REICHARDTSWERBEN: SAXONY AUTUMN 1757– THE 2ND YEAR OF THE 3RD SILESIAN WAR

In the autumn Donald Adamson and I combined to buy Angus Konstam’s 28mm Front Rank Reichsarmee.  Donald and I both already had figures suitable for the Seven Years War.  I had 2 brigades of AWI Hessian and Brunswickers who could be employed on the Prussian side.  Over the winter I added appropriate cavalry, staff and Grenz units to my Reichsarmee contingent.  So we decided that once I had cleared my entire table from the debris of various projects that we would put on a Seven Years War game.  I finally achieved this in early February.  John Perkin brought along his French units to bolster the Reichsarmee. The first wargames book I bought was Charge or How to Play Wargames in 1967.  So the Seven Years War has always been one of my favourite periods and finally I have the toys to play it in 28mm.

The field of battle - Prussians on right - Sud Farm  in foreground - in distance the walls of Reichardtswerben

We played the game over 2 Wednesdays.  It was a fictional scenario based on the campaign in Saxony in 1757.  Sorry no prizes for guessing the historical inspiration.  We used Black powder with our alternative turn sequence with some additional 18^th century rules listed at the end of this report.
Players day 1 Allied French John Perkin,  Reichsarmee  myself,  Prussian – Donald Adamson and Iain Gale.
Players day 2 Allied French John Perkin,  Reichsarmee  Tim Watson,  Prussian – Donald Adamson and Colin Jack, Umpire Myself.

Donald - Frederick the Great,  Iain - Seydlitz

John - Charles de Rohan, Myself  - Saxe Hildburghuasen

Here is a link to my photos on flickr
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmLrG3r9

The scenario
Near Reichardtswerben Saxony autumn 1757 – the 2^nd year of the Third Silesian War.

The allied French and Reichsarmee are moving slowly eastwards to join the Austrian forces in Silesia.  They are facing a force under Frederick II of Prussia which has marched from Silesia to face this incursion into his vital milch cow of Saxony.

The armies are near the small fortress town of Reichardtswerben where the Prussians camped the previous night.  The Allied commanders (Charles de Rohan duke of Rohan-Rohan, and Joseph Maria Frederick Wilhelm of Saxe Hildburghausen) are confident in their numerical superiority and have decided to manoeuvre their forces to the south of the town turning the Prussian left either to bring on a battle or at least threatening their supply lines to the east. 

The allies have 4 infantry brigades 2 French and 2 Reichsarmee with supporting cavalry, artillery and numbers of Croats.  The Prussians have 3 infantry brigades, cavalry and artillery.

As the allies begin their advance they realise that part of the Prussian army has moved south from Reichardtswerben bringing on the engagement they were seeking.

Donald massing on Schloss Ridge

Reichsarmee take position around Sud Farm

Day 1 struggle for the Wald Forest

What happened

The allies decided to use the French contingent to screen the advance of the Reichsarmee as it carried out the turning movement.   The advance did not get far as they discovered the Prussian army arrayed against them.  The Prussians engaging the French with one infantry brigade whilst their other 2 infantry brigades took on the untested Reichs infantry.  The Prussian commanders on the first day of the game, Donald and Iain, proved to be hesitant concerned due to their perceived numerical inferiority and missed their opportunity to strike a heavy blow with their ‘Superbly Disciplined’ infantry on the poor quality Reichsarmee. They made a single brigade advance on the Wald Forest which was held by the ‘Freshly Raised’ Imperial infantry and then withdrew having lost a single unit.  Their only cavalry attacked bounced of the target Reichsarmee battalion due to their disordering fire. 

On the second day of play there was a more general engagement with the Prussians launching a major attack on the Reichsarmee.  The highlight was the crushing attack of the left flank Prussian cuirassier brigade which shattered the Reichsarmee Dragoons.  However the Cuirassiers were than scattered by the gallant Hungarian Hussars  (they of the fiercer moustaches!).  Luckily the Prussian Grenadiers had carried the Sud farm and this success prevented their left flank from collapsing.  At the end of play the Prussian Army had suffered heavier losses than their stunned opponents who claimed the day.

View from north - French occupy the Waldberg - but Prussians are resolute on the line of the ridge

Walls of Reichardtswerben - defended by Prussian soldier's wives and a flock of sheep

The exhausted players after 2 days of action.

Orders of Battle

Prussian Army

3 Infantry brigades of 4 Battalions
2 Cuirassier Regts
2 Dragoon Regts
Cuir Regt & Drag Regt
3 Artillery batteries
3 Btn guns

Allied Army

2 Reichs infantry brigades of 4 battalions
2 French infantry brigades of 4 battalions
2 Grenz detachments (small units)
2 Reichs Drag Regts
2 Austrian Hussar Regts
2 French Horse Regts (small units)
2 French Dragoon Regts (small units)
4 Artillery batteries
2 Btn guns

Command Levels

The Prussian CinC was rated 9 and their brigadiers rated as 8. Reichsarmee and French commanders were rated 8 except the 2 French infantry commanders who were rated 7s.

PERIOD SPECIFIC HOUSE RULES – mainly from Last Argument of Kings

Cavalry which become Disordered by closing fire retire disordered one move.

Infantry in combat with cavalry get a +1 combat resolution if they have a flank which is secure against cavalry even if the flank is not supported by a friendly unit,  The flank is secure i.e. by a building or terrain impenetrable to cavalry.   

Artillery, other than battalion guns, once deployed cannot be manhandled or relimbered but can turn in place as a move.

Infantry in line cannot use more than 2 moves.