Medeival Battle

After duing some serous simulations we had some comic relrif tonight with a Medieval mutiplayer game. Each of the 7 players had their own small battle, with random deployment & alliances.
 

York: Jim bottom left, Mark middle near side, Chris right near side, Renfrey middle far side.
Lancastrians: SteveD left side, Mike far side left, SteveJ far side right.

SteveD went for Jim.
Mike pinned Renfrey with bsi foot & charged at Mark with his horse.
Mark took on MIke's horse & moved to aupport Jim.

SteveD got he upper hand over Jim, but Mark broke thru Mike's horse & hit his flank.

Jim's battle was broken, but so was SteveD's & Mike's.
Nothing had happened at the far end so SteveJ could march away intact leaving the Yorkist with the field.

Continuation of yesterday's battle as a solo excercise

We called the battle a draw when we finished yesterday.  Today I played on solo to see what mioght ahve happened. Pic is drone view after my excercise.

From the left:
The Prussian 5th division kade a fighting retreat to the creek/village line.  Bernadotte's 3rd brigade has lost too many casuaklties to continue the attack.

The Prussian 4th division infantry has held the wood.  Bernadotte's 1st brigade gained the edge of thr wood, but with too many casualties to procede.

The Prussian 3rd brigade infantry managed to break off from the pocket between Bernadotte's 2nd brigade & part of Davout's 3rd brigade. The Prussians have retreated to the creek & village line, supported by cuirassiers & artillery.

Davout's centre held off a last desperate attack by Prussian dragoons, who have fallen back shaken, but there aren't enough French infatntry left to counterattack.

The Prussian 2 Div inf have taken the wood, but with suck high casulaties they cannot push on.

The Prussian 1st Div & Asv guard infantry have pushed Davout's 21st brigade back, but cannot push on further.   

So our judgement of the outcome yesterday was correct.  The wargame was a draw.    The Prussians have lost more men & can no longer advance, but the French don't have enough left to advance either.  In the big picture, the Prussians would have to withdraw overnight anyway because of the result of Eylau, but they still have enough intact cavalry to stop a pursuit turning into a rout & make an orderly withdrawal.  

Auerstadt with Bernadotte showing up

With some of the old Cambridge Rd gang visiting from UK, Canberra & Black Hills we had 8 present for this Friday afternoon battle using PeterC's 15mm Napoleonics.  Our reseach indicated that fighting the historical scenario acurratel wouldn't be a lot of fun as we don't have any players in the group dumb enough to simulate the historical Prussian tactics & hamstringing them by too may restrcitions woudl make it a boring game.  So we made a scenario where Bernadotte showed up.

At the start  Davout is deployed in the foreground with the Prussians arriving in a long column of 6 mixed arms divisions.

The Prussians deployed slowly as the divisons came up.

As the Prussians began their attack on Davout, Bernadotte's cavalry came onto the table on the road halfway down the left side of the table.

The Prussain Reserve Corps at the rear opf the colum is deplying to their right to face Bernadotte as the Advance Guard cautiously attacks Davout.

Bernadatte sends part of his force forward at the Prussian Reserve & part thu the woods to support Davout. Davout begins a counteratack.
Prussians cuirassiers made a charge against Bernadottes centre in an attempt to disrupt his deployment.  It had some success, but there was no reserve to support them so they pulled back.  

On the right, the terrain is favouring Davout's defence against supererior numbers.
In the centre Prussian dragoons have almost broken thru tDavout's line .|
On the left of Davout's line hsi counterattck is pincered bthe Prussians against Berndotte's infabtry in the woods.
In the distance, the Prussian Reserve is fighting a delaying action against Bernadotte's advance on their LOC.

After 5pm dusk was called. 
Davout's line has held, though the centre only just.  His left is close to breaking out to join Bernadotte. 

Casualties are light as most of the time was taken up in deployment.
Davout has lost 8 inf out of 18, 1 cav out of 3, no art out of 2 broken.
Bernadotte has lost  inf out of 18 & 1 cav out of 3, & no art out of 2 broken.
Prussian's Avance Guard has lost 7 inf out of 20, 6 cav out of 16 & no art 5 broken.
Prussia's Reserve has lost 4.5 inf out of 12, no cav out of 4 & 1 art out of 3 broken. 

There was no clear winner at nightfall. 

The Prussians lost 29% units broken, the French 22%.
At the start the French were outnumbered by 34%, but the points were equal as the French had better quality troops & comamnd.
The Prussians lost 29% units broken, the French 22%, so the butcher's bill favoured the French, but the Prussians did far better than historically when Bernadotte. didn't show up. 

Starategically, that aftermath would have to be a Prussian withdrawal as Jena was being lost at the same  time, but theis army is still fit to fight & maintained cavalry superiority so an orderly retreat would be achieved.

WWII Eastern Front Mech War

Similar scenario to last week but now Germans v. Soviets.
Germans: SteveJ, Mark, Renfrey:
16 inf, 2 Pumas, 4 H/tracks, 10 MkIV, 2 Tigers, 2 x2 off table art. Veterans
Soviets: Chris, Mike, SteveD: |
4 inf, 4 med a/tank, 8T34/75, 8T3485,1 JS2, 1x4 off table art. Inexperienced.

