Classic wargaming: 2020

Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Sittangbad - the layout that launched a thousand games

Last weekend, as many of you will know, Laurence and Tricks celebrated the many Partizan wargame shows by sharing, along with others, many photos and other 'stuff' from the past. You see, it was due to be the Partizan show on Sunday, but of course...

Henry Hyde did a mammoth video piece on YouTube all about the Sittangbad and Mollwitz games we created and displayed in 2006 and 2007 at Partizan.

It got me all misty eyed, particularly about the Sittangbad layout.
In many ways, it was the terrain design that launched a thousand games since then.

I remember coming up with the design, the green boards, the place on terrain, and so on, and wondering what the Wargames world would think of it.
Up till that point, whilst I had held this vision in my head for quite some time, there wasn't really a 'classic' / 'old school' look out there.
I'm delighted that this particular vision has been taken on and seems to be the 'go to' look for bloggers in the old school genre.

The full story of the Sittangbad game was on my old Warcabinet website where I did regular updates which were the. Collated into an article for Battlegames magazine.
If you'd like the shortened version, click on the Sittangbad tab above and go to that page.

Enjoy!

Charge! The Cast of Characters

The Emperor

The Elector, Petrus I

General Soubise – commanding Electoral forces at Blasthof Bridge

Count von Kornberg – commanding Imperial forces at Blasthof Bridge, and later playing a significant role at Sittangbad

Dr J Evans Mudd – noted military historian who commented on conduct of both generals at Blasthof Heath, and subsequently "thought it wise to study the natural beauties of neutral Switzerland."

Princess Catherine of Hesse-Damall – kidnapped by the Elector thereby igniting the campaign that led up to Sittangbad

Archduke Guitar – commander of the Imperialist field army sent to seize the Electoral capital. His army was defeated and he, relieved of its command, returned over the Weser before the Battle of Sittangbad.

General Lentulus – replaced Guitar and was Imperial commander at Sittangbad

Lt Col Fuchs – Lentulus’ chief of staff

General Sapt- commander of the contingent billeted in Sittangbad; Lancers de saxe, Pandour regt, and B battery field artillery.

The Herzog Johann – commander of Electoral army at Sittangbad.von Luckner - Electoral cavalry commander at Sittangbad

Brigadier Lord Hyndford – Lentulus second-in-command at Sittangbad, a “British volunteer”. He was left to command the rearguard as the rest of the Imperial army retired over the Weser.

General Gabler - mentioned only in the Tail Piece notes

General Krump – mentioned only in the Tail Piece notes

Graf von Grunt – mentioned in the Tail Piece, this was Brigadier Peter Young’s on table persona.

Units in "Charge!"

These units are named / photographed. Other units do appear in photographs and their identity can be gleaned from the text, but all is not always as it seems!

To illustrate line infantry organisation and formations:
-Erbprinz regt

Used as example illustrations accompanying the text. Whether they were simply names devised for that purpose or these units did in fact exist is not made clear:
-1st Fieldboot Battalion
-2nd Sharpshooters
-3rd Whisky Mac regt

Used for the section illustrating combat, with Smith and Jones as the players:
-The Pultava Guards (appear to be The Erbprinz in another guise!)
-B Battery, Royal Thracian Artillery
-Douro Grenadiers – the unit appears in the photos of Sittangbad, and must be acting under a different name
-Musselburgh Fusiliers - ditto

On the sample order sheet. Again, perhaps simply named for the purpose of illustrating the sheet, although some do appear to have been real on-table units, appearing in Sittangbad:
-Kornberg’s Cuirassiers
-Von Bock’s Dragoons
-Lanciers de Saxe
-5 Jaeger
-6 Jaeger
-Pandour Grenadiers
-Isembourg Regt
-7th Regt
-2nd Engineers Regt

And then of course there’s the units for the battle of Sittangbad:
-Imperial Forces
Lancers de Saxe (light cavalry)
Kornberg’s Cuirassiers (heavy cavalry)
Kleist Frei Corps (light infantry regt)
Isembourg Regt (a line infantry regt)
Coy Waldeck (an independent company)
Pandour Regt (a line infantry regt)
B Battery Field Artillery
3rd Engineer Bn

-Electoral Forces
1st Uhlan Regt (light cavalry)
Dragoons of Montmort (heavy cavalry)
Gendarmerie (heavy cavalry)
Garde Jaeger (light infantry regt)
Erbprinz regt (line infantry regt)
Steinzeit Regt (line infantry regt)
Electoral Footguards( line infantry regt)
Gentlemen Pensioners regt (line infantry regt)
3 Batteries of Field Artillery
Engineer bn

Additional units are mentioned in The Wargames Companion. Thanks to Charles S Grant for documenting these in that wonderful accompaniment to his father’s work, The Wargame. The chapter dealing with Peter Young is littered with wonderful stories about the man, and lists more of his figures. Amongst these are such enticing names as the Schnurrband Infantry, theUhlans Brittaniques and the Montmirail militia.

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Tuesday, 19 May 2020

Sittangbad - the layout that launched a thousand games