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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Zorndorf: Once More Into the Breach Part III

At last check in the fight at Zorndorf, the Russian right's First Line under the command of Saltykov collapsed.  Seeing the destruction of the First Line, the Russian CiC, Fermor, left the battle to "bring up additional reinforcements."  In his place, Saltykov stepped into the role of Commander in Chief.  Saltykov's First Line will now be commanded by "ex-Saltykov" to reduce confusion since Saltykov is now CiC.

As a reminder on the current state of the battle following Part II (See: Once More Into the Breach Part II), below is the current situation map at the start of Turn 9.
Situation Turn 9 with Saltykov's line broken
Notice that the retrograde movement of a portion of Saltykov's long First Line command has been fractured into three major components.  First Line regiments deployed into the Stein Busch and linking with Browne's brigade are now out of command and must act independently until brought back under command.  Dohna and Schorlemmer are beginning to apply pressure to Browne as distances close.

Turn 9.
Initiative for the First Move goes to the Russians.  With that, Galytsin orders his Second Line to advance to plug the hole left by ex-Saltykov's retreating infantry.
Galytsin's Second Line steps up to fill the gap
As ranges close, the resulting musketry and canister exchanges are brutal.  Losses mount on anyone within range.  Few are left unscathed.

In attempt to relieve some of this mounting destruction, Schorlemmer orders a charge.  On the Prussian right, Schorlemmer's Leib Cuirassiers charge into the Russian battery on the end of the line.  In an attempt to protect the guns, the Leib regiment, in turn, is charged by Russian heavy cavalry riding down and then back up out of the grund.
Charge and counter charge with Russian guns under threat.
The Russian heavies, mired in negotiating the difficult terrain of the grund, are too late to intercede.  Hitting the Russian guns before they, themselves, can be caught by the Russian heavies, the Prussian cuirassiers  scatter the guns.  With no pursuit, the Leib Cuirassiers attempt to recover before hit in flank by the Russians.  Due to the difficult nature of the ground crossed, the Russians have no momentum in the charge.  In the disorganized sword clashes that follow, both sides suffer heavily.  Fortunately for the Prussians, the Russian cuirassiers, now isolated from support, retreat back across the grund.     
Clash of the heavies
Dead Pile
Turn 10.
While the Russian First Line draws an admirable move with Saltykov's dashing personality nearby, Prussian cavalry on both wings strike.

On the Prussian right, Seydlitz finally completes his pan-battlefield tour and strikes Demiku's Russian cavalry wing in a seemingly uneven encounter.
Seydlitz attacks!
On the left, Marschall's cavalry reserve hits Gaugreben's cavalry and battery protecting the Russian baggage train.
Marschall attacks!
To the east of the Stein Busch, Browne's Observation corps steps off to advance on Dohna's brigade.  With elements of ex-Saltykov deployed in the woods, Dohna finds himself outnumbered.
Browne advances against Dohna
The Russians win the dicing for First Fire.  A cheer and musketry erupt from the Russian First Line.  Casualties are frightful as elements of the Russian First Line pour fire into the lead regiments at close range.  Preussen IR is destroyed in the murderous volley as is Dohna IR.  As Dohna Musketeers rout through their support, they carry the Below regiment along with them in their flight.    
Russians unleash a murderous First Fire
The exchange is not one-sided.  Manteuffel pours close range musketry into the closest Russian regiments.  Having only moments before moved up into the front line, Riazanskiy Musketeers are shot to pieces by Manteuffel's grenadiers.  As the musketeers scatter, they carry away two more Russian regiments and a battery in their flight.
Both sides waver under the hail of lead.
Casualties continue to mount as the Nevskiy Regiment breaks and scatters the 1/3 Grenadiers as it routs through.  One more Prussian regiment of de Biaix' infantry brigade folds under the pressure from Russian musketry.
Two more regiments Done For.
On the Prussian right, a similar scene is seen.  With Browne going on the attack, Dohna is met with heavy fire from two directions: Browne to his front and elements of the First Line in the woods.  One Prussian regiment dissolves under the volume of fire.
Browne vs Dohna
Seydlitz crashes into two of Demiku's cavalry regiments on the far right of the battlefield in line abreast.  In the first clash, Gens du Arms Cuirassiers with support hit the Russian hussars.  In the first clash of heavies vs lights and Superior vs Inferior, the lead regiment of hussars is scattered.  The Prussian cuirassiers pursue and pitch into the supporting hussars.  The second regiment of hussars fares no better than the first and is destroyed. 

