Battle of Blenheim ( Blindheim ) Bavaria 13th August 1704.

 This article is my personal interpretation of the battle. Any mistakes are my own.

John Churchill, ( the Duke of Marlborough ) Commander of the English contingent and General of the Allied Army within the Empire had not quite reached the height of fame in his military career. The Imperial part of the army were all the troops from Germanic Kingdoms owning allegiance to the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. That being Hapsburg Austria.

It wasn’t quite so long ago that England ( with a pro Catholic King ) had been an Ally of France in its War against Imperial Austria. 

However, a Dutch ( Protestant) Queen now sat on the throne of England. ( Anne was the Wife of  the late William 3rd of England and Stadtholder of Holland ).The Netherlands ( Belgium ) and the United Provinces ( Holland ) were now a target of Louis the 14th ( The Sun King ) of France. Therefore, former enemies were now allies.

.The Bavarian Wittelsbach family, were still in contention with the Austrian Hapsburgs over who had the hereditary rights to the Imperial Throne. This is why the Bavarian Kingdom always stayed an ally of France.

Three years into the current conflict, The French army led by General Tallard along with Maximilian and his Bavarian troops were heading toward Austrian territory to attack Vienna, the seat of Hapsburg power. Churchill’s intention was to divert the enemy. To that end his army marched into Bavaria and stormed a position known as the Shellenburg, a fortified hill linked to the town of Donauworth and a major crossing point of the Danube.

Taking this town gave Churchill a base from which to harry the South Bavarian territory. This had the desired effect. General Tallard  thought that he could cut off Churchills army from his supply lines, even forcing the Allied army to retreat north through Franconia.

However, instead of manoeuvring away from the approaching French forces, Churchill wanted to bring on a battle. August found the French and Bavarian army encamped on slightly rising ground to the West of the river Nebel, a tributary of the Danube. With the rising hills on his left flank, the Danube on the right and with the Nebel to his front, Tallard felt pretty secure.

Therefore it was something of a shock, as the sun rose over the fields of Blenheim on that fateful Wednesday13th to see the enemy Allied army approaching, intent on battle————————.

ALLIED IMPERIAL ARMY;

26,400 Infantry = 26.4pts x 2 = 53points r/u.

10,680 Cavalry = 10.680pts x 2 = 21points r/d.

3 stands of Danish Line Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.

3 stands of Prussian Line Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.

* 1 stand of Prussian Light Artillery @ 1pt.

Prince of Anholt Dessau @ 1pt.

5 stands of Imperial Cavalry @ 2pts = 10 points.

Prince Eugene @ 1 point.

1 stand of Imperial Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points.

3 stands of Imperial Line Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.

* 1 stand of Imperial Light Artillery @ 1 point.

Prince of Holstein @ 1 point.

1 stand of Hanoverian Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points.

2 stands of Hanoverian Line Infantry @ 2pts = 4 points.

1 stand of English Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points.

7 stands of  English Line Infantry @ 2 points = 14 points.

* 2 stands of English Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

2 stands of English Cavalry @ 2pts = 4 points.

1 stand of Cavalry ( a few troops brigaded ) @ 1 point.

John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough @ 2 points.

George Churchill @ 1 point.

General Cutts @ 1 point.

** 66 Guns each with 30 gunners = 1,980 gunners = 1.980pts x 2 = 3.960 or 4pts r/u.

* 4 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point each.

THE FRENCH-BAVARIAN ARMY;

14 stands of French Line Infantry @ 2pts = 28 points.

2 stands of French Grenadier Line Infantry @ 4pts = 8points.

( Within Oberglau) 2 stands of Irish Line Infantry @ 3pts = 6pts.

1 stand of Dismounted French Dragoons @ 1 point.

* 3 stands of French Light Artillery @ 1pt = 3 points.

8 stands of French Cavalry @ 1pt = 8 points.

General Tallard @ 1 point.

General Clarembault @ 1 point.

General Zurlauben @ 1 point.

