Battle of Sawmill Village - Part 2

After a restful Sunday, broken only by the incredible finishes in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600, I am restored and ready to tackle Blogger again with Part 2 of the battle report.

The Carpanian jagers have deployed to the northeast of the village facing south.  Who are they facing?

 Only about half of the Imperial advanced guard – a small squadron of Saxe-Gotha light dragoons lead the battalion of Saxe-Gotha infantry, while three Gallian picquet companies support the Gothas.

The next turn of the action on the far eastern flank between the Carpanian jagers and the Gallian picquet detachment, supported by the Saxe-Gotha light dragoons and infantry battalion.  Both sides have a light gun in support.

Back at the sawmill, the Pandurs are being shot to pieces by the volleys of the Britannian and Carpanian infantry.  Oberst Alleshazy tries to reinforce his veteran light troops with the only force at hand, part of a small battalion of Kreis Obere-Sachsen militia.

  A good view of the middle of the battlefield shows how far the Electoral cavalry penetrated.  Along the way, they scattered a company of Kreis Obere-Sachsen militia and what remained of the Pandurs they had originally charged.

Behind the sawmill owner’s house, the Britannian light dragoons are reorganizing after their pursuit of the Pandur company.  In response, the Imperial battalion deploys against them from one side while the Courland Cossacks ride close from the other (being "maneuvered" by the hands of Jim).  In the foreground the 

Hesse-Bomburgers and Hesse-Coburgers advance into the open center.

The battalion of Hesse-Bomburg infantry (red coats) and a battalion of Hesse-Coburg infantry (blue coats), led by the advanced guard battalion commander, Generalmajor Baron von Habenbier, continue their march into the center.  They won’t let the few bodies of their dead provincial rangers get in the way!

The Kreis Obere-Sachsen militia company that was scattered by the Electoral light cavalry ended up behind the Cossacks on the far left flank.  They actually were able to rally and formed a line to try and oppose the Britannian advance.  But the Britannians got the first shot and smashed the militia, sending them fleeing yet again.  It wasn’t a good day to be a Kreis Obere-Sachsen militiaman!

  The Saxe-Gotha and Gallian troops advance in almost parade ground fashion against the Carpanian jagers, unfortunately ignoring their hard pressed Pandurs and militia around the sawmill, well out of sight to the right of the picture.

While the Courland Cossacks (lower part of picture) attack the Britannian light dragoons, the other company of the Obere-Sachsen militia attempt to bar the way of the Britannian 60^th Foot, all the while under fire from the Carpanian Freikorps around the sawmill.  Two survivors of the first militia company to encounter the Britannians are fleeing for their lives.

 With the Cossacks and Light Dragoons engaged in the background, the Imperial infantry battalion redeploys to face the threat coming down the center of the valley from the Hesse-Coburgers.  In the foreground, the Obere-Sachsen infantry deploy against the Hesse-Bomburgers, while the Saxe-Gothas peep out of the village at the exposed Hessian flank.

The Hesse-Bomburgers and Hesse-Coburgers close on the Imperial and Kreis Obere Sachsen troops deployed between the village and the mill owner’s home.  But the reserve Saxe-Gotha battalion in the village is closely eyeing the open left flank of the Hesse-Bomburgers.  In the background, the Carpanian jagers and the Gallian picquets exchange fire.

 

 

The Cossacks push the Britannian light dragoons back after a fierce melee.

 

 

Another view of the attack in the center by the two Hessian battalions against the Imperial and Obere-Sachsen troops.

 

 

On the eastern flank, the Gallian picquet detachment closes on the Carpanian jagers.

The last of the Obere-Sachsen militia turn to flee after being charged by the Britannian 60^th Foot.  All that cold steel and the steely-eyed visages of the Britannians was just too much for the poorly trained militia.  On the far left, the Britannian 15^th Foot moves to the crest of the ridge, ready to fire into the Cossacks after they finish butchering the light dragoons.

While the Saxe-Gothans pile into the flank of the Hesse-Bomburgers, the Britannian light infantry and rangers dash across the field to add their weight to the ensuing melee.  In the lower right, the Imperial light gun prepares to fire into the Hesse-Bomburgers who are still facing the Obere-Sachsen infantry.

A close-up of the confused fighting in the center between the Hesse-Bomburgers and Britannian lights and rangers and the Saxe-Gothas.

After defeating the Britannian light dragoons, the Courland Cossacks try to ride away from the advancing Britannian 15^th Foot.  But they can’t get far enough away and a Britannian volley empties enough saddles to cause a morale check.  The Cossacks fail and flee even further from the Britannians.  On the right, the bodies pile up in the fierce fighting in the center.

The aftermath of the confused fighting in the center.  On the left, the Britannian 60^th Foot and the Carpanian Freikorps have shot the Imperial battalion to pieces, sending the survivors fleeing for their lives.  In the center, less than half of the Obere-Sachsen battalion remains while in front of them, the surviving Hesse-Bomburgers and Britannian lights reorganize after defeating the Saxe-Gotha charge.

 

 

The Britannian 15^th Foot and a light gun consolidate their defensive position along the Sawmill stream.  In the far background, the remnants of the Hesse-Coburgers withdraw in disarray after the fight in the center.

 

 

The final action of the day sees the Gallian picquets charging the Carpanian jagers

who are being supported by the swiftly advancing Carpanian militia.

So, who won the battle?  It was clearly a victory for the Electoral forces.  They had two infantry battalions and one ranger company badly damaged and lost the light dragoon squadron.  But the Imperials lost the Pandur battalion, the Kreis Obere-Sachsen militia battalion, and the Imperial battalion and had the Kreis Obere-Sachsen infantry battalion, the Saxe-Gotha infantry battalion, and the Cossacks badly damaged.  It was not a good day in the annals of the Reichsarmeeabteilung Obere-Sachsen.

With the Saegerwerktal (Sawmill Valley) securely held, the Electorishe Armee Thueringen has a good jumping off point for an offensive against the Reichsarmeeabteilung Obere-Sachsen as part of a hopefully general advance by the Electoral forces against the Imperial and Gallian forces later this summer.