So, I went to war with Russia...an AAR

[Grand_Armee]

It started over something silly, really. A little place named Mecklenburg...a quaint seaside state where North Sea lobsters can be bought for real cheap...sorry, I'm digressing.

With a protection pact with Austria and Turkey to back me up, I thought it an opportune time to expand. Britain and Sweden were at war with France, with Russia joining them soon after.

We jumped into Mecklenburg with three corps that were full but operating at 50% readiness. I figured with a bit of blockade and three artillery also present, it wouldn't take the city long to go.

My first problem was getting there. It just seems that sometimes the dang units won't go when you tell them to...even though Mecklenburg was just the next stadt over. Finally, 2 months after the declaration, seige work began and progressed rapidly.

Every turn I would cringe to see if another power would speak up for my diminutive neighbor. Steadily, the force in the garrison shrunk...it was time to charge the walls since only 2,000 men could line them.

On the eve of victory, Russia spoke up. I'd noticed a slackening of French armies marching up the neck of Denmark, or of armies passing to and fro through the Prussian hinterland. It seems, a general peace had broken out.

But I wasn't going to kowtow to the Russian bear. It was time to jack up readiness, and gather the boys 'round. Something wicked this way comes.

In my home province I'd assembled my two armies of 5 corps. I've been waiting for the Saxons to join and fill the sixth vacancy. I threw up depots all around my army, with my army sitting on one.

Like vitriolic mushrooms, cossack infantry and cavalry appeared in every province, sweeping away every depot I had...even the one guarded by some 200,000 well trained if not overly seasoned troops.

Speaking of cossack infantry, I don't believe I've ever heard of them in any context before this game. Perhaps they've been confused with various Opolochenie raised in Russia for self defense and later amalgamated into weakened Russian infantry divs. Anyway, they must fly on wings, or something. Not even horses can move that fast...unless they're Pegasus...or Santa's Reindeer...On Dancer!

Instead of advancing on my capital, the enemy set seige to Konigsberg. There went I, but my trip was interrupted by inconsequentials with the power to starve the lads to death. It took me two months to get there and deal with the foe. The garrison collapsed overnight...it never works that way for me!

In my first detailed battle, somehow only one corps of my forces managed to get to the province when battle was called for. Is anybody else having trouble with this phenomena? I find it too easy to detach a corps...especially when I don't want to.

So, 40K Prussians had to meet 89K Ivans. Luckily (sarcastic) my force consisted of 4 infantry and one cavalry divisions. Yep, all of my arty was with the main Army held up by mushrooms.

The wouldbe kommies were a mixed bag of cossack cavalry, regular cavalry, and sturdy, but poorly educated infantry. We put them to rout easily enough, losing less than 1/12th of their number. Fortunately I had one supply wagon.

My next battle came after a few successful anti-depot raids by men I'm sure would rather plunder some helpless farmstead than a depot that would be garrisoned.

This time, I had a garrison in my favor. I had to retreat toward it, since once again, all of the forces I'd sent to the area didn't arrive in time. This time it was 65K of me to 85K of them. This time, they had a Guard division. I had a battery of guns, 2 divs of cavalry, and some good infantry.

I manuevered toward my garrisons. There was snow on the ground, and my cavalry would turn out to be useless in other than as mounted infantry. Speaking of this...Cavalry in line formation??? Yeah, it was done in the past...but it was a charging line not a firing line. I've got no problem with dragoons getting into skirmish order...but otherwise, I don't think other cavalry deserves the benefit of line fighting.

Battle was joined with my garrisons gutting the oncoming Ivans. It was pretty easy to massacre them with infantry in line and cannons, even though half of my line was forced into square all day. The only shock of the battle were the Guardsmen themselves. A complete surprise. When they showed, I put every muzzle I could on them. Even they routed, and the battle was done costing me 932 men for 17k of them.

On we marched into Kovno, but dispersing ourselves to cut down on starvation. This dispersion caused me problems because now the enemy had the garrison! I had some 35K men against their 40K.

Unfortunately the battle began with my men within the rainge of three garrison units. What havoc they wreaked upon my men. So, we marched north and east, the direction most of the enemy troops seemed to have run. Sure enough, we caught an infantry, a one cossack, and a regular Cavalry div. all in states of semi-unreadiness.

Since no supply wagons accompanied us, we were all out of ammo, and set to work with the bayonet. The enemy infantry had sorted itself into column and was exercising some devastating firepower against us...he had a supply wagon! We surrounded them in line, delivered a few not-very-large volleys, then began to melee while my lone cav. div took to the Russian dragoon and it's cossack sister. Finally they ran.

The garrison units really cost me alot in that battle since most casualties came from their long-range guns. Losses for me were 5k while he lost 9k.

With sieges going in the two westernmost Russian provinces, I progressed a third column one state deeper. This column had all four of my artillery batteries!

FAte gave us two supply wagons for my 80K men. This would prove more than enough to deal with 89K Russians. His only garrisons were two lookout towers that we left alone.
The enemy brought two batteries as well.

After some costly manuevering, I was able to capture both Russki batteries as well as put their army to flight. I was feeling pretty good now...I'd made a major increase in artillery strength and lost few men in battle.

On the next turn, I began to look at my units. Despite battles where I'd crushed the flower of Slavonic manhood losing very few men of my own, every division was below half strength. I was going to have to resort to plundering, and a mad dash for the home of the Tsars.

We made it there to begin the seige, while half of my army returned to Prussia to clean out the endless number of cossacks that infested the place like unwelcome mosquitos. How much blood had they sucked!

The homeward bound half carried all six batteries plus all of the cav. Only one state from comparative safety! Alas, only one battery and 2/3 of the cavalry were to recross the Niemen.

Arrived in Moscow was my infantry only force which I hoped would be enough to lay seige. Alas, a quick check showed each div. down to 2k men...with Russian reinforcements coming from the north. Plunder and warm weather hadn't saved me, and the enemy capital was safe...oh, how one wants to weep!

Then, looming over the horizons of Saxony fluttered the Spanish ensign! Sneak attack for me, or war for the Ivans? I watched them bypass Berlin and heaved a sigh of relief.

On they came, while the Russians attacked my remnant, capturing most of it...leaving me two divisions and two flags.

I never thought my bacon would be pulled from the fire by Spain. The Don's set free my guys and lay siege to Moscow.

We ran home as fast as the game would let us to some potatoes and wurst, hoping that something could make Ivan surrender.

Surrender he did, and for his perfidy I took two states and a lot of cash. The states weren't worth much, though. France had plundered them many times before.

You've noticed I didn't say anything about POW's being set free. It only happened a couple of times though I caught some on many occasions. I sent them to Saxony who never raised her voice or showed complaint. The Cossacks didn't go there, either.

Anyway, my fingers are tired, and mentioning wurst and potatoes has made me hungry...I'm off!

[Joram]

Nice story.