Lobositz, a battle won and then lost?

Yesterday I attended the refight of the Battle of Lobositz at Colin's.Paul Robinson of Grimsby Wargames club fame, did the long drive North to play in the game. I wont spoil what I anticipate will be on Colin's blog, 'Carry on Up the Dale ' but instead will only show some of the images I took during the day.The image above shows Paul ringing for a taxi to take him away from the battle as the Prussians commanded by him and John Reidy were getting a severe thrashing by the Austrians led by me and Colin. That was before dinner. Now everyone knows wargaming is a game of two halves, and after dinner it was fair to say my command was annihilated by John and Paul.

I still cannot believe how a wargame that Colin and I were winning, and winning well could turn so dramatically wrong and end up with a severe defeat for us.   

               Colins command ensconced in Lobositz, they were never troubled by the Prussians.

 My grand tactical march onto the flank of the emerging Prussian army, when all seemed to be going well.

 When best laid plans go t##ts up. Prussian dragoons hitting my weakened cuirassiers. One can guess what happened next.

                                          Yes that's correct, the flank began to be rolled up. If one looks carefully, you can see Paul's infantry approaching to give my Austrians the killing blow.

                                   Prussians, thousands of them, and very unforgiving ones at that.

I knew things had become desperate when all I had to stop the Prussian advance was som Austrian Hussars. Needless to say it wasnt to be.

           

These were the detritus of my command leaving the battlefield. A unit that had never actually been on a wargaming table before.