MY Dettingen opponent rang this morning and asked: "Guess what we got wrong?"
Immediately he spoke, it flashed into my head - command & control.
Usually in Game Of Kings, we use a 10-sided die to decide action points, or pips, for the main body of an army, and two distinguishable six-sided dice for the other two sections of an army.
But because the forces we used for refighting Dettingen were smaller than usual, I changed this to a six-sided die and two four-sided dice.
However, instead of using actual four-sided dice, we used six-sided ones, with the intention of re-rolling if they came up 5 or 6.
We remembered this most of the time, but occasionally, in the heat of battle, we forgot.
As the Duke of Noailles might have said: "C'est la vie." Or, more aptly: "C'est la guerre."
Showing posts with label Dettingen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dettingen. Show all posts
Thursday, April 09, 2020
Wednesday, April 08, 2020
Refighting The Battle Of Dettingen (part six)
TURN 10
I rolled 4-4-5.
My main-body gun fired at the Normandie Foot in Dettingen, but a 2 meant only half a potential hit, and I then rolled a 3, so it turned out to be no hit at all. I moved the Liechtenstein Dragoons and the Prié-Turinetti Foot towards Dettingen Bridge, and the von Klinkowström Foot fired unsuccessfully at the Alsace Foot. At the bridge the third round of the epic melee between the von Aldeleben Dragoons and the Cuirassiers du Roi saw the dragoons inflict the only hit. The cuirassiers, being elite and with rear support, could not fail their subsequent morale test but, having (finally) lost the melee, had to retreat back over the bridge.
In the east, the Royal Foot again failed to rally, while the rearguard gun fired at the Touraine Foot, but without effect. The von Zastrow Foot wheeled left and just managed to get within musket range of the Bretagne Cavalerie. They rolled 5-4-1-1, which was reduced to 4-3-1-1 by the penalty for having moved. But the 3 upgraded to a 4 thanks to passing the 50:50 chance of a +1 modifier for superior fire drill. The two hits - neither was wiped out by saving throws for wearing breastplates - reduced the already depleted French unit to 25% effectiveness, but even this disappeared when Noailles could only roll a 2 for the unit's morale check.
Undoubtedly the best half-turn so far for the Pragmatic army.
Noailles rolled 4-1-1.
The cuirassiers failed to rally, so Gramont joined them to use his +1 modifier next turn. The Dettingen battery again fired canister at the von Klinkowström Foot, and again had two potential hits, but neither became an actual hit. However, my joy was short-lived because the Alsace Foot finished off my brave Hanoverians.
The one south-bank pip was used to unsuccessfully fire roundshot at the von Aldeleben Dragoons, and the one Aschaffenburg pip was used to swing the Champagne Foot to their right, apparently as a prelude to attacking the isolated Austrian howitzer.
Army points remaining at the end of turn 10: Pragmatic, 13 of 20; French, 23 of 26.
TURN 11
I rolled 3-2-4.
My battery in front of Dettingen was masked from firing by the Liechtenstein Dragoons, but I sent all my other troops in this sector of the battlefield to make a do-or-die dash for the bridge. Belatedly perhaps, I sent King George to try to rally the Royal Foot, who continued retreating.
The battery at Aschaffenburg rolled a 6, meaning 1.5 potential hits on the Touraine Foot. The 50:50 roll for the half a potential hit failed, but the other potential hit did become an actual hit, reducing the Touraine Foot to 50% effectiveness. The von Zastrow Foot, having wheeled left to fire at and see off the Bretagne Cavalerie last turn, wheeled right to fire at the remains of the Touraine Foot. Despite apparent tiredness - a roll of 1 for move-variation meant they only covered 4.5cm - they just got into musketry range, scoring a hit. This reduced the Touraine Foot to 25% effectiveness, but they defiantly passed their morale test by rolling a 6.
Noailles rolled 6-6-5, and made a great show of inspecting the 5 die as if there might be something amiss with it.
Gramont successfully rallied the Cuirassiers du Roi (actually, they would have rallied without his help as a 6 was rolled). His Dettingen battery unsuccessfully fired at the Liechtenstein Dragoons. The Grenadiers de France filled the gap between the houses in Dettingen, and the Orléans Dragoons, who were in reserve behind Dettingen, and the Navarre Foot, who were opposite the marsh, were turned to be ready in case the von Aldeleben Dragoons rode down the Grenadiers. Altogether, five action points had been used, which meant either the Grenadiers or the Normandie Foot by the bridge would be unable to fire. Muttering to himself, my opponent decided the Normandie Foot should fire as they would get four dice to the Grenadiers' two - there was not room for the latter to have their bases in line - and they would not suffer a -1 modifier for moving. One hit was scored on the Liechtenstein Dragoons.
The south-bank battery fired at the Prié-Turinetti Foot, but missed. The Berchenny Hussars re-entered the battlefield west of Dettingen. Noailles decided not to use the rest of his south-bank pips, perhaps unsure whether the Piémont Foot should be sent east or west (or perhaps he felt it did not matter as the French seemingly had the battle well in hand).
At Aschaffenburg the Champagne Foot closed on the Austrian battery and fired, but ineffectually. It would have been simpler to have had them leave firing order, as the extra 2cm of movement would have seen them contact the gun and so eliminate it. The Touraine Foot wheeled and fired at the von Zastrow Foot, scoring a hit, while the Colonel-Général Cavalerie finished crossing the bridge over the Aschaffenburg tributary.
Two of my units - the Liechtenstein Dragoons and the von Zastrow Foot had to take morale tests as a result of their casualties. Both rolled a 1, and so lost a further 25% effectiveness and had to retreat. This was bad enough for the infantry, but the dragoons' line of retreat took them perilously close to the Prié-Turinetti Foot behind them. If they ran into the Prié-Turinetti, the dragoons would break up completely (ie be removed from the table) and the Prié-Turinetti would have to take a morale test. It was a 50:50 call as to whether the dragoons would run into the infantry, and we decided it by rolling a die, which landed in my favour.
With no hope of saving the battle, I conceded.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
Well, that was one-sided!
Dettingen is always going to be a next-to-impossible battle for the Pragmatic army to win, as long the scenario does not force the Duke of Gramont to repeat his historic blunder of leaving a strong defensive position against orders.
But I can say without fear of contradiction that I have never been involved in a wargaming battle in which the dice so favoured one side, especially in the early turns when it really mattered.
As my opponent remarked, he was glad we were using the same set of dice as otherwise even he would have had suspicions that his dice were loaded!
Going forward, and before the next battle in our 275th anniversary campaign (Hohenfriedberg on June 4), I intend to make two alterations to the Game Of Kings rules.
One is to simplify the infantry moving/firing mechanisms, and the other is to further debuff artillery. I will go into more details in the next couple of days.
Having said that, and with the caveat that Game Of Kings probably works best with larger armies than we deployed at Dettingen, we felt that overall the battle had a reasonable mid-18th century feel to it.
My opponent admitted that at one point he thought his decision to attack out of Aschaffenburg was mistaken in the same way that the historic Gramont attacked out of Dettingen. However, it worked out well for him.
The charge of the Cuirassiers du Roi over Dettingen Bridge was somewhat reminiscent of what happened in 1743, when the French cavalry also charged over the bridge - initial success, followed by defeat when the Pragmatic forces counterattacked.
If the rules used to refight Dettingen have even a very rough approximation to mid-18th century warfare, the French should win.
The result reduces my lead in our campaign's Players' standings, while France moves into second place in the Nations' standings.
