Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of the Big Battalions => Topic started by: DintheDin on December 26, 2017, 07:09:16 PM
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Last Saturday we played the Battle of Kalisz, 1706 Great Northern War.
For long time ago I wanted to play this battle with so many colorful uniforms, as the participants were Swedes, Russians, Saxons and pro-Swedish and pro-Russian Polish with winged hussars!
Here is the map of the battle and a picture of Augustus II (the Strong) of Saxony, who was the main responsible for this battle. This battle would have been avoided if Augustus had told the truth to his Russian allies about the secret treaty he made with the Swedish King.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kalisz
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We decided to play the battle with Volley and Bayonet rules.
ArisK was so kind to provide me with the OOB and the initial troops position.
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I thought VnB rules would give us a fast game, as most of the troops have a strength of 2 and could be easily knocked out of the game.
I also decided to simplify logistics, representing each unit of strength 2 with 2 bases for cavalry and with 4 bases for infantry. So, each Polish "pulk" was represented with a Winged Hussars base in front followed by a base of Pancerni. I think that the pictures taken justified me.
Here is the initial deployment.
Miltiades and MacTakis took the Russians Saxons and the Polish Sandomierz Confederation and I had to fight with the Swedes and the Polish-Lithuanian Warsaw Confederation, a difficult task, as the Swedes were vastly outnumbered.
Edit:
The Warsaw Confederation was a confederation against King of Poland August II the Strong. It was formed on February 16, 1704 in Warsaw. It dethroned August II and declared Stanisław Leszczyński king. In response, the supporters of August II formed the Sandomierz Confederation on May 20. The Warsaw Confederation was eventually victorious in the civil war in Poland (1704-1706), which ended with the Treaty of Altranstädt (1706). Soon, however, after Swedish defeat in the Great Northern War, the Russians prevailed and August II resumed the Polish throne in 1709.
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The Polish-Russian-Saxon-Polish troops from right to left:
Rzewuski Polish cavalry, Russians, Saxon cavalry, Sieniawski Polish cavalry and far left a small skirmishing force of Smigielski Polish light cavalry and dragoons
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The Polish-Swedish-Lithuanians from left to right:
Potocki Polish cavalry, the Swedes (only one Swedish infantry regiment and two battalions, one French/Swiss and one Bavarian, captured at Frausberg), Sapieha Lithuanians cavalry
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The Swedish battle plan was to skirmish with the left wing Lithuanian cavalry, as this comprised only one pulk of Winged Hussars and two skirmishing units, aided by the Krassau Swedish dragoons, to plant the Swedish infantry in the center, until I see the dispositions of the coming Russian infantry phalanxes and to attack as quickly as possible with the right Polish cavalry wing -as I thought it had the punch- against the enemy Polish cavalry, ignoring the two small skirmishing units of Smigielski to my far right. The left of this cavalry wing would be covered by a good Swedish cavalry unit, the Marshalk dragoons.
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Both sides advanced...
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...and deployed before contact
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The cavalry clash at the Swedish left wing
The Lithuanian cavalry advanced, a unit of its cossacks skirmishing and the other hitting hard a unit of opposing cossacks, but its only Winged Hussars lost the battle and were annihilated.
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But the Swedish Krassau Dragoons, won against the opposing pro-Russian pulk, and, plunged deeper in their lines sacrificing themselves in this heroic action!
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Rzewuski pro-Russians, their division exhausted retreat, while Sapieha Lithuanians, having lost their bite remain in position (only one box before exhaustion)
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The cavalry clash at the Swedish right wing
The pro-Swedish Polish cavalry (Potocki) advance, their left flank covered by the Marshalk dragoons, but on their first fight, the dragoons bring horrible morale dice and are repulsed!
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Their left exposed, they are hit on the flank by the Saxon cavalry! The pro-Russian Polish dragoons dismount, but their shots make no casualties.
A great cavalry clash ensues, but Saxons and their Polish allies have the upper hand...
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Potocki pro-Swedish Polish cavalry are exhausted and retreat, but they managed to bring to exhaustion their Polish cavalry adversaries and the first Saxon cavalry line! They are followed by Cossacks and dismounted Polish dragoons, they are hit one more time and, with their back at the river, they collapse...
