HOLF Players' Guild Forum

Following the immediate outbreak of hostilities in 1793 between British and French alliances, French and Dutch forces advanced quickly from Holland towards Bremen in Hannover. By the time they reached the city, however, a multinational force of British allies - Denmark, Mecklenberg, Hannover, and Prussia - had converged on Bremen as well. In T3, the 75,000-strong Danish-led army hurled themselves at the suddenly outnumbered French and Dutch forces (who totalled about 55,000). When the dust had settled just a few days later, the anti-French coalition celebrated their triumph at the gates of Bremen. Although the French eventually recaptured the city for a short time, Bremen marked the high point of the Franco-Dutch offensive into Hannover. Shortly after, French commanders went on the defensive and tried for a linkup with embattled allies near Dortmund.

Including shatter losses, the French and Dutch lost an estimated 30,000 troops and 20 batteries at Bremen. The quartet of nations that opposed them suffered about 11,000 casualties and lost seven batteries in the fighting. The Battle of Bremen was the first major battle of the conflict, and the first setback suffered by the French alliance in the relatively short-lived game.

English & Allied Commanders: George Meyer, Gerry Donohoe, Bob Scott, Jim Chafield, Mark Majewski, Bill Kummer, Alvaro Penalba, possible more TBA
French & Dutch Commanders: Bill Otis, Jonas Karlen, Paul Hartley, Francis Heeb, Roger Placzek, Bill Zuelsdorff, Tom Garner, possibly more TBA

The position map above shows the setup for the Battle of Bremen (NWOL3) from the perspective of Danish monarch Mark Majewski. 18 British & Alliance Infantry brigades, 3 artillery units, and eight cavalry brigades faced off against 9 French/Dutch infantry, 7 artillery sections, and 7 cavalry brigades.