Problems on the Danube

(xxx-1683) Report from Colonel Sturm to the Stadtrat

Sirs, I have the pleasure to announce a stirling performance by my regiment in its first action at Oberfeld.

At Passau the regiment was brigaded with two Austrian regiments Wendt and Hoch & Deutchmeister under the command of General Kremnitzer. Our artillery was formed into a battery with some Austrian guns. We then marched to the the main army escorting a large baggage train of supplies with the Danube to our right. Each day we alternated positions in the column and on the day in question the order of march was Wendt, Sturm then Hoch & Deutchmeister. We were marching across the Oberfeld when what appeared to be a broken down wagon on the road ahead moved aside to reveal Ottoman cannon. They were part of a force commanded by Mutapha bey which also had 2 regiments of Janissaries, 2 bodies of Balkan rabble, some skirmishers and two regiments of light horse. (initial positions below)

On spotting the artillery our guns unlimbered to clear the road, and as our infantry statrted to deploy a mass of Infantry and cavalry emerged over a hill to our left front We formed a brigade line just in time. All the cavalry swung to their right and then attacked the H&D. Our supporting fire prevented some of the cavalry from engaging, but the fire from H&D was hesitant and they ran from the cavalry. Our regiment then faced left and delivered a devestating volley into the cavalry before they could attack the fugitives. General Kremnitzer then sucessfully rallied the regiment as the Ottoman cavalry fell back to reform. At the same moment the two regiments of janissaries attacked the Wendt regiment. (below)
The charge was pressed home with extreme agression as our cannon cut swathes through the janissary ranks. One regiment faltered due to the fire, but the other pressed home and cut the brave Wendt regiment to shreds with the remenants fleeing behind the baggage wagons.

At this point General Kremnitzer joined the regiment leading them forward in a last ditch attempt to repel to Ottomans. The shock was too much and the remaining janissaries fled the battlefield. (the Frunsberg charge is shown below)

Just after this heroic charge we saw more troop movements behind the Ottoman lines and the Ottoman cavalry made another attack on H&D. This time the regiment remained steady inflicting musketry casualties and driving off those who came within reach of the pikes. As the Ottoman cavalry withdrew to lick their wounds again we saw that the distant troops were not more Ottomans but our gallant Polish allies coming to our aid. (The poles can be seen top left below)

The Ottoman army then fled in panic pursued by the Poles.

As well as the valiant performance of my regiment, the artillery performed well, as well as causing major losses to the janissaries using grape, they also drove off the enemy gunners at a point when they were causing casualties on the brigade using flanking fire.

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Other notes:
1) Game played using a version of my SYW rules modified for the period, still very much in development at this stage, but does involve command dice.
2) I also modified the melee combat results with a recent idea, that the losers losses are in proportion to the scale of difference in the modified dice scores.
3) The Frundsbergers were treated the same as the other imperial infantry.
4) Further actions will depend on the availability of suitable plastic figures for the Ottomans.