Reading Resources Replenished

Greetings from a very dry south eastern England. We're now officially on a hose-pipe ban, but I'm grateful it could be much worse like France and Spain.

In an idle moment recently I had a look at the Paul Meekins website. A few clicks and I'd found that I'd ordered a stack of books. Too easy to do. I even deleted some from the 'basket' before I paid, just to show a bit of 'self-discipline'.

They arrived Friday, promptly and very well packaged. Here they are.

Well padded with bubble wrap and the box was all taped up - took some undoing and a lot of feeling off so I could put the box in the recycling. 

First edition. I already have this. In both first and second editions. But my original from the 1970s had got mouldy when stored in a damp garage, and it was well worn with reading and had dabs of Humbrol paint in the excellent appendix showing every regiment's uniform colours.

Another second copy. I think I lost my original one. This could tempt me into another 18th century sub-period if I'm not careful.

I'm already 1/4 of the way through this. A second volume on this battle, although it goes into a lot more detail on the preceding campaign-  "it does exactly what it says on the tin". I've read two of Mr Cooke's previous ECW works on Yorkshire sieges and Yorkshire battles. Good stuff.

Already devoured this one. Lots and lots of inspiration here! I love these Stuart Press booklets.

Another booklet sized publication. I shall look forward to reading this.

I'm pretty close to actually getting a game on the table. I have a few options in mind. I just need to boil down the numbers into something workable. The weather has inspired me to try something in a different setting. Until then, adios.

Interlude - the Battle of Leuthen

I bring you a short break in the War of the Austrian Succession, and lead you forward to the Seven Years War. I came across this fabulous video on You Tube today about the Battle of Leuthen, 1757.  There's so much 'military history' out there these days that is half-baked. Much of it has AI produced pictures or animations that are just so ahistorical that you have to wonder if a knowledgeable human being was involved at all (or just didn't care). 'AI slop' is the appropriate phrase.

The following video isn't that. It has great contextualisation, beautiful animated maps, and, most strikingly, the presenter walking the ground. Together, this gives you a great sense of how things unfolded.  Hope you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bh-4Zn5we0&t=18s

Flagging Efforts

I thought by now I would have made good progress on applying the paper flags that I'd bought for the French SYW army. Two problems scuppered my plan.

(1) The heads on most of the standard bearers are moulded to the flags.  Even if I were to cut away the flags here would be no room to fix the whole flag to the pole. I tried cutting away part of a flag, to fit around the head, only to hit issue:

(2) The things are just too flaming fiddly.

Ah, a cynic might add, that's a clever way to knock one of the items off the list! I'm not above clutching at such expedients, however, the French army's flags would still be bare. A clever person (I think it might have been Neil) said some while back that I could leave the flags white and say they are the colonel's colour - a lot of French regiments had colonel's colours with white crosses on white backgrounds*. Maybe all. I kid you not. 

* Here's some evidence.

That's a clever idea, and I might have done that (painting as thin a line as I can manage to hint at the shape of the cross). But that is not very satisfying. Where there's two flags on a unit that is what I shall do, but otherwise I'll look for some relatively easily paintable flag types. I rarely deploy regiments as their 'proper selves' as I can't readily identify what is what.

That plan will be put on hold for a while as Real Life is preventing that this week. In the meantime, I'll leave you with this picture of the Regiment d'Eu during a winter campaign high in the Hunsrück mountains, led by the colonel's colour party.

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.

Minden Take 2 - scene setting

The table has remained set-up for the last couple of weeks ready for a re-run of Minden. Rather than a straightforward replay I decided to wind the clock back to the early hours of the morning when the respective armies were marching in their columns to Minden Heath and its surrounds.

Key to planning for this game was the ever useful Kronoskaf. It’s the one place I’ve found reasonably comprehensive timings for the various movements. 

Even then it required a bit of work to create a timeline on which to build the game. For example Kronoskaf has the French beginning to cross the Bastau by 19(!) bridges at 01:00 and Broglie’s column getting to his intended start position between Malbergen and the Weser at 05:00. As I wanted to do the approach march I had to calculate how many moves it would take under the game rules to march from the edge of the board to the position, then assign a start time for this column entering the board. I repeated the process for all the major formations based on the times given in Kronoskaf for them reaching defined positions.

I could then create a table showing the turn number and the notionally time of day for each major formation. I took an hour as representing 4 turns.

Turn #	Time	Action
1	03:30	Broglie starts at Minden
2	03:45	Other French columns starts at table edge
5	4:30	Wangenheim alerted
6	4:45	Ferdinand’s columns (except Sackville and Scheele) start on edge of table at western end.
7	05:00	All being well Broglie will be ready to form line
8	05:15	Scheele starts on edge of table
7-11	05:00-06:00	Dice for Wangenheim’s brigades occupying positions
15	07:00	All being well Contades could be ready to form line.
19	08:00	Sackville arrives at Hartum

It looks like a lot of turns before the opponents are even ready to engage, but the turns will go quickly as there is little to do but move, until the columns reach their intended deployment zones.

