Yet another Blast from the Past...

 I suppose just about everyone and his dog has played the Charge! "Battle of Blasthof Bridge" at least once in their lives. The last time I played it, a zillion years back, the Electoral Army maintained its tradition of victory. I was commanding, of course, the Imperialists.



But, back in January, methought to play a Portable Wargames version on a square gridded table. I had completely forgotten about this action, to be reminded this evening by a posting in the Librarian Wargamer blogspot.

This battle used my Warlord figures, my Army of Prinz Eugene of Savoy, split to represent the Imperialists against their inveterate foes of the Electorate. For this action I rather formalised the ORBATs into 6-figure squadrons, 8-figure companies and 2-gun batteries.

The action purported to be an opening clash between the advanced guards of the respective armies approaching an important bridge crossing the river that separated the Empire from the Electorate. Both sides mobilising with equal celerity, the leading forces were soon on the march. The honour of leading the Imperial advanced guard the Emperor bestowed upon the redoubtable cavalryman, Graf Eusebius von Kornstartsch, renowned more for dash and daring than for strategic sagacity. On the Electoral side, an obscure and self-effacing General Charlot Soubise found himself in command of the leading corps, and wondering why he was so appointed. It was later given out that perhaps a staff error, possibly due to a secretary's atrocious handwriting, had substituted the relatively unknown provincial commandant for the more experienced and better known Prince Charles de Soubise for the important command.

Be that as it may, both commanders realised as they approached the objective of their marches that to gain possession of the vital crossing, they would have to fight for it. 

The respective commands comprised:

Teutoberg-Althaufen:

Commander: General Charlot Soubise 
His Aide-de-camp
Weltschmerz Infantry: 4 companies @ 4SP + Rgt HQ (36 figures)
Schadenfreude Infantry: 4 companies @ 4SP + Rgt HQ (36 figures)
Gens d'Armes Cuirassiers: 3 squadrons @ 3SP (18 figures)
Royal la Marine Artillery: 2 guns each with 4 crew   @ 4SP (8 figures)

Totals: 
72 foot, 18 horse, 8 artillery, 2 HQ staff = 100 figures
13 units (counting the Army HQ as one), activations according to dice rolls range from 5 up to 9.
49 Strength Points, exhausted on -17; rout on -25.

Imperial:

Commander: Marschallgeneral Graf Eusebius von Kornstartsch
His aide-de-camp
Grenadiers Guggenheim: 2 companies @ 5SP + Rgt HQ (18 figures)
Fusiliers Finckenstein: 4 companies @ 4SP + Rgt HQ (36 figures)
Kornstartch Cuirassiers: 3 squadrons @ 3SP (18 figures) 
Dromgoole Dragoons: 2 squadrons @ 3SP (12 figures)
Schnitzel Artillery: 1 company of 2 guns @ 4SP (8 figures)

Totals:
54 foot, 30 horse, 8 artillery, 2 HQ staff = 94 figures
13 units, activations range from 5 to 9.
49 Strength Points, exhausted on -17, rout on -25.

Note that the two companies of grenadiers were allocated 5SPs, partly to denote their elite status, but mainly to make up a slight deficit in the SP count compared with the Electoral army.

The Narrative...

Imperial Cuirassiers begin crossing the river, whilst 
the guns open fire, enfilading the enemy infantry fording the stream

Two squadrons crossing, whilst the third waits...

Plenty for the Electoral guns to shoot at!

Elector gained the initiative, but both sides
eager for the fray (the 6s).

...

View from behind Electoral lines. One regiment, with a 
squadron in support, hopes by crossing the river early, to outflank
the bridge position on the far bank.

From behind Imperial lines. The cuirassiers are just following
tradition, really. But they may be able to flank the electoral infantry lining the 
west bank

General electoral advance, whilst the guns roar.

Superb shooting by the Imperial guns.
An electoral infantry company is taking some stick!

Electoral guns proving with this salvo, far less effective!

The inspiration of it all. Fearful execution by the 
right hand Imperial artillery section.

Now, at least some of the Electoral guns 
do damage. Nr 3 Coy of the Finckenstein 
Fusiliers takes a heavy knock

Cavalry fight on the Electoral side of the river, but they have 
only 2 squadrons available against 3.

As the Electoral horse charged, for the moment it is 
2 Squadrons against 2, and they are getting something
the better of the fight...

