Venn I medt Diss Axe

In late 2012 1757 the Reichsarmee brigade of the Corps du Vin had settled down into winter quarters in three key crossroad towns bordering the Hesse-Lands and now, in the spring of 1758 had resumed campaigning. Instead of sending the brigade marching up and down the borders of the various Hesses to Look For The Prussians,  they resorted instead to sending out patrols from the 2 cavalry regiment with them - the Sarkozy Hussars and Saxe Märchen's own Leib Dragoons, commanded by the venerable warhorse the Graf Malthus, on his venerable warhorse. It was faster and cheaper on shoe leather that way, reasoned Duke Leopold, O.C of all the Saxe-Märchen forces in the brigade, as he helped himself to a second large slice of torte and eyed the barmaid's charms. These Hessian gals  cut their dirndls a lot lower than back home, he thought approvingly

There was only so much poetry Young Werther could read, and only so much yearning after unrequited love he could do in a day, so he started riding on various patrols with the cavalry.

On one of these, he fell into step with the gruff old Graf Malthus, and asked how the Graf had come to fight with Marshal de Saxe, whom the Graf revered.

"Vell", said the Graf, "I Voss yoost a junk man, mit my first kommand..I vill tell you how I choined the cavalry, but zat iss vor an otter day. It voss inder Lost Var, in '41"

(We translate the rest of this talk into high German rather than the Baron's Saxon, for your better understanding)

"....anyway, about meeting de Saxe. It happened like this. In 1741, my squadron was brigaded with some other Saxon cavalry squadrons, and we, along with some other Saxon and Reichsarmee troops, had joined the French and Bavarians in Bohemia to attack the Austrians. One day it was decided that our cavalry unit had to help take and occupy some town from the Austrians, to control some major crossroad or other. I can't recall what its name was, there was so much marching and countermarching. Anyway, our cavalry unit and some other German infantry regiments were detailed, along with 2 French Brigades, to take the town. I think the idea was the Germans would then occupy it. So we set off, but when we got near it we saw hare was a fairly large Austrian force in the vicinity. The French General set up in battle array, we were originally on the far left but then they spotted a huge force of Austrian cavalry on our right, so we were switched to the right, in the second line"

The French centre opens up on the Austrians in the village. If this looks a little blurred, you try drawing a sketch in a Montgolfier Mk.1 on a windy day...

Herr Graf smiled through his huge moustache.

"They thought we weren't very good, you see, a bit...risky. The front line were all Royal regiments - Burgundy, Roussillon, some of the Gendarmes, haughty as anything. It was just us and the Fleury in the 2nd Line"

"No sooner had we heard the first cannons fire, than the Austrian cavalry came cantering straight at us. Our first line charged at them, yelling all the way, and then next thing we knew they were all galloping back towards us, howling in panic. Our Rittermeister held us together, and as the scared Frenchies routed past we saw Austrians coming straight at us. So we spurred our horses and charged, and that surprised the Kaiserliks, and we bounced them back hard. Then another unit charged us, and we fought it off but had to retire to reform  And then all hell broke loose, as the whole Austrian cavalry force came at us, those haughty French nobles having run ..."

The Cavalry battle on the right is developing, French lines bottom of picture. Herr Graf's unit is in the French 2nd line, bottom right behind road. The cavalry in red are French Gendarmes, fighting Austrian cuirassiers. The Arquebusiers de Bergerac hold the woods bottom right corner.

The Graf spat in the road....

"...having all run away, leaving it to us to hold off hordes of Austrians. Next thing we see is some French popinjay in Gendarme red galloping past us, with some Austrians in hot pursuit, wailing for his life. My squadron wheeled, we saw off the Austrians, and then this lad - couldn't have been more than your age Werther - white and quaking with fear - squeaked - "take me to Headquarters, now! I command you!". We saw our lads were now beating a fighting retreat so we beat our own, smartly, delivering this cocky princeling to the headquarters tent."

The Graf smiled again, wryly

"It was pandemonium. The French general was spitting blood. Apparently our own German forces on the left had done nothing except despatch some Hussars and Dragoons round the far left flank, the French centre had refused to advance to take the town until "the cannons had softened up the Austrians in the town enough" and the Austrians, seeing their cavalry on our far right was triumphant on the field, had now launched a mass attack on our right wing. The general was yelling for his reserves, two battalions of grenadiers, to deploy against a hill and prevent the Austrian horse from arriving on their flank, while our right was soon in a massive firefight with the Austrians".

