The Seven Years War, Honours of War, 28mm

With only two of us available for a game this week, we skipped the club, and instead we gamed at my place over the weekend. As Sean 2 has now finished the second of his Prussian battalions, we staged a small game which involved them, along with some Hessian allies. the scenario came from the rules book – Action at Kutzdorf, which involved a flank attack on a defended position. So, for this one Sean was the Allied attacker, with four brigades – one of four infantry battalions (two Prussian, 2 Hessian), one of two light infantry battalions, one of two cavalry regiments and finally one made up of two artillery batteries. My French were in three brigades – two of three infantry battalions and a battery, and a third brigade of two cavalry regiments. That’s the set-up above, with Ellie the Retriever making sure we weren’t hiding any dog treats on the table. The small village is Kutzdorf, worth one victory point.Two of Sean’s brigades – the lights and the line – were led by dashing commanders – something unheard of in the French army – and they advanced in fine style, the lights forging through the wood to snipe on the French line, while the line brigade deployed for an attack on the first of the two  hills.  However, while his two Hessian gun batteries banged away, the Allied cavalry remained immobile. For my part I had time to re-arrange my line on the first hill, deploying with the red-coated Swiss battalion facing the Allied lights, while the two battalion Lyonnais regiment faced the advancing Allied infantry. My guns though, did good work, softening up the leading right-hand Allied battalion – the Hessian Leibregiment – as it closed. Eventually, with a well-placed volley of musketry and some canister, it broke and ran. First blood to the French! I was taking hits too though, especially to my left-hand Lyonnais battalion. My Swiss though, were more than holding their own against the Allied light infantry, who rolled some shockingly bad dice. Eventually the first Prussian light infantry battalion decided to retire back into the woods to really, while the second one, on taking centre stage – was also hit badly by Swiss musketry. So, it too withdrew, leaving my right flank secure – at least for the moment. Meanwhile, over in the centre my second brigade sent a battalion of the La Couronne regiment into Kutsdorf, while the rest – the regiment’s second battalion plus the second battalion of the Swiss La Planta regiment – closed up the gap in the centre of the table. They started to take some serious hits from the Allied artillery, but managed to swing round to fire on the Allied attackers. This was the crunch point. When the second Hessian (von Bose) battalion took enough hits to break, Sean launched an assault with his  Prussians. The battalion from the 1st Regt. was met by a volley from the 2nd Lyonnais battalion, and then a volley from another French  on their right flank. They withered away and broke. So, Sean was down to just one remaining Prussian line battalion. The end of the 2nd (Kanitz) regiment’s bttn. came the following turn. A combination of fire from the Lyonnais and the Swiss La Planta battalion which had pivoted to its right weakened them badly. Then canister form the attached French gun battery saw them off. The fun thing about this was – this was their first outing on the table. It always happens isn’t much consolation to the unit’s owner!That was almost the point when Sean finally conceded. After all, all four of his line infantry battalions had been wiped out, and only the brigade’s gun battery remained. His two light battalions were still licking their wounds in the woods, which only left his cavalry and Hessian guns in play.However, they had the last laugh. A couple of my infantry battalions were badly shot up, and his two guns fired – and scored telling hits. The Swiss battalion next to Kutzdorf was broken. That though, wasn’t the end of it.The balls went skipping on, and passed the cavalry to hit the battalion of the Lyonnais regiment which was reforming at the rear. It took two hits, and evaporated too! So, while the French won the game, the Hessian gunners ensured it wasn’t a pyrrhic victory for them. It was a fun little game, and we both enjoyed it, despite the somewhat unusual scenario. 

Tags: Honours of War