Jicin 1866

[mollinary]

OK, here goes with the AAR. The battle took place in rural Suffolk at the end of August, involved only Pendraken figures, and featured 6 players, 2 umpires, and a photographer.


1) View from the Brada heights looking north over the Austrian gunline.



The real battle took place at the end of June 1866 as Prussian armies invaded Bohemia from three sides. Jicin, to the northeast and west of Koniggratz, was a crucial road junction for both sides, and as the Austro-Saxon forces withdrew from the frontier under Prussian pressure they were under orders to hold Jicin, to allow the concentration of North Army for a coming counter stroke. Jicin would need to be held against Prussians coming from the north, and from the west.  


2) Village of Diletz in the centre of the Austrian line by the Cidlina stream.  Markt Eisenstadtl in the distance top left.



As the Austrians arrived they filed into positions to hold, hopefully for about 24 hours, before being reinforced.  The Saxons, who had had to take a circuitous route, we're late in arriving.  About 1630 hours in the afternoon General von Tumpling (aka Richard Clarke of TFL fame) arrived in front of the Austrian position between Brada and Diletz. With the speed one would expect, he rapidly decided the Austrian gun line could not be assaulted, and set out to his left to outflank the line via Markt Eisenstadtl (ME), with his entire force.


3) Piret's brave boys rush the Prussians, while balancing precariously on a pin!



In spite of strict orders to hold their positions, the Austrian Brigades of Poschacher and Piret left the Brada heights and ME respectively, and launched themselves towards the head and flank of the Prussian columns. They looked magnificent as they swept forward, and one could understand the Austrian confidence as the Kaiser's banners crested the rise, but all would be dashed.  


4) Piret's Jagers and 2nd battalion 18th Infantry storm forward.



The rules used were modified RF&F, with 50 yards to the inch and eighty men to a four figure base.  New formations were introduced, and Prussian schnellfeuer modelled, and the Austrian columns juddered as they were hit. They kept coming, and kept suffering. In places the Prussians buckled, but didn't break.  All the while Austrian casualties mounted until,  at 1930, orders came from the high command to retire "without bringing on a major engagement"!   Light was failing, and the Austrians had to disengage as well as they could.


5) Poschacher's jagers await the Prussians on the Brada heights.



The two brigades of the "P" brothers (Piret and Poschacher, also in wargaming terms two 30 somethings called Peter who have known each  other forever) we're shattered, suffering over 8,000 casualties to the Prussian just shy of 2,000.  The Saxons (shown in their box in one of the pictures) never made the action. The great Austrian gun line hardly fired  a shot, and the Austrian cavalry dithered, and frittered, and shuffled every bit as much as it did in real life.  


6) Austrians close on the Prussians in the Cidlina valley.  Prussians in extended line with a company column in support.



7) An eagle's eye view of the Austrian gun line.



Overall, a lot of fun, and a good first outing for the rules. Still a work in progress, I think, but we will have a re-fight with slight modifications next weekend and, if you are all very good, and live to 2013, I may get around to writing about it.


Bored Saxons awaiting the action that never came!



Thanks for your patience!

Mollinary

[nikharwood]

Good stuff M - sounds like a great game - looking forward to the pics 

[cameronian]

the Austrian cavalry dithered, and frittered, and shuffled every bit as much as it did in real life

1st Light Cavalry Division dithered ... frittered ... shuffled .... whoever it was should be court martialled, NOW!
   

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Sounds like a good day for the Prussians, the Austrian Cavalry should be shot, by the Prussians!

[Hertsblue]

The rumour had got around that they were going to be mechanised in eighty year's time. 

[mollinary]

the Austrian cavalry dithered, and frittered, and shuffled every bit as much as it did in real life

1st Light Cavalry Division dithered ... frittered ... shuffled .... whoever it was should be court martialled, NOW!
   

Cam,   Just for you, I'll give a bit more detail as to what happened.  As a Prussian half battalion was coming along the course of the Cidlina the 9th Liechtenstein Hussars (ie all of Appel's Brigade), launched a mounted charge at them.   They bounced back a stand light and disorganised.  Hmm, what to do?  So a hussar regiment of Wallis' brigade (I think) galloped forward and dismounted at the crest of the edge of the Cidlina valley to "pour" fire into the Prussians below.  They got the Prussians' attention.  Outgunned they remounted and retired.  Fratricevics' brigade, supporting the gun line, sat, got bored, trotted out towards the Prussians.  Got shot at, suffered some casualties, got bored, and trotted back. More grand old Duke of York than Charge of the Light Brigade I think!


Cheers!

Mollinary

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

That sounds about right for Austrians!
Guess who has fought against them in the last two campaigns he was involved in...

[cameronian]

Cam,   Just for you, I'll give a bit more detail as to what happened.  As a Prussian half battalion was coming along the course of the Cidlina the 9th Liechtenstein Hussars (ie all of Appel's Brigade), launched a mounted charge at them.   They bounced back a stand light and disorganised.  Hmm, what to do?  So a hussar regiment of Wallis' brigade (I think) galloped forward and dismounted at the crest of the edge of the Cidlina valley to "pour" fire into the Prussians below.  They got the Prussians' attention.  Outgunned they remounted and retired.  Fratricevics' brigade, supporting the gun line, sat, got bored, trotted out towards the Prussians.  Got shot at, suffered some casualties, got bored, and trotted back. More grand old Duke of York than Charge of the Light Brigade I think!


Cheers!

Mollinary

Equipped with their Werndl carbines they would have been a different proposition. Now where are the photos?

[mollinary]

Maybe, but then they would have to wait another year for them to arrive!   As to photos, you'll have to speak nicely to that smart young Mr.Leon.  I sent what I can spare to him last night. If he would be so kind as to insert them into the text and re-open it for me to modify, I can caption them.  However, I am entirely at his technical majesty's mercy, and whatever he can offer is OK by me! They are not the best of the bunch, which are awaiting another use, but they show the sort of thing we have got going. There are a couple of shots which show the table, a couple of the gun line, a clos-ish up of a jäger battalion, and some shots of advancing Austrains and shooting Prussians.  Unfortunately the Austrians are balancing rather precariously on their movement bases, teetering on the brink of the slopes overlooking the Cidlina.  It is a rule of games, I have observed, that if your troops are given an opportunity of showing their most ridiculous faces, they will seize it.  They did!

Mollinary

[lekw]

Any chance of putting a bunch of the pictures on a blog or image site? Sounds like you took a lot and I, and I assume others would be interested in seeing more then just a few of them. Do not mean to rush you just a thought. Thanks again for the report.

[maciek]

Wow ! Simply stunning.
Please upload more pics.

Some questions also:
- what is the source of roads ?
- did you do streams or buy it somewhere ?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Tyhe pictures are brilliant, looks like one hell of a   game!

[lekw]

Amazing, fantastic thank you so much for the pics. And I second, please add more if possible!!!

[cameronian]

Well worth waiting for Mollers, and if I might be so bold, lovely figures and terrain; the Brada heights look superb, that mix of rocks and conifer, quite like the real thing - as we fortunate few know from first hand.

[Charon]

Staggeringly good looking game. 

must...not...get...into...another...period