Spicheren Turn 12

Situation at the start of the last turn before night falls

I start with the continuing melee on the high ground, but no hits are inflicted.

My guards in Spicheren shoot unsuccessfully at the French infantry that they drove from the town last turn. The Brunswick hussars then charge the same French unit, inflicting a hit, but only thanks to a +1 modifier for being cavalry meleeing infantry. The hit is resolved as the compulsory loss of a strength point, and so the French are beaten as their total number of strength points has fallen below 50%.

Spicheren Turn 11

Situation after 10 turns

My final reinforcements, uhlans, arrive in St Johann.

I start with the melee at Spicheren, We both inflict a hit, and both get a choice as to how to resolve the hit. I accept the loss of 1SP, but Frossard prefers to see his men retreat from the town, leaving it in my possession.

The melee on the high ground sees no hits inflicted, and the same goes for the melee involving my same Prussian unit and the men beside the ironworks. However the latter are then charged by another of my units, and in that melee I inflict a hit, but Frossard is again able to choose to resolve it by having his men fall back a hex.

None of my men's shooting is effective, so, despite scoring two hits this half-turn, I have not inflicted the loss of any strength points.

My Prussians are starting to break through the main French defensive line - Spicheren to the Stiring-Wendel ironworks - but will they be in time?

Frossard starts with the melee on the high ground, where his men, despite having a numerical advantage, suffer the compulsory loss of 1SP, meaning the French are on the brink of defeat.

However, the other French in and around the ironworks take a terrible toll on the advancing Prussians, causing the loss of 3SP by shooting.

Naturally, Frossard does not want to initiate any potentially bloody melees, but equally he cannot allow my Brunswick hussars to charge his infantry, so he tries to attack my cavalry with his dragoons, but they refuse to activate.

Spicheren has fallen, but the battle is far from over

TOTAL LOSSES

French: two units, 15SP (out of 30)

Prussians: one unit, 19SP (out of 40)

I suddenly realise I have been careless in accepting strength-point losses - my army is just 2SP from defeat, so the battle remains very much in the balance.

Spicheren Turn 10

Situation after nine turns

I do not receive reinforcements, but my guards charge the French in Spicheren, meaning a melee. I roll a 6, which scores a hit despite a -1 modifier for the enemy being in cover. Frossard rolls a 2 - two short of the necessary score. He accepts a 1SP loss rather than withdrawing from the town.

My full-strength infantry in the centre cause the French ahead of them and beside the Stiring-Wendel ironworks to lose 1SP.  The same French unit is then charged by my forward 3SP-unit, whose men mount the high ground to do so. However in the resulting melee it is my unit that suffers a hit, and I choose to accept the loss of 1SP.

Fighting in the centre is intensifying

Frossard decides to resolve the ongoing melees first. At Spicheren my men suffer a hit, and I accept the loss of 1SP. However, the opposite result happens in the melee beside the ironworks, with the French suffering a compulsory loss of 1SP. Then the zouaves ascend the high ground and attack my unit, creating another melee, only to lose 1SP. Finally, my four-strength unit beside the Brunswick Hussars loses 1SP to shooting.

Losses are mounting on both sides

TOTAL LOSSES

French: two units, 14SP

Prussians: one unit, 15SP

Neither side is close to losing thanks to destroyed units - the French have lost two of eight units, so would need to lose three more to be beaten, while the Prussians have lost one of 10 units deployed on the table.

However, the French loss of 14SP is more serious as they have 16SP left, so the loss of two more strength points would put them below 50%, handing me the victory.

Meanwhile my Prussians have 23SP left on the table, and could still receive two more strength points if the uhlans arrive as reinforcements.

There are two turns left before night falls, at which point it becomes too dark for the battle to continue.

Spicheren Turn Nine

Situation after eight turns

I receive another brigade of infantry as reinforcements.

With evening approaching, I decide to change tactics and order a general advance with the intention of initiating melees that will hopefully be resolved faster than shooting duels. In particular, my men close in on Spicheren, where firing from my brigade of guards causes the loss of 1SP, and the brigade gets in position to charge the town next turn. My other success comes in inducing the French infantry to the right of the Stiring-Wendel ironworks to retire (Frossard chose this rather than suffer the loss of 1SP - after all, French rifles outrange Prussian ones, so falling back in the open, as opposed to withdrawing from cover, should not prove detrimental).

