The Second Battle of Preßwitz : Thirty Years War

 

As dusk drew in on 18th October 163_, fighting still raged across the fields south of Preßwitz but the intensity was dying down.  General Dronk's Protestant forces, beleaguered all day, were feeling the pressure lifting, even shifting a little their way, but were too tired to try to press on.  General Hummel's Imperial army felt they had been so close to victory but could do no more, gradually pulling back into the cover of the gathering night.

So ended the Second Battle of Preßwitz, fought at the monthly meeting of the Hong Kong Society of Wargamers on Saturday 23rd March 2024.  The terrain was almost identical to that used for the first Battle of Preßwitz, reported on earlier, the ground simply being rotated to bring the road heading south from the town to run across the centre of the playing area and only having the suburb on the south bank of the river set out, rather than the whole town on both sides of the river, allowing more room at the opposite end of the table.  The scenario was less complicated, given that all the players would be new to the rules, but was still quite a challenge, each side having 18 units arranged in four wings.  

The story line was that in the aftermath of the first battle, the Protestant side had been quickest to reorganise its troops and had been able to occupy the town without a fight.  Now the Imperials were arriving to try to drive off the Protestant forces and regain possession of the town.  In the early morning, an advance guard of musketeers had driven Protestant pickets out of a farm on the southern side of the field.  As the Protestants hurry to deploy, they can see massed columns of Imperial cavalry and infantry marching into line from the east.

In the ten days since the first battle, the Protestants had replaced the unfortunate General Tippel, shot down in the heat of the fight.  His successor, General Quaff, brought with him replenishments for Tippel's battered infantry wing and a veteran unit to replace a raw regiment that had been sent off to perform garrison duties elsewhere.  This gave him a reliable force of four regiments, two of which were elite.  He was supported on the right by General Brandt's Dutch style cavalry, four regiments strong, one of which was elite.  Dronk retained his infantry wing of three trained and one elite regiment but the left wing cavalry under General Schlumpf had been re-organized with the unreliable galloper regiments having been sent off on other duties and replaced by two Swedish style regiments supported by Commanded Shot.  These were backed up by Schlumpfs original two regiments of Swedish style cavalry, one of which was large - giving an extra morale loss point.  Finally under Dronk's command were a battery of field artillery, a small detachment of musketeers, a regiment of Dragoons and a battery of light artillery, the last two units being deployed in Preßwitz itself behind some hastily dug defences.

General Hummel's Imperial army had also been improved.  A raw Tercio had been rotated out for a better trained unit and Captain Lehar's detachment of musketeers had been added to the infantry wing.  The cavalry strength had been raised to 11 units of horse.  While four of these were rated as 'small', as they were Cuirassiers they were still equal to most of the Protestant cavalry in terms of morale loss points.  The army was rounded off by a unit of Croat Light Horse, a Dragoon regiment, a battery of field guns and a battery of light guns.

In overall morale loss points for each side, the Imperials had 54 to the Protestant's 47, with the Imperials being significantly stronger in cavalry than their opponents, offset by the latter having  more flexible and more numerous infantry.  Each side had four generals, the two army commanders being rated as Good, the rest being Average, except for one Imperial general rated Poor.

To set up, apart from Dronk's detachments in the town and the Imperial musketeers plus their battery of light artillery required to be deployed around the farm that the musketeers had captured at first light, I gave considerable flexibility to the players to decide how to draw up their forces.  The only constraints were that each had to have four wings and that Dronk and Quaff had to be on the left and right respectively.

Setting up the game on a busy club afternoon.  We found there was another pike and shot battle being fought next to us - a boardgame of Breitenfeld - while Rorke's Drift raged behind us.

I was expecting two players - Ken and Anthony, both veteran gamers but new to the Twilight of Divine Right rules.  Just after we had drawn for sides, Ken getting the Protestants, Anthony the Imperials, Andrew arrived.  New to Hong Kong and to the ruleset, he was also a veteran gamer from New Zealand and was welcomed to join in on the Imperial side while I acted as umpire and coach to both sides.

Initial deployment looking across the table from Preßwitz in the foreground.  On the left, Dronk has deployed his brigade of infantry in a double line with each of their flanks supported by two regiments of cavalry.  One end of his line rests against the town with its garrison and battery of light artillery giving support, the other end rests on a small wood, held by musketeers and in front of which is the field artillery.   The Imperials have a wing of 4 cavalry regiments, 1 of Harquebusiers, the others Cuirassiers, facing Dronk directly.  Next to them, the Infantry are deployed at an angle from which, without turning, they will also head towards the Protestant left wing.

