In order to re-familiarise ourselves with our Napoleonic rules for what is anticipated to be a busy summer we fought a generic action near the little town of Holzstadt.
I generated a couple of early 1813 armies using my generic army generator with the proviso that both sides could field their respective Guard Corps. We also decided to make this an encounter action, with each side starting with only one Corps on the table and the others marching to the sound of the guns, arrival being determined by the roll of dice.
Crafthole elected to don the shabby grey coat of the Emperor himself and Stuart settled on representing Blucher, which left me to control the Russian Lifeguard.
Things moved rapidly as a lucky roll meant Napoleon's Guard, sent on a flank march, arrived on turn 2. This left poor Blucher badly outnumbered and rapidly retreating hoping someone else would arrive soon to give him a fighting chance. The Coalition were somewhat unlucky in their rolls here as both their off table Corps would not have a chance to arrive until turn 4, a fact Blucher managed to let slip to a French spy who duly reported it to back to the Emperor's headquarters...
 |
| We catch up with the action at turn 2 and the Imperial Guard have arrived in force on Blucher's flank, he makes a rapid withdrawal, covered by Lutzow's Freikorps, to buy time until the rest of his force can arrive. |
 |
| Lutzow's Freikorps take a pounding from the Guard artillery but do their job of delaying the Guard's advance |
 |
| An ADC arrives at Lutzow's Freikorps to rally them, and take any last letters or personal mementos they want sending home. He is kept busy with a pair of nail scissors collecting locks of hair to pass on to loved ones. |
 |
| Meanwhile the rest of the French army has also arrived and the situation is looking grim for Blucher unless reinforcements get here quickly. 'Alt vorwärts' finds himself in the unaccustomed position of going 'rückwärts' |
 |
| Just in the nick of time Constantine arrives with the Combined Russian Lifeguard and Prussian Royal Guard, which in turn outflanks the French Imperial Guard. |
 |
| Further along, the Reserve Cavalry of each side face off against each other |
 |
| Not one to be shy Napoleon orders in an attack. |
 |
| But the Coalition forces beat them off and counter-attack in turn |
 |
| In a vicious maul the French Cavalry Reserve is broken by their better horsed opponents |
 |
| The broken Reserve Cavalry stream past the Guard Light Cavalry as they desperately try to rally |
 |
| Another view of the fleeing French cavalry, if only they still had some of those brave souls they left behind in Russia |
 |
| Meanwhile a Prussian Corps creeps around the other French flank |
 |
| In the centre some desultory skirmishing takes place for possession of a rocky knoll |
 |
| Telling fire from the Russian Grand battery sends the French on their way |
 |
| Another view of the Russian artillery in action |
 |
| Isolated French Horse Artillery of the Guard attempt to buy time for the beleaguered French |
 |
| the Middle Guard form square to cover the fleeing cavalry reserve |
 |
| L'Empereur, in the midst of his Guard, attempts to bring order to the chaos, he realises his gamble has failed and orders a withdrawal, he'll try again another day. |
 |
| Meanwhile old Blucher is having the time of his life, cutting down fleeing French Cuirassiers |
 |
Davout directs the withdrawal of French I Corps, having efficiently marched them on to the field he now will have to turn them around and efficiently march them off again
 | Situation as Napoleon orders the withdrawal
|
|
0 Yorumlar