6 stands of Bavarian Line Infantry @ 2 points = 12 points.

* 2 stands of Bavarian Light Artillery @ 1pt = 2 points.

5 stands of Bavarian Cavalry @ 1 point = 5 points.

Elector Maximilian @ 1 point.

General Marsin  @ 1 point.

** 90 guns each with 30 gunners = 2,700 gunners = 2.700 x 2 = 5pts r/d.

* 5 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point

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WARGAME NOTES;

* Any stands being moved into the River Nebel  cannot be moved further forward that Game-Turn.

* Any stands being moved into the Danube will be lost.

* Artillery stands cannot be moved into the river Nebel.

* On the first Game-Turn, The Allied Army is moved first and fires first. From Game-Turn two until Game-Turn eight both sides will have dice thrown to decide who moves/fires first on each Game-Turn.

* The Allied Imperial Army keeps the Initiative Point for the entire battle.

* The Allied army wins any tied results.

* The Infantry and Cavalry must move through the face of a square, not a diagonal. The dismounted Dragoons can move in any direction, as can the artillery.

HISTORICAL NOTES.

This battle was a bit of a puzzle because the numbers of combatants cannot be verified. I have chosen the following;

The Allied Army:  66 Battalions, 178 Squadrons.

The French-Bavarian Army: 70 Battalions 143 Squadrons.

The French Army had a problem with “ Glanders” ( French “ Glandres”) a disease which causes problems with the lungs in horses. 12 Squadrons of French Dragoons fought dismounted because their horses had to be destroyed. This disease can also spread to humans, so there is a possibility that the bacteria could have spread to the troops?

When I scaled down the respective armies, I allowed for 60 men in a Cavalry Squadron and 400 men in an Infantry Battalion. Churchill’s March to Bavaria has been labelled as a model of discipline and organisation, because of the excellent logistical support. However I felt that, given the limited medical knowledge and mortality issues, formations would not be at their full compliment.

Neither side had any heavy guns, but both sides had battalion guns which did get moved in this battle to support the combat. Therefore the artillery stands of both sides can move in any direction and fire after moving.

Marlborough had complete trust in his Generals and this was reciprocated especially with Prince Eugene.

The French and Bavarian Generals operated independently. Tallard formed his men further back from the Nebel in order to trap the Allied left against the river. Maximilian formed his men up further forward to use the Nebel as a defence point. The battle was hard fought with bravery and heavy casualties on both sides.

Marlborough’s execution and victory of the battle bought him the ultimate accolade in that Queen Anne had Blenheim Palace built for him. This was the battle that sealed Marlborough’s reputation. I also recommend the book “ Marlborough As Military Commander” by the late Doctor David Chandler, which details all Marlborough’s battles.

STAGING THE BATTLE:

All the figures are a mixture of Miniature Figurines, Peter Pig and Essex Miniatures 15mm Seven Years War figures. All the buildings are scratch built as is one of the bridges.

I used the Seven Years war figures for this blog. At this point in history The British army was still referred to as “ The English Army”. The Act of Union with Scotland,  and the Royal link with Hanover had yet to come. The “ Imperial Cavalry” is mostly Austrian but Prussian, Danish, Hanoverian and Hessians can also be used.

The flatter green areas were made by S and A Scenics. The hills were scratch-built. The trees were made by various manufacturers, Guagemaster being one. The rivers and roads were made from thin card.

The square bases are made from picture-framing cardboard. The round mdf 40mm bases are from Minibits.

The table is 3 feet ( 90cm ) x 2feet ( 60cm) using 2 inch ( 50mm ) squares. As with all my reconstructions you can play them using the information provided or in your own style. 

Battle of Dettingen; 27th June 1743.

This is my own interpretation of events. Any mistakes are my own.

As part of the Pragmatic agreement the British Government sent troops to Europe to aid the Empress of Austria in her fight against Prussia. This was also in response to French intervention on behalf of Bavaria. The French were supporting  Charles the 7th of Bavaria as the elected leader of the Holy Roman Empire in opposition to Austria.

