SYW Wargame Campaign Report: Week 4

The climax of the Battle of Predmeritz

Dear Reader,

Today, I am reporting on the fourth week of the Seven Years War Campaign which I have been umpiring over the last two months. You can find links to previous weeks at the bottom of the post. Beginning in the middle of March, the campaign is ongoing and still in progress. The period of time for today's post is roughly April 8th-14th. Below is a map for those dates.

Week 4 Map (April 8th-April 14th) 

Here is a brief summary for this week. Prinz Henri of Prussia and Gen d' Cav Serbelloni maneuvered close to one another in the northwest, in Saxony. In the north, Frederick moved south towards Breslau, reaching the town after a week of movement. Both the Russians and General Ziethen's army (left by Frederick in the north) eyed one another warily with little movement. In the south, Lacy and his raiding party returned to Neisse. In an active siege, the defenders of Fort Preussen at Neisse detonated two globes de compression, there was an ill-conceived attempt by the Neisse garrison leading to high casualties and prisoners, and finally, an Austrian assault which took the city, leading the garrison commander at Ft. Preussen to consider surrender. Finally, Prussian forces under the Duke of Bevern clashed with a small Austrian army commanded by Loudon at Königgrätz.

Close-up of the Northern Theater

In the North, Prinz Henri moved his army down towards Bautzen via Cottbus. Gen d'Cav Serbelloni moved across the Goerlitz, and then proceeded north to Rittschen on the road to Cottbus, fortifying the crossing of the branch of the Spree directly in front of him. Henri and Serbelloni squared off, preparing to fight for control of Saxony.

In the Russian theater, Zieten, the Hussar King, moved his forces back across the Oder, keeping an eye on the Russians at Meseritz, while the Royal Army under Frederick II moved south towards Breslau, reaching Breslau on the 14th of April.

In the southern area of operations, the siege of Neisse was brought to a conclusion. The week opened with the defenders countermining, and detonating two large explosive charges beneath the Austrian approaches. These globes de compression did not kill many enemy soldiers, as a result of the quick actions of FM Neipperg, a man of great experience in the wars, who realized the enemy intention before it was too late.

Tresckow leads the men forward from the Glacis at Fort Preussen

The valiant Prussian commander, Tresckow, next sought to delay the enemy by a sortie, which was conducted on April 10th. This sortie managed to spike a few guns, but cost the Prussians 1,200 casualties, all in all a disastrous result for the garrison. The Austrians assaulted the city on the night of April 13th. Although the wet ditch was not dried, they had spent two weeks cutting sufficient fascines for the creation of a causeway. The defenders of the city were reduced to 800 men, Tresckow having withdrawn most of the men to Fort Preussen. These men were massacred by the Grenzer leading the attack, who then ransacked the city with considerable destruction of property and a small loss of life. The already propogandic press in Berlin could not have hoped for a better outcome. Daun called for Tresckow to surrender Fort Preussen, which he did on April 14th. His men were allowed to march out freely, but had to surrender their arms and cannons.

Briefing received by Bevern, April 8th, at Königgrätz. 

In Bohemia, a different sort of campaign was unfolding. The Duke of Bevern, having occupied  Königgrätz with his light forces for some time, had reached that city with his entire army (approximately 26,000) in the preceding week. Ernst Gideon von Loudon, approaching from Prague with a slightly smaller army of 19,000 men, took up positions on high ground east of the Elbe. In a first for this campaign, both Loudon and Bevern carefully maneuvered in the immediate area of the enemy before committing to battle. This maneuvering lasted for two days, and was one of the most enjoyable portions of the campaign for the umpire to date.

Battle of Predmeritz: Königgrätz is at the bottom of the picture,
Predmeritz is in the center left. 

In the early hours of April 10th, a small body of Austrian forces crossed the river north of the city, were met by Prussian forces, and chased back across the river. This brought on the Battle of Predmeritz an der Elbe, (called Battle of Swiet by the Austrians). The Prussians opened the battle by moving across the river, attacking the village of Predmeritz which was held by enemy infantry. A cavalry battle broiled north of the village, with the Prussians inflicting losses on Austrians cuirassiers who stubbornly refused to quit the field. Loudon had deftly planned to use villages as strongpoints, forcing the enemy to suffer attrition before. attacking his main line.

The view from the east, 11am.  Predmeritz is under heavy attack
by Prussian grenadiers

Eventually, the Cuirassiers were forced to retire beyond Swiet, and the Prussians focused considerable attention on Predmeritz, taking it by noon after an hour and a half of fighting. The Prussians continued their advance, but were wary about moving directly from Königgrätz, as the enemy had cavalry and artillery covering the crossing of the Elbe in that quarter.