There is a long way to go, but one thing that stands out so far is that all four battles have been won by the army that historically lost.
War of the Austrian Succession - campaign standings after four battles (Mollwitz, Chotusitz, Sahay and Dettingen)
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 3 1 3 9 112.5%
Opponent 1 3 1 3 37.5%
NATIONS
Austria 3 0 3 9 150%
France 1 1 1 3 75%
Britain+ 0 1 0 0 0%
Prussia 0 2 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.
I rolled 4-4-5.
My main-body gun fired at the Normandie Foot in Dettingen, but a 2 meant only half a potential hit, and I then rolled a 3, so it turned out to be no hit at all. I moved the Liechtenstein Dragoons and the Prié-Turinetti Foot towards Dettingen Bridge, and the von Klinkowström Foot fired unsuccessfully at the Alsace Foot. At the bridge the third round of the epic melee between the von Aldeleben Dragoons and the Cuirassiers du Roi saw the dragoons inflict the only hit. The cuirassiers, being elite and with rear support, could not fail their subsequent morale test but, having (finally) lost the melee, had to retreat back over the bridge.
In the east, the Royal Foot again failed to rally, while the rearguard gun fired at the Touraine Foot, but without effect. The von Zastrow Foot wheeled left and just managed to get within musket range of the Bretagne Cavalerie. They rolled 5-4-1-1, which was reduced to 4-3-1-1 by the penalty for having moved. But the 3 upgraded to a 4 thanks to passing the 50:50 chance of a +1 modifier for superior fire drill. The two hits - neither was wiped out by saving throws for wearing breastplates - reduced the already depleted French unit to 25% effectiveness, but even this disappeared when Noailles could only roll a 2 for the unit's morale check.
Undoubtedly the best half-turn so far for the Pragmatic army.
Noailles rolled 4-1-1.
The cuirassiers failed to rally, so Gramont joined them to use his +1 modifier next turn. The Dettingen battery again fired canister at the von Klinkowström Foot, and again had two potential hits, but neither became an actual hit. However, my joy was short-lived because the Alsace Foot finished off my brave Hanoverians.
The one south-bank pip was used to unsuccessfully fire roundshot at the von Aldeleben Dragoons, and the one Aschaffenburg pip was used to swing the Champagne Foot to their right, apparently as a prelude to attacking the isolated Austrian howitzer.
 |
| Temporarily undefended … but could allied troops crossing Dettingen Bridge change the course of the battle? In the background between the houses the Duke of Gramont can be seen about to try to rally the fleeing Cuirassiers du Roi |
 |
| Wheel danger … the Champagne Foot wheeling towards the howitzer's undefended flank |
TURN 11
I rolled 3-2-4.
My battery in front of Dettingen was masked from firing by the Liechtenstein Dragoons, but I sent all my other troops in this sector of the battlefield to make a do-or-die dash for the bridge. Belatedly perhaps, I sent King George to try to rally the Royal Foot, who continued retreating.
The battery at Aschaffenburg rolled a 6, meaning 1.5 potential hits on the Touraine Foot. The 50:50 roll for the half a potential hit failed, but the other potential hit did become an actual hit, reducing the Touraine Foot to 50% effectiveness. The von Zastrow Foot, having wheeled left to fire at and see off the Bretagne Cavalerie last turn, wheeled right to fire at the remains of the Touraine Foot. Despite apparent tiredness - a roll of 1 for move-variation meant they only covered 4.5cm - they just got into musketry range, scoring a hit. This reduced the Touraine Foot to 25% effectiveness, but they defiantly passed their morale test by rolling a 6.
Noailles rolled 6-6-5, and made a great show of inspecting the 5 die as if there might be something amiss with it.
Gramont successfully rallied the Cuirassiers du Roi (actually, they would have rallied without his help as a 6 was rolled). His Dettingen battery unsuccessfully fired at the Liechtenstein Dragoons. The Grenadiers de France filled the gap between the houses in Dettingen, and the Orléans Dragoons, who were in reserve behind Dettingen, and the Navarre Foot, who were opposite the marsh, were turned to be ready in case the von Aldeleben Dragoons rode down the Grenadiers. Altogether, five action points had been used, which meant either the Grenadiers or the Normandie Foot by the bridge would be unable to fire. Muttering to himself, my opponent decided the Normandie Foot should fire as they would get four dice to the Grenadiers' two - there was not room for the latter to have their bases in line - and they would not suffer a -1 modifier for moving. One hit was scored on the Liechtenstein Dragoons.
The south-bank battery fired at the Prié-Turinetti Foot, but missed. The Berchenny Hussars re-entered the battlefield west of Dettingen. Noailles decided not to use the rest of his south-bank pips, perhaps unsure whether the Piémont Foot should be sent east or west (or perhaps he felt it did not matter as the French seemingly had the battle well in hand).
At Aschaffenburg the Champagne Foot closed on the Austrian battery and fired, but ineffectually. It would have been simpler to have had them leave firing order, as the extra 2cm of movement would have seen them contact the gun and so eliminate it. The Touraine Foot wheeled and fired at the von Zastrow Foot, scoring a hit, while the Colonel-Général Cavalerie finished crossing the bridge over the Aschaffenburg tributary.
Two of my units - the Liechtenstein Dragoons and the von Zastrow Foot had to take morale tests as a result of their casualties. Both rolled a 1, and so lost a further 25% effectiveness and had to retreat. This was bad enough for the infantry, but the dragoons' line of retreat took them perilously close to the Prié-Turinetti Foot behind them. If they ran into the Prié-Turinetti, the dragoons would break up completely (ie be removed from the table) and the Prié-Turinetti would have to take a morale test. It was a 50:50 call as to whether the dragoons would run into the infantry, and we decided it by rolling a die, which landed in my favour.
 |
| Disaster (for the allies) at Aschaffenburg … the von Zastrow Foot flee in the distance and the Austrian battery is about to be eliminated |
 |
| Defeat at Dettingen … is also inevitable for the Pragmatic forces, despite the bravery of the von Aldeleben Dragoons |
AFTERTHOUGHTS
Well, that was one-sided!
Dettingen is always going to be a next-to-impossible battle for the Pragmatic army to win, as long the scenario does not force the Duke of Gramont to repeat his historic blunder of leaving a strong defensive position against orders.
But I can say without fear of contradiction that I have never been involved in a wargaming battle in which the dice so favoured one side, especially in the early turns when it really mattered.
 |
| Bravo! … the Duke of Noailles, escorted by the Bercheny Hussars, inspects the over-achieving Dettingen battery, in the presence of his nephew, the Duke of Gramont |
Going forward, and before the next battle in our 275th anniversary campaign (Hohenfriedberg on June 4), I intend to make two alterations to the Game Of Kings rules.
One is to simplify the infantry moving/firing mechanisms, and the other is to further debuff artillery. I will go into more details in the next couple of days.
Having said that, and with the caveat that Game Of Kings probably works best with larger armies than we deployed at Dettingen, we felt that overall the battle had a reasonable mid-18th century feel to it.
My opponent admitted that at one point he thought his decision to attack out of Aschaffenburg was mistaken in the same way that the historic Gramont attacked out of Dettingen. However, it worked out well for him.
The charge of the Cuirassiers du Roi over Dettingen Bridge was somewhat reminiscent of what happened in 1743, when the French cavalry also charged over the bridge - initial success, followed by defeat when the Pragmatic forces counterattacked.
If the rules used to refight Dettingen have even a very rough approximation to mid-18th century warfare, the French should win.
The result reduces my lead in our campaign's Players' standings, while France moves into second place in the Nations' standings.
