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