Or How an Officer and a Gentleman rode through Dettingen, Minden and the Marquis of Granby's Cup
Being the personal memoirs of a participant in the late pleasantness in South Bend, Indiana (A.K.A. the Seven Years War Association Convention). Our story so far: At the 1994 SYWA Convention, at the refight of the Battle of Dettingen (1743) the Author in the persona of Lt. General de Brogile, though outnumbered, turned and crushed the British left wing, winning the battle for the French. When we left him he was being favorably compared to some of the Great Captains of history by his admirers. So now our saga continues with:
Part the Second: Wherein the Author gets to charge everything insight, but is responded to in a most disagreeable fashion.
Having eaten a hearty breakfast the next day, thereby setting myself up as a condemned man, I presented myself at the game of Dean West, who was staging a refight of Minden, the 1751 battle between French and their allies against the British and their Allies. West's troops were also superbly finished, but the striking feature was the terrain. For a convention, the landscape Dean assembled was outstanding.
A great virtue of the board was the simplicity of construction. A basic green indoor/outdoor carpet over blocks sculpted the landscape. KIM trees and really nice painted houses were the main focal points. Excellent use of lichen and flocking made the whole blend into a natural picture.
My usual gaming group [Drum Barracks Museum Battle Group, Ed.] puts on ACW battles at California conventions with terrain that is simply awesome (California-speak, dude). I can say this without blushing as I have nothing to do with the game board. The group puts a lot of work into achieving the effect the whole board is first sculpted topographically in styrofoam, etc. and required a major logistical effort to transport.
Minden is a "can-they-deploy-in-time" battle. To coax the French out of their stronghold at Voideti, Prince Ferdinand [Allied C-i-C, Ed.] withdrew his main army some distance. He left a strong detachment entrenched northwest but within easy reach of the city to act as bait and pickets to the west of Minden as an early warning force. His plan relied on a timely alert that the French were debouching to attack, then he would march the army back with all speed,and hit the French before they deployed.
In the actual battle, the pickets were tardy and the French had ample time to form up. The most famous incident of the ensuing battle was the failure of repeated French cavalry charges to break nine isolated infantry battalions -- six British and three Hanoverian -- that had mistakenly advanced in front of the main line. Despite repeated orders, the commander of the British cavalry contingent, Sackville -- the Coward of Minden -- refused to charge after the battalions' victory, and the French were allowed to withdraw.
In the refight there was a preponderance of Francophillic players, so I 'turned-coat" and was serving with His Britannic, and HRM Prussian armies against the now villainous French.
I noticed to my amazement that our leader bore a startling resemblance to my commander of the night before -- because it was my commander of the night before, now in the guise of the Prince of Brunswick, Ferdinand von Mitchell. He greeted me with: "Ach, der Pferdmeister [Rittmeister?, Ed.] you get the horse."
As the horse at the battle were in command of that well known incompetent, Sackville [at last, a command Curran is well suited for, Ed.], this seemed a dubious honor Dean West announced that there would be no 'iron maiden' rules. "Let us assume Granby is running the cavalry, they love him and he can do anything he wants. "
Hmmm - this called for thought. To maintain my image as the epitome of excellence in matters pertaining to the "arme blance" I first needed to avoid a major screw up. I decided on Plan Grouchy: First, breakfast while the far off cannon roared (did that), then let the other guys do all the fighting. Hang around threateningly without actually attacking anyone for an hour or two while the real fighting was going on, then at the end pounce on a few hapless depleted French units while tossing in lots of fighting talk and maybe my colleagues might not catch on. Seydlitz it wasn't but ...
Guidance
We gathered around our fearless leader for guidance in the difficult struggle ahead. The Prince spoke: "Wiess ich nicht. " [I don't know.] Oh yes -- we have been here before. Ah well - zu Pferd! Actually in my case it was first, zu Fuss! My colleagues commanded either a column or in the case of John Hill, the entrenched bait. This latter force, von Wangenheim's wing, was near the charmingly named Todtenhausen [Homes of the dead].
In my case the cavalry force was a small command so I was also given the trip-wire force close to Minden. This consisted of a mediocre Jager outfit and a line battalion (they should be Hessian, I think, but memory fails, you know). My orders were to delay the advancing French as long as possible -- oh and don't come back. . . you ain't on the dinner list. . ." Rather inspiring stuff.
Actually since everybody else spent most of the morning session marching to battle, while I took part in a bloody little contretemps on the picket line, it wasn't bad at all. In this reincarnation I was the Prince of Anhalt in charge of the Allied pickets. In the actual battle Anhalt had been very dilatory about alerting Ferdinand, and thus was in the bad books of his Commander. As a tactical problem the situation was pretty straight forward. The uninspiring jagers (regimental march: the Symphony Pathetigue) were lodged in the village of Hahlen. About a march away on the Minden side was a French brigade in column of battalions. My line battalion of Hessians were a similar distance away in open country. I'm outnumbered (about three to one I believe) with orders to hold.
Solution: Defense -- force the French to lose men and time getting rid of me. The current situation had both sides equidistant from the village that I wanted as my defensive redoubt. If we both went straight into the village it would be an equal struggle in which his numbers would prevail. I needed to gain a time advantage on my opponent -- who was no slouch.
The only answer that I could see (instead of rushing into the village that was the more conventional course) was to take oil the first battalion in the open beside the town and gamble on repulsing it. The disorder produced by this act would give me enough time to occupy the village. Fortune smiled, and things went almost according to plan. The ground south of Hahlen was bounded by a marshy stream that prevented the French Commander deploying more than one battalion in line between the village and stream. His orders were to roll over the picket force and deploy well beyond Hahlen to defend against the main allied army.