There is a long way to go, but one thing that stands out so far is that all four battles have been won by the army that historically lost.
War of the Austrian Succession - campaign standings after four battles (Mollwitz, Chotusitz, Sahay and Dettingen)
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 3 1 3 9 112.5%
Opponent 1 3 1 3 37.5%
NATIONS
Austria 3 0 3 9 150%
France 1 1 1 3 75%
Britain+ 0 1 0 0 0%
Prussia 0 2 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 The Battle Of Dettingen (part five)
TURN SEVEN
I rolled a better, but still below-average, 3-2-2.
In front of Dettingen I continued advancing, with the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot getting close enough to open fire on the Normandie Foot, but inflicting no damage.
The two rearguard pips I used to get the Royal Foot to advance and fire a volley at the Champagne Foot, reducing the French by 25% effectiveness (they were to pass their morale test).
Noailles rolled 5-1-3.
The French gun at Dettingen fired canister at the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, scoring two hits and so reducing their effectiveness to 25%. This remnant was quickly finished off by a volley from the Normandie Foot that produced overkill in scoring three hits.
Noailles used his one south-bank pip to continue moving the Bercheny Hussars (they need to spend two turns moving off the table before being allowed to rejoin on the north bank).
In Aschaffenburg he continued advancing the Touraine Foot and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie through the town, saving the last pip for the Champagne Foot to fire at the Royal Foot. They scored one hit, which I was not too upset about. But then the Royal Foot, despite being an elite unit and so only needing a 2 to hold steady, failed their morale test, thus losing a further 25% effectiveness and causing them to turn and flee.
Army points remaining at the end of turn seven: Pragmatic, 16 of 20; French, 24 of 26.
TURN EIGHT
I rolled 3-6-3 - hurrah!
The gun at Dettingen fired at the Normandie Foot, but a potential hit turned out not to have any effect. For the rest of the Dettingen pips, I advanced troops as I could, but keeping out of the range of French musketry. In particular I manoeuvred the King's Own Horse to be in position to charge the bridge and attack the Cuirassiers du Roi.
My attempt to rally the Royal Foot retreating from Aschaffenburg failed, meaning they fled a further move.
That left me with two Aschaffenburg action points (an attempted rally costs a pip, but the compulsory retreat does not). I used one to fire the howitzer at the Champagne Foot, scoring a hit (they only rolled a 2 for their subsequent morale test, but held steady thanks to rear support from the Touraine Foot).
The other pip I used to wheel the von Zastrow Foot to the right so they would be in position to attack, depending on circumstances, the Champagne Foot or the Bretagne Cavalerie.
Noailles rolled 5-1-2.
First he fired his Dettingen gun at the von Klinkowström Foot, but for a change the gunners' aim was off.
The only other Dettingen pip he used was to send the Cuirassiers du Roi over the bridge on a pre-emptive charge against the King's Own Horse. Being on a bridge does not count as 'higher ground', but the French did not need it, scoring three hits to the British one (even the one was nearly wiped out, when the cuirassiers' saving throw for wearing cuirasses came up 5, just one short). Worst was to follow when the surviving King's Own Horse failed their morale test, losing their remaining 25% effectiveness.
The south-bank pip was used to fire the gun at the von Aldeleben Dragoons, whose advanced had taken them into the gun's arc. A potential git was scored, but it did no harm.
At Aschaffenburg the French used one pip to send the Champagne Foot in the general direction of Kleinostheim and the fleeing Royal Foot, but obliquely away from the Austrian battery. The other pip was used to finish getting the Touraine Foot across the Aschaffenburg tributary bridge.
Army points remaining at the end of turn eight: Pragmatic, 15 of 20; French, 24 of 26.
TURN NINE
I rolled 3-6-2.
My main-body gun scored a hit on the Normandie Foot, but it was negated by a behind-cover saving throw. The von Klinkowström Foot advanced and fired at the blue-coated Alsace Foot, but rolled a pair of 1s. But the main action came when the von Aldeleben Dragoons charged the Cuirassiers du Roi. The dragoons scored two hits with their four dice, but one was negated by a saving throw; the cuirassiers scored one hit with their three dice, so the melee was tied.
With the rearguard, I had to use one pip to try, in vain, to rally the Royal Foot. The other I used to fire the howitzer at the Touraine Foot, who suffered a hit but passed their subsequent morale test.
Noailles rolled an unnecessarily stupendous 5-6-4.
He fired canister at the von Klinkowström Foot, scoring two potential hits, but neither caused harm. The Alsace Foot, however, despite only being allowed to roll two dice because of their deep formation, caused by being squeezed between the marsh and the Normandie Foot, did score a hit, reducing the von Klinkowström Foot to 25% effectiveness. The Hanoverians clung on by later passing their morale test.
A second round of meleeing at Dettingen Bridge saw the apparently exhausted troopers on both sides fail to score a hit, which was also true of the gun with Noailles when it fired at the Prié-Turinetti Foot.
Nothing of great interest happened in this half-turn at Aschaffenburg, although the Touraine Foot got into firing order, presumably ready to advance on the depleted Pragmatic reargaurd.
I rolled a better, but still below-average, 3-2-2.
In front of Dettingen I continued advancing, with the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot getting close enough to open fire on the Normandie Foot, but inflicting no damage.
The two rearguard pips I used to get the Royal Foot to advance and fire a volley at the Champagne Foot, reducing the French by 25% effectiveness (they were to pass their morale test).
Noailles rolled 5-1-3.
The French gun at Dettingen fired canister at the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, scoring two hits and so reducing their effectiveness to 25%. This remnant was quickly finished off by a volley from the Normandie Foot that produced overkill in scoring three hits.
Noailles used his one south-bank pip to continue moving the Bercheny Hussars (they need to spend two turns moving off the table before being allowed to rejoin on the north bank).
In Aschaffenburg he continued advancing the Touraine Foot and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie through the town, saving the last pip for the Champagne Foot to fire at the Royal Foot. They scored one hit, which I was not too upset about. But then the Royal Foot, despite being an elite unit and so only needing a 2 to hold steady, failed their morale test, thus losing a further 25% effectiveness and causing them to turn and flee.
 |
| Looking from Aschaffenburg … the fleeing Royal Foot can be seen in the middle-distance near Kleinostheim |
TURN EIGHT
I rolled 3-6-3 - hurrah!
The gun at Dettingen fired at the Normandie Foot, but a potential hit turned out not to have any effect. For the rest of the Dettingen pips, I advanced troops as I could, but keeping out of the range of French musketry. In particular I manoeuvred the King's Own Horse to be in position to charge the bridge and attack the Cuirassiers du Roi.
My attempt to rally the Royal Foot retreating from Aschaffenburg failed, meaning they fled a further move.
That left me with two Aschaffenburg action points (an attempted rally costs a pip, but the compulsory retreat does not). I used one to fire the howitzer at the Champagne Foot, scoring a hit (they only rolled a 2 for their subsequent morale test, but held steady thanks to rear support from the Touraine Foot).
The other pip I used to wheel the von Zastrow Foot to the right so they would be in position to attack, depending on circumstances, the Champagne Foot or the Bretagne Cavalerie.
Noailles rolled 5-1-2.
First he fired his Dettingen gun at the von Klinkowström Foot, but for a change the gunners' aim was off.
The only other Dettingen pip he used was to send the Cuirassiers du Roi over the bridge on a pre-emptive charge against the King's Own Horse. Being on a bridge does not count as 'higher ground', but the French did not need it, scoring three hits to the British one (even the one was nearly wiped out, when the cuirassiers' saving throw for wearing cuirasses came up 5, just one short). Worst was to follow when the surviving King's Own Horse failed their morale test, losing their remaining 25% effectiveness.
