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Feuchtwangel Campaign

There follows the history of a solo campaign, Feuchtwangel 1866. The campaign is an ongoing (mostly) solo affair being fought out using the Principles of War rules for battles, and various bits of rules from the 'Lone Warrior' Solo Wargamers Association journal and the Principles of War magazine... but mostly made up as I go along.

Background


The Duchy of Feuchtwangel was a neighbour and effectively a vassal of Bavaria in1866 and the doorway through which Moltke chose to send two divisions from the neighbouring principality of Oberstein as Prussia commenced her attacks on the German states on June 16th. Although seen as a diversion rather than a valuable strategic target by either side during the mobilisation, Bavaria realised that she would have to mount some sort of defence of her neighbour and swiftly deployed two divisions, the majority of whom were local recruits. they arrived by rail at Feuchtwangel early on the 14th of June and by the 16th had made the march to their prospective areas of defence around Mühlhausen and Hildberghausen, just as the Prussian army under Maj Gen Von Fühlsbüttel crossed the border into Feuchtwangel south of Oberstein.

Terrain


Feuchtwangel was effectively divided into two halves by a spur of the Fichtel mountains. The majority of her industry and population followed the broad plain of the River Saale to the west of the mountains joined to the more isolated Eastern border region between Henneberg and Schlotheim by the Rotenburg valley in the South and the opening of the Northern plain and the important bridges over the Saale at Bad Neustadt in the North.
The roads throughout the duchy were generally well paved and presented little problem to the movement of troops, and her single railway which snaked in from Bavaria at Wiesenfeld linked the capital of Feuchtwangel with the mining centre at Henneberg. As the news of Prussian mobilisation reached the Duchy, the telegraph network was swiftly dismantled by the paranoid ducal government in order to hinder the invaders progress. A move which proved to be as disruptive to the defenders in the coming days.

A map of the Duchy of Feuchtwangel 1866 a map of fw

 

Opening Moves

Maj General von Fühlsbüttel (Von F) suffered from a complete lack of knowledge of the whereabouts of the Bavarian Divisions in Feuchtwangel, although he had been informed of their departure by wire from Berlin. His key objective was the capital of the duchy but he had to be sure to clear all areas of the Bavarians or risk leaving his lines of retreat and supply cut off. To this end, he split his two divisions under Von Wrangel (a slightly younger relative of the infamous general) and Werner and sent them in opposite directions. Their instructions were to clear all resistance and meet up at Feuchtwangel. Wrangel took the 2nd Division south to Udestedt whilst Von F escorted Werner west toward Bad Neustadt through the hilly region of Schlotheim.


Both Von F and Werner were slightly more cautious than Wrangel and organised their cavalry on scouting missions, probing ahead to try and get wind of the Bavarian positions, whilst the more impestuous Wrangel made determined and quick progress to Mühlhausen were he learned of a local Bavarian presence and stalled his march to seek out his adversary. Meanwhile 1st Division had reached Bad Neustadt where on the 22nd Von F and Werner had a planning meeting. They resolved to temporarily halt whilst scouts verified the Bavarian whereabouts. Their information so far suggested that their enemy may be at either Nordhausen or at Walldorf and a move in either direction would leave a dangerously exposed flank to the other.


In the environs of Mühlhausen Wrangel and the Bavarian 1st Divsion under Von Hamming had skirted around each other for position for two days until finally Hamming took up a position in the hills above the village of Hum, Northwest of Muuhlhausen where Wrangel obligingly attacked him wthout delay on the morning of 25th June.

Battle of Hum 25th June

 

Bavarian

A Von Wiggel 2nd Inf Brigade. Orders to hold Kleine Kuppe and the valley between it and Sorberg.

B Maillinger with the 3rd Infantry Brigade ordered to move to and hold Sorberg.

C Von Schleich with the 1st Brigade to move to an hold the line on Humberg

D Dietl with the Cavalry reserve supporting Schleich.

 

Prussian

E Von Blumenthal with the 1st Brigade to assault Sorberg.

F Von Below (2nd Brigade) to take Hum and Humberg

G Reserve inlcuding Cavalry under Von Bredow to support F and cut off road west.

 

 

The Bavarian CinC (Augentsein) ordered his brigades to advance from the ridge they had camped on the night of the 24th to the three hills of Kleine Kuppe, Sorberg and Humberg, at first light. News of the Prussian advance arrived just as the army started it's manoevres and Augenstein realised that his forces would only just beat the enemy to the important heights, with no time to prepare defences.

On the Humberg, the lowest of the three hills, Von Below advanced his brigade in shock columns and forced the Bavarians back almost immediately into a desperate defence on the back slopes whilst the supporting cavalry reserve saw off their Bavarian counterparts .

Wrangel had chosen to ignore Kleine Kuppe and its steeper more dificult slopes and decided to concentrate Blumenthal's brigade on the great mass of Sorberg. the Bavarians there were locally outnumbered and although a more worthwhile defence was mounted than at Humberg, they found themselves being slowly pushed back as the Prussian columns shook out into line and the needle rifle volleys started to take their effect. The Northern Bavarian brigade of Wiggels started to turn to try and engage the Prussian flank, but it was too late. With the Southern flank seriously close to collapse, and the centre in seady retreat, Augenstein ordered a general retreat, which Wiggel covered with his brigade as the rest of the army headed west cross country.

Wrangel was keen to make the most of the rich town and environs of Mühlhausen to replinish his supplies and declined to pursue Augentstein into Rotenburg. TO BE CONTINUED

 

 

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