The Battle of Dienstleutenberg

Quick summary of my 2nd try-out of the BAR rules, featuring the retreating Colonians (Americans) being pursued by a couple of brigades of Icenians (British) after an apparently disastrous confrontation between the Colonian/Arvergniard alliance and the Kruppfalz/Icenian armies.

The egregious General Greene (above, rallying some disheartened States Guard troops) has selected a hilly hamlet to make a rearguard stand:

Start here
then this
this
and finally this

A couple of observations about the rules:

• The artillery was pretty pathetically ineffective, despite what seemed like a decent position
• First fire is DESTRUCTIVE - and after that, vastly less effective
• DONT CHARGE FORMED FOOT FRONTALLY WITH CAVALRY!! Man that astonished me

There are quite a lot of holes in the rules that I had to make up rules for on the spot, which I need to write down so it remains consistent (to be fair, I may have missed them in the rules, it's hard to say), including:

• Passing Fire
• Shooting into Melees
• Shooting overhead

Edited:
These are the OB's

Battle of Dienstleutenberg
CSColonia					1718
Maj General Green	Elite				110
Brigadier Bickle	Veteran				60
1st New Hull Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
5th New Hull SG	Trained	line	18	9	162
2nd New Hull SG	Trained	line	18	9	162
Schiphol Rifles	Trained	light	12	7	84
Brigadier Bartlet	Veteran				60
1st Algonquin Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
2nd Algonquin Continentals	Veteran	line	24	10	240
Green Mountain Rifles	Veteran	light	12	8	96
Mcallisters Battery	Trained	art	8	18	144
6pdrs			2	60	120
Incenian					1914
Maj General Fitzpheather	Trained				90
Brigadier Maxwell	Trained				50
12th Foot	Veteran	line	32	10	320
39th Foot	Veteran	line	32	10	320
7th Fusiliers	Elite	line	32	11	352
Maxwell's Grenadiers	Elite	Gren	32	14	448
Brigadier von Kurse	Elite				70
Kurse's Kurasserie	Veteran	Cuir	12	22	264

Dienstleutenberg (4)

The Fusiliers, somewhat slow in their reforming, got then caught by the advancing 2nd Algonquins, whose advance inspired the riflemen lurking in the woods to more adventurous conduct (and, alas, even more adventurous marksmanship, or lack of it)

On the right, the 12th Foot fled, but Maxwell managed to rally his Grenadier battalion, and turn to face the advancing States Guard.


Meanwhile, the Cuirassiers retained control and did not pursue, instead charging down the New Hull continental regiment.


To general* amazement, however, the Novohullers retained their nerve, held fire til the last moment, and blew away the whole regiment of menacing horse with a single lethal volley, wounding the accompanying brigadier von Huff in the bargain. Pausing only for a stern cheer (Kruppfalz Sucks!), they advanced to menace the fleeing Icenian foot

On the right, the Fusiliers managed to reform their line, somewhat reduced, only to find themselves enfolded in a slow stinging fire

The reformed Grenadiers, after one swift look around the field, elected to turn and retire at the double, pursued by stinging volleys from the advancing Colonian troops


Meanwhile, the Fusiliers found themselves assaulted front and rear, insulted in flank, shaken and dismayed. Their remnants raised mitres upon bayonets, surrendering to the victorious Colon

Final count:
Icenians:
12th Foot: Routed, 9 casualties of 32
39th Foot: Routed, 17 casualties of 32
23rd Fusiliers: Wiped out, 22 casualties, 10 prisoners
Maxwells Grenadiers: Retreated in good order, 19 casualties of 32
Seydlitz Kurassierie: Wiped out, 12 casualties of 12

Colon:
1st Algonquin Continentals: Routed, 14 casualties of 24
2nd Algonquin Continentals: Good order, 3 casualties of 24
1st New Hull Continentals: Good order, 8 casualties of 24
1st New Hull States Guard: Good order: 5 casualties of 18
2nd New Hull States Guard: Routed, 11 casualties of 18
Schiphol Rifles: Good Order, 0 casualties of 12
Green Mountain Rifles: Good order, 4 casualties of 12
Algonquin Artillery battery: Good order, no casulties of 8


*Well, mine anyway!