The south-bank pip was used to fire the gun at the von Aldeleben Dragoons, whose advanced had taken them into the gun's arc. A potential git was scored, but it did no harm.
At Aschaffenburg the French used one pip to send the Champagne Foot in the general direction of Kleinostheim and the fleeing Royal Foot, but obliquely away from the Austrian battery. The other pip was used to finish getting the Touraine Foot across the Aschaffenburg tributary bridge.
 |
| A bridge too far … for the King's Own Horse, but not for the Cuirassiers du Roi |
TURN NINE
I rolled 3-6-2.
My main-body gun scored a hit on the Normandie Foot, but it was negated by a behind-cover saving throw. The von Klinkowström Foot advanced and fired at the blue-coated Alsace Foot, but rolled a pair of 1s. But the main action came when the von Aldeleben Dragoons charged the Cuirassiers du Roi. The dragoons scored two hits with their four dice, but one was negated by a saving throw; the cuirassiers scored one hit with their three dice, so the melee was tied.
With the rearguard, I had to use one pip to try, in vain, to rally the Royal Foot. The other I used to fire the howitzer at the Touraine Foot, who suffered a hit but passed their subsequent morale test.
Noailles rolled an unnecessarily stupendous 5-6-4.
He fired canister at the von Klinkowström Foot, scoring two potential hits, but neither caused harm. The Alsace Foot, however, despite only being allowed to roll two dice because of their deep formation, caused by being squeezed between the marsh and the Normandie Foot, did score a hit, reducing the von Klinkowström Foot to 25% effectiveness. The Hanoverians clung on by later passing their morale test.
A second round of meleeing at Dettingen Bridge saw the apparently exhausted troopers on both sides fail to score a hit, which was also true of the gun with Noailles when it fired at the Prié-Turinetti Foot.
Nothing of great interest happened in this half-turn at Aschaffenburg, although the Touraine Foot got into firing order, presumably ready to advance on the depleted Pragmatic reargaurd.
 |
| Locked in combat … French cuirassiers and Hanoverian dragoons at Dettingen Bridge |
Refighting The Battle Of Dettingen (part four)
TURN FOUR
My action points were two 1s for the main body, and a 2 for the rearguard.
I sent the King's Own Horse forward so they would take any firing from the gun with Noailles (something similar happened in the real battle, or at least the British horse advanced at the same time as the frontline foot, and so it was the cavalry that got fired at rather than the infantry. I should have done the same thing, as if Dettingen is to be captured, it will likely be done by infantry rather than cavalry).
I ordered the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot forward from the second line but, perhaps understandably, they dragged their feet about it (I rolled 1 for the move variation, which reduced their forward progress to 4.5cm).
The rearguard gun fired at and hit the Poitou Foot, reducing their effectiveness by 25%. They rolled a 2 on their subsequent morale test, but rear support from the Champagne battalion meant they held steady. With my other rearguard pip, I ordered the Royal Foot to advance on the Poitou.
Noailles rolled 1, 2 and 4 for Dettingen, the south bank and Aschaffenburg respectively.
He used the 1 to fire the Dettingen gun at the von Klinkowström Foot, scoring a potential hit but inflicting no casualties.
The gun with Noallies fired at the King's Own Horse. A roll of 2 quartered to 0.5 potential hits. Noailles successfully turned that into a potential hit, but it did no harm. The other pip he used to continue the Bercheny Hussars towards the pontoon bridges, which they did enthusiastically (they covered 15cm thanks to a move-variation throw of 6).
The Poitou Foot advanced and fired at the Royal Foot, but their dice throws of 4-3-1 (only three dice because they are at 75% effectiveness) were not enough once the -1 modifier for moving was taken into account. The other two rearguard pips were used to advance the Champagne and Touraine Foot.
TURN FIVE
I rolled 1-3-1, using the first 1 to fire my main-body gun at extreme roundshot range at the Normandie Foot in Dettingen. I rolled a 5, which quartered gave me 1.25 potential hits. That rounded down to one, but I could only roll a 3 when trying to turn it into an actual hit.
With the 3 pips I advanced the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, attached King George to the Prié-Turinetti Foot (this will save him needing a separate action point to move) and re-limbered the gun, since I had earlier unlimbered it too early for it to have an effective arc of fire for long.
The 1 for the rearguard I used to get the Royal Foot to open fire on the Poitou Foot, and they did so with devastating effect, scoring three hits, meaning the French battalion disappeared from the table as it had already lost 25% effectiveness to artillery fire.
Noailles rolled 5-2-1. He only had use for one of Gramont's pips, but the Dettingen artillery battery again came up trumps when it scored 1.5 potential hits on the von Klinkowström Foot. The 1.5 became two, and both potential hits became actual hits - another 47-1 shot!
By contrast, the artillery on the south bank fired at but missed the King's Own Horse. Noailles used his other south-bank pip to continue sending the Bercheny Hussars towards the pontoon bridges.
The single Aschaffenburg pip was used to put the Champagne Foot in firing order.
Thankfully, for me anyway, the von Klinkowström Foot survived passed their mandatory morale test with flying colours by rolling a 6.
Army points at the end of turn five: the Pragmatic army has 18 of 20pts remaining; the French army has 24 of 26pts.
TURN SIX
I rolled 2-1-2, using the first two sets of action points to continue my slow advance on Dettingen (perhaps I should point out, for those of a cynical mind, that my opponent and I were using the same dice - but not to the same effect!).
The rearguard gun was masked by the Royal Foot from firing at the Champagne Foot, so instead fired at the Bretagne Cavalerie north of Aschaffenburg, causing them to lose 25% effectiveness (they were to easily pass their subsequent morale test). The other rearguard pip was used to advance the von Zastrow Foot 7.5cm (thanks to rolling a 6 for move variation).
Noailles rolled 1-2-5. He used the 1 to get the Dettingen artillery to switch targets and successfully fire at the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, causing them to lose 25% effectiveness (they were to easily pass the necessary morale test).
The gun with Noailles again failed to score a hit on the King's Own Horse, and the Bercheny Hussars finally exited the table to reach the pontoon bridges.
Noailles used three of his five Aschaffenburg pips to advance the surviving infantry and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie. He left the Bretagne Cavalerie where they were as they were masked from the Austrian gun by the von Zastrow Foot who, despite their quick-paced advance, were out of musket range. To his chagrin, Noailles found the Poitou Foot were also agonisingly just too far away from being able to fire at the Royal Foot.
My action points were two 1s for the main body, and a 2 for the rearguard.
I sent the King's Own Horse forward so they would take any firing from the gun with Noailles (something similar happened in the real battle, or at least the British horse advanced at the same time as the frontline foot, and so it was the cavalry that got fired at rather than the infantry. I should have done the same thing, as if Dettingen is to be captured, it will likely be done by infantry rather than cavalry).
I ordered the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot forward from the second line but, perhaps understandably, they dragged their feet about it (I rolled 1 for the move variation, which reduced their forward progress to 4.5cm).
The rearguard gun fired at and hit the Poitou Foot, reducing their effectiveness by 25%. They rolled a 2 on their subsequent morale test, but rear support from the Champagne battalion meant they held steady. With my other rearguard pip, I ordered the Royal Foot to advance on the Poitou.
Noailles rolled 1, 2 and 4 for Dettingen, the south bank and Aschaffenburg respectively.
