Castle Fever

I DO not know what it is about castles, but for some reason I always feel better after seeing one.
When I used to visit Liechtenstein annually to play in a chess tournament and walk in the mountains, I would almost always ensure each day's walk went past a castle on a hill overlooking the capital Vaduz.
It is owned by the Liechtenstein royal family and is not open to the public, but I would happily sit on a nearby wooden fence and spend 10 minutes or so just looking at it.
Today I visited Hamleys in Regent Street for the first time since the Covid-19 lockdown began.
I did not come close to buying anything, but I was pleased to see this:

Little things ...

History On My Doorstep

WALKING around Austin Friars in the City of London, I spotted a sign saying Dutch Church.
I felt sure I must have seen it before - I have passed near the spot hundreds of times - but apparently without my curiosity being sufficiently aroused to investigate further.
A short walk down a winding alley brought me to the church in question.

The original dates from 1550 and, according to Wikipedia, is the oldest Dutch-language Protestant church in the world.
Indeed, again according to the online encyclopedia, the Nederlandse Kerk is recognised in the Netherlands as the mother of all Dutch reformed churches.
It is built on land, formerly owned by Augustinian friars, given by Edward VI for "Germans and other strangers" who had fled Roman Catholic persecution.
The first superintendent of the congregation was a Pole, Jan Łaski, but Dutch speakers soon dominated.
German planes destroyed the building in 1940, the day after the church's collection of Dutch bibles and other rare books had been removed for safekeeping.
The church, which was rebuilt in the early 1950s, is believed to contain the site of the burial place of the remains of the executed pretender Perkin Warbeck.

More Attlee

IT is easy to forget just how quickly technology moved forward last century.

In the late 1940s the telex machine, which could be used to keep up to date with reports from news agencies, was relatively modern.

Clement Attlee's chief press officer, Francis Williams, persuaded the prime minister to have a telex in Downing Street after pointing out the reports would include up-to-date cricket scores.

Attlee's biographer, Francis Beckett, takes up the story in The Oldie: "After it was installed, Attlee looked into his press officer's room. 'My cricket machine - it's giving out the decisions made in cabinet this morning. How can it do that?' Williams explained that he routinely briefed the lobby. 'All right - leave the show to you. Good work'."

Name That Year

CAN you put an approximate date on when this photo was taken at Covent Garden in central London?

It shows two flower sellers from the days when the market primarily sold fruit and veg rather than being a shopping arcade.

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The photo is dated 1970. It looks much older to me, but I guess that has a lot to do with it being in black-and-white.

Golden Oldie

I GUESS it should not come as much of a surprise if a magazine called The Oldie has items of historical interest.
But, despite being a subscriber, I cannot recall much along those lines - mostly the magazine is full of old-ish people commenting on present-day matters.
But the July issue, which came through my letterbox earlier this week, has a piece of historical interest on post-WW2 prime minister Clement Attlee.
Biographer Francis Beckett writes: "At one of his press conferences, which was running into the ground after 10 minutes because of the prime minister's monosyllabic answers, a journalist who knew him well said, 'Prime Minister, we're all stumped - what's 12 across, two words, seven and six letters?' And Attlee talked for 10 minutes about how he had solved the clue from that morning's Times crossword."
The anecdote strikes me as being at least embellished, and almost certainly apocryphal (10 minutes is a long time to talk about one clue), but enchanting none-the-less.

Winning A VC By Popular Vote

HAVE you ever heard of someone winning the Victoria Cross by ballot, ie as the result of a vote?
It sounds far-fetched, but apparently it used to happen.
I only found out about it after coming across this striking memorial, to Able Seaman Albert McKenzie, beside Tower Bridge Road in Bermondsey, South London.

He took part in a raid on Zebrugge in German-occupied Belgium in April 1918 in which most of the storming party of which he was a member were killed.
According to Wikipedia, 19-year-old McKenzie "landed with his machine-gun in the face of great difficulties, (accounting) for several of the enemy ... and was severely wounded whilst working his gun in an exposed position."
McKenzie was presented with his VC by George V at Buckingham Palace, only to die later in the year from Spanish Flu.
So far, interesting enough, but not especially remarkable, and there is no mention of there being a ballot before McKenzie was awarded his medal.
However, go to the Wikipedia entry for the Zeebrugge Raid, as opposed to the entry for McKenzie, and this can be found:
"The Zeebrugge Raid was promoted by Allied propaganda as a British victory and ultimately resulted in the awarding of eight Victoria Crosses. The 4th Battalion Royal Marines was awarded the Victoria Cross for the action. Under Rule 13 of the Victoria Cross warrant, a ballot was stipulated [to] select the recipients. Victoria Cross rules specify that four Victoria Crosses should be awarded this way (one to an officer, one to an NCO and two to other ranks) they were not observed and only two Victoria Crosses were awarded. This was the last time that Victoria Crosses were awarded by ballot, although the rule remained within the Victoria Cross warrant. In a mark of respect to those involved in the raid the Royal Marines have never raised another 4th Battalion. A ballot was similarly held for the crews of the assault vessels for the Zeebrugge Mole (Vindictive, Royal Daffodil and Iris II) and the embarked raiding parties. Following the ballot, Victoria Crosses were awarded to Albert Edward McKenzie and Alfred Carpenter."

The Wikipedia entry is slightly confusing, and needs tidying up by someone with more specialist knowledge than myself, but I have checked elsewhere and it seems the VC could - and still can, theoretically - be awarded by a vote of the personnel who took part in an action if it is otherwise extremely difficult to distinguish between the bravery of those involved.

Towering Holes

I DO not know what to make of this, but I thought it well worth taking a photo.

Tower Of London with the Walkie-Talkie Tower looming in the background

I was standing on Tower Bridge, so the picture shows what appear to be recently excavated holes in what is now the base of an approximately southeast-facing wall.

But the filled-in moat no doubt gives a false impression - the holes are presumably some feet above what would have been the surface of the water when the moat was being used for defensive purposes.

History Today July 2020

REPORTS of my subscription to History Today coming to an end were clearly greatly exaggerated as issue 7 of volume 70 arrived through the letterbox last week.
It concentrates on the famous meeting between Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France in June 1520.
This is usually known as The Field Of The Cloth Of Gold, although in History Today it is rendered less smoothly as The Field Of Cloth Of Gold.

(The) Magazine

Rather more interesting to me, because I knew next-to-nothing about it, is an article detailing how children were often able to vote at British general elections.
It only happened in small numbers, and apparently never affected who won a seat in the Commons, but made for amusing reading.

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part 10)

AFTERTHOUGHTS

The first thing I did after the battle finished, and before my opponent could congratulate me on my victory, was to apologise for having got the scenario wrong.