Spicheren is under serious threat

The French shooting is again impressive - my brigade of guards loses 1SP, and two other units lose 1SP, including a unit that had only a single strength point left. My other 1SP-unit also suffers a hit, but I am able to withdraw it rather than have it wiped out.

But perhaps the most significant moment of this half-turn comes when Frossard activates his dragoons, sending them onto the high ground between Spicheren and the ironworks.

The French counterattack is looking good, with Prussian losses mounting

TOTAL LOSSES

French: two units, 10SP

Prussians: one unit, 12SP

Spicheren Turn Eight

Situation after seven turns

In the artillery firing phase, only the French can realistically shoot, and they do so, scoring a hit on the two-strength Prussians to their front, despite a -1 modifier for the artillerymen having fewer than 3SP. The hit forces the loss of 1SP as my men have nowhere to retreat.

*****

I do not receive any reinforcements.

My now-1SP unit shoots back, also scoring a hit, which turns out to be the compulsory loss of a point, so eliminating the French artillery. My right-flank infantry shoot at the men in the ironworks, but unsuccessfully. My other front-line infantry units also fail to score a hit - clearly the Prussians are going to have to step up their firing practice.

*****

The second and final brigade of French reinforcements arrives, is activated and advances to behind the String-Wendel ironworks.

Frossard's front-line men prove more successful than mine at shooting, causing my right-flank unit to lose 2SP.

The battle is well into the afternoon, and my Prussians, apart from clearing the Rotherberg, have not made much progress

TOTAL LOSSES

French: two units, 9SP

Prussians: no units, 9SP

Spicheren Turn Seven

Situation after six turns

The French artillery shoot at my men directly to their front, but, perhaps not surprisingly considering the losses the French unit has taken, without effect.

*****

Reinforcements arrive for me in the shape of artillery and the Brunswick Hussars, both of whom I ma able to activate so they can move towards the fighting.

My right-flank infantry in the front line again shoot at the defenders of the Stiring-Wendel ironworks, but a 2 is not enough. The two-strength brigade next to them also shoots unsuccessfully. Then the two-strength unit in the second line advances right up to the artillery, but also fails to score a hit. Amazingly, my other front-line unit also fails when it shoots at the French in Spicheren.

My brigade of guards advances and also shoots at Spicheren, rolling a 3. There is a +1 modifier for being at full-strength, but -1 modifiers for having moved and for the target being in cover, so yet another miss.

There is more embarrassment when my rearmost infantry fail to activate - I roll a 1 - and so do not advance.

Possibly my most frustrating half-turn as a wargamer - it is not as if the newly arrived artillery are likely to be of much use in the time available

The French in Spicheren fire at my furthest-forward men, scoring a hit that I am able to choose how to resolve, and I accept falling back a hex rather losing a strength point. The brigade in the ironworks shoots at the same unit, but without effect. The French to the left of the ironworks shoot at the full-strength Prussians nearest them, scoring a hit that is a compulsory loss of 1SP.

Finally, Frossard activates the zouaves in Forbach, sending them forward, perhaps to plug the gap that could at any moment appear between Spicheren and the ironworks.

The battle seems to be hanging in the balance

TOTAL LOSSES

French: one unit, 8SP

Prussians: 6SP

Spicheren Turn Six

Situation after five turns

The French artillery shoot at my three-strength infantry, rolling a 6, which is good enough despite a -1 modifier for being French imperial gunners. The hit is resolved as the compulsory loss of a strength point.

*****

I roll for reinforcements, but receive none.

My unit that just suffered a hit fire back at the artillerymen, but unsuccessfully. The unit to my infantry's left fire at the same target, easily scoring a hit. Frossard resolves the hit by rolling a 6, giving him the choice of losing 1SP or accepting that the artillery cannot fire next turn. He chooses the former.

My two-strength infantry are also able to fire at the artillery, scoring a hit despite a -1 modifier for having fewer than three strength points. The hit is resolved as the compulsory loss of 1SP.

I have more units than are able to use the space between the two woods, but I am able to manoeuvre one brigade so it can shoot, choosing to fire at the defenders of the Stiring-Wendel ironworks. I roll a 5, which is enough as there is a +1 modifier for having more than 3SP, as well as -1 modifiers for having moved and for the target being in cover. The hit forces the loss of 1SP.

