Kunersdorf - 12th August 1759


This scenario has been developed by Mike Kirby.

Background

After the battle of Kay, Frederick resolved to force the Russians to fight a decisive battle before they could join forces with the main Austrian army. A small Corps under Loudon had indeed already made contact with the main Russian army. Whilst the Russians under Saltikov fortified a low ridge on the East bank of the Oder, on the 10th August Frederick crossed the Oder on pontoon bridges some miles to the North. The following day Frederick spent time performing a reconnaissance of the area. He observed that the Russian position was dug in to the sandy ground at the far side of a marshy area called the Huhner Fliess. Frederick decided to leave Finck and Schorlemer to distract the Russians to the North whilst he led the main army to attack the enemy rear.

The Kuh Grund from the North

At 2 AM on the 12th August Frederick marched his army on a wide flanking march to the South East, which he intended to fall on the Russian rear.

After several hours of marching, tripping and stumbling through the woods to the East of the enemy position, Frederick found himself on the edge of the treeline. Dawn however, revealed that the Prussian King had turned the flank of the Russian position only to come face to face with its fortified front line. Undaunted, Frederick formed three batteries of guns on the gentle rising ground to his front and at 11.30 AM these guns began to pound the Russian position on the Muhl Berge. The main Prussian army had by this time formed up in line of battle and led by the Advance Guard, took the Walk Berge and after a heavy bombardment and a stiff fight, the Muhl Berge was successfully stormed.

After a brief interlude, Saltikov formed a second defence line on the far side of a little valley called the Kuh Grund. The Prussians tried vainly for the next few hours to storm the Russian held position but were thrown back by musketry and canister from the Shuvalovs and Unicorns. The Prussian cavalry made several attacks, all of which were thrown back with loss, Seydlitz and Wurttemberg both being wounded, von Platen sent in an attack between the ponds towards the Grosse Spitzberg. This was annihilated by the Russian guns and its second line was destroyed in a flank attack by Loudon leading the combined Russian and Austrian cavalry. The Prussian army now disintegrated into a mob of fugitives, fleeing towards the North pursued by Tartars and Cossacks.

The Grosse-Spitzberg from Kunersdorf village

The Prussian lost 19,500 men and 172 guns, the losses of the Russians and Austrians being 15,500 men.

Turn 1 is 1000, night falls at 2100 for a total of 12 turns. The Prussians are the attackers.

Victory Conditions

The Prussians must exhaust three of the Allied Infantry Divisions and collapse two of them.  The Allies win by exhausting four of the Prussian Divisions and collapsing three of them.

Orders of Battle

Prussian Army. CinC King Frederick 11. AC. Monarch.

Advance Guard, GM v Lindstedt. (DC), EX=6

  • Schwartze/Ostereich GB35/36 29/31     M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • Billerbeck/Lubath GB5/20 7/30         M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • Bornstedt/Leyden GB19/25 13/26        M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • Bredow IR43                           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]

Cavalry Corps, GL v Seydlitz (CC)

Left Wing Cavalry, GL v Wurttemberg (DC), EX=4

  • Horn C7/Markgraf C5                   M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] hvy.
  • Heinrich C2                           M5 [ ] [ ] hvy.
  • Kleist H1                             M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] lt.

Reserve Cavalry, GL v Platen (DC), EX=4

  • Meinicke D3/Jung-Platen D11           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] md.
  • Ziethen H2/Mohring H3                 M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] lt.
  • Belling H8                            M5 [ ] [ ] lt.
  • Reitende (Horse) Artillery Bty.       M5 [ ] lt.

1st Line Left Wing Infantry, GL v Wedel (DC), EX=9

  • Goltz IR24                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Bevern IR7                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Schenkendorff IR9                     M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Leftwitz IR31                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Wied IR41                             M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Kanitz IR2                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • 1.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] hy.
  • 2.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 3.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.

2nd Line Left Wing Infantry, GL v Kanitz (DC), EX=7

  • Dohna IR16                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Diericke IR49                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Jung-Sydow IRG5                       M4 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Bulow IR46                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Busche/Niesse GR G6/G8 2/G2           M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • 4.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.

1st Line Right Wing Infantry, GL v Hulsen (DC), EX=7

  • Finck IR12                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Heinrich IR35                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Knobloch IR29                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Markgraf Karl IR19                    M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Hulsen IR21                           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • 5.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] hy.
  • 6.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 7.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.

2nd Line Right Wing Infantry, GL v Itzenplitz (DC), EX=4

  • Tann/Lossow GR 17/21 G1/G2            M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • Behr GR11/14 StGB1                    M6 [ ] [ ] *
  • Grabow IR47                           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • 8.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld.

1st Line Right Wing Cavalry, GL v Schorlemer (DC), EX=3

  • Lieb C3/Schlabrendorff C1             M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] hvy.
  • Puttkamer H4                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] lt.

2nd Line Right Wing Cavalry, GM v Platen (DC), EX=3

  • Alt-Platen D8/Krockow D2              M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] md.
  • Schorlemer DR6                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] md.

Reserve Infantry, GL v Finck (DC), EX=6

  • Lehwalt IR14                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Zastrow IR38                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Braun IR37                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Hause IR55                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • 9.Artillery Btn.                      M5 [ ] [ ] fld/how.

