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Friday, November 23, 2018

Zorndorf: Once More Into the Breach

Prussian Left Advancing on Russian Positions
With Jake's collection of Russians still on loan, the Zorndorf battlefield still stretching across the twelve feet of table, and a little extra time off work for the holiday, I figured an opportunity was at hand to fight the battle one more time solo.  Since the positioning of the long lines of the Russian army under Fermor lends itself to a static defense, I opted to place myself in Frederick's boots.  Fermor's Russians would be handled in the best possible manner to thwart Prussian attempts to disrupt and dislodge the enemy army. 
Prussian Initial Deployment
Having fought the battle three times at this point, my grasp of the tactical situation and the possibilities available has improved.  With each combatant taking victory honors in the two, full battle refights, this contest would represent the best two-out-of-three in series of Zorndorf recreations. 

To revisit the scenario and previous games, please see,
Zorndorf: The Scenario
Zorndorf: A Tale of Two Battles
Zorndorf: Russian Right Attacked!
Zorndorf: The Thin Red Lines

Prussian Left and Center
The Stein Busch in the center of the Russian line effectively splits the battle into two halves.  Each half is not easily supported by the other.  As witnessed in previous battles, Dohna's large, unwieldy infantry command tends to bog down in the Stein Busch when attacking through the dense woods.  To provide some flexibility, Dohna's command is split into two separate commands.  In this clash, Dohna would command the Center's First Line while de Biaix would command the Second Line of fusiliers.  That bifurcation of command may provide the center with enough flexibility to choose to bypass the bothersome Stein Busch or attack into it as judgment dicates.  The Prussian battle plan will be to attack the Russian right with Dohna in support while de Biaix and Schorlemmer's cavalry pin the Russian left.

Since Seydlitz experienced great difficulty in bringing his heavy cavalry on the Prussian left into action against the Russian right in the prior contests, Seydlitz will attempt to make his historic ride from the Prussian left flank to the right flank.  The distance to traverse the battlefield is great and the cavalry are slow unless a few Admirable Command Performances are granted.  Since attacks against the Russian right have proved futile, time to try a different approach.  If Seydlitz's grand maneuver made sense during the battle, perhaps that is reason enough to try today.  Paraphrasing a past professor, it doesn't hurt to have history on your side.  With a redeployment to the right, Seydlitz may make a difference in countering the Russian large cavalry wing cavalry and perhaps turning a flank.  With the preliminaries out of the way, time to begin.

Turn 1:
The battle begins with an opening salvo from artillery the length of the battle lines.  At long range, the Prussian massed batteries succeed in scoring two hits on Russian artillery on the Russian left and two counter battery hits on the Russian right.   The Russian guns score one hit on a battery and a hit on Schorlemmer's cavalry.

Turn 2:
Demiku's Russian cavalry and Schorlemmer's Prussian cavalry advance to close the distance on the Prussian right.  Seydlitz begins his long march toward the opposite flank of the Prussian army.  Russian artillery scores four hits against Prussian guns.
Cavalry on the Prussian right close
Turn 3:
Before the Prussian massed batteries can drive off the Russian guns on the Russian right, Manteuffel strikes off toward the Russian lines with a double move.  Doing so, causes the Prussian artillery to fall silent while the infantry pass through the gun line.  Seeing Manteuffel step off on his left,  Dohna begins his long advance toward the Russian lines.  The artillery duels continue but replies from the Prussian guns have decreased as both Manteuffel and Dohna pass through their guns.
Manteuffel Advances
Dohna Advances
Turn 4:
Demiku's cavalry, out on the Russian left, throws a double move and pitches into the lead elements of Schorlemmer's cavalry wing.  With hussars on the east bank of the grund and heavies on the left bank, the Prussians counter charge.  The two opposing forces collide.
Cavalry go All In on the Prussian right
On the east bank of the grund, the Prussian hussars drive off one of the two Russian hussars regiments but suffer heavy casualties for their sacrificial effort.  Blown from the clash, the hussars manage to avoid launching into a likely disastrous pursuit.
Hussars clash on the far end of the battle line
On the west bank of the grund, with four regiments against four, two heavy horse clashes develop.  In the first clash, the hard charging Russian 3rd Cuirassier Regiment with the Kazan Cuirassiers in support crash into the equally hard charging Leib Cuirassiers with the Preussen Cuirassiers in support.  The Prussians gain the upper hand with the 3rd Cuirassiers forced to retreat back through their support.  Battered in the initial clash, the Leib Cuirassiers will not yield and elect to pursue against their commander's desires.  The Leib Cuirassiers crash into the supporting Russian regiment and both recoil from the clash.  Both Russian regiments retreat back across the grund in search of safety and a chance to regroup.    
Eight heavy cavalry regiments clash on the right
Battered, the Preussen Cuirassiers hold their ground
while the other participants recoil.
In the second clash of heavies, the Archangel Dragoons with support from Fedorovitch Cuirassiers contact the Normann Dragoons with Brandenburg Cuirassiers in support.  In the impact, both dragoon regiments suffer heavy casualties and retreat.  As the Normann Dragoons retreat back through their support, the supporting cuirassiers suffer from disorder.  Supporting the Russian dragoons from flank, the Russian cuirassiers suffer some loss of cohesion too.  With both primary participants in retreat, no pursuit is possible.  Artillery from both sides continues harassing bombardments.
Dragoons collide!
Aftermath of first cavalry clash on the right
Turn 5:
After Dohna's command set off towards the Stein Busch, it becomes apparent that the woods are not its objective.  Veering to the right, Dohna is maneuvering to bypass the woods on the east edge.  De Biaix marches his command of fusiliers to bypass the woods on the western border. 
Dohna heads east while de Biaix heads west
Situation: Center and right
In an attempt to throw the last Russian heavy cavalry back to the grund, Schorlemmer orders the two Prussian curiassiers regiments to charge the sole Russian Cuirassier regiment in range; the Fedorovich Cuirassiers.  The Prussian get the worse of the exchange and the Pruessen Cuirassiers retreat.  The Russians do not pursue.  
Two against one
Close up: Clash of heavies
Turn 6:
While the cavalry melees on the right continue in a series of charges, counter charges, and regroupings, the Prussian left continues plodding toward the Russian First Line of Saltykov.  Dohna continues skirting the east side of the Stein Busch.
Prussian left marches on Saltykov
Having regrouped the cavalry on the right, another series of charges and counter charges is witnessed on the extreme right of the Prussian line.  Brandenburg Cuirassiers with two supporting regiments charge towards the Russian horse.  The Russian cuirassiers are supported by one regiment and the cuirassiers collide.  In the clash both the Brandenburg Cuirassiers and the Fedorovich Cuirassiers are scattered. 
Cavalry clash in the distance
while Prussians advance on the Russian right 
Brandenburg vs Fedorovich clash...
and are destroyed.
With the cavalry clashes on the right petering out as both sides find themselves spent, a good stopping point in the action has been reached.

All along the battle lines, casualties are beginning to mount from artillery fire although many units are able to recover from casualties at a rate equaling damaged sustained.  As infantry close to within long range, casualty recovery will not be so easy.  Casualties received will be kept.  No batteries have been lost thus far but many guns are damaged and showing the stress of battle.

Still the unflinching Russian lines await as the Prussians continue their march upon Russian positions.
Saltykov awaits...
as the Prussians converge
The first six turns of the battle focused on massive cavalry clashes on the Prussian right.  Only one regiment each has been lost at this point in the battle.  As the Prussian infantry approaches within musketry and canister range, casualties will likely mount quickly.  Manteuffel launched his advance before the weight of the Prussian guns could yield results.  Will Manteuffel's impetuosity haunt the success of the Prussian battle plan? 

Seydlitz is still marching on the Prussian right to support Schorlemmer.  Will Seydlitz arrive in time to tip the balance to the Prussians on the right and allow an opportunity for a sweeping flank attack?

Is Frederick's battle plan sound?  If in Frederick's boots, what approach would YOU have ordered to breach the Russian line and seal a Prussian victory?

Stay tuned to discover what is next in Part 2 of the Zorndorf battle.  Until then, back to the painting desk where units are lining up at the photo box. 

50 comments:

  1. What an epic struggle Jonathan - seems to be finely balanced at the end of Act 1 - I look forward to the next exciting instalment!

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    1. Glad you are enjoying the replay, Keith! The cavalry clashes on the Prussian right have been even-handed thus far.

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  2. A real spectacle and interesting to see the too and fro out on the right settle without significant advantage being claimed by either side.

    I suppose this is crunch time in the centre, the Prussians can be expected to take high casualties in their assault, but I am guessing that prolonging the Prussian artillery bombardment prior to contract would have seen them suffer equally at the Russian guns.

    I seem to recall in the first game that artillery was very decisive. I imagining the Prussian attack in the centre taking a lot of damage, but the concentration of Prussian force there, maintaining the momentum of the assault and breaking the Russian Centre, well the first line at least, their reserve looks pretty handy.

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    1. I suppose crunch time is approaching as the Prussians close upon the solid Russian line. For Frederick, it may be time to fish or cut bait.

      Frederick would have preferred a longer bombardment but when Manteuffel stepped off and marched through his gun line, not much to do but call for a general advance. Such are the fates of war.

      Norm, you have a good memory regarding artillery effectiveness. The Prussian guns caused great damage to the Russian guns in counter battery exchanges. Frederick, on that day, rolled quite well. Also, I made a minor modification to how hits are distributed to adjacent targets. That small change has improved play significantly.

      The Russian double lines look daunting from where I sit.

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  3. What a great battle, too & fro all game.

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    1. The cavalry out on the flank have been jockeying for supremacy all game. Both sides are wearing down as the charge and counter charges continue.

      Glad you are enjoying the BatRep, Ray!

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  4. Another great battle and AAR and am really looking to seeing how it concludes:)

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    1. Thanks, Steve! Very pleased to see that game and narrative are compelling a desire to read more.

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  5. A fascinating tussle with the cavalry and an impressive looking tabletop with all those units.

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    1. Thank you, Peter! There certainly are a lot of troops out on the table for this one.

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  6. What a splendid looking game, impressive pictures and wonderful lines of battle...Will the Prussians converge to eliminate ennemy?

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    1. Phil, you are very kind! We will see what happens as the Prussians converge on the Russian line.

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  7. I can't wait to see the infantry mix it up here! Very inspirational table/units/gameplay. You're making me think about unpacking my minis again....damn you!

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    1. Thanks for the kind words regarding the game, Dave!

      Can the Prussians breach the Russian line? We will see.

      Maybe it is time to unpack your miniatures and get them on the table? That will be tough with all of the interesting boardgames you have set up now.

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  8. Stunning and impressive, big-battle, Jonathan!

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  9. It will be interesting to see if cold steel and musketry can win the day!

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    1. Cold steel and musketry likely will win the day but for whom?

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  10. That's an impressive force out on the table! Does zorndoff being on fire make much change (tactically) to the battle? Besides losing a side to fortify inside?

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    1. Thanks, Dave!

      Units having to pass through the burning Zorndorf take one hit as their cohesion degrades. In Honours of War, a unit can take five hits before it is eliminated.

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  11. Great to see you try this again - the tactical possibilities afforded by the split battlefield appear to be endless, but do always seem to devolve down to complex flanking maneuvers and their success, or otherwise. I eagerly await part 2.

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    1. Since the battle is on the table, I might as well put it use and give it another go, right?

      Seems many of the battles that I tackle for study and recreation offer a puzzle or challenge to both sides. Zorndorf is no exception although a static Russian defense may be all that is required.

