SYW - Battle of Bergen - April 1759

For the next battle in the Duke of Brunswick linked scenarios I was thinking of doing Saundershausen, however, the Duke wasn't there and the forces are way too small for a game of more than two people and Combat of Mehr would also fall into a great two player game. Since I'm shooting for 4 or more players I had to continue on down the timeline.

The next logical choice would be the Battle of Lutterberg in October of 1758. This is a nice large battle, but is missing the Duke. I would have loved to have done this one, but once again, over half the French army stands stagnate. Tis a shame as I could have used my Saxons for the first time.

Moving on chronology, the next logical fight is the Battle of Bergen, which is the first battle of 1759! This features a large Allied army assaulting the French across a fairly narrow front. This one looks perfect for my next battle and the Duke is present!!

Background
Description from Kronoskaf site:

"When Ferdinand of Brunswick heard of the capture of Frankfurt early in January 1759, he resolved to risk a long march at this bad season and to attack de Broglie near this town. He hoped to paralyze French operations in this region by severing them from their base. Ferdinand first launched diversionary operations against Hessen. He then launched a surprise attack on the French positions. However, Broglie managed to concentrate a French force at the fortified town Bergen blocking the road to Frankfurt.

On April 12, Broglie's army bivouacked near Bergen. He deployed Royal-Suédois, Royal Deux-Ponts, Waldner and Planta in the orchards near Bergen.

In the evening of April 12, the Allies designed their plan of attack: the Hereditary Prince would be in the vanguard, Ysenburg on the left, Holstein-Gottorp on the right. They would deploy in the country between Vilbel and Bergen. Ferdinand assumed that Bergen was occupied by only some 2 to 3,000 French troops and decided for a quick attack without artillery for the next day. Indeed, the artillery had been left behind in the mud. Orders were sent at midnight. Troops had to concentrated at their starting positions around Rossdorf and Kilianstädten, 3 km south of Windecken. The hour of the attack was fixed at 6:00 AM on April 13. However the short time allowed to deploy (only 6 hours) made it impossible for every units to reach their assigned positions in due time. "

The Map and Table Setup

The map was touched up in PowerPoint to show the unit locations. Map from SYW Project site.

I put four VP locations throughout the map. 

Rules, Players, and Figures

Allied Generals: Jan, Mac, Brian
French Generals: Wes, Phil,

Rules: Piquet's Cartouche 2nd edition Supplement

Scenario Special Rules

Bergen was a CLASS III medieval walled town.
Northern woods is CLASS IV (i.e. - stay the hell out of there!)
Guns are deployed behind the sunken road.
Because Ferdinand was not up to his standards, he is rated Average in this game.

The Battle

Because this was fought several months ago, the details may be a bit fuzzy.

This is the French cavalry reserve, artillery line, and the Saxons furthest away from the action.

Good view from the Bergen showing the Brunswickers, Hessians, and Hanoverians preparing for the assault through the orchards and over the walls of Bergen.

Swiss, holding steady as the Brunswick Grenadiers advance.

Large cavalry brigade waits for their opportunity.

Mixed Allied brigade of Brunswickers and Hessians, Brunswick Grenadiers for a strike force to clear the orchards around Bergen.

Hessians

French lines past the sunken road, with a brigade of French infantry reserves in the distance.

Jan sends his Brunswick Grenadiers into the waiting Swiss and French!

Mac attacks the right flank of the French in the fields before Bergen. The stone walls offer less resistance than was thought.

French opportunity fire (yellow chip) was feckless …

The Allied return fire was not! Four stands lost from the two French units, sending them in flight back through Bergen!

French reserves rush to man the walls of Bergen (homemade that week) before the Allies can press their advantage.

Mac's attack cleared the stone walls before the village, but Jan's Brunswickers ran into a Swiss buzz saw!

The Swiss destroy two stands of Brunswick Grenadiers and rout them!

Nice view of the flack situation. Allies and French are both moving forces on the other parts of the field.

Mac's Hanoverians and Hessians march through the fields and orchards and flank the pesky Swiss and send them packing!

Saxons and Hessians begin to for firing lines around the sunken road. French artillery was firing this entire time with little effect. Even the heavy batteries were sub-par in their attack.

Dead Swiss (black casualty markers)

The Allies get to the Bergen walls as the French chose to defend the inner city (VP location is in there) rather than the walls.

Love this photo!

Good view of the other part of the table where most of the forces are located. Phil, French general, has to decide to either to continue his feckless artillery fire or advance his horse reserve through his guns (masking them) and change the dynamics of the battlefield!

With some difficulty, the Prussians surmount the walls of Bergen. Bitter hand fighting likely to come.

Different angle of the fighting

Phil, the French commander, decides to send in the cavalry as Bergen is close to slipping from French control.

Hessian Grenadiers assault the town section routing the French!

The VP location (blue star) in sight!!

French forces are getting caught in march column (deadly in Piquet), as masses of Allied and Infantry and Cavalry prepare to finish these French off for good!

View from the Allied perspective.

French player morale was low at this point, Bergen was in Allied hands, and the French infantry in march column were basically dead in the water. It was 11pm so we called it, but there was about to be some massive fighting all along the front.

