1870 - Mars macht mobil, bei Arbeit, Sport und Spiel!

Aah, I had this a long time coming! I always wanted a new project for 2016, with more gallant, but useless cavalry charges, splendid uniforms, grandeur scenarios, but still black powder era somehow ... so I inspired (or better infected), some club mates with the idea of 10mm 1870 - Franco Prussian War!

Now I know that this is a bit like lottery, the chances that all have their little armies ready at the same time, but then this is more of a longer personal project. Always wanted to paint Pickelhauben! Soon many chimed in and trumpeted which army/corps they are going to paint (just like on a farmers cow market) ordering lead in in the kilos. 

I decided not to hurry and to go for the Prussian Cavalry. A beauty to look at, and what better division to go for that the 5th Rheinbaben – the Death ride chaps!

Its still not finished, the famous Brunswicker Skull Hussars and the big man himself v. Rheinbaben, the cornflower blue Dragoons and the Artillery limber are missing/in the making. 

Maybe I‘ll go for the complete 2nd Army, that way I get to paint the Garde division. I don't care if they didn't fight in their parade uniforms, if their is a chance to field beautiful uniforms, one has to grab it! ....

I have not a clue what French counterpart / army I should take on as well ...

Any suggestions?

1 stand, Gen. Leut. Baron v. Rheinbaben 5^th Div: – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Barby, 11^th Cav Brig:

2 stands, Westphalian Cuirassier Reg, N^o 4 – Done!

2 stands, 1^st Hanoverian Uhlan Reg, N^o 13 – Done!

2 stands, Oldenburg Dragoon Reg, N^o 19 – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Bredow, 12^th Cav Brig :

2 stands, Magdeburg Cuirassier Reg, N^o 7 – Done!

2 stands, Altmark Uhlan Reg, N^o 16 – Done!

2 stands, Schleswig-Holstein Dragoon Reg, N^o 13 – still to be done!

Gen. Major v. Redern, 13^th Cav Brig:

2 stands, Magdeburg Hussar Reg, N^o 10 – Done!

2 stands, 2^nd Westphalian Hussar Reg,  N^o 11 – Done!

2 stands, Brunswick Hussar Reg,  N^o 17 – still to be done!

2 stands, Attached Horse Artillery, 5^th Div – WIP!

P.S. sorry for the static grass mess, they are all fresh from the paint block!

The Prussian Reverse around 1759 the beginning of Carnival

We agreed to play Seven Years War with the help of Honours of War, as the first game of the year!

Angus and Donald kindly provided (and played) some Rhineland soldiers fighting for  the Archbishop and some Bavarians and Austrians and all sort of Kleinstaat-Kluterei. Dave Imrie bailed out because of a man flue and so I had to bring just gabbions as the Reichsarmee needed a bit of a bolster against all those Prussians, provided and played by Jack, Bill and Brian.

We were still "learning" the rules as the overaged Prussian command seem to drag along with the movement. I had a little fun with the left flank, but soon the superior Prussian guns pounded TWO regiments away (in one round!!!).

In the Centre the advance was steady but just got halted by our fierce "inferior" gun fighting. On the right flank, I didn't pay attention, what Derek took so long, but he thwarted the Prussian attack there the main thing. Then towards the end Jack tried his version of cavalry warfare, tip toeing next to the woods and then getting counter charged and beaten. And it was just due to my superior strategic delay tactics and that I rolled better than him with my inferior cavalry (In the Rhineland we usually eat horses nevermind riding them!) against his Prussian Death Hussars. Hah! Take that!

Every Prussian should know, never mess with the Rhinelanders, or else we invent carnival or cavalcade you to death.

In the end the Prussians couldn't really find their footing and proceeded their single and uncoordinated attacks, which we dealt with each individually. The initial development wasn't inspiring and the whole conduct of the opposite generals was very un-prussian and non-frederizian.
Hey, but thats how we Rhinelanders can manage to win and proceed with the drinking! ;)

The enemy line

Cavalry attack and counter charge

The initial deployment (more or less)

The Reichsarmee gun battery.

... even turns later in my sector the enemy did not avdance very quickly

Jack sents his Cavalry in

the Attack of the mid-field is in full swing

The clash of the Horse!

Finally the Prussians are coming!

The Mainzer Battery

...what was left of the Prussian Cavalry attack

The rest!

What I've been up to lately ... WIP

... some generic French Gendarmes, the horn blower from Uri and some pavises for Angus' Serrenissimost army ...