In the second clash, Prussian dragoons are bested by Russian cuirassiers and fall back in retreat.  Now uncovered with the destruction of the hussars to their left, the Russians retreat back toward safety.  On the Prussian right, advantage Prussia. 
Seydiltz smashes into Demiku
Over on the Prussian left, Marschall's cavalry brigade strikes the left end of the Russian line frontally.  With the Russian line solidly anchored on the grund, no other option available to breach the Russian line.  With one regiment of dragoons targeting the artillery, three cavalry regiments remain to attack the Russian horse.
Marschall strikes, destroying the artillery with great loss
Already wavering from Prussian artillery bombardments, the Russian guns are destroyed but with great loss to the Prussian dragoons.  Schorlemmer's Dragoons retreat to allow time to recover.  As the Russian guns to their right disintegrate,  the cohesion of the Russian cavalry drops just as they are hit by the three regiments of charging Prussian dragoons.

Marschall's work is quick and effective.  In the clash, the lead Russian cavalry regiment is destroyed and its supporting regiment of hussars flees in retreat.  On the Prussian left, advantage Prussia.  The Russian baggage train is now defenseless. 
Marschall overpowers Gaugreben's cavalry
The situation at the end of Turn 10 shows that both Russian flanks have been compromised.  Gaugreben's small cavalry formation on the Russian right experiences defeat in detail and Demiku's large cavalry wing on the left is in tatters.

Prussian infantry has taken a lot of lumps with the Russians still in command of the center.  Browne, on the Russian left looks poised to go onto the attack.
Situation end of Turn 10
The Dead Pile grew dramatically over this turn.  Another turn like this and no one may be able to muster the strength for offensive action.
Dead Pile Turn 10
Turn 11.
With the Russian right compromised by Marschall's defeat of the Russian cavalry, Saltykov orders the Russian right to reform.  Still in solid command of the center, the Russian right begins forming a line angling back to anchor on the impassable woods.  On the Russian left, Browne with support from elements of the First Line go on the attack.
The Russian right reforming
Browne on the attack
Russian center holds
At close range, musketry volleys are devastating.  De Biaix' boys punish the red-clad lads to their fore but the Russian center holds.  On the Russian left, Browne's brigade, now on the attack, spews much lead.  With the inferior firepower of the Observation Corps, casualties are light against Dohna but sufficient to drive Dohna back upon supports.
Dohna driven back
While the Russian right collapses, the Russian center has repulsed Prussian attacks.  Dohna and de Biaix' brigades are in retreat.   
Prussians in retreat
Browne pressuring Dohna
Musketry intensifies on the Russian right as the Prussians under Manteuffel and Kanitz push to swing shut the gate on the Russian position before the refused Russian flank is formed.
The Prussian swinging gate
As casualties rise, regiments are forced to retreat
While infantry continue to blast one another in the center of the battlefield, on the flanks destruction of the Russian cavalry continues.

On the Russian right, Marschall's reserve cavalry continues its pursuit of the fleeing Russian horse.  Catching the Russians along the grund, both combatants fight until neither can fight more.  Both regiments scatter, done for the day.  The remainder of Marschall's reserve cavalry reaches the ponderous Russian baggage train and either capture or destroy it.   
Marschall destroys the baggage train
On the Russian left, Seydlitz continues denuding the Russian flank of cavalry.  Despite receiving harassing fire from musketry across the grund, Seydlitz' heavy cavalry continues its rampage.  All of Demiku's cavalry flee from the field.
Seydliz clears the Russian left
Dead Pile Turn 11
Turn 12.
At the start of Turn 12, Prussians have turned both flanks of the Russian Army.  Russian cavalry is nowhere to be seen.  Frederick controls the Victory Point Objective villages of Quartschen and Zicher in the Russian rear.  Russian baggage train is in Prussian hands.  The Russians still hold the center but Russian advanced positions in the western boundary of Stein Busch is quickly becoming untenable.  After tallying units lost, routing, and Victory Point Objectives held, The Russian Army has reached its Army Break Point.  The battle is over.
Situation Turn 12
Russian right
Russian left
The Russians, while suffering mightily, still maintain a strong presence in the center.  Without cavalry and artillery to support their infantry, it is likely only a matter of time before the Prussian guns and cavalry can redeploy to overwhelm the battered troops.