2pm: The attack on Swiet begins. Both Bevern and Loudon can be seen in this photo

 At approximately 2pm, the Prussians continued their attack, storming the village of Swiet, which changed hands three times in the course of heavy village fighting. The Duke of Bevern was wary of committing to a full attack with only his forces to the north of Königgrätz, as his men had already taken heavy losses assaulting Predmeritz. Loudon, too, was concerned about redeploying his men to concentrate solely on the battle for Swiet, as the enemy still possessed a corps of 6,000 men in Königgrätz.

Crisis of the Battle: 3pm

The crisis point of the battle arrived when Bevern, unwilling to continue the attack without his 6,000 man reserve from Königgrätz, ordered them to march across the river. This drew a charge from Loudon's remaining cuirassiers, and a countercharge from Bevern's waiting cuirassiers. Both of these charges would draw opportunity fire from batteries in the area. Bevern's horsemen were turned back by the flanking fire from the Austrian hilltop guns, but the fire from the Prussian battery also halted Loudon's 2 remaining squadrons, and the Prussian infantry were able to get across the Elbe in an uncontested movement.

The table at the Austrian decision to withdraw

At this point, Loudon, realizing that Bevern would have the advantage in a continued contest, decided to withdraw his forces. The Austrians had already inflicted 6,000 casualties on the Prussians, suffering over 3,000 of their own, and Loudon believed, correctly, that he had represented the honor of the Queen of Hungary quite well. Loudon's forces withdrew to Chlumetz, to lick their wounds, while the Duke of Bevern immediately sent raiding parties south to reconnoiter the border of Moravia. Both sides would remain in their positions for roughly the next week.

The campaign stood at a vital crossroads. With the addition of more players, the umpire made the decision to change to a larger map, encompassing a greater theater of war (the new map is below). The King of Prussia, having reached Breslau, had to make a critical decision of where to employ his army next. The Austrians, have taken Neisse, were free to choose their next target in the ongoing liberation of Silesia. In Saxony, Prinz Henri and Serbelloni faced off in what was sure to be a bloody encounter. Though victorious, Bevern's Prussian force was increasingly isolated in Bohemia.

Background and Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

If you enjoyed this post, or any of our other posts, please consider liking us on facebook, or following us on twitter. Consider checking out our exclusive content on Patreon. Finally, we are dedicated to keeping Kabinettskriege ad-free. In order to assist with this, please consider supporting us via the donate button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. As always:

Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns

SYW Wargame Campaign Report: Week 3

The massed grenadiers of the King of Prussia at Schwibus

Dear Reader,

Today, I am reporting on the third week of the Seven Years War campaign which I have been umpiring over the past month and a half. You can find links to the previous weeks' at the bottom of the post.  Beginning in the middle of March, the campaign is still in progress now. The period of time covered in today's post is roughly April 1st-7th. Here is the map for those dates. After heavy fighting in the north, and continuing siege operations in the south, additional forces began arriving in Saxony and Bohemia, as an Austrian Army commanded by the Freiherr von Loudon, a Reichs-Execution Armee commanded by Gen d' Kav Serbelloni, and a Prussian Army commanded by Prinz Henri of Prussia appeared on the map.

As in previous weeks, we will be working our way down the map, starting with the northern sector with the Russian armies, and then moving in to the southern sector with the Austrian armies. The signal event on the northern sector of the map occurred on April 1st, as the Prussian and Russian armies clashed again, this time near Schwibus. In this battle, the King of Prussia and the main Prussian Army attacked General Tchernychev and the Russian Army, as reinforcements under Buturlin and Zieten also rushed to the field.

A rare snapshot from the actual campaign map,
rather than one reconstructed after the fact

The situation at the beginning of the battle is visible below, with the approximate front-lines of each force drawn.

 Here is a description of events, taken from the letters of an anonymous Prussian officer at the battle:

8am. The Royal Army under the command of the King of Prussia launched an attack with their best forces, (12,000 grenadiers and guard troops) upon the Russian left flank, which was guarding the road to Bretz. A furious artillery bombardment of approximately 80 guns proceeded this attack. This bombardment succeeded in disorganizing the forces defending the fleches in that sector of the field. On the Russian right flank, a sharp fight began between Prussian dragoons and the dragoons of the enemy, eventually, though the fighting was relatively even, the Russian dragoons withdrew.

9am. The King of Prussia committed his elite troops to the assault of the fleches along the Russian left wing. These troops succeeded in driving off the remaining defenders. Realizing the extreme danger to the left wing, General Tchernychev immediately committed his reserve forces from both wings of the army to the left.