Battle a la Garigliano, 29 December 1503

This was to be my last game in this year, so I looked for a kind of a cosy winter battle for our little Christmas bash and found Garigliano (1503). A retreating battle of an sickened French army attacked and defeated and driven before them by the Spanish under the great de Cordoba (maybe with heavy rain, wet powder and an ailing French rump army ... hmm we will see) . The Spanish would split forces and in a pincer movement attack the weakened French in their camp.

As we don't have Spanish (Yet!!), I took my Landsknechts (all Habsburg anyway in the end), I also reduced the Castellos Suio, Castelforte and Traietto to mere hills with gabbions and switched the two Habsburger commander. Bart got the Imperial high command as De Cordoba (staff rating 9) and the southern half of Andrades army, while I (as Andrade or Mendoza) overslept the night march and attacked Suio in the north at daybreak.

I also refrained to weaken the French troops any further as a very grumpy Angus thought he was out numbered and out-manouvered right from the start. He had to play the French, because we loved it.

The start was a bit slow as Bart suddenly decided to start off table (??) and we had some difficulties to cross the little Garigliano River. My flank attack on the French crossbow position on "Castle" Suio was, to say the least, abysmal, if not out right uncoordinated. I attacked with my light horse the French archer and got very badly beaten and whittled down by bolts and guns powder ...

On the other side, Bart tried to save the day by an all out cavalry attack, destroyed some of the French feared men-at-arms, but crucially not all, not the Gendarmes. The rest of his Horse battalia had to withdraw and rally, while heavy losses occurred form the French Basilisks (heavy artillery) and Swiss halberdiers.
The day had shown a total reversal of history. We had to end the battle, but it was clear that the French had won the day and we could be lucky if the gendarmes would not follow us over the river ...

Still it was an immensely enjoyable game (and year).

Angus Rap:
http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20113.htm
Bart's Rap
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/garigliano-1503.html

Merry X-mas to you and everybody and all the club mates (SESWC) and a wonderful new year to come!

... maybe Santa is bringing some more lead ...

The Merry Christmas fun at the Garigliano crossing on the road to the Traietto camp

The Imperials at the Garigliano River

The French camp

The attack of the Arquebusiers on Suio ...

... with Angus Landsknechts unit (each figure took a year to finish)

Suio and its cool south french defenders

the French archer are coming!

The Swiss centre a display of vulgar aggression

The clash of the Gendarmes

..and its final winner - The French

at Suio nothing has changed apart from decimating the Spanish/Imperials

The Landsknechte are pushing forward

the Swiss still blurred in the faint distance

some fearless Doppelsöldner are attacking the Scharfmetze

somehow a concert of an attack looks different

Still the Swiss are standing in defiance.

Much Funken around Liliane shortly after 1758

At the time of the Seven Years War somewhere in the middle of Nordrhein-Westphalen (i.e. nowhere), Angus came up with an meticulously researched occurence around the north German settlements called Liliane und Funken and we embellished the table top accordingly.

On the "Schäl"side (a crypto-rheinlandic diminutive, meaning always the east-side of said river) was His Britannic Majesty's Army led by Bart, adjudantiert by myself and Herr Campbell, where as on the right side the French came along led by anyone of the following Monsieurs: Angus, Tim or Bill. Who in the end, was in charge of the lot I dare not say, as they did not move a lot. All Gentlemen agreed on the terms and conditions of the "Honours of War" by Osprey-hausen.

The objectives where the capture of the villages. Beverages were served and so we were promptly able to advance.

Me and Campbell pressed forward and got a foothold in both settlements successfully. Despite massive Royal shelling of our good Fusileers we took it on the chin, hold out and pressed onwards.

Against our superior Hessian musketry the French invaders were powerless and their lines melted away like bacon in a hot pan. Our plan, we never had, worked just fine.

The rules are quick to learn and quickly you do learn that fire power can harm you – a lot. Never the less a beautiful evening, albeit tactical a bit stiff, we all agreed to intensify our efforts to learn about the Honours of War.

Angus's rap:

http://www.edinburghwargames.com/Journal%20113.htm
Bart#'s rap:
http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-battle-of-liliane-funcken-1758.html

The French centre

The Hessian von Mirbach Brigade captures Liliane

THE Formidable Hessian Grenadiers

Some Brittanic Cavalry that got lost in the garden

Still the French Centre, not much of a difference

View from the top of Funken, The Hessian Jaeger are coming!

His Britannic Majestiy's Army advances 

Liliane is under threat from some French rabble ... 

But the attack is countered and the counter-counter attack is smashed 

The French fire gallantly, all they can do ...

The beautiful cavalry just standing around

Funken and Liliane are finally ours!