Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Kunersdorf - BatRep 2 Pt 2

Picking up the battle where we last left off (see: Kunersdorf Part1), pressure mounts on the increasingly beleaguered defenders of the Muhlberg.  Prussian cavalry commander Schorlemmer positioned on the western salient of the Muhlberg, masses his cavalry to thwart any Russian thoughts or attempts to relieve the Observation Corps from that direction. 
Attacks on the Muhlberg neck
Back on the Muhlberg, itself, the Observation Corps begins to withdraw from the northwest face of the earthworks.  Having suffered from musketry and artillery, the battered Russians pull out before the smoldering abatis and defensive works can be stormed.  Poised for action, the Prussians await their chance to attack.
The burning of Abatis slows Prussian attacks
Fires sputter out and the Prussians scale the heights and swarm into the Muhlberg defenses on the northwest face.  Closing in with attacks from three fronts, the defenders are hard-pressed to maintain order.  Russian casualties rise as the Prussians close-in but continue a stoic defense. 
Prussians climb over the earthworks
The first Prussian musketeer regiment over the rampart is given an unpleasant greeting of a devastating volley.  The musketeers recoil and stream back down the hill in search of safety and a chance to reform.  While disrupted by the retreating musketeers, another Prussian musketeer regiment takes its place in the attack.  Considering the Prussian force sufficient to overwhelm the Muhlberg defenders, reinforcements set off in search of another place to attack.
Battle on the Muhlberg continues
While the Muhlberg holds much of Frederick's attention, battle lines are being drawn on the flanks.  On the Prussian left, Platen and Wurtteberg's cavalry form up in the plain opposite the Russian masses.  Kanitz's infantry brigade makes its way through the marshland to lend support.  The Russians form up as well.  With Russian cavalry formed up on the Russian far right, nearly a dozen Russian infantry regiments plug the gap between the horsemen and the heights.
Prussian left builds a bridgehead
On the Prussian left, a succession of charges and counter charges bring the two cavalry forces into collision.  Some cavalry regiments are destroyed while others recoil to recover and lick their wounds.  Many Prussians retire only halting when they reach the watery obstacles.  One Prussian cavalry regiment is put to flight and retreats back across the narrow pathway between the marshlands.  Prussian musketeers are disrupted as the cavalry stream through their positions.
Overhead view of the Prussian bridgehead
The Prussian bridgehead builds
On the Prussian right, Schorlemmer's large cavalry formation confronts Jeropkin's heavy cavalry wing at the foot of the heights.  Penned-in by the ridgeline on one side and the water meadows on the other, the two foes stare each other down like gunfighters in a shootout.  Who will twitch first?  
Cavalry stand off on the Russian left
The attack on the Muhlberg begins in earnest. While Prussian musketeers pour volleys into the defenders, Schenkendorff's grenadiers sweep over the earthworks and crash into the Russian defenders.  One Russian gun is caught in the rear and a Russian musketeer regiment is hit in flank.  Destruction is almost immediate and complete. 
Prussian grenadiers hit the Russians hard!
While the defenders give ground and are pushed back into the bottleneck of the defensive works, the Prussians press on.  The rough ground in the grund, cleaving the two Russian defensive works, is making an organized withdrawal difficult.  The growing panic among the Observation Corps can be felt.  
Prussians take control of the Muhlberg
Muhlberg defense collapses
Two of the three batteries on the Muhlberg make good their escape as defenders fight spirited rear guard actions to keep the grenadiers at bay.  The Prussian attackers press forward to corral the refuges of the Muhlberg Last Stand but surrounding and surrender are not in the cards.
Prussians pursue the withdrawing Observation Corps
On the Russian left, a line of infantry forms up at the base of the hill, solidly anchoring that flank.  The Prussian will not be cutting off the Muhlberg from this direction.  Similary, a line of Russians forms up to the right extending from the Muhlberg through the outskirts of Kunersdorf.  This formidable line of red waistcoated Russians will be a very tough nut to crack.
Russians withdraw from the Muhlberg
Back on the Prussian left, the once promising Prussian bridgehead is collapsing as Russians converge upon the Prussians positions.  Halting a retrograde with backs to the almost impassible wetlands is no place to find oneself as the Prussians begin to withdraw.  
Prussian left is beaten back
Trying to make good their escape from impending disaster, the Prussian left makes its way through the difficult ground and reforms in a defensive line with the wetlands to their front.  A number of Prussian regiments will not make it back to safety having been shot up by overwhelming firepower of the many Russian musketeers.  As Prussian batteries are brought up to this new front, any Russian attempt to force this position will be met with failure.
Mopping up the Muhlberg
Looking down the battlefield from the northwest, the Russians are giving ground sparingly in the center while their flanks stiffen.  The Prussians have taken the Muhlberg.  Losses in the Observation Corps are high but a number of units slip out of the Prussian noose.  The way in which the armies are arrayed, a Prussian breakthrough today is unlikely.
Overview of battle from northwest
With time growing short in this gaming session, we switch from play to commentary on the present state of the battle.  After a number of likely "what if" discussions, we decide to end the game at this point in the action.  As in Game 1, Game 2 ends in a situation reminiscent of the historical battle.  That is, the Prussians have taken the Muhlberg.  The battlefront stabilizes in a line running west to east in a line driving straight through the grund, Kunersdorf, and the lakes and marshes.  Further gains will be unlikely given the large number of Russian reinforcements on its way to bolster the Russian line.   
Battle lines are formed
Was the battle a fun?  Sure!  Was this a reasonable place to cease hostilities and call the game?  I think it was.  This is almost the same situation in which Game 1 ended and agrees with the historical account as well.  We entertained the notion of continuing play on a later date but work schedules and a broken leg dashed those thoughts.  Continued fighting would have only resulted in higher casualties with little ground gained.  Could the Russian Army have been broken?  Unlikely.  The Russians still maintained a huge reserve that was yet to see action.  When I am able to walk around the table again and can stand for awhile, I may move a few pieces around before I clear the table.   

