One Hour Wargames Campaign: The Eighth Battle - Flank Attack!

With the campaigning season coming to a close, the Duchy of Bluehofen launches a desperate flank attack on the Principality of Redsteinerberg in an attempt to place themselves in a favorable position to win "The Pig War."  Will Redsteinerberg hold the hill?

The scenario is based on King Frederick the Great's famous victory at the Battle of Leuthen t which Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian force commanded by Prince Charles of Lorraine and Count Leopold Joseph von Daun. The victory ensured Prussia control of Silesia during the Third Silesian War (part of the Seven Years' War).

 The view of the battlefield from the south.

 The battlefield from the north.  Which army exclusively holds the large hill at the end of the battle will win; anything else is a draw.

This will be the largest battle of the campaign so far with each army controlling nine units.  Both armies will have the same forces: 2 Artillery, 4 Infantry, 2 Cavalry and 1 Skirmisher.

The forces of Redsteinerberg.

Before we get on with the battle report, I just want to highlight the dismounted dragoons that come with Zvezda's  Dragoons of Peter 1.  The box of 1/72 scale figures come with 19 figures and 16 horses - including 9 dismounted dragoons!  I am not the greatest modeler in the world and the red spray paint I used on the figures covers some of the detail, but these are the greatest additions I have seen to a box of dragoons yet.  The box of Swedish counterparts also come with dismounted dragoons.

 Skirmishers for the Army of Redsteinerberg.

Horse holder! 

To start the battle all of the forces of Redsteinerberg must be on the large hill in the north facing south. For Bluehofen, 1/3 of their army must be on the small hill in the south facing north and 2/3's of the army will be on the east flank facing west.  Bluehofen moves first in a surprise flank attack.

 The battle starts with a thunderous cavalry charge . . .

 . . . while the Bluehofen artillery bombards the Redsteinerberg infantry line.  Note the Redsteinerberg Infantry unit in reserve - they are learning!

 Initial cavalry attacks inflict little damage while the Redsteinerberg skirmishers decide to clear the Bluehofen skirmishers from the woods.

 In a surprise move, Redsteinerberg goes on the offensive and also sends forces against the Bluehofen artillery. Remember, the objective of the battle is to hold the large hill.

 The Bluehofen artillery with supporting infantry.

 Bluehofen holds their infantry in reserve and let their cavalry take care of the Redsteinerberg attack.

 Overview of the battle and the attack on the Bluehofen artillery.  The lone Redsteinerberg Infantry regiment is getting hammered by musketry and artillery.

 The Bluehofen cavalry breaks up the attack.

 Now what?  The Redsteinerberg generals realize that their army is spread out and Bluehofen is preparing to launch an assault.

 The Bluehofen musketry starts to gang up on individual units and eliminates them one by one while the cavalry keeps the pressure on.

 While the attack on the small hill is repulsed and the Redsteinerberg forces eliminated, they realized they should have never split their forces as the Redsteinerberg infantry is eliminated and the last of the artillery is overrun.

 Save the guns!

"See this cavalry?  I should have never sent my infantry and other cavalry unit to attack the small hill.  It's all over."

An overwhelming victory for Bluehofen.  To quote the Grand Duchess of Bluehofen, "We fought as an army and won."  The score for the campaign is now 8 - 8 with one battle to go to determine the outcome of "The Pig War".