Another French-Prussian Scenario
I had got some 28mm Marlburians to sell, and they were taken by an old chum (another David) from my old club at Guildford. He wanted to come over and collect them so I suggested that we have a game when he did. So I arranged a scenario using French and Prussians. This I felt would balance out the game as I would take the Raw Prussians with their elderly and flatulent leaders whilst Dave would get the Veteran French with their more capable and dynamic officers. It was a basic scenario, uncomplicated set-piece event (sadly I took no photos again) to make life easy for Dave as well. After all, I knew the rules...or at least reckoned to.
The terrain was (from the Prussian side) a wooded knoll on the right flank moving to an open plain in the center which rose again towards French lines and had a small BUA on it. This rise curled around towards the Prussian right.
Orders of Battle
French Order of Battle
Division: GdeD Friant
Charge: Aggressive +2
Morale: Popular +2
Order: Dutiful 1-2
Radius: 30
ADC to Friant
Charge: Aggressive +2
Morale: Popular +2
Order: Dutiful 1-2
Radius: 10
Brigade: General de Brigade Barbanegre
Charge: Rash +3
Morale: Average +1
Order: Average 0
Radius: 20
1/13e Legere
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Veteran
M: B Class
2/13e Legere
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Veteran
M: B Class
3/13e Legere
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Veteran
M: B Class
1/48e Ligne
Str: 12
FD: Untrained
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
2/48e Ligne
Str: 12
FD: Untrained
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
Colonel Guyardet
Charge: Average +1
Morale: Average +1
Order: Average 0
Radius: 10
Horse Battery
Str: 4 4lb Horse guns
XP: Seasoned
M: B Class
11e Chasseur a Cheval
Str: 12
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
5e Hussards
Str: 12
XP: Veteran
M: B Class
Brigade: GdeB Gilly
Charge: Average +1
Morale: Average +1
Order: Capable 1
Radius: 20
1/33e Ligne
Str: 12
FD: Untrained
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
2/33e Ligne
Str: 12
FD: Untrained
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
3/33e Ligne
Str: 12
FD: Untrained
XP: Veteran
M: C Class
Foot Battery
Str: 6 8lb, 2 Howitzers
XP: Seasoned
M: B Class
Totals
96 Infantry
24 Cavalry
12 Guns
Prussian Order of Battle
Division: Glt Graf Holtzendorf
Charge: Aggressive +2
Morale: Average +1
Order: Dutiful 1-2
Radius: 10
ADC to Holtzendorff
Charge: Cautious 0
Morale: Unpopular 0
Order: Capable 1
Radius: 10
Brigade: Generalmajor von Bila
Charge: Average +1
Morale: Unpopular 0
Order: Average 1
Radius: 10
Rosen Fusiliers
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Werner/Valentini Jager
Str: 4
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: B Class
2nd Btn 'Gettkandt' Hussars
Str: 12
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Half Horse Battery
Str: 4 6lb Horse guns
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Brigade: Oberstleutnant Erichsen
Charge: Cautious 0
Morale: Unpopular 0
Order: Average 1
Radius: 10
Pelet Fusiliers
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Erichsen Fusiliers
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
1st Btn 'Gettkandt' Hussars
Str: 12
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Half Horse Battery
Str: 4 6lb Horse guns
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Brigade: Generalmajor von Zweiffel
Charge: Average +1
Morale: Average +1
Order: Average 1
Radius: 10
1/IR 'Zweiffel'
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
2/IR 'Zweiffel'
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
1/IR 'Muffling'
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
2/IR 'Muffling'
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: C Class
'Herwath' Grenadiers
Str: 12
FD: Trained
XP: Raw
M: B Class
Foot Battery 'Bose'
Str: 6 3lb
XP: Raw
M: C Class
Totals
100 Infantry
24 Cavalry
14 Guns
Battle summary
This battle was akin to a study in dissipation of forces. As the Prussians I fully expected to lose gracefully, in fact I managed a very inexpensive victory. In terms of my deployment I placed Oblt Erischsen on the right with the idea of taking the village on the rise at some stage. In the centre I put Zweiffel, drawn up in two treffen and the Grenadiers in reserve and the Bose battery ahead of the line. On my right went von Bila. The French then deployed. Gilly was around the village with one battalion already in it (it was half inside the French deployment zone). Barbanegre was in the centre and Guyardet on their right opposite Bila, but also had the two battalions of the 48e Ligne under Friant's ADC.