Refighting these big, historical battles provides much to think about and brings accounts in the history books alive.  Add Kunersdorf to the list of SYW battles already tackled on the gaming table.  With Kolin, Mollwitz, Zorndorf, and now Kunersdorf in the books, what is next?   

Lessons Learned:
  • The Battle of Kunersdorf is huge and requires miles of earthworks.
  • Frederick's recon of the battlefield beforehand did not provide a good assessment of either the ground or Russian dispositions.
  • Terrain really dictates the strategy.  The constricting terrain channels Prussian attacks and limits options.
  • Kunersdorf does not offer good cavalry ground with the exception of the plain to the south east of Kunersdorf.  That position, as we saw, is a dangerous position for the Prussians to find themselves.
  • Attacking strong defensive positions is a hard task and preparatory bombardments are ineffective at disrupting defenders protected by earthworks.
  • Large battles can be fought effectively with only two players using Honours of War.
  • We both effectively withdrew damaged units out of the front line to be replaced by fresh troops.  Infantry casualties were much reduced from the first battle.
  • Frederick chose a bad place to pick a fight with an enemy, superior in numbers.
  • While Frederick was quick to criticize the Russian Army and underestimate its fighting capability, he never beat it in battle.  Perhaps it was this hubris that led to the battle of Kunersdorf?
For now, time to return to the painting desk as I can now safely negotiate the stairs on crutches.

50 comments:

  1. A good scenario giving a tight game that ensures both players will have to fight hard throughout. Having different things happening in different places, losing here , but winning there, shows the real benefits of the big battle / big table. Good write-up.

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    1. Norm, it is a tight game, for sure, and a hard fight for both players. Perhaps the victory conditions for players should be to better the historical outcome? In this battle, the players fought to an historical conclusion.

      Glad you enjoyed the write-up!

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  2. Another historical outcome and sounds like great fun, result! Looks fab and clarifies the impact of the terrain, good to hear you can negotiate the stairs now!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thank you, Iain! Kunersdorf is a big battle. Research and preparation leading up the to fight was just as enjoyable as actually pushing troops around the table.

      Conquering the stairs may not be as formidable as conquering the Muhlberg but it was a challenge for me!

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    1. Indeed! Thanks for stopping by. I am off to see your latest painting works.

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  4. Great report on a great recreation of this battle Jonathan ....excellent images and it must be very satisfying to plan and then execute such a recreation.

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    1. Thank you so much, Keith! Hopefully, this battle recreation provides a glimpse of the actual battle and offers an insight or two.

      Very satisfying, for sure.

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  5. Great AAR- great photos! The game looks fantastic.

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    1. Much appreciated, John! Thank you for the visit and comment! Hope to see you here more regularly.

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  6. Another splendid AAR, well done!

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    1. Coming from the Battle Report master, this is high praise! Merci!

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  7. What a super game and epic in size!

    Christopher

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    1. Thank you, Christopher! Fighting over a 12' x 6' battlefield is a big undertaking for two players especially with troops on both sides of the table.

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  8. An excellent report Jonathan! What a great but difficult battle.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Ray! Your last Battle of Almeida was a doozy too.

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  9. Excellent, Jonathan, and well done. One of the best SYW blogger battle reports I have ever read. To me, the best part was when the Grenadiers were committed to the Muhlberg attack. This is the kind of attack those units are made for!