Dienstleutenberg (3)

In the centre, Maxwell's grenadiers decided the fire was too oppressive, and the menace* of the looming artillery too much, and decamped to find a more salubrious position, sweeping away the vainly gesturing Maxwell as they went.

However, far more ominously, a weak regiment of Kruppfalz Kurasserie trotted down the road, sabres gleaming in the somewhat soggy sun. A shiver ran down the line of Colon foot, but the sturdy presence of Colonel Bickle apparently settled their nerves.

On the right, the 1st Algonquins elected to charge the advancing 39th Foot, rather than waiting for the dread cuirassiers to exploit their advent. They also drew the States Guard battalion beside them into the charge. Apparently catching the Icenians by surprise, their receiving fire was ineffectual, but the clash of bayonets was fierce on both sides, leading to both the 39th and the Algonquins breaking and running, leaving the somewhat-astonished States Guard holding the position.

On the Colonian right, the Fusiliers, having overcommitted in their charge, elected to form on the right to reposition themselves, the opposing riflemen pelting them with cottonballs and the occasional walnut (for all the effect their shooting had)



As the second line (12th Foot) moved up to replace the broken grenadiers, they in turn got assailed in their flank by a mob of shouting States Guard - however, the Icenians were apparently made of stern stuff, as they simply brushed off the charge without injury. The 2nd Algonquins, meanwhile, moved to try and screen the advancing cuirassiers.


Alas, they did not press ardently enough, and while the advancing Colonian foot all fell onto the front of the halted 12th of Foot and smashing them, the Cuirassiers fell upon the flank of the States Guard with cries of joy, breaking them immediately


General Green, meanwhile, occupied himself trying to rally the fleeing foot, to no noticable effect.


Next here

Dienstleutenberg (2)

Green peered again through the borrowed telescope, and sure enough, hot on the heels of the quick-marching Colonnials were a brigade of the damn Icenians, two regiments of foot heading the pursuit.

Bickle led his Continentals off to form the far left of the front line, followed by half his State Guard, while he sent the rest to reinforce the second line, forming in between the two Alqonquin regiments



The evil Icenian commander, however, seemed to elect to avoid the woods on the right, and started forming up opposite the Colonian left, with the regular foot forming in two lines, and a combined battalion of grenadiers (Maxwell's) extending the front line.


Last of the Brigade on to the field was a regiment of fusiliers, the famed 23rd Gwynedd, and these seemed to show some inclination to at least mask the wood to avoid insult to the flank of the advancing foot.


While the Icenians formed up, and pressed forward their attack, the Colon Artillery popped away several times, to little discernable effect - the only hit Green spotted was when a pair of oxen went flying into the air, presumably saving some butcher the effort of providing dinner that evening.

On the Right, the Green Mountain Rifles got a trifle keen and pressed too close to the advancing Fusiliers, and a well-timed first volley from the latter laid a third of them hors de combat. The Schiphols, rather more cannily, loitered in the fringe of the woods, potting away the occasional shot but to little effect on either side.

The Icenians kept pressing forward, drawing the 1st Algonquins off the hill to support the first line, while their sister regiment pressed forward to assail the apparently exposed flank. A fierce exchange of first volleys on the Colonian left was equal in overall injury, but the weight of numbers on the more exposed grenadiers on the right, told viciously. The New Hull Continentals
took damage, but the straight shooting from the 2nd Algonquins laid low many a furred hat, and the Grenadiers reeled under the press of damage.

