Wittenweier : Thirty Years War : 1638

The Battle of Wittenweier, fought on 9th August 1638, was a key point in the campaign of that year.  Bernard of Saxe-Weimar was leading an army of mercenaries - among them the remnants of the old Swedish army that he had led to defeat at Nordlingen in 1634 - now paid for by France and reinforced with French troops.  Early successes in the year had enabled him to lay siege to Breisach, a powerful fortress on the Rhine but Imperial and Bavarian forces had gathered to try to break the siege and resupply the fortress.  Bernhard manoeuvred onto the flank of the Imperial column, forcing them to fight near Wittenweier to protect the supply column.

The refight took place at the HK Society of Wargamers' monthly meeting, using 10mm armies and following a modified scenario given in the 'To the Peace of the Pyrenees' supplement to 'Twighlight of Divine Right'.  The modification allows the Imperial/Bavarian force to start with their reserve column already on the table rather than entering across the bridge at Wittenweier from turn 4 onwards as in the more historically accurate basic scenario (point G on the map below).

Battlefield map and deployment areas given in the scenario book

The table top is only 3 feet deep by 5 feet wide.  The depth makes sense since the large number of infantry regiments in the game that have regimental guns attached move very slowly - unless they abandon their guns - which would make a game on a deeper table a bit of a drag.   When you compare the scenario plan with the engraving of the battle shown at the top of this post, major differences become apparent.  In the scenario, Kappel is near the top left corner, with an impassable marshy river constraining Imperialist deployment.  In the engraving, Kappel is in the top centre with a large part of the Imperialist deployment to its left.  Also, the Imperialist rear-guard is placed to the flank of the Weimarian line!

To be fair to the scenario designers, they are trying to set up a game that can be fought on a typical club table without too many complications and there are many uncertainties about the battle.  A different contemporary engraving to that shown above gives a completely different picture of the deployment and numbers of units on the field.  Some French accounts make virtually no mention of the Weimarian mercenaries who made up the bulk of the army and attribute everything to Turenne and his French troops.  George Nafziger's notes on the battle cover only the Imperial and Bavarian forces and ignore the opposition!

Reading around the battle threw up some points of interest.  The Bavarian General in overall command of the Imperial/Bavarian force, Johann von Götzen had begun the Thirty Years War as a commander in the Protestant armies of the Electoral Palatinate and later the Dutch Republic before switching sides to the Imperialists after the Battle of Dessau Bridge in 1626.  Also, in the line-up of Weimarian infantry is to be found the Regiment of Col. Schomberg, a gentleman we met a few weeks ago at the Battle of Ameixal, commanding the English Brigade in Portuguese service.  I have to confess that I did not get around to switching regimental flags around after the Ameixal refight, so in pictures below you may pick out both Imperial and Weimarian regiments flying English flags as well as regiments from all contingents with Spanish or Portuguese flags.  One of the good things of 10mm scale is that such errors are not too glaringly obvious.  Indeed, as the battle raged we were complimented by a couple of observers on the fine Napoleonic battle we were fighting!

To the battle!

The annotated picture above shows the initial deployment.  The Weimarian right wing was commanded by Jeremy, now a veteran of Twilight of Divine Right, while the centre and left were commanded by Elliot, for whom this was a first battle with this particular rule set although he has fought 7 Years War battles with Twilight of the Soldier King, which is very similar.  I took command of the Imperial/Bavarian forces.  The modified scenario stated that the Rear Guard should be formed up as a second line behind the Advance Guard, but this would have given the army a much narrower frontage, so I finally ended up with them side by side but with the Rear Guard set back somewhat compared with the Advance Guard.  I also swapped around the artillery between the Rear Guard and Advance Guard, in return for a couple of cavalry regiments. 

