Once Again Tyler and I met to do battle. This time he had an Austrian Army of 11 Division and my French army had shed its Wurttemberg troops making it 12 divisions (I used the points saved to up grade several of my regiments form moral 4 to 5). Our scenario was that a French army was conducting a siege and I commanded the covering force.
The battle field was crossed by two roads one down the middle and one at an angle from the South East to North West corner. (East refers to Tyler’s side of the board, west to mine) Three villages run along the diagonal road the one to the south east was a farming village with a field in high summer growth and the other two abutted forests. Tyler got his pick of side and I rolled to move first.
We used the V&B Road to Glory deployment card system. This meant that once we were deployed we removed certain troops based on the card and they would return as reinforcements. Tyler had Echelon Left and I had returning detachment right. My army marched forward only to see Tyler’s Right Center and Reserve forces vanish at the end of turn 1! My left wing was similarly removed.
Now had I know Tyler’s center was phantom I would probably have rushed forward but instead I unlimbered both my heavy guns as I expected I would have to blast him out of the Center village.
Since my left was gone I sent Regiment Saintonge with two other regiments and artillery in support moving left around the forests it would take me two turns of dealing with my Poorly trained men to realize I could move my boys in march column… resulting in a French Infantry division more or less missing the battle! (FACE PALM!)
On my right the Irish Regiments of Claire, Buckley and Berwick crossed the ford and took up a position on a low hill. They were supported by three Brigades of French Heavy cavalry. Initially I looked at this as a holding action use two Divisions to hold down three.
On the right Tyler was again very clever moving his Cavalry Davison toward the center for two turns (causing me to follow them on the second) then swinging them back to charge after my cavalry was back behind the stream. My light gun was hit and took another disorder falling back across the stream but the Claire Regiment sent the other Austrian Cuirassier brigade tumbling back with heavy loses. Tyler with drew his horse since I had three new infantry Brigades and a field artillery battalion arriving to support the Irish.
It was in the center was where most of the initial action occurred. My troops advance hoping to take the cross road and the village, with an eye to taking the large hill the dominated the cross roads. My German Division as on the left with a field Artillery battalion , with Vieux Division in the center and the Swiss on my right supported by two heavy artillery battalions. Skirmishers infiltrated the woods and raced into the village.
Tyler’s center division returned at the start of turn two and his Dragoons and Hussars rushed forward backed by Grenadiers, Grenzers and other infantry! I had to move my infantry forward on turn three but if I did they would be charged by Austrian horsemen and would have to face them with out the benefits of being stationary. The Vieux and Swiss are the finest infantry in France and would be need to hold the line… So I moved them and then moved the Division of French horse and the Household Cavalry Division in front of my infantry line to screen them. I don’t know how the king will feel about my shedding the bluest blood in France to protect artillery men and infantry but the king is too far away to complain.
Tyler’s Hussars and Dragoons charge my Troopers on the next turn. The fight goes mostly my way as I win 4 of the 6 Melees that result. The Hussar Division of the Austrian army is exhausted and the Dragoons are bloodied enough that they fall back the next turn when my Cavalry fall back opening shots for the French Artillery.
The German Division mounts the hill and Vieux moves up to help as new French infantry and cavalry divisions arrive to their rear. The two weaker German brigades La Marke and Anhalt went back to back in all around defense (the V&B equivalent of going into square but for a brigade formation, so several mutually supporting squares) with the Alsace Brigade supporting the Divisions artillery.
Tyler moved his heavy horse into position but I attacked with my own Cavalry and both sets of horsemen got a bloody nose, though the French were hurt worse. Despite this the Austrian cavalry with drew. Austrian Light troops began clearing there French counter parts form the woods to the south of the center village.
About this time the Saintonge Brigade and its supporting units reach the north east side of the table and while not strong enough for an attack they did start to draw the attention of Austrian troops that way.
On my right Tyler sent his infantry forward into musket range 8 brigades of his infantry with 3 Artillery battalions against 6 of my own brigades and 2 Artillery battalions. The exchange of fire and a French counter attack with the bayonet resulted in damage to both side and exhaustion for one each of our infantry divisions. The French had 3 Cavalry brigades ready to try and exploit the damage to the Austrians while in the center the French were creeping forward taking ranging shots with artillery.
Had we had mote time the French Cavalry on the right might have burst between the woods and the stream and gotten behind Tyler’s army in the center. If they had things would have gone very badly for them. If that attack had failed his infantry might have done the same to me. Though I had two Cavalry divisions that I think would have given him pause. Still with both side having two divisions Exhausted the tie breaker goes to Tyler because his deployment had the lower victory rank.
Much like the last battle this one was very close and Tyler played well. Last time I think he would have won in the end… this time I think it would have gone the other way but we will never know.
More pictures here https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150736108185384.720528.569305383&l=b56b132261&type=1
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