Advance Guard Action: Part 3

Part three of the Action at Crunkenhof is marked by a charge of Bleiherzen dragoons covering the retreat of the shattered jagers of Colonel Gerlach...(amazingly, in this battle he emerges unscathed but vows revenge on those accursed Poles!). The dragoons successfully send the lancers retreating back to their lines, and the battle settles down to the main contest of infantry.

Overviews from the Bleiherzen side show the opposing battlelines forming for the attack. On the lower left a Bleiherzen howitzer lobs shells towards the bridge area causing confusion and casualties among the retreating lancers mixed among the defending Croats holding the bridge while the Grolsteiner artillery on the hill to the right begin to have an effect on the Bleiherzen right wing

Overview of Crunkenof showing the buildings occupied by De Grassin's mercenaries...(my buildings are the classic  lift-off type) ...and the Yellow grenadiers forming to center of the Bleiherzen line. Retreating and reforming on the lower right are a squadron of dragoons.

 The Bleiherzen right begins advancing on the Grolstein main line at approximately mid game.

 

...and the Bleiherzen left advances with two regiments on the distant bridge objective.  The Fusiliers formed up in column look determined to capture the objective.

The first exchange of volleys staggers the Gentleman pensioners but they stand to it and deliver a crushing return volley at the Grand Duchess' Liebguard that causes heavy loss and fells the unit's Colonel.

Grolstein Croats fall back to the bridge approaches.

The grand Duchess' Poles now reformed move up to support the Croats while Conrad Jahde's Musketeers fire a volley into the oncoming Bleiherzeners.

On the far right flank a charge of Bleiherzen horse is ordered and both dragoons and hussars charge the battery of Grolsteiner guns and by sheer luck escape major casualties in the charge resulting in the complete rout of the enemy guns.

The battered Gentlemen Pensioners regiment still advance with only the Grolstein Red Grenadiers to stop their advance...the fate of the Grolstein left wing hangs in the balance...

Meanwhile Brigadier General Tipplehof manages to rally the retiring Liebguard...a turning point in the battle!

...the Bleiherzen left wing column headed by the Fusilier Regiment von Kluge crashes into Jahde's Musketeers and the final melee to decide the battle begins!

...continued in the final installment...