Afterthoughts

We had great fun again with these series of games. Minden should be next chronologically, however I have no British troops painted!!! So, likely have to move to something smaller or without so many British so I can use Hanoverian proxies.

The scenario is difficult as the attacker is around Bergen so half of each army must aggressively advance to get into the action. I'm not sure this has much replay value, unless you have fewer players. I could always start the main forces, those not in and around Bergen, closer together.

Sources
I used the following to help me design the scenario for Piquet.

1. Kronoskaf Site, as usual - Battle of Bergen
2. Tim Tilson Scenario book: Great Captains Campaigns: Ferdinand of Brunswick available on www.wargamevault.com
3. Age of Honor scenario book (refights entire battle):
http://www.ageofeagles.com/Pages/ScenarioBooks.aspx
4. Might and Reason Scenario: The Battle Of Bergen - April 13, 1759 - by Chuck Hamack and Erik Engling
5. "His Britannic Majesty's Army in Germany during the Seven Years War" by Sir Reginald Savory
http://www.18thcenturypress.com/savory.html
6. Operations of the Allied Army Under the Duke of Brunswick, 1757-1762, by Sir Charles Hotham-Thompson.

Taiping Rebellion - EVA Relief Force

We are still doing lots of gaming here in Charlotte, and I wanted to post a couple recaps of Taiping Rebellion games we have been fighting.

This one is a Taiping attack on an isolated Imperial force with the EVA (under Frederick Townsend Ward) coming to the rescue. Or at least trying to come to the rescue.

Taiping Commanders: EricBu and Phil
Imperial Commander: Jan
EVA Commander: Brian

This is the only 28mm army collection I have and it is rather large at this point in time. I will have to sell this in the next five years as I will be downsizing my home and won't have a place to store this wonderful collection.

We used Piquet, as usual, with some house-rules for flavor for this period.

My Taiping army is adorn with beautiful flags from The Virtual Armchair General, unfortunately, they have not released the Imperial flags (hence, my Imperial army will have to have handmade flags done by me). I don't expect them to ever release the flags for the Qing\Imperial forces.

Here are some shots of the Taiping army with the flags and pennants flying!

Phil commanded the Right wing ying of Brethren\Bandits and Veteran Ying (regiment\brigade)

Brethren and Bandits (clumped in the second rank)

Veterans, nasty men!

I commanded the cavalry reserve and the Left Ying

View from Jan's Imperial command (most are pictured), they are heavily outnumbered both in men and quality.

The great Taiping Commander Kan Wang (Shield King), with 3 Chinese coins for Opp Chips.

Good view of the Taiping attack against the Imperial positions in the hills.

This shot shows the far end of the table where my Brethren will have to take on the EVA.

Frederick Townsend Ward (Brian) with his small brigade of Chinese and Manilamen.

The attack commences with Phil's commands advancing on the Imperials.

My wing of brethren do the same against the EVA, but my only missile armed unit is immediately shattered by the EVA rifled breach loading artillery!! Three stands lost on the first shot! Damn!

The light guns pro-long forward to see if they can get better range (I'm not sure they can do much more damage in one shot!)

More of the EVA including Kingsley's Force (blue), and Wards Rifles (left).

The right flank brethren are heading up the hill towards the Imperial forces. 

Taiping Veterans advance in the middle driving back the Imperial Tigermen and Jingals.

Ground eye view before the Brethren assault the hill.

Imperial archers knock out a stand of rebels but don't halt their charge.

The brethren unit in the left throws stink pots and drives the Imperials from their positions.

Veterans torch the temple of the unbelievers, while the move to the attack.

The scene before the armies collide.

Meanwhile, on the left, I take my brethrens into battle with the EVA as I cannot just sit and wait while my units get shot to pieces.

I send the women brethrens as far right as I can so as to draw off one of the EVA units to allow a gap to appear in the EVA lines. My ladies have a stink pot attached. :-)

The rebels now charge and rout nearly all that is before them. They rout the archers, the previous Imperial unit that the stink pots disordered and forced back, leaving a band of peasants in support.

Imperial commander, with casualty check heart next to him, watches as his forces melt before the Taiping rage.

View from the Imperial side as another melee commences.

Imperials discharge their bows, matchlocks and stink pots against the Taiping Veterans

Here you can see the shattered remains of the Imperial left flank.

Tooth and Nail!!!

The SHAME, a veteran unit is routed by the fire.

The Imperials doggedly try to gain an advantage and fire on the flank of the Veteran Taipingers. Only to cause no damage, then get routed by Jingal fire from the rebels.

One the left my hordes advance, but all EVA musket fire is weak, but the artillery knocks out some of the lady's battalions stands. The ladies shrug off the casualties and move forward towards the 1st EVA Regiment (top right of this photo). The Taiping Jingal (center right) fires at the 1st EVA and disorders them.

The Taiping Women's battalion charges into contact, then unleashes their stink pots, which ROUT the EVA regiment!

Things just get worse for the Imperials as more regiments rout before the Taiping.

Another unit routs for the Imperiasl before the Taiping as they overrun the local commander and his bodyguard. The Imperial forces flea the field while the EVA withdraws before it can suffer any critical damage.

We will fight another battle next week with the Imperial forces holding a River Fort against the Taiping army. Link to the next battle - River Fort Assault at Hankou.