The Battle of Faffenstadt 1740 - (third Belgravian Wars)

Further extracts from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf ...

1) The Wittenberg forces:

The commander of the dragoons had deployed his troops, guarding the plunder taken on their raid of Haffenstadt and was awaiting the re-inforcements who were intended to garrison the town.

Commander of the Dragoons - Duke of Escherstadt
Cavalry: Schwarze Dragoner, Dragoon Regiment No.2, Leib-Dragoner Regiment.

On the March:Commander - Major General Stauffen-Wittendorf
Cavalry: Uhlan Pulk; Infantry: 2 Line Battalions; Artillery: 2 guns

2) The Monrovian Forces

The commander of the guards sent a fast rider to the garrison at Hildaburg, ordering them to rendezvous with him at Faffenstadt.

Commander - Major General von Rootsbeer
Cavalry: Leib-Garde; Infantry: Grenadier Guards

On the March,
Cavalry: Dragoon Regiment von Stiltwitz; Infantry: Fusilier Battalion Von Bulow; Artillery: 2 guns.

3) The Battle commences ...

Two regiments of Wittenberg dragoons has dismounted and were defending the orchard to the north of the town.
The Monrovian guards arrive and start their deployment ...

The Wittenberg Leib-Dragoner regiment moved into postion to protect the town from encirclement and charged the Monrovian guard cavalry ...

During the melee the infantry and artillery from the Hildaburg garrison arrives. The foot guards proceed to flush the dragoons from the orchard, with some help from the artillery ..

The two dragoon regiments defending the orchard taking heavy volley fire from the foot guards and also suffering casualties from the artillery decided that somewhere else would be a better place to be and took to their heels. The Wittenberg re-inforcements start to arrive ..

The LeibDragoner lose the protacted cavalry melee ...

The Wittenberg reinforcements arrived and a battalion was sent forward to attempt to re-take the orchard but found more than they bargained for ...

Both sides pull back, at the end of the day neither side has full control of the town, although Monrovia has the edge...

3) Afterwards

With the light fading and three dragoon regiments routed from the field, the commander of the Wittenberg forces, Major General Stauffen-Wittendorf, elected to withdraw taking the plunder from the raid on Haffenstadt with him.

The Monrovian forces exhausted by the long march and the battle decide not pursue.

When the news of the failure to hold Faffenstadt reached the commander of the Wittenberg forces in front of Pikastrudel, it was decided to withdraw and regroup.

The Monrovians were satisfied, although they had lost supplies at Haffenstadt they had seen off two attempts to secure a foothold in their territory.

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Notes: We randomised the arrival of the 'On the March' forces, the Monrovian commander had some good dice throws - the arrival of his re-inforcements before those of Wittenberg made the crucial difference. Although if the Wittenberg Leib Dragoner had beaten their guard cavalry then things may have been different. The dismounted dragoons did reasonably well holding off the opposition for three moves. Overall a very enojoyable game.