Lobositz - the Third Refight

More specifically, the third refight using my bastardised version of Max Foy's Prinz Eugen rules. The 4th time Lobositz has been played in the Nundanket household. The first time can be seen here, all the way back in 2011.

Given the first two games took 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and the table was still set-up*, I thought I would 'go again'. In the first game, I ignored historical precedent (apart from the set-up) and played it 'freestyle'. The result was a victory for Frederick in a late swing. Next, I played it 'straight' from the point of view of the Austrians. They adopted their historical posture, but Old Fritz was allowed a fee hand. 'Completely unfair' the Austrophiles (and history lovers) cry. And this resulted in a clear cut victory for Prussia in terms of units eliminated, although the Whitecoats stilled held Lobositz town. A tactical victory but Browne achieved his operational aims. Fairly close to a historical result.

* thanks to the girls being back at school I could use one of their bedrooms to work in today.

Third time I played it with both sides following historical precedent. The game took about 2 1/2 hours early this evening. And the result? A close run thing with the Prussians pulling their irons out of the fire again. Stage one was the initial infantry assault on the Lobosch and the cavalry foray into the mist. The results in both cases were along historical lines. The Prussians had to feed more infantry on to the Lobosch and their cavalry were given a bloody nose. A cuirassier brigade ended up 1 hit short of being eliminated and a dragoon brigade was removed totally. So much for the famous Bayreuth Dragoons.

Stage two was the massed cavalry assault by the Prussians. Due to not being able to get sufficient order chips to move all the cavalry whilst fighting on the Lobosch and bombarding the Austrians, this second cavalry attack was a bit more piecemeal. But the results were pretty much along historical lines. The bluecoated infantry eventually gained the upper hand over  Lacy's Croats and regular infantry. And the cavalry swept the plain of enemy, but in the process took significant casualties. Even more so when, having cleared the plain of enemy, they tried to get at the Austrians across the Morellenbach. They raged up and down helplessly getting picked off by infantry and artillery, or floundered in the marshy stream. In the end all but one Prussian cavalry brigade was pulled back being close to elimination. The Austrians were able to pull back battered units to prevent them from being eliminated, and replace them with fresh troops.

End of the action on the Lobosch: Frederick's musketeers have holed up the remnants of Lacy's command by Welhotta. Lacy (the son of another of the Wild Geese) was felled in this refight. In reality he survived the war to become a Field Marshall and President of the Hofkriegsrat.

Four of the six Prussian cavalry brigades pulled back with serious losses - count the round markers. The Prussian brigades have a strength of 4, so 3 units were just one more hit away from being removed. One further brigade was lost. Meanwhile the sixth was performing Herculean deeds by the Morellenbach.

By this stage, the advantage was in Browne's favour. Something like 5VPs to 3. Old Fritz had moved his heavy guns down into the plain and these poured shot and shell into Sullowitz and its surrounds, causing further attrition on the Austrians. Then the Wonder of the Age occurred. The second Prussian dragoon brigade fought off first one attack on it, and then another. It proceeded to follow-up and sweep away all comers. It eventually forced its way over the Morellenbach, disordered but unscathed. They broke through the skin of fresher troops and finally found themselves amongst the worn remnants of the first line.  By the end they could be seen slashing their way through an infantry brigade taking the Prussians' 8th and 9th VPs. So 9-6 to Old Fritz. But with most of his cavalry licking their wounds, there would be no pursuit onto the Bohemian plains of the retreating Whitecoats.

The heroic dragoons on the 'Austrian' side of the Morellenbach having just delivered the coup de grâce to an Austrian infantry brigade, and taken a general too. They're surrounded by other tempting targets should the game have gone a further turn.

The table has been cleared now, so no more Lobositz. For now. Apart from the next post (the game from 2011). I've enjoyed these three solo games. The rules worked out well. Lobositz is a great battle to wargame. Plenty of challenges and two equally balanced, but different opponents. No wonder it's an Old School favourite. Indeed, I first came across it in the Charles Grant (senior) penned chapter in the War Game, as a lad in the 70s. It was on the to do list for a very long time. When I made the switch to 6mm SYW figures, my goal was to build up sufficient sized armies to 'do' Lobositz. The usual wargaming megalomania took over, and Torgau became the next target. What next? I'm running out of Frederician battles to game.