1866 Austrians and Allies take on Prussians and their Allies

Finally got around to having the game with Jack and Bob that I threatened.  Way too many figures but an opportunity to show them to Jack who hadn’t seen them before, despite making a number of the moulds for me.

It started as a game using Black Powder but quickly degenerated into more of a chatting match.  After Jack had his second glass of Shiraz and a bacon sandwich and we discussed which of us was going to get to the pearly gates first this just turned into a photo shoot opportunity.  So lots of pictures not much text but we enjoyed ourselves which was all that mattered.

On the Prussian left flank is a brigade of light and heavy cavalry consisting of Hussars, Uhlans and Cuirassiers

 

The next to them a brigade of Allied troops from Oldenburg, Mecklenburg, Lippe and Saxe Coburg

 The centre is made up of Prussian infantry supported by artillery

On the right is another allied brigade of troops from Brunswick, Bremen and Waldeck

On the extreme right is another Brigade of cavalry consisting of 2 regiments of Prussian Dragoons and Dragoons from Mecklenburg and Oldenburg. 

  

 The Austrians had a mixed force of Austrian. Bavarians, and Wurtemburgers supported by troops from Nassau, Saxony, Scheswig Menningan, Baden and Hesse Kessel.  On the right was a mixed brigade of cavalry with Austrain Uhlans, Bavarian Cuirassiers and Light dragoons and Hesse Kessel Hussars.

 

Supported by Wurtettemburgers and Bavarians  in the centre and the Austrians on the left flank.

 Jack and Bob plot the Prussian strategy. Which quickly goes to pot as Jack never seeing the opportunity to wait with his cavalry launches a frontal assault on the Austrian artillery and Jagers on the hills to his front.

  

The Mecklenburgh Hussars charge the Austrian artillery.  Needless to say they are driven away.

 The same is true for the first regiment of dragoons who are charging up hill into the Austrian Jagers.

A lot of head scratching about what to do next.  Withdraw the remaining cavalry or plough on!   This is of course Jack and retiring isn't part of his vocabulary so they charge on!

 In the centre the Prussian infantry brigades advance

The Prussian artillery enjoy some success routing an Austrian regiment

 Poor Austrian artillery allows the Oldenburg Hussars to charge home routing the gunners but at the same time running into the Austrian cavalry brigade who drive them back.

 The second regiment of Prussian Dragoons also enjoy success with some pitiful rifle fire failing to stop them they rout the Jagers.

Jack celebrates this brief cavalry victories.

In the centre the Bavarians close on their Prussian enemy.

 The Prussian regiments form a formidable firing line 

The second glass of Shiraz slows the thought process!

The Bavarians quickly try to counter the Prussian firing line.

The combined allied cavalry of the right finally get moving and charge the Prussian Hussars who are put to flight

 

 The Austrian allies and Prussians firing line grows in length.  Unfortunately, the actual firing ranges from feeble to pathetic and even the extra boost given to the Prussians fails to have any effect.

Another Prussian Hussar Regiment is put to flight.

 Even at close range the firing is hopeless

 The Brunswickers and Bremen infantry rush to join the fray.

 Still the deadlock goes on.   The Austrians throw the last of their allied reserves into the firing line but still both sides remain locked in a series of hopeless firing throws and good saving dice

At this point and with 2 glasses of Shiraz and a bacon sandwich having an effect we decided to call it a day.

15mm Black Powder Napoleonic Game

Decided to get out the 15mm Napoleonic’s for a Black Powder Game.

The forces represent part of the Russian First and Third Army Corps and the Second Cavalry Corps plus a few other units whilst the opposition is made up of the Grand Army Austrian Auxiliary Corps, Saxon 21^st Division and the 19^th Bavarian Division and various supporting Austrian, Saxon and Bavarian cavalry brigades

The fictional Town of Omsk is held by the Bavarians, with Little Omsk and the right flank held by the Saxon’s.  The Austrians hold the left flank with a Grenadier Brigade supporting the Bavarians.

Bob commanded the Russians and I managed the Allied forces.  Although outnumbered the Russians aim is to take either Omsk or Little Omsk.

The Russians have deployed with a massed cavalry presence of their right flank (9 regiments), 2 Divisions of infantry (10 Regiments) in the centre facing Omsk and 2 Brigades of cavalry, the Grenadier Brigade and a Brigade of Infantry (6 regiments) supported by 2 Brigades of Dragoons (4 regiments) on the left.  This is supported by 8 guns and 3 units of Horse Artillery. 

 

The Russians launched an advance on all fronts.  The Russian cavalry moved 3 moves threatening the Austrian infantry who in turn form square.  The supporting Hussar Brigade moves forward to support them.

In the centre the Russian 4th Division made up of 3 Brigades advances towards Omsk supported by the 17^th Division made up of two Brigades made a rapid advance bringing them under the musketry of the Bavarians and Austrians and the massed Austrian artillery.

The leading Russian Brigade made up of Jagers is stopped by the Allied forces

However, to my surprise one of the supporting Russian Brigades launches a charge against the Austrian massed guns.  Fear not 4 guns firing at closing range with all the bonus can’t be under any threat!  Little did I know!!.  My firing was appalling.  The Russian charge surged on.  In the ensuing melee my gunner having been unable to fire properly found the ability to fight.  They held the Russians.

The next move however the gunner were beaten but one forced to retire.  The Russians meanwhile were attacked by one of the Austrian units and they in turn broke, but the damage had been down.  The guns were silenced and a large gap had developed in the Allied front.

On the left the Russian Grenadiers and infantry supported by their cavalry moved slowly towards Little Omsk.

Sensing the moment the Russian Cavalry on the right move forward with the leading Brigade of Cossacks and Hussars charging my Hussars.  My Hussars roll six dice without a single hit and are thrown back by the Hussars and Cossacks

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In the meantime the Bavarians in Omsk and the attacking Russian are engaged in an exchange of musketry.

On the left little is happening the Saxon’s move forward to take up position behind a wall along the road. Whilst the Saxon Garde Cavalry advance to threaten the Russian advance.

You may well ask what the massed Russian artillery was up to during the game.  On two occasions when Bob tried to bring them forward, they suffered Blunder Tests.  Unfortunately, these only resulted in their advance either one move to the left or one to the right, but enough in both cases to disrupt them and take targets out of their sights.

The Russian leading cavalry brigade comes under fire from the Austrian squares and are disordered and stop and then get a Retire order.  However, the sheer mass of advancing Russian cavalry regiments left them nowhere to go and they merely stop all the other cavalry from moving.

Another bold attack by Bob's Russians sees one of their regiments charge an Austrian infantry column. 

Amazingly the column holds and after a couple of rounds the Russians are broken.

Bob's Russian Garde Cuirassiers were able to move and hit the already weakened Austrian Hussars breaking them

Whilst all this was happening, Bob brought forward his Horse artillery who opened fire on one of the Austrian squares causing it to break.

In the centre one of the Jager regiments breaks and flees.

My attempt to get my Bavarian Cavalry Brigade into action ends in disaster with a double 6 Blunder resulting in them leaving the table.

At this point we had been playing for a couple of hours and it was clear that the Russians could take neither of their key objectives.  Whilst the Russians had plenty of cavalry, they didn’t have enough infantry to take on the allies.

The figures are predominately Warrior Miniatures with some Minifigs Russian Infantry.  The Town of Omsk consists of scratch built Russian Buildings by Jack Alexander.  The Church with the green roof is a supposedly 20mm plastic kit of an American 24 hour chapel which I got off of eBay.