1758 - Combat at Gross-Mühlwitz - the Prussians cannot retreat

It was time again for a brutal 28mm, Seven Years War battle (fictional) using our collections  (Barts Saxons and my Prussians and Austrian cavalry) and my home rules "Seven Years". Tim joined Bart on the Austro-Saxon side while Alisdair and me fought for Frederick II.

A classical fighting retreat scenario:

The Prussian stole some heavy guns (thus low on ammo, 1d3 shots) from the Saxons and made it to a camp near the bridge of Gross-Mühlwitz (exit for the Prussian camp waggons if needed). Unfortunately the Saxons caught a depeche rider and planned a surprise attack - thus got the first move after the Prussians deployed. The heavy guns would be 2 Victory point, the camp hut 1 each (but could be converted into waggons to flee) and each killed unit (or retreating off the table) would be 1 VP - what could go possibly wrong.

So Bart got all his Infantry on the centre and the bridge side to shell and advance, while Tim had all the cavalry and attacked sharp the outnumbered Prussians hussars. The tactical question was how long would you fire the siege guns and when would you start to retreat with them, as it would be "staff officer costly".

As I pressed Alisdair into the role of general, he has to take the complete responsibility (obviously) for his decision to stay and shoot the attack to the ground... which never happened, because I rolled SHIT!!! Then we packed up the big guns only to be hit in the flank by the light cavalry of the Saxons claiming 4VP in one turn only. The rest was done while we slowly retreated we got pummeled by the Saxons guns and lost regiment by regiment.

The Prussians just cannot retreat apparently.

We salvaged one siege gun and 4 camp waggons (6VP) at the end and had 1 enemy unit killed! Bart and Tim had two siege guns destroyed  (4VP) and 5 units killed or destroyed = 9 VP vs 7 VP = clear Austro- Saxon victory!!! Congratulations both, a deserved victory! The retreat would have probably not gotten any more messy, but the chances to kill or destroy a Saxon unit were shrinking towards zero.

The initial Prussian set up and the general deployment of the Saxons

Tims en-masse cavarly

And my dragoons to defend

The two siege guns with half the ammo

The Saxons advance!

The Prussians on the left advance as well ...

The two armies in shooting distance on the second turn

the cavalry on the right more or less holds the flank

but the big guns are out of ammo now!

and the Saxon cavalry attack destroyed them in the same turn - decisive!

More and more Prussian line suffer under the unchallenged Saxon guns

Some fire fighting  starts

My right flank retreats under casualties!!

The Austrian Cuirassiers close behind me ...

Half the hill is empty already

The grenadiers just moved around

not really hitting or destroying much

Finally the other cavalry arrives but the damage was done

Flank saved - guns already destroyed

Prussians cuirassiers get repulsed

But repulse the Austrians as well ...

a passee on my flank that gives us time to retreat

First Saxons on the hill

Lines are crumbling

holding out gun fire is never a good tactic

Unchallenged Saxons guns wreck havoc

even the camera man hastily packs up

The death toll 9vs 7 Victory point for the Austro- Saxonians

The quick scenario set up