The view from the south, with the farm seized by Imperial musketeers in the foreground.  On the left, Quaff's Protestant infantry is deployed with 3 regiments in the front, 1 to the rear, in a line from the wood held by Dronk's musketeers.  Brandt's cavalry is in a double line on the flank of the line, its own flank covered by a wood.  To the right, the front of the Imperial cavalry columns can be seen, nine regiments in all.  General Hummel is commanding this mass of cavalry, supported by another average General, giving this side of the army most of the flexibility available to take extra moves or re-roll failed action tests.  This has led to the Infantry wing being put under the command of General Palach, a gallant gentleman, no doubt, but not one to be of any help in giving his wing extra movement or action tests.

Seeing the vast horde of Imperial cavalry about to descend upon him, Brandt's first action was to turn his brigade about and advance smartly in the direction of the rear.  Next to him, Quaff also turned and wheeled the end of his line to try to form a barrier against the waves of horsemen heading his way.  The Protestants were fortunate not to fail a single activation test but still ended the turn with their backs to the enemy and needing another set of good action test results to get back into a formation able to put up some opposition to the enemy.

For their part, Hummel's horsemen moved forwards without great haste.  In the foreground, Croat Light Horse, backed up by a regiment of gallopers, are moving to the south of the farm, aiming for a space that will take them down the flank where, if Brandt's men had stayed where they were, they could have got behind them while being protected by a wood.  Beyond them, Hummel's main column of Dragoons and Cuirassiers advance towards Brandt and at the top of the picture, two more groups of two Cuirassiers advance towards Quaff's infantry.

Anxious about the avalanche of enemy cavalry about to fall on the Protestant Right, Dronk sought to try and draw the weaker enemy forces in front of him forward by advancing his own line a little.  Knowing about the guns emplaced in the town, the Imperial troops were having none of it and stayed in place - at least to start with...

Brandt's wing managed to turn to face the enemy but failed a test to wheel and face the enemy columns.  These continued a measured advance, except for the Light Horse which couldn't make up their minds whether to continue down the far edge as intended.  Eventually they settled for turning to move more into the centre, which wasted some time for them as the centre was rapidly filling up with other horsemen.  The slow advance in the south got the better of the Imperial cavalry command at the top of the picture, who started to advance.

The slow pace of the enemy advance caused Brandt to change his mind.  Rather than wait for the enemy to come to him where he would have no room to fall back, why not defy the odds and take the battle to the enemy?  His men passed their action test to wheel but then failed a test to move forward (fortunately for them, I think)

The Imperial Tercios now started to lumber ominously forwards, the centre Tercio, however, failing to move due to artillery bombardment forcing it to take an action test which it failed.

To the right of the Tercios, Imperial cavalry continues to edge forwards, but in its anxiety to keep clear of Protestant artillery it is threatening to impede its own infantry and expose its flank to the Protestant horse!

Hummel's cavalry continue their steady advance, the Light Horse on the left having now done a course correction and heading once more for the gap beside the wood that can take them to the enemy rear.

Brandt takes a gamble, advancing all his men to fire on the advancing Imperial horsemen, forcing them to take a morale test before they have a chance to charge - a chance that is reduced by the capacity that Brandt's Dutch cavalry have for defensive fire, which makes the enemy take a -1 on charge tests.

First blood to the Protestants.  The Dragoon Regiment leading the centre column fails its morale test and falls back behind its support lines.

"Behind you!"  Brandt's advance leaves the field clear for the Croats to sweep around the flank.  This gives them what the rules define as a breakthrough, which requires them to move towards the enemy baggage, which fortunately is near at hand but gives no advantage for being taken.  The rule is a reflection of the indiscipline of light horse but fails to go on to say what they can do when they reach the baggage!  I decided that they would be allowed to turn and do whatever they wanted.

As fighting developed in the south, the Imperial cavalry commander in the north was regretting his earlier impatience and was trying to turn his men to face the threat from the Protestant cavalry and clear out of the way of the advancing Tercios.  His action test rolls were not as favourable as Brandt's had been earlier and his Harquebusiers and Cuirassiers needed better scores to begin with.  The integrity of his formation was beginning to break up and he still had not got out of the way of his infantry.