I moved up slowly and gave him my opening volley. Since he steamed toward me on the first move with great Puria Francesa his fire was less effective. Next turn I charged, and his lead battalion took a temporary furlough. Furloughing into the rest of the force, the column didn't take this reverse very well. When the French commander had disentangled things, I was in my usual heroic posture (i.e. behind stone walls, hedges, houses, etc. -- hey, I ain't stupid, us veterans learns things you know).
He finally pushed me from the village, but his brigade was pretty shot up and the first British column was close at hand. Those Jagers? Woefully they took a powder at the first sign of trouble. With Curran's low opinion of them this is hardly surprising, (troops have feelings, you know, Ed.]
My participation in the rest of battle really does not have to be documented, as it is really of no interest.
Okay, okay I'll come clean -- the cavalry. Oh yes, well I would like to think I manoeuvered them around behind our lines with great panache and skill. My great mistake was leaving my lines. Really, Sackville was bloody tactical genius.
Great Cavalry Manoeuver # 1
An enemy artillery battery deployed at least 1/2th a move in front of the nearest line of supporting infantry. Quick calculations -- that infantry fired just in close range, so from those guys to the woods looks about six inches and then that column looks about a foot long, etc., etc." -- I figured I could charge the guns with a good chance to contact - a sure thing! Notch up a battery! More pontificating on cavalry tactics to my entourage.
Yes! Send in the Blues (or is it the Royals?) A good unit, the Blues, the only way this plan could only come unstuck if I threw low on the charge bonus double die roll say a two or three. I threw a three. Enter a deluge of canister, exit the Royal Blues. Oh well, a trifling setback in the career of a great cavalry leader. The conflict grows. Both sides are pummelled. A gaping hole opens in the center. I am positioned with in), carefully charge [in the War of Austrian Succession? Ed.] up the middle. Willi some nervousness I decide to go. Hmm, infantry to my flanks. Better screen them off. This leads to ...
Great Cavalry Manoeuver #2
To my right the backs of a thin line of dark blue infantry arc visible, facing off large and ugly French masses. Better send a regiment to support Must keep the flanks secure while I charge the center. I send in the 10th Dragoons (Mordaunt's). Solid chaps the 10th, no problem there. The problem is that I forgot to issue the 10th with HMSO publication #45879/2 "Manual for the Recognition of Enemy Infantry by Coat Color, Cavalry for the use of" That infantry turns out to be their blue coated guys who had retreated last turn. (you understand they had white coated guys; blue coated guys; red coated guys etc., etc. -- it gets a little difficult.) The blue infantry about faces and joined by numerous colleagues, proceeds to blow the 10th off the face of the earth.
Great Cavalry Maneauver 3
To my left our infantry has just thrown back a determined assault. The enemy is in temporary disarray. My companions call for exploitation of this great opportunity -- perhaps another "roll up!" I send in the 3rd Dragoon Guards (Howard's). Very daring the 3rd. 'they crash into a disordered battalion, take heavy losses, but send the wretches to Valhalla. Now a quick charge bonus roll to keep their momentum going -- oops! The 3rd stalls flat. The enemy regroups, shares a few thoughts and lots of lead with the 3rd. Goodbye to the 3rd.
(As an aside I must point out as a cavalry commander I have learned sadly of the meaning of "infantry support." When all is going well, you are thrashing the enemy, overrunning batteries, etc., the infantry pops out from behind trees and jumps over walls, coming after you with gusto, shouting blood curdling encouragement - "Hack 'em to bits! Cut 'em down like dogs!"
But should a small cloud appear on the horizon -- say, a less than decisive melee, a few unexpected casualties, suddenly it's cold and lonely out there. You now look over your shoulder, and where are those footsloggers?
"Oh no, we didn't mean at all 'exploit' in that sense -- no, actual we meant 'consolidate' - yes, yes, we are ready here to cover your withdrawal, splendid show, do come back whenever you think you should. We'll be here behind this large and hard-to-cross ditch ready to help..."
Well, the flanks had gone kaput, the cavalry could not stay where it was, so there was nothing left to do but charge . .
Great Cavalry Manoeuver #4
I launch all my remaining regiments up the middle into the gap. Various odds and ends of French cavalry squadrons dodge and weave, some evading, some countercharging. As the French mounted arm has seen a good deal of action. I comfortably outnumber it. Maybe I can get to the end of this battle with a shred of my 'Horsemaster' reputation intact? Nope. In part the rules contribute. I charge one target, they evade, and I'm forced by the rules to exploit in a straight line. So my conserved cavalry launch a Napoleonic charge in line past another unit standing a scant few inches from my flank. To make it real tough decision for them I run out of steam right in front, flank waving in the breeze. The French regiment reacts: "Sarre Bleu Chargez!" and hit in the flank one of my strongest regiments, Breitenbach's Hanovarian Dragoons, dissolves.
This sort of dismal performance continues. punch and counterpunch, until it is the final melee. I should statistically win it. No the way things have been going. . .. We roll the die. Gasp, I just squeak a win. The French flee. But only a single intact British regiment, the Royal North British Dragoons [The Scots Grays, Ed] stands recovering in the center ready to pursue next turn.
Dean West decides to call the game -- a rather pyrrhic Allied victory. French morale is in decline. It is hard to see how they can reform a defensible line. On our side things are almost as bad. Our infantry is devastated. Our artillery is used up and as for my splendid troopers, they're gone, all gone save for a single regiment.
In my mind's eye, an erect figure on horseback, resplendent in the uniform of the British 11th Hussars (Cherrypickers), aristocratic arrogance in his bearing, rides out of the smoke and flame of the great melee. He looks at me scornfully as he rides by and says: "You will ansew faw it. You have wuined the Light Bwigade..."
A Short Canter in Germany 7YW Wargame Report
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