Premise:
You have
moved repositioned the army to shorten the supply chain and allow reinforcements
to reach you sooner. The enemy advance guard shadows your movement and days
later your spies have reported their main army have moved forward. Knowing
enemy supplies and reinforcements will travel further, you have devised a plan
to intercept an enemy column. A successful raid will set the enemy off balance
and delay their campaign efforts.
The Forces:
A mobile
brigade, consisting of two regiments of cavalry and two units of jaegers, are
assigned the task to engage the column of reinforcements. Spies have reported
one such column of brigade strength have departed and will reach the enemy camp
in six days’ time.
Test
one.
Marching in
column, four French battalions are stretched astride a road running the centre
of the board. A die cast determines the distance between battalions and the
position of the commanding officer.
Behind the
wheat fields, Hanoverian cavalry has deployed in to line screened by a unit of
jaegers. The movement has not gone unnoticed and two French battalions move off
road to form a line.
Forming a line has taken longer than expected (raw troops) and they are overrun by the Breidenbach cavalry. Despite their lack of training, the French offer stiff resistance prompting Breidenbach to pass through and rally further back.
The second French battalion, occupied by the jaegers to their front, were not able to respond to the German cavalry bearing down on their flank.
The rapidity of the attack and loss of half the brigade stunned their commander to call for the remaining battalions to save themselves.
Test
two.
New terrain
was set up for test number two and to balance the game somewhat, the attacking
force were reduced by a unit of jaegers.
The ensuing
conflict developed in a similar pattern, but this time two French battalions were
able to form line. Poor shooting and a subsequent mell put both battalions to
rout. The French did inflict casualties.
Observations
Despite the
reduction of the attacker’s force, the tests ended similarly. Three of the four
battalions were raw troops escorted by one trained unit. Their placement at the
rear of the column would serve as a deterrent against desertion (prevalent
during the period), nonetheless, their placement in the middle or at the head
of the column would certainly improve their situation.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten