Napoleonic Game

Today's game, postponed from two weeks ago, was a Napoleonic one. Set in  September 1813 with the French column falling back towards Leipzig where the Emperor is consolidating the army for the next phase of operations. However, as the column was moving west a sizable Coalition force has been detected advancing from the south on a parallel road, threatening to capture the vital bridge over the Mulde near Bennewitz. A French force consisting of three small infantry divisions and two cavalry divisions have been turned south to intercept this force and prevent it from interfering with the rest of the column crossing the Mulde.

The French begin the game on the northern edge of the table, up to 300mm in from the edge, but only need to deploy troops in view from the opposite side of the table. Initiative is weighted in favour of the Coalition (they roll 2 dice to the French 1 - the highest score moves first) once the first turn is completed the French player must place all his units on the table.

The Forces were:

French	Coalition
Infantry Division: 10 battalions, 2 light, 1 field, 1 horse batteries Infantry Division: 8 battalions, 1 field, 1 horse batteries Infantry Division: 8 battalions 2 field batteries Cuirassier Division: 3 Cuirassier regiments, 1 horse battery Heavy Cavalry Division; 4 Dragoon regiments, 1 horse battery Artillery Reserve: 1 field, 1 heavy batteries	Austrians: Infantry Division; 8 battalions, 2 field batteries Light Brigade: 1 Hussar regiment 1 jager and 1 Grenze battalion, 1 horse battery
	Russians: Infantry Division: 12 battalions, 2 light, 1 position battery
	Prussians: Infantry Division: 8 line, 2 reserve 2 landwehr battalions, 1 jager battalion, 2 field batteries
	Coalition cavalry: Division: 4 Austrian Cuirassier regiments, 1 Russian horse battery Division; 2 Russian dragoon, 1 Prussian Landwehr and 1 Prussian Cuirassier regiments, 1 Prussian horse battery
27 battalions, 7 Cavalry regiments, 2 light, 6 field and 4 horse batteries	35 battalions, 9 cavalry regiments, 7 field and 3 horse batteries

In addition each side had a reserve they could call on. Each reserve consisted of a brigade of guard infantry, a brigade of guard cavalry plus artillery. There were, however, restrictions on the reserves. Both sides had to decide before the commencement of turn 4 if they were going to call the reserve and if they did would roll 1 xD6 and if the score was 4,5,6 it would arrive on the table edge in turn 4 otherwise on turn 5. There was also a catch for calling that reserve that neither side was aware of (other than being told that there was a potential penalty). That catch was that the French guard was the rearguard of the column and the Russian guard was closing on them. If the French Guard was called and the Russians were not, the Russians are assumed to have driven the main French column and secured the Mulde bridge, winning the game. Conversely if the Russian guard were called and the French were not, the main French column was not pressured and crossed the Mulde, winning the game. If neither of the guards were called success was determined by who controled the three exit roads on the French northeastern side of the table.

The Terrain

 

The Game

My  plans for an eight player game were thwarted when two had to cancel and I had to play, where I had intended to umpire. Sadly one of those who cancelled was our regular war correspondent so I am drastically short of photographs.

The French deployed  their strongest division plus the cuirassier division on their right, with the other two divisions to the left and on the extreme left the dragoons. 

The Coalition forces deployed with the Russians in the left, the Prussians to their right and the Austrians on the extreme right. All their cavalry was to the right.

The Russians were quickly held by a sweeping movement by the French right, but were able to hold their position, despite appallingly bad luck with their artillery. The main coalition effort was by the Prussians supported by the Austrian artillery and cavalry. 

The French left, however,  was a hard nut to crack because it was difficult for the Allies to find away around the farm. The French commander in this sector, however, was convinced he was defeated from the start, yet he held onto his position until almost the very end of the game.

The Russians were always going to be in trouble, but a bit of bad luck on the French part let them hold on for longer than they should have, but in the end they crumbled, the Russian Guard was called and ordered to march right across the rear of the Coalition  position toward the left. The unengaged Austrian infantry also shifted left. 

