Soldier of Spain

Inspired by a post a few weeks back on the Wars of Louis Quatorze blog, I sourced the first 3 books in the Captain Alatriste series by Arturo Pérez-Reverte as holiday reading. I only took 2 of the 3 and wish I’d taken them all.

I’d seen the film with Viggo Mortensen and the books certainly didn’t let the side down.

The stories are in the mould of the Musketeer stories of Dumas (though I haven’t read any of the latter), but certainly compared to the films are darker and more ‘adult’. They mix fictional and historical characters and episodes like McDonald Fraser’s Flashman (but without the comedy and footnotes). The cover art on the two volumes I read remind me adventure novels published in the last century and are not good representations of the contents IMO.

Sort of contemporary to the novels. 16th C built coastal watchtower near the town of Piles in Valencia province.

Information board for the tower in Valencian, Spanish, and English & French below.

Not high literature but not trashy either.

Right, I’m off to think about using my ECW armies for the battle of Rocroi. 😁

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Alatriste

Only mad dogs…and inspirations

Jonathan Freitag’s recent post got me thinking about sources of inspiration for me as a wargamer. One of my top sources is printed matter. I actually commented to Jon’s post that I didn’t really count magazines these days amongst my sources. Gone are the days of MW and WI in what for me was their heyday in the 80s and early 90s. But then I looked at this photo I took of a history magazine in a supermarket in an obscure Spanish town.

The article is about a book on Spanish soldiers in the British Army in WWII. The author gave a talk at the National Army Museum a few months ago (which I attended with David-in-Suffolk). The picture of the volunteers on the truck is similar to ones that got me interested in the SCW 45 years ago. But that is not a wargaming itch that I have scratched yet.

The same magazine also had an article on the Battle of the River Ter (or Torroella) in 1694. I passed on buying the magazine but I’m thinking that was a mistake, even though my Spanish is fledgling to say the least. 

As with the previous article, it’s the imagery that captures my imagination. At least at first. What about you? Is it words, pictures (still or moving) or sounds that spark your urge to wargame a conflict?

As for the mad dogs reference: the Margravina (who is most definitely not an Englishman) persuaded me to take a walk in to said town when most sensible locals were indoors behind closed shutters. The supermarket provided a welcome respite from the heat).

!Adiós!

Another podcast. And it's a goodie!

Thanks to Ralph's over at Wars of Louis Quatorze blog I've been enjoying a newish podcast these past few days. Prime and Load also here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZnTpOagexNqE0wyla1BZwak37perxC0O

It concentrates on 18th century warfare in Europe and North America and is presented by familiar names: Doctors Alex Burns and Andrew Bamford, with Lee Gagino. Since launching in March 1/2 a dozen episodes have 'dropped' (as the young cool cats say). The ones I've listened to have been very good. Including the excellent episode released for the 250th anniversary of Lexington and Concord. It really deepened my sketchy knowledge of that encounter.

The reg'lars are comin.

"Hey Nathaniel. Ain't it strange how wherever we go these rocks and bushes seem to go too."
"Jus' quit your yacking Zeke and fill them lobsterbacks full o' lead".

That episode left me with the feeling that modern NATO soldiers on COIN operations must have a good insight into how the Redcoats felt on that fateful day. And of course, it set the mind racing on how it could be gamed. (I think Matt Crump and Jonathan Freitag did this a few years ago).

There are many podcasts claiming my attention these days (too many to keep up with), but Prime and Load has pushed its way tot he front of the queue.

No kings, no tyrants!

"You cannot be excused duty soldier. I don't care if your pop owns an inn on Long Island. What on God's green Earth are bones spurs anyway?!"

The Battle of Königgrätz, 1757

As mentioned in a previous post, Henry arrived outside Königgrätz where he discovered Serbelloni had arrived ahead of him. Circling the city around the north, having crossed the upper Elbe, he found that the Austrians were camped on the plateau immediately to his south.*

* This was all rather convenient because I found a map of the 1866 battle. In game terms it mattered not, but at least it was a map of the general area. And it gave the smaller Prussian force an opportunity to keep out of sight of the Austrian heavy artillery which had caused them problems in the battle at Jaromiersch.

Rather than decline battle, and risk some losses as he retreated back the way he came, Henry decided to stand his ground. He positioned his force behind the westernmost of the small hills. His infantry (1 brigade of fusiliers and 1 small brigade of musketeers) were behind the crest. A brigade hussars were on the infantry's right to threaten any Austrian attack that tried to come through the gap between the wood and the stream. A brigade of dragoons was on the low ground to the infantry's left to threaten any Austrians that tried to approach along that waterway that flows into the Elbe (bottom right). Two battalions of Freikorps infantry were available to move to either flank of the infantry should it be necessary.