As I'm starting the game with the approaches in column, I'm going to use Twilight of the Soldier Kings' deployment rules. Under TOSK rules most armies of the period (except the Prussians in the SYW*) have to deploy by adopting the 'parallel march'. This involves advancing up one side of their intended position at right angles to the line they are to adopt, taking a left or right turn as appropriate when they reach the end of the position and marching until they have occupied the earmarked space. Then they complete the move by changing from column to line, turning to face at 90 degrees. What potentially slows this down is that  an 'Action Test' is required for a change of direction and for a change of formation.  Not too difficult but with several columns there is a lot of potential for disruption if one or more columns fails to turn/deploy promptly.

* SYW Prussians can deploy straight from column of march forming a line at right angles to the column. The point reached by the head of the column can become either end of the line or the middle of the line. This is a much simpler process and requires only the one Action Test. It's a good way of representing the faster deployment method of the Prussians. 

This gives a good overview with diagrams of the different methods of deployment:

https://rodwargaming.wordpress.com/miltary-historical-research/military-historical-research/the-evolution-of-tactics-in-the-18th-century/

I'm not sure when I can start the game as I have a trip to London planned with the Margravina on Sunday. But the table is set and the toys are ready. So Bank Holiday Monday looks favourite.

Prime & Load Podcast Vote

 https://primeandload.buzzsprout.com/2453485/episodes/17699697-top-commanders-bracket-round-3

This series, an FA Cup of 18th C commanders if you like, has already reached round 3. Maximilian von Browne  is the Grimsby Town of the competition, reaching the Quarter Finals. But I suspect, like the Mariners in 2023, MaxiB has reached the end of the road. Still, his supporters will have had a nice journey and a fine day out and a good singsong in Brighton Freed from Desire

The project is a bit of fun but it does provoke some interesting debate amongst the presenters and food for thought.

I may have possibly got my metaphorical wires crossed somewhere along the line, but I might have got away with it.

Minden - the game

The previous couple of days have seen a bout of real life intervene but I did manage to do some supplementary reading* and a bit more thinking about the scenario. I also revisited the orders of battle. On a pure count of the infantry units the French massively outnumbered the allies 84 to 48, but the headcount, although in favour of the French, was more like 4:3. Accordingly, I reduced the number of French units on the table.

* i.e. skimming through the Coward of Minden by Piers Mackesy and Stuart Reid's the Battle of Minden 1759: the Impossible Victory.

To get my thoughts in order I wrote out the key timeline from the French night march to the battle starting in earnest. In the end I decided to start the game at around 07:00 when the main French batteries opened up in the centre. Historically Broglie did very little on the French right but rather than allow myself complete free reign to change this I diced each turn to see if his wing could advance. A 6 on a D6 on turn 1 would allow it, with successively more chance each subsequent turn. Sackville wouldn't arrive at Hartum towards the right rear of the Allied line until 08:00 - i.e. after 4 turns. Every other command was allowed to move straight away. Another constraint placed on Sackville was to give him a -1 on any attempt to change orders (formation, direction etc.) just to replicate his questioning of orders.

A reminder of the initial dispositions. Hartum is off to the left of the map level with Hahlen. Although the key to the map says it is the position at 06:30, the account in Kronoskaf says the French were still getting into their formations between 07:00 and 08:00. The truth is probably a lot more fluid than shown on a map.

So the game kicked off with the French moving first, on the rationale that they opened fire on the advancing British column in the centre once it was in close range. The pictures below show the situation after every couple of turns.

A couple of turns in and Spörcken's first brigade has taken some casualties and has been replaced by the second line whereupon it was charged by a brigade of French cavalry. The result followed historical precedent with the French sent packing. Off camera Anhalt's small brigade of pickets is battling it out with  Guerchy's men in Hahlen. The action at Hahlen continued for most of the game in isolation.

Two turns later and Spörcken has been backed up by Imhoff and cavalry from Wangenheim's wing. Three French cavalry brigades have been repulsed.

Another view of the allied centre

After turn 6. Action has been frenetic in the centre. Most of the French cavalry brigades have been repulsed including the elites of the Gendarmerie and Carabiniers.

Turn 8 and the French cavalry continues to charge Spörcken's British and Hanoverian column with very little positive result. Pretty much following historical precedent. 

Anhalt (in the distance) fight over the enclosures at Hahlen. Meanwhile Sackville's column has arrived on the scene (beyond the trees).

Things have not been silent on the French right. Broglie's grenadiers have sacrificed themselves assaulting Wangenheim's defences. But in the process they have routed the allied battery.

Turn 10. Contades, French C-inC has taken the bit between his teeth, rode over to Broglie's wing and taken command of his cavalry and marched them over to the centre where he has seen an opportunity to roll up the allies' flank.