... but once the 3rd Imperial squadron joins in,
the writing is on the wall.

Musketry duel between Fusilier 3rd Company, and the 
leading company of Weltschmerz Infantry.

Droomgoole Dragoons catch two companies of 
Schadenfreude Infantry in the plough.

The end of the cavalry fight. Both sides have lost 
4 strength points, but 2nd Sqn, Gens d'Armes, has 
been destroyed.

General view. The Grenadiers lie in wait for the enemy
infantry company wading through the river.

Crisis! As the last of Schadenfreude Infantry succumb
to the dragoons, the fresh 3rd Squadron, Gens d'Armes
attacks the already victorious 1st Dragoon Squadron.

Electoral musketry exacts vengeance upon 3rd Sqn, 
Kornstartsch Curassiers.

Gunfire and musketry across the river...

I rather think that it ought to be permissible in a square gris battlefield, that units face the square corners when it is sensible to do so. Of course that does not affect musketry or gunnery ranges, nor arc of fire. Not that it matters a whole lot...

... smashes the Fusilier 3rd Company.

Facing double their numbers, the Gens d'Armes 
survivors scatter in rout.

The end of the action. Electoral losses have been 
such as to cause the whole command to dissolve in 
rout. 

Generalmarschall von Kornstartsch ordered no pursuit. For the time being he was content to consolidate a bridgehead and await the arrival of the Imperial main army.

This is the first time I have seen the Imperial Army win this action. It might have been a different story had Charlot Soubise had acted true to form, and adopted a defensive stance. Bit, perhaps with something to prove, he rather took the fight to the enemy, who, with Kornstartsch in command, were more than willing to take up the challenge.

The figures in this action were the Warlord(?) 28mm plastic figures for the War of the Spanish succession. I find myself in a little bit of a quandary, because I painted up large units for the Imperialists, but have only a limited number of enemies, still on the sprue. That is one project very much in limbo at the moment!

Little Great War - Theatre Maps and other things

A very model of a modern major-general 
of the Ruberian Army

Methought to bridge the gap between postings by a kind of 'catch-up' of odd bits and pieces that I have been tinkering with lately. We'll begin with one of my doodles, a general officer of the Ruberian Army, drawn, rather hopefully, in the style of a cartoonist I much admire: Ronald Searle.

Following are the Theatre Maps. The Azurian I made some time ago, the Medifluvian about a week ago, the 'Hyrcanian Karadeniz' the last day or so. It is possible I will have to add 'theatre maps' for naval operations - especially, I think in the Mesogesean Sea, and the Karadeniz.

Azurian Theatre

Medifluvia Theatre

Hyrcanian Karadeniz Theatre

Meanwhile I have been wanting at least one Army to have Maxim machine guns instead of the Nordenfeld/Garners and Gatlings. The North Island vendor having one box in stock I nabbed it: Zvezda WW1 Russians. Very well-thought out box: bally nice figures, 36 infantry, which gave me 9x4-figure stands; a Maksim Machine gun with two of a crew, and a command group of officer and flag bearer.  The figures and machine guns require some assembly, but as the result looks good and animated and the poses all look sensible - excellent buy.

A Second Army for Izumrud-Zeleniya (GREEN)
adding a box of Zvezda WW1 Russians

Izumrud-Zeleniya 2nd Army comprises
3 Infantry Divisions of 3 regimental stands each
1 Cavalry (Cossack) Division of 4 stands (HaT)
1 Maksim Battalion stand
2 Field Artillery stands (these are Strelets-R)

This Army is a deal smaller than 1st Army, which has 16 regimental stands (4 Divisions), and a third Artillery regiment.

The latest addition to my Chubby Marine Merchant 
Navy - an armed freighter

Inspired by a picture in a recent blog or facebook posting, I knocked together the pictured armed merchantman. My merchant marine now comprises 6 vessels, two of them armed. The armed merchants might be used for commerce raiding or simply to carry cargo.

La Guerre du Nord - a whole different project.
This is something that has been in the pipeline for a long, long time, as has the War of the Nations.

Whole other project - 'Guerre du Nord' 
Brunswickers and Nassauers forming the
Anglo-Continental III (Provisional) Corps

Not interested in collecting all and every contingent, I'm going with what I have. The First and Second Allied Army Corps will simply be British. One might suppose among the redcoats there are some Hanoverians, say, and there are no Dutch-Belgians, but we are talking a whole alternate universe, here. Nevertheless, the thing is intended to look something like the Hundred days' campaign.

