Refighting Wissembourg/Weissenburg (part three)

TURN FIVE

The situation at the start of the turn

I again fail to receive any reinforcements.

My gun scores a hit on the defenders of Wissembourg, and Douay rolls a 1 when resolving it, meaning the zouaves lose a second strength point.

I advance those units that are active and not in firing range, which means all bar two of 2nd Corps' infantry units, which each rolled a 1. Infantry rifle fire directed at Wissembourg proves ineffective.

Between the heights and the wood my unit of Bavarian chevaulegers is one square short of being able to intervene in the cavalry melee, which ends when my unit of Brunswick hussars suffers a second hit, which means losing a strength point as there is nowhere to retreat. The hussars are therefore eliminated.

Looking from the south halfway through turn five after the hussars have been destroyed

Douay's gun fires at the 3rd Corps infantry attacking the town, but miss.

His dragoons fail to activate, meaning their left flank remains exposed to a possible charge next turn from my unit of Bavarian chevaulegers.

The zouaves fire at the much-depleted unit of 1st Corps infantry, but miss.

After five turns the Germans have lost 5SP and one unit, the French 2SP.

TURN SIX

At last some Prussian reinforcements arrive - a unit of 3rd Corps infantry.

My 1st Corps gun fails to score a hit on the Wissembourg garrison, but the Bavarian chevaulegers are able to charge the French dragoons in the flank.

All my infantry units are able to advance, but the two already within rife range of the town again stand still and fire, but again unsuccessfully.

In the cavalry melee my chevaulegers, although outnumbered, make good their flanking advantage by inflicting a hit while not suffering one in return. Douay rolls a 4 for resolving the hit, and chooses to have the dragoons fall back a square. We decide this would be directly away from the Bavarians, rather than backwards from the direction they were facing, and would end with the dragoons now facing their enemy.

Douay's gun again fails to score a hit.

The zouaves fire at the 1st Corps infantry and roll a 4, which would normally be a hit, but the zouaves suffer a -1 modifier for having fewer than three strength points.

His dragoons charge my unit of chevaulegers, but neither of us manage to score a hit.

The cavalry melee continues in the foreground, while in the distance Prussian infantry close in on Wissembourg

TURN SEVEN

No more German reinforcements arrive this turn.

My gun is partially masked by Prussian infantry and so has to fire at the western side of Wissembourg, but it scores a hit on the defenders, although without destroying the fortifications in that part of town. Douay's resolution roll means the zouaves have to lose a strength point, reducing them to just 1SP.

After movement I have four infantry units within firing range of the town, including two that had moved that turn and so would suffer a -1 modifier. However only one unit scores a hit, and Douay is able to ignore it under the special rules for Wissembourg by rolling a 4 for resolution.

The cavalry melee again results in no casualties.

It is looking desperate for the defenders of Wissembourg, unless General Douay sends a unit from the heights to bolster their numbers (my opponent explained after the battle that he thought of doing this but felt any such unit would soon be overwhelmed, hastening a French defeat) 

Douay's gun again misses but the gallant zouaves score a hit on the 1st Corps infantry, which loses its last remaining strength point. There is a further setback for the German cause when the French dragoons destroy the remaining strength point of the Bavarian chevaulegers.

After seven turns the Germans have lost 7SP and three units, the French 3SP.

(To be continued)