Thank you (both) for the encouragement. The AAR is taking more time than I thought it would - and is getting much longer too (I type it in word, and am now at 26 pages....). And we are only at turn 80 of 170...
Late November, turn 78
Not sure whether this was a good turn or a bad turn. It is a bloody turn, that is for sure.
It starts at Torgau. I make my second breach, and my men assault the town. The troops that escaped the battle there last turn took refuge inside, and are disposed of. The enemy losses 500 men, and I capture a supply unit and the town artillery. I lose 200 men, and gain 4 NM.
The enemy takes back Chemnitz and Erfurt.
Then Daun, with his 100.000 friends, arrive in Torgau - it seems he was more in a hurry then I thought. A major battle ensues, though it lasts only 3 rounds before my men retreat.
The first round sees 38 units engaged on both sides, consisting of 283 elements on my side, and 211 elements on the enemy side.
(I have to correct my earlier battle descriptions, I thought it was the number of elements engaged out of the total that was displayed, but it is the number of units, with the number of elements in parentesis behind).
This time no advantage for the defender, except a bit larger units... and the better Prussian leadership of course. We inflict 270 hits, and suffer 101. Driessen's Brigade (Cuirassiers) is to be recommended, they inflicted 45 hits!! (and suffered 0).
The second round sees the same 38 units (now 281 elements) on my side, and 49 units on the enemy side. Fortunately they consist of only 216 elements. We inflict 239 hits, and suffer 149. Driessen's Brigade once again does 35 hits, without suffering one themself. The most regular infantry brigades inflict 10-15 hits.
The third round sees once again 38 units on my side (281 elements) against 38 enemy units (191 elements). We inflict 290 hits, and suffer 56. Driessen his men once again inflict 31 hits, destroying at least one enemy element. Robert Scipio Lentulus' Brigade (nice name btw, you can't be anything but a war hero when named like that) (Dragoons and Cuirsassiers) also inflicts 21 hits. Several other infantry brigades also inflict 15-19 hits, without suffering much.
Still, the numbers tell. My men are forced to leave the field. In the retreat one of my brave Cuirassier elements is destroyed, no doubt while heroically covering the retreat.
In the end our 50.000 men (under Heinrich, 5-4-6) fight 100.000 Austrians (under Daun, 4-4-6). We lose 7300 men, 16 units, of which 10 cavalry. The enemy loses 17.000 men, 28 units, of which one cavalry. We get 7 NM points....
Torgau itself is now defended by the town artillery and that captured supply unit.... And there was no time to repair the walls, there are still 2 breaches in them. So the Austrians will get Torgau next turn. Which means we are right back where we started last year, in this theatre. Though elsewhere the French took Kassel, and the Russians took Stettin. This is balanced by the number of NM and VP points I got, and the men lost on the Austrian side.
NM is 132 vs. 63, VP 3665 vs. 1951, men lost 127.000 vs 180.000. I lost some NM (4) and VP (500) due to promotions out of seniority order.
Due to the losses and the prisoners I got "plenty" of manpower, I can buy one regular and two grenadier replacement units!
To make matters worse for the poor Austrians (hehe) news comes that there was a battle in the Quiberon bay. Our friends whipped their friends. We are much enjoyed (+ 5 NM), the Austrians are very down (-10 NM).