Battle of Friedlingen 14 October 1702,

 During the War of the Spanish Succession, at dawn, on the morning of the 14th October, 1702,  Lt.General Villars was informed that the Imperialist army was abandoning its entrenchments opposite the French position near the town of Friedlingen. Immediately, Villars sent Generals Desbordes and de Chamarande with 3 Foot brigades and 1,200 Horse across the Rhine via the island of Schusterinsel near Weil am Rhein, to occupy the entrenchments abandoned by the enemy. 

Meanwhile, the Imperialist army had begun to retreat, after abandoning their entrenchments. By 8:00 a.m. Imperial Count Fürstenberg observed the French army was debouching on the right bank of the Rhine. When the Imperial Commander,  Margrave of Baden,  heard the report, he immediately sent the cavalry of his left wing to Fürstenberg's help. The Margrave then rapidly retraced his steps with his infantry to attack Villars' forces.

The French infantry marched rapidly to reach the crest of the Tüllingen Heights, before the Imperial Foot could reclaim their abandoned entrenchments....so I had a great scenario for a game that I could play!!

The Table: The French on the left having just crossed the Rhine.

The Tullingen Heights were created by big bits of foam under the battle mat. They were wooded, which slowed movement (if a unit moved at full pace in line it became disordered and if it moved at 2/3 speed it stayed steady.

The wooded slopes gave the benefit of soft cover when being shot at or defending and they would be the scene of some very bitter fighting.

The top of the heights on the right..Imperial troops all facing the wrong way at the start....Imperial cuirassiers in the far distance.

French Foot advancing to the abandoned entrenchments at the base of the first slope.

Imperial troops...just about to get orders to turn about! A unit of dragoons and a gun covering their retreat

Imperial cuirassiers rumble forward.

The French Horse..16 squadrons....in line and waiting to support the infantry.

The fighting on the slopes begins

Dragoons trying to hold up the French Foot.

Imperial infantry deploying into line.

View from the hill as the Cuirassiers rumble forward.

Imperial infantry.

Imperial gun.

French foot in the distance- ... Dragoons out in front to the left 

The Horse hit each other

The field

A thin line of dismounted Imperial dragoons desperately trying to hold up French Foot.

Finally- Imperial foot arriving to help

The French Foot in nice straight lines advancing up the slope....the Imperials scrambling to form line.

View from the heights-  big cavalry melee in the valley in the distance.

A game that followed the historical result. The French Foot won the race to the lower slopes and formed lines....advancing up the heights they forced the Imperials back.

In the Valley the Imperial cavalry, despite having a slight advantage as all being cuirassiers failed to stop the French Horse.....Baden was forced to withdraw...game to the French commander!