The Graf stopped his tale to bark an order at two orderlies, who shot off to do his bidding.

"Now then, where was I? Ah yes. Well, turns out one of the Grenadier battalions was German, and was not being as prompt as the General would have liked. As we arrived, the Red Popinjay had made a great histrionic show, but the General ignored him, and looked at me. "You" he barked. "In the Saxon uniform. You look halfway intelligent! Do you speak German?"

"Me? Ja! Er - Yes"

"Well, go and tell those !"£$% German grenadiers to "!£$5 up their £$%^& paces and !"£$%^ get up on the "£$%6 ridge and shoot the *&^%$ kaiserlik horse boys, and don't you come back until they are there and shooting. And tell their "£$%^& Colonel if he doesn't £$%^& shoot Austrians I'll "£$%^&  shoot him! Then come back here when he is there. Got that?"

"I galloped off to relay the message to the Herr Kolonel, who £$%^& off as fast as he ^&* could - just in time, as the Austrian horse swept over the hill and down, already sabred one French battalion, and was forming up for a charge into the rear of the French right, now furiously engaged to the front. Then we and the French Grenadiers marched out the smoke and hit them at point blank range with fresh musketry.  The Austrian front line fell in droves, and the rest ran like dogs. Their second line pulled back, they were not going to chance their luck against formed Grenadiers."

The Graf paused, a faraway look in his eye

"At that point, as I was picking my way through dead Austrian cavalry to get back to the French HQ,  this Austrian rides up over the rise with a white flag, bold as brass, and says to me to fetch the Marshal, he wants a word. I gallop back and fetch the Marshal. So there I am on the hilltop, as these two men meet, while our Grenadiers and the Austrian cuirassiers eye each other up and our right flank is still in a furious firefight to our front.

"You're not going to win this one, Marshal", says the Austrian. "And the cost to me of winning it will be too high. It’s getting late, why don't we cease fire now, you take your forces back and try again tomorrow, eh?, Or next week, at the speed you lot move".

The Marshal looks at the Austrian and says "Very well, we shall do that". and then they laughed, shook hands, and both rode away to their armies. They both stop shooting and start to pack up withdraw to their boxes camps"

"My God" says Werther" "I've never heard of that"

"And nor will you" said the Graf. "Only a few men witnessed it. I think de Saxe wrote it up as making a heroic effort against vastly superior forces and berating his sub geneerals"

Anyway, this Marshall looks at me and says "you - that was smartly done. I could use a smart German speaker on my staff to make the rest of these Germans move as sharply. Go and tell that useless old Hochduke of yours I want you to join my staff for a bit, and if he argues I'll have his hide for cowardice and disobeying orders"

"My heavens", said Werther, "Who was this Marshall"

"Haff you not guessed by now" chortled the old Graf. "Dot vos Diss Axe".

"And who was the young man you rescued"

"Ach, some Prinz of the Blood" said the Graf. "Odious fellow, but none more so on that day, he had sh*t his pants"

And at this, the Gruff Graf actually laughed. 

"And did you take the village then" said Werther?

"Verdamnt iff I can remember" said the Graf. "Propably nott, zeere were szo many battles like zat. I fing der Allies loszt a big battle und ve hadt to run back to Bavaria soon after".

(Black Powder rules, War of Austrian Succession, using last Argument of Kings army lists. French have to take 2 poor generals, and neither managed to make much happen all game, my entire strategy was ruined by my su generals, its in my report :). The French 1st line horse, despite all being Royal, had abysmal dice, all 3 regiments routing in first combat. The Graf's German cavalry regiment held its own for a few bounds and was then forced to retire off table by waves of Austrian horse. The Austrian horse was held back by the grenadiers, the firefight on the right wing was showing no advantage, French condede the field. We had c 16 infantry battalions and 6 cavalry regimenst apiece, on a 9x 6 table, we finished the game to a good conclusion in about 2 1/2 hours despite being new to the rules. Pretty impressed with them for this period.)

The Real French & Indian Wars

Haven't posted for a while, but that is because much has been happening on the gaming front - Sci Fi, WW! and WW2, and of course 18th Century warfare.

In the 18th century we have moved to playing "Real" French & Indian Wars, i.e The French & the British with the Rajputs and the Moghuls and anyone else we can rope in, using Black Powder for some big games. The variety of forces is huge (and we have been painting huge forces), and all the fast moving cavalry, various odd weapons, plus variable leadership and lots of inconsistent troops make the games unpredictable and exciting. Here are some pictures of some forces and games:

Moghul Cavalry, the man front left has clearly jast been shot off his horse!

