Refighting The Battle Of Wörth

SO far in Project Kaiser we, ie myself and my regular wargaming opponent ('Reg'), have refought two of the three opening battles of the Franco-Prussian War: Wissembourg/Weissenburg and Spicheren.

Despite using 54mm toy soldiers, and fairly simple rules, both refights bore a strong resemblance to the original battles.

Now it is the turn of the Battle of Wörth, also known as the Battle of Frœschwiller, which, like Spicheren, was fought on August 6, 1870.

A French army under Patrice de MacMahon was holding a line parallel to the River Sauer, awaiting reinforcements, and also protecting a nearby railhead in case of a German advance.

His force consisted of about 45,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry and more than 100 guns (as usual, sources vary).

Trying to find and engage them was a larger German army under Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia, whose force had a significant number of Bavarian troops, and was particularly strong in infantry and artillery, but probably with roughly the same number of cavalry as the French.

For our refight the French receive one gun and crew

The North German Confederation, to use the official name of the Prussian-led army, has two guns and crews

Both armies have one 'brigade' of cavalry - French hussars on the left; Bavarian lancers on the right

The Germans have an impressive eight infantry 'brigades'

The French must make do with four infantry 'brigades'

More Elamites

Have painted a second lot of 10mm archers from Newline Designs

They will go with the Elamites I painted last month, meaning I now have 10 units of Elamites configured for Neil Thomas's biblical rules in Ancient & Medieval Wargaming.

Nine of the units are in open order, and one in close order, the latter being a possibility for elite status when an Elamite army does not include chariots.

Flats III

A FINAL selection of photos of zinnfiguren from Weimar.

Flats II

WEIMAR city museum held a major exhibition of zinnfiguren 70 years ago, which, as curator Marbot Gerstenhauer points out, was before the Berlin Wall was built, and an anniversary exhibition was held 20 years later.

Here are more photos from the current exhibition, which runs to April 12.

Flats

I SPENT a week in the former East German city of Weimar last month.

Weimar promotes itself as having been home to Goethe and Schiller

I fear that is of little interest to me, but what did catch my attention was that the last full day of my visit coincided with the first day of an exhibition of zinnfiguren in the city museum.

Zinnfiguren - the word is German for tin figures - are arguably best-known in the English-speaking wargaming-world for having been extensively collected by Tony Bath.

The Battle of Trimsos, in Donald Featherstone's War Games (Stanley Paul, 1962), featured 30mm flats from Bath's collection.

But, as I discovered at the exhibition, not all zinnfiguren were 30mm, and not all were 2D.

Unfortunately, information about the figures, many set in attractive dioramas, was only available in German, and my German is next to non-existent.

But, to a certain extent, the photos speak for themselves.

Summing Up My 3D French Playthrough Of Corunna

WITHOUT wishing to blow my own trumpet, I have to say my plan worked like a dream, although I felt far from sure of success at the halfway point, which came just a turn-and-a-bit before the sudden end.

Perhaps my activation dice fell kindly most of the time, but I do not think luck particularly favoured me.

Anyway, my 3D score against the AI is now 7-4, or 7-5 if you include the scenario I started a unit short.

At this stage first-time through I led 7-6, having played one scenario twice, but if the replay is excluded, I was tied 6-6.

Victorious - Marshal Soult (left) with his aide-de-camp

French Playthrough Of Corunna: Turn Seven

Map

Situation after six turns

My three activation dice land 6, 4, 2. I reroll the 4, but get a useless 5, and turn wildcard 6 into a 3.

I start in area 3, where the two-base infantry ascend the ridge and shoot at Sir John Moore. The three dice are decreased for firing at range after moving, but increased for being on higher ground, and I roll 6, 5, 3, eliminating the British commander, and so winning the scenario.

French Playthrough Of Corunna: Turn Six

Map

Situation at the halfway point

My three activation dice land 6, 5, 3. I reroll the 5, but get a useless 4, and turn wildcard 6 into a 2.

I start in area 3, where my artillery shoot straight ahead, rolling 6, 4, 2, eliminating the final base of the British infantry unit opposing them.

