Festive Campaign Planning

Further to the previous post, I did a bit more digging into the Saxon campaign of late 1745. The principle source I used was the Helion publication Kesselsdorf 1745 by Alexander Querengässer, supplemented by Christopher Duffy's Frederick the Great: A Military Life  and The Army of Frederick the Great (both editions). It took several readings of and copious notes on Querengässer's chapter on the campaign leading up to the battle to get a proper handle on events.

The reason I wanted to get the events straight is to try to understand the campaign and what possibilities there were for the game. In essence the campaign was fairly straightforward. The Saxons and Austrians planned to invade Brandenburg (the Prussian heartland) after the normal campaigning season ended. The Prussians were alert to this and planned a pre-emptive strike which not only aimed to forestall the invasion but to knock Saxony out of the war and keep the Austrians bottled up in Bohemia. The campaign was launched when in late November a small Austrian force under Grünne invaded Brandenburg in a very scaled down version of an earlier plan, whilst Charles of Lorraine with a sizeable Austrian force. Frederick launched a countermove from the east which made Charles retreat back into Bohemia, and Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau marched into Saxony from the west. The Saxons and Grünne fell back on Dresden and Charles eventually moved back into Saxony via a different route. Charles arrived in the Dresden area but never fully joined up with the Saxons. Leopold defeated the Saxons at Kesselsdorf south west of Dresden on 15th December and Dresden fell a few days later. The Saxons sued for peace and Austria recognised Frederick's conquest of Silesia (the reason for the war in the first place).

I made a table in date order of all my notes. Next I'll use these to generate some 'inflection points' when I'll dice for possible options. This will be good to introduce an element of uncertainty in a solo game. e.g. "what date will Leopold leave Leipzig", and "will Leopold head for Torgau (most likely) or head more directly to Dresden? I'll also look at things like what effect Sachsen-Weissenfels sackings will have on Saxon operations. Broadly the plan is to start operations on 20th November but dice for when people get to where they are going and for how long they stay in a particular place.

