Russia versus Sweden: a GNW scenario

Looking back it is about two years since the Prince August figures last ventured onto the wargames table; so, giving them a quick dust down it was time for them to feature again.  I based the scenario on Holowcyzn (as shown in the "Last Argument of Kings" supplement to the Black Powder rules).

View from behind the Swedish lines

View from the Russian right flank

The Swedish forces attacking the Russian position consist of two brigades of infantry (each of 4 battalions and a light gun) and a brigade of cavalry.  Due to arrive sometime after move 3 is a flanking force of of another cavalry brigade (4 units) and an infantry brigade of 3 elite battalions.  The Russian commander has prepared some defences. These are open on his right flank, so he has positioned a cavalry brigade there.  Facing the initial Swedish attack are two Russian brigades (each of 6 battalions), bolstered by a light gun and a medium gun.  The Russians can expect reinforcements of a small cavalry brigade at some time after move 6.  Objectives are simple, the Russians need to hold their position, the Swedes to capture it.

The Russians stand ready to repel the Swedish attack

The Swedish line moved forward, with the cavalry advancing quickly, hoping to bottle up the Russian cavalry within the defences.  However, the Russian cavalry commander did manage to get two of the regiments redeployed to face the threat and as the Swedish charge closed it was hammered by a devastating volley from carbines and pistols.  Undeterred, the Swedes crashed into the Russians and caused heavy casualties.  After a close fight both units had to withdraw to rally, but the Russians fell back through their supports and disordered them.  The Swedes tried to exploit this advantage but their leading unit was stopped by a volley from the Russian infantry which had been redeployed to assist the cavalry.  By the time another unit could charge, order had been restored and this too was repulsed. 

On the Swedish right the first line of battalions was approaching the Russian defences.  Once they entered close range for the Russian artillery they struggled to make further progress.  Large swathes were cut in the Swedish ranks by the canister fire and it proved too much for one unit which broke and ran for the trees,  Although the Swedes were taking a pounding from the Russian guns, their artillery was less effective against the Russian defenders and it was only when the range was close enough for musketry volleys that the defence began to waver.

The Russian artillery does its job

In the centre the Swedes had advanced steadily and they had had some some success in unsettling the defenders, but what was needed was the arrival of the Swedish flank attack.

On the Swedish left the cavalry had at last gained some success.  A further attack routed the leading Russian unit but was stopped by their supports when they tried to exploit the success.  In the resulting melee, the Swedes were forced to retreat.  It was proving a bad day at the office for the vaunted Swedish cavalry. 

The Russians drive back the Swedes

Retribution: the Swedes rout the Russians

The left hand brigade of Swedish infantry had now reached the defences and were exchanging volleys with the defenders.  Some Russian units were forced to fall back to reform but once again the Russian artillery saved the day by their accurate close range fire, driving back the blue-clad ranks.

A further attack on the Russian left

Some success for the Swedes, the Russian defenders are forced to fall back

At last the Swedish flanking force appeared, led by the cavalry.  The leading unit charged, but was shattered by a volley from the Russian cavalry and then cut to pieces in the melee.  This caused some hesitation from the rest of the brigade and the advance was only resumed once they had been joined by the cavalry brigade from the main force. 

The Swedish attack becomes rather disjointed

At only one point had the Swedes managed to cross the defences and here the victorious unit had been driven back by fire from supports brought forward from the second line.  The right hand brigade of Swedish infantry was now down to under 50% strength, with battalions teetering on the brink of disintegration.  This allowed some of the supporting line to begin to move to the Russian right to bolster the defences there.

The Swedish flank attack stopped in its tracks

Swedish infantry heading for the trees

Russian reserves beginning to move to their right

With the lack of success of the Swedish cavalry any infantry assault on the Russian right was vulnerable to the Russian cavalry and the Swedish commander decided that his best course was to withdraw while he could.

The scenario was a difficult one for the Swedes, things needed to go their way in the 50/50 situations and on this occasion they didn't.  A lack of success by the Swedish cavalry against the Russian cavalry, (even though they were of better quality) and the delay in the flanking force's arrival, meant that the 'head on' attack by the two Swedish infantry brigades received the undivided attention of the defenders and was too weakened to hold that attention once the flanking force did arrive.  This is not to say that the Russians had an easy day.  Their troops were inferior in quality and their commanders not as experienced.  Once their linear formation was broken it became really difficult to maintain control.

One problem was our lack of familiarity with the Ga Pa rules.  As I said at the beginning, the Prince August figures had not been used for two years. Consequently, the rules hadn't either.  Play was slowed by us having to look up rules and the sections interpreting the playsheets.