The Battle of Freiburg 1762

The Battle of Freiburg 1762

This is a report of our latest wargames action in Swindon at Del's place. We used Volley and Bayonet rules.

Messieurs Pomeroy and Pomeroy known at Court as "les Freres Hereuses" had conspired to put together a Seven Years War scenario based on the battle of Freiberg in eastern Saxony. They were using the orders of battle of the French and Allied armies at Minden.

To that end we relocated Freiberg into Freiburg, on the German border in the County of Breisgau.

The dastardly French were commanded by the handsome and dashing Charles-Eugène-Gabriel, Maréchal de Castries (Andy), favourite of the Queen herself ;-)

and had succeeded his rival the starchy and vengeful Louis Georges Érasme de Contades (Dave), after the latter's lamentable performance at the Battle of Minden.

the left flank was commanded by the venerable if cautious Herzog von Broglie (Al)

myself in Command of the Army of Observation in the guise of Charles William Ferdinand of Brunswick, with two assistant generals in the shape of (the arrogant know-it-all and toady to the King) August Friedrich von Spörcken (Kev) and (the irascible but loyal) General von Wangenheim (Del) 

Finding the French full of smug self satisfaction after their earlier (admittedly minor) victories, Brunswick resolved to bring them to book before the year's end to further the Alliance's cause and make the french think twice about their much vaunted plan to invade Germany the following year.

The French were on their way to the well stocked and fortified town of Freiburg to set up winter quarters, when news reached them of the rapid advance of the Allies to their rear!  

Promptly de Castries deployed the army into battle formation, this was too good to be true, the Hanoverians had overreached themselves this time. The old warhorse Broglie would command the left flank with a large corps of French and Swiss. 

The disgraced de Contades would deploy to the right and guard the road to Freiburg, whilst de Castries himself would command the defended hills and the Guard cavalry which should sweep away the attackers....

Brunswick's plan was simple, the bulk of the Army would be lead by Wangenheim ordered to press ahead along the Klein Waltersdorf road sweeping away the enemy right flank and press on to threaten their right and rear (Freiburg) 

Meanwhile von Spörcken was to invest the orchards of Spittalwald astride the main Freiburg turnpike pinning the enemy centre and refuse the right flank to v. Broglie, who was known to be cautious in his manouvering.....

The battle started well enough with Wangenheim speeding up the road, unfortunately he recieved a severe check from the defenders at Klein Waltersdorf, and before they were removed many grenadiers lay dead in the outskirts of the town. Luckily he responded to my urging and pressed ahead, heedless of losses and pushed Contades back on Lossnitz.

Meanwhile the cream of the infantry, our plucky Hanoverians under von Spörcken strayed too far to the right of the turnpike and disturbed old Broglie into action..

Much to the Allies's chagrin the french and swiss guards came on apace and looked like rolling up our entire force! Thank God for the discipline of our redcoats. Time and again they poured withering fire into the huge French command of Horse and Foot, ably supported by the attached artillery that did great execution among them.

Just when we thought that they had saved the day the cocksure Castries unleashed the finest cavalry in europe upon our centre, falling upon the foot and guns, just in time Brunswick ordered forward the British cavalry reserve under Sackville and Granby....

It was touch and go, but suddenly the French Household lost their nerve and were driven back with great loss. Sackville's cavalry (true to form) pursuing them hotly, right up onto the heights commanding Freiburg, only to be repulsed by the shocked french infantry who just about held onto their composure.

Then the plan came to fruition as the weary troops under Wangenheim set about storming the flank of the hill and, surprise of surprises unleashed the entire Hannoverian cavalry corps on the wavering  french lines who had so recently repulsed the British horse.

It was the last straw as brigade after brigade of exhausted french were driven back pell mell, abandoning their entrenchments running for the safety of the City. At that moment de Castries rode up to rally the retreating infantry and led them in a vain counterattack, alas the Glorious Hero fell under the hooves of the charging cavalry and the Battle was lost to the French. 

They all fled away back into their mother country.

As I write this missive to Yr Royal Highness, I commend the actions of my Generals and can safely invest the City of Freiburg for my Winter Quarters, as it will serve well for a base of operations in the Spring.

BRUNSWICK captaingeneral of his royal highness's Army of observation 1762

This battle is dedicated to Del's faithful old dog and steady companion SamBones who sadly passed just recently.

Chubbing in the Sudan

I met up with my old pals for a great game set in the Sudan. Hosted by the Mahdi Master General Del. We use the rules by Dave Bickley a good dusting.

The game story was of a relief column heading to Khartoum up the Nile.

Major General Berry Pomroy decided to stop off to lay in supplies of fuel for the Gunboats and also to teach the local insurgents a lesson!

Leading units were soon streaming ashore, Led by a company of jolly jack Tars and a company of the Royal Tandooris. The whole force was soon forming a bridgehead on land. 

Soon however, the local tribesmen appeared at all points of the compass and most alarmingly in the left rear of the column! 

The camel corps troopers found themselves outflanked and forced into square. Many men  fell under the Beja spears until the Tandooris came to the rescue

On the other flank the devilish Dervishes had infiltrated a dry Donga and were pouring troops towards the British line

The crackle of rifle fire tore into the Mahdist ranks but inspired by the Chosen One the they pressed on..

Soon they crashed into the Rifles and started their butchery! Despite their terrible losses the Rifles held on ... Any slip in morale now would have spelt disaster

The next crisis struck in the centre as wave after wave of Beja spears finally broke the Lincs Battalion! Only a fierce countercharge from the Bengal lancers could reverse British fortunes...

 

This was the high water mark for the Sudanese however... Their huge losses began to tell and the sustained artillery support from the gun boats had proved a crucial factor. The last straw came when the Mahdi's nephew fell to a volley from the sailors and their Gatling gun, the natives lost heart and started to melt away....

  The British force were able to restock and refuel and had reminded the locals that Imperial Might is Right ... But it had been a close run thing.

Thanks to Del and Ingrid, major Kev Tad-Portly of the Rifles, Naval Commander Alan B Jones, Jones-Sahib of the Royal Tandooris, all under the able command of Major General Pomeroy 

Intro to a ruleset

THE WARRE GAME 1632

17th Cent Wargames Rules

by

Steve Jones

The Warre Game is my attempt to produce some big battle wargame rules for the Mid 17th Century.

I have had a lifelong interest in wars of this this century, particularly the English Civil wars and the Thirty Years War on the European Continent.

The basic rules mechanics are now pretty much complete. My aim is to add further bits to enable a difference for the earlier period, larger Tercios, the last of the western lancers, Gustavus's adventure into Poland-Lithuania etc. Also then the later period straying over into the 'Restoration', post The Peace of Westphalia, Turkenkriege, The Sun King, 9 Years War, Tangiers 1680, Great Northern War etc. anything before Pikes were eventually discarded for the bayonet, but most particularly the War od Duke Cosimo's Perucke!



This picture and the following ones are taken at Reveille Wargames show, Hosted by those good 'ol boys at Lincombe Barn in Bristol. It shows some Imperial dragoons taking up post within the walls of Lutzen in 1632. All part of a partial reconstruction of the Battle of Lutzen. The table wasn't big enuff for the whole thing :-( so I concentrated on the Swedish Left wing attacks in the early afternoon.

Maybe the new show in cooperation with the IPMS this August in Bristol will allow the whole battle to be portrayed.



The rules borrow from many sources to create the 'game engine'. The aim is to allow large games with 28mm figures to be played over a 4 - 5 hour period.