Koniggratz 1866

[toxicpixie]

From the comments there I'm assuming said authors use "unsuitable" as a synonym for "impossible", not "mildly awkward"

[mollinary]

Like Holdfast, I have visited and walked the Trautenau field many times. The Bucholz account is obviously written from the Prussian viewpoint. As far as cavalry action is concerned, there is ground to the south west of town (curiously where the cavalry action took place!) that gives some scope, but neither side could deploy much more than a regiment. As far as artillery was concerned, the Austrians, coming up from the south, found a number of useful positions for their guns on the heights south of town, easily reached from the road up which they advanced. The Prussians had to contend with the bottleneck of the bridges, the crowded town streets, and the steep slopes up from the town to the positions that they tried to defend.  These are a hard walk today on tarmaced tracks, they would have been impossible for gunteams in 1866. So Bucholz is probably correct from the Prussian point of view, but rather underestimates the suitability of the ground from the Austrian point of view.

Mollinary

[cameronian]

Ditto the above though I think the Prussians managed to wrangle two batteries onto the Galgenberg by 15.30 albeit briefly. From an Austrian perspective I think Trutnov provides excellent ground for artillery, Col Eisler certainly thought so. Anyway I'm learning lots, Skalitz pitched 14,000 Austrians against 70,000 Prussians apparently ... Austrian casualties amounted to 33% ... 1866 is known as 'the captain's war' (really?) etc etc oh flip why do I buy this crap, suckered every time  

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Oh, not sounding good.

[cameronian]

It's an academic treatise on Moltke and his methods of war, not a history of 1866 so I can forgive him a bit but I do wish they's do their research a little bit more thoroughly that's all. For all that its quite well written.

[toxicpixie]

Problem is, if too much of the detail is a bit skewiff then you start to wonder at the overall picture...

[cameronian]

Indeed.

[cameronian]

Finished 'Moltke and the German wars, 1864 - 1871' by Arden Bucholz - through gritted teeth. I see a pattern emerging, rotten American authors citing each others work to produce more and more rubbish. BTW the retreat from Koniggratz was chaotic because Benedek didn't throw any pontoons across the Elbe, oh my sainted aunt 

[Leman]

Huzzah! my copy has arrived.

[toxicpixie]

Superb - what do you think, first impressions?

[Leman]

I think it is going to be pretty inspirational reading, with all the photos and maps. Got stuck into it straightaway. Won't be able to use the rules as written, as some of the units are enormous, e.g. 12 base Saxon infantry units. I am likely to follow this up with Trapped Like a Fox and also use BBB. However I am currently back on FPW having discovered that the old 10mm Wargames South figures have been re-released by Red Eagle.

[toxicpixie]

I have a grand ambition to run Trapped Like a Fox, fighting any large scale battles with BBB as well

The Wargaming in History's keep that floating up the queue as they're lovely books!

You never know we might make it to the FPW some time...

[holdfast]

Thank goodness someone has got round to reading it. Cameronian has had it for ages but all he seems to do is fondle it.

[toxicpixie]

It's been bed time reading/eye candy since I got it

[Leman]

It's bedtime reading for me too. I only got it yesterday, on return from holiday, but am about to find out all about the much maligned Benedek.