He used the 1 to fire the Dettingen gun at the von Klinkowström Foot, scoring a potential hit but inflicting no casualties.
The gun with Noallies fired at the King's Own Horse. A roll of 2 quartered to 0.5 potential hits. Noailles successfully turned that into a potential hit, but it did no harm. The other pip he used to continue the Bercheny Hussars towards the pontoon bridges, which they did enthusiastically (they covered 15cm thanks to a move-variation throw of 6).
The Poitou Foot advanced and fired at the Royal Foot, but their dice throws of 4-3-1 (only three dice because they are at 75% effectiveness) were not enough once the -1 modifier for moving was taken into account. The other two rearguard pips were used to advance the Champagne and Touraine Foot.
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| Looking … from Kleinostheim at the Royal Foot and Poitou Foot advancing on each other, with the Champagne Foot to Poitou's rear |
I rolled 1-3-1, using the first 1 to fire my main-body gun at extreme roundshot range at the Normandie Foot in Dettingen. I rolled a 5, which quartered gave me 1.25 potential hits. That rounded down to one, but I could only roll a 3 when trying to turn it into an actual hit.
With the 3 pips I advanced the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, attached King George to the Prié-Turinetti Foot (this will save him needing a separate action point to move) and re-limbered the gun, since I had earlier unlimbered it too early for it to have an effective arc of fire for long.
The 1 for the rearguard I used to get the Royal Foot to open fire on the Poitou Foot, and they did so with devastating effect, scoring three hits, meaning the French battalion disappeared from the table as it had already lost 25% effectiveness to artillery fire.
Noailles rolled 5-2-1. He only had use for one of Gramont's pips, but the Dettingen artillery battery again came up trumps when it scored 1.5 potential hits on the von Klinkowström Foot. The 1.5 became two, and both potential hits became actual hits - another 47-1 shot!
By contrast, the artillery on the south bank fired at but missed the King's Own Horse. Noailles used his other south-bank pip to continue sending the Bercheny Hussars towards the pontoon bridges.
The single Aschaffenburg pip was used to put the Champagne Foot in firing order.
Thankfully, for me anyway, the von Klinkowström Foot survived passed their mandatory morale test with flying colours by rolling a 6.
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| Vantage point … the Duke of Noailles' hilltop view of the allied advance on Dettingen (just before the von Klinkowström Foot in the distance lost 50% effectiveness) |
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| Close-up … the over-achieving French artillery in Dettingen |
TURN SIX
I rolled 2-1-2, using the first two sets of action points to continue my slow advance on Dettingen (perhaps I should point out, for those of a cynical mind, that my opponent and I were using the same dice - but not to the same effect!).
The rearguard gun was masked by the Royal Foot from firing at the Champagne Foot, so instead fired at the Bretagne Cavalerie north of Aschaffenburg, causing them to lose 25% effectiveness (they were to easily pass their subsequent morale test). The other rearguard pip was used to advance the von Zastrow Foot 7.5cm (thanks to rolling a 6 for move variation).
Noailles rolled 1-2-5. He used the 1 to get the Dettingen artillery to switch targets and successfully fire at the Prinz von Sachsen-Hildburghausen Foot, causing them to lose 25% effectiveness (they were to easily pass the necessary morale test).
The gun with Noailles again failed to score a hit on the King's Own Horse, and the Bercheny Hussars finally exited the table to reach the pontoon bridges.
Noailles used three of his five Aschaffenburg pips to advance the surviving infantry and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie. He left the Bretagne Cavalerie where they were as they were masked from the Austrian gun by the von Zastrow Foot who, despite their quick-paced advance, were out of musket range. To his chagrin, Noailles found the Poitou Foot were also agonisingly just too far away from being able to fire at the Royal Foot.
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| Looking down … from the Spessart foothills to the French position around Dettingen |
Refighting The Battle Of Dettingen (part three)
WE will be using my Game Of Kings rules for the battle, with slight modifications to take into account the particularities of Dettingen and the way it is being refought.
A) Command & Control
The two armies are formed of fewer units than I usually field, partly because of space taken up by the Spessart foothills, and partly because the battle is being fought lengthways on the table.
With hindsight it might have been better to use two tables, but it will make an interesting change having a smaller scenario.
But this means the command & control rules, which use pips or action points, will need to be modified. Instead of using a 10-sided die and two normal dice, we will use a six-sided die and two four-sided ones.
The six-sided die will be for the main sector of each army. In the case of the French, that will be the troops under the Duke of Gramont in and around Dettingen; for the Pragmatic army, it will be the front line of the force facing Dettingen.
The other two sectors for the French will be men with the Duke of Noailles, and the troops at Aschaffenburg.
The other two Pragmatic sectors will be the second line facing Dettingen, and the troops facing Aschaffenburg.
B) Army Characteristics
British and British-trained Hanoverian foot had better fire-drill than French and Austrian infantry, and this will be reflected in giving them a 50:50 chance of a +1 modifier for every die thrown when they fire.
British cavalry at Dettingen turned out to be in a poor state of training, and will suffer a -1 modifier for every die thrown for combat in a melee.
C) Army Points
The Pragmatic army consists of the commander King George (3pts), six foot battalions (12pts), three cavalry squadrons (3pts) and two guns (2pts). That is 20pts in all, meaning it will have lost if its total falls below 10.
The French army consists of the commander the Duke of Noailles* (3pts), eight foot battalions (16pts), five cavalry squadrons (5pts) and two guns (2pts). That is 26pts in all, meaning it will have lost if its total falls bellow 13.
*Although Noailles is the commander, Gramont will exercise the commander's +1 morale modifiers as long as Noailles remains on the south bank of the Main. The French will suffer no loss of army points if Gramont becomes a casualty.
D) Special Terrain Rules
The embanked west bank of the tributary at Dettingen counts as cover up to where the marsh starts. Crossing it requires 4cm of movement, and puts foot out of firing order. The marsh reduces troops to quarter speed (no extra penalty for crossing the tributary in the marsh). Troops in the marsh suffer a -1 modifier to every die thrown for meleeing or firing.
Crossing the tributary at Aschaffenburg requires 3cm of movement and forces foot out of firing order.
The River Main, which is unfordable, is wider than shown. It counts as 8cm for purposes of movement, ie crossing the bridge at Aschaffenburg, and for firing, which rules out cross-river musketry and canister.
Artillery can only cross the tributaries by bridge. Troops using a bridge suffer no movement penalty, but foot lose firing order.
The forested Spessart foothills are impassable to all but light infantry, which neither army has.
E) Pontoon Bridges
The pontoon bridges west of Dettingen are not shown, but may be used by any unit exiting the table while within a normal move of the River Main. Troops on foot can exit and return on the opposite bank three moves later; horse can exit and return two moves later.
F) Weather
This seems to have played no part in the battle and so will stay fair for the duration.
G) Special Victory Condition
The French will have won if King George and at least one unit of the Pragmatic army have not exited the table to the west by the end of turn 20 (exception: if French army points fall below 13, the allies immediately win). This prevents the Pragmatic player from staying pat and daring the French to attack, which reflects the fact that the Pragmatic army was trapped, cut off from its supplies, and had to break out to avoid defeat.
H) First Move
Since the French have taken up defensive positions, at least in Dettingen, the Pragmatic army will move first, rather than the two players dicing for the privilege.
I) Pre-Battle Movement
I usually allow each general to reposition up to three units before a battle commences, but I am not allowing that here as I think it could radically alter the starting conditions, eg King George could dispense with a rearguard, or the French could beef up Dettingen by adding their south-bank reserves.
