Our First Try

Club Members Set the Scene and Put Forward Their Thoughts.

This is a summary of our first attempt at playing POW Franco-Prussian with 15mm figures from Essex.

The French units deployed across the board with a nice little machine gun nest on the French right Flank. The French held two town strongpoints. French cavalry deployed on their left. The Prussians Two infantry brigades, a gun battery and a cavalry division all deployed on the left facing half the French army and that MG nest. The Prussian foot came forward in column being machine gunned at shot at all the way. Prussian units about to assault the first town. Prussian cavalry lancers both units taken a third losses without inflicting anything pulling back to reform. Cavalry moving up for a big sweep around the French right flank. Prussian Hussars sweep mg nests away in open woods. Prussian heavy cavalry under machine gun and infantry fire but within charging distance and able to sweep the flank if the dice do not go against.

I wonder what happened next. How did the Prussian assault on the town go? What did the Prussian cavalry do next. Better still what is the French cavalry that started on the other side of the battlefield going to do and how many rounds before they are in range. I wait to see what happens in part 2.

The Scene

I'll remind readers of the scene: The poorest brigade of French plus 3 Millitreuse defending the town at the East of the table facing the whole of the Prussian Army attacking with infantry into the town and attempting to pass all the cavalry through a gap between a wood (that did not affect movement) and the lone regiment of line infantry south of the town. The rest of the French army was to the West of the table 4' away! The better quality French troops in the western town had orders to attack the now empty north flank. The French cavalry on the extreme western edge with orders to attack and cross the whole of the northern table edge and turn back down towards the eastern town.

Despite frantic pleas for the rest of the French army to move across to help, the French CinC and troops literally stood around for at least 6 game turns before finally moving East. Bob's cavalry valiantly threw itself upon the now shaken Prussian infantry in hand to hand combat with the French around the Eastern town. They even charged at the deployed Prussian guns (once only!). Meanwhile, the Prussian cavalry, still smarting from the now overrun French cannon in the wood, continued to roll poor movement dice even when Chris took over from Alex. The Prussians steadfastly progressed through the town, their Jagers sweeping away all three Millitreuse sustaining very little casualties (those damn dice!).

Kenny's renowned luck at rolling 6's on D6 or less than 6 on D20 continued, and the inevitable destruction of the French Division occurred. But the French had held on just long enough for the totally untouched French infantry force under the CinC to march across and form a new defensive line west of the Eastern town. Bob's cavalry managed to shield them with spirited (aka suicidal) charges into the Prussian foot north of the town, eventually driving them back into the town but more importantly preventing Prussian reinforcements or artillery fire reaching the new French units. A final attempt with the Prussian cavalry charging the new guns and French line failed. The French superiority in ranged fire started to tell on the now exhausted Prussian infantry and they started to retreat. The Prussians had failed in their attempt to breakout into the South of the table but it had been very, very close! What a game.