The War of the Two Churfursts Part 4

The Bavarians defend the Duchy of Anspach after it is awarded to Bavaria by the Reichskommission.

The Wars of the Two Churfursts

(Hohenzollern versus Wittelsbach)

Chapter 4 The Battle of Cadolzburg

Field Marshall Lottum brought his forces across the Zenn stream (here barely a stone throw across) in good order to find the Bavarians under General de Maffei deployed to both sides of the chausse leading southwestwards towards Cadolzburg  with his defense centered on the hamlet of Unter Vestling.  All the cavalry force of the Bavarian army was on the right thrown out and forward to give advance notice of any turning movement from that direction.

The field of battle was open rolling countryside with the ground sloping gently to the northeast, the direction from which the Brandenburgers were approaching as they made the long easy uphill climb from the Zennfluss.  De Maffei initially posted troops in the village and to the right of it but left a reserve his second line in column of march upon the chausee directly behind the village so as to be able to react to the Brandenburg maneuvers.  The Bavarian artillery was in two sections, one adjacent to and left of the village and one on the supporting at a distance his cavalry vanguard.

Lottum placed his own and slightly smaller cavalry force to his left as a counter to the Bavarian horse and then sent his infantry forward in two largish bodies across some open fields to his front.  His artillery was broken up into two groups, one to support each of the infantry masses but they were still deployed as the range was too distant yet for close support work.  Lottum was worried about his cavalry as the trend towards largish men on very large horses had begun under the new Elector and his troops seemed to move ponderously and without spirit.  He himself observed several troopers falling from their horses when the simplest maneuvers were attempted.

Here is the view from the Bavarian side of the advance of the Brandenburg right wing of infantry.

And here is the view of the Brandenburg left wing of infantry.

Whilst his right wing stepped off promptly his left wing found the ground extremely boggy and difficult to traverse in anything but a march column.  Poor reconnaissance from the Brandenburg staff corps thus ensured that each of his infantry wings would be committed but not supported by the other.

The deep frown on Lottum’s visage tells the story as surely as any narrative.

Responding quickly, de Maffei brought his reserve up on line to counter the Brandenburg right while waiting until only part of the Brandenburg left had emerged from the muddy fields when he then sent his own right against them.  Although their fire discipline remained excellent, both Brandenburg wings found themselves outflanked with additional Bavarian units being able to pour supporting fire into the general combat area without reply.  Sensing some disorder also in his own right wing Lottum withdrew it in part behind his second line but the continual excellent fire from the Bavarian troops who now were spirited by the Brandenburg retirement, was too much for the Field Marshal and he had to order his troops to retire towards the Zenn River in order to regain their order and determine another approach to engage the Bavarians.

Although but a small scale battle Lottum’s confidence was dealt a blow and it took him several weeks to replenish losses, re-drill his cavalry until it was fit to see action and receive some additional forces from the Franconian Circle (FrankenKreise) which the Emperor had granted as a reinforcement of the Brandenburg initiative.

During this period de Maffei was able to dispatch additional small columns to bring most of the rest of the Duchy under Bavarian control and to secure his forces in an excellent position near where the Zenn runs into the Regnitz, on high ground which was partially fortified in the manner of the times with a few small redoubts and the local woods being cut down so as to block any large scale passage by troops.

It was here that de Maffei expected to fight the next battle in the wars of the Churfursts.

We continue to play out these small scenarios between our forces organized around a 'battalion on a base' rules and have been using the latest DBA-HXT 3.0 Humberside extension rules as our latest in house rules for the period.  In the next match the stalwart Bavarians will be entrenched on a high slope with both flanks secured by impassable woods whilst the craven Brandenburhers will have to advance from the foot of the hill in a swamp to meet them.  At least that's how I remember the scenario unfolding....