Battle of Mons 2014

A hundred years after the event we played the battle of Mons (well, a scenario of mine inspired by the battle) with the Black Powder rules that worked surprisingly well. The BEF was supposed to stall as long as possible and deny the bridges to the Hun, while the Germans were tasked with capturing the bridges and inflicting hurt on the small BEF.

Some pictures of the battle, played at Owen's place with 15mm figures. The dastardly Huns won on points, because the Eastern bridge refused to blow and those plucky Tommies stayed in position too long for a timely escape....

The Huns (them...)

The Tommies (Us...) 

The battlefield, with the village of Nimy in the lower left corner

Belgian refugees flee before the Hunnish hordes. Lovely Taube plane made by Peter Pig and painted by Owen. 

The center bridge blows!

Nimy railway bridge standing firm

Eastern bridge unfortunately standing firm as well, after our attempt to demolish it failed spectacularly!

Consequently the Germans stormed and took it...

The end: German reinforcements turn up on the British flank and advance through Nimy, charging the defenders in the flank.

Battle of Leuthen

Today we played the Battle of Leuthen (december 5th 1757) using the Black Powder rules and Owen´s magnificent Seven Year War armies. On the snowy plains of Leuthen the Prussian and Austrian armies clashed in the perfect example of the oblique attack.



 Above an Austrian ponders his position while another one takes aerial photographs of the battlefield. In the center the church of Leuthen can be seen, flanked above and below by the Austrian lines, who have formed up to oppose the Prussians coming in from the left. This was a mere feint however and the main Prussian army is actually advancing from the lower part of the picture, facing only the Austrian left wing.

The  village of Leuthen

 Austrian grenadiers

 Here the Prussian line forms up on the extreme left flank of the completely outmaneuvered Austrians, who now had to choose between defending their position or falling back on Leuthen as soon as possible.

 The mill in the Austrian center.

The Austrian left wing refuses to respond to commands and motionlessly watches the advancing Prussians. Folkert and I thought Ol´ Frederick´s plan still seemed sound so we simply repeated it, driving full speed towards Leuthen.  

The Wurttemberg regiments caught the full force of the Prussian attack, murderous volley followed by devastating bayonet attack, and were obliterated.

Chaos and disorder among the Bavarians.

 A fierce firefight and combat ensued between the Prussian line and the Bavarian regiments. In the Austrian center Italians tried their utmost NOT to get stuck in and Austrians hurried towards a spectacular cavalry battle.

The Bavarians brushed aside, a few Austrian cavalry units desperately try to stem the tide. Opposite the Austrian center the Prussian  left wing is pushed back by Austrian cavalry (top of the picture) but it is too little, too late....

The triumphant Prussians advance, breaking the final units of the Austrian left wing. Their center too far away to participate in the battle, the Austrians break and clear the field.

This is probably the first time I ever played a historical battle using the exact same battle plan as the historial commander with the exact same historical result!