| Hochkirch
- 14th October 1758
This scenario has been developed by Martin Soilleux-Cardwell. Orders of Battle Prussian Order of Battle:
Main Body, Prinz Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau, CC Prinz Moritz may command any units except Reserve, Advance Guard and Wurttemberg's reinforcements, starts game with any DC of his command. Infantry Right Wing, GL v.Kanitz, DC, Ex(60%)=8
Cavalry Centre, GL v.Ziethen, CC, Ex=5
Infantry Centre, Prinz Karl von Brandenburg, DC, Ex=8
Infantry Left Wing, GL v.Forcade, DC, Ex=5
Notes: The two Frei Battalions begin the game out of command. The Prussian commands are named for their positions they were deployed initially, not those that followed their formal army structure. Reserve, GL v.Bieberstien, DC, Ex=3
Advance Guard. Infantry, GL v.Manteuffel, DC, Ex(60%)=7
Cavalry, GL v.Seydlitz, DC, Ex(60%)=4
Part of Retzow's Detached Command (arrives 10.00am as one command or cavalry may be sent on ahead arriving at 9.00am). Enters table from Northwest behind Prussian left. Advanced Column, Prinz Eugene von Wurttemberg, DC, Ex=5
Austrian Order of Battle: O'Donnell's Column, O'Donnell, DC, Ex=6
Notes: Enters table at 6.00am, from west level with Hochkirch, directed toward Hochkirch. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. This column is subordinated directly to Daun and/or Lacy, and any stands of it may be commanded and/or rallied by either general. This column is not subordinate to Arenberg or Sincere. Loudon's Column, Loudon, DC, Ex=12
Notes: Enters table at 5.30am (place leading regiment 6" onto table), from south west corner of table, directed toward Prussian works south of Hochkirch. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. This column is subordinated directly to Daun and/or Lacy, and any stands of it may be commanded and/or rallied by either general. This column is not subordinate to Arenberg or Sincere. Daun & Lacy's Main Army: FM Daun, AC & Graf Lacy, Assistant AC FZM Sincere, CC (of left and right columns). Left Column, FML Forgach, DC, Ex=13
Notes: Enters table at 5.30am (place leading regiment 6" onto table), from south table edge, directed toward Prussian works south of Hochkirch. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. Right Column, FML Marquis d'Annse, DC, Ex=10
Notes: Enters table at 5.30am (place leading regiment 6" onto table), from south table edge, 6 inches to the right of Forgach's Column, directed toward Hochkirch. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. * Duffy shows these two units together along with 1 btn of IR 11 Wallis. I made them into a regiment stand each and 'lost' Wallis as part of that regiment is elsewhere in the order of battle. Wiese's Column, Wiese, DC, Ex=2
Notes: Enters table at 7.00am, from east table edge, level with village of Plotzen. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. This column is subordinated directly to Daun and/or Lacy, and any stands of it may be commanded and/or rallied by either general. This column is not subordinate to Arenberg or Sincere. Colloredo's Column, Colloredo, DC, Ex=5
Notes: Enters table at 7.00am, from east table edge, level with village of Kohlwesa. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. This column is subordinated directly to Daun and/or Lacy, and any stands of it may be commanded and/or rallied by either general. This column is not subordinate to Arenberg or Sincere. Arenberg's Flank Attack, Arenberg's Column, Arenberg, CC Left Half-Column, Ex=6
Right Half-Column, Ex=10
Notes: Enters table at 8.00am, from east table edge, with left half column level with and marching toward the Prussian works. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. The two columns are 3 inches apart. Note that Arenberg is a Corps Commander but commands both half-columns without the aid of a subordinate Division Commander. The two half-columns check exhaustion seperately. Arenberg may command and rally any troops of Buccow's column. Buccow's Column, Buccow, DC, Ex=5
Notes: Enters table at 8.00am, from east table edge, 3 inches to the right of Arenberg's Right Half-Column. All units are deployed tactically and enter in the order given above, in column, one behind the other, bases touching. Buccow is subordinate to Arenberg. Scenario Notes Turn 1 is 6.00am, night falls at 8.00pm for a total of 14 turns. Austria is the attacker. Only v.Kanitz's and v.Bieberstein's commands, and the Moritz and Keith command stands may respond on the Prussian 6.00am turn. Victory Conditions The Austrian intent is to destroy Frederick's army. To achieve a victory they must exhaust 5 commands. The Prussians win by denying the Austrians their victory conditions but if they retreat their front line to or north of Wawitz anyway, irrespective of the condition of their army, the Austrians achieve a minor victory. Austrian Column Random Arrival Rules The Austrian attacks might have been disrupted by the dark, mist and terrain and arrived early, late, in the wrong place, or in the wrong direction. To simulate the chances of this happening, apply the following rules. 1. Timing of Arrivals: On the turn a column is expected to arrive, place the leading stand on the table edge in the required location and facing the required direction (the axis of advance is usually dictated by the columns orders - see notes for each). Roll a d6:
On a 1 or 2 result, place a die beside the unit and do not touch it until 1 or 2 turns have elapsed. The Prussians will get advance warning that something is approaching (due to units blundering about in the woods) but not exactly what, when or where. On a roll of 5 or 6, advance the stand 6" (30 minutes of movement for an infantry regiment). Wiese's column is the one exception as it consists of faster troops: advance the leading Croat stand 8". On a roll of 3 or 4, do not advance or delay the column. 2. Lateral Position of Arrivals: On the turn a column arrives (not before if it's delayed), roll a d6:
If a column contacts another Austrian column, halt both by 1 hour at that point for the commanders to sort out the confusion. If the head of a column contacts another part way down its length, the contacted column is broken and the head will continue advancing, the interrupted tail will be delayed one turn and may then be out of command. 3. Direction of Arrival: Most columns have their axis of advance dictated by notes on the roster sheet. When the column first moves, roll a d6:
Note that this third random event is not applied to Wiese's, Arenberg's or Buccow's columns, which made their final approach over open (or elevated) ground. Note also that when columns first arrive, it must follow the direction these random events generate until they exit from the woods, or when they first come within sight of any Prussian unit, when they may halt and if they wish to alter direction, may freely do so upon expending half a turn. The amount of delay and confusion has been kept limited as Daun threw out a cloud of 6000 Croats ahead of his advance who permitted the columns to maintain their planned movements well. Half of these are not represented on the table, these are the ones whose energies have been directed into policing the move and scouting out paths. General Comments When we played this scenario the Prussians looked like they were going to stop the Austrians somewhere around Pommritz: Arenberg and Buccow were annihalated soon after they arrived which freed up the Prussian Advance Guard to send units to hold the line that Keith was stabilizing facing south. The Austrians had taken the works south of Hochkirch, had destroyed Bierbestein and badly damaged Kanitz and were poised to attack Hochkirch. The woods edge being a line of sight break was a big problem for the Austrians and I think they need to take a deep breath and get stuck in before the Prussians wake up. In our playtest this wasn't helped by a few unlucky late arrival die rolls. They have the big commands to take losses and keep going although they are very crowded and vulnerable to the domino effect if a leading unit routs. This is a rather different SYW battle to most as it was a very odd action with no formal lines at all but a sort of Prussian pioneer wagon circle affair holding off the swarms of Austrian injuns. |