One of our games - the French line (bottom) thought themselves safe from the Indian cavalry (top, centre) owing to their guns (centrre bottom), but did not count on the Hand of Fate (left) decreeing that there will be a dreaded Black Powder 3 move charge of lancers and wild horse into the raw French Sepoys (white turbans, bottom). Ouch! 

 

Real Indian Warfare also has wild tribesmen who will lop your head off, albeit with a wider variety of weapons than a tomahawk - but also has rockets, guns, cavalry, and a large assortment of colourful and motley infantry from trained European line to hordes fighting for loot. Above, left: Dare-to-die Rathor light horse prepare to charge rocket-men on a hill

Camel-Guns take aim (left, middle)) as the Rathors charge over the hill at the Thin Red Line in the distance while in the foreground Rajput horse moves up,

The Thin Red Line stands awaiting the onslaught

The last cavalry charge of WW1?

After driving the Germans out from the village (see last post), the next task was to get over the old bridge crossing the river.The expeditionary force rested overnight, and set off the next morning. News was coming in that the Germans had regrouped, together with a force of partisans, and so the Greeks decided to send one platoon over to form a bridgehead, with the cavalry squad to reconnoitre the area.

The old bridge looked decidedly dicy, so the Greeks decided to walk over the bridge and then send the trucks over, empty. The armoured car was to go after the trucks, if they got over and the bridge held up. 

  

Greek infantry platoon crosses river (top of picture) while its trucks prepare to cross a very old bridge

However, they Greeks had not gone far over the bridge before a German trap was sprung, a heavy machine gun nest decimating one squad as it walked down the road. The squads on either side of the road dived for cover and began to shoot back, but other German units now popped up in ambush, supported by Partisans. On the Greek right, the Greek cavalry heroically charged one German position and despite heavy losses, sabred the Germans and partisans in a gory melee, but then themselves came under fire from the German machine gun, lost their nerve and fled had to retire.

 Greek Cavalry charge down German stormtroopers and Partisans - the last cavalry charge of WW!?

Despite the cavalry's withdrawal, things had started to look up for the Greeks -  one German force down, and fire superiority over the machine gun was established as rifle grenades and chauchat gunners opened up, suppressing it. Unfortunately, at that point things took a turn for the worse - a large German ambush sprang up in front of one Greek platoon, catching it by surprise and driving it back with well aimed shooting. This would not have been a major problem except that the Greek captain, for some unknown reason, became indisposed and gave no orders or inspiration for a good while (for 3 turns - his card never came up...) and this meant the German forces took the initiateive and gained fire superiority for a critical period in the game, driving the Greeks back with losses.

German forces spring their ambush, forcing the Greek squads back

The Greeks fell back to the bridge and now had to stabilise the situation, and in the Captain's absence the platoon sergeant drove 2 of their trucks betwen their forces and the Germans to gain time to regroup. The heroic Captain finally reappeared again and started to rally the remnants of 2 squads while the 3rd beat a covering retreat to the bridge. The bridge was snarled up by the retiring cavalry getting in the way of the trucks, and it took a while to clear the logjam.    

Bridge muddle as retiring cavalry meet advancing trucks

In this time the Germans and partisans advanced on the 2 still re-forming Greek squads and drove them back over the bridge, the Captain having to play his Heroic Action card to mount a last-man-and-dog-gain-time resistance and then swim over the river. One Greek squad held onto the far side of the bridge, covered by the armoured car now moving up to the bridge, and the 2nd Greek platoon deploying on the far bank.

And so, as the day ended, it looked roughly the same as at the beginning except the Greeks now held the bridge against any demolition attempt, 2 Greek squads had taken fearful casualties, and they had lost 2 trucks. Unbeknownst to the Greeks though, they had very nearly found Countess Nadia - and their cavalry had sabred most of Major von Bösemann's henchmen in their charge!

Tomorrow was another day.....and this time the armoured cars were going over first!  

(Game using Mud & Blood rules - the non appearance of the Greek Captain's "Big Man" card for 3 turms in a row at a critical juncture spelled doom for the Greeks, as a lot needed doing in a hurry and nothing got done, and then despite his strenuous attempts at resistance later, it was essentially game over.)