Giving the Prussians seven battalions of regular foot and 1.5 battalions of grenadiers, when the Austro-Saxons had 10 battalions of regular foot and one of grenadiers, was too much of a discrepancy.

The feeling grew on me during the battle that I had got the numbers wrong, and if I were to fight Hohenfriedberg again in similar circumstances I would give the Prussians at least one extra battalion.

Having said that, we thoroughly enjoyed the refight, with the outcome in doubt till the very last roll of the dice.

As my opponent rightly pointed out, the Prussian cause might have fared much better if he had rolled better action-points, or if I had not succeeded in rolling such good ones. Despite having a 10-sided die for his centre action-points, while I only had a normal six-side one, he only rolled more action points than me in three of the 11 rounds.

His right wing, which much as in the real battle in 1745 was victorious over the mainly Saxon left wing, was too slow, thanks to inadequate action points, to prove the decisive factor it so easily could have been.

War of the Austrian Succession - campaign standings after seven battles (Mollwitz, Chotusitz, Sahay, Dettingen, Pfaffenhofen, Fontenoy and Hohendfriedberg)
2pts for a win, plus a bonus point if the win reverses a battle's historical outcome
PLAYERS
                    Wins Losses Bonus Points Total Points Score*
Me                   5        2               4                   14             100%
Opponent         2        5               1                   5              35.7%
NATIONS
Austria              5        0               4                  14            140%
France              2        2               1                   5              62.5%
Britain+             0        2               0                   0               0%
Prussia             0        3               0                   0               0%
 *Score is calculated on the basis that two points a battle counts as 100 percent, so it is possible with bonus points to score up to 150 percent.
+This is the Pragmatic Army, which was led and primarily financed by Britain.

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part nine)

Looking from behind the Austro-Saxon left at the start of turn 11

TURN 11
Frederick again won the initiative, and rolled 2+1 (centre) and 4 (right).
He had to use one of his centre action-points to try, successfully, to rally the Porzellan Dragoons and another to try, unsuccessfully, to rally the Samuel von Schlichting Foot. He used the third one to get the Margrave von Bayreuth Dragoons to charge my Fürst von Batthyány Dragoons, winning the subsequent melee by two hits to one, which eliminated my squadron. On the right he was able to move all four remaining units, but this did not result in any combats.
After 10.5 turns the Prussians have lost 17 of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 19 of 40.
I rolled 4 (left), 6 (centre) and 5 (right).
It only took one action point to finish the battle, when my Saxon artillery battery scored a hit on the Johann von Hertzberg Foot, which had already been reduced to 25% effectiveness and so was now eliminated. That meant Frederick had lost 19 action points - more than half his starting total, and therefore meaning he had lost the battle.

Frederick looks a lonely figure in the distance as the fleeing Samuel von Schlichting Foot rush past him

Refighting Hohenfreidberg (part eight)

Overview from behind the Austro-Saxon left st the start of turn nine

TURN NINE
The situation looks grim for Frederick, but yet again he won the initiative, and rolled 9+1 (centre) and 5 (right) - no units of the Prussian left remain.
On his right the Hacke-Leps Grenadiers pivoted round Pilgramshain and fired a volley at the Niesemeuschel Foot, who immediately lost 50% effectiveness, and the unit lost a further 25% and had to flee when its morale failed. In the centre his artillery caused the Deutschmeister Foot to lose a further 25% effectiveness, meaning it is one hit away from complete disintegration, and the Johann von Hertzberg Foot scored a hit on the Prié-Turinetti Foot. Frederick pulled back the Samuel von Schlichting Foot from the Austro-Saxon centre, presumably not liking the odds of their survival. He also swung the Johann von Lehwaldt Foot away from the centre and towards my right, where the Porzellan Dragoons and Margrave von Bayreuth Dragoons had already been heading.

Prussians attack the victorious Austro-Saxon right

Indeed the Porzellan Dragoons were able to charge the fleeing Cordova Curiassiers in the rear. The dragoons, rolling eight dice because they were attacking from behind, scored six hits, only two of which were saved. The cuirassiers were therefore wiped out, but they did inflict a hit on the dragoons.
I rolled 6 (left), 6 (centre) and 3 (right).
On the left I was unable to rally either the Niesemeuschel Foot or the Prinz Xaver Foot, which meant both units left the battlefield. However the Prié-Turinetti Foot scored a hit on the Johann von Hertzberg Foot, evening the score in their long drawn-out musketry duel. In the centre my Karl von Lothringen Foot advanced passed the hamlet of Thomaswaldau and poured a devastating volley into the flank of the Johann von Lehwaldt Foot, causing the Prussians to lose 75% effectiveness, although their morale just about held firm (Frederick rolled a 2, but the presence of the Margrave von Bayreuth Dragoons counted as being a friendly unit to the rear, based on the direction of attack, and so provided a +1 modifier, raising the Johann von Lehwaldt Foot's morale to the 3 needed by regular units). On my right the triumphant Porzellan Dragoons were charged in front and both flanks. In all I was entitled to eight dice, but scored just two hits. However that was enough to win the melee as the Prussians inflicted only one hit. The Prussians had to flee, but my victory was somewhat pyrrhic as the one Prussian hit was determined by rolling dice to have fallen on the much-reduced Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons, who were therefore eliminated.
After nine turns the Prussians have lost 15 of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 18 of 40. In other words both sides are just three points away from losing more than half their starting total, and therefore the battle.

Lots of Prussians in the foreground but most Austrians are concentrated between Günthersdorf  and Thomaswaldau

TURN 10

Frederick again won the initiative, and rolled 2 (right) and 8+1 (centre).

It proved a relatively quiet half-turn for the Prussians, although the Johann von Hertzberg Foot scored another hit on the Prié-Turinetti Foot, reducing the unit to 50% effectiveness, and the Karl von Lothringen Foot lost 25% effectiveness to artillery fire.

I again rolled great action-points : 4 (left), 6 (centre) and 6 (right).

On my left the sole remaining Saxon unit, an artillery battery, scored two potential hits on the Johann von Hertzberg Foot. Neither became an actual hit, but then the Prié-Turinetti Foot scored two hits on the Prussian battalion, which nevertheless did not break. In the centre the Samuel von Schlichting Foot lost 25% effectiveness to artillery fire, causing its morale to collapse, which meant the battalion lost a further 25% effectiveness and fled. My Karl von Lothringen Foot then finished off the Johann von Lehwaldt Foot, reducing Frederick to 17 army points - one shy of defeat. There was no substantial action on my right.

After 10 turns the Prussians have lost 17 of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 18 of 40.

