The Grand Duchy of Stollen

  Above, General von Tschatschke's battery opens up on the enemy hussars and infantry. "Looks like we have some artillery fire and musketry to resolve this turn, old pineapple!" cracked General von Tschatschke from the bottom of his brandy snifter .   "I suppose you're right, confound it," was the best General de Latte could muster through the haze of heavy blue cigar smoke that hung over the gaming table.  "But these are damn fine Cubans, what?  Now, explain to me again how all of this works.  I'm afraid," he added, motioning to his empty brandy snifter, "that I've had too much of this stuff!" Half of von Tschatschke's Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers unleash a volley on General de Latte's dangerously close 11th Hussars.  "Certainly," replied von Tschatschke.  "My battery of two guns fired on your Mittau Volunteers and hussars.  The right-hand gun failed to find it's range at 20...

Zichenau's General de Latte has ordered what appears to be a general advance.  Above, you can see his front line of infantry almost within musketry range of the Stollenian infantry. Here, you'll observe General de Latte and his officers, advancing just behind the first line of infantry and cavalry, not far from the waiting Stollenian line now. General de Latte has order his second line of troops to advance in close support of the first. Here's another view of the Zichenauer advance, accompanied by the dastardly General de Latte and his evil minions. The grim Stollenian Army awaits the Zichenauer onslaught. A rash move by General de Latte, I think!  He has ordered his hussars to charge the flank of the stalwart Leib (Grand Duchess Sonj'a Own) Grenadiers the Grand Duchy of Stollen's Household Regiment.  The outcome might be less pleasant than those brash young men in braided dolmans and fancy pelisses suspect. It would appear, much to General von Tschatschke...

Here is another sketch map of the battlefield, showing the new situation at the start of Turn Three, drawn by General de Latte between puffing on his Cuban cigar and chiding the tactically challenged von Tschatschke. After several minutes of good-natured banter over snifters of brandy and Cuban cigars, de Latte and von Tschatschke wrote their orders for Turn Three.  General von Tschatschke shared his first. . . 1)  My jaegers in Eispick Village are to occupy empty buildings, hold them, and fire on ANY enemy roops that pass within close range (i.e., 6” or closer). 2)  Main infantry line Von Laurenz Musketeers and Leib Grenadiers to deploy from columns of four into three-deep line (officers, NCOS, musicians, and color party to form the rear  line) and fire continuously on any enemy troops that come within range (i.e., 12” or closer). 3) Artillery battery to stop advance toward hill and deploy  in space between marshland and infantry line, opening fire as soon...

The Stollenian Jaeger zu Fuss, within and outside of Eispicke Village have not fared well during Turn Two.  The red-coated battery of Zichenauer artillery on the hill at the eastern end of Sittangtal (remember them?) fired on the village once again this turn.  This time, however, they found their correct range, and inflicted two casualties on the enemy troops holding this isolated group of half-timbered wattle and daub structures. Elsewhere in the same vicinity, Zichenau's dastardly, though dashing, first squadron of hussars wreaked havoc among that isolated platoon of Jaeger zu Fuss, inflicting six casualties in bloody melee before retiring the requisite 12" to rally and regroup. And here we see those smug ruffians gathering around their colonel and guidon just outside the northeastern edge of Eispicke Village.  No doubt, they are bent on spreading more panic and confusion elsewhere along the Stollenian lines during subsequent turns. "Oh, I say!" exclaimed Gener...

  Here is a panoramic artist's rendering of the general situation on the battlefield just after the moves ordered for Turn Two by generals de Latte and von Tschatschke have been executed.   Here, you can see part of the first company of von Tschatschke's 11th Engineers hard at work laying charges all along the toll bridge across the Blau Zwischen River. In Neu Sittangbad itself, the second company of 11th Engineers has stationed itself in side the completed fieldworks along the wharf. On the northern edge of Sittangtal, O'Malley's Irish grenzers near the Sittangwald unopposed.  Imagine the havoc these crack shots could wield on the left flank of the Stollenian line from the relative comfort of a thickly wooded area. Grey-coated Stollenain artillery still on the march toward a new position on the extreme right flank of von Tschatschke's line. Trying to make the best of a desperate situation, the cut off Jaeger zu Fuss, under the command of one Major von Truenkra...

Here is another sketch map by General de Latte, indicating new troops positions. G eneral von Tschatschke and General de Latte have just written and dispatched their new orders for Move Two.  Let's peek and see what the two tactical ne'er-do-wells are planning, shall we? General von Tschatschke: 1) Jaegers will have to do the best they can in Eispicke Village and, if at all possible, make their way back to Stollenian lines via the hill and marshland. 2) Gun battery to continue to hill, deploy and begin firing into nearest target(s) as soon as possible, preferably the flanks of any cavalry units that pass by. 3) Von Laurenz Musketeers and Leib Grenadiers will form line in company columns of fours and fire on any enemy that comes within close range (6” or less). 4) Independent company of Wolmar-Bock Regiment will occupy field works beyond town gate. 5) One company of 11 th Engineers will occupy field works on north side of Neu Sittangbad.  The other company will begin l...