Finding Nadia

The second battle in our 1918 Bulgarian mini-campaign as the Anglo-Greek force races across Bulgaria to rescue the Baroness Nadia Legova. Two platoons of Greek Evzones, each led by a British armoured car, converged on the village (below, top left and right).

The village waits (playing cards show blind possible positions of German troops. Top left of picture, the Right Flank Greek armoured car and platoon drives past the orchard. Top right, the Left Flank Greek platoon approached the village behind its armoured car. Bottom of picture are Germans hiding in a hastily dug trench. Right, out of the picture, a unit of flanking Greek cavalry is making its way through the trees)

German troops were hidden behind forward walls in the orchard on the Greek right and in the woods on the left, the aim being to slow the Greeks down, make them dismount from the trucks and walk over the fields where the machine guns can take them out.

The Greeks decided to use the armoured cars as mobile battering rams, knowing that there was a chance that they could be taken out by guns or close-in grenades, but moving up fast like this this would allow the infantry to get up closer faster, and not get shot up in a long foot slogging advance.

This strategem worked to an extent, the armoured cars were very hard to hit, but barriers across the roads held them up, and on one flank (the right flank) the Evzones did have to dismount to deal with German ambush units in the orchard. On the left flank, a unit of Greek cavalry was able to scout ahead and clear the way for the trucks to go across country, but were then pinned by the Germans in a  trench as they tried to go around the village flank (above picture, bottom centre) and took heavy losses

 

 German infantry in ambush shoot up the Greek trucks from behind the the orchard walls, forcing the Greek infantry to dismount in open ground and slowing their progress. The fighting to clear the Orchard was very fierce.

The Greek Evzones in the open on the right flank also took heavy losses, one squad being nearly wiped out, and another badly mauled before they could gain the walls as cover. From then on though, the initiative passed to the Greeks as they poured a hail of shots and rifle grenades and the armoured cars' machine guns to suppress the German machine gun posts. On the other flank the trucks, making heavy weather of the ground,  moved an entire platoon to take out the German squad in the trench (top of picture). This German squad had forced the Greek cavalry to retire but was now fairly shaky itself, and decided not to hang around to fight an entire Evzone platoon

Bottom of picture - Greek Evzone fire base behind a farm wall pours fire into Germans in the houses while (top of picture) Greek trucks go around the village left flank and prepare to assault the trench. Out of picture on bottom right the Greek Evzones have cleared out the Orchard and are threatening to move to the rear of eh village and capture the bridge.

German resistance was tenacious, but they also took losses. Once the Greeks had moved onto the village flanks, set up their fire bases, cleared the machine gun nests, and threatened to capture the bridge at the rear, the Germans felt there was no point in continuing and slipped away over the bridge, before the barricades were cleared and the armoured cars could intercept them.

(Mud & Blood rules, 1 German platoon and 2 Machine Guns defend a village against 2 Greek Evzone platoons and 2 Rolls Royce armoured cars. The Greek squads each carried a Chauchat LMG and rifle grenade team, which meant that once the fire bases were set up the Germans started to feel the impact) 

The Rush for Sofia, and Nadia

A Salonica Front mini-campaign, late 1918. The French and Serbs have broken the Bulgarians, who are retiring in increasing disarray, The British have them stalemated at Doiran, Greek forwad units of Evzones and cavalry are starting to move through the gap the French have created. But some disciplined German and Bulgarian units are fighting a disciplined rearguard action as they attempt to withdraw, and not be cut off.

But within this big picture, the British behind-enemy-lines secret agent Countess Nadia Legova has been kidnapped by the Germans and is being rapidly transported away. The British must find her, and the mission has been entrusted to a top Chap, Captain Guy Goode. He has "borrowed" a Rolls Royce armoured car, and a platoon of Greek Evzones, and they are racing through the backroads of Bulgaria to rescue the Countess. But the Germans are holding key road junctions to delay pursuing Allied troops, and as the flying column nears one little Bulgarian town, local balkan bandit supporters warn them the Germans have prepared an ambush.

The Flying Column enters at the road bottom left, and must break through the roadblocks in the village and exit the table top centre by the end of the game to be able to catch the Countess in time

The Rolls Royce Armoured Car heads the column, acting as a tripwire to expose the German ambushes - possible ambushes are the playing cards on the table (above). The car comes round the first bend (see below) and is ambushed by Germans to both sides and in front, who throw grenade bags which put off the driver, and the car careens straight ahead, off the road, into the woods (bottom right) and the engine won't start. The first following truckful of Evzones alights and moves up to clear the Germans. The Evzones are crack troops, and armed with Chauchats and Rifle Grenades they outmatch the rifle armed Germans. However, the crafty Germans have a two-punch plan, the halted trucks behind the first are fired at by another group of Germans, in another ambush, so a second squad must dismount to deal with that....

