The Grand Duchy of Stollen

"Ah, there you are old camel saddle!" remarked General von Tschatschke as a disheveled General de Latte emerged into the bright mid-afternoon light of the drawing room.  "Feeling better?" "The less said the better, my dear von Tschatschke," replied de Latte sheepishly, "The less said the better.  I see your troops have withdrawn on your right flank a full move's distance in my absence." "Yes, damn bad show that," agreed von Tschatschke.  "Seems my Leib Grenadiers and artillery crew lack fortitude when faced with men in funny hats and brightly-colored girdles atop horses.  Still, they may rally yet." "Doesn't look good in the meantime though, does it?" observed de Latte.  "Now, how about those orders for Move Five, old shoe horn?" "I thought you'd never ask," said General von Tschatschke enthusiastically.  Here are mine: 1 ) The 4 th Dragoons will move up 24” to plug the hol

While General de Latte attempts to collect himself and recover from his blinding hangover, the situation for Stollen and General von Tschatschke on the wargaming table has taken a turn for the worse, following the melee at the end of Turn Four.  In short, the Stollenian right flank, while suffering only light casualties, has crumbled.  Above, you'll observe the flower of the Stollenian Army, the elite Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers, along with some artillery crew, in full flight toward the relative safety of Neu Sittangbad.  Disgrace!  The abandoned Stollenian guns are now ripe for the plucking by General de Latte's Mittau Volunteers. General de Latte's 11th Hussards, while suffering moderate to heavy casualties themselves in the melee that ensued at the close of Turn Four, nevertheless managed to cause considerable panic along the right wing of General von Tschatschke's front line and left a wave of havoc in their wake.  In the photog

General von Tschatschke's guns fire on de Latte's 11th Hussards and the red-coated Mittauer Volunteers (not shown). “Your flask is probably in your pocket, old cask,” observed General von Tschatschke with wry amusement from his side of the wargaming table. “Ah, there she is,” said General de Latte.  “Imagine losing track of her like that.  He uncapped his pocket flask and took a swig. “Nothing like a little hair of the dog, eh de Latte?” agreed von Tschatschke.  “Have some more.” “What?  Oh, why yes,” agreed de Latte.  “Nothing like it.  Helps you forget all about the events of the previous evening.  Good for what ails you and all that.  Thank you.  Don’t mind if I do.” “Now, how about we move on to assessing our artillery effects for this turn?” suggested von Tschatschke, leaning forward a bit on his walking stick. “Yes, let’s do that without delay von Tschatschke, without delay!” said de Latte, jumping up from his seat and realizing as soon as he ha

General de Latte's Irish Grenzers open fire on the Stollenian 2nd (von Laurenz) Musketeers opposite them in the valley below. “ Ah,” began de Latte, “I thought you’d never ask!  I’m going to have my Irish Grenzers under Colonel O'Malley fire at your von Laurenz Musketeers.  Five of the former are 9"-12" from the  left wing of the atter.  Blast!  I rolled a 1. The result is nuncupatory!” “Bad show, old bed warmer, bad show!” cajoled General von Tschatschke, adding, “Looks like your grenzers can’t hit the side of a barn.  But next time.  Surely, it will be better next time.”  Across the gaming table, de Latte gnashed his teeth and continued.  “Four of my Mittau Volunteers in open order are 12" from the right-hand gun of your lone artillery battery.  I’m going to have them fire on it.  I roll a 4 on a D6. As it's 4 firing figures or less, the result is halved and halved again due to long range fire. One casualty is inflicted upon your gunners.  Not ba

General von Tschatschke's Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers unleash an initial volley on General de Latte's Charging 11th Hussards. “Ah!  There you are,” said General von Tschatschke to his guest as the latter entered the drawing room in his stocking feet.  “Have a nice rest? “Oh, my head.  My aching head,” began General de Latte as he listed into the room and sat down gingerly on a damask chair at his side of the gaming able.  “No more brandy for a while I think.  How long was I asleep?” “Oh, I should think about. . .  31 hours give, or take a few,” von Tschatschke replied with a devilish grin. “Fresh coffee I think,” he added to the butler, who had just entered the drawing room silently and then left again without comment. “Now then, let’s talk about musketry and artillery fire.” “If we must,” answered de Latte, rubbing his temples.  Von Tschatschke began. “First, we have my Leib Grenadiers versus your 11 th Hussards.  I have 24 grenadiers i

Here are a few more artist's renderings of the unfolding Battle for Neu Sittangbad at the start of Turn Four.  These should be of some help to our tireless cartographer, one Gregorius d'Cor, a friar of the Franciscan Order, who by some strange quirk of fate has found himself attached to General de Latte's retinue where his surveying and map-making talents are being put to good (??!!) use. Next, we have less high-angled illustration that manages to show almost the entire battlefield around Neu Sittangbad, including the Stollenian engineers across the Blau Zwischen, the isolated Jaeger zu Fuss in Eispicke Village, and O'Malley's Irish Grenzers emerging from the woods along the ridge on the northern edge of the Sittangtal. . .  Frightfully close to von Tschatschke's left flank! As impetuous on the Field of Mars as he is in the boudoir, General de Latte decides to lead his brigade of dragoons and horse grenadiers on a circuitous route through his own rear area and

To start, here is a photograph showing the bulk of General de Latte's Army of Zichenau at the start of Turn Four after (most of) his orders have been carried out.  You'll note that his front line of infantry has deployed from columns of four into three-deep lines and is closely supported by a more fragmented second line of infantry, cavalry, and two batteries of limbered artillery.   De Latte's Mittau Volunteers are somewhat ahead of of their main line, supporting the 11th Hussards, who have charged and closed with Stollen's Leib (Grand Duchess Sonja's Own) Grenadiers. And here is the now fully deployed Zichenauer front line from another angle. De Latte's engineer battalion and von Auflauf Infantry advance in support of their front line troops while the red battery unlimbers and aims itself at the enemy jaegers holding Eispicke Village. The rest of O'Malley's Irish Grenzers move into the woods atop the ridge along the northern edge of the Sittangtal. 

"Right you are, old biscuit," said General de Latte, "Turn Three is finished then.  Here are my orders for Turn Four. . ." 1) The Ermland Garde and von Flickenhoffer's Fusiliers 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). 2) The Mittau Volunteers will close on the Leib Grenadiers with an eye to bringing them under attack when the melee is done. 3) The Light Company of the Mittau Volunteers (still in open order) will either bring the crew of the nearest gun (assuming the other crew is busily being melee'd by 11th  Hussards) under attack via musket fire or will continue to advance with the intention of doing so next move. 4) Von Auflauf regiment will continue to advance in support of the main infantry line. 5)The Red Artillery battery will cease it's advance and bring the nearest manned bui

  Above, General de Latte's 11th Hussars charge home on von Tschatschke's Leib Grenadiers at the close of Turn Three.  ". . .  And that's how the Colonel von Adalnowski's kitchen maid became Frau von Topfsange, Lady of the Manor.  Damned bad luck for poor von Topfsange though.  She never did learn how to hold her tea cup properly.  And the way she danced the Minuet.  Scandalous!  I've heard they moved to Riga several years ago now.  There was a Lutheran bishop there, a cousin to von Topfsange and quite a sharp player at the card table I am told.  Anyway, he had one of those lovely old red brick townhouses with the gabled front in a better part of town that had a receiving room, furnished with red damask chairs and a maroon chaise lounge with golden dragon flies all over it, made by a Monsieur d'Oie from Paris, of whom you might have heard, and he. . .  De Latte?  I say, De Latte?  De Latte!  Wake up, old shaving mug!" "What?  What?  Oh, frightfu