{"id":1029,"date":"2015-04-08T06:56:20","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T06:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/?p=1029"},"modified":"2015-04-08T06:56:20","modified_gmt":"2015-04-08T06:56:20","slug":"d-day-on-the-duna-1701","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/d-day-on-the-duna-1701\/","title":{"rendered":"D-Day on the Duna 1701"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ferdinand Kettler peered out from his observation post on a misty summer\u00a0morning across the stretch of water under his command. All seemed clear, as\u00a0it had the day before and all the days he had been stationed there. He knew\u00a0the enemy would be mad to attempt to land here and had assured his generals\u00a0“even a superior force of three hundred thousand would still not be enough\u00a0to successfully achieve any progress”. Then the mist began to clear and dark\u00a0shapes could be seen on the water. They were small boats, scores of them,
\napproaching the shore and they were accompanied by a covering artillery\u00a0barrage. As Kettler gathered his thoughts and his command the first wave of\u00a0enemy troops came ashore\u2026\"swede6\"<\/a>
\nNormandy in June 1944? No, Livonia (modern day Lithuania) in July 1701. The\u00a0Great Northern War had begun the previous year when an alliance of Russia,\u00a0Denmark-Norway and Saxony-Poland Lithuania declared war on the newly crowned\u00a0King of Sweden, the 18 year old Charles XII. Despite his inexperience\u00a0Charles acted quickly. Denmark was forced out of the war almost immediately,
\nand Russia was given a bloody nose at Narva. Charles\u2019s attention now\u00a0turned to the Saxons.\u00a0A combined Saxon-Russian army of\u00a0c.29000 under Steinau had entrenched\u00a0themselves along the west bank of the river Duna (Latvian Daugava), opposite\u00a0<\/span>the Swedish held city of Riga. Not knowing when or where the Swedes might\u00a0<\/span>attempt to cross the 600m wide river they were inevitably stretched, but put\u00a0<\/span>out regular patrols. Steinau was away on one such patrol with a strong force\u00a0<\/span>to cover a feint by Swedish cavalry, leaving the rest of his army under the\u00a0<\/span>command of Paykull and Kettler. The Saxon defences were set back some\u00a0<\/span>distance from the river bank. This reduced the chances of them being\u00a0<\/span>outflanked and rolled up by a Swedish landing further along the river, and\u00a0<\/span>reduced the threat from the Swedish artillery in Riga. It may also have been\u00a0<\/span>a deliberate ploy to tempt the Swedes into a risky landing on the Saxon\u00a0<\/span>side.\u00a0<\/span>The Swedes had meanwhile gathered c.200 small boats to ferry their advance\u00a0<\/span>guard across the river and constructed a floating bridge for their cavalry\u00a0<\/span>and light guns to do likewise. They also built four floating batteries and\u00a0<\/span>brought up a corvette to provide artillery support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede9\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Heavy guns from Riga\u00a0<\/span>also contributed to their firepower and these were able to reach some of the\u00a0<\/span>Saxon defences. Bad weather delayed the initial Swedish attack (shades of\u00a0<\/span>June 1944 again!) but by 4.00am on the morning of 19th July the first wave\u00a0<\/span>were embarked on their little boats ready to go. More boats filled with\u00a0<\/span>brushwood were set alight and pushed out into the river to create a\u00a0<\/span>smokescreen to mask the Swedish landings.\u00a0<\/span>The Swedish boats were eventually spotted, but the Saxon artillery and\u00a0<\/span>scouting parties were unable to prevent the first wave of around 3000 troops\u00a0<\/span>landing. A more organised attack by around 3500 Saxon infantry was beaten\u00a0<\/span>off by the stubborn Swedes (as suspected led by Charles in person), who\u00a0<\/span>pushed on to take a Saxon redoubt and gain enough ground to complete the\u00a0<\/span>construction of their floating bridge. A second Saxon attack was similarly\u00a0<\/span>beaten off, and the Swedes were able to bring their reinforcements across\u00a0<\/span>the Duna.\u00a0<\/span>By now Steinau had returned with his reinforcements and immediately took\u00a0<\/span>command. The Swedes had formed a reasonable defensive line with their left\u00a0<\/span>flank secured by the river, but their right flank was still vulnerable.