Affair at Eisenmuhlen - Part 1

[Beginning Note: I've been very slow in getting this report posted. But, better late than never!]

[Additional Note: Although Blogger says this was posted on Oct. 13, it actually wasn't finished and posted until Oct. 19.]

After their victory on 19 September 1759/2009, the Imperial Reichsarmeeabteilung Obere Sachsen reorganized its forces and added enough replacements to bring its units back to full strength. They then marched north, following the withdrawing Electoral army, towards the Barony of Eisenmuhlen and its important cannon foundry.

The Electorische Armee Thuringen fell back in front of the Imperials. But as they were drawing closer to their depots, they were also able to gain replacements to bring almost all their units back to full strength. Approaching the cannon foundry at Eisenmuhlen, the commander received orders from the Markgraf to defend this important point with all his might. He quickly set his army to building hasty fortifications using gabions and wood from some of the non-essential buildings in the area.

The game was played on 3 October 1759/2009 in the Fellowship Hall of Fondren Presbyterian Church on one main table (16' x 5.5') and two back tables (16' x 2.5' each). The Electoral army would set up on the main table with a light troops screen to their front along the "enemy" edge of the main table. The Imperial army would begin with only their light troops deployed 12" in from their side of their rear table and their main forces in columns advancing from "off the table."

The forces involved were almost the same from the last game, with both sides light troops not having a battalion gun this time and the Electoral side missing one battalion of Brittanians and a battalion gun (lost in the last action).

As usual, please click on the photos from larger versions.

Photo by Jim Pitts

The cannon foundry at Eisenmuhlen with four newly completed guns sitting in the yard.

Photo by Jim Pitts

The Denkmal (monument) hill where Reich Duke and Duchess von Beerstein, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Courland and the Duke and Duchess von Sachsen-Wachsenstein, observed the battle. If you look closely, you can espy "Frivolous" Fiona MacGillicuddy in the background with her bumbershoot and flask of single malt.

Photo by Jim Pitts

The Imperial commanders - Mark Stevens (army commander) and Clay James, standing, and Phil Young and John Murdaugh, seated.

Photo by Jim Pitts

The Electoral commanders - from left - Larry Reeves, Ed Sansing, Sean Pitts, and Bill Hamilton (army commander)

Photo by Ed Sansing

The main table battlefield with Eisenmuhlen in the center right.
The game master, Jim Pitts (Col Campbell, in khaki shorts) is briefing some of the players.

In order to simulate the "fog of war," we erected a screen down the main table with only the Electoral light troops visible to the approaching Imperials.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The Electoral light troops screen, commanded by Ed Sansing, with a company of Carpanian jagers on either flank, the Warsteiner Freikorps, and the light dragoons in the center.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The Electoral light troops screen from the opposite flank.

Photo by Bill Hamilton

And hidden behind the "fog of war" screen was the Electoral army in its defensive positions, here looking from the extreme right flank whose troops were commanded by Larry Reeves. The woods in the distance held a surprise for the Imperials.

The Imperials would not be able to see the Electoral deployment until one of their light troop units touched the screen, thus lifting the "fog of war."

Photo by Bill Hamilton

The Courland Tomifievich Cossacks were the first to penetrate the "fog of war" screen as they reconnoitered around the flank of the Electoral screen. And they saw the open right flank of the Electoral army.

But here the "fog of war" still reigned as they sat immobile for the next turn because their commander forgot to move them and was also not told about one of their victory conditions - get light units off the electoral side of the back table and raid towards the Carpanian capitol of Potzdorf. The Electoral right flank commander was able to redeploy his battalions to seal off the gap and discouraged the Cossacks from any further advances.

Photo by Jim Pitts

Meanwhile, the Carpanian light troops commander launched all his light cavalry in an attempt to clear the Imperial light troops away from screening their army's advance. Here a small squadron of York Dragoons attack and disperse a company of Courland Pandurs, eventually chasing them completely away and pursuing them off the battlefield.

Photo by Jim Pitts

A long range view of the fighting between the two sides' light troops along the gap between the main table and the Imperial back table.

Photo by Jim Pitts

Supported by the Warsteiner Freikorps, the Britannian Queen's Rangers light dragoons and the 17th Light Dragoons engage the converged Reichsarmee light dragoons.

And here we will leave the light troops battle. After defeating the Imperial light dragoons, the light troops on both sides pulled back as the Imperial army advanced onto the battlefield and the "fog of war" cleared to reveal the Electoral army in all its splendor.

Part 2 will cover the main battle.