Prussian Defeat in 1814 Campaign

Last week the Bavarian’s won at Atkirch, this week the Prussian’s lost at Elsdorf, near Dusseldorf

The Prussian objective was to cross the river Rhine, take and hold Neuss.   They fought, and lost, a small battle there on the third day of the campaign.   They then marched around quite a lot before being cornered, outnumbered and half of their army routed at Elsdorf four days later.

No great problem.  Through the magic of PBEM there will be at full strength and ready to start the next phase of the campaign two days later.   As I have explained before, the campaign is designed to produce battles/wargames, not to be a historical campaign.   Far better to end when one side can no longer fight, than to carry on for months trying to recover from a major defeat.

The campaign is proving excellent at the main purpose of providing wargames.    Since it started on 1 July 2013 it has provided Jan and I with 12 wargames.   Some large, some small.  Some hard fought, some a walk over.  All enjoyable.

In one of my previous 1813 campaigns all players were commanders in the same campaign area.  So when one campaign ended I had to ask them to carry on, or replace as many as choose not to.   In this campaign only two players are involved in each area.  So there is a maximum of two to replace.

So last week when the first campaign ended I posted my usual request for players here and on TMP.  I was not hugely optimistic, because in the past I have often had no response at all.  So I was delighted when three new players joined the campaign forum, and all wanted to take part in the campaign.  

Better still all three were full of questions and enthusiasm.   Most often people who join the campaign forum become part of the “silent majority”.   I write to them when they join, they don’t reply and they never post on the forum.  When I ask for volunteers for the campaign they never come forward.  Don’t know why they join in the first place.   I don’t mind, all are welcome.  But it does seem strange that with 112 members only a small handful have ever taken part in the campaign.

Fortunately I have not only filled the command vacancies, but I even have a reserve.