Overview of the delicately balanced battle at the end of turn 10 - getting the initiative next turn could be decisive

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part seven)

Overview at the start of turn seven

TURN SEVEN
Frederick won the dice-off for the initiative and decided to go first, rolling 5 (left), 7+1 (centre) and 3 (right).
In the centre the 2nd von Hacke Foot rallied, and the von Leps Foot scored a hit on the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, whose morale held firm despite being reduced to 25% effectiveness. There was no significant action on the Prussian right, but on the left Frederick's von Posadowski Dragoons won the second round of their melee against the Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons by one hit to nil, causing my surviving dragoons to flee.

Looking from behind the Austro-Saxon right

I rolled a stupendous 6 (left), 6 (centre) and 5 (right).
On my right the Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons rallied, and the Cordova Cuirassiers charged the von Posadowski Dragoons, wiping them out without suffering losses of their own. In the centre, accurate battery fire destroyed the remains of Frederick's von Leps Foot. There was more success on the left when the Prié-Turinetti Foot advanced and finished off the rallied 2nd von Hacke Foot, and the Prinz Xaver Foot did the same to the jäger, who had inadvisably moved too close to them.
After seven turns the Prussians have lost 14 of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 10 of 40.

Bird's eye view from above Günthersdorf of the depleted Prussian centre

TURN EIGHT
Frederick won the initiative, went first and rolled 1 (left), 8+1 (centre) and 3 (right).
His artillery at last produced some much-needed worthwhile results. First the battery near Pilgramshain on the Austro-Saxon left scored a hit on the Prinz Xaver Foot, who lost a further 25% effectiveness and had to flee on failing their morale test. Secondly, the battery nearest Thomaswaldau on the Austro-Saxon right scored two hits on the Deutschmeister Foot who, perhaps foolishly as it turned out, had advanced on the previous turn. The battalion's morale proved strong, but it had been reduced to 50% effectiveness. Two full-strength Prussian battalions were able to advance and fire at relatively isolated battalions of mine. The Samuel von Schlichting Foot eliminated the remains of my Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, but the Johann von Hertzberg somehow failed to inflict any damage on the Prié-Turinetti Foot. One of Frederick's reserve horse squadrons, the Porzellan Dragoons, which he had sent to join the mass cavalry combat on my right, missed a golden opportunity when the move-variation rule prevented it charging the Cordova Cuirassiers in the flank. There was more bad news for Frederick when the surviving members of the Buddenbrock Cuirassiers charged the Fürst von Batthyány Dragoons, only to be wiped out. Their demise marked the complete annihilation of Frederick's left wing.
I rolled 6 (left), 1 (centre) and 3 (right).
On my left the Prinz Xaver Foot failed to rally, and will leave the battlefield if they fail to rally next turn. The Prié-Turinetti Foot returned the compliment to the Johann von Hertzberg Foot by firing at them at full strength but somehow inflicting no casualties. All I could do in the centre was fire a battery, but it missed. On my right the Cordova Cuirassiers swung to their left and counter-charged the Porzellan Dragoons, but soon regretted it when they lost melee by two hits to nil and had to flee.
After eight turns the Prussians have lost 15 of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 12 of 40.

Overview from behind the Austro-Saxon left

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part six)

Overview from behind the Austro-Saxon left at the start of turn five

TURN FIVE
Frederick again chose to go first (this is the last turn the Prussians automatically get the initiative), and rolled 2 (left), 8+1 (centre) and 1 (right).
His artillery failed to score a hit, but on the Prussian right he used his one pip to get the King's Hussars to charge the fleeing Adeliges Kadettenkorps in the back, eliminating them. In the centre his von Leps Foot surged forward and fired a volley that finished off the Los Rios-Deutschmeister Grenadiers.

Looking from behind Günthersdorf in the Austro-Saxon centre

I rolled 2 (left), 3 (centre) and 6 (right).
My central artillery batteries scored three potential hits on the von Leps Foot, but none became an actual hit. However, I successfully rallied the Baden-Baden Foot, narrowly stopping them from leaving the battlefield. On the right I continued sending forward my reserve horse, and on the left I swung the Niesemeuschel Foot to face the threat from the victorious Prussian right.

Looking from above Günthersdorf to the Austro-Saxon left

After five turns the Prussians have lost five of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost six of 40.

TURN SIX
We diced for the initiative. I rolled a 6 but it was tied when Frederick rolled a 5, which counted as 6 thanks to his +1 modifier for being an exceptional general. Frederick won the re-roll and elected to go first, rolling 1 (left), 5+1 (centre) and 6 (right).

He used his sole left-flank action pip to get his jäger to fire at and finish off my depleted Graf von Brühl Foot. In the centre his 2nd von Hacke Foot scored three hits on the Königin Foot, whose morale failed them, and his over-achieving von Leps Foot inflicted two hits on the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, although the latter passed its morale test. On the Prussian left the yellow-coated Prinz von Preussen Cuirassiers charged my Fürst von Batthyány Dragoons. Both squadrons inflicted two hits, with the cuirassiers narrowly failing to cancel one of theirs when a die roll produced a 5 instead of the required 6.

The cavalry melee between Thomaswaldau and Halbendorf

I rolled 5 (left), 6 (centre) and 3 (right).
The slide in Austro-Saxon fortunes was somewhat halted when the Saxon battery was able to fire canister at the 1st von Hacke Foot. A throw of 6 meant three potential hits, two of which became actual hits, wiping out the remains of the Prussian battalion. I had more success on this flank when the Prié-Turinetti stepped forward and, despite a -1 modifier for moving, fired an accurate volley at the 2nd von Hacke Foot, inflicting two hits. The Prussian unit's morale collapsed, causing it lose a further 25% effectiveness and to flee. In the centre the previously all-conquering von Leps Foot suffered a hit from roundshot and from the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, but the battlaion's morale was steady. In the big cavalry confrontation between Thomaswaldau and Halbendorf, my Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons charged Frederick's von Posadowski Dragoons.

Two cavalry melees to resolve beside the Striegauer Wasser

My Fürst von Batthyány Dragoons won the second round of their melee against the Prinz von Preussen Cuirassiers, wiping out the latter. The all-dragoon melee was tied with two hits apiece.
After six turns the Prussians have lost eight of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost 10 of 40.

Overview at the end of turn six

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part five)

TURN THREE

Overview from behind the Austro-Saxon left at the start of turn three

Frederick again chose to go first, and rolled 2 (left), 9+1 (centre) and 2 (right).
The Prussian artillery failed miserably to inflict casualties, but elsewhere in the centre the von Leps Foot scored a hit on my Baden-Baden Foot, who subsequently failed a morale test, causing the unit to lose a further 25% effectiveness and to flee. On the Prussian left the Buddenbrock Cuirassiers rallied, and the Brandenburg-Schwedt Cuirassiers charged my Liechtenstein Dragoons. Both units were at 50% effectiveness, but there was a shock for the Prussians when they lost the melee by two hits to one, and were unable to negate either hit with a successful saving throw. On the Prussian right the Red Hussars charged the Sibilski Chevauxlegers. Despite the Saxons being medium cavalry, and so entitled to two dice per 25% effectiveness against hussars, the melee was tied with each unit inflicting just one hit.

