Status of the Wittenberg Army

To: His August Majesty Leopold IV

Your Majesty,

as you requested yesterday here is a brief summary of the current status of the army:

Household Troops - ready and raring to go as usual.

Guard Corp (Wittenland): Comprising 2 Kuirassier Regiments and 4 Infantry battalions. All are fully mustered. You will be glad to know that the guard cavalry band is now reconstituted.

Wittenland Provincial Army Corp: Comprising 1 Kuirassier Regiment, 1 Dragoon Regiment, 4 Infantry battalions and and 1 Jager Battalion. All are fully mustered. The Wittenland Fusiliers have been mobilised and are on duty as part of the Upper Belgravia Corp of Observation.

Boldovian Provincial Army Corp: Comprising 2 Dragoon Regiments, 1 Pulk of Uhlans, 4 Infantry Regiments and 1 Jager Battalion. All the cavalry are fully mustered, but the infantry regiments are still having difficulties. The Schwarze Dragoner and the Jager Battalion have been mobilised and are on duty as part of the Upper Belgravia Corp of Observation.

The newly mustered troops for the above army corps are now being re-equipped and provided with new uniforms in line with your instructions.

With regard to the Vellovian, Gerundian and Tripavian Provincial Army Corps which you asked to be brought into a state of readiness - their regiments have all been mobilised and are currently acting as a corp of observation for their respective sections of the border. Garrison troops for the keys forts in the passes through the mountains are at their full complement. Each of these three army corp comprises: a Pulk of Uhlans, two Infantry Regiments and a Garrison Regiment.

signed

Field Marshall, Duke Frederick of Wittenbuffel

Monrovian Infantry and Wittenberg Engineers

The Monrovian Guard grenadiers ....

The converged Grenadier battalion of the IRs 1,2,3 and 4 ...

The nearly complete Monrovian Army (apart from 2 Infantry Battalions) can be viewed at

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/allan.tidmarsh/Wargames/WG-F-Monrovia.html

Meanwhile across the border in Wittenberg in response to the military build up in Monrovia some engineers are hard at work.

Rapunzel's Tower ?

On a recent visit to the region of Escherstadt in Wittenberg, the King was shown an unusual landmark.

The locals call it Rapunzel's Tower. They say that if you are lucky you may find a very long hair stuck to the top window.

The king amused and enthralled by the information dashed off a quick letter to Brother James to tell of his discovery.

1740 - The Battle of Boltsdorf (3rd Belgravian Wars)

The following scenario of a rearguard action was used as a play test of the "Weight of Fire" rules to see how suitable they were - generally found to be good but a couple of 'house amendments' are under discussion.

Further extracts from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf (this time with illustrations) ...

1) Withdrawal from Hummelsdorf


King Leopold III of Wittenberg started to set his withdrawal from Hummelsdorf in motion. As the light faded the cavalry which had gone of in pursuit of the Monrovians returned - the first few regiments were in a sorry state followed by the two Guard Kuirassier regiments. The rest of retiring army perked up as they heard the band of the guard horse regiments playing. The Wittenberg army set off down the Dorf valley, the King placing the cavalry on the flanks of the main body of the army. He sent a pulk of Uhlans ahead to the river crossing to contact the garrison at the fort on the Wittenberg side of the river. The main body of the army was commanded by Field Marshal Duke Frederick of Wittenbuffel. The King was surprised as his army slipped away that the Monrovians were inactive. He waited for while then set off after the main body with the rearguard.


The Wittenberg Rearguard:

• Commander - King Leopold III
• Household Cavalry - (fatigued from their exertions at Hummelsdorf)
• Dragoon Regiment - Schwarze Dragoner
• Household Foot Guards - (75% full strength)
• Fusilier Regiment - Wittenland
• Company of Jagers

2) Monrovia Hesitates

The Monrovian generals were slow to act and were concerned about where the Wittenberg Cavalry had got to. After a while they decided to wait till the next morning before they made a
decision. The next day came and the Monrovians found that the Wittenberg army had slipped away during the night. After a council of war a small pursuit force was despatched under the command of Count Douglas. The generals expected the rest of the army would be ready to march in about a day.


