Fontenoy - Part 2, Battle in the Bois de Berry

Croats and Jager play The Most Dangerous Game in the Bois de Barry

While the main event was unfolding in the center of the war game table, one of two under cards was heating up in the Bois de Berry woods located on the right flank of the Prussian attack of the Infernal Column.

Historically, the woods were occupied by the Arquebusiers de Grassines - French light infantry - that held off Ingoldsby's brigade of British troops for much of the day. As a result, the Arquebusiers de Grassines were able to discomfit the British column as it moved towards the French center.

The Prussian player knowing this, deployed his jagers into two groups, one skirting up the periphery of the woods to protect the Itzenplitz (IR13) Regiment as it marched past the woods; the other group diving right into the woods in search of the inevitable Austrian light infantry that were frequently found in such environments. To add some weight to his attack, the commander of the jager contingent sent in a battalion of the Diericke Fusilier Regiment (IR49), looking very colorful in their bright orange togs.

Prussian jagers prepare to enter the Forest of No Return to screen the advance of the Prussian musketeers, seen in the middle distance of the photo.

Unbeknownst to the Prussian jagers, there was quite a surprise waiting for them, the  Redoubt d'Eu,  should they make it through the entire length of the woods.

Two battalions of Croats, in red and brown, waited in the woods for the jagers.

The Diericke Fusiliers (IR49) followed the jagers into the woods to lend the weight of steady formed troops to the  hunt.

The Prussian fusilier advance was relentless. The Croats could do nothing more than fall back. They took a volley of musketry which left them momentarily Shaken (see the red disk on the ground in the above picture).

Gradually, the Prussian fusiliers were able to push the Croats out of the Bois de Berry woods.

The Diericke fusiliers pushed their way through the woods, firing at the Croats and occasionally charging them. The Croats would melt away into the depths of the woods, but still the fusiliers came on until they emerged from the woods and found the Redoubt, and a battalion of the Austrian Luzon musketeers waiting for them, with muskets leveled.

However, the second battalion of the Itzenplitz (IR13) climbed the plateau in front of the Redoubt ahead of the fusiliers, so they took on the Austrians instead. The Diericke fusiliers formed into march column and moved behind the Itzenplitzers so that they could change into line formation and add more muskets to the fire fight.

Austrian Luzan regiment defends against the 2nd battalion of the Prussian Itzenplitz regiment, while more Prussian fusiliers march up the slope from the woods.

Marshal de Saxe pulled his wicker chariot up beside the Redoubt and watched the battle unfold in front of him. He had his escort squadron of uhlans to protect him.

Marshal de Saxe in his wicker chariot watches the enemy emerge from the woods.

At about the time that the Luzon musketeers and the Itzenplitz lads crossed muskets, the center of the Austrian battle line was collapsing and Marshal de Saxe gave a general order for the army to withdraw from the battle, covered by a still viable and largely untouched cavalry contingent.

I will post the Prussian attack on the town of Fontenoy within another day or two because I didn't want to make this post overly long.

 I am thinking that it might be fun to set up a very large wooded area on the game table and just conduct the fight in the Bois de Berry woods. I think that I have enough trees to cover and area of 6 feet by 4 feet for a small game within the game.