Before deployment we used the optional rule to allow for the quality of each unit to be rolled for, rather than having them all as simply 'Trained'.  A 6 would make the unit 'Elite', giving +1 on morale test rolls, a 1 makes it 'Raw', giving -1 on morale tests.  After dicing was done, the Weimarian army came out ahead with 3 Elite Infantry and 2 Elite Cavalry, offset by one Raw unit of each type, as against the Imperials getting only 1 Elite Infantry and 2 Raw Cavalry.

The Weimarian Army, looking along the line from the left wing in the foreground - five regiments of cavalry in two lines flanking the mass of infantry in the centre

Looking from the Weimarian right wing - eight cavalry regiments in two deep columns linked by a shallower formation next to the central infantry

The Imperial left, two large cavalry regiments on the extreme left, four standard sized regiments drawn up in depth next to them.

The Imperial right, dismounted dragoons holding the edge of Kappel, a column of large cavalry regiments beyond them and a double line of infantry supported by artillery in the centre.

Battle began with the Imperial artillery opening fire on the mass of enemy infantry and cavalry to their front.  They disrupted the cavalry (it failed the action test it was forced to take to advance) but not the French infantry next to them.

The bulk of the Weimarian Right Wing cavalry advanced determinedly, the French infantry, unencumbered by regimental guns following on beside them.

The masses of Dutch style cavalry on the Imperial left / Weimarian right quickly came to grips, exchanging volleys and trying to get advantage.

The Weimarian left held back while the the Imperial cavalry struggled to deploy so as to face the enemy cavalry rather than face the slowly advancing infantry with their regimental guns.

Continuing to hold back, the Weimarian left wing allowed the Imperial cavalry to charge.  Despite Dutch cavalry having no charge bonus, the action was successful, throwing back the front rank of Weimarian troopers behind their supports.  Success, however, opened up the Imperial cavalry to outflanking action from the more extended enemy wing.

On the centre left, the Imperial infantry stood waiting for the enemy infantry to come to them but had a long time to wait as these were advancing slowly, impeded by their regimental guns.  This was giving time for the Weimarian artillery to direct all their attentions on the left-front unit on the Imperial line, which was beginning to lose morale points under the heavy fire.

On the centre left, the Imperials advanced their infantry line to support their cavalry and to face the rapidly advancing French infantry.  The Imperial artillery was now concentrating its fire on the leading French regiment but neither disrupting its advance nor costing it morale points.

The French infantry surged forward but at the last moment Imperials got in a volley from infantry and artillery that cost both leading French units a morale point and would cause them to fail the action tests that would have allowed them to charge in to use their advantage in pikes in melée.

As the infantry begin to engage on the centre left, a big gap remains between the infantry lines to the right.  In the distance, Imperial cavalry are trying to press on but enemy cavalry is beginning to work round on their flank.

Before the flank attack is ready, the lead Imperial cavalry lose a melée and fall back behind their support line.

The French infantry continues to stall in front of the Imperial Infantry but manages to charge the Imperial guns, which are backed up only by a unit of dismounted dragoons.

Dragoons on the Imperial right manage to repel a Weimarian cavalry charge but cannot intervene to prevent another unit charging the flank of the Imperial cavalry.

Assailed in front and flank, Imperial cavalry roll a perfect melée test and survive by the skin of their teeth!

But the dice fall badly for the opposing generals on the Imperial left.  Taupadel is first to fall after intervening to help a unit retake a morale test.  A turn later it is the Imperial commander, von Götzen, who suffers the same fate.  Neither loss affects the immediate position in the melée as the losing units simply fall back behind their supports, which advance to continue the fire-fight, but weight of Weimarian numbers (and better morale test results) are beginning to tell as morale points drop from the Imperial regiments.  Furthermore, von Götzen is the only commander on the Imperial side with a rating higher than 0.  His loss will reduce the chances of passing wing or army morale tests when these arise.

