Zorndorf 1758

 I picked up this 2003 Osprey Campaign book by Simon Millar on Frederick the Great's clash with the Russians in the Seven Years' War at the York show.  It goes well with my current project, rebasing my Adler 6mm (closer to 8mm) Seven Years' War armies.

The Battle of Zorndorf was fought on August 25, 1758, between the forces of Prussia, led by Frederick the Great, and Russia, commanded by Count Wilhelm Fermor. The battle took place near the village of Zorndorf in what is now Poland (then part of Brandenburg). The Russian army, approximately 42,000 strong, had invaded Brandenburg and threatened Prussia's eastern territories. Commanding about 35,000 troops, Frederick aimed to stop the Russian advance and protect his kingdom. The terrain was marshy, with limited manoeuvring space, adding to the difficulty of the battle.

Frederick's forces launched an aggressive assault on the Russian flank, including the Prussian cavalry under Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz. Despite heavy losses, the Russians held their ground and inflicted severe casualties on the Prussians. By the end of the day, both armies were exhausted, and neither achieved a decisive victory. The Russians withdrew in good order, while the Prussians claimed the battlefield but were too battered to pursue. Casualties were extremely high for the period, with around 12,000–14,000 on each side.

The book follows the usual Osprey format. The opposing commanders and their armies are described, followed by a detailed orbat. The campaign is outlined with the usual excellent maps, followed by the battle itself. The author visited the battle site, which hasn't been developed too much. There are lots of period illustrations and a handful of colour plates.

Having just finished rebasing the Russians, it looked like a good battle to refight at the club on Sunday. I have used Sam Mustapha's rules, Maurice, for this period. I wasn't impressed despite being generally a fan, but my opponent was an experienced player of the rules, so I decided to give them another go.

My opponent used the superior Prussian manoeuvre capabilities to attack the Russian left flank. I pulled the Russian line back and reallocated units from my right wing to create a second line. I used my heavy cavalry to pin his reserves and, if possible, flank him.

It became a slugging match. I lost my first line, but the second held on. Due to the rules, the cavalry couldn't move much, so getting into position took a long time. We were both down to a couple of morale points when he drew an action card that won the game.

It was good to give Maurice another go, as I am generally a fan of Sam's rules. However, it confirmed that this set doesn't work for me. The activation mechanism makes it very difficult to use both wings of an army, and battles, therefore, settle on one. Plus, the card system with its special rules is too random. In fairness, he corrected the wings issue to a degree in Longstreet. Either way, I will return to Black Powder for the big games in the period.