10am. A Russian counterattack, spearheaded by the grenadiers of their army produced uneven results, driving some enemy grenadiers before them, and briefly recapturing the frontline fleches. With the breathing space provided by this attack, General Tchernychev reorganized the left wing, creating a new defensive line. The Russian grenadiers’ counterattack succeeded in taking 1,000 of the Prussian grenadiers as prisoners of war.

11am. Prussian forces resumed their attack, moving a large body of mustketeers from their center to support the attack on the Russian left. They succeeded in badly mauling the new defensive line, but could not break through. General Buturlin arrived on the field in advance of his forces at 11:30am.

12pm. A mass attack by the remaining Prussian grenadiers succeeded in breaking the Russian left, but resulted in the most of these grenadiers becoming casualties. The King of Prussia's grenadiers have paid a fearful cost for this victory. General Buturlin’s forces arrived, and Buturlin immediately committed his Corps d’Observation in order to buy time. The Prussian forces begin to waver.

1pm. Zieten’s forces arrive and begin the attack, saving the king and driving off the enemy. General Tcherychev’s forces succeeded in withdrawing from the field, and with the Corps d’ Observation on the north side of the city of Schwibus in a new defensive line, the Prussians broke off the attack.

Casualties were heavy on both sides, with 17,000 Prussians and 20,000 Russians killed, wounded, or captured in this engagement. The Russians retired in the direction of Meseritz, and established a new entrenched camp there. After spending a few days on the battlefield, the King of Prussian began slowly moving south in the direction of Kargow.

Upper Silesian/Bohemian Theater of Operations

In the Upper Silesian and Bohemian theater, a Prussian army under the Duke of Bevern reached Königgrätz, and occupied the city. The Austrians continued their siege operations around Neisse, and sent a raiding party north to Brieg and Breslau. The ever-resourceful Lacy commanded this detachment.

Neisse was now under serious attack, with the wet ditches slowly drying after the destruction of the sluices, and ~90,000 Austrians committed to the attack.

The most decisive moment of this week, and possibly the entire campaign so far, did not occur on the battlefield,  but in diplomatic correspondence between the Russian and Austrian courts. Intentionally or not, there was a implication that one side was shouldering more of the burden of the war effort. As a result, offense was taken on both sides, and correspondence between the two courts slackened. The Russians, on the verge of deploying a corps of reinforcements to the Austrian theater of war, redeployed those troops, regardless of the additional month of travel required to reach their new destination.  Though individual generals in both camps maintained a warm correspondence, the two armed camps now seemed less inclined to cooperate. Both were now conducting more or less individual wars against the King of Prussia, with fewer shared objectives.

The coming week would see the Austrians confronted on the battlefield by a Prussian Army for the first time, and some explosive developments at the siege of Neisse.

Background and Week 1

Week 2

If you enjoyed this post, or any of our other posts, please consider liking us on facebook, or following us on twitter. Consider checking out our exclusive content on Patreon. Finally, we are dedicated to keeping Kabinettskriege ad-free. In order to assist with this, please consider supporting us via the donate button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. As always:

Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns

SYW Wargame Campaign Report: Week 2

The Austrians besiege Neisse (drawn on a digital copy of an archival map)

Dear Reader,

Today, we are continuing the coverage of the Seven Years War campaign I have been running since the middle of March. Today's report covers events between March 24th (the aftermath of the Battle of Posen) and March 31st. This week as a busy and eventful one. Only one small tabletop skirmish occurred, but there was much maneuvering, and the beginnings of an important siege operation.

In grand terms, this week saw the Austrians continue to develop their offensive in Upper Silesia, while raiding and gather intelligence at the county of Glatz. The Russians, after pausing to recover after their minor defeat at Posen, resumed their offensive, shifting forces westward in an effort to threaten Lower Silesia and Brandenburg. The Prussians, not to be outdone, shifted forces and prepared for another attack, and in the south, launched raiding efforts of their own.

Beginning in the northern theater, the Prussian and Russian armies glowered at one another after the sharp but indecisive battle at Posen. After waiting out the period of enforced inaction after a indecisive battle like this, both the Prussians and Russians began moving south and west. The Russian main army, under the command of General Zahkar Tchernychev, moved forward towards Schwibus, reaching that city on the March 30th (Day 6 of Week 2). The Russian wounded, and the Corps of Observation, under the command of General Buturlin, advanced a few days later, reaching the neighborhood of Tirschtigel by Day 7.

For their part, the Prussian army under King Frederick marched south along the road to Czempin, and reached area of Zullichau by Day 7. A smaller force under the dashing hussar General Ziethen, after rebuffing the challenge of a duel by a disgruntled Russian officer, rode to Kargow, reach that place and reunifying with the Royal Army by Day 7. The stage was set for a significant encounter, which would make Posen look like a mere opening skirmish.