\u00a0<\/span>Steinau launched a third attack on this flank with his cavalry. It had some\u00a0<\/span>early success but was eventually beaten off. It was now around 7.00am and\u00a0<\/span>Steinau called a meeting with his commanders. Despite more reinforcements\u00a0<\/span>under the Russian general Repnin arriving, and outnumbering the Swedes\u00a0<\/span>nearly 3:1, he decided to retire under cover of a feint attack. The battle\u00a0<\/span>had cost the Allies around 1300 dead and wounded, with another 700 men and\u00a0<\/span>36 guns captured. Swedish casualties were probably around 500.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede10\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As I wanted to present a reasonably balanced club game that either side\u00a0<\/span>could win I won\u2019t describe this \u201cCrossing of the Duna\u201d as a re-fight\u00a0<\/span>but rather \u2018based upon\u2019 or \u2018inspired by\u2019 the historical events. I\u00a0<\/span>have seen several differing orders of battle for this encounter and varying\u00a0<\/span>accounts of who arrived when, where and how. The forces used in this\u00a0<\/span>scenario were therefore something of a compromise and there was lots of\u00a0<\/span>dicing for arrival times and locations. The Saxon\/Russian forces were\u00a0<\/span>commanded by the \u2018Danish Brothers\u2019 Dene and Simon Green; the Swedes were\u00a0<\/span>under the guidance of Paul Freeman, Simon Clarke and Steve Holt. As usual\u00a0<\/span>with these games both sides were in turn given a quick secret briefing on\u00a0<\/span>the lead up to, possible events during, and command objectives in the\u00a0<\/span>battle.\u00a0<\/span>The Swedes were given the opening move and the smoke lifted to reveal a\u00a0<\/span>corvette and a gun platform anchored in the river, covering the disembarking\u00a0<\/span>first wave of 4 Swedish infantry regiments under the personal command of\u00a0<\/span>Charles XII. I\u00a0<\/span>had allowed the Swedes to anchor the gun platform close to\u00a0<\/span>their landing zone on the Saxon side of the river which I thought may have\u00a0<\/span>been too generous – but events were to prove otherwise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede7\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Saxons had five infantry regiments strung out along their defence line\u00a0<\/span>and a redoubt with a 2-gun battery. They didn\u2019t rush to counter the\u00a0<\/span>landing, fearing it could be a feint and that the main Swedish attack would\u00a0<\/span>come elsewhere and outflank them. They also knew they had reinforcements on\u00a0<\/span>the way and that their artillery had a good target in the exposed Swedish\u00a0<\/span>infantry.\u00a0<\/span>The Swedes, in contrast, went straight onto the offensive. They headed\u00a0<\/span>straight for the Saxon entrenchments and redoubt, hoping their second wave\u00a0<\/span>of infantry would secure the landing zone and cover the construction of the\u00a0<\/span>bridge. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede8\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Swedish regiment on the left wing was destroyed as it reached\u00a0<\/span>the enemy entrenchment, but the others made it. Classed as superior, led by\u00a0<\/span>an inspirational commander, and with salvo capability in impact they stormed\u00a0<\/span>the Saxon defences. Amazingly the Saxon defenders survived this impact, but\u00a0<\/span>succumbed in the following round. Worse, their general was killed and the\u00a0<\/span>other Saxon unit defending this section was demoralised and fled, leaving\u00a0<\/span>the artillery to be overrun by the Swedes.\u00a0<\/span>The first Saxon reinforcements now arrived (three cavalry and two dragoon\u00a0<\/span>regiments) and on the first die roll possible! <\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

