This is my personal interpretation of events at this time. Any mistakes are my own.
As the year 1756 dawned, the political situation in Europe was once again becoming tense. Talks were taking place between Austria and its new Allies, France, Saxony and Russia. The focus of this group centered on Prussia, and its nominal Ally, Great Britain ( although King George detested Frederick!)
The Empress of Austria, Maria Theresa had every intention of regaining the lost Province of Silesia from Prussia. Minor clashes had already taken place between other potential belligerents. France had decided to take the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean from the British.
Admiral John Byng and his Fleet, were tasked with defending the Island but he failed to do so. The British Captains owned their ships. All costs for running the ship came from the Captains pocket. Therefore they were reluctant to risk them in combat.
The Captains would not follow Byng’s orders for closing with the French Fleet, ultimately losing the engagement. Although not entirely to blame for the debacle, Byng, after a Court Martial, payed for this defeat with his life. He was shot by firing squad on his own quarterdeck. ( This was also to put other Captains on notice that the Admiralty would no longer tolerate this behaviour, leading to more aggressive action in combat!)
Meanwhile, in the American Colonies, a young Militia Lieutenant in the British Service by the name of George Washington, leading a group of Native Americans, clashed with a French Patrol resulting in fatalities.
( Jumonville Glen was named after the French Ensign who lost his life there.The circumstances of this clash are still debated to this day.)
In Prussia, the King, Frederick the 2nd was also weighing his options. His spies had heard rumours of an attack but had no actual evidence. By September of 1756, Frederick had made his decision. He wasn’t going to wait on events.
Without any formal declaration of war, the King marched his army of 60,000 into Saxony taking the capital and besieging the Saxon army at their camp at Pirna. His troops ransacked the Royal Residence looking for proof of collusion between the Allied States. The Queen of Saxony was manhandled from her Chancellry while trying to stop the depredation..
This action caused outrage amongst the Nobility of Europe and labelled Frederick as a Vandal.
Frederick could not find any evidence of collusion, but that didn’t stop him from pillaging the Kingdom. He also found the dyes for the Polish coinage. ( The Saxon King was also titular Monarch of Poland).
Having bottled up the Saxon Army at Pirna with part of his army, Frederick marched the rest of his troops into Bohemia intending to winter in the Province, ( and loot it as much as he could!).
The Austrian Ministry issued orders to General Ulysses Von Browne ( one of the famous Irish Generals ( Wild Geese ) in Austrian service). His brief was to intercept the Prussians, using any means he saw fit. Browne had scouts out and knew where Frederick’s army would appear from the Mountain passes.
At 7:30 in the morning of the 1st October 1756, Browne’s army was in position at Lobositz facing west as the Prussian army came out of the pass…..what would become known as the Seven Years War had started in ernest……
THE AUSTRIAN ARMY: 36,000 = 36pts x 2 = 72 points.
26,500 Infantry = 26.5pts x 2 = 53 points.
7,500 Cavalry = 7.5pts x 2 = 15 points.
74 Guns x 30 Gunners = 2220.= 2.220pts x 2 = 4pts r/d.
11 stands of Line Infantry @ 3pts = 33pts.
3 Grenadier Infantry stands @ 4pts = 12pts.
4 stands of Light Infantry Grenzer @ 1pt = 4 pts.
1 General Count Ulysses Von Browne @ 2pts
1 General Moritz Von Lacy @ 1pt.
1 General Karel Adam Felix Von Lobkowitz @ 1pt.
( These three Generals are part of the Infantry tally.)
6 stands of Cavalry @ 2 pts = 12 pts.
2 stands of Light Cavalry @ 1pt = 2pts
1 Cavalry General: Joseph Count Lucchesi d’Averna @ 1 pt.
1 stand of Heavy Artillery @ 2pts.
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt = 2pts.
Note: the bridge behind Sullowitz is missing in the above photo. A mistake I need to rectify.
THE PRUSSIAN ARMY: 35,000 = 35 pts x 2 = 70pts.