While the Russians could still dish out damage, in the long game, the Russian position is compromised.  A decision to the Prussians on points.  

My thoughts on the battle I save for another time.

50 comments:

  1. Fascinating, plenty of too and fro, definitely a game that two gamers could enjoy and feel the situation was worth fighting for. If this were a campaign game, do you think at this stage the Russians could extract themselves to save what is left of their army?

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    1. Norm, it was great fun for me too. The game produced an interesting narrative and either side had a shot at victory, I thought.

      Even though the Russians lost on points, to the end I felt they controlled the center very well and may have roughly handled both de Biaix' remnants and Dohna's brigade if they pressed on. Of course, the Prussian artillery and cavalry superiority pose problems to the Russians in claiming a victory on this day.

      Could the Russians have extracted themselves to fight another day? Given the historical terrain, movement off the north table edge would have been difficult. Off the table edge are woods and marsh. Very difficult terrain in which to outrun a pursuing opponent. To extricate themselves, a drive toward Zorndorf would have been the best option. As I stated earlier, fighting their way through the remnants of de Biaix and Dohna looks possible to me.

      Thanks for your question!

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    2. Thanks Jonathan, the conundrum of what would happen next fascinates, adding a sense of the 'epic' to the action and highlighting the success of the battle / scenario as a two player contest. One presumes (perhaps wrongly!) that darkness is fairly close.

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    3. Game time was about half past 5:00pm. Still too early for darkness to sweep over the battlefield in August.

      I considered continuing play past the Russian Army Break Point but decided against that path. Given time, I figured the Prussians could redeploy their unopposed cavalry to check any Russian advance on Zorndorf. The Prussians still maintained all of their guns which would have made an advance very difficult.

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  2. Another wonderful looking game Jonathan!

    Christopher

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  3. Fabulous, wargaming done right! :)

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  4. A Pyrrhic Prussian win for sure, and a very stirring tense finale!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the battle report and it was a Pyrrhic victory, for sure.

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  5. A hard slog of a victory for yhe Prussians. Good idea showing the amount if losses each turn. I'll pinch that idea if you don't mind.

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    1. Hard slog of victory, no doubt! The King cannot afford another victory like that or he will be without an army. Glad that showing the Butcher’s Bill was useful.

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  6. Wonderful report on an epic fight - pity the Prussians won though!

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    1. Much appreciated, Keith! The battle outcome could have been different. The Russians put up a very good fight.

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  7. Great AAR and certainly one full of action. It's always noce to chew the cud at the end of a game and decide what would have happened to the victors and the vanquished; would the former have been in a position to pursue, the latter in a position to cover their retreat?

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    1. Glad to see you enjoyed the battle reports. Discussing what might have happened next is always a fun pastime. Zorndorf is no exception.

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  8. Impressively detailed battle, Jonathan!

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  9. That's a great write-up, Jon. I am glad the battle continues to fascinate you! I enjoyed it both as a Prussian and as a Russian commander.

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    1. Thank you, Scott!
      Since the battle has been consuming my table space since August, I have no choice but to continue my fascination. About time to put it all away, though...

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  10. That is a truly epic game, Jonathan. Wonderfully entertaining write up too.

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    1. Thank you very much, Mark! Glad to see you made it through all three installments!

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  11. Great write up, super close game,just a pity the Prussians won, but they couldn't afford to win like that many times!
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks, Iain!

      It was a near run thing. The Russians came close but their cavalry was no match against the Prussians hordes in this contest. Still, the Russians performed quite well and had a lot of fight left in them when the army reached its Break Point.

      Frederick certainly could not afford many "victories" like this one and remain with an army in the field.

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    1. Thank you, Mark! Glad to see you enjoyed the battle report.

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  13. Thoroughly enjoyed all of this mate!

    Guess I owe you 10 internet cookies afterall... drat!

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    1. Very good! I am happy that you enjoyed the battle report!

