Battle of Sokolowo (1848)

Scenario

Poland had been partitioned by other powers for centuries but in 1848 Polish patriots believed they were encouraged by the King Frederick William IV of Prussia to become independent so that Poland could serve as a buffer against Russian aggression.  However, the King turned against them when they moved towards independence. (See the Wikipedia article on Greater Poland Uprising for details.  That is the source of all the facts reported here.) Ludwick Mieroslawaski was the military leader of the Polish forces. 

The situation deteriorated quickly.  Poles harassed the local Jewish population, who then sided with the Germans living in the area.  German settlers harassed Catholic priests. In some areas German militias were formed and soon Prussian efforts to pacify villages turned to "unrestricted terror."  The Polish peasants were driven to join the revolt.

This hypothetical battle takes place at the village of Sokolowo which I am pretending is nestled in a valley between a long ridge to the west and a hill to the east.  A flat plain to the south is dotted with rocks and a few copses of trees. 

Rules and Order of Battle

Rules are from  One Hour Wargames, Rifle and Sabre era (Thomas 2014).  Cavalry can charge but not shoot.  Infantry can shoot but not charge.  

Hits are counted as follows:

Cavalry: D6

Infantry: D6

Artillery: D6 minus 2

Rear and flank attack: D6 times 2

Cover: D6 divide by 2

After a charge, cavalry drops back 6".

Each figure represents one unit.  One unit represents ten soldiers.  Each unit can withstand 15 hits. The battle plan for the Polish forces is to occupy the village and hold it.  Some infantry will advance across the plain toward the Prussian artillery.  The Polish cannon will target the Prussian cannon.  The Polish cavalry will hold back until they see an opportunity to defend against Prussian cavalry charges.  Other infantry units will be held in reserve near the road into the village.

The Prussian plan is to advance infantry into the village.  Since each figure represents one unit, one infantry figure fills the road and cannot be passed by cavalry or other infantry.  When the road is clear, the Prussian cavalry will sweep into the plain and assault Polish infantry from the rear or flanks.  The Prussian artillery will target the Polish artillery.

The Prussian army has six infantry units (sixty soldiers), one cavalry unit and one artillery unit.  The Prussian army has ten infantry units (100 soldiers), two cavalry units, and two artillery units. 

No events cards were used.

Note: Perspective usually is specified in a battle report such as this.  The author states which side he is playing and the other side is the opponent.  However, with clear battle plans, I found this to be unnecessary.  Instead, I played each side in turn, sticking to the plan as much as possible. 

Battle Report

The first picture shows the Prussian army advancing up the road toward the village.

The Polish army has possession of the village. Infantry units in the village are under cover.  The dragoons are lurking behind the village.

The Prussian infantry has arrived at the village.  The Prussian cavalry are able to slip behind them to enter the battlefield.     

The Prussian cavalry assault Polish infantry from the rear. All the artillery units are destroyed early in the battle. 

One of the Prussian cavalry units sweeps behind Polish infantry in another location.  The Polish dragoon has been trying to catch the Prussian cavalry from the rear but has failed so far.

Meanwhile, the Prussian infantry have routed all but one of the Polish infantry units.  In desperation, the Polish dragoons charge the Prussian infantry in the flank.

One Prussian lancer unit finishes the remaining Polish infantry while the other strikes the Polish dragoons on the flank.  The Polish army is finished. 

 

Conclusion

Total elapsed time was 35 minutes.  The rules worked well.  The battle moved quickly.  The cavalry were very effective.  Their ability to move farther and faster than infantry made up for their inability to shoot.  Cavalry are vulnerable to flank attacks from other cavalry units, but in this battle the plain was broken up with terrain features that forced the Polish cavalry to approach the Prussians circuitously, thus enabling them to strike and escape before they could be engaged.  This is an important tactical requirement if one is to avoid losing the cavalry units after one attack. 

The ridge line was an interesting terrain feature.  It had the effect of forcing the Prussian forces to funnel through a narrow pass, slowing their deployment.  Overall, I feel that the terrain was an asset to the game: two elevations with a plain in between, dotted with a few copses of trees and rocks. This prevented the opposing units from mounting simple straight-line assaults.

References

Thomas, Neil (2014).  One-Hour Wargames: Practical Tabletop Battles for those with Limited Time and Space. Kindle Edition.  Pen and Sword.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Poland_uprising_(1848)