The Battle of Froeschwiller-Wörth 6th Aug 1870 - A Franco-Prussian batrep

 

The Rejects got together last weekend for our first Franco-Prussian game since March 2019!!

Here's a link to the game, if you're interested?

Background - Very cheaply stolen from Richard's post about the game...here!

The Prussian Third Army has invaded Alsace in northeastern France.  Having defeated a French division at the Battle of Wissembourg on the 4th August, the Germans lost contact with the retreating defenders.  By the evening of the 5th, the French had been found in and around Froeschwiller.  The Crown Prince now ordered the elements of the Third Army to arrive and deploy in preparation for an expected battle on the 7th August.   

Meanwhile, Marshal MacMahon in charge of the French defenders (1st Corps) at Froeschwiller was also laying preparations.  He sent orders to General Failly in charge of 5th Corps to march immediately to add to the defence.  Like the Crown Prince, MacMahon anticipated the battle would be on the 7th August.

However, in the early morning of the 6th August, forward Prussian elements skirmishing around Wörth found themselves in a fight and eventually gained control of Worth.  Responding to the sound of battle, Bavarian brigades on the German left flank engaged in increasing numbers.  As more German units marched to the sound of the guns the situation escalated throughout the morning.

French defenders had so far acquitted themselves well.  However, by midday the Germans had deployed a significant artillery presence.  The Crown Prince, now realising that it was too late and dangerous to disengage from the encounter decided to continue to rush the rest of the Third Army into the fray as best as could be done.

The scenario picks up the battle at 12:00 noon with the engagement well under way and units closely engaged.  The French must keep Froeschwiller and the road west to Reichshoffen open for 5th Corps to arrive... or to permit a retreat!

Myself, Dan and Steve were the Prussian and Bavarian's, while Lee, Postie and Mike Sayce were the French.

We've been promising a game for Mike for far too long, while sitting having a sandwich at Cavalier, Mike finally got his invite back to Reject HQ.

My command on the left, Dan was in the centre

And Steve's Bavarian's were on our right.

We fired our artillery, Dan seemed to have better luck than me. I remembered from last playing the rules that our artillery was far superior than the French, but that didn't seem so in this game. Richard was being sneaky, due to the heavy rain the night before battle, the field was sodden, which badly affected the fuses in our shells.

I moved ahead, I was aiming for the troops in the woods, top left in the pic. The French infantry opened fire all along their lines!! We knew they would as they had a longer range than us, but bloody hell, we didn't expect to get mauled like we did!!

Dan had lots of troops, it was just a metter of trying to get them all in!

Steve was having a bit of trouble crossing the swollen river on our right.

I wanted to try and keep my attack in a small place, so I didn't get too many casualties as I advanced.

My view of my side of the battlefield

Dan got his troops up onto the hill

I moved my skirmishers up close to stop my 3 columns being fired at, but Mike shot at the right coloun from the top of the hill and killed 4 casualties, my chaps didn't like that, so they all dived to the floor and went prone, see the marker.

Over on the right, Steve was still having trouble, this time it was all the infantry and artillery fire hitting the 2 units out the front.

I had some troops turn up on my right, which pleased us all no end!! I aimed these for the next hill over, which would split the French fire.

And there they are, the French for the day, Postie, Mike and Lee. BOOOO!!!!

Ooooo, more troops enter the fray, it was only 1 heavy Cavalry unit, but it was on extreme left flank, in front of where Postie was bring the French Cavalry round.

A bigger Oooo, I received 2 more batteries of artillery, I turned them to face Posties Cavalry horde that was coming round the left flank

You can just see Posties first unit coming round.

It was Dan's turn to get some of the long overdue re-reinforcements in the centre. It was a bit of a struggle though, maneuvering 3 regts of infantry and a Uhlan unit around a giant tape measure!

Dan turned his Uhlan's and sent them over to our left,

I withdrew my skirmish line, leaving it clear for 3 units to charge uphill at Mike's troops in the woods.

The two damaged units passed their morale on the left and right, but the centre untouched unit bulked at the chance!

In the centre, Dan charged and knocked back the unit in front the town on the hill, he also attacked the French in the trench to the right.

On the right, Steve's Bavarian's charged the French Chasseurs and the French on the centre of the hill.

And won both melee's, the French position, now looked very dodgy!!

Dan, like me previously had the chance to charge three units at one and failed. Only going in with two units against the trench. On the left, 2 Prussian columns hit the town...

The might of Prussia, pushes on!

The French lose the town.

The Prussians occupy the town, its beginning to look bleak for the French.

More columns climb the hill.

The Prussians take the trench, with overwhelming force.

A view down the battleline.

We're doing well, but can we get to Froeschwiller, (top left) before the end of the game?

Lee starts to move the infantry back towards their lines of communication.

Both myself and Dan both charge uphill and hit Mike's troops in the woods.

Mike loses the melee and moves his troops back.

But saves the town on the hill, he knocks Dan back.

Poor French, as the Prussian masses move over the hill, surely its only a matter of time?

On the right, Lee has moved everything back, giving ground to the Bavarian horde.

Two dejected French players

There the game ended.

Conclusion

Richard called an end to the game, we still had a few game hors to play, but had run out of real time. It was clear to everyone that the French couldn't and wouldn't last, they would lose Froeschwiller and possibly the road. After a valiant fight Richard gave the win to the Prussian's!!

What a crackin game that was. In the first few hours of the game, the French gave us Prussian's a very big bloody nose and I for one wasn't sure we'd pull off a win, but after lunch the game turned on its heels, with a little luck on the dice and some troops turning up to help us push forward. 

In reality the French flanks were broken and they had to retreat back to Froeschwiller and back down the road towards Reichshoffen. So although we didn't achieve that fact, we think it would have happened by the end of the game.

Well done to Richard for putting on a bloody big game, it was a blast!!!