After the Prussian half-turn

The French in the ironworks shoot at my men directly to their front, but fail miserably with a 1. The infantry in Spicheren shoot at the Prussians nearest them, scoring a hit that is resolved as the loss of 1SP as there is nowhere for the unit to retreat.

French reinforcements arriving this turn are successfully activated, advancing a hex and shooting at the Prussians menacing the ironworks, but fail to score a hit.

The French defensive line is holding, but if the artillery are wiped out there will be a sizeable gap between Spicheren and the ironworks

TOTAL LOSSES

French: one unit, 8SP

Prussians: 5SP

Spicheren Turn Five

Situation after four turns

In the artillery phase, Frossard's gunners shoot at the Prussian infantry directly ahead of them, but come up well short with a roll of 2.

*****

I roll for reinforcements, receiving a brigade of infantry between the Saar river and Saarbrücken Wood.

My infantry, directly in front of the French artillery, open fire, but without effect. The brigade next to them is just out of range (German rifles only have a range of three hexes), but I successfully activate the unit, advancing it a hex so it can also fire at the artillery, and I am rewarded with a roll of 6, the hit being resolved as the compulsory loss of a strength point.

I am also able to activate my three-strength brigade, which advances two hexes to shoot at the defenders of the Stiring-Wendel ironworks, but no casualties are inflicted.

The rest of my infantry also advance, massing in the gap between the two woods

Frossard successfully rolls the 6 he needs for reinforcements, meaning an infantry brigade has responded in a timely fashion, and will arrive on the battlefield next turn, with a second brigade arriving two turns later.

He has less luck, however, with the brigades in the front line - both the unit in Spicheren and the one in the ironworks roll a 2 for firing, which is not quite enough despite a +1 modifier for having more than three strength points.

TOTAL LOSSES

French: one unit, 5SP

Prussians: 3SP

Spicheren Turn Four

Situation after three turns

Frossard's artillery fail to score a hit.

*****

I roll for reinforcements, but unsuccessfully.

My left-flank infantry finish off the remaining defenders on the Rotherberg, which is not all-bad news for the French as it means they can now roll for reinforcements each turn. But first I activate all my other units, advancing them towards the the main French defensive line. One unit gets within range of the artillery, but shoots wildly.

The French defences from Spicheren to the Stiring-Wendel ironworks will be a tough nut to crack

Frossard begins by rolling for reinforcements from his reserve brigades to the west of the battlefield, but fails to throw the necessary 6 (French staffwork in the Franco-Prussian War was much poorer than that of the Prussians, and French troops were far less likely to march to the sound of the guns).

His infantry in Spicheren shoot at my furthest-forward brigade, scoring a hit that is resolved as the loss of a strength point. The infantry in the ironworks also shoot (remember, French infantry have a range of four hexes, one more than the Prussians), and also score a hit, which again destroys a strength point.

As predicted, my Prussians will certainly not get this part of the battle all their own way

LOSSES

French: one unit, four strength points

Prussians: three strength points

Spicheren Turn Three

Situation after two turns

The French artillery fire at my unit directly in front of Saarbrücken, easily scoring a hit, which is resolved as the forced loss of a strength point.

*****

I roll for reinforcements, getting a brigade of guards in St Johann - or, rather, that is where they will arrive once the town is cleared of its present occupants.

My full-strength infantry in range of the Rotherberg shoot at the French defenders, scoring a hit which mandates the loss of a strength point. My three-strength infantry shoot at the same target, but have no effect. I successfully activate the third brigade around Saarbrücken, moving them so they can also shoot at the French on the Rotherberg. My men score a hit despite a -1 modifier for moving and another for the target being behind cover, and it is resolved as the compulsory loss of a strength point. I also activate my right-flank infantry, and they advance and shoot at the same target, but my roll of 4 is not enough, despite +1 for being at full-strength, because they also have -1 modifiers for moving and for the target being in cover. Finally, my men in St Johann cross the river and enter Saarbrücken, leaving the former town free for the guards to enter.

Prussians close in on the Rotherberg in overwhelming numbers

The much-depleted French on the Rotherberg shoot, but a 4 is not enough as there is a -1 modifier at having fewer than three strength points.

Frossard's other units remain where they are.

Overview at the end of turn three