The Armoured Car is being ambushed, flights of Grenades so discomfit the driver that he loses control and the car plows straight ahead, ending up stalled in the woods. In the top left the first truck's Evzones are dismounting. the big card in the foreground is about to prove to be more Germans in ambush.All thos trees on the right are about to come alive with the sound of German rifles

Our Heroic Chap boots the armoured car crew out the car to fix the engine while he turns it machine gun round to make sure Fritz doesn't come too close. But he is OK, Fritz now has his hands full with Evzones, and in fact Fritz and Hans et al soon lose their Bottle and retire in the face of Chauchats and rifle grenades.

The armoured car starts (hooray), reverses, gets back on the road, and rolls into the village, barging through the first blockade. More German units in ambush in the village try and bomb it, and it stall again! A bit of a tight spot, what.... The third Evzone truck however has raced through the last of the other firefights and arrives to support the Armoured Car in the nick of time. However, in the village a heavy machine gun opens up and all the Greeks dive for the ditches!

Fortunately, help is at hand - local bandits emerge to shoot at the German Machine Gun, which is then turned on them, and in that fortunate respite (not for the poor bandits, however...) the Evzones get themselves organised and start to clear the manor house and grounds (in the top picture, see walled garden and house to right of road by barricades). The Greek Lieutenant, having eventually cleared out the second ambush, takers his squad on an encircling manouvre round the left of the town, to link up with bandits on that side and take Jerry from the rear (oo er...). 

Greek irregulars arrive on the village outskirts and start sniping at the German machine gun nest, which turns on them with unfortunate consequences.....for the irregulars, and for the Germans too, as that respite allows the Greek Evzones to regroup and advance again....

In the meantine, the first squad of Evzones that dismounted has cleared out the German ambush, so they remount and their truck careens round the corner to help out. The Armoured Car crew can now safely get out and get the engine going, it finally restarts, rolls into town, pushes over the second barricade, and moves through the town and off up the road at full pelt with one truck behind it, leaving the other Greeks to mop up. 

The begining of the end of German resistance - the Armoured Car restarts and is about to move forward to clear the second barricade, one truckload of Evzones is right behind it, and (top left  of picture) another truck has remounted its squad and is on the way, while the Greek lieutenant (top centre of picture) is about to rout the Germans to his front, and lead his squad through the trees to attack the far side of the village (which stalls with high casualties, but by then its all over). 

Facing high losses and encirclement. the German commander decides it is better to surrender what is left of his force to the Allies rather than leave his men to retreat into the woods and the tender mercies of the circling bandits, and so they are disarmed and guarded by some of the Evzones, while a second truck full of Evzones mount up with the Keen Lieutenant and they hare off after the others. The German ambulance crew tend to Germans and Greek wounded while they wait for the units following to arrive..

Will they catch Major von Bösemann? Will the Countess be rescued? Is she in fact a double Agent? Tune in to the next exciting installment.... 

Game was played with Mud & Blood rules, which we love, it makes for an enjoyable and fast paced game. The German platoon were defined as poorer quality troops than the crack Evzones, who are also better armed at a squad level with a Chauchat and 2 rifle grenadiers, but the Germans do start the game in ambush and cover. But it is very hard to stop an armoured car in this period with platoon level weapons, and the Germands failed here, and once they had announced their presence, and even if  initially succesful, the greater firepower and morale of the Evzones soon put them on the back foot and then taking to their heels. We also had randomly appearing partisan units of either side, the Greeks got the better dice so had more help than the poor beleagured Germans.

German casualties (killed, wounded, routing) were about 50% at the end of the game, Greeks about 20%, but early medical attention from the German ambulance crew will hopefully help many live.

1848 - The assault on Mano Cena

Following the first battle of Zelezna Kopje., the Trans-Syldavians retired to the village of Mano Cena, which stands at a narrow point at the head of the Stazni valley, and is a gateway to the TransSyldavian hinterland. They spent the next few days putting up barricades both in the village, and also in shoring up the medieval ditch and banked earth wall that still surrounded the village, and in barricading the gaps in it.

