Two of the ARMCHAIR GENERAL'S Staff, ( Dave Geisz and Pat Condray ) recently spent the weekend at Henry Bodenstedtt's new Continental Hobby Shop in Freehold New Jersey. Henry had invited us to field test his latest wargame, "Graveyard St. Privat", based on the battle of Gravelotte St. Privat, and a brief report seems in order.

Although the rules will be covered in detail in future issues, the following points should be kept in mind about the game:

A.) It is of the set piece variety - set up according to a specific terrain layout. The French have the mission of defending Roncourt, St. Privat , and Amanvillers against a numerically stronger Prussian force ( 3 to 2 odds ) for nine turns after which they must escape to the Fortress of Metz.

B.) Relative weapon advantages are taken into account, i.e. the French field guns ( la Hitte muzzle loaders in 1870 ) are weak, and number only 3 guns, to the 5 rather effective Prussian Krupp weapons. There axe also 2 Montigny Mitrailleuses.( machine guns on wheeled carriages ) which counterbalance the massive Prussian 24 pdr. siege-gun.

C.) To speed up the action, and perhaps to add tone to the brawl 1 cavalry is much harder to kill than infantry, and is able to charge defenders behind low walls.

D.) The very heavy fire effect of small arms is balanced by long moves ( 4 inch squares ). This is in contrast to strictly realistic rlues, which would accumulate gradually over a very long range, which tends to lead to a firefight, but speeds up the game a great deal.

In the test Game the Prussian Commander diced to establish the location of his siege gun, which is fixed in a concealed position by a dice roll and is exposed when it fires. The confused gun crew, alas, had planted the gun right up against St. Privat. This forced the Prussian Commander to throw most of his infantry against St. Privat in order to support the gun, In this effort, the Prussians were blessed by an accidental 5 extra cavalry squadrons. ( 2 man cavalry bases ) We had the TO's mixed up as we thought the Prussians were supposed to have 20 bases of cavalry instead of the normal fifteen.

The French Commander expected a strong attack on Roncourt (a weak position) because the Prussians could, under cover of a woods, attack without to many losses. In addition to the required 6 battalions ( 3 man infantry bases ) were 6 reserve infantry bases and the 2 mitrailleuses of the horse artillery.

The cavalry in open order to let the shells pass through ( 5 sqdns of lancers and 5 sqdns of cuirassiers ) were stationed between Roncourt and St. Privat which was held by 6 btns, of French Guard Grenadiers and 3 batteries of guns. Amanvillers, with a wood behind it to screen the retreat, held the minimum garrison of 6 btns, of Guard Voltiqeurs.

As three Prussian brigades advanced towards St. Privat the French Guards opened fire and blasted the leading attack column. To the left of the attack columns 10 squadrons of Prussian cavalry screened a brigade of infantry and 3 field guns. At this point the French realized that the German cavalry could jump the stone fences of the town. The French artillery was demonstrating their usual marked incompetence.

As at Froeschwiller, Vionville, and Sedan, the French commander thought of his cavalry, Fortunately the Prussian horse masked the fire of most of the German infantry and artillery, and when the other cavalry units arrived they would, with the already suffering infantry, come under fire of the Guards,

"What do I need cavalry for anyway?" he thought to self. "The'll only clutter up the place - and besides, horses eat too much. Eh bien, sound the charge?"

There followed a confused two move melee with plenty of cutting, slashing and cursing--Gallic and Tuetonic--with infantry shooting at anything that bulged out of the general confusion. The issue was decided when an additional 5 sqdns. of Prussian dragoons joined the melee.

Meanwhile, back to the flanks - the Guard Voltiqeurs holding Amanvillers, were rushed by tile 33rd and 65th, supported by a field battery, The battery scored some hits but the fire of the Voltiqeurs smashed the Prussian brigade. The French than charged in open order, the Prussian battery.

At Roncourt, where the French had dispatched 4 btns. to St. Privat, the Prussian infantry attack was wiped out to the last man. However, after the cavalry melee, the 16th Uhlans and the Colberg Fusiliers brigade attacked the remaining battalion of infantry and the two Mitrailleuses. By the end of game move six, the French guns had been chased out of town, but the Prussians were down to 2 squadrons of cavalry and 2 btns. of infantry.

As the last 2 squadrons of French cavalry fled the field, the Prussian guns hit hard on a French battery, and the 7th Cuirassiers, with infantry support, raged through St. Privat. The game for a moment was wide open, but Prussian numbers were giving out. Then out of the blue, a courier arrived ( after checking the T.O. in the rules ) demanding the return of 5 squadrons to another Prussian corps. It was all up with the Prussian cause.

Graveyard St. Privat Rules