"An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, and fights as a team. This individual hero stuff is gobble-gook. The sickly misbegotten who write that stuff for the Krucken Samstag Abend Post don't know any more about real battle than they do about making schnitzel. And we have the best army, we have the finest food and equipment. Warum, bei Gott, I actually pity these Bluhofeners we are going up against." Prince Leopold addressing the army of Redsteinerberg on the eve of the Battle of Dassel upon returning from his grand tour.
To catch everyone up the current score in the campaign is Bluhofen: 6 and Redsteinerberg: 4. After 3 straight victories, for the first time in the war, the forces of the Grand Duchy of Bluhofen have entered Redsteinerberg and are looking for a crossing over the Warnow River near the town of Dassel. The Redsteinerberg army has been ordered to hold the strategic bridge over the Warnow . . . unfortunately he is unaware of a ford over the Warnow east of the town.
The battlefield looking from the southeast. The ford is in the east, the bridge in the west and the town of Dassel just over the bridge.
The battle is based on Scenario 12 - An Unfortunate Oversight from One-Hour Wargames, by Neil Thomas. The objective of the battle is to be in exclusive occupation of the hill in the northern part of the battlefield. Forces were rolled for on Table 1.
The town of Dassel.
The battlefield looking from the North. Redsteinerberg deploys first and all units must be within 12" of Dassel and north of the river. All Bluhofen forces must be south of the river.
Bluhofen has 4 Infantry, 1 Skirmisher and 1 Cavalry unit.
Redsteinerberg has 3 Infantry, 1 Skirmisher and 2 Cavalry units.
The initial deployment. Bluhofen is definitely going to cross the ford.
The crossing.
Like a well lubricated machine, the Redsteinerberg army reacts to the crossing causing some confusion for the Bluhofen forces.
Musketry hammers the boys in blue as they try to cross.
The aggresive Redsteinerberg cavalry is led by the Princess of Redsteinerberg.
"I fell into a ring of fire" - Johnny Cash.
The Bluehofen cavarly and 1st Dragoons (the Skirmishers) break through.
The Bluehofen army is slowly being forced to fight as individual units while the Redsteinerberg forces maintain their integrity as an army.
The Bluehofen Skirmirshers and cavalry try to flank the line.
The Redsteinerberg line readjusts as Bluhofen starts to make progress and the 1st Dragoons seize the hill.
The view from the east.
Though in rough shape, the Bluehofen army seizes the hill - but the Redsteinerberg army is in good shape and starts to readjust their battle line.
The fight for the hill commences as more Bluhofen forces are destroyed.
Bluhofen has lost two units of their army while Redsteinerberg has not lost a single unit. "How do we hold the hill?" ponder the Bluhofen generals.
The last Bluehofen Infantry unit tries to cross the ford.
Redsteinerberg launches their long anticipated attack on the hill.
The Red coated army keeps the pressure on as the hits accumulate on the individual units of Bluhofen. The Infantry stand in the foreground is overrun by the Prince's Own Horse.
The last Bluhofen infantry unit is destroyed just after crossing the ford.
Redsteinerberg will lose its first unit to fire from the 1st Dragoons.
The 1st Dragoons are about to be overwhelmed.
The line advances.
Only the cavalry is left to face the muskets . . .
. . . they don't last long as the 1st Dragoons try to flee.
The 1st Dragoons are destroyed.
A devastating loss for Bluhofen as the Redsteinberg army secured the hill and only lost 1 unit. The difference in the game was that the Redsteinerberg army fought as an army and the Bluhofen force fought as individual units. The score is now 6 - 6 with 3 more battles to go.
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