    May I be so bold as to suggest Lobositz next? It's my favorite SYW battle! My group is getting tired of playing it, but I never tire from reading about it.

    The HoW rulebook has a "bathtubbed" scenario but it's probably much more impressive with all of the battalions on the table.

    Anyways outstanding job sir and I'm glad you're able to make it down to your painting area now.

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    1. Steve, you are most kind!

      The grenadiers did the job to which they were recruited. That is, as shock troops to storm the earthworks. Catching a gun from behind and a musketeer regiment in flank was a sweet reward.

      I have looked into Lobositz in the past but not closely. I will investigate it. I have been considering Chotusitz as a future battle to game as well.

      I am making progress with the healing of the leg. Little steps toward recovery.

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  10. A great battle, full of action with the Prussian gain of the Muhlberg being countered by Russian gains elsewhere. Frederick certainly underestimated the Russians and it's hard to fathom why he chose to attack here? The 'Lessons' Learned' was a great read too and I agree with all the points made. Lovely to know you can now tackle the stairs, which must be a great relief?

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    1. Your comments are always appreciated, Steve!

      Frederick certainly under-estimated both the position and the Russian dispositions in this battle.

      Glad to see you enjoyed the "lessons Learned' recap.

      As I mentioned to Iain above, tackling the stairs may not be as difficult as tackling the Muhlberg but, for me, they are a challenge, nonetheless!

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  11. I have to agree with your final notes.

    I fought many larger battles with HoW and would be confident to recommend the rules to everybody playing wargames for this period. Even with 3-4 Players we found no problems and especially the system of using one Brigade per side and then Switch to the opponents is fine to Keep everybody in the game. Nobody ever thought that a game of HoW was boring, because everybody was busy to decide the next step or to react on the opponent's moves.

    The only thing, which I would improve in your case is to just use the original wirting of the names. "Württemberg" sounds better then "Wurtteberg". I use frequently copy and paste. You can copy the names of persons and places out of Wikipedia and if they are in your text you can just copy them again and again. That is just looking better and improves the historical flavour. Some French names are difficult as even the contemporaries wrote them differently like "Seneceterre". I wrote the Name myself in my scenario until I learned, that the real name is Saint-Nectaire (even French sources wrote the name completely wrong).
    I would not write about it, if your blog would have that highly professional quality.

    The photos are excellent as always. I'm very happy about the fact, that you use your trees exactly as I do. Your terrain is very simple and effective and is very well cleaned up. I don't like the jungle some gamers produce for their tables. It's great to clearly identify all the Units.
    Besides it's a shame that Laudons troops never saw action. But it's great to see them on the table nevertheless. Infact they were not needed and even in your 2nd refight your Prussians never could beak through and force the Allies to use their reserves.

    Maybe the only chance for the Prussians to win Kunersdorf (if reflected historically from such a high quality as you did)would be by accident. For example if they would attack through a fog, which would cover the whole plan and movements. However we wargamers almost always know exactly the strengh of the opponent's army.

    Many thanks for your game!
    Cheers,

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    1. Thank you for your fine commentary, Andre'!

      HoW is really an excellent set of rules. Rarely do we have a disagreement when playing and battles flow smoothly regardless of the situation. I recommend HoW highly to others as do you.

      I appreciate your critique on naming conventions. Many of these special characters are not present on USA keyboards but I recently discovered special codes to put umlauts and such within the text.

      Your point is well taken and copying/pasting from other sources is a usual tip that I should use. I will attempt to do a better job at policing my writings.

      Your point on terrain is a good one. I am a minimalist in that respect and prefer having terrain that can be fought over easily without getting in the way of maneuvers. Some may prefer more complex presentations but for me this approach works.

      Glad you enjoyed the game photos. Photos from above help in describing the action and makes a game easier to follow (well, for me at least). Loudon's troops were on the march and would have been committed had the battle raged on.

      Many thanks for your comments!

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    2. Something a bit different came into my mind yesterday, when I checked your answer. It's remarkable, that even if the battle was very terrible for the Prussians, the army was not to be destroyed completely, as the narrow landscape prevented the allies from the chance to encircle the defeated Prussians. The Russians could not use their masses of cavalry to expand their success.

      Cheers,

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    3. Hi Andre'! You are exactly right! Ground that is difficulty for the Prussians in the attack is equally difficult for the Russians in attack. The ground is so channeling that the Russians would have had as difficult a time punching through the ending Prussian positions as the Prussians had when they were on the attack. If the burden of attack is switched, the same rules apply. Good observation!