Plan of the approximate positions and the advance of the Austrian army.

The Austrian army having got word of Henry's force, waited north of their camp. After cavalry vedettes reported no further site of the Prussians since they went behind the hills, Serbelloni ordered his army forward to deploy along the northern edge of the plateau.

The respective orders of battle were as follows.

Prussians (Prince Henry)

• Infantry: 2 brigades (1 weakened by the recent action)
• Cavalry: 2 brigades (1 dragoons, 1 hussars)
• Freikorps: 2 battalions

Austrians (Count Serbelloni)

• Cavalry: 4 brigades (2 cuirassiers, 1 dragoon, 1 hussar)
• Infantry: 7 brigades (1 grenadier, 6 musketeer)
• Artillery: 2 brigades of heavy guns

You can see why Henry chose to dispose his force in a Wellingtonian manner!

Serbelloni ordered his left wing of cavalry (1 cuirassier, 1 hussar) around the west of the wood. The infantry (2 lines of musketeers and a reserve of grenadiers) and the guns advanced in the centre whilst the right wing of cavalry (1 cuirassier, 1 dragoon) peeled off to the right.

As the infantry came down the slope they split into two wings - one heading towards the hill behind which were the Prussians, the other forming column diverged wide to the right, behind the cavalry. This all took some time for everything to get in position. When they did the Prussian dragoons caught the right wing cuirassiers before they could charge! The Austrians were pushed back and had to rally behind their own dragoons. The Prussian success was short-lived as the fresh Austrian dragoons got the better of the disordered Prussians. Following that, the cuirassiers were able to return to the fray whereupon they routed the Prussians!

On the left things did not go better for the Prussians. The Austrian heavies soon chased the Prussian hussars off. The Austrians now were threatening both flanks of Henry's infantry, and had their own infantry approaching the hill from the south. Returning to ease the pressure on their comrades, the Prussian hussars tried their luck again. They failed miserably.

In the course of seeing off the Prussian hussars, the Austrian left wing cavalry got too close to the Prussian Freikorps and took some casualties. But the end was approaching. The Austrian infantry on the hill was getting close, as was one brigade of guns. The infantry wing that had swept round the left flank of the Prussians were forming up on line. Both Austrian cavalry wings threatened the Prussian flanks. Henry tried a fighting withdrawal but it was to no avail. The Freikorps were routed by the Austrian left wing cavalry, and the Austrian right wing crushed the Prussian line from the other flank. Henry went down with his fusiliers. His small force ceased to exist.

The moth, drawn to the candle, got lucky once. But not twice. Once the Prussian cavalry wings were defeated the writing was on the wall. Serbelloni had his victory!

In a way, Henry was the victim of his own success. Down to 50% of his force, an Army morale test was taken, and passed. Twice. This meant the remaining units were cut down where they stood. Apologies, but I had no pictures from this game as I got caught up in the action.

The loss of so many men and the loss of his brother would come as a blow to the King after his victory outside Prague. Henry had fulfilled the brief set out for him tying up Serbelloni for so long, but would the cost be too great?

1757 Campaign - the Battle of White Mountain - the Action

Having laid out his plan, the King set his forces in motion on the plain in front of the Austrian positions. It took some hours for the various Prussians columns to get in position. Their approach was hidden by the early morning mist and the large screening forces. Ever since 2 o'clock the Austrians could hear that the Prussians were on the move on both sides of the Moldau. What wasn't clear is what their intentions were. With Schwerin crossing from east to west, and some movement in Frederick's army also in a westward direction, one possibility was that the Prussians were heading to western Bohemia, possibly to secure Karlsbad and Pilsen. It wasn't until the Prussians were close to the Scharka stream that the visibility was good enough for Charles and von Browne to see what the Prussians were up to and they were finally able to comprehend that they did intend to attack.

Charles soon saw the danger of his position, with attacks coming all along his line and around his left flank by superior forces. The best course of action, he deduced, was to retreat into the city, making a fighting withdrawal to preserve as many of the Empress' soldiers as possible.

The Prussians (below and left of the blue line) are across the Scharka all along its length. On White Mountain (the near end of the ridge) two Austrian cavalry brigades have retreated after attacking a massive column of Prussian infantry.

Winterfeld attacks the northern ridge

View from behind the Austrian right flank. Schwerin's force advances across the Scharka and up the ridge.

Schwerin's massed batteries have taken out the Austrian artillery to the left of the hamlet.

