This scenario was prepared by Martin Soilleux-Cardwell.
The Battle:
The French deployed behind a low ridge which runs parallel to the river Diemel. Their right rested on Warburg which was held by Fischer, their left on the lower slopes of the ridge which descended towards Ossendorf. A hill behind their left called the Hein Berg which was crowned by a stone watchtower was unoccupied. To their rear was the river.
Spockern and the Erbprinz planned a night march across the French front followed by a descent on their left flank at dawn. Prinz Ferdinand, who was still a half day’s march distant with the main army, ordered the attack delayed by several hours so that he could send some troops to support it. Fog covered the field at dawn and allowed the Allies to advance to close quarters undetected. Du Muy had gone out in front of his position earlier and here the fog was thinner allowing him to see the Allied main army closing up to his front. Therefore expecting a frontal attack in the early afternoon he did not see the threat to his left.
The British grenadiers led the right column which went behind the French left and established themselves on the Hein Berg. They opened fire onto the French rear with their cannon. Du Muy swung his two left hand brigades to counterattack the Allies’ right column. The British grenadiers were hit by eight battalions and fell back but Keith’s and Campbell’s highlanders coming up stabilised the situation.
Meanwhile Spockern’s left column had advanced from Menne on what had been the French left front but due to the wheel of their left hand brigades his Hessian garde and Brunswick grenadiers actually hit these unfortunate regiments in their right rear. The French left collapsed and Spockern overran ten guns.
The French right wing of infantry withdrew through Warburg and crossed the Diemal taking up a position on the south bank. Their cavalry wheeled left to cover this move but as they formed up they were hit by Granby’s British cavalry and thrown back in disorder.
The Allied artillery leapfrogged along the ridge and fired into the town almost turning the withdrawal into a rout. Bulow’s Légion Britannique came forward and pushed the Chasseurs de Fischer back into and through the town. The Erbprinz followed up and by 5:00 p.m. Ferdinand’s main infantry columns began to arrive. These pursued across the Diemel with some of Granby’s cavalry only halting at nightfall.
Order of Battle:
Allied Army 22,000 men in 29 Bns, 54 Sqns, 26 Field guns.
General Freiherr von Spockern AC (with left column)
Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Erbprinz of Brunswick CC (with right column).
Right Column, Generalleutnant von Hardenberg DC, Ex = 8
- Daulhatt’s and Maxwell’s British Grenadiers M6 [ ][ ]*bg-g
- British & Hanoverian Artillery M6 [ ][ ]sb-f
- Keith’s (87th) & Campbell’s (88th) Highlanders M6 [ ][ ]*bg
- Hanoverian Grenadiers: No1, No3, No2 M6 [ ][ ][ ]*g
- Hanoverian Foot: 1A Scheither, 12A Estorff, 10A Post M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg
- Hanoverian Foot: 8B Block, 10B Monroy M5 [ ][ ]bg
- Converged Dragoons M6 [ ]hvy (Hanoverian Dgn Regt Breitenbach, British 7th Dgns (Cope’s) and British 1st (Royal) Dgns (Conway’s))
- Hessian Horse Regts Einsiedel & Pruschenck
Left Column, Generalleutnant Christian von Zastrow DC, Ex = 8
- Hessian Foot Regt Garde M6 [ ][ ]*bg
- Hanoverian & Hessian Artillery M6 [ ][ ]sb-f
- Brunswick Grenadier Btns: Wittorf, Redecker, Hahn M6 [ ][ ][ ]*g
- Hessian Garrison Grenadier Btn M6 [ ][ ]*g
- Hessian Foot Regt Toll M5 [ ][ ]bg
- Hessian Foot Regts Pappenheim, Mirbach, Ruchersfeld M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg
- Hanoverian Horse Regt 3, Bremer M6 [ ]hvy
- Hanoverian Dgn Regts 3, Reden & 4, Bock M6 [ ][ ]med
British Cavalry Wing Detached from Main Army:
John Manners, Marquis of Granby DC, Ex = 3
- Britsh Converged Cavalry M6 [ ][ ][ ]hvy ((1st (King’s), 3rd & 2nd Dragoon Guards, Royal Horse Guards (Blues), 7th Dragoon Guards, Carabiniers)
- British Converged Cavalry M6 [ ][ ]med (2nd (Royal N British), 10th, 6th (Inniskilling) & 11th Dragoons)
Detached Light Troops: Major von Bulow DC, Ex = 4
- Légion Britanniques Infantry M4 [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]sk
- Légion Britanniques Light Dragoons M4 [s]lt
- Hessian Jagers M5 [ ]ss
- Hessian Hussars M5 [s]lt
Allied Notes:
Turn 1 is 10:00 a.m. Last turn is 4:00 p.m. when the Allied Main Army arrives and follows through at which point the French pretty much are doomed, rather like the Austrians at Chotusitz. The Allies are the attackers.
Granby arrives on the 12:00 noon turn. Bulow arrives on the 1:00 p.m. turn.
The attack was professionally and flexibly handled and while normally I would only have Spockern as AC leading one column and the Erbprinz as CC for the other I think the skill with which the attack was made merits the addition of two extra DCs for flexibility.
*=shock troops; g=grenadiers present; bg=battalion guns
French Army 22,000 men in 29 Bns, 41 Sqns, 20 Field guns. Lieut-General le Chevalier du Muy AC
Left Infantry Wing ?, DC, Ex = 10
1st Line
- Inf Regt No7, Latour du Pin, Left Wing M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Inf Regt No7, Latour du Pin, Right Wing M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Left Wing Artillery M5 [ ][ ]sb-f
- Inf Regt No18, Touraine M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Inf Regt No85, Enghien M4 [ ][ ]bg-g
2nd Line
- Swiss Inf Regt No63, Planta M5 [ ][ ]bg-g
- Swiss Inf Regt No78, Courten M5 [ ][ ]bg-g
- Swiss Inf Regt No90, Lochmann M5 [ ][ ]bg-g
- Swiss Inf Regt No51, Reding M5 [ ][ ]bg-g
Centre of Cavalry ?, DC, Ex = 3
- Cavalry Regts M5 [ ][ ]hvy (6 Royal-Étranger, 38 St Aldegonde 26 Archiac, 14 La Reine 45 Crussol, 36 Balincourt)
- Cavalry Regts M5 [ ][ ]hvy (22 Bourbon, 68 Montcalm 35 Beauvilliers, 10 Royal-Piémont 58 Escars, 49 Espinchal)
- Dragoon Regts 14 Thiange, 4 Royal M4 [ ][ ]med
Right Infantry Wing ?, DC, Ex = 6
- Inf Regt No28, La Couronne M4 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Inf Regt d’Aumont M4 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Right Wing Artillery M5 [ ][ ]sb-f
- Inf Regt No8, Bourbonnois, Left Wing M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Inf Regt No8, Bourbonnois, Right Wing M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
Reserve behind the Cavalry Centre, Ex = 3
- Inf Regt No42, Rouergue M5 [ ][ ][ ]bg-g
- Inf Regt No64, Rochefort M4 [ ][ ]bg-g
Light Troops Fischer DC, Ex = none
- Chasseurs à Cheval M4 [s]lt
- Chasseurs à Pied M4 [ ]sk
French Notes:
All infantry have grenadiers and battalion guns.
The Map:
Sources:
- Savory.
- Mollo.