The King of Britain, George the 2nd was also the Duke of Hanover.  As much as he wanted to be seen as a staunch ally of Austria, the action was perceived by some to be a move to protect Hanover from any French takeover. This rumour was further strengthened when the Pragmatic Army stayed on the northeastern bank of the Main.

[ George was also known as an "Elector". These were a group of Princes within the Empire who formed a Council to elect the Holy Roman Emperor ].

As stated before, the British troops were auxiliary to the Hanovarian army as were the Hessians. The other main component were the troops from the Austrian Netherlands ( modern Belgium ), commanded by the Duke of Aremberg.

June of 1743 found the Pragmatic army camped at Aschaffenberg enroute to Bavaria. While there the information came that the French had retired from Bavaria, having lost the campaign against the invading Austrians.

In order to save his kingdom , the Emperor Charles 7th ( who was also the Wittalsbach Duke of Bavaria ), made peace with the Austrians thereby negating the reason for the the Pragmatic army to be there!.

[ Very soon after this Charles 7th expired. His son Maximillian 3rd Joseph succeeded him. By 1745 Bavaria was in ruins. To gain peace with Austria, Joseph acceded to Hapsburg Austria,s right to rule the Holy Roman Empire, an entity in name only ].

The Allied army had further problems. Supplies coming down the river Main from the Netherlands had been cut off by French Forces. The senior commanders also had to wait on the deliberations of George the 2nd.  The King expressed the wish to lead the army in person.

This created further headaches for the commanders who were in charge of an army that was starving, and suffering from a breakdown in discipline. By the time the King arrived from Hanover, the army was in a bad way. In Council the decision was made to march north,through Dettingen to Hanau and back to the Netherlands.

The French Marshal , the Duc De Noailles, watching these events, conceived a plan to take advantage of the dire situation in which the allies found themselves. Realising that the Allies were heading toward Dettingen, the Duke laid his trap. 

To the south of Dettingen was a boggy ravine behind which Noailles positioned 21,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry commanded by the Duke De Gramont assisted by the Count De Harcourt.

On the west side of the river Main the Marshal positioned his artillery to fire into the left flank of the enemy army as it advanced toward the ravine. After the Allied army had marched from Aschaffenburg, the Duke sent another 12,000 men into the town behind the Allies. With the Spessart hills to the East, the. Allied  Army was effectively trapped.

Well, that was the plan which, had it been enacted would have been the end of the Allied Army and the humiliating capture of a King!

In a moment of madness, all the careful planning was undone. For reasons only known to the Duc De Gramont, this same gentleman suddenly left his advantageous position behind the boggy ravine and led the army across the only bridge onto the plain.

To the Duke De Noailles horror the cavalry then charged the left of the Allied army——-———.

Here are the armies laid out for battle,

THE PRAGMATIC ARMY; 38,200 + 98 guns.

[ 98 x 30 men for each gun = 2940 men. 2.940 pts x 2 = 5.880 or 6 points in guns].

BRITAIN;

3,600 Line Infantry = 3.600 x 2= 7 points r/d.

1,600 Cavalry = 1.600 x 2= 3 points r/d.

1 C-in-C King George 2nd @ 1 point.

1 General, John Dalrymple, Lord Stair @ 1 point.

3 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 6 points.

2 stands of Dragoon Cavalry @ 1 point = 2 points.

2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 2 points.

[ note; The British Guards and Grenadiers were sent back toward Aschaffenburg to act as a rearguard which did not go down well with the troops!].

HANOVER;

10,000 Line Infantry = 10 points x 2 =20 points.

2,000 Cavalry = 2 points x 2 = 4 points.

1 General, Ilton @ 1 point.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points.

5 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 15 points.

2 stands of Dragoon Cavalry @ 2 points = 4 points.

1 stand of Heavy Artillery @ 2 points.

HESSE;

4,200 Line Infantry = 4.200 points x 2 = 8 pts r/d.