The Soviets are in the foreground,with infantry & a/t deployed & armour camped in rear. Their a/t and some inf are hidden in the woods on theri left flank & in the 3 villages accross the centre.

The germans advance a MkIV squadron on each flank, Tigers & Pumas in the centre, infantry on their left.
The village was quickly over-run by superior numbers.
On the left, the a/t in the woods opened up with a barrage of 6's & wiped out 3 MkIVs with their 1st volley.

On the right, hte armour of each side moved up behind the ridge.
In the centre the Tigers & SI2's engaged at long range & both Tigers were knocked out.
On the left, the a/tank withdrew into the woods after being hit by artillery as the T3475 came up to continue teh destrcution of the MkIVs.

On the right both sdies are reluctant to advance over the ridge.
In the centre German infantry & a Puma in the woods are being attacked by T34/75's.
On the left the German armour has been destroyed.

The Soviets are counterattacking all across the front.

The MkIV's desperate counterattack in the centre drove back Soviet infnatry, but was destroyed  byt Soviet armour.

The Soviets had a good strategic plan, which the dice gods assisted helping them win all the fire fights despite being -1 to hit resulting in a decisive win.  

Normandy 1944

We recycled the Austadt-ish 15mm battlefield as a piece of Normandy for a WWII tank battle.
Germans (Jim & Mark): 2 Tigers, 10 MKIV, 2 Pumas, 4 half tracks each with 4 inf  & off table artillery.
US (Mike): 4M10, 10 Sherman, 2 Honeys, 4 half travcjs each with 4 inf & off table artillery.

The two forces start advancing towards each other from oposite ends of the table.The villages are objectives.  Germans on the right.

Boths sides recon hide behind the central village as each sent a tank squadron to each flank with M10s or Gigers behind in the centre.  The US sent half their infnatry to each flank.  The Germans sent all of their to the rightclose to the central village.

The first exchange was long range sniping between the Tigers & 2 M10's in the woods. The US maksed one Tiger with smoke & blew up the other one.

On the right, the US armour moved up to the ridgeline hull down to enagege the MkIVs.  The MkIVs got 1st shot in being waiting, but mostly missed.  Then the Shermans blew most of he MkIVs away.

On the right, the Sermans finished off the MkIVs with little loss, but fewll back ratehr than attack the German infnatry dug in with panzerfausts with the Tiger coming over in support.  Both side moved infnatry to their side of the centre village, but declined to attack each other.
On the left, US deployed on teh edge of the wood to take omn the waiting panzers.

On the left flank the dice favoured the Germans in the tank fight, but US infnatry advanced up to the village defended by a MkIV with no infantry support & 2 M10s advanced from the centre in support..
On the right flank the lone Tiger advanced to take on the Shermans.

On the left the MKIV withdrew from the village & the US infantry took it. 
On the right the Germans sent an infantry squad to attack the RH village, but the Shermans poped their half track delaying them enough for the US to withdraw infantry from the centre to get to the RH village first.   The Germans with withrew on foot as the Tiger destroyed the Shermans.

After acheiving nothing up untill now, uboth side's artillery finally found targets.  The Us were decimated in the LH village while the Germans were done likewise in the centre.
Both sides evacuated the villages to escape the barrages. The Germans had sent a infantry squad from the centre to their left & it re-took the LH village.  The US had no reserves handy to take the centtre village. 

The Tiger moved to the centre & took out the last M10 leaving the US with no armour & just holding one village.  The Germasn won, but it was a costly victory, as they had lasu all their armour save one Tiger & one MkIV.  

It was a interesting battle with both sides doing plemty of smart tacical moves.  The US got the upper hand early, wiping out half the panzers, but the dice turned on them on the left & the surviving Tiger had a charmed life on the right to turn the tide.

 
 

Seven Years War

I set up a sort of Auerstadt scenario with a small force of elite Prussians defending against a large force of poorer quality French.
Prussians (Jim): 14 infnatry, 3 Hussars & 2 artillery. All elite troops with superior command, better firing, HTH & morale.  Unit & army break tests only.
French (SteveJ & Mike): 3 divisioins each 6 infantry, 3 cavary, 1 artillery. The cavalry was one brigade each of hussars, dragoons & cuirasiers. All with poor morale & command, but standard combat factors. The devisions had to fight as 3 separate commands each with a separate divisional break test.

Initial deployment from behind Prussian lines.  The French are in a long road column.

The French took their time deploying all their forces 3 divisions abreast before commencing their attack.

The French begin their advance.  The Prussians shift cavalry to their left as French dragoons cross the creek there.

The French launch cavalry attacks on their left & centre.
On their right they are bombarding the village with artillery while their dragoons prepare to attack past the village achoring the Prussian left.

