Reserve Demolition SYW Game

 Sorting out a scenario for our Seven Years War game is made much easier when someone else has  done the hard work for you. James Roach having shown the way on his blog, of converting the Charles Grant classic scenario Reserve Demolition  (in his book "Scenarios for Wargames")  for the period.   The Olicanalad version is a Prussians vs. Russians action ( link to Olicanalad blog ) Our version was again Prussians as the defenders and my Austrians as the attacking force. It was also a great motivation to get the second battalion of  Regiment D'Arberg painted up ready.

The main Austrian force with the Commander in Chief chooses to attack from the southern road.

The scenario has a force of Prussians defending a river crossing until they can fulfil the conditions to destroy the bridge to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

The Prussians are well prepared in positions around the villages leading to the bridge.

Prussian sappers already at work in preparing the bridge for demolition, covered by their guns.

The Austrian plan was to attack from the south, engage and degrade the enemy position and then the reserve command consisting of the grenadiers and horse grenadiers would punch their way through to the bridge and capture it before it can be blown sky high.

The first Austrian infantry column is a tempting target for the well sited Prussian guns, so Hussar Regiment Kalnocky has the unenviable task of screening them from enemy fire.

The hussars form line across the valley and head into the teeth of the enemy guns.

Cuirassier Regiments O'Donnel and Trautmannsdorf seize the heights, advancing in fast moving but vulnerable columns.

The hussars sit in front of the Prussian guns, a storm of roundshot flies all round them but without causing any casualties.

Already the Austrian plans were going awry however. Dramatic failure to win even a quarter of the initiative rolls left the main infantry column stalled  and the Prussians having run through their deck three times were eventually getting the sapper tasks completed to destroy the bridge.

Prussian guns and fusiliers defending the east road seem oblivious to the impending danger from the Austrian cuirassiers.

The remnants of Regiment O'Donnell ride through the cannister fire to sabre the gunners. Sadly they rein in rather than pursuing into the flank of the exposed infantry. The garrison of the village deploy out to support their comrades in a rarely seen square formation.

The Austrian guns unlimber close to the villages to hammer the enemy formations and support  the infantry attack.

The lack of initiative slowed the Austrian attack, stopped any chance of their reinforcements arriving and prevented several opportunities being grasped. Austrian leadership had to become very conservative, not knowing if and when the balance would swing back (it didn't.) Above a lone Prussian battalion counter attacks and savages Infantry Regiment Pallavinci before the supporting Hungarians can come up and assist.

The Prussians retreat out of the village allowing Infantry Regiment D'Arberg to deploy into line for a last gasp attack (where are those reinforcements!?)

The Austrians close to point blank all along the line.

The Austrians are on the verge of breaking through (even without the reinforcements) but the Prussian sappers have completed the demolitions and retire across the bridge.

The bridge explodes and the Prussians are victorious.

A fun scenario (thanks James!) A nightmare for the Austrian attackers winning less than 20% of the initiative rolls, mitigated by the domino rule option we were using, or they would have got a lot less done. Perhaps this sort of scenario is a prime candidate for the "Odin die" variant for  initiative as the attacker can then have a larger dice to assist with the movement that is required to get any attacking done. With hindsight the Austrians looked a lot like their historical counterparts, a bit plodding and missing golden opportunities to strike a blow against the enemy.  Having the Austrian reinforcements turn up after a set number of turns if the Stratagem card never has a chance to be turned twice, might be a sensible adjustment to the scenario.