800 Dragoon Cavalry = 0.800 points x 2 = 2 pts r/u.

1 stand of Grenadier Infanty = 4 points.

2 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 points = 4 points.

1 stand of Dragoon Cavalry @ 2 points.

AUSTRIA;

14,000 Infantry = 14 points x 2 = 28 points.

2,000 Cavalry = 2 points x 2 = 4 points.

1 General, Leopold Phillipe D,Aremberg @ 1 point.

2 stands of Grenadier Infantry @ 4 pts = 8 points.

6 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 18 points.

2 stands of Dragoon Cavalry  @ 2 pts = 4 points.

1 stand of Hussar Light Cavalry @ 1 point.

1 stand of  Heavy Artillery @ 2 points.

FRENCH ARMY;

21,000 Infantry = 21 points x 2 = 42 points.

12,000 Cavalry = 12 points x 2 = 24 points.

54 guns  [ 54 x 30 = 1620 = 1.620 x 2 = 3.240 = 3pts r/d.

1 General and C-in-C Louis de Noailles @ 1point.

1 Louis de Gramont the 6th. @ 1 point.

1 General Louis de Lorraine Count of Harcourt @ 1 point.

1 stand of Grenadier Infantry @ 4 points.

11 stands of Line Infantry @ 3 points = 33 points.

2 stands of Light Infantry @ 1 point = 2 points.

8 stands of Cavalry @ 3 points =24 points.

3 stands of Light Artillery @ 1 point = 3 points.

Historical Notes;

I have read various accounts of this battle and in each, the numbers are different. The British troops were numbered as 16,000. Looking at the list of regiments, I can only tally approximately 6,000.

The Hanovarian army were dressed in uniforms practically the same as the British, with red being the main colour so I wondered if the  Hanovarian troops were thought of as British?

I had a similar problem with the French. I dont know wether the 12,000 that the Duke sent toward Aschaffenburg were part of the main army or were additional.

So, the figures I have given above are conjectural, but it seems to work. I think Noailles was on the west bank with the guns where he could order both wings of his army. However the troops intended for Aschaffenberg never actually got there. Simularly, the British and Hanovarian Guards were sent back toward Aschaffenberg as a rearguard, so were not involved in the action, for which they were later ridiculed by the Line troops!.

The river Main meanders in roughly a south easterly direction across modern Germany. The battle took place on part of the river that runs approximately north to south. The French batteries turned out to have very little effect on the battle. They were also masked by their own Cavalry.

Some time after the battle, Marshal Noailles told the French King, Louis the 15th that discipline in the army was collapsing. Given the defeats that the army had previously suffered along with the harsh natural conditions the army was operating in, it was understandable.

It would be down to Marshal Maurice de Saxe to restore French honour at Fontenoy.

It is interesting to note, that up to this point in time both Britain and France were not officially at war. Both were acting as auxiliaries to other Powers.

Fighting the Battle;

* On the 1st Game-Turn, the French move first and fire first and also have the Initiative Point.

* On Game-Turns, 2 to 8, the Pragmatic Army move and fires first and retains the Initiative Point. The Pragmatic Army also wins any ties.

* Any stands having to move into the river Main will be lost.

* The Ravine;

I'm not sure how much of an obstacle this was, but the fact that Gramont moved the army over the bridge illustrates how much of a problem it presented to movement.

Therefore, any stands moving into the ravine have to stop immediately. If, during " move back" a stand has to stop before the regulation spacing can be obtained, that stand is removed from play.

CREDITS;

Most of the figures are Miniature Figurines 15mm with a mix of Peter Pig and Essex Miniatures. The wagons are from Peter Pig.

The houses are from Total Battle Miniatures. The trees are from various manufacturers.

The square stands are cut from picture framing cardboard, the round mdf bases at from Minibits.

The hills are scratchbuilt as are the bridges. The roads and rivers are cut from thin card. As before, the board is 3 feet x 2 feet ( 90cm x 60 cm ).