In the southern theater, both armies maneuvered. The Duke of Bevern, after collecting reinforcements for his Prussian army at Schweidnitz, sent out a raiding party into Bohemia via the pass at Landshut-Trantenau (the slight a many a bloody encounter, both historical and wargame). This raiding party ended their advance at the city of Königgrätz, which although possessed of medieval walls, treated with the Hussars, and allowed them to occupy the city.

The Duke of Bevern's main force, after completing taking on reinforcements, advanced into Lower Silesia by way of Reichenbach and Frankenstein. During this same week, the Austrian advanced into Upper Silesia with their main body, and the County of Glatz with a raiding party led by brilliant Franz Moritz von Lacy. The garrison of Glatz attempted to resist the passage of this raiding party, but were rebuffed and forced to withdraw inside the fortress after a minor skirmish.

The skirmish between Lacy's forces and the Glatz Garrison

Lacy's forces, after this skirmish, advanced to Frankenstein, but learning of Bevern's approach, immediately retreated to rejoin the main army at Neisse. Bevern, for his part, continued his advance into the County of Glatz.  The Austrian main army, advancing in stages from Sternberg to Neisse, approached Neisse on March 29th (Day 5) and began siege operations. They called upon the commanding officer, GL von Tresckow, to surrender the place.[1]

Having dealt with the formalities, the Austrians began the serious business of besieging the place, laying parallels and approaches, in two formal fronts of attack. The first was directed against Fort Preussen, north of the city, the second was directed against the southeastern defenses of the city.

The stage was set for confrontation in both the northern and southern theaters. Will General Tchernychev finally manage to put the Mayor of Berlin in his rightful place? How long can the valiant von Tresckow hold out in the face of Austrian depravity? Will Lacy finally be given the full command of a field army he so richly deserves? Tune in next week to find out.

If you enjoyed this post, or any of our other posts, please consider liking us on facebook, or following us on twitter. Consider checking out our exclusive content on Patreon. Finally, we are dedicated to keeping Kabinettskriege ad-free. In order to assist with this, please consider supporting us via the donate button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. As always:

Thanks for Reading, 

Alex Burns

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[1]Daun wrote Tresckow: 

To the Esteemed GL Joachim Christian von Tresckow,

It is an honor to be facing such a worthy opponent as yourself in this current campaign. However, you must surely see that before you lies a mighty host, innumerably greater than that of your own. Though you must do your duty to God and King, perhaps another time and place would be more fitting for your admirable skills. You must surely know that this is an inescapable conclusion. The city you occupy rightfully belongs to my Empress, Maria Theresa, and she will stop at nothing to reclaim what is rightfully hers. As leader of her army I have been entrusted to accomplish this task. It would be foolhardy to resist such great power with so little force at hand. War is a bloody and destructive affair; I plead for civility and to avoid needless, wanton death and carnage.

To demonstrate my civility and magnanimity I offer you generous terms. Surrender your garrison at once and I will allow you an honorable withdrawal. Your men may take personal items and their arms, in addition to one, singular cannon as a token of honor. You will be allowed free passage northward and will carry a note from me to your King. All roads to east and west are guarded, and any attempt to join your force with that in Glatz or Kosel will be deemed a violation of our terms and met with hostility.

I give you to the end of this day to make your decision. If you decline this generous offer, or fail to respond in time, I will retake this city by any means necessary. I cannot safeguard you or your men in such a case. You are isolated with no chance of reinforcement. The choice now lies at your feet: save yourself and your men to fight another day, or risk your lives in a pointless show of honor. Heed my mercy or face my wrath."

With Respect,

Feldmarshal Graf Leopold von Daun

Tresckow replied: 

To the Highborn Lord and Feldmarschall Graf Leopold von Daun,

The honor to face a worthy opponent is mine. Your reputation as a skilled warmaster has gone far and wide throughout the empire. The claims of your exalted mistress, Empress Maria Theresa, are in contradiction with those of my Royal Master, King Frederick II of Prussia. He was awarded this city under treaty of Breslau, and confirmed in the treaty of Dresden. You are trespassing in this country, and should return to whence you came.

At this time, I must refuse your terms. I have the earnest prospect of relief for this fortress, and as a result, it would be a betrayal of my prince's trust to surrender at this early date. However, before the commencement of the hostilities, I must ask that we come to some agreement regarding the treatment of wounded and prisoners. I will feed your prisoners and administer medicine to your wounded if you will agree to the same. I look forward to your response, and to making your acquaintance as a friend. With the greatest esteem,

 Generalleutnant Joachim Christian von Tresckow