The rash dash into Fromagere had been repulsed by Duc Reynard. There was no choice but to fall back to the river and join up with the main army.
However as he rose from his repast a clatter of hooves rang on the cobbled street. A blue coated dragoon jumped from his horse and bowed before the Count.
"They are coming my Lord, not three leagues away."
There could be no orderly retreat to the river.
Otto pointed to two low hills beyond the village. "We will hold them there," he pronounced grimly. "And we move now."
Otto's small army forms up on the low hills. They need to hold on until night fall.
The army of Fromagere advances towards the recently abandoned village
The two armies face each other
Weinpfalz artillery opens up at long range.
The Duc orders his dragoons forward. If the enemy flank can be turned it will over very quickly.
The cavalry clash
but the Duc's dragoons are driven back
The Duc waits for his dragoons to rally and orders a squadron of yellow dragoons across to support them. A couple of moves wasted?
The green coats are repulsed again and rally back behind their yellow coated friends
who are charged in turn
They drive back the Weinpfalz horse which is near to collapse and it falls back
Finally the Duc orders a general advance, aware that the sun is getting close to the horizon
Fire fights break out along the whole line. The Fromagere artillery is devastating at close range.
...and as the sun sets two Weinpfalz battalions fall back, but still the army holds on
Move twelve: and in a final attempt to break the Weinpfalz army a squadron is rashly thrown in
.... it takes five casualties from musketry and is beaten back
The game ends with Weinpfalz still in position and they will be able to limp away under cover of darkness.
Both sides will claim victory but neither will be correct. The Duc waited too long for a cavalry success and should have brought his foot and guns into action more quickly.
From a wargamer's point of view, a very satisfactory outcome - a near run thing, and both sides perhaps able to derive some satisfaction from the outcome. Although the Weinpfalz corps were badly knocked about, they had carried out their orders, and are unlikely to be pursued during the hours of darkness.
ReplyDeleteThe Fromagere corps might not have succeeded in carrying the pass this day, but it will be occupied come the morning, and progress can be made from there. A check, rather than a defeat.