We have played a new battle of the 80 years war (Dutch revolt), our group was joined by Gerco, he also brought some troops along so our table was more packed than ever.
Spain was played by Sander and Justin, the Dutch States armies were played by Gerco, Abe and Erik.
After a previous defeat against Spain the threat of invasion grew, the Dutch army was defeated but not destroyed, it was quickly brought up to strength. After much negotiation a temporary truce was signed. The Spaniards decided to secure the border, they planned to build a wall to keep the Dutch out, the only question was, who would pay for this wall. An agreement could not be reached, negotiations broke down and this resulted in a new mobilization of troops, the two armies positioned themselves opposite one another, a bloody battle would be fought that day.
The Dutch wanted force the Spaniards to adopt hedgehog formation by launching "false Cavalry attacks" then the superior Dutch firepower could be used to weaken the Spaniards, so that they could break the Spanish in the centre, the left flank was anchored at the adjacent village, the right flank would have to hold back a superior force of Spaniards until a victory could be achieved in the centre. Spain wanted to get in close, they too focused on the centre and they wanted to break the enemy there but they also placed a large Cavalry force on the flank supported by an infantry division so that they could try to flank the Dutch there.
The first turn was for Spain, in the centre the Spanish troops moved forward in a disciplined way, on the flank, however, there was a lot less movement, the heavy breakfast of the troops under the command of Justin Amrosius Spinola did not sit well and most units remained where they were.
The Dutch troops also moved forward in the centre, on the flank there was limited movement, a confrontation was not yet sought on the flank due to the superior number of Spanish troops there. The first cannons thundered but there were no casualties.
The Spanish troops moved further forward and the Spanish Musketeers placed themselves in front of the pike bocks and they opened fire on the Dutch troops, the first casualties were inflicted but the numbers were limited. The troops of Justin Amrosius Spinola again remained where they were, they were still sick from all those eggs with bacon that they had eaten.
The Dutch Musketeers formed and opened fire on the Spaniards that also suffered their first victims. Dutch States Cavalry moved forward but could still not do any damage. The Dutch troops on the flank also moved forward after which they adopted hedgehog formation this way they could secure the flank, additional Musketeers and cavalry were placed in support so that they could counter a Spanish attack.
Spain continued the firefight and casualties continued to be suffered by the Dutch. The Spanish troops continued their forward march, where one unit moved forward a different unit took over and a continuous musket fire rolled forward.
Now the Dutch Cavalry of Baron Abe van Hoorne had arrived and a unit of Cuirassiers charged the Spanish cavalry on a hill on the right part of the centre, two Spanish Cavalry units responded and a bloody fight broke out, despite the powerful attack from the Dutch Cuirassiers, they were in the minority and the Cavalrymen of Justin Amrosius Spinola managed to resist the attack and then struck back hard, the Dutch Cuirassiers were massacred.
In the centre, Spanish units formed the hedgehog formation as a reaction to the Dutch cavalry that threatened their troops there, multiple Spanish musketeer divisions continued pouring a deadly fire onto the Dutch States troops. On the Hill the elite Spanish veterans formed, here they wanted to force a breakthrough. The troops on the flank from Justin Amrosius Spinola now slowly moved forward, they stayed at a distance because they did not want to come in firing range of the Dutch artillery.
Baron Abe van Hoorne sent a second cavalry unit up the Hill, this unit also had to fight against two Spanish Cavalry units, they too could not resist the Spanish majority and went down ingloriously. Dutch infantry formed hedgehog at the bottom of the hill, hereby they blocked the Spanish elite troops from making a flanking movement. Meanwhile on the flank Dutch Musketeers opened fire on the Spanish troops that had marched into range.
In the centre, the Dutch troops could not come into line and so they could not make the best use of the situation and they could not pour the fire into the Spanish hedgehog that they had wanted. The Dutch artillery in the centre was still blocked by their own troops and these could fire no shots into the vulnerable Spanish hedgehogs.
In the centre Baron Gerco van Nieuwegein also sent a cavalry unit forward, they engaged the Spanish infantry, the first hit was bloody and many a Spaniard fell, they recovered quickly however and pulled the Cavalrymen from their horses, panic formed and only a few Dutch cavalrymen managed to escape the massacre.
Spain increased the pressure on the Dutch lines, loudly jubilation and singing from joy, Don Sander
de la Parma drove his musketeers forwards, they formed an unbroken line and opened a deadly fire, after the smoke faded they witnessed a field dotted with Dutch dead and wounded, this brought a grin from ear to ear on the otherwise stoic Spanish nobleman. On the Spanish left flank Cavalry units were extracted and they also moved towards the centre, here the enemy would be broken.
