The PEF runs out of puff

Shortly before Christmas I had a bit of good news. This was that although I'd lost all my remaining photos of the battles I fought during my trip to the UK last year, my hosts had kept theirs, so all was not lost after all.

Fans of Stryker's Hinton Hunt Vintage Wargame Figures blog will have already seen the Prussian Expeditionary Force (PEF) in action during the Battle of the Four Generals. Although the side I was  playing with was beaten, the PEF under Ian's command performed splendidly. It was a huge pleasure to meet Ian and his wife again, and the lunch was yum! A big hello to Foy and Goya, too, by the way. You were really nice when I charged headlong into Ian's spotlessly-clean French windows. I completely failed to see these when I tried to sneak out into the back garden for a fag. So there you go: smoking is not only very bad for you, dear readers, it also exposes one to ridicule.*

Battered bonce notwithstanding, a few days later the PEF joined up with another beautiful Prussian army painted by the Archduke. This was but one of the Archduke's magnificent Hinton Hunt armies. The photos which follow were all taken by his Grace himself, who sent them to me a couple of months ago.

Opposing me was the Archduke's friend Ken, who fielded a mighty force of French and Poles. Most of the Poles, I believe, were Ken's, but almost everything else was from the Archduke's collection

Ken's indominable Franco-Poles

My plan was to sneak round Ken's flank with most of the PEF while the Archduke's Prussians did the heavy lifting in the centre. This turned out to be a remarkably stupid plan, as it happened.

The PEF went nowhere, as the Leib Hussars who were leading and protecting them were totally destroyed by Ken's elite Gendarmes, or at least I think that's who they were. They were certainly pretty hard.

The Leib Hussars prepare to meet their doom.

With Ken's cavalry now blocking the approaches to the bridge, there was nothing the PEF could do except form square and have a bit of a breather.

Plan B was to storm the village, but things started to go wrong almost immediately when the Garde du Corps were instantly overthrown.

It was nearly all up to the infantry after that. The Lutzowers did quite well at first by soaking up most of  Ken's artillery fire. The masses of French and Polish infantry behind Ken's guns, however, did not augur well.

Within a couple of moves the Prussian mass de manoeuvre had been whittled away to almost nothing.

Copious swearing by Blucher failed to turn the tide, although it did succeed in giving von Lutzow a bit of a shock.

Ken's strategy, on the other hand, was flawless - all my other units were shot to bits by his deadly skirmishers before his other battalions could even get near them.

His Grace, the Archduke, not only umpired with considerable aplomb, but also put me up for a couple for nights. As if this wasn't enough, the Archduchess is a wonderful cook and a supremely witty hostess who knows how to make the perfect G&T.  It was an altogether amazing and very joyful experience. I don't know what else to say, TA. I was very touched and the whole visit was completely glorious. Thank you.

Although this was the last stand of the PEF, it wasn't the last battle. Rob has also sent me pictures of the battle we fought just a couple of days later with his Spencer Smiths, so watch this space.....


Till then

WM

* For those who may be wondering, the doors survived even if my pride did not. If it's any reassurance, Ian, I've given up charging into plate glass, and I've even made a start on giving up the evil weed too.