Looking from behind the Austro-Saxon left as the Sibilski Chevauxlegers battle Prussia's Red Hussars

I rolled 3 (left), 5 (centre) and 1 (right).
On the Austro-Saxon left the Graf von Brühl Foot advanced and fired at the Prussian jäger, reducing the light infantry's effectiveness by 50%, although the unit's morale held firm. The second round of the cavalry melee saw my Sibilski Chevauxlegers commit overkill with six hits, but Frederick's red Hussars scored three hits of their own, meaning both units ceased to exist. In the centre my Baden-Baden Foot failed to rally, but I sent Prince Charles to intercept the unit to try to save them next turn. My two central artillery batteries failed to score a hit, but my Los Rios-Deutschmeister Grenadiers reduced the Brandenburg-Schwedt Foot by a further 25% effectiveness, leaving the Prussians at just 25% effectiveness, but the unit's morale was good. On my right I used the one action point I had to slightly withdraw the Liechtenstein Dragoons, so they were less likely to be charged in the flank.
After three turns the Prussians have lost three of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost two of 40.

Prince Charles about to try to rally the fleeing Baden-Baden Foot

TURN FOUR
Frederick again chose to go first, and rolled 1 (left), 4+1 (centre) and 6 (right)
The Prussian artillery was slightly more effective this turn, scoring a hit on the Graf von Brühl Foot, whose morale held firm.  Also in the Prussian centre, the von Leps Foot, no doubt bouyed by driving off the Baden-Baden Foot, swung to their right and scored two hits on the Los Rios-Deutschmeister Grenadiers, who nevertheless passed their morale test. On the Prussian right the Hacke-Leps Grenadiers advanced and poured a devastating volley into the Nagy Károly Hussars, who immediately lost 75% effectiveness and, perhaps not surprisingly, broke up altogether on failing their morale test.

The surviving Austrian grenadiers in the centre look exposed

I rolled 3 (left), 6 (centre) and 5 (right).
The Saxon battery followed up its success of turn two by scoring another hit on the 1st von Hacke Foot, but the Prussian morale held up. Also on my left flank I ordered the Adeliges Kadettenkorps to charge the King's Hussars, but the cadets, despite throwing eight dice to the hussars' four, lost the melee by three hits to one and had to flee. In the centre I failed to rally the Baden-Baden Foot, despite Prince Charles' +1 modifier, but one of my batteries scored a hit on the von Leps Foot, and my grenadiers, despite losing 50% effectiveness earlier this turn, finished off the Brandenburg-Schwedt Foot. On my right flank I withdrew my two squadrons that had been reduced to 50%, and started to send forward the reserve horse.

The Austro-Saxon extreme left has collapsed

After four turns the Prussians have lost five of 34 army points and the Austro-Saxons have lost three of 40.

Overview from behind the Austro-Saxon left at the end of turn four

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part four)

MY opponent is my guest and thus has the choice of commanding the Prussians or the Austro-Saxons.

As I have explained before, he is a huge Francophile, and so he has chosen to command the Prussians, who were allied with the French for much of the War of the Austrian Succession.

Accordingly he has sunk his identity into the persona of King Frederick, soon to be Frederick the Great (apparently it was after the Battle of Hohenfriedberg that people began applying that sobriquet), and I will refer to him as such in my write-up.

As usual I will be describing the battle as it happens.

Overview at the start of our refight, looking from behind the Austro-Saxon left

TURN ONE

Frederick chose to go first and for action points rolled 2 (left), 8+1 (centre, with Frederick's bonus) and 6 (right).

His artillery batteries opened fire - all three were in range, although two barely - but to no effect. Otherwise he ordered a general advance, but holding back somewhat on the left where he only had two action points.

The Prussian right advancing on the Austro-Saxon left-wing horse beside Pilgramshain

I rolled 4 (left), 6 (centre) and 3 (right).

My artillery batteries were just as ineffective as the Prussians'. On the right I advanced the front line of my cavalry, making a melee almost inevitable next turn. I also advanced two infantry battalions in the centre, and one to the right of Pilgramshain in the hope it can take on the Prussian jäger next turn.

Looking from behind Thomaswaldau on the Austro-Saxon right

TURN TWO

Frederick again chose to go first, and rolled a feeble 2 (left), 1+1 (centre) and 1 (right).

But in the centre his artillery battery nearest Pilgramshain found its range on my Graf von Brühl Foot, who had advanced on his jäger, scoring two hits. The Saxon infantry's morale held firm, but they had been reduced to 50% effectiveness. On his left the Brandenburg-Schwedt Cuirassiers charged my Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons, and the Württemberg Dragoons charged my Liechtenstein Dragoons. We fought the cuirassier-dragoon melee first, and it proved a bloody affair with the cuirassiers inflicting four hits while suffering two. The cuirassiers' saving-rolls for wearing a cuirass did them no good, but nevertheless they had wiped out the Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons. But the Prussian joy was short-lived as the result of the other melee was the exact reverse, meaning the Württemberg Dragoons were destroyed.

I rolled 1 (left), 6 (centre) and 2 (right), prompting my opponent to take a mock-serious close-up look at my centre die.

My Saxon battery scored a hit on the 1st von Hacke Foot, but their morale held. In the centre the Los Rios-Deutschmeister Grenadiers, despite a -1 modifier for moving, scored two hits on the Brandenburg-Schwedt Foot, although again morale proved satisfactory. On the right the Hohen-Ems Cuirassiers charged the von Buddenbrock Cuirassiers, winning the subsequent melee by three hits to two (no saving throws were successful). The Prussians narrowly missed losing a further 25% effectiveness to poor morale, but had to retreat for losing the melee. Unfortunately my Liechtenstein Dragoons missed a golden opportunity when the move-variation rule prevented them charging the Brandenburg-Schwedt Cuirassiers in the flank.

In the foreground are the Cordova Cuirassiers (nearer Thomaswaldau) and the Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons, while in the far distance the von Buddenbrock Cuirassiers can be seen fleeing the Hohen-Ems Cuirassiers

After two turns the Prussians have lost one of 34 army points and the Austrians have lost one of 40.

Overview at the end of turn two

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part three)

Command & Control

This is straightforward for the Prussians.

In the centre, getting a 10-sided die for action points, are seven battalions of foot, three guns, two squadrons of horse and Frederick.

The Prussian centre in front of Gräbner Fuchs-Berg ... front row with the guns are (left to right) battalions of  1st and 2nd Johann von Hacke, Margrave von Brandenburg-Schwedt and Otto von Leps, with behind them battalions of Johann von Hertzberg, Samuel von Schlichting and Johann von Lehwaldt. Frederick is on a grey charger with the Margrave von Bayreuth Dragoons, and beside them are the Porzellan Dragoons

On the Prussian right, getting a six-sided die for action points, are three cavalry squadrons, 1.5 battalions of foot and a unit of light infantry.