The Dutch troops again tried to break the Spanish in the Centre with a deadly musket fire and this time it was considerably more successful, on the extreme left flank a Spanish musketeer unit was pierced and in a panic they left the field, the Spaniards could feel the pressure from this violent attack as more and more Spaniards were mortally wounded and fell to the ground. A fresh Dutch cavalry unit of Baron Gerco van Nieuwegein charged into a Spanish infantry unit, this unit braced itself but was driven back by this aggressive attack, despite the extreme number of casualties that the Spaniards suffered, they were inspired by the now omnipresent Don Sander
de la Parma and they stood their ground.
On the left flank the Spaniards were still in a majority but that could no longer hold Duke Erik of Oostwoud ende Medembleck back, he brought his cavalry forward and charged towards the Spanish Cavalry of Justin Amrosius Spinola, his personal enthusiasm, however, was greater than that of his troops, with a single unit he rammed into the Spanish Cavalry , limbs were removed while man and beast perished, enthusiastically chopping his way through the Spanish cavalry, heavy losses were suffered by both sides. Despite the bloodlust of Duke Erik of Oostwoud ende Medembleck his cavalry was pushed back by the Spanish Cavalry, as a result, however, they came back in range of the other Dutch cavalry that could now offer support.
Don Sander
de la Parma gave the order to leave the hedgehog formation, Spanish troops were now reforming all across the centre and they made themselves ready for a final attack. The last Dutch Cavalry in the centre were pulled from their horses and slaughtered. On the Hill the elite Spanish infantry moved forward where they now threatened the flank of the Dutch troops, cheerfully whistling Don Sander
de la Parma followed his troops that pushed on further. On the flank the cavalry fight went unabated, utterly possessed Duke Erik of Oostwoud ende Medembleck fought back, despite the great losses that the Dutch Cavalry suffered they were to bite themselves into the Spanish cavalry (sometimes literally), finally the casualties and the internal hate the Dutch felt began to pay off, the Spaniards were driven back and a final violent attack managed to break the Spanish Cavalry, panic broke out amongst the Spanish cavalry that spilled over to other Fresh Spanish Cavalry, this resulted in overall panic, the Spanish Cavalry ran off. Duke Erik van Oostwoud ende Medembleck looked on how the flank was cleared from Spanish cavalry.
In the centre, the Dutch troops again tried to unleash a deadly musket fire that ripped through the Spanish lines but the disciplined Spaniards held. To avert the danger of a flanking move from the hill a Dutch unit stormed towards the elite veterans of Justin Amrosius Spinola, these troops braced and held off the first Dutch attack elegantly, then they stepped forward, the Dutch troops were not prepared for this counter attack, the Spaniards moved forward with unprecedented discipline, the Dutch troops were powerless against this fighting machine and the entire Division was crushed by the Spanish violence.
Tirelessly Duke Erik van Oostwoud ende Medembleck turned and rammed his cavalry into a Spanish Infantry Division on the flank, the Musketeers had no chance against this powerful attack and they died where they stood, the Dutch Cavalry trampled the few surviving musketeers and then made a sweeping advance into a second unit of Spanish musketeers, these were driven back but they did not break.
Spanish Pike men on the flank charged Dutch Pike men that held their ground and drove the Spanish Pike men back, the Cavalry of Duke Erik van Oostwoud ende Medembleck slashed kept fighting the Spanish Musketeers, these could no longer hold out and they broke and thus the last Spanish troops on the flank were broken and the full flank fell into Dutch hands.
Don Sander
de la Parma had no idea what was going on on the flank and in fairness could also not be bothered about it. Still widely grinning he drove his troops forward and he saw that the time was right to strike the final blow, the musketeers moved aside and the Spanish Pike men and swordsmen moved forward, all Dutch units that stood before them were crushed while Dutch Division after division broke, bloodied and lifeless Dutch troops were crushed under the solid Spanish foot while the Spanish moved further and further forward, panic formed in the eyes of Baron Abe van Hoorne and Baron Gerco van Nieuwegein.
Finally the two Barons decided they could no longer afford to continue and pulled their troops out to great astonishment of Duke Erik van Oostwoud ende Medembleck who was so happy with his conquest of the flank and now wanted to bring his troops towards the centre.
The casualties they had suffered were extreme but this felt less painful than the pride that was hurt or even worse, the costs that would be involved in paying for the Spanish wall.
