Battle of Lützen

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Zipuli
Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:58 am

Battle of Lützen

Post by Zipuli »

This scenario was hard.
- First try I got bogged in the town on my left and field works on my right. While trying to dislodge the defenders the center was doing OK, but Pappenheim's reinforcements and a cavalry charge on my right ruined the day.
- Second try I chose to avoid both, the town and the fortifications on my right. I tried to lure my cavalry from far right, while harrassed by the hussars. To my doom, the hussars evaded out of the map, only to return in my rear later and ruining everything.

During both attempts I did start out well, routing about 30% of the imperials, but after that the tables turned and I lost something like 70% to 40%. Difficulty is the medium one (3/5).

But the Lion of the North in me didn't give up!

Third time I created a cunning plan:
- I chose to spend my points to reinforce the left flank cavalry+commanded shot and added more P&S+LG in the center.
- As the enemy right flank seemed stronger, I would advance there very slowly. I would try to outshoot the hussars and then advance only enought to cover the right flank from enemy manouvers - well before the fortifications. I moved the elite Hakkapeliittas to my center as my reserve.
- In the left flank I wanted to create the breach just right of the town, mopping up the windmill hill defenders from the rear with my cavalry, and then pull back while the Salvo infantry and cannons move in to engage the imperial line.
- After this I would concentrate my cavalry on the left, move one brigade of reserve Pike&Shot there, bash through and flank the enemy main line, before Pappenheim's arrival...

-------------

The battle commences! In the fog, enemy artillery harrasses my left flank. But I press forth. Soon in the town my commanded shot and enemy's exchange fire and my cavalry charges through the breach in the walls and the enemy evades to the marshlands just behind the town. Meanwhile four cavalry units from my left dash daringly past the windmill hill, turn right riding in the enemy musket fire, and then crash into the cannons and dragoons from the rear. The dragoons evade straight to my center - end of their story. I managed to pull back the cavalry before they got dragmented or ran away.

Simultaneusly the Finnish cavalry moves to center and the center line moves forth at best speed. The second line of mercenary(?) Pike&Shot form up the left and right wings. The right flank remains put for now. One unit of cannons is unlimbered to the left of the cavalry line, pointing right.

...And the hussars arrive from the mist! Riding probably too confident, they are greeted with a hail of musket fire from my commanded shot and the reserve Pike&Shot forming the center's right wing. The cannons add insult to their injury. With only minor Swedish casualties from this move the Hussars rout.

While the engagement on my right comes to conclusion, on the left my cavalry goes after the commanded shot that ran from the town, and a long melee begins in the marshlands. The imperial line starts to move to greet mine, but I am on the windmill hill before they manage to stop me, and I quickly deploy my cannons there. Receiving accurate fire in the center I decide to move up, firing, to use my Salvo infantry in close combat, rather than in a one-on-one shootout. It looks like the imperial fire is more effective, but my charge should be enough to turn the tables. At the same time I order the cavalry and commanded shot on the left to engage the enemy cavalry line, with one brigade of Pike&Shot following.

IMAGE 1
IMAGE 2

Notice the shape of my battle line - the hussars have just been shot to pieces and I am gaining the upper hand on the left!

But then, I hear the bad news: Pappenheim has arrived before I was able to fully defeat the enemy on my left! And the enemy cavalry reserves, mainly cuirassiers and arquebusiers move in, hitting my center right. I start to push more aggressively on my left. Due to numerical superiority, I am able to flank the heavy cavalry and my Pike&Shot + commanded shot manage to kill off their commanded shot. The cavalry charges the arquebusiers and start defeating them, but is it quick enough? On my far left, the battle in the marshlands progress slowly, with each melee turn giving 1-3 casualties.

With my left now in full charge, the enemy second line moves there to block any flanking move. I charge in the rest of my Salvo infantry and the second line Pike&Shot from my left. The cannons on the hill also cause havoc and while the cavalry is busy, the commanded shot quickly move around the imperial reserves and start peppering them with musket fire.

Unfortunately my center cracks in the right and my reserves are committed, minus the Hakkapeliittas. Now the enemy cavalry starts to hit my weaker right flank, but so far I am able to keep them at bay. Though with the knowledge from Breitenfeld I know that the cuirassiers will slaughter my cavalry if allowed a fair fight, one on one. I move my last two veteran cavalry to reinforce, but unfortunately the hussars are back, and my right flank is starting to deform from a pretty line into a hodgepodge of single engagements, with high threat of countercharges to single units' rears.

Finally, some good news! While the melee has been raging in the center, the first imperials start to route en masse. The situation goes worse though, as the pursuing Salvo are hit in the sides and rear by Pappenheim. Soon the whole line right of the windmill hill is in disarray - on both sides. With the Salvo and reserves beaten, some cuirassiers move in to capitalize, but soon they hear the feared battlecry "Hakkaa päälle!" as the last Swedish reserves rush in to stop them. The battle is bloody and casualties high on both sides, but due to my finally successful attack on the left I start getting more units to join the fight in the center and a huge amount of imperial Pike&Shot are routed.

As you can see, the battle lines are no more, and situation is mostly dire, but imperial morale has cracked:

IMAGE 3

As the battlefield quiets down, the imperial army is beaten and in disarray. But not completely annihilated. The battle was a close one, but for the Swedes it looks like a pyrrhic victory: The king is dead, and most of the elite units from Sweden and Finland are badly bloodied. The scenario was very difficult, but I managed to pull out a victory, like the Swedes did in the actual battle as well. Now I am looking at Nördlingen... This game is difficult as hell - in a good way!

PS. "Your post looks too spamy for a new user, please remove off-site URLs." Thanks a bunch =)
Attachments
Image 3: As you can see, the battle lines are no more, and situation is mostly dire, but imperial morale has cracked.
Image 3: As you can see, the battle lines are no more, and situation is mostly dire, but imperial morale has cracked.
2015-07-29_00003.jpg (183.26 KiB) Viewed 4593 times
Image 2: Here is the attack on my left.
Image 2: Here is the attack on my left.
2015-07-29_00002.jpg (233.54 KiB) Viewed 4593 times
Image 1: Here is how the battle looks like at this point. The windmill hill and my center.
Image 1: Here is how the battle looks like at this point. The windmill hill and my center.
2015-07-29_00001.jpg (214.97 KiB) Viewed 4593 times
Zipuli
Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
Lance Corporal - SdKfz 222
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 5:58 am

Re: Battle of Lützen

Post by Zipuli »

And the result:
Attachments
2015-07-29_00005.jpg
2015-07-29_00005.jpg (164.87 KiB) Viewed 4592 times
rbodleyscott
Field of Glory 2
Field of Glory 2
Posts: 28007
Joined: Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:25 pm

Re: Battle of Lützen

Post by rbodleyscott »

Nice report.
Richard Bodley Scott

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