      As for the wager, you can owe me...

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  14. A very close run thing - it can be a real grind against the Russians unless a flanking action paid off. Enthralling stuff - it must have had hearts pounding on both sides.

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    1. The battle was very close. Even though the Russians had reached their Army Break Point, i still thought they had a lot of fight left in them.

      Glad you enjoyed the recounting of the battle!

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  15. Nicely done report. So, the Russian second line on the right wasn't sufficient to redeem the situation. I don't know the rules, so look forward to your analysis--the impression (perhaps mistaken) is that, although it was a grind, the Prussians basically walked over the Russians.

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    1. Thanks for your thoughts, Ed.

      While the battle was a grind, it was actually a very close contest. The Russian cavalry could not stand up to the Prussian juggernaut but the Russian infantry bested the Prussian infantry in the center. The Russian Second Line was still viable and Browne's Observation Corps suffered little. The problem the Russians faced at the end was not the Prussian infantry but superior Prussian guns and horse.

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    2. Additional information adds more nuance to the impression: thanks!

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    3. You can chock the impression upon the author for not providing more clarity in the battle report!

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  16. Seesaw battles are always the best. 😀
    Nice pictures and diagrams.

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    1. Yep. Seesaw battles are the best to keep interest high. Thanks for your comments!

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  17. I thought the Russians may have been making a comeback there, but obviously those cavalry losses told in the end. That is quite an impressive pile of dead (although I assume it includes routed units)!

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    1. Hi Lawrence. I thought the Russians might pull out a victory too. The Russian losses in their cavalry arm and the loss of several Objective Points pushed the Russian Army to its Break Point. Still, in the center, the Russian infantry was standing firm.

      In Honours of War, routed units (Done For in HoW terms) are removed from the table following one move to the rear.

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  18. Good looking game, interested that the battle seems more dynamic played solo ?

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    1. Matt, that is an interesting and perceptive insight. Why would that tendency show up in solo game as opposed to multi-player games? Is it by chance only? If this exists, I offer a few possibilities that may contribute to this phenomenon:

      1. Solo play invites more care in the decision making process?
      2. Easier to punch-counterpunch when playing both sides?
      3. More unbiased and accurate resolution of game decision points?
      4. More likely to see the battle through to conclusion rather than giving up too early?
      5. Better control and coordination of subordinate's actions?
      6. More care in adjudicating results?
      7. Better note taking makes for a more interesting narrative?

      What do you think contributes to this situation?

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  19. I was expecting the Russians to defeat the Prussian right wing. On turn 7 they seemed to have an enfilade position which I expected to be quite devastating.
    Also, The Russians seemed to have been cursed with routing units taking the other units with them. Whereas the Prussians don't seem to have had this problem.

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    1. Peter, from the end of battle dispositions, I agree with your assessment on the Prussian right. Browne's Observation Corps put a stop to Dohna's attacks and then went over to the offensive to push Dohna back...way back. The enfilading position you mention was fleeting. Saltykov's battalions in the woods were out of command and repeated failed their activation rolls to operate independently. With that inaction, they were stuck in the woods with no LOS to their targets.

      If the Russians had not succumbed on points, I think Browne may have defeated Dohna in detail. The Prussian left had been hammered pretty hard too. The game was much closer that the points may show.

      Thanks for your comments and post-game analysis.

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  20. Another close run thing. I like the modifications you made to the flanks. I have been trying to crack the nut of letting the Russians do something beyond bravely receiving the Prussian Attack. The Russians still seem dependent on overally impetuous Prussian Cavalry to survive the day.

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    1. It was very close. Had the Russians not lost the baggage train and the village of Quartschen at the end, Browne's Observation Corps would have had a turn or two to press on against Dohna. The Prussian left was pretty much spent and the Russians could have formed a solid defensive position which would have been tough to overcome.

      I was surprised at how well Browne held up and even repulsed the Prussian attack on the Russian left. Dohna, alone, is not of sufficient strength to do more than pin Browne. If de Biaix is sent to support Dohna rather than the Prussian left, the Russian right would likely overpower the Prussian left handily. This presents a fine balancing act and tough choices for Frederick.

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  21. A masterpiece of wargaming and analyzing this large battle.
    Many thanks for your efforts!

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