Seven Years War action at Kolin

John treated us to a bout of Seven Years War tricornes: Frederick the Great's Prussians attacking Field Marshal von Daun's Austrians at Kolin, near Prague, in 1757. Historically this was a Prussian defeat: FtG's attempt at outflanking the Austrian position failed as the Austrians detected it in time to simply shift to their right. The Prussians ended up assaulting a solid line of Austrians with formidable batteries on high ground, protected by villages and crops teeming with Grenzer light infantry in front of the main line.

The ruleset was our friend Keith Flint's Honours of War (not Die Kriegskunst as I wrongly advertised in my previous post). Last time I tried HoW was in 2018 and I think that may have been the last time John ran a game too: Spittelwitz. Consequently there was a certain amount of fumbling through rulebook and charts, plus John had set the armies up a bit far apart, so it was a while before we even got to grips. Also, HoW uses a system of alternating brigade activation. As there were six of us and we'd had a slow start, we soon binned that and just went by alternate sides, which worked perfectly well and was three times as fast.

On the Austrian right, our horse got the worst of a cavalry melee but usefully delayed the Prussian left's advance. My Grenzers also fought a successful delaying action, diverting the Prussian centre, which never came fully into action. On the Prussian right, Dave finally got impatient and marched into the teeth of the Austrian guns just to demonstrate the combat rules, which he did, with predictable result.

Part of my Austrian command. General Wied surveys his grenadiers, backed up by some line infantry and a cannon. 10mm Pendraken figures from John's collection, I believe, but I could be wrong.

And here's what happens when 10mm figures fight on a 28mm battlefield - they're very spread out and have to march a long way before the fighting starts! Dave's Prussian brigade marches towards Nick's Austrians comfortably ensconced on defensible heights in superior numbers. What do we think's going to happen?

Reflections

Well, this was just a bit of fun and variety, really. Even though we didn't exactly know what we were doing, we all had a good time and it was nice to do something different. I don't have anything more profound than that to say this week.

Honours of War: Spittelwitz

Regular followers of this blog may be familiar with my ignorant prejudice against any pre-Napoleonic warfare, which I blithely damn as linear and dull. Of late, though, I have been learning a little more about how Napoleonic maneuver warfare has some roots in the Seven Years War, back in the 1750s and 60s. I was therefore happy to have the chance of another go at Keith Flint's fine Honours of War rules from Osprey.

So far, so linear ... Austrians prepare to advance against entrenched Prussians.

Austrian left flanking force visible in the far distance.

10mm Pendraken figures; John's armies and terrain.

John M laid on a scenario from the rulebook, Spittelwitz (is that a real battle?), with Austrians attacking outnumbered dug-in Prussians on an L-shaped front. Bruce and I took the Austrians, David B the Prussians, if I remember right.

Unfamiliarity with the rules caused us to learn some lessons the hard way, just as real armies have to: don't bayonet charge an enemy who can meet you with a volley unless you have softened them up a lot first; don't leave your cavalry's flank exposed to enemy who can march up and enfilade it (OK, maybe that wasn't a rules issue) ... As I took a stolid and cautious approach on our right, wasting time bombarding entrenched light troops in a wood, the serious battle all happened between the village and the central hill. We inflicted more casualties on our opponents, as was perhaps to be expected given how outnumbered they were, but they were still in pretty good shape when time was called, and we hadn't taken either of their main entrenchments: winning draw for the Prussians, I reckon.

One of our number had spent the whole of the previous day in a competition, fighting Fields Of Glory-Renaissance tournament games, one of which had apparently been against the worst kind of pettifogging rules-lawyering competition gamer. Consequently he was in serious need of some light-hearted, good-natured, pure fun gaming. HOW provided that. Once we become familiar enough with the rules to play faster and make better tactical decisions, I expect some very good games. Next outing for HOW at OWS should be later this month.