J) Unit Ratings
The Pragmatic army's Royal Foot and France's Cuirassiers du Roi are elite units.
**********
My opponent, who is my regular wargames adversary, will, as my guest, have choice of armies, but since he is a huge Francophile I have no doubt he will sink his identity into that of Noailles/Gramont.
As usual, I will write the game up turn-by-turn.
So what is my plan? Well, there is nothing for it but to advance on Dettingen and hope the dice favour me. Meanwhile, the rearguard will try to hold off any French advance from the east.
**********
TURN ONE
I threw 1s for action points where I wanted them (in front of Dettingen), and a 4 where I did not need them. ie the rearguard.
I used the Dettingen action points to advance my right-flank infantry, with the von Klinkowström Foot showing particularly commendable zeal (although in firing order, they advanced 7.5cm thanks to the movement-variation rule).
Unfortunately for me, the zeal of the Hanoverian infantry brought them within range of both French guns.
Gramont used his one Dettingen action point to fire his artillery. He threw a 5, meaning 1.25 potential hits. That rounds to one, but the hit-effect roll turned up a one, meaning the shot di no harm.
Noailles had three action points, and used one of them to fire his gun, but its score of 2 was quartered to 0.25, meaning no potential hit.
The French at Aschaffenburg had three action points, using two of them to advance the Bretagne Cavalerie and the Poitou Foot across the stream, the former making it thanks to getting a 25% movement-variation bonus. The remaining action was used to complete the Champagne Foot's crossing of the Main and to start them crossing the tributary.
TURN TWO
It was only as we were about to play turn two that we realised we forgot, when calculating the range of the artillery with Noailles, that the Main counts as being 8cm wide, meaning the von Klinkowström Foot were out of range. Fortunately no harm was done as the gun missed.
I rolled slightly more useful pips this turn, continuing my advance on Dettingen.
The gun at Aschaffenburg fired at the Bretagne Cavalerie, scoring a potential hit, but the roll for the hit turned up a 3 - one short.
Gramont's artillery opened fire on The Buffs and scored a hit, causing the battalion to lose 25% effectiveness. It narrowly passed its subsequent morale test, but only thanks to having a friendly unit to the rear.
Gramont also sent the Cuirassiers du Roi, from their position west of Dettingen, forward towards the Dettingen bridge.
The Buffs were also fired on by Noailles' artillery, but it missed.
The French at Aschaffenburg only had one action point, and that was used to complete the Poitou Foot's crossing of the tributary bridge.
TURN THREE
I threw a 5 and two 4s, allowing me to order every unit in front of Dettingen to advance, with the exception of the gun, which unlimbered so as to fire next turn.
The rearguard gun fired at the Poitou Foot, but to no effect.
The French gun at Dettingen continued firing at The Buffs, scoring a 6. Quartered, this made 1.5 potential hits, but Gramont successfully rolled to upgrade the half, so two potential hits. He then successfully rolled to turn both potential hits into actual hits, reducing The Buffs to 25% effectiveness (and with a morale test to come).
(This was phenomenal dice-rolling by my opponent, as a calculation of the odds will show. Only a 6 can give 1.5 potential hits, and the chance of doing that is obviously one in six. To turn the half potential-hit into a full hit requires a further throw of 4-6, so one chance in two. He then needed to throw a 4-6 to turn each potential hit into an actual hit, so one chance in two twice more. All in all, to get two hits from one battery can be calculated as 1/6 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2, or one chance in 48; in other words, in bookmakers' terms, 47-1 against.)
Gramont had five action pips in all, but the only other one he used was to finish manoeuvring the Cuirassiers du Roi to take up position at the western end of Dettingen Bridge.
Noailles had two action points. He used one for the artillery to fire at the poor old Buffs, who took another hit and so cased to be as a unit. The second pip he used to send the Bercheny Hussars in the direction of the pontoon bridges west of Dettingen.
The French at Aschaffenburg had four action points. One was used to put the Poitou Foot into firing order, and the other three to advance the Champagne and Touraine Foot and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie.
Army points at the end of turn three: the Pragmatic army has 18 of 20pts remaining; the French still have all 26pts.
A) Command & Control
The two armies are formed of fewer units than I usually field, partly because of space taken up by the Spessart foothills, and partly because the battle is being fought lengthways on the table.
With hindsight it might have been better to use two tables, but it will make an interesting change having a smaller scenario.
But this means the command & control rules, which use pips or action points, will need to be modified. Instead of using a 10-sided die and two normal dice, we will use a six-sided die and two four-sided ones.
The six-sided die will be for the main sector of each army. In the case of the French, that will be the troops under the Duke of Gramont in and around Dettingen; for the Pragmatic army, it will be the front line of the force facing Dettingen.
The other two sectors for the French will be men with the Duke of Noailles, and the troops at Aschaffenburg.
The other two Pragmatic sectors will be the second line facing Dettingen, and the troops facing Aschaffenburg.
B) Army Characteristics
British and British-trained Hanoverian foot had better fire-drill than French and Austrian infantry, and this will be reflected in giving them a 50:50 chance of a +1 modifier for every die thrown when they fire.
British cavalry at Dettingen turned out to be in a poor state of training, and will suffer a -1 modifier for every die thrown for combat in a melee.
C) Army Points
The Pragmatic army consists of the commander King George (3pts), six foot battalions (12pts), three cavalry squadrons (3pts) and two guns (2pts). That is 20pts in all, meaning it will have lost if its total falls below 10.
The French army consists of the commander the Duke of Noailles* (3pts), eight foot battalions (16pts), five cavalry squadrons (5pts) and two guns (2pts). That is 26pts in all, meaning it will have lost if its total falls bellow 13.
*Although Noailles is the commander, Gramont will exercise the commander's +1 morale modifiers as long as Noailles remains on the south bank of the Main. The French will suffer no loss of army points if Gramont becomes a casualty.
D) Special Terrain Rules
The embanked west bank of the tributary at Dettingen counts as cover up to where the marsh starts. Crossing it requires 4cm of movement, and puts foot out of firing order. The marsh reduces troops to quarter speed (no extra penalty for crossing the tributary in the marsh). Troops in the marsh suffer a -1 modifier to every die thrown for meleeing or firing.
Crossing the tributary at Aschaffenburg requires 3cm of movement and forces foot out of firing order.
The River Main, which is unfordable, is wider than shown. It counts as 8cm for purposes of movement, ie crossing the bridge at Aschaffenburg, and for firing, which rules out cross-river musketry and canister.
Artillery can only cross the tributaries by bridge. Troops using a bridge suffer no movement penalty, but foot lose firing order.
The forested Spessart foothills are impassable to all but light infantry, which neither army has.
E) Pontoon Bridges
The pontoon bridges west of Dettingen are not shown, but may be used by any unit exiting the table while within a normal move of the River Main. Troops on foot can exit and return on the opposite bank three moves later; horse can exit and return two moves later.
F) Weather
This seems to have played no part in the battle and so will stay fair for the duration.
G) Special Victory Condition
The French will have won if King George and at least one unit of the Pragmatic army have not exited the table to the west by the end of turn 20 (exception: if French army points fall below 13, the allies immediately win). This prevents the Pragmatic player from staying pat and daring the French to attack, which reflects the fact that the Pragmatic army was trapped, cut off from its supplies, and had to break out to avoid defeat.
H) First Move
Since the French have taken up defensive positions, at least in Dettingen, the Pragmatic army will move first, rather than the two players dicing for the privilege.