In the end the left of both lines collapsed. The Prussians mauled but not beaten controlled the centre right while the Russian Guard and Austrian infantry formed up to face the largely intact French right.

But as the action came to a close, since the Russian Guard  had been called, there was no pressure on the French main column and they managed to clear the bridge. The rearguard, badly mauled as it was, has saved the day. The Emperor was pleased.

And so to the few pictures I managed to take...in no particular sequence...

Khartoum

Today I made up a foursome to play a game based on the storming Khartoum.

The scenario was taken from the Black Powder Blood on the Nile supplement (although the rukes being played were not Black Powder).

Khartoum was defended by three units of Egyptian infantry, one of Bashi Bazooks, several small units of citizen levy, three field guns and a Gardener gun.  A secondary force of one unit of Egyptian infantry and a gun occupied a smaller fort across the Nile. The attacking force consisted of four warbands: one (the Mahdi's) of four units, another three each of two units.

The game was always going to see the Dervishes storm the city, it was just a matter of how longbit would take. 

A view across Khartoum before the attack began

My command (above and below) were assigned to attack the separate fort

The remainder of the force sweeps forward against the main walls

  

My first attack against the fort - this attack was repulsed, but a subsequent one succeeded

The main force strikes the main wall like a tidal wave

Gordon is getting worried

Above and below, the main wall is stormed.

The Dervishes pour through the streets

My having taken the fort follow up on the routed Egyptians

Above and below, Gordon's anxiety grows as the defence collapses

Moments before the Dervishes came knocking on Gordon's door

In the end Gordon was captured. His fate is unknown at this point.

It was a good way to spend a few hours on a wet and windy Sunday.

Franco-Prussian Game

My Franco-Prussian project is the longest single wargames project I have ever undertaken. Almost five years ago to the day I received the first delivery of Prussian infantry. My objective from the outset was to create, unit for unit, the French 2nd Corps and the Prussian VII Corps, with a cavalry division for each. There has been some scope creep with the addition of a Bavarian infantry division and two brigades of French cuirassiers, but while they were an expansion, they really  just balanced out the armies bringing the number of units up to more or less equal. 

Yet the project is still not complete.  I still need to add two regiments of French dragoons to finish of the 2nd Corps cavalry division, but the figures have not been released yet. Also required are a few Bavarian generals, a regiment of Bavarian light cavalry. Four sets of Bavarian artillery are received but not yet painted.

While parts of these armies have seen some limited table time, Sunday was the first time they have been out in their entirety. I wanted the game to bevan encounter action, but all too often we pick sides then move on to the table from one edge with the opposing force on the other side. Because we play so frequently we know each other's strengths and weaknesses and this can lead to targeting individuals to exploit a weakness. So I wanted to mix things up a little. Before the game I decided who would command what, but didn't tell them. Each turn a new command would arrive for each side and I would draw a name randomly. At this point players would discover if they were French, Prussian or Bavarian. They would then roll die to determine which of the four roads on their side of the table they would arrive on.

The game began with only a cavalry brigade from each side in the table. Two French cuirassiers and half a regiment of lancers faced off against a Prussian brigade of a regiment each of dragoons, cuirassiers and uhlans. 

The Prussian uhlans  took the chance and charged the French lancers.

The French troopers came out on top.

Next to arrive was the Bavarian division, followed by French division, almost opposite each other.

Soon two more divisions on each side arrived.

And the French reserve artillery

The cavalry of each side got out of the way.

The glittering staff looked on as the battle raged.

It was a hard slog. The Bavarian left held out against a heavy French artillery bombardment, but in the end gave way.

More and more Prussian guns came into line.

And they took their toll. The French centre collapsed. 

The battle was coming to an end.

In the end the Prussians took the day.

Five hours of intense gaming with ten players was fun, but phew, was I exhausted. Not until around four hours later, after a generous pork fillet and a bottle of Pinot Noir did I recover.

Thanks to John L for most of the photos ( I was too involved to take many).