The Brunswicker foot (early Minifigs) and uhlans (not sure of their provenance) I have had for nigh on 50 years. It is a long time since they saw action. The Black hussars are actually Italieri plastics, but they don't look out of place with the other Brunswickers. I forgot to mention the small contingent of Jager just behind the cavalry. I think they were originally Austrians, but I painted them up as Brunswicker Jager - a small unit of 10 Warrior figures. Cute little guys, but a little delicate: their muskets are apt to lose the shapr end.

The other green guys I bought second hand two or three years back - Minifigs. I supposed them to be (painted as) Nassauers. The flags have been added. Having no flag bearers, I just thread the flag staff through the arms of a couple of musketeers. The artillery is a howitzer, crewed by RHA  gunners. All my British artillery is crewed by the Royal Horse Artillery.  I bought the army second about 20 years ago, and that was what it has. I have added a little to the army since: an extra infantry unit, and a 12-figure unit of the Royal Scots Greys. That last was an impulse buy, but ... we-ell....

Commanding this corps will be the good old Duke of Brunswick, the Minifigs mounted figure just visible in the picture behind the uhlans. 

Of course, the Prussians will be present...


 

Little Great War: Kavkaz Campaign Epilogue

The Turcowaz in their trenches - and the Izumrud-Zeleniya 
buildup on the west bank of the Tekhuri River. The town is 
Gakhomela.

If the third Battle of Zugdidi might be said to have formed the closing chapter of the Kavkaz Campaign narrative (see 3rd Zugdidi), there was yet an epilogue. For some considerable time military operations underwent a pause. Victorious, the Izumrud-Zeleniyan Army was nevertheless badly in need of rest and replenishment. So, about the recaptured town they remained, with enough troops sent back down the road to the Tekhuri River front at Gakhomela to keep the Ameer's column in check.

For his part, Abdul Abulbul Ameer maintained his position on the east bank of the Tekhuri River in the hope and expectation that, reorganising his forces about Poti, or perhaps further south along the Karadeniz coast road, Duya Ed Din Pasha would soon again advance. The two could then between crush the infidel at Zugdidi.

It transpired that the moral shock meted out to Duya Ed Din's column had finished that pincer for good. Nothing more could be got from them, unless they might be persuaded to make a stand near Trebizond itself. The Ameer might have retired in turn, but, receiving no instructions, and his obdurate disposition disinclining him against any retrograde move, he chose to remain behind his entrenchments before Gakhomela. It said something for his ruthless fortitude that he not only kept his wild irregulars in hand, but managed to consolidate and reorganise his army for whatever might eventuate.

There he remained several weeks, well into August, withal, as an uneasy lull fell over the contested region. By then, however, he began to observe a considerable buildup of troops to his front, infantry and guns especially, on the far side of the river. Confident in his defensive arrangements, he and his column awaited what the Czar's forces might throw at him.

The Czar's forces heaped up around Gakhomela
on the west bank of the Tehkuri River

The Army of Izumrud-Zeleniya comprised:

Army HQ: General-Major N. P. Ignatiev = 6 Strength points (SP)
1st (Grenadier) Division - HQ + 1st through 4th Regiments = 2 + 4x4 = 18SP
2nd (Rifle) Division - HQ + 5th through 8th Regiments = 18SP
3rd (Rifle) Division - HQ + 9th through 12th Regiments = 18SP
2nd Light Cavalry Division - 5th through 8th Light Horse (Cossacks) 2+4x3 = 14SP
1st Field Artillery Regiment - I and II (Field) Battalions = 2x2 = 4SP
Naval Artillery Detachment -
     V (Naval) Artillery Battalion = 2SP
     VI (Naval) Machinegun Battalion (Nordenfelds) = 2SP
Transport columns were kept well to the rear, so their SPs are not included.