The battle had several critical actions.
On the Prussian left Erichsen went forward with his two battalions and guns to take the village. This he eventually did with a combination of musketry from his own Fusilier battalion and his half-battery. The Pelet battalion, eventually confident of no French counterstrike here began to work around the right-rear of the village. Indeed the 1/33e Ligne had been badly shot up by the Prussians, had lost many men and was in considerable disorder. This meant it was unable to support 3/33e's attempt to regain the village, and the unsupported bayonet attack faltered under Prussian fire. The second battalion of the 33e had in fact formed line, anchored on the village as it faced the slow wheeling movement by Zweiffel. This battalion was taken under flanking fire from the village and then artillery fire from Erichsen's guns. It was soon compelled to retire.
On the Prussian right Von Bila was deployed on a rise which was, in part, wooded. Facing him were 2 regiments of French cavalry and 2 battalions of 48e Ligne. Things went wron for the French here from the start. Unable to see over the rise where von Bila had deployed the French sent a column of Chasseur a Cheval up the slope to take a look. Mounting the crest they got a face full on cannister from the half horse battery whilst the Rosen Fusiliers formed a square. The French elected to try a charge on the guns. I took, oddly for me, the correct decision and stood by the cannon, as the gunners could easily have evaded into the Rosen's square. Instead the blasted the incoming French, causing them to falter then retire with casualties and disorder. Meanwhile 1/48e Ligne also ploughed up the crest opposite the woods. Here the Valentini and Werner Jager were comfortably deployed, and soon began chewing up 1/48e and its screen. Charged, they evaded, and then kept firing, compelling a French withdrawal in disorder. This allowed Bila to move his Hussars to his right, threatening the French centre. to close off this threat, the 5e Hussards were detailed off to cover this open French flank and drive off Bila's hussars. There was a clash on the hill between the two units which was a draw, both sides withdrew winded and disordered. But the neutralisation of 5e Hussards and 11e Chasseur a Cheval left one untouched Prussian Hussar unit roaming around unmarked...
The centre decided things, as it often does. Zweiffel had been executing a ponderous wheeling operation to keep in touch with Erichsen to his right whilst at the same time face what looked like the main French thrust. This comprised the 3 Legere battalions under Barbanegre (who inidentally went mad after the war and had to be locked away) that were coming across the Prussian left-centre. Although it looked dangerous the French stopped until von Bila's hussars and 5e Hussards fought to a standstill. But by this time the hussars from Erichsen's brigade appeared in the centre, brought up by Holtzendorff's ADC. These forced the Legere into square where the Bose 3lb battery began to chew lumps out of them. The right-hand battalion was clobbered first and took casualties and elected to retire, at the same time as 2/33e retired on it's left flank, itself caused by the flanking fire from Erichsen Fusiliers in the village and the eventual rout of 1/33e, worn down by additional fire from the village. The next turn saw the 3/33e retire too, influenced by a neighbouring router and fire from the village, whilst Bila's half battery and Bose's 3lb guns turned their attention to the nex Legere square. The 48e was not having much luck either, with the first battalion driven back the second tried to make some headway, only to be met by a blistering volley from the Rosen Fusiliers, now out of square and in the woods.
It was all over for the French. They had dispersed their forces all over the field rather than keeping Barbanegre's brigade as a mass and using it to attack the Prussian line. The game had taken less than 3 hours, there was a clear result, I was a happy bunny, and not just because I had won. The game mechanisms had all worked wonderfully and the time taken was a fraction of what it would have been. No arguments from me as to what to look at next: Heavy Cavalry and Force Majeure....
K
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