Of Pistols and Perriwigs, A Gentleman Wargamer's Blog: May 2017

Here now is the continuation of the Battle of Castle Frankenburg. The air was filled with the stench of gunpowder, and the battle cries of men and horses...

The last of Von Seydlitz' cavalry were driven off by British rifle fire but they had done their job of contesting the river crossing.

Prussian infantry file into the woods as British regulars line up on the opposite bank of the Rhine.

Prussian cannon begin to reduce the castle to rubble...

Frederick urges his men to press on to the castle gates.

Having lost the regiment holding the castle, George moves a second unit in to hold it. The rest of the line pours a disciplined volley into the forest.

Which is returned with equal discipline by the well drilled Prussian line.

George, upon realizing the battle was slanted quite unfavorably towards himself, ordered a retreat from the castle.

The British fell back, having lost 4 units to the Prussian's 2. Prussian artillery contributed massively to the battle having broken down the castle's walls and killed a good many men in the resulting collapse.

The British make an orderly retreat back to friendly Hanover, whilst light infantry hold the crossing against the full might of the Prussian army.

Alte Fritz, not being one to leave a limping enemy alive to fight him a second time, leads the pursuit of the British. Prussian soldiers pour out of the woods and head for the crossing.

George mutters angrily to the Duke of Cumberland. What he said has been lost to history.

"Right lads, we got a job to do. See you boys at the Wench's Backside for a round o' lager on me."

All in all a hard fought battle and great fun in less than an hour. Hopefully by next week I'll have France and Austria ready to enter the field. ;)

"It would require a great philosopher and historian to explain the causes of the great Seven Years War, in which Europe was engaged, and in which Barry's regiment was now on its way to take part. Let it suffice to say that Prussia and England were allies, and at war with the French, the Swedes, the Russians, and the Austrians." -Barry Lyndon (Narration)

In the tumultuous summer of 2017, amidst paint pots and brushes, tiny but valiant armies took shape which, in the course of wargaming, first shed blood and plastic on a small dining room table, late into the evening of May the 23rd. The combatants, while familiar to modern readers as the Prussians and British, and while accustomed to being allies in war, saw themselves opposed at a river crossing to take a great castle, which in former times once guarded the Rhine, now but a picturesque, yet still vitally strategic choke point for advancing armies in that part of Germany. The argument between Kings George II, and Frederick II that precipitated this conflict has been lost to history, but historians will point out that whatever the reason, it was merely a distraction from the coming conflagration that would sweep Europe, and the world, up into its flames.*

(*NOTE: As this post has many pictures in it, I've broken it up into several parts so that my woefully lacking phone may publish this batrep with considerably better ease.)

To the left bank lay a portion of the Black Forest, to the right, open fields and farmlands of this once formidable feudum.

King George II, whilst not a great tactician, saw the vital importance of taking and holding this fortress from the Prussians, and personally led the army which was to take it.

Fredrick II, by far a better more strategically brilliant general, equally saw the value in holding the Schloss von Frankenburg, as it would give him command of this part of Lower Saxony.

A great cacophony of gunshots and steel clad hooves opened the ball so to speak. British horse reached the castle first and clashed with Von Seydlitz' cavalry in a contest for the river crossing.

George rode ahead of the column with the light infantry to further drive off Von Seydlitz and get across the river.

Frederick urged his men at the double quick to reach the castle in force, relying on Von Seydlitz to hold the crossing.

First blood is drawn by the British horse as light infantry arrive to provide support. George adds a +1 to all die rolls to troops within 6" of him as per house rules I've added for commander units.