In area 2 my right-flank infantry advance diagonally right and attack the British unit still on the ridge. The three dice are increased for attacking from an adjacent hex after moving. They land 6, 3, 2, 1, eliminating a base. My infantry in Elviña similarly attack the same British unit, rolling 5, 5, 2, 2, eliminating the enemy unit's remaining base.

My three-base infantry in area 2 advance into Elviña. Marshal Soult advances two hexes, but my cavalry advance one hex directly, and then diagonally right, so as to stay out of the line-of-sight of the British artillery.

The AI's four activation dice land 6, 5, 2, 1. Wildcard 6 is rerolled, but does not change.

In area 1 the one-base British shoot at my left-flank infantry, the two dice decreased for firing through trees. The die lands as a 4, forcing my unit back a hex.

From this turn on, British infantry, unless they have a target to attack, or there are enemy cavalry in the vicinity, move towards Sir John Moore, which is what the unit in area 2 does.

In area 5 the British artillery do not have an enemy in line-of-sight, so move back diagonally right to give them a target next turn (if my men do not move).

Quite a dramatic half-turn - Sir John's forward infantry-guard on the long ridge has disappeared

French Playthrough Of Corunna: Turn Five

Map

Situation after four turns

My three activation dice land 5, 4, 1. I reroll the 5 and 4, getting another 5 and a 3.

I start in area 3 where my artillery shoot at the British infantry directly ahead of them. The three dice are increased, thanks to the presence of Marshal Soult, and I roll 5, 4, 2, 1. That destroys a base, but the compulsory withdrawal is cancelled, thanks to the infantry being supported by Sir John Moore. Marshal Soult advances two hexes diagonally left, and the cavalry fall in behind him.

In area 1 my forward infantry advance and shoot at the British behind the trees. The four dice are decreased for firing at range after moving, and for the target having cover, but I roll 5, 3, eliminating a base, thus reducing the enemy unit to a single base. My other infantry in area 1 advance to the edge of the ridge.

The AI's four activation dice land 6, 4, 4, 1. Wildcard 6 and a 4 are rerolled, becoming 6, 3.

In area 1 the infantry remain sheltering behind the trees.

In area 3 the one-base forward infantry also stand pat. The two-base infantry advance on to the ridge and shoot at my men in Elviña. The three dice are decreased for moving, and for the target having cover, but increased for being on higher ground, landing 3, 2, so there is no effect.

From this turn onwards Sir John always wants to move nearer Corunna, unless he has an enemy unit he can attack. However, he is already adjacent to Corunna, and cannot enter it as the town is already occupied by a British infantry unit, which stays where it is.

In area 4 the infantry want to move up the map, but stay where they are as that would take them off the battlefield.

Halfway, and the battle is in the balance, but I fear my cavalry may be too late to make a difference

French Playthrough Of Corunna: Turn Four

Map

Situation after turn three

My three activation dice land 6, 4, 1. I turn wildcard 6 into a 2, and start in area 1 by advancing my forward infantry, who shoot at the British infantry directly ahead. The four dice are reduced to three for firing at range after moving, but I roll 5, 4, 1, causing the enemy unit to lose a base and fall back behind the trees. My other infantry in area 1 also advance a hex.

My units in area 2 advance, and my cavalry fall back to behind Marshal Soult, heading, in the not-so-long run, I hope, for the left flank.

The AI's four activation dice land 4, 4, 3, 1. A 4 is rerolled, but becomes a 6, which in this context is useless.

In area 1 the infantry want to move up the map, but this cannot be done as it would take them off the battlefield (this must be the correct interpretation - rather than having the unit leave the battle - as otherwise it would be possible, if the dice fell rightly, for Sir John Moore to leave the battlefield after two turns).

In area 3 the forward British infantry remain where they are (a 1 was rolled). The middle infantry want to fall back directly, but cannot because Sir John Moore is in the way. The rear infantry fall back into Corunna. Sir John advances diagonally left so as to be adjacent to three British units.

In area 4 the infantry stand still.

My infantry are advancing steadily, but without really getting close to the British general, whom they have to eliminate before the end of turn 10