21,000 Infantry = 21pts x 2 = 42 points.
10,800 Cavalry = 10.8pts x 2 = 22pts r/u.
97 guns = 97 x 30 = 2,910 = 2.910pts x 2 =6pt r/u.
3 stands of Grenadier Infantry @ 4pts =12pts.
9 stands of Line Infantry @ 3pts = 27points.
1 stand of Light Infantry Jagers @ 2pts.
1 General the Duke of Brunswick-Bevern @ 1pt.
( the above General is part of the Infantry total.)
9 stands of Cavalry @ 2 pts = 18 pts.
1 General: King Frederick the 2nd @ 1pt
1 General: Field Marshal James Frances Edward Keith @ 2pts.
1 General Friedrich Leopold Von Gessler @ 1pt.
( These three Generals are part of the Cavalry total. Keith was a Scottish Jacobite Emigre who had previously found service with the Russian army then left and joined the Prussian Army.)
2 stands of Heavy Artillery @ 2pts = 4pts.
2 stands of Light Artillery @ 1pt = 2pt
Note: I’ve given Frederick a value of 1 point because of his mistakes and his retirement from the field.
* The battle will be played for 7 Game-Turns instead of the normal eight. ( 7:30 am until 2:30 pm ).
* On the 7th Game-Turn neither side can shoot. So much ammunition was used in the battle that both sides ran short.
* The Austrians retain the Initiative Point for the entire battle.
* The Austrians also win any tied results.
* On the first Game-Turn, the Prussians MOVE first but the Austrians FIRE first.
* Both sides will roll as normal at the beginning of Game-Turn 2. The higher score moves first,Fires first and decides order of close quarter combat.
* Any stand entering the Morellenbach must stop moving. Cavalry stands do not get the extra 3 points when in close quarters combat with Infantry and artillery whilst positioned in the stream.
* The sunken part of the road west of Lobositz counts as “ Trench”.
VICTORY:
* If the Austrians are driven from the field by the end of Game-Turn 7, the Prussians win.
* If the Austrians are still on the field by the end of Game-Turn 7, the Austrians win the battle.
THE HISTORY:
When Frederick started his campaign, his low opinion of his erstwhile opponents had its roots in the previous war. On arriving at Lobositz, the fog hindered any proper reconnaissance. Frederick decided that the enemy troops he could see were part of a rearguard left behind by the main Austrian Army.
There were also Austrian light troops in walled vineyards up on the Lobosch to the Prussian left. Having taken up position on the vacant Holmolka Mound to the right of his army, Frederick sent orders to his Generals to attack both groups. That’s when reality took a hand.
The Prussian cavalry thundered forward to sweep away the fragile Austrian rearguard……and galloped into a wall of shot and shell from front and flank. Meanwhile, Bevern’s troops advanced uphill to deal with the Grenzer ( Austrian Militia Light Infantry )…..and into well-aimed fire, bringing the movement to a halt.
As the battle progressed it dawned on Frederick that he had marched into a trap. Whoever was in command of the Austrian army knew what they were doing, and that the Austrian Army had not retreated.
At one stage, as at Mollwitz, Frederick left the field putting Keith in charge of a possible retreat. As before, it was the bravery of the Prussian rank and file making repeated attacks and suffering severe casualties that pulled Frederick’s backside out of the fire, ( again!).
When the battle ended, Frederick returned to the front line and claimed a victory because the Austrians had retreated. However Browne had stopped the Prussian army from invading Bohemia, achieving his main objective. Browne had also dispatched a Flying Column to aide the Saxons in escaping the siege. Unfortunately the Saxon Command had dithered and the opportunity was lost.
Frederick returned with his battered army to Saxony whereupon the Saxon troops in Pirna surrendered. The Prussian Monarch then press-ganged all 15,000 of the captive Saxon troops into his army to make up his losses!.
Frederick had found out the hard way that his main protagonists were no longer the “ the same old Austrians”, and this war was going to be tougher than he thought…….
