April 1758, something comes between the French army and food
These couple of turns are mostly about moving stuff around and setting up my summer operations. Its also about my attempt to understand why the supply system is intent on starving my French armies to death ....
So here's the Austrian front.
Its on a large scale to show what I'm planning. From west to east:
That new Bavarian leader can command quite a few troops, so I'm moving a number of independent brigades into his army. He'll then move to Chemnitz. In the meantime a couple do independent brigades are getting control in that sector.
In the centre, Daun will take 4 corps towards Dresden & try and siege that. At worst Freddie will react, which'll be good if Daun can fight a defensive battle. Over in the east, Charles with 2 corps will move to Schweidinitz. Its of no real value except it allows me to cover various fortresses on the upper Elbe.
This shows some good and bad news. More English troops (bad), Freddie still at Stalsrund with a very big army (good). With this I reckon I can besiege Dresden before he reacts.
here's the main events for mid-april, some more scripted and ordered up reinforcements.
Now here I get confused as to why this is persisting, especially as I now have supply wagons shuttling up and down:
as you can see Dusseldorf is stocked with food and I confess to having no clue why its not moving to Wesel, but I'm starting to lose an awful lot of troops as a result.
... an awful lot of troops, didn't get better in late April either.
Now Cumberland is definitely up to something:
I have 2 corps at Dusseldorf (the units that long ago were at Frankfurt), the main Alsace army is at least 3-4 weeks march away, so I have a choice. I'm assuming that Cumberland will attack Dusseldorf.
I think I could:
a) order the 2 corps there into the fortress, and engage when the main army arrives, but that may make my supply issues all the worse at Wesel;
b) make a grab for Munster (but my Wesel troops are, for reasons none too clear, out of supply);
c) concentrate at Dusseldorf looking for a big battle;
d) split the Wesel force into two and make a small move to Munster while most protect Dusseldorf.
c) or d) is tempting not least as it may sort out the supply mess and Cumberland is inept on the attack (he's a 0 as opposed to a 2 on defence).
so many choices ...
Not much to report over in Russia, I'm sieging Koenigsberg, supply trains trundle back and forth, cossacks do cossacky things in the woods etc.