The Prussians enter the battlefield at the points indicated by the map.

 

Russian Army. CinC FM Saltykov. AC.

1. Advance Guard, MG Totleben (DC), EX=3

  • Don Cossacks                          M3 [s] [s] [s] [s] lt.mil, sko
  • Tartars                               M3 [s] lt.mil, sko
  • Kalmyks                               M3 [s] lt.mil, sko
  • Serbski HR93/Gelbe HR100              M4 [s] lt.
  • Gruzinski HR95                        M4 [s] lt.
  • Slavski HR102/Ungarische HR94         M4 [s] lt.

2. Advance Guard, Krasnochekov (DC), EX=2

  • Don Cossacks                          M3 [s] [s] lt.mil, sko
  • Chuguevski Cossack Regt.104           M4 [ ] [ ] [ ] lt.lance

Observation Corps, LG Golitsyn (DC), EX=8

  • 1st Grenadier Regt. GR55              M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 1st Musketeer Regt.IR56               M4 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 3st Musketeer Regt.IR58               M4 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] pt
  • 4st Musketeer Regt.IR59               M4 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 5st Musketeer Regt.IR60               M4 [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 1. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 2. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] hvy.
  • 1. Shuvalov Artillery Btn.            M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 2. Shuvalov Artillery Btn.            M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 3. Shuvalov Artillery Btn.            M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 4. Shuvalov Artillery Btn.            M5 [ ] [ ] fld.

1st Infantry Division, LG Fermor (DC), EX=11

  • 4th Grenadier Regt. GR8               M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • St. Petersbergski.IR16                M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Uglitski.IR42                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Sibirski.IR21                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Kievski.IR14                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Kasanski.IR20                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Permski.IR34                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Nevski.IR39                           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Azovski.IR24                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 3. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 4. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 5. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld/how.
  • 6. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] hvy.

2nd Infantry Division, LG Billebois (DC), EX=11

  • 1st Grenadier Regt. GR5               M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Tchernigovski.IR27                    M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Archangelski.IR32                     M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Narva.IR37                            M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Voronezhski.IR25                      M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Viborgski.IR41                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Viatski.IR34                          M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Moskowski.IR13                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Nisovski.IR51                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 7. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 8. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 9. Park Artillery Btn.                M5 [ ] [ ] fld/how.
  • 10. Park Artillery Btn.               M5 [ ] [ ] hvy.

3rd Infantry Division, LG Rumyantsev (DC), EX=11

  • 2nd Grenadier Regt. GR6               M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 3rd Grenadier Regt. GR7               M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Volgodski.IR36                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Pskovski.IR22                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Apcheronski.IR47                      M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Rostovski.IR30                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Novgorodski.IR18                      M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Nischgorodski.IR26                    M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • Bielozerski.IR45                      M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] pt.
  • 11. Park Artillery Btn.               M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 12. Park Artillery Btn.               M5 [ ] [ ] fld.
  • 13. Park Artillery Btn.               M5 [ ] [ ] fld/how.
  • 14. Park Artillery Btn.               M5 [ ] [ ] hvy.

Cavalry Division, GM Morbwinow (DC), EX=3

  • Kargopol/St.Petersburg/Ryazanski      M4 [ ] [ ] md.bg
  • HGR67/70/71
  • Archangelsk DR84/Tobolsk DR89         M4 [ ] [ ] md.bg
  • Third KR63/ Thronfolger KR62          M4 [ ] [ ] md.bg
  • Novotoitski KR65/ Kievski KR64        M4 [ ] [ ] md.bg
  • Kasanski KR66

Notes.

Most of the Russian infantry and about half of the Austrian Corps are behind fleches (field works). See the map for details. All woods are light. All Infantry Regiments have battalion guns. The Russian Cavalry Brigades have ‘battalion’ guns. Units marked as (s) are Skirmish Only.

Loudons Corps, GL v Loudon (CC), EX=7

  • Croats SI                             M4 [s] [s] [s] sko
  • Nadasti HR11                          M4 [s] lt.
  • Kalnocky HR17                         M4 [s] lt.
  • Novoserbski HR101                     M4 [s] lt.
  • Kollowrat DR37/                       M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] md.
  • Wurttemberg DR38/Leichtenstein DR6
  • Lowenstein CLR18                      M5 [ ] [ ] [ ] lt.
  • Waldeck IR35.                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Baden IR23.                           M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Bethlen IR52.                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Los Rios IR9.                         M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Arenberg IR21.                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • L.Palffy IR19.                        M5 [ ] [ ] [ ]
  • Loudon GR.                            M6 [ ] [ ] [ ] *
  • 1. Field Artillery Btn.               M6 [ ] [ ] hvy.

 

The Map

wpe26.jpg (45487 bytes)

Map Key:

  • G = Golitzyn
  • 1 = Fermor
  • 2 = Billebois
  • 3 = Rurnyantsev
  • M = Morberinow
  • L = Loudon
  • T = Totleben
  • KF = Fredrick, Main Army
  • SD = Seydlitz
  • AG = Advance Guard
  • P = Platen
  • S = Schorlemer
  • F = Finck

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