Imperial dragoons lose a morale test against the French pikemen and are down to their last morale point

The whole field, viewed from the Imperial left, as the climax is reached.  In the foreground, Bavarian cavalry have had to pursue after inflicting a morale fail on an opponent, but simply run into the next line of enemy cavalry.  Beyond them, the French attack is in full swing and the main Weimarian infantry body is also joining the engagement at last while the other cavalry fight rages in the distance.

Bavarian cavalry is repulsed on the left and falls back behind its support line.

The final Imperial reserve, a large raw regiment of cavalry makes an heroic charge against the Weimarian infantry to try to slow their advance on the Imperial infantry that has already lost a unit to the persistent pounding of enemy artillery.  The charge succeeds against all expectations but, facing an elite unit, fails to inflict damage.

The French destroy the Imperial dragoons opposing them, breaking the Imperial army in two.

The Imperials pull back an unengaged unit to try to find a way to prop up their exposed flank.

But the French pass their action tests as well and can start to exploit the gap, wheeling their lead regiment to the left to face down an attempt by the Imperials to bring a cavalry regiment across from that side while the second regiment wheels right to threaten the flank of the Imperial infantry.

Weimarian cavalry press on again on the Imperial left, sensing the growing weakness of their opponents

On the other wing, the Weimarians have routed the main body of Imperial cavalry.  Only the isolated dragoons still stand, for the moment.

The last Imperial cavalry on the right loses a morale test and, having no support line, falls back six base widths, which takes it across the bridge behind Kappel and out of the fight

Weimarian infantry close in from front and flank against the last two regiments of the Imperial centre, undeterred by flanking fire from the Bavarian regiment in the foreground.  To the left, French infantry have routed an Imperial cavalry regiment while their own supporting cavalry advance through the gap the infantry has opened up.

At this point, the Imperial Rear Guard had lost half its units and had to take a morale test, which it failed, causing the remaining units in that wing to leave the field.  The Advance Guard then had to test as well.  It passed!  In a last gasp, its remaining cavalry - two units on the far left of the field - routed a Weimarian opponent, the first loss of a unit for the Protestant army.  The isolated infantry in the centre held on but the dragoons on the far right were routed and this wing then failed its next morale test, ending the game in a resounding victory for the Weimarians - reflecting the historical outcome.

A good battle that lasted a little over three hours - including an interruption where some of the players took part in an auction of board games to raise funds for the club.  This was the first game of Twilight of Divine Right where I have done away with individual unit record cards, replacing them with improved markers on the rear strip of each unit.  These kept the field less cluttered and were helpful, but I was a bit depressed to find how often I had to go back to the rule book to check details.  Memory is not what it once was.

Reviewing the game, as the defeated Imperial commander I think I could have done a better job with my initial deployment and, in a replay, would give the Advance Guard even more scope to change its deployment from that specified in the scenario than I gave it.  Given the limited space on the right flank, requiring them to put a dragoon regiment at the right of the line makes it very hard for the Imperial army to use its large cavalry regiments on this wing to achieve the same initial repulse of the enemy left as was managed in the historical engagement - though we made a valiant effort to do so.  Having a larger table with a bit more room for manoeuvre and flanking deployment at the start would give the Weimarian steam-roller a little more challenging of a test as well.  That said, all credit to the Weimarian commanders.  They absorbed the punches I managed to throw with equanimity and upped the tempo of their attacks in the final stages so as not to give me any opportunity to retrench effectively.  If they had abandoned their regimental guns at the start, they would have advanced more quickly all along the line and might have smashed through my line completely, rather than leaving the glory of the breakthrough to the French.

The defeat of the Imperial forces in history led to the capitulation of Breisach not long afterwards.  Bernard of Saxe-Weimar did not enjoy his success for long.  He died early in 1639 from illness and his French allies, who had promised Breisach to him, decided to take it for themselves.  As for Johann von Götzen, struck down at the head of his cavalry in our game, in reality he survived, stayed in Imperial service and was struck down at the head of the Imperial cavalry at Jankau in 1645!