Date	Action
30 Sep	Sachsen-Weissenfels resigned as CinC at end of September after his proposal to make peace was rejected.
13 Oct	Grünne - left Heiddlberg with 8k Austrians. Due to start joint ops 20 Nov.  Torgau-Uebigau on Black Elster.
20 Nov	Charles - crossed border at  Zittau 18k Austrians 3k Saxons.
20 Nov	Grünne at Zittau
21 Nov	Charles moves to Görlitz
22 Nov	Frederick sent orders to Leopold to invade Saxony.
22 Nov	Leopold left his Dessau residence for Halle where his troops were.
23 Nov	Frederick crosses the border into Lusatia at Naumburg (Silesia - Now Nowogrodziec, Poland).
23 Nov	Battle of Hennersdorf. Ziethen with 20 sq H + 10sq C beats 2bn +6sq Saxons at Hennersdorf in Lusatia east of Görlitz.
23 Nov?	Grünne reaches 7 miles from Berlin. But what type of miles? German Mile = 7.5km so = 52.5km or 33 English miles). Grünne withdraws to Grossenhain roughly halfway between Torgau and Dresden.
24 Nov
25 Nov	Leopold receives Frederick’s orders to invade Saxony. Leopold delays while he is preparing 9 days bread supply for his army and replenished the draft horses.
25 Nov	Frederick takes Görlitz
26 Nov
27 Nov	News of Frederick’s victory at Hennersdorf arrived with explicit instructions to attack Leipzig arrived
27 Nov	Charles retreats across the border at Zittau pursued by the Prussians.
28 Nov
29 Nov	Leopold finally left Halle. Delay possibly due to Leopold not interpreting the Austrian advance into Lusatia as a breach of Saxon neutrality as Lusatia was technically under Bohemian sovereignty although it was ruled by the Saxon Elector.
29 Nov	Action at Schkeuditz:  Prussians under Bredow  with 4sq Cuirassiers, 1sq from each Dragoon regiment (max 6) and 2 Hussar regiments.  Saxons under Sibilski with 1 Chevaux Legers regiments and 2 pulks of Uhlans. Saxons retreat via Schönefeld to Grimma south east of Leipzig.
27-30 Nov	Frederick detaches Lehwaldt with 8500 men to join up with Leopold via Meissen.
30 Nov	Leipzig captured by Leopold.
1 Dec	Renard at Mutzchen
1 Dec	Sachsen-Weissenfels reinstated as CinC.
1 Dec	Friederick August abandons Dresden for Prague.
2 Dec	Renard at Lommatzsch
3 Dec	Leopold leaves Leipzig for Torgau
3 Dec	Renard at Wilsdruf
4 Dec	Frederick hears that Leopold has captured Leipzig
4 Dec	Renard at Dresden with Dietmar
5 Dec	On 5 Dec Frederick learned that Charles had gone behind the border range and was heading down the Elbe into Saxony.
6 Dec	Leopold enters Torgau.
7 Dec
8 Dec	Lehwaldt at Gröbern 4km east of Meissen
9 Dec	Lehwaldt demands surrender of Meissen
9 Dec	Sachsen-Weissenfels convenes a council of war at which it is decided to open operations against Leopold on 13 Dec as soon as Charles arrived, rather than take on Frederick.
10 Dec	Frederick at Bautzen.
11 Dec	Leopold marches to Strehla
12 Dec	Leopold marches to Meissen
12 Dec	Charles promises to lead his troops to Dresden as quickly as possible allowing time to cross the Erzegebirge.
12 Dec?	A ‘few days’ after the 9 Dec council of war Frederick August II withdrew his confidence from Sachsen-Weissenfels.
13 Dec	Lehwaldt crosses the repaired bridge over the Elbe into Meissen in the early hours
13 Dec	Leopold’s rearguard in action against Sybilski’s 2 pulls of uhlans
13 Dec	Charles’ army camped between Pirna and the Grossergarten in Dresden. Spread 1/2 day’s march apart. Austrian troops ‘rioting’ over lack of supplies.
13 Dec	Rutowski and Grünne ordered north to confront Leopold. They occupy the heights near Kesselsdorf.
14 Dec	Leopold’s army bivouacs between Naudstadt and Röhrsdorf (half way from Meissen to Wilsdruff)
14 Dec	Frederick receives news of the capture of Meissen and orders his army to go there.
15 Dec	Battle of Kesselsdorf
16 Dec
17 Dec	Dresden surrenders
25 Dec	End of hostilities (Second Silesian War)

As part of ordering my notes I created another table, this time of the various troop formations at the start of the campaign and their locations. I've also listed various depots established by the Saxons, which will provide tempting targets for the Prussians/must haves.

Commander	Location on 20m Nov	Troops
Leopold	Halle	Pagan says: 24,577 - 28bn 63sq 32 heavy guns.
Frederick	Liegnitz?	30,000 inc Lehwaldt. Assume 20 heavy guns. Lehwaldt: 30 sq 10bn 2 H reg)
Rutowski:	Dresden	22 heavy guns
Renard	Leipzig	20bn 23 sqn 2 pulks Uhlans
Diemer	Meissen	11bn 12 sq 2pulks uhlans
Other Saxons	Assume Dresden	10 sq
Charles	Gabel/Reichenberg	18,000 Austrians, 3,000 Saxons Assumptions:  Saxons 4 bn, 2 regt cav Austrians 14,000 inf, 4,000 cav 20 heavy guns
Grünne	Uebigau on the Black Elster	8,000 Austrians: 10 bn, 1 Grenadier bn, 1000 Croats, 2 cuir reg (14 sq), 2 Hr reg.
Depot	Görlitz
Depot	Zittau
Depot	Leipzig
Depot	Torgau

Lastly, I found a fabulous resource for this campaign: 18th century atlas of Saxony This consists of several maps of the different areas of Saxony, as well as one of the whole electorate. The more detailed maps will be great for battlefield layouts.

Possible Campaign Idea

Progress on my list of jobs has slowed right down in recent weeks. In odd moments I've clipped off old flags and stuck on new ones. So far I have given all French infantry units with 2 flags a Colonel's Colour (a white cross on a white background, I kid you not*). The Ordonnance Colours are the colours with colours. I'll get round to those, but it's slow and fiddly. I'll still have to paint on the cavalry colours and ones for the Swiss (very tricky as shown in this link: Wittmer regimental Ordonnance ) and the Irish. The Irish ones are a bit simpler than the Swiss. And then I have the Reichsarmee to do.

