ImagiNations: Battle of Wolfsburg (Nov 18, 1747)

While the central powers of Gourmandie and KaiserReich (and their attendant and somewhat diminutive neighbours) have enjoyed a period of relative peace over the last year, Grand-Duke Pierre-Louis of Gourmandie, at the urging of his mercurial army commander, Jean Lafitte Roquefort, Marquis de Fromage, and in response to recent KaiserReich increases to the tariffs on grain shipments, moved a portion of the Gourmandie army into KaiserReich territory. The army's movements were intended merely to cow The KaiserReich Council of Twelve and KronPrinz Friedrich Wilhelm and force the reversion of the tariffs. Unbeknownst to the Marquis de Fromage, the Kronpronz himself was in the vicinity with the majority of the KaiserReich army and presented a serious obstacle. The Marquis, hot-headed and obstreperous, decided to push the issue and moved to take the strategic crossroads of Wolfsburg, west of the fortress of Marzberg. The Kronprinz calmly deployed his army around the environs of Wolfsburg and awaited the Marquis' advance...

Gourmandie army deployed on the left and KaiserReich to the right around the outskirts of Wolfsburg.

Ulanen Radeburger, deployed on the left flank of the KaiserReich army. They began the battle isolated beyond a river course crossable only at two points. To make matters worse, their infantry counterparts in the Freikorps Radeburger decided quite early on that this was not a good day to die and promptly shuffled off to find easier pickings amongst the local residents (i.e. a blunder had them exit the table).

KaiserReich infantry await the enemy advance.

Mercenary gunners from Libagioni man the heavy siege guns in the KaiserReich lines.

Kronprinz Frierich Wilhelm (second from the right) confers with his Chief of Staff, Baron Jenssen of Bisterstad. The Kronprinz's younger brother and his military tutor look on disinterestedly.

A local resident seeks salvation at a roadside shrine, in anticipation of the day's events.

KaiserReich fusilier regiments hold the center of the line, with grenadiers and heavy howitzers on their left.

KaiserReich heavy cavalry, encouraged by Reichsritter 

Hildebrandt Freytag, hold the right flank (Grenadiere zu Pferde Warsteiner & Pistoliere von Doppelbock).

Facing them are the three squadrons of the elite Grenadiers à Cheval Boursin, led by Georges leRoque, Comte de Boursin.

The Gourmandie guard & grenadier brigade prepare to advance. The Marquis has decided to not waste time. The elite infantry and heavy cavalry will both assault the KR left flank.

The respective lines of heavy cavalry, about to clash for supremacy of the flanks of the infantry lines.

As the cavalry melee commences on the Gourmandie left flank, the guards & grenadiers advance to engage the KR fusiliers.

KR fusiliers wheel to flank the Grenadiers de Champaigne (red coats with yellow facings) but the Chasseurs-Gardes (grey coats, green hat trim) arrive to support.

The Fusilier-Gardes push back the KR fusiliers and relieve the pressure on their grenadier brethren.

The Grenadiers de Camembert, having swept aside the defending heavy guns, are met with a ferocious charge from the Kronprinzs östlichen Kavallerieband. Yes, they are musicians... but scary musicians!!

The grenadiers are shaken but win the melee and the KR horse falls back, leaving a gap in the lines.

Even though the Oettinger Grenadiers have moved forward to hold the KaiserReich line, two KR battalions are now faced with four Gourmandie guard and grenadier battalions. Things are looking grave for the Kronprinz on this flank.

After several inconclusive back and forth charges and melees between the KR and Gourmandie heavy horse, the KR horse grenadiers were left isolated and shaken. Seeing their chance, the Dragons Grand-Duchesse galloped across the field and, despite their smaller numbers routed, their heavier opponents.

This left the KaiserReich right flank exposed to the five remaining Gourmandie cavalry squadrons. Admittedly, three of these were shaken but they had swept the entirety of the KR horse from the field. 

According to the Marquis' plan, the majority of the action had taken place on the Gourmandie left flank, where the Marquis had deployed the elite Gourmandie infantry and heavy cavalry. The Marquis had left his right flank anchored on his heavy guns, hoping this would be enough to fend off any KR attempts to turn that flank. The hope was realized, as the only serious attack came in the form of a disjointed move by cavalry of Freikorps Radeburger. The necessity of crossing the river before deploying made the KR attempts on this flank less than ideal. The Gourmandie heavy guns easily swatted away this attempt and no more of consequence occurred on the right flank.

As with many of our ImagiNation battles, the action was ultimately decided by the cavalry battles on the flanks. In fact, the close fight between the KR fusiliers and the Gourmandie guards and grenadiers was inconclusive and could have gone either way. Eventually, however, the Gourmandie victory in the cavalry battle threatened the integrity of the KR right flank and Kronprinz Friedrich Wilhelm was forced to concede the field. 

The KaiserReich commander must now pull his army back to the east and decide if this Gourmandie aggression will be avenged. But winter is coming...