Seven Years War project - the Allies

The Allies, Hannover, Hesse-Kassel and Brunswick are the last group to be rebased, Hanoverian uniforms are nearly identical to the British but will still be recognisable by the flags they carry. The flags are currently being painted and should be done by next week.

To their left, representing Hesse-Kassel are four battalions of infantry. Three have flags and the fourth will receive its flag next week. Troops clad in green uniforms are two battalions of light troops that played an active role in Ferdinand’s campaigns against the French.

Cavalry for both the French and Allied armies fielded fewer squadrons per regiment when compared to cavalry of Prussia or Austria. Reading Savory’s “His Britannic Majesty’s Army in Germany”, one is struck by the terrain over which both armies maneuvered around creating supply and foraging problems.     

Compared to the other collections, allied generals and staff are not as numerous, having four generals for the infantry brigades and one for the cavalry. That should be rectified when I do an inventory of the “extra” elements remaining.  

Lastly, the nucleus of a British contingent. Plans are being made to add more horse and foot and while rebasing these, I noticed the grenadiers were not Old Glory 15s, but Blue Moon figures. Twelve years ago, Old Glory did not offer British grenadiers as a separate item, forcing me to purchase the Blue Moon figures. That has been corrected and grenadiers will be included in the next order.

Testing the variant - A Clash of Cavalry

The following test brought two brigades of Prussian cavalry in contact with an equal number of Austrian dragoons and hussars to the field. A simple die cast determined if a side would deploy one or both brigades at the start of the battle.

 The encounter.

At the outset of the encounter, Prussia displayed greater number of cavalry; to compensate, Austria deployed its hussars in extended line and await the arrival of the dragoons. The hussars did not have to wait long as the dragoons arrived and quickly deployed forming a second line. Sensing an opportunity, the Prussian Black Hussars charged the Austrian screen.

Placing further pressure on the Austrian screen, Prussian dragoons, from the second brigade, charged the Austrian hussars to their front. The latter responded in time to counter charge (1)

Meanwhile, the Black Hussars pressed their counterparts back on the Austrian second line.

To support the two cavalry conflicts, an Austrian dragoon regiment threaded its way to take a position, protecting the interior flanks of both hussar regiments.

The Black Hussars, gaining an advantage, put the Austrians to flight pursued by the Prussians (2). Seeing their comrades in flight, a second Austrian dragoon regiment wheeled by divisions to strike the Prussians in flank, while a third division took position to face the Prussian Brown hussars. (3).

On the Prussian right, the fight between dragoons and Austrian hussars, neither gaining an advantage, both regiments broke off to regroup (4).

Assessing the situation, it was clear Prussia had gained the upper hand in the conflict and Austria would need to retire gracefully from the field. Austria’s uncommitted dragoon regiment were given the task to cover the retreat.

Wishing to continue the contest, the reserve Prussian dragoon would engage the Austrians covering the retreat. The clash was brief and not what Prussia had expected, ending with them regrouping next to their brethren, slightly bloodied.

Yet, despite the final act, the Prussians were able to claim a small victory, routing the Austrian hussars and later, both brigades retiring from the field (5).

Notes.

(1) Only cavalry or irregular infantry can declare a counter charge and only if the attacker has not yet made contact.

(2) Pursuits are compulsory for at least a turn before an attempt to rally can take place. In this case, the Black Hussars were struck in flank while pursuing. Neither side gained an advantage and eventually broke off combat.  

(3) Changes of direction are made by wheeling, in this case, the Austrian dragoons wheeled in pairs (division) expending two pips and an extra pip for the division covering.

(4) Breaking off combat applies only to cavalry. After two consecutive bounds of melee, if neither side gain an advantage (casualties inflicted), they break off contact and attempt to rally on the subsequent turn.

(5) Losses on both sides were nearly equal; however, Prussia broke one regiment of Austrian hussars, giving them an advantage. Using the same parameters as DBA to determine a victor (1/3 of 24), the Austrians lost 9 compared to the Prussian loss of 5.

Seven Years War project - the French

The 130 elements of French fill two A4 boxes, simply too many infantry and cavalry to photograph at one time. To simplify the task, the sequence of photos is of the contents of each storage box.

Box one contain all the French line infantry and heavy cavalry. Labelling them is on the to-do list, but for now, the flags remain their only means of recognition.

Box two contain the foreign regiments in French service; Swiss, German and Swedes. In addition, there are two battalions “on loan” from the Imperial Reichs army, present at the Battle of Hastenbeck.

Compared to Prussian or Austrian armies, French cavalry units were smaller, generally fielding two squadrons, represented here as three elements of horse or dragoons.

Lastly, the generals and staff.