If I'm to get a New Year campaign in, as per the previous two years, I need to get some plans made. And in the process skip from task 8 to task 14 on the list.

Tentative Order	Job
1	Finish river pieces
2	Check stock of magnetic paper and bases
4	Paint houses
3	Order storage boxes
5	Paint walls
6	Paint and base trees
7	Rebase Greeks and Persians
8	Flag SYW figures (French priority)
9	Try Alala!
10	Try Siege Works rules
11	Paint wagons and gun teams
12	Decide what to do with SYW odds and sods
13	Paint petard crews etc
14	Prepare New Year Campaign
15	Paint sheep
16	Paint pack animals
17	Paint villagers (6 and 10mm)
18	Make fortress
19	Ottoman painting guide
20	Order Irregular Ottoman army
21	Paint Ottomans
22	Run ECW siege campaign
23	Make AWI boats
24	Maybe rebase some Romans
25	Build & paint sailing ships

Previous years campaigns can be seen here The War of the Austrian Succession in Europe and here The War of the Austrian Succession in Italy

I was stuck for ideas. After the WAS the obvious one is the SYW. Too obvious really. And a bit samey. I could go for another period* or narrow down the scope. I thought briefly of the Low Countries in the War of the Austrian Succession and then I listened to the Prime and Load podcast on the Battle of Kesselsdorf. I've refought the battle a couple of times (here for example) but the brief campaign that it was part of intrigues me.

* I thought of doing an ECW campaign 4+ years ago. But that would be too long a game for the holiday period.

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The campaign in Saxony in late 1745 was relatively short. The campaign didn't really kick off until late November and it was, for once, all over by Christmas. The Austrian and Saxon allies had been plotting to invade Brandenburg and bring the Prussians to their knees. Frederick wanted to pounce first, but held back for fear of triggering the Saxon-Russian defensive alliance. The Russians weren't involved in the War of the Austrian Succession (except right at the end, when they sent an army to Germany) but were bound to take up arms against an aggressor (most likely Prussia?) who invaded Saxony. However, Frederick of Prussia knew that there was a proviso in the Saxon-Russian agreement that would nullify the invasion clause. If Saxon neutrality was infringed before any invasion of the country took place, Russia would not come to Saxony's aid. Frederick also knew that Austria was planning to feed troops through Saxony to join the invasion of Brandenburg. He just had to wait for the Austrians to cross the border then he could launch his pre-emptive strike from two directions confident that the Russians would not get involved. Frederick would strike from Silesia in the east, and Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau from the west.

In rough terms, each of the two Prussian armies were equal in size to the Saxon field army. The Saxons had the help of a small Austrian corps transferred from the war against French, and over the border in Bohemia there was an Austrian army under Prince Charles of Lorraine. Frederick wanted Leopold to attack quickly and keep up the pressure on the Saxons. The Saxons intended to play for time until the Austrians arrived in theatre. The Saxon fortresses were not very well maintained, and were garrisoned by poorly trained and poorly armed troops. In the actual campaign the Saxons did not intend to try to hold onto places like Leipzig or Dresden for long if they came under siege. Leopold was more of a classic 18th century commander than Frederick, and was keen to ensure his force was adequately supplied and its supply lines protected. Frederick was less concerned about such matters.

So this seems to set-up some intriguing possibilities:

• The speed of Leopold's advance: how much time will be spent securing supply lines.
• The speed of Charles' advance and its possible interception by Frederick.
• How adept Saxon field commander Rutowski would be in foiling and delaying the Prussians.

I've dusted off my copy of Querengässer's book on Kesselsdorf to read the account of the campaign and I will make notes on the sizes and composition of forces, as far as it allows. Also. I'll note any key decision points and dice for options to be taken by the respective commanders. Then I'll draft some simple movement and supply guides and a campaign map. Previous New Year campaigns used stands of figures as tokens for large formations and a hexed battle cloth as the basis of the map. Battles were highly abstracted affairs. This time I'm thinking of conducting the campaign on a map, with any battles played out as traditional tabletop figures wargames. That is the state of my thinking at present.