Prussian right ... front row are (left to right) the Red Hussars, King's Hussars, Hacke-Leps Grenadiers and Jäger von Noble light foot, supported by the Garde du Corps and a half-battalion of von Lehwaldt Grenadiers

On the Prussian left, getting a six-sided die for action points, are five cavalry squadrons.

Prussian left ... front row are (left to right) von Buddenbrock Cuirassiers, Württemberg Dragoons and Margrave von Brandenburg-Schwedt Cuirassiers, supported by von Platen Dragoons and Prinz von Preussen Cuirassiers

Command & control is somewhat different for the Austro-Saxons.

Although Charles of Lorraine was in overall command, the left wing, which comprised all the Saxons with support from some Imperialists, was commanded by the Saxon Duke of Weissenfels.

It consists of five infantry battalions, three cavalry squadrons and a gun, and will have a six-sided die for action points.

Austro-Saxon left ... leading the cavalry are the Saxon Sibilski Chevauxlegers followed by the Austrian Nagy Károly Hussars and the Saxon Adeliges Kadettenkorps. In the front row to the right of Pilgramshain are the Saxon Graf von Brühl and Königin Foot, with behind them the Prinz Xaver and Niesemeuschel Foot. The sole 'Austrian' battalion on the left  is the Prié-Turinetti beside Günthersdorf

The centre, stretching from Günthersdorf to Thomaswaldau, has six infantry battalions, two guns, a squadron of horse, a light infantry unit and Charles. It too will get a six-sided die for action points, as will the Austro-Saxon right, which has seven cavalry squadrons.

Austro-Saxon centre ... front row with the guns are battalions of (left to right) Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, Los Rios-Deutschmeister Grenadiers and Baden-Baden Foot, with behind them the Los Rios Foot, Deutschmeister Foot, Karl von Lothringen Foot with Charles of Lorraine and Modena Cuirassiers, and grenzer light infantry

Austro-Saxon right ... in the front line of horse are (left to right) Hohen-Ems Cuirassiers, Liechtenstein Dragoons and Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons, with behind them Kaspar von Cordova Cuirassiers, Eugen von Savoyen Dragoons and Fürst von Batthyány Dragoons. Lagging back to the right are Nádasdy Hussars

The poorer command & control for the Austro-Saxons reflects their relative disorganisation and split command.

In addition, because Frederick is an exceptional general, he will get a +1 modifier for the action-points die in whichever sector he is in. He will also have a +1 modifier for deciding the initiative each turn, when attempting to rally a unit and when attached to a unit that has to take a morale test.

Refighting Hohenfriedberg (part two)

The Prussian army consists of King Frederick (rated exceptional), seven battalions of regular foot, 1.5 battalions of grenadiers, one unit of jäger, four squadrons of cuirassiers, four squadrons of dragoons, two squadrons of hussars and three guns.
The Austrian army consists of Prince Charles, 10 battalions of regular foot, one battalion of grenadiers, one unit of grenzer (light infantry), three squadrons of cuirassiers, one other squadron of heavy horse,  five squadrons of dragoons and other medium horse, two squadrons of hussars and three guns.

Overview of the battlefield as dawn breaks with the armies already very close to each other

Looking from behind Pilgramshain and the Austro-Saxon left

Looking from behind Günthersdorf in the centre

The situation on the Austro-Saxon right

For a battle not involving British troops, Hohenfriedberg is surprisingly well-covered in English-language publications.
As usual I will be relying mainly on the accounts of two historians: Thomas Carlyle, who walked the battlefield while preparing his biography of Frederick, and Reed Browning, whose book The War Of The Austrian Succession came out in 1993. There is also a short account on Wikipedia, a surprisingly full one at BritishBattles.com and another one online at   https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Hohenfriedberg
All the units on my battlefield are Pendraken figures painted in the uniforms of the three countries, and in several cases I have managed to put regiments in more-or-less their exact positions on the battlefield.
For example in a prominent position on the Austrian right are the Hohen-Ems Cuirassiers and Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons, whose defeat by Prussian horse led to the wounding and capture of an Austrian commander, General von Berlichengen, who was later reprimanded by Frederick, tongue-in-cheek it would seem, for verbally abusing his captors.

In the front line of Austrian horse beside the hamlet of Thomaswaldau are the Hohen-Ems Cuirassiers (right) and the Sachsen-Gotha Dragoons (left), and between them are the Liechtenstein Dragoons

The battle is considered to have been quite a close affair until the Bayreuth Dragoons, an oversized regiment of 10 squadrons, held back in the centre for just such a moment, charged into a gap in the Austrian infantry line and began a general rout.

Frederick, on a grey charger, can be seen attached to the Bayreuth Dragoons in the rear

Victory in our refight, in which I will be up against my regular wargames opponent in our continuing campaign of recreating the War of the Austrian Succession, will be decided as usual on army points.
The relevant rule in Game Of Kings reads: "Total each side's army points at the start of a battle using 3pts for a general, 2pts for a foot battalion and 1pt for each other unit (including light infantry) ... an army loses when its army points fall below half the starting total."
In this case, Frederick's half-battalion of grenadiers on the Prussian right will count as an 'other unit'. So the Prussian army points are: Frederick (3), seven battalions of regular foot (14), 1.5 battalions of grenadiers (3), one unit of jäger (1), four squadrons of cuirassiers (4), four squadrons of dragoons (4), two squadrons of hussars (2) and three guns (3). That is a total of 34pts.
The Austro-Saxon army points are: Charles (3), 10 battalions of regular foot (20), one battalion of grenadiers (2), one unit of grenzer (1), three squadrons of cuirassiers (3), one other squadron of heavy horse (1),  five squadrons of dragoons and other medium horse (5), two squadrons of hussars (2) and three guns (3). That is a total of 40pts.
Prussian foot, excepting the jägers, get a +1 modifier for musketry throws.
Grenadiers in both armies count as elite, as does Prussia's Garde du Corps cuirassiers, who are on Frederick's right supporting the attack on the Saxons, and Austria's Modena Cuirassiers, who are in reserve with Charles behind Thomaswaldau.
The river can only be forded by cavalry, and it takes them a complete turn.
The hamlets played little part in the battle - they were apparently too insignificant, among so many troops. to be garrisoned. Accordingly they provide no cover but do affect line-of-sight. and they slow movement by half.
Charles's forces were somewhat demoralised by the realisation they had been caught on the hop - not for the first time - by their enemy. Frederick has the initiative for the first five turns, which gives him the right to go first or second in those turns, and any Austro-Saxon unit having to take a morale test in those turns suffers a -1 modifier.
By the way, reports of the sizes of the two armies nearly always show the Prussians having a huge preponderance in artillery. This is usually the case in the War of the Austrian Succession, but it is because the numbers include tiny battalion guns which were given to Prussian infantry. It is partly to account for these that I give Prussian infantry a +1 modifier (but the main reason is that Prussian foot were the best in Europe).

