Part 1: Minden 250th, 1st. Cavalry Wave, Action At Hahlen and Allied Reserves

Thank you for looking in. On the actual 250th anniversary, 1 August 1759/2009, our Batailles de l'Ancien Régime 1740-1763 {BAR} group simulated the celebrated battle of Minden. We have lots of photos. Part 1 as captioned follows. Click on photographs to enlarge them.


The first wave of 276 cavaliers viewed from the French left.
A portion of the left-hand French Grand Battery appears in the lower left. The village of Maulbeerkamp appears in the upper right. Large French artillery batteries at these two locations enfiladed Spörcken's Brigade to great effect historically and also in our simulation. Four participants contributed miniatures to compose the French cavalry.

The French viewed from the left flank of Spörcken's Brigade. Infantry losses were due to French artillery fire.

Spörcken's Brigade coolly waits to give fire, {"MAKE READY!"} as the French close in, {"AIM - FIRE!"}

Fire resolution is occurring in this photograph. We play our BAR games using just Quick Reference Charts 99% of the time.

Panoramic view from Village of Hahlen on the French left flank to Maulbeerkamp twenty-four feet away. Allied General Anhalt historically and in our game took the village. Note the units in this and the next photo. These are two-rank units from my old Tricorne Armies based on 1:20. Anhalt attacked with detachments so I thought why not use these old and veteran units in this role. BAR worked fine for them.

Anhalt pushed deeply into Hahlen causing French and Saxon reserves to come forward in addition to a portion of the nearby French Grand Battery shifting fire into the village.

On the Allied back table, Spörcken's Second Line starts forward. Huzzah lads!

While the cavalry commanded by General Sackville is idle nearby.
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Closing Remarks:
1. Photos of the second French cavalry wave will appear here soon.
2. Check in at Der Alte Fritz's celebrated blog for a lot more.
3. When I awakened Saturday morning I asked myself, "What bugs are there in the scenario?" I decided I could not be an automaton about player circumstances and bad dice if conditions did not closely resemble the real battle. Therefore, I told everyone I was more of a "stage director" than anything else. There were occasions when I shifted Allied units to where they needed to be and other occasions when units were allowed to recover stragglers and reorganize.
4. Simulation rules are next.
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SPECIAL BAR RULES FOR MINDEN 250th
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Our Minden commemoration was a scripted simulation. As kind of a "stage director"
I changed conditions as needed using Savory's text as my guide.

UNIT CLASSIFICATIONS
1. Elite = All Allied Units, French Gendarmes and Royal des Carabiniers in 3rd Line.
1(a) Mid way through the game all Allied officers were rated Elite.
2. Veteran = All Other Units In The French Army
3. French Artillery firing obliquely at Spörcken’s Brigade gets +3 for fire.

FIRE AT A CHARGER
4. Add +2 for units in Spörcken’s Brigade

ARTILLERY
5. Organize guns in 3-4 gun sections by poundage. No battalion guns.
Eg. 3x3Pdrs., 3x6Pdrs., 4x8Pdrs., 3x12 Pdrs.
6. Fire by section – not individual guns. Multiply result by # of guns in section
Eg. Throw 2D6/section, modify as usual for hits – then hits times # of guns
7. Do not fire individual guns unless that is all that is left.
8. Poundage:
British = 6 Pdrs., Light 12 Pdrs.
Brunswick = 3 Pdrs.
French = Heavy 4 Pdrs., 8 Pdrs. and 12 Pdrs.
Hanover = 6 Pdrs., 12 Pdr. = Brummer Class
Allied Howitzers = 7 Pdr. Howitzer Class
9. No ammunition limitations.
10. Only the Allies have limbers.

MAXIMUM MELEE ROUNDS
11. One round permissible only – not three - in cavalry versus infantry.

SEQUENCE
12. Spörcken’s Brigade must advance obliquely toward French Cavalry line.
13. French Cav. must charge Spörcken’s Brigade and never wander more than
18” wider than Spörcken’s flanks unless the latter is destroyed or enemy cavalry
come on. First mass charge may not wander at all.
14. 1st line may move to charge after Spörcken enters main table.
15. Other Fr. lines can't charge Spörcken until previous lines are out of the way.
16. Elsewhere:
Artillery may fire at will and move all game long.
Battle for Hahlen may start immediately.
French left flank infantry may advance when Spörcken enters main table.
All others may move:
AFTER three massed French cavalry charges are completed
Or turn after at least two Bns. of Spörcken’s Brigade rout or destroyed.
But Sackville brigades activate only the turn after throwing 2D6 = 12.

FRENCH CAVALRY LINES
17. 1st Line = 276, 2nd. Line = 264, 3rd Line = 216, 4th. Line = 36
18. Recycling = okay.

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