Despite the Dutch cavalry's defensive fire, both Imperial cavalry  regiments passed their tests to charge home.  To their left, another pair of Imperial cavalry regiments are now able to move forward to threaten Quaff's infantry which now have an exposed corner.

Brandt's right hand regiment passes its morale test, despite the Cuirassiers charge effect, but the regiment on the left fails, losing a morale point and falling back behind its support line.

Near Preßwitz, the Imperial cavalry fail another test to wheel and now face a serious threat to their flank from Schlumpf's cavalry which have managed to wheel.

Heavy fighting rages in the south with Imperial Cuirassiers passing their morale test in the continuing melée in the foreground and others passing the test forced by the advance of Brandt's second line into firing range in the centre.  Beyond them, more Cuirassiers have advanced to fire on the infantry at the hinge of the Protestant line.

Schlumpf's Swedish cavalry with commanded shot attached advance to fire on Imperial Cuirassiers who have finally managed to wheel to face the threat, while more Cuirassiers advance to fire on the Protestant infantry and the Tercios lumber along behind.

In the south, melées continue to rage but the Croat light horse have managed to charge into the rear of the unit that had earlier fallen back from a morale loss and the other Protestant second line unit has had to about face to avoid a being charged in the rear by Imperial gallopers.

Charged in the rear by the Croats, the Protestant cavalry needed a 10 on their morale test to avoid a loss which would rout them as they are already down to 1 point.  They rolled well.  In the next turn, the Croats stayed in contact, failed their morale test and had to retreat off the end of the table.  We then had a question about whether the Protestants had to test for pursuit.  There was nothing in the rules to say one should not test if an enemy retreated from a rear attack, so test we did.  The Protestant cavalry failed the pursuit test and chased after the Croats, departing the field themselves!

In the centre, a regiment of Imperial Cuirassiers failed a morale test in their firing duel with musket heavy Protestant Infantry and fell back behind their supporting Harquebusiers.  This support line would stand a better chance against the infantry in a firing duel but were blocking the Tercio behind from adding its weight to the fight.

Dramatic shifts of fortune at the southern end of the field.  On the right, the Protestant second line has routed the Imperial Gallopers but then followed them in pursuit, leaving their front line exposed on its flank as the Regiment next to it has been routed by the Imperial Cuirassiers who have not pursued.  The Protestant right wing has now lost half its strength and must take a wing morale test.  It passes on this turn but is to fail on the next turn, removing both remaining units from play.

In the centre, Palach has managed to wheel the two rightmost Tercios to be able to advance against the left of Quaff's thin line of infantry.   The other two Tercios are in difficulty, one blocked by its own cavalry, the other by enemy cavalry, supported by artillery!  This led to another question about the rules.  They are clear that Infantry cannot charge cavalry, but does this also mean they cannot simply move into contact?  I ruled that it did, but after re-reading carefully after the game I see there is nothing to rule out moving into contact.  

The Imperial Commanders look for an opening after crushing the Protestant cavalry in the south.

A see-saw firefight at the left of Quaff's line has left both his Regiment and the Tercio facing it reduced to their last morale point.  Dronk is moving his musketeers out of the wood to give support.  The Tercio has failed its action test to attempt to fall back behind its support line.

In the next turn, the battered Tercio fails its morale test and flees from the field!

Further pressure is added to the Imperial army as their cavalry is forced back, allowing the Protestant infantry to turn onto the flank of the Tercio that has been fighting hard in the centre but failing to get its opponents to fail morale tests.

With 26 turns having been played and the hour getting late, we decided to call it a day.  The Imperial army was not near having to take a morale test for any of its wings and while one Protestant wing had been lost the remaining three were all intact.  So, while momentum was shifting to the Protestants it was not clear that a decisive result could be reached quickly.  It seemed a fair result for the hard fighting and cheerful commanders on both sides to award them an honourable draw.

As we packed away the figures and terrain, comments from the players were uniformly favourable to the rules.  "Better than 'Blucher'" pronounced one of the Imperial Commanders.  All found the constant tension but straightforward mechanics enjoyable.  The unit record cards helped keep clear what factors affected each unit but tended to get in the way of play and ended up towards the back of the table where it became less easy to keep an eye on them in the heat of the action.  I need to think how I might code the information onto markers that can fit on the unit sabots themselves.  It remains only to thank Ken, Anthony and Andrew for being such good company for the afternoon and to start thinking up a scenario for the next game while I wait for the scenario books I have ordered from the Pike and Shot Society to arrive.