Refighting Hohenfriedberg

THE Battle of Hohenfriedberg was fought 275 years ago this month between a Prussian army under Frederick the Great and an Austro-Saxon army under Maria Theresa's brother-in-law Charles of Lorraine.
Three years earlier Prussia had withdrawn from what became known as the War of the Austrian Succession after Austria agreed to cede most of Silesia.
But Frederick, worried about successful Habsburg diplomacy in Italy and seeing most Imperial troops committed to Flanders, invaded Bohemia in July 1744.
He easily captured Prague, but a combination of guerrilla tactics by Hungarian irregulars and Saxony's unexpected entry into the war on the Austrian side obliged the Prussians to retreat.
In January 1745 the Austrians, emboldened by the death of the Bavarian Elector Charles VII, who, much to their fury, had been elected Holy Roman Emperor, went further on the offensive.
They invaded Bavaria, knocking the electorate out of the war after defeating a French army in April at the Battle of Pfaffenhofen (http://timspanton.blogspot.com/2020/05/refighting-battle-of-pfaffenhofen.html).
Defeat the following month at Fontenoy (http://timspanton.blogspot.com/2020/05/refighting-fontenoy.html), although disappointing, was largely a British affair and did not dampen Maria Theresa's enthusiasm for revenge on Frederick.
Indeed plans were already well-advanced for her brother-in-law, Prince Charles, to invade Silesia from Bohemia by crossing the Giant Mountains (Riesengebirge in German), which now form part of the Czech-Polish border.
Some of Frederick's generals wanted to garrison the passes, but the king preferred to let Charles and his army, comprising about 40,000 Imperialists and almost 20,000 Saxons, to debouch into Silesia, where he hoped to crush them in a single blow.
Charles placed his headquarters, at least temporarily, in the small village of Hohenfriedberg (even today the village, which is now in Poland and is called Dobromierz, has a population well under 1,000).
His army was bivouacked on a line of four even smaller hamlets, each of which had its own copse of trees, mainly for the purposes of winter firewood.

The battlefield before the armies arrive - the hamlets left to right are Pilgramshain, Günthersdorf, Thomaswaldau and, beyond the Striegauer Wasser, Halbendorf (hamlet spellings taken from those of the distinguished map-maker John Fawkes)

Frederick had a slightly smaller army - as usual, exact numbers vary in the sources - but the Prussian infantry were still the cream of Europe, and he had spent the two years of peace improving his cavalry so it would no longer, as at Mollwitz, be outclassed by the Austrians.
He also ensured his army had its fair share of light troops, especially hussars, who successfully scouted the Austro-Saxons, although 'successfully' in this case is a relative term.
The king decided on a a dawn attack, led by hussars and grenadiers, on Charles's left wing, which was mainly composed of Saxons.
The idea was to attack the Saxons in the flank, but a slight adjustment of the Saxon position, combined with problems of manoeuvring at night and shortfalls in the scouting, meant the attack hit them head-on.
Nevertheless the attack had surprise on its side, and a furious fight ensued, alerting the rest of the Habsburg forces.

The situation with the battle-proper about to get underway, which is where our refight will start 

Game Of Kings - Pre-Hohenfriedberg Update

I AM only making one major change to the rules ahead of refighting the Battle of Hohendriedberg, and that is the change mentioned in the afterthoughts to last month's refight of Fontenoy.
It is in bold below and basically makes infantry more able to stand up to frontal attacks from cavalry.
There have also been minor changes to the wording to help with clarity.

INTRODUCTION

The rules are, to a large extent, old school in their deliberate simplicity. I want victory to go to the player with a better understanding of generalship rather than a better understanding of the rules.
They are adapted, heavily at times, from Neil Thomas's inspiring books, specifically Wargaming: An Introduction and Napoleonic Wargaming.
To fully comprehend the thinking behind the rules, you will need to read his books; most of my explanations here will be about those instances where I have changed his concepts.

Game Of Kings is designed to put you in the position of a mid-18th century European general.
He would not have known exactly how many men he had under his command. Instead he would have known his army consisted of so many battalions of foot, squadrons of horse and guns of artillery.
European armies of this period resembled each other in terms of arms, formations and tactics, eg battalions moved in columns but fought in lines, and squadrons, including so-called dragoons, charged home rather than engaging in caracoling firefights.
Unit strengths varied between armies, but they varied much more within an army. Sickness, desertion and unreplaced casualties meant the fact that nation X's squadrons had a paper strength of 15 troopers more than nation Y's squadrons was of little relevance to what turned up on the battlefield.
That is why battalions, squadrons and guns in Game Of Kings are represented by the same number of figures in each army. However, that does not mean their fighting abilities will be the same.
One of the main features of Neil Thomas's rules is that his armies have a set number of units. I think this can work well with ancient armies, where the reported numbers for the contending sides are often pretty fanciful.
This is much less so with the 18th century, especially when most battles have multiple contemporary accounts rather than a single author writing possibly centuries after the event.
So in Game Of Kings, when refighting a historic battle, the number of units in each army will reflect the original strengths.
There will certainly not be a 1:1 ratio in terms of battalions, squadrons and guns, but there will typically be many more units than in Neil Thomas's armies.
This required me to speed up combat mechanisms in order to prevent battles dragging on to the point where players might start looking at their watches.
Another difference between Game Of Kings and Neil Thomas's books is that I have introduced simple command & control and morale rules.
Even so the rules, stripped of their explanations, fit comfortably on one side of a sheet of A4 paper.

ORGANISATION
An army consists of a general on a base 20x20mm, and units of foot, horse and guns on bases 40x20mm.
A foot battalion has two bases, normally in a line, each containing eight musketmen arranged in two ranks, and an 'officer' - it could be a drummer - to indicate the unit's state of effectiveness.
The officer is placed centrally behind the bases when the unit is at 100 percent effectiveness. After it suffers a "hit," which reduces the unit's effectiveness to 75 percent, the officer is moved to behind the righthand base.
After a further hit, reducing effectiveness to 50 percent, one of the bases is removed and the officer is placed centrally behind the remaining one. A third hit, reducing effectiveness to 25 percent, sees the officer removed, and a fourth hit means the remaining base is removed.
Note that this does not mean the unit has been wiped out, nor does losing 25 percent effectiveness mean the unit has suffered 25 percent casualties. Instead it represents a loss of effectiveness, which may be a combination of casualties, faltering spirit and disintegration.
Light infantry is organised similarly, except each base has three figures.

