Refighting Wissembourg/Weissenburg (part five)

TURN 11

Overview from behind the French lines at the start of turn 11

My rolls for reinforcements bring on to the table a unit of Bavarian lancers for 1st Corps.

My troops continue advancing towards the heights, with one unit occupying Wissembourg. This unit opens fire on the French infantry on the Geisberg and, despite having moved and the target being behind cover, scores a hit, which means the compulsory loss of a strength point.

Douay's gun misses, and so do the infantry next to them (the infantry on the Vogelsberg, behind the sand-coloured emplacement, are still out of range), but he is able to activate the dragoons, who charge my most advanced, and very isolated, infantry in the flank. However, Douay rolls a 1 in the subsequent melee, which, despite +1 modifiers for attacking in the flank and for being cavalry fighting infantry, is not enough to score a hit. The infantry, much more reasonably, also fail to be effective.

After 11 turns the Germans have lost 11SP and three units, the French 5SP and one unit.

TURN 12

No German reinforcements arrive this turn.

I continue advancing and firing, where possible, against the heights. The unit in Wissembourg, following up their success last turn, again inflict a hit on the defenders of the Geisberg. Douay could let his unit drop back a square but, presumably fearing his artillery is about to get overrun, accepts the loss of a second strength point. The only other unit able to fire is infantry at the foot of the heights, but they make no impression on the French artillerymen.

In the second round of the cavalry-v-infantry melee, the dragoons, although no longer getting a bonus for attacking in the flank, score a hit, which means a forced loss of a strength point for the Prussian infantry.

Douay's gun scores a hit on my infantry, and I accept the loss of a strength point. His unit on the Vogelsberg moves east along the ridge to support the Geisberg infantry. Both infantry units open fire, with the the unit that moved scoring a hit on my infantry, and I again accept the loss of a strength point.

The dragoons inflict another hit in the melee, and I have to accept another SP loss.

German ranks are starting to noticeably thin

After 12 turns the Germans have lost 15SP and three units, the French 6SP and one unit.

TURN 13

I receive another unit of reinforcements - infantry for 1st Corps.

My units keep advancing, and the infantry at the foot of the heights score a hit on the French artillery, with Douay accepting the SP loss.

In the melee the sole remaining Prussian infantryman, an officer, rolls a 6 against the cavalry's 1. There are -1 modifiers for being understrength and for being infantry fighting cavalry, but it is enough for a hit, which is resolved as the compulsory loss of an SP.

Douay's gun rolls a 4, but the only modifier is a -1 for being French Imperial artillery and so no hit is scored. His infantry inflict one hit, which is resolved as the loss of an SP.

In the melee my Prussian officer again inflicts a compulsory SP loss, thus eliminating the dragoons.

After 13 turns the Germans have lost 16SP and three units, the French 9SP and two units.

This dramatic turn seems to have turned the tide against the French, who will lose the battle if they suffer another SP loss

In fact, with defeat now inevitable, my opponent concedes.

(To be continued)