However they entered on the\u00a0<\/span>table edge furthest from the action, and had to cross the front of the guns\u00a0<\/span>in Riga. They were hit several times during their advance, but passed every\u00a0<\/span>casualty and cohesion roll. As they approached a small stream between them\u00a0<\/span>and the enemy a second wave of 4 Swedish infantry disembarked (again on the\u00a0<\/span>first roll possible). Both Swedish infantry waves had time to wheel and\u00a0<\/span>present a more or less solid line to the Saxon cavalry and dragoons. To make\u00a0<\/span>a difficult situation even stickier the Swedish guns on the corvette and\u00a0<\/span>platform were now hitting their targets.\u00a0<\/span>Not everything went Sweden\u2019s way. One of the Saxon dragoon regiments lined\u00a0<\/span>the river bank and found the Swedish gun platform in musket range; a series\u00a0<\/span>of lucky hits and unlucky cohesion rolls forced the crew to abandon their\u00a0<\/span>guns and dive overboard to safety. The rest of the Saxon infantry decided\u00a0<\/span>there were no Swedish flanking forces; they left their redoubts and marched\u00a0<\/span>towards the Swedish infantry. The completion of the Swedish floating bridge,\u00a0<\/span>and therefore their cavalry and light guns, was delayed, but the next round\u00a0<\/span>of Allied reinforcements arrived immediately. Yet again these\u00a0<\/span>reinforcements arrived on the table edge furthest from the main fight and in\u00a0<\/span>front of Riga\u2019s guns, and these reinforcements were 5 regiments of poor\u00a0<\/span>quality Russian infantry.\u00a0<\/span>The Saxon cavalry and infantry now made a general advance, mainly against\u00a0<\/span>the second wave of Swedish infantry. These were only classed as average and\u00a0<\/span>the Saxons made some headway. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede3\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With a series of disastrous cohesion rolls\u00a0<\/span>three Swedish regiments were destroyed, and the Saxon Guard Infantry and\u00a0<\/span>Cavalry were able to put themselves between the Swedish floating bridge and\u00a0<\/span>their infantry. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede5\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When the Swedish cavalry eventually crossed the completed\u00a0<\/span>bridge they were met by the Saxon guard cavalry and fought to a standstill,\u00a0<\/span>delaying the rest of the Swedish column from landing. During all of this the\u00a0<\/span>Russian infantry opposite Riga had been marching to the sound of battle. As\u00a0<\/span>before the Swedish guns hit their targets regularly and the Russians saved\u00a0<\/span>their casualties regularly, but failed every cohesion test going. Two of\u00a0<\/span>their five regiments routed before the remainder reached a safe distance,\u00a0<\/span>but these were not of sufficient quality or quantity to spearhead another\u00a0<\/span>attack on the Swedes.\u00a0<\/span>The remaining Swedish infantry, with artillery support, fought back and\u00a0<\/span>destroyed a Saxon cavalry regiment and their Guard Infantry. This left the\u00a0<\/span>Saxon Guard Cavalry isolated at the Swedish bridgehead by the end of the\u00a0<\/span>night\u2019s play. It was an untenable position so I gave a marginal victory to<\/span>the Swedes. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"swede2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

They had secured a bridgehead, destroyed the Saxon redoubt and\u00a0<\/span>captured their artillery, but the casualties suffered were far higher than\u00a0<\/span>in the historical encounter. With yet more Saxon and Russian reinforcements\u00a0<\/span>on the way maybe Steinau would consider another attack on the Swedish\u00a0<\/span>position after all\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ferdinand Kettler peered out from his observation post on a misty summer\u00a0morning across the stretch of water under his command. All seemed clear, as\u00a0it had the day before and all the days he had been stationed there. He knew\u00a0the enemy would be mad to attempt to land here and had assured his generals\u00a0“even a superior … Continue reading D-Day on the Duna 1701<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-field-of-glory-renaissance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1029"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1032,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1029\/revisions\/1032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1029"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1029"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/badwargamers.com\/bad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1029"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}