Revell 1/72 Austrian gunners, painted in Russian uniforms, firing 25mm MiniFig generic mid-18th century guns.  Garrison crews along with two Holger Eriksson guns in the mid-distance and two more MiniFig pieces in the background. N ear the end of the first move of Neu Sittangbad, the dastardly General de Latte ordered a battery of his artillery to fire on the Stollenian jaegers cut off and trapped within Eispicke Village.  At extreme range, 34"-36", the general needed to roll at least a six for his gunners to establish the correct range and have the chance of inflicting some casualties on the jaegers.  He popped a lone die into a navy blue velvet cup, shook it vigorously, and threw. "Blast!" exclaimed de Latte with dusgust.  "Oh, you rolled a one, old shoe!" chuckled General von Tschatschke from across the table, "Looks like your opening shots fell short of their mark.  There's a bit of bad luck, eh?"  General de Latte muttered something ...

  Here is a general view of the battlefield after the initial moves ordered have been carried out.  Note the finely modeled, intricately detailed marshland at the right of the photograph. Looks like trouble for the Stollenian Jaeger zu Fuss, who have been cut off  and surrounded with most of them still trapped in Eispicke Village by the Voluntiere aus Mittau Infantry and the 11th Hussars with several in the open about to be ridden down by the latter.   Adding insult to injury, the jaegers within the village are just about within extreme range (about 34-36") of General de Latte's red-coated battery, deployed currently on the hill in the distance. Meanwhile, General de Latte's Irish Grenzers, under the command of that rogue, one Colonel Thomas O'Malley, are making haste for the Sittangwald, still almost two moves away. Whoops!  Here's another photograph of the situation outside the village of Eispicke.  It doesn't look promising.  For his part, Stoll...

Here is a sketch map from Greg, er, General de Latte of the  battlefield, indicating where certain units for Zichenau and Stollen have been ordered respectively. A s the sun rises higher in the sky and the morning mist begins to clear, orders are written and dispatched by the generals at their respective ends of the Sittangtal (Sittang Valley).  Very briefly, they look like this: General von Tschatschke: 1) Order my Jaeger zu Fuss to retreat from the village of Eispicke and make hell-for-leather back to the hill and marsh on the (right) side of the table.   2) I will also order my artillery battery to limber up and reposition itself on that same hill as soon as possible.   3) Withdraw half of  my cavalry a full move to the south of the marsh and the other half to the left of Neu Sittangbad to guard my flanks.   4) Finally, I am ordering my two regiments of infantry to march out of town and converge to form a single line of infantry mi...

  Here, we see the Stollenian Army marching out of Neu Sittangbad to meet the Zichenauer foe, led by the dastardly General Phillipe de Latte (played by the equally dastardly Greg Horne of the Duchy of Alheim) .  Note the improvised field works and wharf at the riverside.  Both are due to be replaced ASAP this weekend.   Next, we see the early Zichenauer positions at the other end of the valley.  And it looks like Stollen's Jaeger zu Fuss have been caught far out ahead of their main body.  This doesn't look good given their apparent disorder, no doubt brought on by the panic and surprise at waking so close to the enemy lines this frosty February morning.   Here is a close-up of General de Latte's second line, consisting entirely of infantry, his premier brigade in fact that is made up of the Ermland Garde (The Newts) in the foreground, von Flickenhoffer's Fusiliers in the middle distance, and the red-coated Voluntiere aus Mittau in the far distance....

T he morning of 17. February 1772 dawned cold and gray with a few inches of crunchy snow on the ground.  As his men struggled to rekindle their campfires and gather their arms, General von Tschatschke surveyed the enemy formations across the valley to the north of Neu Sittangbad.  He had the lingering thought that his work was cut out for him.  What would they say in Krankenstadt if he failed to stop the Zichenauer horde here?   Meanwhile, at the far end of the valley, General Phillipe de Latte pulled on an especially fancy dark blue coat with copious gold braid and cackled ominously to himself.  "This will be a walk in the woods" he remarked to his orderlies, who helped him into his riding boots before the three stood and left de Latte's pavilion, emerging optimistically into the cold early morning light.

Krankenstadt, Grand Duchy of Stollen  -- (16 February 1772) -- Stollenian cavalry scouts near the Blau Zwischen River have reported sightings of massed enemy formations just across the frontier in the Electorate of Zichenau.  It is widely believed the Zichenauers will attempt to force a river crossing over the toll bridge at Neu Sittangbad where there is a large supply and ammunition depot along with, apparently,  a chocolatier of some reknown, one Hans Pieter van Kaasenbrood.  Given Zichenau's various interests in Neu Sttangbad, General von Tschatschke has, accordingly, gathered his officers to discuss their immediate plans for action and examine all possible contingencies should they fail to staunch the tide of white- and red-coated Zichenauers.  With that very aim in mind, von Tschatschke has also ordered the construction of fieldworks just outside the main town gate, which also serves as Neu Sittangbad's jail, and along the north bank of Blau Zwischen near ...

Here is a reprise, from July 2011, of the most complicated scratch-built structure I have attempted to date. . .  A generic North German (probably Lutheran) church, based on many I have seen firsthand over the years in places like Luebeck, Flensburg, Bremen, and Hamburg. Here is another photo, showing the same generic North German church at left along with a similar, but structurally much simpler building from January 2010, which can serve as either a second North German/Flemish church, a Rathaus (town hall), or another such municipal building.  I've had lots of fun over the last few years designing and assembling buildings that are not commercially available.  T hank you everyone who has had a look around here at the GD of S blog the past few days and left encouraging comments about my figures and table.  One of you asked for more material on my buildings and how I've, well, built them.  Here is a link back to a series of posts from January 2008 on how I ty...