Fontenoy Battle ReportGreg took the Austrians and the Dutch, MacTakis was the leader of the British-Hanoverian contingent and Miltiades and I played with the French.
100 pictures at Flickr, many with explanatory notes:
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The Austrians and one Dutch infantry brigade moved forward and soon all units defending the line between Fontenoy and Antoing were engaged in firefight.
The first Dutch attack against Montagne's brigade (Swiss and dismounted dragoons) failed, but soon, the second wave of Dutch infantry managed to eliminate a regiment of dismounted dragoons and opened a gap between Fontenoy and the redoubt defended by Diesbach Swiss regiment and one gun battery.
Miltiades rushed forward La Maison du Roi Cavalry brigade to stop the intruders, but after receiving some musketry they retreated in a safe distance keeping the Dutch at check.
Meanwhile, MacTakis approached Fontenoy With Ligonier's brigade and soon Fontenoy was attacked from two sides, one by the British and one by Greg's Austrians-Dutch.
The first British battalion to attack Fontenoy had a very bad luck, receiving 5 hits outright, but Takis and Greg continued the attack, eliminating one of the French battalions defending Fontenoy and sending the other to retreat.
Other attacks of the Dutch infantry had not better chance, as Diesbach veteran battalion was defending well, aided by enfilading fire from the French Heavy Gun Battery stationed at the other side of the Scheldt.
The rest of the British-Hanoverians were not so active, as Ingoldby's brigade dithered two or three times.
Takis unlimbered his guns and gave a few hits to the Gardes Francaises who retreated out of canister range, but having always an eye to move for the recapture of Fontenoy.
Meanwhile, a single Dutch battalion made a rash move to approach the second French battalion that previously defended Fontenoy which was reforming and exterminate it with flank fire.
It soon took punishment and was done for, as it received fire from the Gardes Francaies and Diesbach which turned to fire abandoning the redoubt.
Diesbach was receiving rear support from La Marck brigade which shifted forward from Antoing which was not threatened for the time.
MacTakis made an opening between his infantry brigades to move the Superior British Cavalry forward.
He also dispatched Ingoldby's superior Highlanders, who entered the Barry Woods, and after three turns firefight with the inferior (according to the scenario) Arquebusiers de Grassin, annihilated them and were masters of the woods, threatening to exit at the flank of the redoubt d'Eu.
The d'Eu redoubt was cannonading the approaching Hanoverians, having mainly in target one battery, but never managing to bring it to exhaustion, as Takis' battery managed to lift one hit at the end of each round.
Diesbach was making an heroic defense to hold the line between Fontenoy and Antoing, received and repulsed many charges from Austrian and Dutch cavalry and finally succumbed.
The French lost also one battalion from La Marck brigade, but this was the higher point of the Austrian and Dutch attacks, as their infantry and cavalry was at the point of exhaustion.
The Austrians lost a large cavalry regiment against Diesbach and the Dutch lost one cavalry regiment against the dismounted dragoons and the two other Dutch cavalry regiments retreated away from the fight to reform.
To the repulse of the Dutch cavalry helped the enfilading fire of the infantry guarding Antoing and form the French artillery across the Scheldt.
All this time Fontenoy was remaining in British hands.
The British cavalry gallantly attacked d'Estrees' infantry brigade but they soon retreated to reform.
D'Estrees lost one battalion from the musketry of a large Hessian regiment approaching, but the French line was holding.
One of the Gardes Francaises battalions was done for while trying to attack Fontenoy, receiving fire from both the Fontenoy defenders and enfilading canister fire from a British battery.
Meanwhile, Miltiades was trying to slip the Irish Brigade between d'Estrees and the Gardes Francaises, while I moved Hérouville's Cavalerie Legere in columns past Antoing to try to envelop the Dutch cavalry reforming and the depleted Dutch infantry (having just recovered from reforming).
Takis moved the Hanoverian cavalry in columns trying to outflank the French moving through the Bois de Barry, but this move was too slow, as we decided to call it a day.
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April 23, 2024, 06:21:27 PM