Whilst the right wing holds off Schwerin, columns of Austrian infantry from the centre and left march to the safety of the city

Masses of Prussian infantry march up the White Mountain which has been vacated by the Austrian cavalry (bottom of picture)

An Austrian battery on the left of the northern ridge has been caught by the Freikorps whilst it was trying to get away. A regiment of Grenzers to the right of the Freikorps will attack out of the village to get some revenge.

Austrian positions (below the blue line) are getting more compact as they are squeezed by the advancing Prussian. Many Austrian infantry units are already lining the covered way of the city.

View from the eastern side of the city across the Moldau.

Bird's eye view at the end of the battle. The Austrians have lost several units, the Prussians only one. But at least the majority are saved to fight another day.

View towards Prague from behind the victorious Prussians

The Toll

Prussian losses were light:

• Only 1 unit completely lost - the Freikorps. 
• 1 grenadier unit took 2 hits (1 hit left)
• 2 musketeers units took 2 hits (1 left each), 
• 1 infantry took 1 hit (2 left),
• 1 cuir took 1 hit (1 left)
• 1 dragoon took 1 hit (1 left)

The Austrian losses were heavier. The following units were lost completely

• 3 units of infantry
• 1 unit of Croats
• 2 units of hussars
• 2 units artillery

Plus the following hits:

• 2 infantry units took 1 hit each
• 2 cavalry units took 1 hit each

However, the pontoon bridge across the Moldau has been destroyed by Königsegg after his victory*, so the Prussians will have to cross at the next crossing point downstream.

* I diced for this after the Prosek action.

The wider picture.

Moritz' little corps, as we have seen, was crushed at Prosek east of Prague.  Only 1 unit of musketeers escaped and Moritz lost his head. Literally. Königsegg's force came out unscathed having secured the eastern flank of the city, for now.

Further afield, Keith was three marches away from Prague at Jung-Bunzlau. Prince Wilhelm was still stuck in Dresden with his 2nd and 3rd rate troops. News was expected of Prince Henry's force in the Königgrätz area.The Prussians knew that Serbelloni with the second largest Austrian army was also at Königgrätz, Charles was holed up in Prague and Königsegg's small force was outside to the east of the Moldau.

What next in the game?

First I had to dice for recovery of troops following battle. As the losers in each action were effectively pursued, they could not dice to recover any lost units. The main Prussian army could however, dice and they did so successfully bringing back two bases, i.e. the Freikorps unit routed by the Grenzers. All other losses are considered permanent as far as this campaign is concerned.

All forces that were involved in battle this turn have to wait out the next turn whilst they recover. This affects Serbelloni, Königsegg and Charles on the Austrian side, and Frederick/Schwerin and what's left of Moritz's force on the Prussian side. 

Having enjoyed a greater movement rate in the first 3 turns, the Prussians now drop down to the same rate as the Austrians: 2 marches a turn. With the requirement to halt for a turn and the bulk of their forces to the west of Prague, the Prussians' freedom of manoeuvre will be limited. With the next crossing of the Moldau some way to the north, this further slows down the Prussians. The Austrian losses in Grenzers and hussars will be a problem for them scouting in the future. The Prussians will have a distinct advantage in the war of outposts. When they get moving again.

The Combat at Prosek

Previously I described how Moritz was told off with two brigades of infantry, two of cavalry and 1 of artillery to hold Königsegg at bay to the NE of Prague.

Unlike the action at Königgrätz the forces were much more evenly balanced. Dave, as Schwerin, declined to let his main force get involved, instead sending them across the river to help Frederick's attack.

Prussians (Moritz)

• Cavalry - 2 brigades (1 cuirassier, 1 hussar)
• Infantry - 2 brigades (musketeers)
• Artillery - 1 brigade

Austrians (Königsegg)

• Cavalry - 3 brigades (1 cuirassier, 1 dragoon, 1 hussar)
• Infantry - 2 brigades (musketeers)
• Artillery -  1 brigade of heavy guns

Moritz's force was either side of the village of Prosek, with their right resting on the Rokenitzer Bach and the left on a ridge. It took some time for the Austrians to get close to the Prussians as they wanted to get their heavy guns in close enough to do some damage before the attack proper. 

Rear of the Prussian hussars

Once in position the Austrians had several rounds of ineffective artillery fire, but suddenly they got some luck. The Prussian cuirassiers diced low, and despite a re-roll (thanks to Moritz) they took a hit. This weakened them for the coming cavalry combat, which they lost and routed from the field. The Austrian cuirassiers now fought the Prussian hussars, who didn't stand a chance. In the subsequent turn the second and decisive hit was inflicted and the Prussians were gone, taking Moritz with them.

