Festive Season Mega Game
December 15th 2019
The Wars of Frederick the Great
The Battle of Soor
30th September 1745
For our mega-game this December the CWC presents one of Frederick the Great’s early battles in the 2nd Silesian War, itself part of the War of the Austrian Succession.
By 1745 the War of the Austrian Succession had been ongoing for nearly five years. The young Frederick of Prussia had taken advantage of the conflict to annex the wealthy province of Silesia from the Hapsburg empire. Maria Theresa, the youthful empress of Austria-Hungary was incensed, and ordered the mobilisation of a large army under the command of Prince Charles of Lorraine.
Charles had advanced into Silesia and met Frederick’s army near a place called Hohenfriedberg where the Austrians were badly beaten and stumbled back into Bohemia in disorder. Frederick, thinking the campaign was over, commenced a leisurely withdrawal to Berlin, leaving garrisons along the way. When he reached the vicinity of the villages of Upper and Lower Soor, in what is now the Czech Republic, he decided to put his now reduced army into lager. He had, by that time fewer than 22,000 men with him.
Unbeknownst to Frederick, Charles had scraped together an army of 41,000 men in Bohemia, and had tracked the Prussians across Silesia. Now, with his opponents settling into camp ahead of him, he saw his chance to fall upon them unexpectedly.
Unfortunately for Charles, his army performed the approach march so slowly and ineptly that not only was night upon him before the attack could go in, but a major portion of his forces, under the Duke of Arenberg, got lost and were not available to join the action.
Not only that, but Frederick was well aware of the Austrians’ presence and on the following morning took the initiative...
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The table will field over 1200 figures with roughly 40 Austrian battalions and 20 Prussian. Rules are Black Powder v2 with the period additions being used.
The scenery is mostly hills with thick woods, poor roads and open fields.
