The Brunswick cavalry thought they would have an easy win against the over extended French lancers. They didn't. They ended up routing and leaving the French to be eventually shot to pieces by their infantry.
The French cavalry counterattacked in the centre. The Guard Chasseurs a Cheval bounced, but the Cuirassiers routed their opponents.
They then charged into the Scots Grey and were wiped out.
The end of the 13:30 turn and the Prussians have arrived.
The 13:30 turn saw the Allies retake Huoguomont and disperse three more French units.
But the French counterattacked Huoguomont before the British Guards had a chance to deploy and after they suffered significant casualties. The Allied hold on Huoguomont was broken.
At the same time Ney leads a Brigade of Young Guard to take La Haye Sainte.
While the Chasseurs of the Old Guard attack the remains of Picton's Division on the ridge, driving them off.
A combined attack goes in against a brigade of the British 6th Division, causing them to rout.
The Cuirassiers carry on to run up against the Scots Greys. It ends badly for the French.
End of the 14:00 turn sees the French left wing stalled, but Huoguomont has been taken.
In the centre the French are advancing the massed battery against the main ridge on the Allied right while having taken La Haye Sainte and positioned the Old Guard on the ridge of the Allied left.
The French 3rd and 4th Divisions are well positioned on the extreme of the Allied left.
More Prussians have arrived and are snaking their way to support their allies. The 14:00 turn was a bloody affair with each side losing eight bases of troops, although for the French this included the dispersal of three units.
Ney launches another charge on the Allied line, this time with the Grenadiers a Cheval.
Vivian and Vandeleur's cavalry are attacked. The routed Hanoverian landwher look on in horror.
The British try a counterattack on their right which meets with some success, destroying the brigade of Dragoons sent to rescue to Old Guard battery which was also subsequently destroyed.
At the end of the 14:30 turn the French are regrouping on their left. Reille's Corps is a bit battered and Kellerman's cavalry reduced to half strength, but they hold Huoguomont and have secured the left flank of the Grand Battery.
The fighting has died down a bit in the centre as the French consolidate and the Allies regroup. It had still been a bloody turn with both sides losing a unit and suffering between six and eight bases lost.
Bachelu's worn 5th Division is being sent to garrison Plancenoit covered by Domon's 3rd Cavalry Division.
Because the Prussians are coming.
So far the French have lost 43 bases which includes 1 artillery battery and 8 units dispersed. The Anglo-Allies have lost 39 bases which includes 7 artillery batteries and 4 units dispersed. Both sides have some very fragile units still in play, but the French have the upper hand in Free Rolls having five remaining to the Anglo-Allied's three.
A crescendo of battle - soldiers, marching, all to die.
ReplyDeleteAnother great post.
Thanks Mark. I'm very pleased how the game is playing out and it is good to see your plans working out. What has been really pleasing is that people agonize over troop commitment, not rule interpretations or whether some action is historical or not. But I guess it helps to have an umpire.
DeleteA very interesting and dramatic table. I have been sadly neglecting your blog of late, and need to read back and catch up on this.
ReplyDeleteThe French player seems to have committed elements of the Guard early and aggressively. Were there any penalties or limits to using the IG in this manner?
Thanks Michael, the 9x5 table is manageable and with these rules gives plenty of room for maneuver.
DeleteThe AARs of the Galleys and Galleons games maybe of interest to you - a fun set of very adaptable rules.
There is no restriction on the Guard except that the loss of one unit equates to the loss of five normal units. As the game is played with the full benefit of hindsight, the rationale was that if Napoleon knew the Prussians were coming he would get his act together.
In the Shako game I participated in the French commander left the Guard too far in the rear and once it was needed, there were not enough turns to get it forward. The two French players in my game had been part of the Shako game and I also expect didn't want a repeat of the Guard missing out.
Getting the arrival of the Prussians correct is very difficult. Their 4th Korp is first to arrive but off the march and this took ages the other two Korps were delayed by this and were shadows of their former self after Ligny. 2nd Korp started to arrive by 17.30 and 1st at 21.30. If you read Bowdens book you see 1st Korps is basically just a division and 2nd not much more the two having lost 25000 men between them.
ReplyDeleteThis is the timing and order of march I am using for the Prussians:
Delete. Prussians are "seen" at 13:00 with Blucher placed at Lasne. Each turn after that one Division (Prussian brigade) arrives in this order 16/IV, 15/IV, von Bulow and IV corps artillery, IV Cavalry, 14/IV, 13/IV the II Corps. I Corps arrives at 18:00 on the road to Ohain on the north map edge.
With timing the trick is the entry point and formation (march column) and then the subsequent "speed" they can get into action, which also has the challenge of just where the French maybe in any refight. As can be seen they take up a lot of road space.
The I Corps is less than 5,000 men and the II Corps is around 13,000. I'm using Mark Adkin's book as my main source.