The Raid at Kliene Hoysee Scenario

Playing The Raid

The march had continued all morning. “How much longer before they met the Flamboyance troops that must be out here?” thought Col. Berkhoff . He had left his 4th battalion to guard the crossing while the remaining 3 along with the brigades artillery moved around Kliene Hoysee to te north and pushed inland from the river. Intelligence or at least rumour suggested that the Famboyance army was running out of troops and the Grand Marques had summoned all of his regular and reservist troops to Hoose while relying on irregular and mercenary troops to guard his border. “Strike now” his General had said, “ Strike before the new troops were in place and while the regulars were disorganized withdrawing.” Berkoff hoped it was true his men would be vulnerable this far from the river with no support. To his right was a low hill with the main road from Kliene Hoysee beyond, to the left a large wood created a defile which he would need to pass before the wider terrain beyond. “Here“ he thought, “Here is where I would bloke my advance.” as if on cue a 2nd Lieutenant from the 3rd ran up. “Sir there are troops on the hill ahead!” the young man gestured to the hill on the right. Berkoff nodded, so it began. “Pass my complements to your commander and inform him I wish him to take that hill and hold it until the rest of the regiment has passed to the west.” The young man ran off and within a short while Berkoff saw the 3rd veer of and form a single line of companies begin its advance on the hill. With his attention on the hill he had not noticed the movement to his front and left. More Flamboyance troops had arrived. Artillery and infantry it appeared. His other battalions were forming reinforced lines with companies formed in two ranks to meet the new threat. Turning to his adjutant he ordered him to take the artillery and support the advance. The battle was about to commence.

FLAMBOYANCE LINES. General Charles Trouvé 's day had begun badly and had not got any better. Orders to withdraw his men from guarding the border and hand over to the Provisional legion was all very well but where were this vaulted force? Then with his men gathering to march to his Grand Marquis orders the dammed Hoysee had crossed the Hoy river and penetrated his lines! The general surveyed his map. The 'Flamboyance Gondoliers ' the only part of the legion yet to have arrived was occupying a long hill behind Kliene Hoysee. If he could bloke the defile to the west and the troops that had been gathering in the river port in preperation to march south arrived he could still give the raiders a bloody nose.

The sound of gunfire from the hill greeted him as the few men he had gathered to bloke the Hoysee advance arrived on the field. A single battalion and his attached artillery battery, which seemed so inadequate, began to deploy. He artillery was soon in a duel with the Hoysee guns. The Hoysee smooth-bores were well handled, he had to admit but the greater range of his newer rifled guns should win that argument. Over on the hill however he could see white uniforms swarming over the brow driving the Gondoliers of the hill. If they cut the road beyond his small force was in for a world of hurt.

HOYSEE LINES Colonel Berkoff was worried more troops, probably the garrison at Kliene Hoysee were approaching and the 3rd were still not in control of the hill. To the west things looked desperate with the Flamboyance troops deployed to prevent any advance. Riding over to the two battalions he gave his orders, time was of the essence, the first would engage the Flamboyance infantry, regulars bey the looks, and the 2nd would assault the guns. The Artillery was now directed northwards to support the struggle on the hill. Hoysee white uniforms surged forward, the Flamboyance troops charging the 1st while the 2nd in turn charged the guns. Within moments it was over with some of the guns captured the rest of the Flamboyance battery witdrew, the inafntry battle had been far closer with the two bodies of men locked in a desperate struggle suddenly the Flamboyance troops broke failing to recover they to fled the battlefield. Now Berkoff thought, if I can turn the two battered but still usable battalion around he could perhaps save the boys on the hill.

FLAMBOYANCE LINES. Trouvé was in shock as his thin blue line broke around him. White uniforms seemed everywhere! Form his position he could also see the fight for the hill was going badly with the retreating Gondoliers disrupting the troops marching from Kliene Hoysee. Leaving the Lt. Colonel commanding the infantry to rally his men and the remaining guns Trouvé set off across the battle field to organize the only force which could save the day. The troops from K-H.

Meanwhile Berkoff's plan was not going well the 1st and 2nd were in no condition to support the 3rd at least not in time. Decisions were needed, he still had a mission. Seeking out the commander of the 1st battalion he passed on his orders. “ take the 2nd and pursue the enemy westward destroying any supplies you cannot use immediately. Tomorrow, regardless of success, start back for the river. Mean while I will occupy the garrison issuing from Kliene-Hoysee before organizing a relief from the rest of the regiment in time to assist your return tomorrow.” the Major, both battalion Lt. Colonels were casualties,saluted and began to organize his troops. Berkoff now turned eastwards. First coming to the artillery he ordered them to guard the western flank of the hill but not to get caught and to make their way to the river crossing while protecting the infantry flank as best they could. Riding onto the hill he then took personal control of the weary 3rd battalion.

Trouvé arrived at the elite 2nd Chasseurs a Pied as they shuck out of march column facing the Hoysee troops on the hill. The Gondoliers were reforming to their rear while the one of the marching battalions struggled around them to take position on the right of the chasseurs and the other assumed the left flank. All was ready. The eastern forces assaulted up the hill and the chasseurs and the rest of the infantry worked their way around the hillside to out flank the troops on the hill. The Hoysee troops were in retreat, not fleeing but withdrawing in good order from the trap. The dance continued for some time with both sides exchanging musket fire. News came that the Flamboyance 2nd battalion was running out of ammunition but Trouvé refused to let up the Hoysee troops would soon be trapped, he could see it just a few moments longer, he insisted. Berkoff knew the final moments had arrived he had been too slow to fall back, the men too disorganized to respond. Now flamboyance troops massed on both flanks, which would charge or would it become a overwhelming surge?

It was the chasseurs who changed first while the 2nd failed to rally from the Hoysee musket fire in time to assist, it would not matter the charge was overwhelming. A miracle! Suddenly the chassuers fell back the few Hoysee troops remaining stood to face the second charge another overwhelming tide of blue. Again another miracle the Flamboyance troops fell back in disorder . Now thought Berkoff now was the time to quickly quite the field as more fresh troops maneuvered around the disorganized chasseurs. He knew a third miracle was very unlikely, now quite while he had time.

And so it was two massive but uncoordinated charges each perfectly capable of victory failed. Berkoff withdrew his battered troops to the river crossing, he still had to rescue the half of his regiment. Trouvé surveyed the wreckage of his troops. In hind sight loses had not been too heavy and he had driven at least some of the Hoysee raiders back but the final victory had eluded him and even now he could see the columns of smoke rising in the air to the west.