On the right, the Fusiliers charged with a mighty Gwynedd shout, but failed to catch either rifle battalion, altho the Schiphol boys were so dilatory in their endeavours, the glittering bayonets came close




Next here

Back to the table (1)

Well, after an interlude for sickness, house hunting & acquisition, and moving, back to a second test of BAR:

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The sodden infantry of the CRC squinted, pulled their tricornes closer over their eyes, and scowled into the rain as it dashed against their faces. After the beating they took at La Follet, when the miserable Arvergnards left them in the lurch, they counted themselves lucky to have hats and muskets, and to be alive to retreat from the field.

General Green sniff forlornly at his snuff - as drenched as everything in this wretched army. Behind him, he knew, the Icenians, or their leash-holders the Kruppfalzen, were hot on the trail, and he blessed whatever stars had kept their fiendish cavalry off his back so far - abandoning the wagon trains and artillery seemed like a stroke of brilliance now, despite all the arguments. Still, it wouldn't be long before they caught up, and it behooved him to find somewhere for his squelching troops to make a stand, and try to dry their powder.

Up ahead he could see a low ridge, with the road leading into the pitiful hamlet of, of, of ... some blasted Allemannic craphole, he cursed under his breath. Dienstleutenberg, if he didnt misremember. Rapping his wooden leg* for luck, he sent a runner to Brigadier Teague, directing him to post his remaining few 6 pounders on the ridge, with the Algonquin infantry covering to either side of it, and send the Green Mountain boys into the copse nearby to avoid insult to that flank. He squinted behind him .... somewhere back behind the curtain of rain, there was Bickle's brigade of brash New Hullers, hopefully somewhat intact: the raw Janelanders were probably all dispersed, those that had escaped the dreadful sabres of the damned Cuirassier charge.


After an hour resting on the ridge, and watching the rain recede, his troops had managed to dry out somewhat, and the first of Bickle's men were visible down the road, the seedy and shaky Schiphol Rifles in the van. Peering through Colonel Roosfelt's telescope, he could see more thick columns looming behind Bickle, rather ominously close. He sent a runner to Bickle, directing him to form up in front of the ridgeline the Algonquins were posing on, and to send the riflemen to reinforce the Green Mountain rifles in holding the woods.




* His favoured weapon in battle, this was a leg his father had wrenched off an Arvergnian Colonel in the assault on Schellenburg 50 years earlier, and he carried it strapped to his saddle when not waving it vigorously to encourage his men.

Next here

Pferdweissgasthaus, the first encounter

I've recently acquired some new SYW rules, called BAR (Battalions d'ancient regime, or as I prefer, Big-assed Regiments), which uses fairly simple Grant-esque rules, and substantial formations (ideally up to 60 figures a regiment). This is a series of gradually-escalating solo games I've been fighting to evaluate and learn them.
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Young Kurt von Bulow cursed, and pulled his boots on again, over his sore feet. March all day, then the verdammt Major General wants to send a brigade off to seize some gotverliess hovel of an inn, just because it holds a case of Mouton Rothschild '24, supposedly: and of course the Margrave is already in his cups, and unrousable, so it's up to the Brigade Major to take charge, again. He stamped his foot in irritation, then moaned at the pain.

Nevertheless, he got the brigade swinging down the road towards Pferdweissgasthaus, ready to seize the Gasthaus as instructed, and alert to probing French patrols in the same direction. As the leading regiment, the Oldenburgs, approached, they could see in the distance a similar cloud of dust. Peering through his eyeglass, Kurt could make out the billowing ensign of the Normandie Regiment, in column of march, with the dust promising further arrivals.


Hustling the Oldenburgs into line rapidly, he sent his aid galloping back along the column, sending the Ostergotland Regiment swinging wide, while the Erprinz made for the gap between the two.

The French Brigadier, Guitar, meanwhile had tugged and pushed the Normandie Regiment into line, and brought the Bourgogne Regiment up beside them. Lacking room to deploy further right, due to the inn and its' outbuildings, the French converged grenadiers (the Alacarte battalion) headed left, towards the Ostergotland Regiment




This left the Ostergotland regiment at somewhat of an advantage, as the french Grenadiers, deploying to line from the right (as all infantry do), were markedly slower forming into line (seen here, with the head of column ready, and the other companies about to extend the line leftward).