Meanwhile, the Prussian infantry were coming under fire from the Austrian artillery. With a cry of “Are we to stand here and be shot like dogs?”, their brigadier led them forward in a bayonet attack. But the Austrian gunners got lucky again. The Prussians rolled double 1. Even with a plus 1, this meant a rout. The game was over when the Prussians failed their Army Morale. At least this time one unit of infantry was left (to retire from the field).

After the defeat of Moritz's army, deemed simultaneous with the main battle to the west of Prague, I diced for what Königsegg would do next. Cross the river via the Prussians' pontoon bridge and attack Schwerin in the rear whilst he was attacking the main Austrian army, or attempt to destroy the bridge. The first die roll determined he would attempt to destroy the bridge.  A wily old dog like Königsegg, schooled in the Austrian tradition, would take the more cautious course and avoid battle when he could. I diced for the bridges destruction and the Austrians succeeded.

Reflection on the tabletop rules.

For all the battles in the campaign I have used Twilight of the Soldier Kings rules. These produce fast paced games and work well with large forces. However, combat is quite 'binary' and unless lots of units are involved, once a side gets an advantage it seems they can inflict big defeats without suffering much in the way of losses themselves. On reflection I should probably have used a set more suited to smaller actions. I thought of my old favourites, WRG 1685-1845 since I won't have to spend time learning them. David B suggested TWOSK but making units battalion sized rather than brigades. A good idea since it also avoids the 'learning' overhead.

1757 Campaign - the Second Battle of White Mountain - Set-up

I'm using that name to distinguish it from the actual Battle of  Prague in 1757. This one will be fought on the western side of Prague, around the same ridge that the White Mountain (Weißberg or Bela Hora) is on.

Charles, aided by Marshall von Browne (or 'Brovna' in the contemporary German pronunciation), concentrated their force to the west of the city, where Frederick's forces were gathering. The Ridgeline there gave them good views of the plains to the north and west. The city and the River Moldau protected their right flank, and they would also gain some protection by the streams. before and to the left-rear of the position. If the worst came to the worst, the Austrians could fall back into the city.

As things turned out, the combined armies of Frederick and Schwerin, including the previously separate forces under Bevern and Winterfeldt, outnumbered the Austrians. Also, having a superior force of hussars and dragoons, the Prussians were able to scout out the Austrian positions before deciding on their attack plan.

The respective orders of battle included:

Austrians

• Artillery: 3 brigades
• Cuirassiers: 2 brigades
• Dragoons: 2 brigades
• Hussars: 2 brigades
• Grenadiers: 1 brigade
• Musketeers: 13 brigades
• Grenzers: 1 brigade 

Prussians

• Artillery: 3 brigades
• Cuirassiers: 4 brigades
• Dragoons: 3 brigades
• Hussars: 3 brigades
• Garde infantry: 1 brigade
• Grenadiers: 5 brigades
• Musketeers: 9 brigades
• Freikorps: 1 brigade

Things are set for what could be the showdown of the campaign.

The Prussian plan. The Moldau is impassable except at the pontoon bridge and the bridge in the city. Streams are passable, except for the blue blobs (i.e. ponds).

The map is based on an interactive map of the present day Prague area, complete with contours. I had to strip away most of the built up area. I then added in the position of Prague as it was in the 1750s. The city is shown on the table, mostly for show, but also for where the Austrians might retreat to. I've added in the villages' German names based off a map of the Battle of White Mountain, 1620, coupled with a bit of detective/deductive work on the modern Czech names. Much of the ground is fairly flat beyond the positions where I've shown the Austrians, at least in so far as it affects the game, and especially in the open space in the west (where Vaclav Havel Airport is today!).

Here are a few snaps of the field. Including a grid on the uncovered board which helped me position the DVD boxes/hills).

The basic 240x120cm board (8 by 4 ft in old money) with hastily drawn 12 cm grid. Extra table top left for Schwerin's starting position.

Before roads and soldiers added. The trees are just for decoration.

Prague

The large building on the right HAD to be included since it is a model of a building in Prague (bought on a work trip years ago).

Looking from the west. Top left is Schwerin's position. I've not set-up the table to show the Moldau in that corner.

From behind Winterfeld's position

Austrian lines from the west

Austrian lines from the Kleine Seite of Prague.

This is going to be a mammoth game. One of, if not the, biggest I've played, since I did Prague a few years ago. Rules will be Twilight of the Soldier Kings, as ever. The two smaller battles at Königgrätz and Prosek have already been played. No news has reached the combatants west of Prague yet.