The Monrovians in 'pursuit':

• Commander - Count Douglas (the King of Monrovia's cousin - who was later to inherit the lands and titles of the Duchy of Noverre)
• Dragoon Regiment - Leib Dragoner
• Fusilier Regiment - von Orloff
• Infantry Regiment Nr 1 - von Rachstein
• Infantry Regiment Nr 2 - von Frokkstein
  

3) Battle is Joined at Boltsdorf

Two days later the Monrovians came into to contact with some Wittenberg Dragoon pickets. The pickets withdrew and rejoined the Wittenberg rearguard. The king turned his forces and formed up for battle. The Monrovians march ...


The Wittenberg rearguard has turned and starts to move ...

Both sides form up ...

The battle lines close ...

A firefight ensues ...

The front two Monrovian infantry regiments attempt to charge - a loud but ineffective volley form the Wittenberg infantry cause the Monrovians to loose there nerve and they turn tail ...

The remaining Monrovian fusilier battalion is disorganised and shaken and not willing to move. The King of Wittenberg starts to manouvre to take advantange of his superiority in cavalry. . .

An out of breath hussar courier arrives with a message for the king - "the Army has reached the river crossing and the Field Marshall has despatched two pulks of Uhlans to help cover the withdrawal of the rearguard. The Uhlans are not far behind me".

The king decides to withdraw the rearguard, as his foot guards have suffered heavy casualties. The Monrovians hold their position and Count Douglas tries to rally his troops.

1740 - Battle of Hummelsdorf (3rd Belgravian Wars) ...

[this is a preamble to a scenario for a rules test; more to follow ..]

An extract from the History of Wittenberg by Brother James of Alt-Wittendorf ...

The Battle of Hummelsdorf - 1740

-----------------------------------------

After a few months of small border skirmishes the King of Wittenberg decided to lead his forces into Monrovian territory to resolve things one way or another.

As the army of Wittenberg, mostly comprising the Boldovian Provincial Army Corp and some Guard troops, had just passed thorugh Hummelsdorf they found that the Monrovian army was to their left already in battle order.

King Leopold III, commanding the Wittenberg army, hastily organised his troops. The Monrovian army seeing the Wittenberg troops deploying started to attack.

An intense Monrovian attack on the Wittenberg centre developed into a fire-fight, neither side giving ground. Fierce Monrovian musket fire wore down some Wittenberg units - their centre started to give way. The king used his foot guards to shore up the collapsing centre.

Just in time the Wittenberg Wittenland Provincial Army Corp who had been marching in parallel to the main body of the army arrived having marched to the sound of the guns. Their arrival enabled the centre to just hold.

On the right flank a large Cavalry Melee developed; the charge of Wittenberg Guard cavalry decided the issue and the Monrovian left collapsed. However the bulk of the Wittenberg cavalry went off in pursuit of the defeated Monrovian Cavalry.

The fighting on the left flank was sporadic, an area of marsh and scrubland hampering movement for both sides.

As the light faded, both sides disengaged and sized up the situation. The Monrovians held their ground as they were tired and had very little cavalry remaining. The King of Wittenberg decided to withdraw back across the border as the bulk of his infantry was in no fit state to continue the campaign.

The army of Wittenberg withdrew down the Dorf valley, with the King commanding the rearguard.

After a lengthy delay, the Monrovian generals held a council of war and decided to pursue the Wittenberg army; sending a small force with instructions to follow the withdrawing troops and attack them if the situation was favourable.

Rulers of Noverre and Wittenberg meet ...

After the successful visit of Count Hermann of Munster (from Wittenberg) to Noverre, a meeting was held recently at Anderwohin between Duke Douglas of Noverre and King Leopold IV of Wittenberg.

During this summit an exchange of ambassadors and military observers was agreed, in addition an initial trade treaty was signed.

[Extract Wittenberg Times]