Sunday 27 November 2011

Lobositz using Black Powder

 The Austrian centre.

For this battle I used my Altstein and Eisenburg-Essling soldiers in place of Prussians and Austrians. I used The Wargame Companion by C.S.Grant, a wonderful book, for inspiration and information. Units were broken down into 14-16 figure infantry battalions and 8 figure cavalry regiments. I used Black Powder rules substituting centimetres for inches throughout, effectively making my 6x4 table into a 15x10.

 "Croats" occupy the Lobosch.
 Austrian infantry between Lobositz and Welhotta.
 The Prussian advance guard.
 The Prussians advance against the Croats on the Lobosch.
 The rest of the Prussians arrive.
 They advance rapidly.Leadership was set at 9, Austrian leadership at 8.
 The cavalry clash in the centre of the field.
 The rest of the Prussians bypass the Lobosch.
 Austrian dragoons defeated, the die scores tell the tale.
 Prussian dragoons defeated.
 Prussian Hussars defeated.

 The result of the cavalry battle, not good for the Prussians.
 Close combat!.
 The Austrians cross the Morellenbach.
 And threaten the Prussian right flank.
 The Prussian infantry are under a lot of pressure.
 The Austrian infantry having crossed the Morellenbach in force outnumber the Prussian right flank.
 Charging home!.
 Rolling up the flank.
 Enfilading fire is very effective.
 The Austrian dragoons are broken.
 And the Prussian Grenadiers break too.
 The doughty Croats are in a spot of bother.
 As is this unfortunate unit.

 The Prussian dragoons race to protect the right flank.
 The Croats are done for.
 Close fighting in the centre.
 The units are somewhat battered by now.
 The Austrian C-in-C. (Looks like Prince Johann).
 Look out!. The Prussians launch a desperate charge.
 The Uhlans are routed.
 As are the last of the Prussian dragoons.
 In this game I chose to pose broken units as routing before removing them from the table.
 The Prussians on their far left are too far away to help their comrades.
The Prussian infantry are enfiladed and defeated.

Game over!, a narrow Austrian victory, this battle took most of the day and I was quite exhausted from all that marching and counter-marching.

Thursday 14 July 2011

Heads up for HaT !.







Hat SYW Prussians, soon to be released.

I'm very tempted to try some of these to make some new units for Altstein and Eisenburg-Essling. I hope the plastic isn't too soft as I find the Zvezda/Italeri plasic much better at retaining paint than the softer Revell.
Having said that I have'nt lost much paint at all due to the initial coat of PVA and two or even three coats of Klear/Future covering the paint job.

I can't even find the Italeri French AWI soldiers nowadays, it is lucky that I jumped in when I did as I had noticed that some retailers stopped listing them around July 2009 so I bought them from Modelhobbies.
Not long after I noticed they disappeared from Modelhobbies site and they've never reappeared.

Friday 17 June 2011

Well P....d off !.

Feel free to print off this picture if placed above the fireplace it should keep the bairns off the fire!.

Bloody Blogger !, I can't comment on anyone's blog, each time I try I have to sign in over and over again.

Does anyone one else have this problem ?.

Sunday 8 May 2011

Toy Soldiers - on my other blog!.

 Just a "heads up" for my 54mm Toy Soldier "Little Wars" style project on my other blog (link over on the right).
These are Armies In Plastic WW1 Germans painted as 1900 uniforms.

Monday 4 April 2011

The Battle of Korbrucke - I love wargaming!.

The Battle of Korbrucke, fought yesterday, was one of the most enjoyable wargames I've played.

I suppose that not having played a game of "Charge" for about five months is a part of it, a timely reminder of what a fine set of rules Charge really are.

But also the campaign setting really worked well in this instance, the geography for my campaign is based on the area where I was born and have lived and worked all my life.

Korbrucke is based on Corbridge in North-East England and as I drove past today I could see where my toy soldier battle took place. I could see where the armies would have deployed and advanced and where the Jager company bravely charged and captured the guns and where they crossed the Teiner (Tyne). The Tyne is shallow there in summer and you can see anglers with waders on right in the middle of the river so when the opportunity to cross came up I allowed the Jager company to do so.



By this time the gun battery was set up and preparing to enfilade the Altstein Grenadiers which may have had a crucial effect on the battle.



As the Jagers advanced they came under canister fire, I rolled double six,  halved to six  and the Jager company was down to half strength, being light infantry they could lose up to two thirds before routing.

On they pressed and took more fire from the guns... double one came up!, only one casualty and the Jagers could carry on to take the guns. 
 This was a crucial moment which had a far reaching effect on the battle and the whole campaign.

There were other moments of drama ( the cavalry battle was decisive ) and the whole battle was very entertaining.

It isn't like me to write so much (I'm a man of few words ) but I enjoyed the game so much I thought I would expand upon yesterdays post.

Sunday 3 April 2011

The Battle of Korbrucke 1755

With the feint at Kirkhalle drawing von Bruckenheim away from the Teiner valley. Prince Johan advances rapidly up the valley until meeting resistance at Korbrucke. 
Colonel Fandango of the Altstein Grenadiers is commanding the defending Altsteiners.

The Eisenburg-Essling forces advance.

 Cavalry to the fore.

The guns are still on the west bank unable to cross south of Korbrucke.
 The Altstein cavalry advance to meet the enemy.
Fandango forms up his infantry.
And advances toward Korbrucke.
The Zvezda Grenadiers are keen to get to grips with the enemy.
 The cavalry battle begins!.
 Von Essling advances into Korbrucke.
 As the Altstein Jager cross the Teiner.
 Fandango closes the trap!.
 The Eisenburg guns are deployed.
 What a bottleneck!. The Eisenburgers are unable to move forward.
 Fritz von Essling leads the Ostburg Regiment through Korbrucke.
The Jager advance upon the guns.
 Von Essling advances into the lions mouth!.
 The cavalry fight is furious.
The heads of the columns are knocked off by artillery and musket fire.
 The Blues win the cavalry melees.
Through murderous canister fire the brave Jager Company reach the guns and the crews surrender.
A desperate melee between the Altstein Grenadiers and the Eisenburg-Essling infantry ends in defeat for the whitecoats.
 The Altstein (Meissen Dragoons) take casualties from the Essling Grenadiers.
 A fierce firefight begins : casualties shown by the dice.
The Jager Company having spiked the guns cross the bridge and enter Korbrucke.
The Eisenburg Dragoons are finally routed by the Meissen Dragoons.
 Who rally back behind the line.
The firefight continues.
After casualties are removed there ain't many left!.
Captain Weingartners men now shoot the battalion gun crew.
Colonel Fandango prepares his remaining cavalry for the killing blow.
The Altstein Grenadiers advance.
As Prince John George forms his firing line.
The Jagers are forced to withdraw into cover.
Eight more casualties is more than the Grenadiers can take.
And eighteen casualties on the Eisenburg Musketeers routs them too, they only managed four in response.
Fandango then unleashes his cavalry upon the routed enemy.
The dashing Prince is defeated and his army destroyed. 
What a battle!.

The rebellion is quickly stamped out by the Altsteiners and order restored to the Teiner Valley.