So just before Xmas, Andy, Phil and I had a re-match of Das Schweinebucht, well more of a follow-up than a re-match as the Prussians had to re-capture the lost gun emplacements before the French dismantled them...
The French engineers were guarded by Fusiliers under the command of Capitaine Jean Thomas le Grande.
Reinforced by Major Roger le Garcon who bought more troops to Das Schweinebucht when intelligence reached the French HQ of an imminent Prussian attack.
On a crisp winter day, the French spotted the first of the attacking Prussians - two groups of Silesian Landwehr led by Leutnant Felix von Bratwurst...
Followed by two groups of Fusilier Skirmishers under the command of Fahnenjunker Erwin Bumgartner.
The French themselves moving up two groups of Voltigeurs commanded by Sous Lieutenant Jamie Soixantneuf to protect the engineers.
Who saw Prussian Regular Musketeers commanded by the brave Kapitän Stefan von Blause and Reserve Musketeers commanded by Leutnant Franz Furzememories marching towards them across the ice.
Never fear Sous Lieutenant Soixantneuf, Lieutenant Arsène de Cheval has arrived to see off the pesky Prussians with his two groups of Cuirassiers!
As with the Scala Ogni Montagna game, Phil likes to introduce some jeopardy into scenarios set in treacherous terrain and here any roll of a double would see the ice crack and D6 troops potentially fall into the icy water below! Andy was the first to fall foul of this as he tried to rush Fahnenjunker Bumgartner's Fusilier skirmishers towards the French.
Rolling a D6 to see how many men were lost, Andy managed to lose almost half the unit in one turn - and the French hadn't fired a shot yet!
Fortunately the Prussians had two more groups of Fusilier Skirmishers led by Feldwebel Willi Vinkle who arrived to screen the Musketeers advance...
And also a group of Reservist Uhlans under the command of Estandartenjunker Carsten Horst. Surely faced by such an overwhelming force the French would turn tail and run?
Before they had a chance the crashing boots of the French Fusiliers themselves cracked the ice...
And three of Major le Garcon/s men fell into an icy grave! Scare bleu!
Not to be outdone, Andy, clearly determined to kill more of his men than the French, managed to roll a double for a second time trying to push Fahnenjunker Bumgartner's Fusilier skirmishers forward!
How many men would be lost beneath the ice this time? Andy rolled a D6 to see - and rolled a 6!
Leaving just Fahnenjunker Bumgartner and one rather shocked Fusilier as the survivors of the two groups!
The negative effect of the Prussian goosestepping on the ice spread to the Silesian Landwehr as they tried to advance and I rolled a double - Gott im Himmel!
Luckily Leutnant von Bratwurst only lost two men.
Without a shot having yet been fired both sides had already lost an accumulated total of sixteen men to the treacherous ice!
Deciding that it was probably safer to fire rather than move, Feldwebel Vinkle ordered his men to open fire on the French at the first emplacement...
Inflicting some Shock on the Engineers and the Voltigeurs guarding them.
Capitaine le Grande order his Fusiliers to open fire on the advancing Prussian Reservists...
The volley inflicting some Shock on the Prussians but not causing any casualties.
Trying to march more softly the Silesian Landwehr advanced towards le Grande's men.
Whilst on the other flank Phil pushed two more groups of Voltiguers led by Serjeant Michel Le Sange forward...
And moved Lieutenant Arsène de Cheval's Cuirassiers forward towards the Prussian regulars.
Displaying a martial heritage going back to the time of Frederick the Great, the Silesian Landwehr snapped smartly into line to return the French Fusiliers fire...
But Capitaine le Grande's men managed to get another volley in before the Prussians.
Sending one brave son of Silesia to the afterlife...
Elsewhere the Prussian Musketeers also snapped into line, the Regulars ready to give the French horse a good volley if they advanced any further forward!
As the French engineers continued to demolish the battery position, Soixantneuf's Voltiguers had a pop at the advancing Prussian skirmishers.
The accurate French fire killing two Prussian Fusiliers and inflicting Shock on their comrades. Clearly it was not a good day to be a Prussian skirmisher!
Surely though the cavalry would be able to better the French skirmishers? Estandartenjunker Horst ordered his Uhlans forward...
Attacke! Lances levelled in went the Uhlans...
Only to be beaten off by the French skirmishers(!), suffering several casualties including Estandartenjunker Horst who was shot dead! Scheiße!
On the other flank Leutnant von Bratwurst ordered the Silesian Landwehr to open fire on the French!
Unfortunately their fire was wayward and they only managed to inflict two points of Shock on the hated French...
Not discouraged by the failure of their Uhlan opponents, one group of Lieutenant Arsène de Cheval's Cuirassiers attempted to charge down Kapitän von Blause's Regular Musketeers but came up short...
And they received a volley from the Prussians in return!
The Prussian fire was not as effective as hoped. All the French cavalry survived though they took five points of Shock!
Would the Cuirassiers manage to charge in before the Musketeers got off another volley? Unfortunately for Lieutenant Arsène de Cheval the answer was no. Another round of musketry plucked a Frenchman from his horse and inflicted more Shock on the Cuirassiers...
Forcing them to fall back.
Feldwebel Vinkle orders his skirmishers to take a pop at the enemy cavalry, causing them to hightail it out of range.
Whilst all that excitement was happening the French engineers managed to complete their demolishing of the first gun emplacement.
With that setback the Prussian focus switched to the other island battery. Leutnant Franz Furzememories Reservist Musketeers joining the Silesians in trying to clear Le Grande's men from the position.
Prussian musket fire slammed into the French killing one man...
Followed swiftly by a second volley from Furzememories men.
Two more French fell dead on the cold ground, but their comrades stood tall.
With Arsène de Cheval's group of Cuirassiers heading for safety...
The second group headed around the island the Engineers were on...
Where a glancing musket ball had knocked Sous Lieutenant Soixantneuf to the ground.
As Fahnenjunker Bumgartner took over command of on group of Feldwebel Vinkle's men and clear the French off the island.
In the centre Kapitän von Blause's Regular Musketeers engaged Major le Garcon's Fusiliers...
The Prussian fire inflicting casualties and Shock on the rather cold looking French conscripts.
However it was not the centre where the battle was to be decided as Phil advanced Serjeant Le Sange's skirmishers around the island...
And charged into one group of Prussian Fusiliers...
Wiping them out and wounding Feldwebel Vinkle!
Fahnenjunker Bumgartner launched his group in on the French skirmishers...
The first round of Fisticuffs was a bloody draw...
But the second saw the French victorious and Fahnenjunker Bumgartner fall dead on the ice.
With this the Prussian Force Morale fell to zero and victory went to Phil and the French...
Again much fun had, the treacherous conditions rolls clearly went against Andy and myself, especially the loss of half our skirmishers before a shot had been fired, clearly Andy had done something to upset the Gods of War(gaming) to result in such bad luck!