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  12. Brilliant account Johnathan and you certainly did better with the Russians than I did. Using HOW I found the poor Russians were penalised for having infgerior troops, especially the Observation Corps. Yes I know they werent very good but they simply crumpled without causing any causalities through firepower. In fact they did better actually using the bayonet, very Russian. Although the Prussians were outnumbered, better command, troops and firepower prevailed in the two times I fought the battle.It was simply too difficult to get the Russian command to react to what was occurring. But enough of me. Well done with this great account and battle.

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    1. Thank you so much, Robbie! Pleased to see you enjoyed the battle report.

      The Observation Corps was penalized but not, perhaps, as much as in your game. I treated the Russian Observation Corps as STANDARD but firing as INFERIOR. Within the earthworks they could take some punishment but couldn't quite dish it out effectively. Setting fire to the abatis slowed the Prussian attacks so that likely bought the Russians some time before the eventual collapse of the their Muhlberg position.

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  13. Excellent conclusion Jonathan, and agreed it doesn't look like there is much more opportunity for a breakthrough in this, especially with that huge horde of Russians approaching. VERY unpleasant terrain to attack across! And once again a great mix of overview and detail shots linked to the text. Cheers!

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    1. Mark, your analysis is much appreciated! The Prussians would be hard pressed to make any headway on this battlefield especially once the Austrians and Fermor's Russians arrive. No chance of gain on the Prussian left and I expect the Russian to divert some of his surplus facing the Prussian left toward the center.

      Very good to read that you enjoyed the mix of photos and game narrative.

      Thank you!

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  14. A fascinating account. I agree that it was a good point at which to halt to game, although a little bit of me wonders if one side may have prevailed had you continued for another day. I know the Russian reinforcements were due to arrive, but my money would probably remain on the Prussians.

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    1. Lawrence, glad you enjoyed the battle recap!

      See my response to Amtmann B. above.

      With battle lines solidified with a front running from west to east through the wetlands-grund-Kuernsdorf-lakes-marshes, the Russiand would have faced a similarly difficult time attacking into this channeling terrain that hindered the Prussians earlier. The Prussian left would be almost impossible to breach. Attacking through the rough ground in the grund hollow and up the Muhlberg would have been challenging. Attacking on the Prussian right out of the wetlands would have posed problems too. The situation looks like a stalemate but I would give the edge to the Russians if the battle continued through weight of numbers alone.

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  15. Fabulous mate! A great looking game, a very tough ask to take the entrenchments

    Cheers
    Matt

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    1. Thank you, Matt! Kunersdorf is definitely a tough ask for the Prussians.

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  16. Looked a great game. Hope you are on the mend soon.

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  17. Excellent account Jonathan. I can see this battle only going one way, even if the Observation Corps crumble quickly.

    I still haven’t got my Kunersdorf on the table yet. This weekend maybe.

    As for other Frederician battles, Lobositz (suggested by Disgruntled Fusileer) is a good shout. Another good defensive position and varied terrain. Or if you want to stay epic, how about Torgau - lots of guns, attack on two fronts.

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    1. Thank you! Frederick had a tendency to pick fights with the Russians on unfavorable terms.

      I look forward to your Kunersdorf when it reaches the table and I will investigate Lobositz.

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  18. Fantastic conclusion to this battle. I really liked the overview of the northeast pic. One of the joys of 15mm is the ability to get such sweeping battle lines over various terrain. 😀

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    1. Thanks, Stew! Sweeping vistas are certainly an advantage to big battles in 15mm. A large table and lots of troops help too! I appreciate your continued encouragement.

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  19. Thouroughly enjoyable AAR. The writing was on the wall early on for the Prussians I guess. The combination of limiting terrain and well prepared defences proved too much of a nut to crack in the end. Thanks for sharing Jonathan!

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    1. Seeing that you thoroughly enjoyed the battle report is most welcome, Mike! Frederick picked a tough time and place to attack the Russian army. The writing was definitely on the wall for this outcome. Still, an enjoyable exercise to undertake.

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  20. Wow, what an epic. I'm tired just reading it--'cause it was so intense, your report is wonderful!
    Really enjoyed both parts and I heartily agree with your general conclusions about historic battles. The specific aspects related to Kunersdorf are most edifying.

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    1. James! Glad you enjoyed both parts of the battle report and sorry to have exhausted you! Writing up BatReps is exhausting work too.

      For me, the nature of how a battle develops is only made clear to me once I have recreated them on the gaming table.

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  21. Great account, Jonathan. The table looked great with all those troops. I have been resisting SYW for some time, but your wonderful games make this difficult. if only there was a range in 28mm plastics...

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    1. Thank you, Mark! You always provide motivational support for my efforts. There are many fine lines SYW figures in metal...

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