I) Pre-Battle Movement
I usually allow each general to reposition up to three units before a battle commences, but I am not allowing that here as I think it could radically alter the starting conditions, eg King George could dispense with a rearguard, or the French could beef up Dettingen by adding their south-bank reserves.
J) Unit Ratings
The Pragmatic army's Royal Foot and France's Cuirassiers du Roi are elite units.
**********
My opponent, who is my regular wargames adversary, will, as my guest, have choice of armies, but since he is a huge Francophile I have no doubt he will sink his identity into that of Noailles/Gramont.
As usual, I will write the game up turn-by-turn.
So what is my plan? Well, there is nothing for it but to advance on Dettingen and hope the dice favour me. Meanwhile, the rearguard will try to hold off any French advance from the east.
**********
TURN ONE
I threw 1s for action points where I wanted them (in front of Dettingen), and a 4 where I did not need them. ie the rearguard.
I used the Dettingen action points to advance my right-flank infantry, with the von Klinkowström Foot showing particularly commendable zeal (although in firing order, they advanced 7.5cm thanks to the movement-variation rule).
Unfortunately for me, the zeal of the Hanoverian infantry brought them within range of both French guns.
Gramont used his one Dettingen action point to fire his artillery. He threw a 5, meaning 1.25 potential hits. That rounds to one, but the hit-effect roll turned up a one, meaning the shot di no harm.
Noailles had three action points, and used one of them to fire his gun, but its score of 2 was quartered to 0.25, meaning no potential hit.
The French at Aschaffenburg had three action points, using two of them to advance the Bretagne Cavalerie and the Poitou Foot across the stream, the former making it thanks to getting a 25% movement-variation bonus. The remaining action was used to complete the Champagne Foot's crossing of the Main and to start them crossing the tributary.
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| French leave … foot and horse cross the Aschaffenburg tributary |
It was only as we were about to play turn two that we realised we forgot, when calculating the range of the artillery with Noailles, that the Main counts as being 8cm wide, meaning the von Klinkowström Foot were out of range. Fortunately no harm was done as the gun missed.
I rolled slightly more useful pips this turn, continuing my advance on Dettingen.
The gun at Aschaffenburg fired at the Bretagne Cavalerie, scoring a potential hit, but the roll for the hit turned up a 3 - one short.
Gramont's artillery opened fire on The Buffs and scored a hit, causing the battalion to lose 25% effectiveness. It narrowly passed its subsequent morale test, but only thanks to having a friendly unit to the rear.
Gramont also sent the Cuirassiers du Roi, from their position west of Dettingen, forward towards the Dettingen bridge.
The Buffs were also fired on by Noailles' artillery, but it missed.
The French at Aschaffenburg only had one action point, and that was used to complete the Poitou Foot's crossing of the tributary bridge.
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| Approaching Dettingen … the officer of The Buffs has been moved to the right to show the unit has lost 25% effectiveness |
I threw a 5 and two 4s, allowing me to order every unit in front of Dettingen to advance, with the exception of the gun, which unlimbered so as to fire next turn.
The rearguard gun fired at the Poitou Foot, but to no effect.
The French gun at Dettingen continued firing at The Buffs, scoring a 6. Quartered, this made 1.5 potential hits, but Gramont successfully rolled to upgrade the half, so two potential hits. He then successfully rolled to turn both potential hits into actual hits, reducing The Buffs to 25% effectiveness (and with a morale test to come).
(This was phenomenal dice-rolling by my opponent, as a calculation of the odds will show. Only a 6 can give 1.5 potential hits, and the chance of doing that is obviously one in six. To turn the half potential-hit into a full hit requires a further throw of 4-6, so one chance in two. He then needed to throw a 4-6 to turn each potential hit into an actual hit, so one chance in two twice more. All in all, to get two hits from one battery can be calculated as 1/6 x 1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2, or one chance in 48; in other words, in bookmakers' terms, 47-1 against.)
Gramont had five action pips in all, but the only other one he used was to finish manoeuvring the Cuirassiers du Roi to take up position at the western end of Dettingen Bridge.
Noailles had two action points. He used one for the artillery to fire at the poor old Buffs, who took another hit and so cased to be as a unit. The second pip he used to send the Bercheny Hussars in the direction of the pontoon bridges west of Dettingen.
The French at Aschaffenburg had four action points. One was used to put the Poitou Foot into firing order, and the other three to advance the Champagne and Touraine Foot and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie.
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| On the march … French troops pour through Aschaffenburg |
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| Bird's eye view … from above the Duke of Noailles, looking towards the depleted Pragmatic forces |
Refighting The Battle Of Dettingen (part two)
The allied generals, or at least King George and his Hanoverian commanders, decided their only hope was to force their way through Dettingen.
They must have considered turning around and attacking the smaller French force assembling in Aschaffenburg, but success there would still have left them cut off from their supply lines to Flanders.
With the wooded mountains to the north impassable, as is the Main River to the south, Dettingen was truly the only option, short of surrendering.
But it would take time to organise an assault on Dettingen, and there was a danger the army would be attacked from behind from the troops in Aschaffenburg.
Accordingly, a small but powerful force was detached to keep a watch on Aschaffenburg, while the rest of the army prepared for a frontal attack on the main French force under the Duke of Gramont.
It is surely no exaggeration to say the fate of much of Europe was at stake.
The total loss of the Pragmatic army would be bad enough, but if the king of the country that was largely financing the allied war effort were to be captured into the bargain, the result would be catastrophic for the balance of power.
But, just as the perfect mousetrap is yet to be invented, so too no battleplan can be foolproof.
And in June 1743 the biggest fool turned out to be the Duke of Gramont who, apparently impatient at the slowness of the allied advance, ordered his troops to pre-empt it by launching their own attack.
This was in direct defiance of orders from his uncle, the Duke of Noailles - orders which, according to one source, were given no less than three times.
Some have tried to excuse Gramont by saying his men attacked without orders. But he is said to have explained his actions by saying he thought it had taken so long for his men to cross the pontoon bridges and occupy Dettingen, that most of the Pragmatic army had escaped and he was only facing the rearguard
At any event, the French attack was launched with gusto, helped by the inexperience and allegedly poor training of the British cavalry on the left flank.
But the attack was soon thrown back, and a general rout ensued in which many casualties were suffered when one of the pontoon bridges collapsed under the weight of too many fleeing Frenchmen.
King George and his troops had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat … or rather the French had grabbed defeat from the jaws of almost-certain victory.
(Next: the refight)
They must have considered turning around and attacking the smaller French force assembling in Aschaffenburg, but success there would still have left them cut off from their supply lines to Flanders.
With the wooded mountains to the north impassable, as is the Main River to the south, Dettingen was truly the only option, short of surrendering.
But it would take time to organise an assault on Dettingen, and there was a danger the army would be attacked from behind from the troops in Aschaffenburg.
Accordingly, a small but powerful force was detached to keep a watch on Aschaffenburg, while the rest of the army prepared for a frontal attack on the main French force under the Duke of Gramont.
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| Pragmatic rear … Britain's Royal Foot (nearest the Main), an Austrian howitzer and Hanover's von Zastrow foot |
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| Eyes front … the main Pragmatic force, with in the frontline (south to north) the King's Own Horse, The Buffs, a Royal Artillery 9pdr gun, Hanoverian von Klinkowström Foot and Austrian Liechtenstein Dragoons. Behind them (south to north) are Hanoverian von Aldeleben Dragoons, Austrian Prinz von Hildburghausen Foot, King George and Austrian Prié-Turinetti Foot |
The total loss of the Pragmatic army would be bad enough, but if the king of the country that was largely financing the allied war effort were to be captured into the bargain, the result would be catastrophic for the balance of power.
