WAS Honours of War, Weissenburg 1744

[DintheDin]

Last Saturday Greg and I played the battle of Weissenburg, French vs Austrians, Wars of Austrian Succession with Honours of War rules.
The background of the battle and the scenario can be found at the Honours of War forum
http://honoursofwar.com/thread/334/wei-enburg-2nd-scenario
thanks to Damnitz, who has studied extensively the Wars of Austrian Succession and brought to life by refighting some not so well-known actions of the period.

Here is the map of the game and our initial table setup, seen from the French side.   

[DintheDin]

French order of battle:
CinC M. Coigny (Dith.) / FM Seckendorff (Dash.)

1) Lt.Gen. Montal (Dep.)
3 bn.s inf.
1 heavy artillery

2) Lt.Gen, Clermont-Tonnerre (Dep.)
3 bn.s inf.
2 light artillery

3) M.d.C. Mortaigne (Dep.)
3 cav. Légère (u.a. Mestre de Camp)

4) Generalmajor Waldenheim (Dash.)
3 bn.s hessian infantry - large - Superior for fire only
1 french cavalry

5) Generalmajor Oettingen ? (Dith.)
2 bn. bavarian infantry - small
Move forward in the first turn

With the same order, the pictures of the respective brigades

[DintheDin]

Austrian Order of Battle:
CinC FML Nádasdy (Dash.)

I) Oberst Forgach (Dash.)
1 bn. Inf. (superior)
in Wissembourg (heavy cover)
ignore orders, except on a special roll of a 6 (attacks like normally)

II) GFWM Puebla (Dep.)
4 bn.s
1 light artillery
ignore orders of backward marching, except on a special roll of a 5-6 (if they refuse to move back, you can choose to move forward or sideward)

III) Obristlieut. Trenck (Dash.)
2 units light inf. - small

IV) GFWM Trips ? (Dep.)
2 hussars

[DintheDin]

Rounds: 6

Victory conditions:
French: occupy the churchyard of Altstadt (no enemy near (5 cm) for one turn) or breaking the enemies army.

Terrain:
Altstadt BUA
Wissembourg BUA heavy cover
All redoubts and churchyard of Altstadt heavy cover
Lauter fordable river

[DintheDin]

Both of us agreed that 6 turns was very tight and the French had to do their best to dislodge the Austrians from Altstadt and the two redoubts.
Greg's Autrians were outnumbered but they were already in position.
My French brigades were in columns of successive lines, an unwieldy formation, many losses were expected as in the actual battle.

Round 1. The French move forward. The Austrian light battery opens fire.

[DintheDin]

Montaigne's three Cavalerie Legere regiments, supporting the small Bavarian contingent.

Clermont-Tonnere infantry brigade is facing the most difficult task, to cross the river and attack the enemy redoubt at all costs.

[DintheDin]

Round 2. The French start crossing the river Lauter.

[DintheDin]

The battalion on the head of the Hessian column received three hits from combined gun fire and fire from the defenders of Altstadt.
Attacking the village with a unit having already three hits would be a suicide, so I waited until the second Hessian battalion passed in front.

This was quite wise decision as the first battalion was nearly to be done for. It received one fourth hit from grazing fire and had to retreat and reform.

Two french light gun batteries open fire against Alstadt   

[DintheDin]

I let only one heavy gun battery pounding Weissenburg and veered my rightmost French brigade to attack the Austrian battalion guarding the left flank of the grand redoubt.


The other French brigade, advancing, engaged in a firefight with the redoubt, got three hits inflicting one to the redoubt defenders.

[DintheDin]

Round 3
The Altstadt defenders, engaged in a firefight with the Hessians are on the verge to break (3 hits).
The Austrian light battery finds always target on the dense Hessian column.
Greg moves his hussars to cover his right flank.


But the Bavarian and French cavalry brigades dithered twice to cross the river -a reason why we didn't see a cavalry battle in this game 

As for the Bavarians, the only task expected from them was to pin in place the dangerous Trenk's Pandours

[DintheDin]

The battle seen from the Austrian side


This Austrian light battery posted on a little hillock, was a real instrument of death.

[DintheDin]

Central redoubt. The first French battalion move back with three hits. The whole French army is in full attack mode.
But for the attack to be successful, needed impeccable, orchestrated maneuvering, something lacking even from their real counterparts 

The "red" French brigade advance rapidly to meet heavy fire from the Austrian battalion opposing them as well from as from the Wissenburg defenders.

[jambo1]

Superb looking game, loads of lovely colourful miniatures, super!! Great to see WAS getting some love.

[DintheDin]

Superb looking game, loads of lovely colourful miniatures, super!! Great to see WAS getting some love.

Thank you! Only this year it is that I discovered how interesting WAS battles are!
I'm about in the middle of this report, please stay tuned!

[DintheDin]

Altsdadt fell to Hessian hands! Their attack was successful and the defending Austrians retreated with four hits.

The French cavalry in columns, finally on the move.

The Bavarians, in the middle of nowhere, do not dare to advance alone, waiting for the cavalry to come and cover their left flank.