WARGAME (1848) Danish Army Engages Schleswig Patriots

The year is 1848 and a brigade of Danish Regulars has been despatched to secure a fortified position held by a large number of German-speaking volunteers.

THE OPPOSING FORCES

The Schleswig army comprised three battalions of volunteers, each thirteen strong. There was also two gun crews of three, able and familiar with using cannon. The only Regulars troops was a company of Schleswig Jaeger (4), formally loyal to the Danish Crown. A local aristocrat commanded the whole.

The Danish brigade comprised three battalions of thirteen, a sharpshooter battalion of eight, and two artillery crews (6). A General Officer commanded.

THE BATTLE BEGINS

MOVE ONE The Danish brigade advanced. MOVE TWO The Danish brigade continued. MOVE THREE The advance continued and a Schleswig gun was in range and able to hit a Danish gun crew. MOVE FOUR A second hit on the Danish gun crew routs the last survivor, and a neighbouring battalion delayed its further advance. But the Danes also had some success. They missed an artillery target but hit a neighbouring Schleswig volunteer battalion, it panicked, and it spread to the original artillery target too!

MOVE FIVE Some small arms casualties. The Schleswig commander failed to rally his routing volunteers, it was not looking good for him. MOVE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT The Danes advanced, their single gun constantly hitting a house which was now fortified. MOVE NINE The jaeger and sharpshooters exchanged shots, despite the windmill providing saving throws they were still outnumbered. MOVE TEN The Danish redcoats suffered casualties due to the lack of cover. But the Schleswig jaeger were knocked down to half strength and routed, the Danes took the windmill. 

MOVE ELEVEN Two battalions of Danish infantry charged the enemy, and routed them.

MOVE TWELVE Only a Schleswig gun crew still stood firm, and fired their gun until silenced by small arms fire from three battalions.

A very enjoyable game, and I only used my smaller gaming table. Strange how 12 moves seems to conclude practically all my games. I should mention, the Schleswig volunteers were nearly all C-CLASS and required a morale test whenever they suffered a casualty, although 'defending a declared position' certainly helped their morale. The Danish regulars were all B-CLASS. 

CASUALTIES

Danish fourteen, one routing. Germans thirteen, thirty-seven routing.

NEW ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION

Hessian Jaeger 1848, converted lead figures.

MGB

REPLIES TO FRIENDS

Thank you, Donnie. I was somewhat surprised how well the one-table worked, having usually used two. I think many early game moves could be undertaken off the gaming table, so saving space. The Schleswig collection is practically complete, although the German regulars are a little understrength, hope to field them in a game very soon...... a mixture of Hanoverians, Hessians, Mecklenburgers, and Saxon states.

Thanks Brad. For my part, I've realised it is so much easier to game on my original one-table, the two-table system was a reaction to having a larger collection but very time-consuming to set up, and pack away. And also difficult to actually move some of the units. With this system, expect more games, having largely completed the projects floating in my head, and spares boxes. As a student of history, I thought this game respected military situations, and likely results, which is important to my gaming.

Hello Tony. I very much enjoyed playing this game, and more will shortly follow. May I just mention, I am unable to comment on some blogs due to my new computer security and Google, but found your post on the napoleonic ancestor very interesting! 

Hi Quinn. I stopped using enamels and white spirit many years ago, too slow to dry, and too smelly. I only use matt acrylic paints. Concerning old lead figures, the enamel paintwork is often damaged. If 65% remains I lightly sand the chipped area, prime and paint match with acrylic, then varnish the area. But most cheap secondhand figures are well under 50%, and often missing parts, so I completely paint strip, and start again using a good primer and acrylics. Traditional painting methods are (in my opinion) inferior, and chip too easily. My figures are protected under yacht varnish. I can drop my figures on concrete and they will never chip. Repainting straight over old enamels can be risky, thick layers of paint can clog the detail, old chips can leave a cratering on the figure. But collectors do what they want, I want mine to recognise the casting detail, and look clean and smart on my gaming table. Now having a museum collection is a very different matter, it might then be best to seek out those in the finest condition, and just leave them as they are..... I have a large collection of military books, coins, and militaria dating back to  the 1760s, I do nothing with them but keep the dust from settling.

Thanks MJT. I very much enjoyed this fast moving brigade level action. While I confess to having just picked up another eight more figures, to convert into Saxony Foot Guards, I'm keen to really increase my tally of games!