The Hungarians had spent the week rebuilding their forces, and receiving reinforcement.They had tried making feints around the village, but the rough, wooded valley hillsides were to easy for the TransSyldavian irregulars to defend and it became increasingly clear they would have to storm the village. Time was pressing, however. Autumn had started to turn bitter and winter would soon come, this would hugely help the TransSyldavian defenders as the high ground became snowed in, and delay any action until spring.

And so, a week after the first battle, they launched a reinforced attack in the early morning of October 8th.  Three infantry brigades, supported by a hussar brigade and guns, marched on Mano Cena. The Trans Syldavian forces were weaker than the forces that fought the week before, as the No. 1 Line Infantry regiment had received quite a mauling and had been pulled back a day's march to to rebuild and train. The village was defended that day by two bands of irregular bashi bazoukhs, soldiers and light guns from the TransSyldavian Grenz Regiment, the regional Militia, and the regional Huszar squadron that had so distinguished itself a week earlier.

 

Early Morning, Mano Cena - Irregular lookouts on the old medieval ditch and banks give the alert as the Hungarian army is spotted. Trans Syldavian forces rush to man the banks.

The TranSyldavian irregular pickets on the banked mound saw them and raised the alarm. Regulars from the Grenz regiment and the local Militia spilled out their billets and formed up, before racing to move up to their position on the mounds. Local volunteers assembled in the village. Artillerymen ran to the guns behind the barricades. The small Huszar unit saddled up but stayed by the village, awaiting events.

The irregulars on the walls moved off, left and right, into the woody terrain of the valley sides, hoping to harry the Hungarians from the flanks as they advanced. The villagers saddled up their chattels, chickens and childrens and moved in the opposite direction....

The dice is cast...and the locals vacate the village

The Hungarian forces all threw out skirmish screens of Grenzers and Jagers, while their infantry columns advanced behind this. A skirmish firefight soon ensued between them and the Trans-Syldavian irregular bashi bazouhkhs in the woods on both flanks. As with the last battle, the Hungarian right then seemed to hesitate, and the Trans-Syldavian bashi-bazoukhs on that flank seized on this and started to give them a lot of fire. If they could stop one brigade all day, that would be a huge benefit.

The Hungarian columns in the center and their left came into closer range of the guns and the bashi bazoukhs, and then into the range of the infantry on the mounds, and the valley filled with the sound of gunfire and stench of smoke. The carnage was dreadful, the Hungarians wavered, fell back, but they never broke, and soon on they came again. Again and again the TransSyldavians fired, again and again the Hungarans wavered, but still they never broke. Then, following a devastatingly accurate round of fire from the artillery,  two of their units did run.

A shout ran from the ditches, woods and banks "huzzah!" and the TransSyldavin Hussars moved onto the banks, to charge the discomfited Humgarians.

But where was the Hungarian cavalry?

TransSyldavian 3 pdr guns in action - despite coming under sustained artillery and sniper fire, their accurate enfilading fire on the Hungarian columns caused many an enemy heart to waver.

And  then disaster loomed as, on the far TransSyldavian right, the Hungarian Hussars emerged from the woods, they had been crossing the teacherous heights above the valley, and had got close to the village behind the irregular skirmish screen and now threatened to charge it on an unprotected side, getting between the infantry on the mounds and the scarecly defended village.

Hungarian Hussars emerge from the high meadows, making a pincer attack on the village. In the background, TransSyldavian irregulars kept a whole Hungarian brigade at bay for much of the day.

A small force of local volunteers, kept in reserve, had to rush to the barricades on this part of the village to defend it, but they would not be enough. To gain time then, the outnumbered Trans-Syldavian Huszars would have to charge the Hungarian ones - and in the ensuing fight these brave troops were routed, but they had gained the valuable time to shore up the village defences.. But at this point the rest of the Hungarian army's spirits rose and it pressed forward across the field. And then the battle truly turned, as on the Trans-Syldavian left, the irregulars were finally forced out their woods.

What had happnede was that the Hungarian right brigade that had sat doing nothing for much of the day had finally found its nerve and the whole force surged forward to attack the irregulars on that side, the good line infantry and crack Jager units put up a withering fire, forcing the bashi-bazoukhs to retire back into the foothills and off the table out the fight. This force then crashed through the woods, arriving on the village's left flank (below). The TransSyldavians could not cover the mounds and both village flanks.