Totals:
20 units, activate DR=1: 8 units; DR=2: 9 units; DR=3,4: 10 units; DR=5: 11 units; DR=6: 12 units
SP = 82. Exhausted at -27SP ; rout at -41SP 
    

East of the river, the Army of Abdul Abulbul Ameer
dug in and ready for a fight

Turcowaz: 
Army Command, Staff and HQ: Abdul Abulbul Ameer (Average) 6SP

4th Division: HQ (2SP), 37th, 38th, 40th Regiment @ 4SP  = 14SP

5th Division: HQ (2SP), 41st, 43rd, 44th Regiment @ 4SP  = 14SP

6th Division: HQ (2SP), 46th, 47th, 48th Regiment @ 4SP = 14SP

X Machinegun Battalion = 2SP 

2nd Cavalry Brigade: 21st, 22nd, 23rd Cavalry @ 2SP = 6SP

V, VI/ 3rd Mountain Artillery @ 2SP (average) = 4SP
XIII Medium Artillery = 2SP

101st, 102nd Medium Transport Battalion held off table to the rear

113th, 114th Pack Transport Battalion held off table to the rear

Totals:
16 units, activate DR=1: 6 units; DR=2: 7 units; DR=3,4: 8 units; DR=5: 9 units; DR=6: 10 units
SP = 62: Exhausted at -21; Routed at -31.

The battlefield of the Tekhuri River

Looking over the battlefield SW towards Gakhomela

Dawn breaks, with the Czar's 3rd Division
ready to go 'over the top'.

Effective artillery preparation batters the first line 
the Turcowaz 4th Division. They lose several of their 
precious Gardner guns as well.

Dashing across no man's land, the lead units of 3rd Division,
9th and 12th Regiments, carry the first line of enemy trenches
 and drive the surviving defenders back upon their supports.

9th Regiment has taken heavy casualties in storming the 
Turcowaz trench line.

Under a dark cloud, 1st and 2nd Czarist Divisions
are barely half way across no man's land...

...but 3rd Division has set their sights
upon the Turcowaz second line.

Zeleniyan 2nd Division assaults the enemy in the woods 
and beside the overgrown mere, 7th Regiment seizes 
the abandoned works that housed the enemy machine guns.

Fierce fighting on 3rd Division's front.
Part of the Turcowaz second line has been abandoned. 
10th Regiment takes over from the exhausted 9th,
12th Infantry assaults the farmhouse position.

Irregular light horse counter-attacks 7th Regiment,
but elsewhere, 5th Division is holding its line.

1st Division, with support from 2nd Cavalry 
Division, assaults the 6th Division line

37th Infantry repels 12th Regiment's attack;
38th stalls 10th Regiment, though both equally depleted.
Meanwhile 11th Regiment is diverted to help the 7th. 

Defeating the counterattacks by elements of enemy 4th and 
5th Divisions, 3rd Division grinds on, its heavy 
equipment having been brought forward in support. 

Fierce fighting in the woods, both sides taking fearful losses.

The leading elements of 1st Division overrun the 
6th Division trench line, the guns first and then rolling up the 
infantry. The remnants fall back into the woods behind the line. 
On the left flank, 47th Infantry looks isolated and alone!

General view of the battlefield. Turcowaz lines driven in on 
both flanks, but, however depleted, 5th Division is still holding ... just!

Farmyard carried, elements of 3rd Division
gather for a final assault on the Turcowaz third line.
Meanwhile 2nd Division has finally evicted the 
enemy 5th out of the woods.

At last, 6th Division abandons its last forward position,
beginning a retreat by the whole army.

Such was an undoubted victory for the army of Izumrud-Zeleniya: a successful, if costly, storm of the entire Turcowaz line. As the army streamed off to the south-east. Abdul Abulbul Ameer rounded upon his commander of artillery. Well he might, for that arm has performed abysmally all morning. Losses in dead and wounded were about even, but several hundred more of Turcowaz soldiers fetched up, for a goodish while, as prisoners of war.

For the next few years an uneasy 'peace' - more like a conflict in suspended animation - settled over the region. The Turcowaz army withdrew to the hills and mountains east of Trebizond and in the region of Kars. The Army of the Czar settled into the garrison duty of an Army in Occupation around Zugdidi and Kutaisi.

But all through the rest of the decade and well into the next, tensions rose as the Izumrud-Zeleniyan Navy obtained enough powerful units of its own to challenge Turcowaz naval supremacy over the Karadeniz - the Chyonoye Morye. At that, the Czar sought a secure passage through the Ionople Strait into the Mesogesean Sea - however such an arrangement might be arrived at. If a deal could not be negotiated, then one might have to be coerced. The wrangling grew the more heated as the years passed. 

Then, in 1884, matters came rapidly to a head...

To be continued...