10mm, Black Powder plus amends) at the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, where Campbell (as Prussian) last time (https://meneken.blogspot.com/2021/06/1870-bloody-noses-at-not-so-kicheren-ii.html) got stuck in the killing zone of the chassepots and had to stall his attacks. Bart kept to his strategy rather not to let the Krupp guns shot him down, than attack or move his guns within range, and there fore into the Krupp killing zone.

Both had licked their wounds, and the last ammunitions were being distributed, the cavalries were exhausted - now something had to give. Campbell advanced with his guns and picked more and more at Barts infantry and guns, and that started to hurt. At some point Bart did some countercharges, we had some exchanges, more death rides, and finally two miscalculated charges, that would cost him the victory, albeit the tactical, as the Prussians were running out of ammo as well!!!

The literally last charge of an healthy Prussian reserve regiment on a French guards position, which was beaten up by Krupp guns earlier, was sending the guards into the ground. The French flank was open, the French centre was just consisting of a few guns... the end was near and as the gentle night had thrown a blanket of mercy over the slaughter ... we concluded the battle as a minor Prussian victory and over.

Campbells cavalry outnumbered the French, but most of it was, like his right (soft) flank, disordered and in no form to chase anything.

Plus most of his guns were silent now, as just few of them had ammunition. He kept the ammo for the last long-ranger in his assortment of Krupps. But he had one foot in the door/on the line that the French so valiantly defended for so long until they attacked.

Bart/the French was/were in no better condition: his guns most out of ammo or destroyed, almost all his cavalry gone, with only his left flank more or less in tact - they would have made a retreat over night.

So congratulations to both, first Campbell for an excellent victory, you finally managed to break Barts flank, and as well, to Bart for holding out so long and fighting a cavalry fight against all odds for so long. If he wouldn‘t have recklessly committed two final charges (the last charge syndrome), we concluded he might had won the day ... but he didn‘t. And yes, it was an attrition battle in the end.

We all agreed we had lots of fun and next time, Bart maybe gets my Prussians pretending to be Bavarians, as he dislikes playing Prussians (good for me for the Seven Years War, hehe), while Campbell gets the French guard ... next time when we play 10mm that is ...