Battle of Gadebusch 1712

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Heneborn
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Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Heneborn » Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:24 pm

It's been a long time since I visited this forum, but thought I would share this. Today me and some friends recreated the Battle of Gadebusch in 1712, almost exactly 300 years ago.

The battle would be the last big battle and Swedish victory during the Great Northern War. I wont go too much into detail of the scenario, all I can say is that it was an exact recreation of the battle, more of a what-if, but still pretty close to the real thing.

We used the Beneath the Lily Banners rules and reached a conclusion in about 8 hours. Anyway, on to the pictures!

The table layout looking south, swedes to the left, danes and saxons to the right.
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The danish right flank collapsed early in the battle after a surpisingly successfull swedish cavalry charge, sending several danish battalions running through the forest only to be cut down by the pursuing cavalry.
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On the opposite flank saxon and swedish cavalry clashed back and forth for a while until the saxon cavalry eventually won the day.
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The swedish guns, a game-winner in the real battle, were surprisingly unsuccessful in our battle and only caused marginal casualties and no headaches for the danish commanders.
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The infantry lines are closing on each other. Unfortunately there are no good pictures of the battle in the centre as I was too busy shouting orders, rolling dice and, erm, making a tactical retreat....
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Eventually the danish centre collapsed after a brigadier got killed in closed combat. The remaining units, mainly guard battalions, simply lost their courage and fled, many of them getting killed by the pursuing swedes. Up until then it was a pretty close battle, on the danish left flank the remaining cavalry were organizing a large assault on the opposing swedish infantry. But once the centre broke they decided it was better to live to fight another day. This is how the centre looked as we called it a day.
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Re: Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Redmist1122 » Sun Dec 09, 2012 11:28 pm

Awesome! Looks like a lot of fun. This is a battle I would want to play in a few months...still working on my Saxon Army. I'm on a slow project build for the GNW

Did you have to make any additional "tweaks" to BLB for the Swedes, or did you use what was printed? The Swedes are a very powerful army.

I would be interested in your ORBAT if possible.

Thanks again for sharing!
Greg P.
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Re: Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Friedrich August I. » Mon Dec 10, 2012 5:15 am

Thank you for sharing this great looking game. As a Saxon I would say it is always better to save lives to fight another day :D and keep the Swedes moving :wink:

Greg, if I remember correctly the Saxons had only a Cavalry Force or nothing at all :roll: :?: in this battle as the Infantry could'nt make it in time to meet the Danes for doing this battle.

Thanks for sharing.

Günter
„Macht Euch Euren Dregg alleene“

"Sort your filth out by yourself!" The King of Saxony Friedrich August III., at his abdication 1918, referred to the quarrels in the parliament and the squabbling within the provisional government.
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Re: Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Redmist1122 » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:01 pm

Gunter,
Nice...That's the last part so to speak of what I need to complete for my Saxon contingent. Right now I have 3 cav units. I'm thinking I need a total of 8 units w/2 squadrons each.
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Re: Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Captain of Dragoons » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:29 pm

Great looking game, thanks for sharing.

cheers
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Re: Battle of Gadebusch 1712

Post by Heneborn » Sun Jan 20, 2013 9:07 pm

Redmist1122 wrote: I would be interested in your ORBAT if possible.
Hi! Sorry for not getting back to you earlier!

No I didn't do any tweaks to the swedes, just used the rules from the book. And yeah, they are a very powerful army ;)

Here is the OOB I used, unfortunately in Swedish but I think you'll get it ;)
Svenska armén
Vänstra flygeln
Pommerska dragonregementet – 2 skvadroner
Änkedrottningens livregemente – 4 skvadroner
Pommerska kavalleriregemente – 2 skvadroner
Verdiska dragonregementet – 5 skvadroner

Centern
Första linjen
Elbingska regementet – 2 bataljoner
Stralsundska regementet – 1 bataljon
Närke- Värmlands regemente – 2 bataljoner
Västmanlands regemente – 2 bataljoner

Andra linjen
Dalregementet – 1 bataljon
Västgöta-Dals regemente – 2 bataljoner
Östergötlands regemente – 1 bataljon
Älvsborgs regemente – 2 bataljoner

Tredje linjen
Dalregementet – 1 bataljon
Hälsinge regemente – 2 bataljoner
Södermanlands regemente - 2 bataljoner
Östergötlands regemente – 1 bataljon

Högra flygeln
Bremiska kavalleriregementet – 2 skvadroner
Västgöta kavalleriregemente – 3 skvadroner
Bremiska dragonregementet – 7 skvadroner

Danska armén
Första linjen
Vänster
Bülows dragonregemente – 1 skvadron
1:a Jylländska kavalleriregementet – 2 skvadroner
1:a Fynska kavalleriregementet – 3 skvadroner
3:e Själländska kavalleriregementet – 2 skvadroner

Höger
2:a Fynska kavalleriregementet – 1 skvadron
Dewitz kyrassiärregemente – 4 skvadroner
Livgardet till häst – 1 skvadron
Livregementets dragoner – 2 skvadroner

Andra linjen
Bülows dragonregemente – 2 skvadroner
Jylländska lantkyrassiärer – 3 skvadroner
Brockdorffs kyrassiärregemente – 2 skvadroner
1:a Själländska kavalleriregementet - 1 skvadron
Livregementets dragoner – 1 skvadron

Tredje linjen (Sachsarna)
Weissenfels dragonregemente – 2 skvadroner
Brauses dragonregemente – 2 skvadroner
Drottningens kyrassiärregemente – 2 skvadroner
Johnstons kyrassiärregemente – 2 skvadroner
Kurprinsens kyrassiärregemente – 2 skvadroner
Prins Alexanders kyrassiärregemente – 2 skvadroner
Baudissins dragonregemente – 2 skvadroner
Bayreuths dragonregemente – 2 skvadroner

Fjärde linjen
Grenadjärkåren – 2 bataljoner
Arnolds regemente – 2 bataljoner
Friis regemente – 2 bataljoner
Marinregementet – 2 bataljoner
Livgardet till fot – 2 bataljoner

Femte linjen
Prins Christians regemente – 1 bataljon
Zepelins regemente – 2 bataljoner
Kraghs regemente – 1 bataljon
Viborgs lantmilis – 1 bataljon
Århus lantmilis – 1 bataljon
Staffolds regemente – 1 bataljon
Drottningens livregemente – 1 bataljon
Hm, just noticed that the squadrons are "BLB-sized" for the game so should actually be the double amount.

CHeers!
Yggdrasil
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