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Only the second Saxon cavalry line continues the fight! They converge vs the only Swedish cavalry, the Marshalk dragoons, who are reforming...
But their luck lets them down! They receive three hits from the good Swedish cavalry, and one hit before exhaustion, they fear to advance more!
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Meanwhile, in the center, the Swedish infantry confronts the Russian infantry
Miltiades, moves his impressive Russian infantry columns led by Menshikof...
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...while the Swedes calmly wait...
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...avoiding contact, deploys his artillery and starts pounding.
Soon, gaps are opened at the Swedish line!
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Ga Pa!
All for all! Before everything is lost, Mardefeld gives the sign of attack! The Swedish line moves forward!
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At the Swedish right, the French/Swiss Funk battalion, aided by the Marshalk dragoons attack the 1st Renne Russian battalion... No hits are scored from both sides, the Swedes lose the tiebreak and are repulsed...
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...but the remaining crack Swedish battalions are winning all the melees, they break through the collapsing first Russian line and head for the second!
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Here, with only one Russian and one Saxon divisions needing only one hit before exhaustion, the battle ends with a much bloodied Swedish victory.
I would like to thank Miltiades who played strategically with his Russians and MacTakis who did his best with the Saxon and Polish cavalry but had some unlucky dice in the end.
It didn't take more than two hours to finish the battle and I deem the VnB rules were most suitable for this.
I made a proposal that we may see a refight using Honours of War rules this time.
Useful links:
https://godsownscalecom.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/kalisz-leaflet-salute-2017.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Confederation_(1704)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandomierz_Confederation
I have to greatly thank Miltiades and Socrates, who sent me their pics to combine them with mine for the photo-coverage of this story
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great stuff.
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Interesting post.
In the real battle the Russians are all cavalry. We also had the pro Russian Cossacks and Kalmucks behind the Swedes so they were totally outnumbered. The system we use has real numbers for the units and so the pro Swedes are even more outnumbered doing that. In any case when we played this battle, with another set, it was a real fast flowing cavalry battle. Great fun.
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Looks great! Are these 15mm figures?
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Interesting post.
In the real battle the Russians are all cavalry. We also had the pro Russian Cossacks and Kalmucks behind the Swedes so they were totally outnumbered. The system we use has real numbers for the units and so the pro Swedes are even more outnumbered doing that. In any case when we played this battle, with another set, it was a real fast flowing cavalry battle. Great fun.
As I couldn't find other sources about details of the battle, I won't doubt that all Russians were cavalry. So, we played a quasi-Kalisz battle lol
Nevertheless, we very much enjoyed it!
I would greatly appreciate if you could provide me with some more informative links about the battle. Thank you!
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great stuff.
Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!
Looks great! Are these 15mm figures?
Yes 15mm, infantry mostly Old Glory and cavalry mostly Essex.
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Absolutely brilliant sir. Well done.
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Thank you very much! I'm following with great interest your GNW project!
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Excellent game.
Great looking big battle.
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Excellent game.
Great looking big battle.
Thank you! A 6x4ft table was enough to play and we had plenty of room for maneuvering!
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Interesting post.
In the real battle the Russians are all cavalry. We also had the pro Russian Cossacks and Kalmucks behind the Swedes so they were totally outnumbered. The system we use has real numbers for the units and so the pro Swedes are even more outnumbered doing that. In any case when we played this battle, with another set, it was a real fast flowing cavalry battle. Great fun.
Just finished reading the Kalisz text you so kindly PMed me. A valuable and rare piece of information! Thank you again!
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Just finished reading the Kalisz text you so kindly PMed me. A valuable and rare piece of information! Thank you again!
Your welcome :)
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Good to see VnB again and even better that's it's a GNW game.
Thanks for sharing!
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Good to see VnB again and even better that's it's a GNW game.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your kind words! A few months before, we played also Fraustadt GNW with VnB, it proved an easy win for the Swedes, but I didn't dare to take and post pictures, as we had not a snowed table available :D
I hope we repeat it under colder conditions lol
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A very good game it was ! Some pics are great. So was the battle report. Nice job Dinos
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Thank you pal! Also he have to thank MacTakis for his participation and his gallant play!
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Great looking game. Thanks for the battle report.
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Great looking game. Thanks for the battle report.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed reading!
A Happy, Prosperous and Creative New Year for all of us!!!