Both sides elected to press forward, the French hoping to delay the Prussian advance, the Prussians eager to catch the French grenadiers still in column - in which pursuit they were partially successful, catching them halfway formed to line (the head of the grenadier battalion just visible here).





However, the overeagerness (or something) allowed the French infantry to fire first, all down the line, producing fairly shattering results on the Oldenburgs, and severely marking the Erprinz Regiment: their return fire, both having lost a third of their strength, were somewhat less devastating, although fortunately poor dice throws were matched by poor saving throws by the French.



However, the Alacarte Grenadiers got caught by the steadily advancing Ostergotland regiment, and lost almost half their number at the first blast of musketry, leaving their own reply truly derisory.






Guitar, now anxious for his left, decided to lead the Bourgogne regiment in a charge against the Oldenburgs, and pressed home through fierce musketry, putting the Prussians to flight (upper right, with the Oldenburgs hovering around the edge of the board at this point).




Kurt, cursing volubly, led the Erprinz regiment forward, their superior training and morale coming to play, and they outshot the Normandie regiment, helped by a truly daunting blast of canister from the battalion artillery (the french failed all 6 saving throws), while the Ostergotlanders pressed forward to take the most advantage of the disordered Grenadiers, whittling their numbers down further - the Grenadiers return fire was scattered, although their spirit remained intact, as their cheers showed.

Guitar, after taking some time rallying the Bourgogne regiment, then debated briefly whether to try and swing to take the Erprinz regiment in flank, but noticed that the Oldenburg regiment, having decamped to a safe distance, were now rallying, so he elected instead to press forward and scourge them before they recovered good order: and so it proved, another blast of musketry decisively outshooting his opponent and routing them again, this time for good.

However, that drew him well away from the rest of his brigade, for better or worse - the Normandie regiment, woefully depleted, decided that without leadership, it was time to seek reinforcements and fled pell mell: they attempted a brief rally, but a further volley from the Erprinz saw them take to their hells.




Meanwhile the Grenadiers earned unbounded Prussian admiration, by remaining, fighting to the last man, attempting to cover the rout (note: 1 company of 6 left, with 4 casualty markers on them).







Both Prussian regiments then turned to deal with Guitar and his heavily damaged Bourgogne regiment, but the latter decided enough was enough, formed march column, and stalked off the field, leaving Kurt to lead the Erprinz Regiment to seize the Inn, while the Ostergotlands, nothing loth, seized both the overrun French battalion gun (and claimed it for their own), and the provisional flag of the Alacarte Grenadiers, to grace their permanent headquarters.


A good day for the blues, Kurt thought, seated in front of the inn with a spare bottle of brandy, soaking his longsuffering feet.







Prussian Losses:
Oldenburg: 18:32 and routed
Ostergotland: 9:32
Erprinz: 14:32
1 Gun crew

French Losses:
Bourgogne: 23:36
Normandie: 26:32 and routed
Alacarte Grenadiers: 36:36
1 4lber and 2 crew, all captured

Observations: quick and bloody rules indeed! Not sure morale has quite enough factors, and having other units rout affecting you only when burst through, seems a little too restrictive: certainly the grittiness of units not testing morale until under 50% for -anything- makes casualty rates skyhigh ... which is OK if you assume a high rate of return to the colours after battle (troops run, or helping the wounded, or whatever), but can look a little odd.

OTOH the manouevring is quite awkward and un-Napoleonic, which is definitely a big plus. Have to see how artillery in quantity, and cavalry, affect things.

My overall inclination would be to add a morale test for friends of same/higher quality routing within 6"; adding a -1 to morale for losing a firefight (not just a melee); and adding a -2 to morale for having enemy behind flank within 12". I daresay a lot more factors will occur to me, but I do want to keep things fairly simple, and not fall into the perils of 5th Edition/Gushite tests.