Close up of the fight in the centre. Prussian dragoons face off against French cavalry.

At the same time Sackville's cavalry charge into the French outside Hahlen. Saxon infantry in the foreground form up to block any breakthroughs. The Saxons were an army in exile, fighting with the French after their defeat by the Prussians 3 years earlier and then falling out with their Austrian allies.

Then on turn 12 we see the first major breakthrough.  The French centre collapses. [In game terms the 'wing' fell to half strength and failed a wing morale test].

Then in turn 14 in a further dramatic development, the allied right wing fails a wing morale test. Sackville's cavalry, Anhalt's pickets and Spörcken and Scheele's infantry have all had enough. Then a combination of Imhoff's infantry and Wangenheim's cavalry attack Broglie's cavalry under Contades, and the French rout. In the chaos the French commander is overthrown and disappears in the dust clouds thrown up by the fleeing squadrons. This tips Broglie's corps over the edge. 

The Saxons stand victorious north of Hahlen. They can see no enemy in front of them through the smoke in the centre of the battlefield. Has Ferdniand's army dissolved?

Beyond the clouds of smoke, Imhoff's infantry stand firm. Ferdinand, down one wing passes the army morale test.
[Note: I'd forgotten before I got the figures out that I had run out of 'grass' before I could finish the Hessians and that I had since bought a packet. That's another job to add to the list.]

Wangenheim's grenadiers watch Broglie's infantry flood back to Minden. The Saxons and remaining French on the left are in danger of being cut off from the bridges and retire from the field hastily but in good order. [Two wings down, the French fail their army morale test].

It was very close in the end. Very, very close. It really could have gone either way. Honestly it came down to the luck of the dice. I might have to try this again as the board is set up. If I was inclined to do a bit more work, I would start the game at an earlier point. That might take a bit more thinking than a straight line em up re-fight.

Minden - setting up

Wargaming returns to the Schloß. But I'm a bit late to the party with this. Minden Day (1 August) was last Friday. I was reminded of it when I noticed a new episode of the podcast Prime & Load dedicated to the battle - a very informative listen it was too. In between chores at the weekend I dug out some maps available on the internet and played around with the orientation until I got the area I wanted scaled to meet a 180 x 100 cm table.

Then I dug out an order of battle based on the one given in Kronoskaf, and tweaked it slightly to suit Twilight of the Sun Kings rules. After work today it didn't take long to set-up the table. I'll probably play the game Tuesday evening.

First stage of the mapping process was to download various historical and modern representations (the Royal Collections, Kronoskaf and Wiki). I limited my area to the area covered by the lines of battle in typical representations so it could fit on the table size above. Then I dipped into an online mapping tool and turned the orientation so I could get the minimal amount of dead space on the table. As a battle, there wasn't anything really in the way of open flanks, with the east bounded by the Weser river, the south by marshes and the rival forces were spread across an imaginary diagonal line between these two barriers. Actually, they were approximately lined up in an L formation, but you get my drift hopefully. On the modern map I measured out an area which scaled down to my table with the ground scale I use for the rules. This was to get the approximate location of the various villages (woods seem to have been removed). This map helped me place the built up areas.

The blue rectangle shows the table area. The map has been turned anticlockwise slightly so the top is NNE

Following this, using the map on Kronoskaf I was able to place the woods which played a part in the manoeuvrings and excuses made by Sackville (the British cavalry commander later court-martialled for his failings on the day).

Finally I was going to use the map below from Wiki to lay-out the troops - the units shown accord with the order of battle on Kronoskaf. At the last minute I thought I might introduce a bit more uncertainty in proceedings and wind the clock back to a bit before the armies reached those positions.

Based on the German General Staff history of the SYW.

Apart from Wangenheim's corps in the north east, I pulled all the columns from both armies back. The idea is to do a bit of dice rolling to determine when the various French columns cross the Bastau (off map to the south). And then dice for when the allies hear that the French have crossed the Bastau. 

First a bit of historical context that will hopefully explain my thinking on the arrival of the columns. Ferdinand of Brunswick's plan was to lure the French into battle by posting Wangenheim off to the north, with a significant gap between him and the main army. Then when the French advanced north from Minden, Ferdinand's columns would sweep down on the French flank. It did not quite work out that way. Firstly, very strong winds muffled the movement of the French on the night of 31st July-1st August. Secondly, the French were not stupid. Whilst Broglie was despatched on the French right to deal with Wangenheim, the bulk of Contades' army was to provide over on his left. Thirdly, not all of Ferdinand's columns got off to a prompt start when given their orders. Sackville in command of the British *and some Hanoverian) cavalry was dilatory.  This sluggish start was later compounded when Sackville failed to take advantage of the French retreat.

View from behind the French. The town of Minden would be off to the bottom left.

Ferdinand's columns, minus Sackville. I will move these back a bit to start.

Sackville way, way back

The view from beyond the Bastau, looking north-ish.