George II overlooks four battalions of British and Hanoverian infantry (left to right): von Klinkowström at 100% effectiveness, Royal Foot at 75%,  The Buffs at 50% and 5th Marines at 25%

Cavalry can be heavy, medium or light, but each squadron consists of two bases, each with three troopers, and an 'officer'.
Heavy and medium horse can be distinguished by their equipment, eg a heavy cavalryman often wears a cuirass, while light horse should be placed on their bases in ragged formation.
Cavalry bases are positioned one behind the other. Neil Thomas, who uses a similar system, explains this is to reflect the way cavalry kept a reserve when going into combat (and remember that a tabletop squadron represents several real-life ones). The exception is that light cavalry in a screening role may operate with bases in a line.

Prussian horse parade past an isolated farmhouse led by Brandenburg-Schwedt Cuirassiers at 100% effectiveness, followed by Posadowski Dragoons at 75%, Prinz von Preussen Cuirassiers at 50% and Bayreuth Dragoons at 25%

A gun and four gunners are arranged lengthways on a single 40x20mm base. Loss of effectiveness can be shown with a marker, eg a miniature boulder.

COMMAND & CONTROL
I have tried everything, from going without command and control altogether (Neil Thomas's preference), to Bob Cordery's card-based system from The Portable Wargame, which is essentially a stripped-down version of Brent Oman's Piquet set-up.
But in the end I found that what works best is Phil Barker and the Wargames Research Group's pips, or action points as I like to call them.
How it works in Game Of Kings is that an army is normally divided into three sectors - typically a centre composed of foot, the general and probably guns; and two flanks, each composed of horse and possibly light infantry (but the exact composition of each sector will partly depend on the particulars of the battlefield).
Players dice at the start of each turn for the choice of going first or second. When on turn a player rolls a 10-sided die - this is normally the only time a die other than a six-sided one is used - to see how many action points the centre gets, and two distinguishable, eg differently coloured, ordinary dice to see how many action points each flank receives.

For each sector, use action points in the following order, the player choosing which sector goes first.
1. Try to rally retreating units (this is the only compulsory use of action points).
2. Fire guns.
3. Move units (a gun that has been fired cannot also be pivoted, limbered or otherwise moved).
4. Fire muskets, carbines and any other missile weapons.
5. Resolve melees.

Two battalions of Bavarian Kurprinz Foot flank a 9pdr gun. Behind them a half-battalion of Kurprinz Grenadiers is beside a horse-and-limber team, illustrating why I no longer use limbers (the space they take up is disproportionate) 

MOVEMENT
Foot in line (as with the Kurprinz above): 6cm
Foot in column, foot retreating and light infantry: 8cm
Limbered guns: 6cm
Heavy and medium horse: 10cm
Light horse and generals: 12cm
But see The Variation below
As mentioned in the caption to the picture above, I no longer use limbers for my guns as I think they look out of proportion to other troops, but a marker can be used to show if a gun is limbered. Alternatively the barrel of a gun facing away from the enemy can betaken as showing it is limbered.
A pip is required for a foot battalion to change from column to line (but changing from line to column is free), and the unit may not otherwise move or fire that turn.
Heavy-cavalry troopers carried more equipment than their medium-cavalry brethren, but had better mounts, hence their movement rates are identical.
A gun needs an action point to limber or unlimber and cannot otherwise move except to pivot as part of unlimbering.
Foot and horse can make a single 180-degree about-face in a turn without loss of movement, although it does cost an action point.
All troops can pass through friendly light foot without penalty to either group, provided they have enough movement to take them beyond the light foot. Similarly, light infantry can pass through any friendly troops.
There is no bonus for charging, either in terms of movement or melee effectiveness - such matters are deemed to be at a tactical level far below the immediate concern of the general.
When a unit wheels, measure the distance from the front-centre of the unit.
The Variation
Dice are generally used to help decide the effectiveness of musketry, artillery fire, hand-to-hand fighting and morale, but in most rules movement distances are fixed.
I believe this is unrealistic - a general can order a squadron of dragoons to seize a hill, but he cannot know exactly how long the squadron will take to reach the hill. Perhaps an unsuspected feature of the terrain will hold it up, or maybe it will be inspired to gallop faster than an enemy squadron trying to take the same hill.
Accordingly uncertainty is added by rolling a die if a unit is moving three-quarters or more of its maximum move distance. If 6 is thrown, add 25 percent to the distance covered; if 1 is thrown, subtract 25 percent.
Exception: if a unit has clearly been ordered, say, to line a river bank, it would be absurd to make it overshoot and enter the water thanks to The Variation rule.

My regular wargaming opponent is a huge Francophile, and his hero is Maurice de Saxe, shown here with the Picardie Foot in column and the Gendarmes de la Garde

MUSKETRY
A unit can fire within a 45-degree arc of its front.
Musket range: 8cm
Carbine range: 6cm
Roll a die for each 25 percent of effectiveness that is remaining and is in the front line of bases (ie the second base of infantry in column cannot fire).
Minimum score for a hit: regular foot in firing order, 4; light foot, 5; regular foot not in firing order, and dismounted horse, 6.
-1 if the unit moved this turn, is in column, or has become disorganised, eg by retreating, and has not spent a pip to reorganise.

ARTILLERY
A gun can fire within a 45-degree arc of its front.
Canister: 0-6cm. Roll a die and halve the score to get the potential number of hits.
Roundshot: up to 24cm. Roll a die and quarter the score to get the potential number of hits.
(Separate rules for howitzers are unnecessary as they were a small part of any army, and Game Of Kings is not at the low tactical level where their different performance might become relevant.)
Halve the number of potential hits if the gun's effectiveness is 50 percent or less.
If the final result is a fraction, round the number of potential hits to the nearest whole number, but if the fraction is exactly a half, roll a die with a 50:50 chance of the half becoming a potential hit.
For each potential hit, roll a die. A 4 or more means a hit on foot or horse, but a 6 is needed if the target is a gun.

