Minden, Take 2 - the Account

This was another close run thing! I got an hour in before lunch and a couple of hours (if that) in this afternoon and finished the game. Below the battle is told through pictures and captions.

Several turns in the French columns have almost reached their deployment areas.  The allies are yet to move. But it gets slightly trickier for the French now as they have to start changing directions and forming up in line. At this point Broglie's infantry have already been slightly held up.

9 turns in the French are getting into position and the allies have finally got going. I made a mistake with getting Sackville on too soon (in the village far left), so I moved him back again.

The French are almost in position. In fact their front lines are and Ferdinand's columns in the distance are still marching up. This is an opportunity that Contades seizes!

Turn 14 (06:45) and Contades launches his cavalry towards the approaching Anglo-German foot. But at least Spörcken with his Anglo-Hanoverian column has got into line in time! Wangenheim sends his cavalry forward (centre right) in a spoiling effort to buy the infantry time. In the foreground Broglie is fully formed up.

Turn 17: disaster strikes Spörcken! His first brigade is routed by the French cavalry in front of the woods in the centre. History 0; Refight 1. Centre right, Ferdinand's cavalry is moving I to counterattack. Centre left, Wangenheim's (light blue coated) Prussian cavalry has taken the opportunity to route a French infantry brigade and charges into a second.

The French cavalry getting ready to attack Spörcken's second brigade.

Turn 19: Sackville finally gets going and accepts his order to swing to the left where Ferdinand is under pressure. Top right, Anhalt is slugging it out with the French in Hahlen.  In the centre Spörcken's 2nd brigade has been routed and cavalry slug it out on the left. 6 British regiments will not be celebrating August 1st in this alternate universe!

A close up view of the centre at the same time

Another view of the centre looking south towards the village of Hahlen.

On the allied extreme left, seeing that Broglie's cavalry is engaged in the centre, Wangenheim's infantry launches an attack on Nicolay (right of picture) 

In rapid succession, the French centre lose a few cavalry and infantry brigades. This takes them down to 50% of units engaged and they score a 3 on the 'wing morale test': a 5 or 6 is needed. A large gap opens up as a result of the retreat of the French centre.

A few turns later Guerchy finally defeats Anhalt and swings the rest of his column north to face the allies in the centre. Sackville has arrived in the centre in time to see Scheele and Holstein infantry finish off the first of Guerchy's infantry brigades on the French left. 

On the left Wangenheim has finished off Nicolay and turns on Broglie. In the distance Broglie haas sent 3 brigades including one of the Grenadiers de France to assault Wangenheim's positions. Both sides stubbornly slogged it out right to the end. The allies, including the British and Hanoverian grenadiers held on by their fingertips and were 1 'hit' away from breaking.

Sackville's column with the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons (aka the Scots Greys) in the foreground.

Broglie is reduced to 50% of his strength but passes his first Wing Morale test.

The allied centre is teetering on the brink. 1 more brigade lost and they will have to test morale.

Just in time, on turn 29 (10:30), Broglie fails the wing morale. 2 corps out of 3 down and Contades has an Army Morale test and fails. It's all over. After a poor start the allies have won!

Post game thoughts

Well that was more interesting from my point of view. Pulling the start back to the French columns having just crossed the Bastau opened up more of an opportunity for them to catch the allies un-prepared. If the allied centre lost 1 more brigade before Broglie they would have faced a morale test This would have left Sackville all alone on the allied right against several French infantry brigades. To avoid outright defeat Ferdinand would have had to order Sackville to keep out of reach of the French (a relatively easy task since the French cavalry was all gone).

I think it's the brittleness of cavalry that was ultimately the undoing of the French. Whilst they were quick to get cavalry into action and gain some early advantages, the lack of foot support in time caused them to ultimately fail. This is ever the danger in warfare when cavalry/armour gets too far ahead of the PBI. It's the old quandary of exploiting victory versus not outrunning the footsloggers.