The turning point - the Hungarians have now broken through the woods on the right, (top right) and while the fight in the centre and left is still raging, their hussars have also come through on the left of the village (out of picture, top left) threatening both flanks of the defenders on the mounds

At this point the call went out along the TransSyldavian lines, and Baron Blogovic galloped along the top of the ditch shouting "fall back, to the village" and the volunteers, Grenz and Militia units ran back to the village, to take positions in the houses and behind the barricades that had been erected earlier. The Artillery and the good Bishop Splenetic stayed to cover the retreat, then they too ran for the village, pulling their guns with them as fast as they could. The Hungarans then closed in, but so too did the night, and they decided that storming the village this night was not in their plans..(This was on about turn 12 of our game).

The TransSyldavians retire to the village barricades, as the guns hold on to the last moment. An invisible hand helps the Trans Syldavian Grenzers regroup, while Hungarian Grenzers gingerly advance to take the guns....

(28mm Hail Caesar rules but with move distances halved. We must have played about 12 turns between starting at about 8pm and having to pack up at about 10.30. Fast, furious action, many thrills and spills. Moving the large Hungarian force forward in a co-ordinated way was hard, as the dice gods were very capricious until the last few bounds. and the skirmishers and especially artillery fire kept on forcing the Hungarian columns to take morale tests, so forcing halts, retires, etc etc. It is not easy to take a defended position, what finally worked was being able to press on both flanks and the centre at once, forcing the retirement to the village!)

1848 - First Battle of Zelezna Kopje

The Hungarian Army crosses into Trans-Syldavian lands - nearest are units of Grenz Light Infantry, Jagers and the Don Miguel Line Regiment plus guns, in the middle are a lot of dashing Hussars, and far way are Grenz Infantry and Jagers, with more cannon.

For various reasons (see here) we decided to play 1848-49 War of the Hungarian Independence battles, with 28mm figures (to capture the gloriously gaudy uniforms). 

In the early period of the War, the fighting was mainly skirmish level fighting, which we have been doing as we build up our forces. The Serbians mainly had non trained local Serbs, and from the Turkish territories. These are all all irregular but tough Balkan bandits - Bashi Bazouks. Also available were some Serbs fighting in Austrian service - the Grenz regiments, plus Czaikisten from the river fleet who served on foot as an artillery unit, equipped with 6pdr guns.

As I didn't have any Serb figures, but had quite a lot of Turkish and generic Balkan troops plus various Zouave types lying around, I invented a small Balkan Imagi-Nation - Trans-Syldavia - to model the sorts of Balkan forces revolting against the Hungarian boot. Their uniforms (oddly enough) looked exactly like my figures.....(the Hungarians can't tell the difference between all these Balkan peoples anyway..) 

On the Hungarian side, the government called on the 14th. and 15th. (Szekeler) Grenz Regiments, because these regiments were mainly formed of Hungarians, and they also had the Hungarian line infantry regiments, artillery, plus Honved infantry - freshly raised volunteer infantry - and of course, their famous Hussars. And so, they launched attacks all along the Balkan borders.

Initially Trans Syldavia saw little more than skirmishing raids, but on Monday 17 September, after months of low level skirmishing, the Hungarian forces finally made a major push into TransSyldavia and crossed the Trans-Syldavian border at the head of the Stazni valley, clearly wanting to own this main road before the snows came. Companies of the Don Miguel Infantry Regiment, the 14th Grenz Infantry, Hungarian Jagers and Insurrection Hussars, supported with 6 pounders, made a move to capture the village of Malo Cena, and secure the road down the valley and onto the Trans-Syldavian plains.

Throughout the months of skirmishing, a large band of irregulars defended Malo Cena and the Stazni Valley, based around the village at the head of it. They had been supported with a company of ex-Austrian Grenz infantry and their 3pdr battalion guns. This small force had recently been reinforced by a band of Trans Syldavian irregulars, fleeing from Hungary.

This force was ordered to make a stand at the village, to give time for reinforcements to get up the valley. They decided to meet the Hungarians on the rolling neadows where the farmland and orchards  start, so they could use its cover and retire to the village as a second line. So, on that morning, these forces took cover in the orchards and crop fields and awaited the onslaught, led by the firebrand Bishop Splenetic (below)  

Trans Syldavians await the Hungarian onslaught - front (right flank) are some irregular Trans Syldavian nationals from Hungarian lands, flying the Austrian flag, in the cabbage fields. Behind them by the wheat fields are the Bishop, Grenz infantry and 3pdr, behind themt a troop of Huszars who had arrived. And far in the distance on the left flank are Trans Syldavian irregular bashi-bazoukhs in the orchard.