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  12. What a great write up Jonathan for a superb looking game. Those cavalry masses look fantastic and there is something about the structured battle lines of the SYW that is very appealing. I could be tempted by this era.

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    1. Thank you so much, Mark!

      If you do decide to go down the SYW route, I am sure you would have two armies painted and gaming with them in no time.

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    2. Others in our group have some Prussians, French and British, so some Austrians and Russians might fill a space.

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    3. Good choice! Don't say that too loudly in the USA...

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  13. Another stellar game brewing Jonathan!

    Christopher

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    1. Christopher, glad you are enjoying the battle report!

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  14. This is a gorgeous looking battle! The key question seems to be whether Seylitz's ride turns out to help the Prussian cause as units crumble and some fresh cavalry might make a world of difference...

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    1. Peter, you are very kind!

      As for Seydlitz' long ride from left to right, I have been short changing him on his movement rate. He may arrive a little more quickly now that I realized his wing could have been moving in march column...

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  15. Very impressive, and quite a collection of miniatures there. The closest I have ever got to a SYW game was playing some 1805 Prussians, which I found to be quite challenging. It seems as though it would be quite a different mind-set to playing later Napoleonic.

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    1. Thanks, Lawrence! I can only take credit for half the troops on the table for Zorndorf. All of the Russians were fielded by Jake (Dartfrog in response below).

      With HoW in particular, the player does feel a difference between commanding the linear formations of the SYW vs the Impulse tactics of he later Napoleonic Wars. Another major adjustment from the Napoleonic Wars is that infantry can stand in line against cavalry frontally.

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  16. Interesting variation. I find the Russians to be fairly challenging to use in this scenario as the limited maneuver potential gives the Prussians all the initiative. Perhaps with Seydlitz uncovering the flank the Russians have the opportunity to actually counter-attack?

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    1. We will see how this plays out. You were quite right in your observation in your solos game in 10mm that Zorndorf works well as a solo exercise. The Russian limited maneuver opportunities lend a static defense as a reasonable option.

      Depending upon the number of Prussian casualties sustained in the Prussian attack on the left (from the Prussian perspective), the Russians may vey well be given an opportunity to counterattack. Seydlitz' ride may produce a historical situation as a result.

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    2. True, none of our playthroughs have yet produced the historical switch in position.

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    3. Not yet, anyway.

      When comparing tabletop performance and outcome against the historical record, we must always keep in mind that the historical event was only a single trial drawn from a number of potential outcomes. To validate our gaming model, the historical outcome ought to be possible but not necessarily the central tendency. I can envision the historical outcome having the possibility of being reproduced on the gaming table. Maybe that will occur in this trial?

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    4. True. Much of the issue stems from our perfect knowledge of the situation. I am looking at Chotusitz right now, and it seems difficult to accurately model the Austrians stumbling into Frederick's formed lines on the North side of the hill. Much like trying to model the pursuing Russians shock and horror at seeing Prussian Curassiers emerging on their flank at Zorndorf.

      I am finding this scenario intriguing primarily in looking at the different ways you can swing the Prussian Sledge Hammer into the Russian wall.

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    5. Spot on! Swinging a Prussian sledgehammer against a Russian wall is a fitting analogy. I am anxious to get back to the table and see how part two of the battle turns out.

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  17. Great looking battle again! I've enjoyed the heavies slugging it out and look forward to the infantry engaging!
    Best Iain

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    1. Iain, it has been a good charge/countercharge on the right that still hangs in the balance. As in many battles, the outcome may come down to the infantry action.

      Thank you!

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  18. A very good read though personally, I find the commanders names super confusing. Though that’s probably me not knowing the genre well enough.
    Thanksgiving is a great time for a solo battle. Wish I had thought about doing one. 😀

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    1. Hi Stew. Sorry for the confusion regarding commanders. Best suggestion is to study the initial deployment photos where the commands are identified and work from there.

      Glad you enjoyed the battle report despite its lack of clarity.

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  19. A true feast for the eyes and gripping AAR. Thanks for sharing Jonathan!

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