Battle of Nieder-Wahldorf

King Oskar the Great of Vandenburg-Brussia had not been idle since his defeat of Vorlund the previous year, he had rebuilt his cavalry introducing new drill to make them the match for Vorlunds cuirassiers and dragoons.

He had watched the Reichsarmee defeat his Ikeonian allies at the battle of Grosser-Feuerbach then chase them into Stralsund. He saw the Huhnerlanders move to join the forces of the Western Circle at the Emperors behest, Stalsund surrounded, the siege began, the Huhnerlanders sent their cavalry to join the Erbprinz Rupert who watched the Vandenburg border with the Reichsarmee.

Then in the final weeks of Autumn he acted, a two pronged assault into the Reich, he led the main force to relieve the Ikeaonians, he sent General Keith commanding a second force to seize Alt-Braunbar and protect his flank against attack.

Erbprinz Rupert was waiting with his battered forces, he knew he could not stop the Vandenburg main army but perhaps he could sting them. He chose to stand near the town of Nieder-Wahldorf a long ridge stood behind the town upon which he drew up his forces. If he could hold until nightfall then it would give the Huhnerlanders time to prepare.

Army of Western Circle centre

Army of Western Circle
Commander ErbPrinz Rupert of Pappenheim
Pappenheim Contingent
1 Guards Brigade
3 Musketeer Brigades
2 Cuirassier Brigades
1 Dragoon Brigade
Alt-Braunbar Contingent
3 Musketeer Brigades
1 Dragoon Brigade (subbed by Enteburgers)
Witzboldfeld Contingent (subbed by Enteburgers)
2 Musketeer Brigades
1 Dragoon Brigade
Huhnerlund Contingent (subbed by Enteburgers)
2 Cuirassier Brigades
1 Dragoon Brigade

This was the army that had fought at Grosser Feuerbach with reinforcements from the Elector of Huhnerlund. The Erbprinz occupied the heights behind Nieder-Wahldorf and awaited the Vandenburg assault.

Vandenburgers starting position (King Oskar looks on)

Army of Observation
Commander King Oskar the Great
3 Brigades of Grenadiers
5 Brigades of Musketeers
1 Brigade of Fusiliers
4 Brigades of Cuirassiers
2 Brigades of Dragoons
1 Brigade of Hussars
2 Heavy gun batteries

King Oskars army arrived mid morning and shook themselves out into a line of battle and rapidly moved forward. The Erbprinz had heard how the infantry of Vandenburg moved like horsemen but had scoffed at the reports, he saw now he was wrong. Indeed he turned to his aide and said "They move not like men but Automaton."

Vandenburg attack upon Nieder-Wahldorf

King Oskar had chosen a conventional attack, a cavalry force on each wing with his infantry in the centre. The Erbprinz had placed the Huhnerlund cavalry on his left, the infantry of Witzboldfeld and Alt-Braunbar formed the front line with the Pappenheimers behind them. The Pappenheim cavalry held the right flank with the Witzboldfeld and Alt-Braunbar cavalry behind them.

Vandenburg move to attack the Witzboldfeld forces (Enteburgers standing in)

Nieder-Wahldorf was the first point to feel the pressure, von Elche's brigade stood for several volleys from the Vandenburg grenadiers before being forced from the village. They where replaced by Reichsmarshall's Musketeers before the Vandenburgers could push forward.

View from Reichsarmee right of Vandenburg attack

Upon the Reichsarmee right the Huhnerland cavalry attacked the oncoming Vandenburgers charging down the hill into the oncoming Vandenburgers, the Elector Karl Friedrich Cuirassiers led by Prince Otto von Dachsbracke fell upon a cuirassier brigade and drove them from the field (he rolled a 1+7=8, I rolled a 6+7+3 for valour=16 unit destroyed!).

Karl Friedrich Cuirassiers after destroying a Vandenburg Cuirassier brigade

The Vandenburg cavalry soon suffered the loss of another brigade of cuirassiers upon that flank and only the timely intervention of the Vandenburg infantry stopped the destruction of a third brigade as the fell upon the flank of the Huhnelund dragoons and dispersing them with devastating volley of fire.

Pz Lothar's and von Rabe's brigades holding the line

In the centre the Vandenburgers rapidly destroyed the Witzboldfeld and Alt-Braunbar infantry of the first line leaving the Pappenheimers to hold the line. The ReichsMarshall's brigade doggedly held out in Nieder-Wahldorf as the Vandenburgers swept around the town.

Pappenheim Guards hold the left against the Vandenburg attack

Upon the Reichsarmee's right a swirling cavalry melee took place as both sides where relatively even in the end though the Vandenburgers broke one of the Pappenheim cuirassier brigades which would prove to much for the valiant Reichsarmee. The army broke shortly before nightfall however the large numbers of dragoons held off the Vandenburgers whilst the remainder of the army retreated before them.

Losses
Army of Western Circle

Pappenheim Contingent
1 Musketeer Brigades
1 Cuirassier Brigades
Alt-Braunbar Contingent
3 Musketeer Brigades
Witzboldfeld Contingent
2 Musketeer Brigades
Huhnerlund Contingent
1 Dragoon brigade

Army of Observation
2 Brigades of Cuirassiers

Though the Reichsarmee had lost, the Erbprinz took some consolation at the destruction of two of the Vandenburg cuirassier brigades. He fell back to rejoin the Huhnerlund force and await another round against King Oskar the great.