Soon the Hungarians advanced into view, coming over the rolling meadows, in 3 divisions - on the left and right flanks they had mixed Line Infantry, Grenzers and Jagers, with gusns. In the centre a large force of Hussars

The Hungarian right division - Line infantry, Grenzers, Jagers and 6 pdr guns painted in Hungarian stripes. Behind them can be seen the Hussars


The Hungarian infantry seemed to advance very very cautiously, but not so the Hungarian Hussars who galloped with great dash across the meadows, and attacked the guns and sabred the gunners who hadn't run. They swirled around the Grenzers (who had retired into the wheat fields) and one detachment charged the Trans Syldavian Huszars who had been trying to manouevre around the flank.

Hungarian Hussars thunder down the meadows

The Trans Syldavian Huszars however, although caught to flank (the dreaded 3 move charge), turned, received the Hungarian charge at the halt, shot their carbines, then pulled out the multitude of pistols secreted in their cummerbunds, fiired those, then proceded to whack the Hungarians with their sabres, axes, maces and whatever other ironwork they carried. The Hungarians fled the field, never to return! (splendid dicing - Huzzah!)

By now the Hungarian left flank Jagers and guns had advanced and were skirmishing with the irregulars in the cabbage fields, but their right flank had decided to halt.

This delay prevented the Hungarians from launching a concerted assault on the small holding force, so valuable time was bought. Then the drums of the relief force were heard on the far left flank. The Duke's son led 2 companies of the freshly recruited Trans Syldavian 1st infantry regiment, plus some of the local milita and gendarmes, and their 3 pdr guns. This force marched at full speed at the still reluctant Hungarian right, the bashi bazouhks in the orchard and the Huszars moving up with them to cover the flank.

Relief on the Left Flank - 2 units of freshly raised TransSyldavian infantry (blue coats, far left) and city militia (white coats, centre) move up quickly in attack column to assault the Hungarian right and turn a flank. The bashi bazoukhs (right) occupy a knoll on the flank, but (right, top) the remaining Hungarian cavalry is moving to support

With the bravado of inexperience the TransSyldavians charged the Hungarian line, the Grenzers fled at the point of the bayonet but the Don Miguel infantry stood and slugged it out The threat from the Hungarian cavalry disappeared after the artillery found their range and the bashi-bazoukhs started peppering them from the knoll and they retired.

Could the inexperienced TransSyldavians pull off an historic victory?

Action on the reluctant Hungarian Right Flank. Trans Syldavian Infantry and units of the Hungarian Don Miguel regiment and Jagers in furious melee

The Hungarian Jagers then countercharged, the 6 pdrs opened up on the Huszars, and the old salts of the Don Miguel shoved the inexperienced infantry back. Being attacked by fresh troops was too much and one of the Trans Syldavian comapnies broke, the other retired, and the Huszars felt they had done enough and also retired at full gallop.

On the other flank, a concerted charge through the cabbages by 2 units of Hungarian Grenzers forced the irregulars in there to retire, and the Bishop and his Grenzers retirds though the wheatfield in good order.

The Hungarians had won the field - but quite a few of their units were shaken or scattered, and theiir hussars were in no state to pursue, so the Trans Syldabvian forces retired to the village in the gathering darkness. 

Round One to the Hungarians on points, but no knockout blow and they had had a few shocks from poorer troops.

Footnote - in this period, the Austrian army officially supported the Hungarian Government. Unofficially though they supported the Serbs for the Rebellion, so the situtation was very confusing. As the King was weak, Vienna accepted the Hungarian rebellion, but at the same time they secretly supported the other minor nations inside the Empire to rebel against the Hungarians. Then, when the Habsburg throne felt strong enough, they started fighting against the Hungarians openly. So, there is a time limit here - can the Hungarians overrun Trans-Syldavia quickly enough, before unofficial Austrian arms supplies and advisors can beef up its forces, or even Austrian reinforcements are painted appear?

We shall see....

(Update - the second battle in the mini campaign is now over here)

On using Black Powder on such a small game - the rules flow well, great fun with the reluctant Hungarian right flank commander (no doubt shot by now for cowardice) but we felt on a 6x4 table we shuld halve movement (and maybe range) as the "3 move cavalry assault" is too fast. Also, h2h combat is very quick in its impact vs shooting, we can see how over multiple combats in a big game with huge forces it evens out, but may look at making it last a bit longer for these smaller games.