Artillery was often sited on a hill

MELEES
A melee occurs when bases of rival units come in contact and continues for each half-turn they remain in contact. No action point is charged.
Foot cannot initiate contact against horse.
Guns and light infantry never initiate contact and never inflict melee casualties (exception: light foot in a wood or built-up area can melee as regular foot).
A gun can only be contacted if it has no friendly regular foot (ie light infantry do not count) within 4cm. Guns so contacted are automatically eliminated.
When a melee occurs, roll the following numbers of dice for each 25 percent of a unit's effectiveness (casualties are inflicted simultaneously by each meleeing unit):
Enemy unit:...……..H/MCav...Lan...LCav...Inf (ff)...Inf (oth)...LInf
Own Unit
H/MCav...…………….1...…….2...…..2...…..1...……..3...…….2
Lan...………………….1...…….1...…..1...…..1½...…...4........…4
LCav………………….1...…….2...…...1...….1...……..2...……..3
Inf...…………………..1...……..1...…..1...…..1...……..1...…….1
H/MCav = Heavy or medium cavalry
Lan = Lancers
LCav = Light cavalry
Inf (ff) = Infantry in firing order and attacked frontally
Inf (oth) = Close-order infantry at other times
LInf = Light infantry
Inf = Close-order infantry (remember, light infantry cannot inflict melee casualties except when in a wood or built-up area)
Add one die per 25 percent effectiveness when attacking in flank or rear, on higher ground, defending a river bank or defending a built-up area against troops outside the built-up area. Bonuses are cumulative. A half die has a 50:50 chance of becoming a full die.
A unit meleed from the rear rolls only half its normal dice.
For each die rolled, a 4 or more is a hit.
If infantry is contacted frontally by an enemy unit, the infantry may fire prior to the melee being fought, but have a -1 modifier on each throw for a hit.

SAVING THROWS (for hits from firing and in melees)
Cuirassiers suffering a hit from anything except roundshot roll a die, needing a 6 to cancel it.
Troops suffering a hit when behind cover roll a die, needing a 4 or more to cancel it.

A large cavalry melee during my 275th anniversary refight of the Battle of Chotusitz

MORALE
Test any unit which, during a half-turn (a turn consists of Player A's actions and then Player B's), has lost effectiveness to firing or has lost a melee.
Roll a die, needing the following minimum score to avoid losing a further 25 percent effectiveness: elite, 2; regular, 3; poor, 4.
+1 if a general is attached to the unit (he is eliminated if the unit is eliminated).
+1 if a friendly unit (not light infantry or a gun) is to the rear and could reach the testing unit in two normal moves (a friendly unit can only add support in this way to one unit per half-turn).
A unit that fails its morale, and a unit that loses more hits in a melee regardless of whether it fails a morale test, immediately retreats one move (with the normal possible Variation), ending with its back to the enemy.
On subsequent turns, action points must first be used to try to rally retreating units. A 5 or better is required to halt the unit so that it can return to normal action on the following turn. A general with the unit gives +1 to the rallying throw.
A retreating unit is eliminated on the first move if a retreat is obstructed by horse or foot (except if the foot are light infantry). If the blocking unit is friendly, it must take a morale test, unless it is horse retreated into by foot.
Retreating foot that have rallied need a pip to reorganise before they can fire without suffering a -1 modifier.

Looking from behind the French lines at my refight of the Battle of Sahay

WEATHER
This, with minor amendments, comes from Charlie Wesencraft's With Pike And Musket.
At the start of the game, roll two dice to determine the weather according to the weather gauge below.

A simple weather gauge

2 = fog
3 = light rain
4-10 = fair
11 = light rain
12 = heavy rain
At the start of each subsequent turn, roll one die to determine if the weather has moved down one notch (a throw of 1 or 2), stayed the same (3 or 4) or moved up one notch (5 or 6).
Weather affects units as follows:
Fog = visibility reduced to 6cm (unseen foes cannot be fired at); movement reduced by 50 percent.
Light rain = all musket and carbine firing suffers -1 per die.
Heavy rain = movement reduced by 25 percent; all musket and carbine firing suffers -2 per die.
Fair = no effect, unless the gauge stays on the same fair number for a third turn, in which case extreme heat reduces movement by 25 percent for as long as the gauge does not move.

RANDOM TERRAIN GENERATOR
For non-historic battles, a random terrain generator can be used.
Because my figures are 10mm scale, and the move distances and firing ranges are suitably small, my 6ft by 2ft 6in table might seem overkill.
In fact I deliberately went for an oversize table to prevent a flanking edge-of-the-world effect that in my opinion spoils too many wargame set-ups.
Anyway, here is how the random terrain generator works.
1. Mentally divide the board into 12 sectors (two rows of six) each 1ft by 1ft 3in.
2. Roll a die for each sector, a 4-6 indicating a terrain piece.
3. If a terrain piece is indicated, roll again: 1-hill, 2-water (stream, river, lake or marsh, etc), 3-wood, 4-built-up area (anything from a farmstead to a walled town), 5-Player A's choice, 6-Player B's choice.
If the exact nature and size of the feature cannot be agreed by the players, more dicing will be necessary. This is also a good way to decide the route a river takes across the board.
Note that on average a battlefield generated under this system will have six terrain features, but a stream or river might well run through several sectors while still counting as a single feature.

NATIONAL/ARMY CHARACTERISTICS
Decide these on a battle-by-battle basis.
For example, Prussian foot at my Mollwitz refight added 1 to musketry throws, while Prussian horse in melees inflicted a hit on a throw of 5-6 instead of 4-6.

VICTORY
Total each side's army points at the start of a battle using 3pts for a general, 2pts for a foot battalion and 1pt for each other unit (including light infantry).
Unless specific objectives have been agreed, an army loses when its army points fall below half the starting total.

KEY SUMMARY

MOVEMENT
Foot in line and limbered guns: 6cm
Other foot: 8cm
Heavy and medium horse: 10cm
Light horse and generals: 12cm
Variation die throw: 6 +25%; 1 -25%
MUSKETRY
Musket: 8cm
Carbine: 6cm
One die per 25% effectiveness
Score needed for a hit: firing-order foot, 4; light foot, 5; other foot and dismounted horse, 6.
-1 if firers moved, in column or disorganised.
ARTILLERY
Canister: 6cm. Die halved gives potential hits.
Roundshot: 24cm. Die quartered gives potential hits.
Halve hits if gun's effectiveness is 50% or less.
Fractions rounded to nearest whole number, but a half is diced for.
Roll each potential hit, needing a 4 against foot and horse, a 6 against guns.
MELEES
Enemy unit:...……..H/MCav...Lan...LCav...Inf (ff)...Inf (oth)...LInf
Own Unit
H/MCav...…………….1...…….2...…..2...…..1...……..3...…….2
Lan...………………….1...…….1...…..1...…..1½...…...4........…4
LCav………………….1...…….2...…...1...….1...……..2...……..3
Inf...…………………..1...……..1...…..1...…..1...……..1...…….1
Add one die per 25% effectiveness for each of the following: flank/rear attack, uphill, defending river bank or built-up area.
Unit meleed from rear only rolls half its normal dice.
4 or more scores a hit.
SAVING THROWS
Cuirassiers: 6, except if hit by roundshot.
Behind cover: 4.
MORALE
Test after losing effectiveness to firing or losing a melee.
Score needed to avoid losing further 25%: elite, 2; regular, 3, poor, 4.
+1 general attached.
+1 friendly horse or foot (not light) to rear and within two moves.
Unit that fails morale or loses a melee retreats one move (include variation roll). Needs 5 to rally (general +1).