On the left the Prussian hussars are holding the line with support from the village, but the artillery fire on the village is relentleslsy effective. 
On the right the French hussars were beaten off easily.
In the centre the cuirassiers were tougher, but have also been held.  French infantry came up to take over the attacks but are suffering from superior Prussian musketry.

On the left the French dragoons have given up their attack & fallen back.  On the right of the village, the French got the worst of the firefight & the Prussians are counterattacking, but with numbers limited because the French artillery fire has shaken the defenders of the village
On the right, the Prussians are holding their line.
In the centre the French infantry fell back to get fresh troops to the front, but came under artillery fire they couldn't reply to.  They began to advance to get back inside musket range but were met with another charge by cuirassiers.

On the left the Prussian counterattack is inflicting heavy losses, but they are running out of unshaken units themselves. 
On the right the Prussians have fallen back to get fresh troops to the front.
In the centre, the French cuirassiers are about to break the Prussian line.

On the left, a charge of the light brigade up the hill took out the French battery & 2 infantry units breaking the right flank French Division.
In the right the Prussians are still holding the line., but with mounting casualties.
In the centre all the Prusians had left were two shaken squares formed by the with drawn previously front line. One has already been broken by arillery & the other is about to follow suit.

The Prussians broke one of French divisions & inflicted heavy casualties on the other two, but have only 3 units left fit to fight & lack the means to finish off either of the two remaining French divisions.  The Prussians concede the battle & order a retreat.

The French outnumbered the Prussians by 59% in numbers & 16% in points.  The Prussians came close to holding on but in the end numbers counted against an enemy also using good tactics.  The keys to French victory included the good placement & hot shooting of the battery on their right & the timely second charge of the cuirassiers in the centere. 

At Auerstadt in 1806 Davout won a similar action even more outnumbered.  We evened up the numbers a little because we don't have any wargamers dumb enough to replicate the poor Prussian tactics in that battle. 

Seleucis v. Ptolemy again

No time in Xmas week to set up a new OOB, so used last weeks, just removed the elephants.
Ptolemy: Mike
Seleucis: SteveJ & Jim

Ptolemy on the far side.
Both sides deployed onvntionally with inf in the centre & cav on the flanks, but Ptolemy made his left stronger than his right.  Both side deployed mostly in two lines, best troops in the front line. 

Ptolemy held back his weaker right flank & advanced with his right.  
Seeucis advanced on the whole front.

Prety much full frontal all the way along except a gap appeared between Ptolemy's infantry's left & cavalry's right & Seleucis slipped Thorakatai & light cav into it. 

OIn the far flank, Ptolemy's superior numbers of cavary was getting on top.
In the centre Ptolemy's levy phalanx is doing pretty well espcially at their left end where they broke the Galacians On the Seleucis phalanx' flank.
On the left, Ptolemy's cavalry is generally winning, except on the right of the cavalry line where the Seleucid catapfracts have broken thru.

On the far flank Ptolemy's cavalry is mopping up.
In the centre Seleucis is wrapping around Ptolemy's Thorakatai, but the levy phalanx units have broken Seleucis' Galacians & a veteran phalanx unit.  The next levy phalanx unit was broken, but their veteran opponents are under pressure from the levy unit that beat off the Galacians.
Ptolemy's second line peltasts broke the Thorakitai trying to break thru the gap, but Seleucis' Cataphracts are charging towards the Ptolomy's infantry rear as Thorakitai hold off Ptolemy's victorious  cavalry.

Seleucis has lost heavily, but got the breaks at the end so Ptolemy failed his army morale test first. Another close battle with sound tactics on both sides.  Ptolemy did a good job maximising the chances for his levy phalanx.  Seleucis's cataphracts breaking thu on the right with troops in place to exploit it may have been the decisive event, as otherwise Seleucis would have been rolled up from the right by Ptolemy's cavalry.

Two battles with almost the same armies giving very close but opposite results indicates that the points system can't be far wrong.

Successors: Seleucis v. Ptolemy

 Seleucis: Steve & Chris.  Small veteran phalanx ( 2 units), Galacians, Thotakitai, cataphracts, Agema, Light cav & elephants.
Ptolemy: Jim & Mike.  Large kevy phalanx (4 units), Peltasts, Agema, light cav & elephants.

Seleucis on the left, put the elephants in the centre as front line.
Ptolemy put his elephants on the right of his phalanx & most of his cavalry on his left.

Both sides advanced with their left leading.

It was mostly a brutal frontal fight all along the line with little manoeuvre except on the far flank.

Ptolemy's phalanx held off the elephants. 
Seleucis' Thotakitai had mixed success v. Ptolemy's elephants.
On the flanks, Ptolemy's cavalry was getting the upper hand.

In the centre, Ptolemy's phalanx disposed of the Galacians, but were no match for Seleucis' vets after being weakened by the elephants.

Although losing half his phalanx, Ptolemy's cavalry had won on both flanks & the Seleucid's broke.

Seleucis probably erred in putting his elphants in front of his veteran phalanx as they really didn't need their help & it delayed their victories.  Ptolemy also got a very good run from the dice gods. Good battle though, one of the best eras for ancient wargames with lots of variety of troops.