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| The whole battlefield … from behind the French lines at Dettingen |
And in June 1743 the biggest fool turned out to be the Duke of Gramont who, apparently impatient at the slowness of the allied advance, ordered his troops to pre-empt it by launching their own attack.
This was in direct defiance of orders from his uncle, the Duke of Noailles - orders which, according to one source, were given no less than three times.
Some have tried to excuse Gramont by saying his men attacked without orders. But he is said to have explained his actions by saying he thought it had taken so long for his men to cross the pontoon bridges and occupy Dettingen, that most of the Pragmatic army had escaped and he was only facing the rearguard
At any event, the French attack was launched with gusto, helped by the inexperience and allegedly poor training of the British cavalry on the left flank.
But the attack was soon thrown back, and a general rout ensued in which many casualties were suffered when one of the pontoon bridges collapsed under the weight of too many fleeing Frenchmen.
King George and his troops had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat … or rather the French had grabbed defeat from the jaws of almost-certain victory.
(Next: the refight)
Refighting The Battle Of Dettingen
THE Battle of Dettingen was fought during the War of the Austrian Succession in June 1743 - the exact date depends on whether you were using the new Gregorian calendar (much of Europe was) or the much older Julian calendar (Britain was still clinging to it).
A Pragmatic army composed of British, Hanoverian and Austrian troops was ordered by their commander, George II of Britain, who was also Prince-Elector of Hanover, to occupy the north bank of the River Main between Frankfurt and its junction with the Rhine at Mainz.
The army, under the direct command of the Scottish Earl of Stair, consisted of between 35,000 and 50,000 troops, almost equally divided between the three national contingents.
Shadowing them on the south bank of the Main - pronounced 'mine', to rhyme with Rhine - was a French army under the Duke of Noailles, who had with him his nephew the Duke of Gramont (a significant factor, as we shall see later).
The French consisted of between 45,000 and 70,000 men - a total varying dramatically, like that for the Pragmatic army, depending on the source.
Fortunately, the exact numbers do not matter as the sources agree the French outnumbered the allies by a ratio of about 3:2.
I have a tenuous connection with this battle in that I have walked the Main from Mainz to Frankfurt, and I can report one thing is for sure - there is no question of fording the river.
King George joined his forces in June while they were camped between the town of Aschaffenburg and the village of Kleinostheim, just over 40 miles from Mainz.
My reconstruction of the terrain is based on the contemporaneous maps of John Fawkes and Andreas Reinhard, both of which are easily available online (although the latter needs to be rotated 180 degrees to get the orientation north-to-south).
Note that although Aschaffenburg today straddles both sides of the Main, it seems to have been located only on the north bank in the mid-18th century, while still having a bridge to the south bank.
This is important because bridges across the Main were far from common, although both Aschaffenburg and Dettingen had bridges across tributaries running into the Main.
The Pragmatic army's supply route had been cut by the French, and the army was in danger of starving if it did not withdraw to its original base in Flanders, a predicament which King George apparently blamed on Stair.
After several conflabs with his Hanoverian generals, the king decided a withdrawal to Flanders was indeed necessary, but there was no need to rush, it was agreed, as the French were not in a position to cross the Main.
However, unknown to the allies, Noailles had been busy erecting pontoon bridges west of Dettingen. He sent his nephew, Gramont, with roughly half of the French forces to occupy Dettingen and the tributary to its north which arose from marshy land south of the Spessarts.
At about the same time, as the allies headed west towards Dettingen, Noailles sent another large part of his forces to cross the Main behind the allies at Aschaffenburg.
Noailles kept the rest of his army with himself on the south bank of the Main, with artillery placed on a small hill commanding the approach to Dettingen.
It soon dawned on King George and his commanders that they were in dire straits. To the north the Spessarts were impassable, at least for an army; to the south the Main was also impassable; to the west lay Gramont with a force which, while smaller than the whole allied army, was in a strong, unflankable position; to the east Aschaffenburg was being occupied by French troops who would pose a serious danger to the Pragmatic rear if it were held up at Dettingen.
(to be continued)
A Pragmatic army composed of British, Hanoverian and Austrian troops was ordered by their commander, George II of Britain, who was also Prince-Elector of Hanover, to occupy the north bank of the River Main between Frankfurt and its junction with the Rhine at Mainz.
The army, under the direct command of the Scottish Earl of Stair, consisted of between 35,000 and 50,000 troops, almost equally divided between the three national contingents.
Shadowing them on the south bank of the Main - pronounced 'mine', to rhyme with Rhine - was a French army under the Duke of Noailles, who had with him his nephew the Duke of Gramont (a significant factor, as we shall see later).
The French consisted of between 45,000 and 70,000 men - a total varying dramatically, like that for the Pragmatic army, depending on the source.
Fortunately, the exact numbers do not matter as the sources agree the French outnumbered the allies by a ratio of about 3:2.
I have a tenuous connection with this battle in that I have walked the Main from Mainz to Frankfurt, and I can report one thing is for sure - there is no question of fording the river.
King George joined his forces in June while they were camped between the town of Aschaffenburg and the village of Kleinostheim, just over 40 miles from Mainz.
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| Setting the scene … the River Main runs west to east, with the foothills of the tree-covered Spessart mountains to the north. The nearest built-up area is Dettingen, with Kleinostheim and Aschaffenburg further east |
Note that although Aschaffenburg today straddles both sides of the Main, it seems to have been located only on the north bank in the mid-18th century, while still having a bridge to the south bank.
This is important because bridges across the Main were far from common, although both Aschaffenburg and Dettingen had bridges across tributaries running into the Main.
The Pragmatic army's supply route had been cut by the French, and the army was in danger of starving if it did not withdraw to its original base in Flanders, a predicament which King George apparently blamed on Stair.
After several conflabs with his Hanoverian generals, the king decided a withdrawal to Flanders was indeed necessary, but there was no need to rush, it was agreed, as the French were not in a position to cross the Main.
However, unknown to the allies, Noailles had been busy erecting pontoon bridges west of Dettingen. He sent his nephew, Gramont, with roughly half of the French forces to occupy Dettingen and the tributary to its north which arose from marshy land south of the Spessarts.
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| Close-up … Dettingen with marshy land and the wooded Spessart foothills to the north |
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| Double-up … Aschaffenburg, with its two crossing points, formed the rear of what became known as the Dettingen mousetrap |
It soon dawned on King George and his commanders that they were in dire straits. To the north the Spessarts were impassable, at least for an army; to the south the Main was also impassable; to the west lay Gramont with a force which, while smaller than the whole allied army, was in a strong, unflankable position; to the east Aschaffenburg was being occupied by French troops who would pose a serious danger to the Pragmatic rear if it were held up at Dettingen.
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| Blocking the way … in Dettingen, lining the stream and marsh, are (left to right) battalions of Normandie, Alsace and Navarre Foot, and an 8pdr gun; behind them are the Grenadiers de France with the Duke of Gramont, and behind them are the Cuirassiers du Roi (left) and the Orléans Dragoons. On the south bank are the Bercheny Hussars, the Duke of Noailles, an 8pdr gun and a battalion of Piémont Foot |
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| Behind you … Aschaffenburg is occupied by the Poitou Foot with the Bretagne Cavalerie to the north, while crossing the bridge over the Main is the Champagne foot with the Touraine foot and the Colonel-Général Cavalerie not far behind |
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