SYW Honours of War - Bridgehead - Fighting Retreat 12.09.18

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Order of Battle

French Army
C-in-C
Marechal Dinois d'Antoin, Comte de Millefeuille (Dependable)

Infantry Bde
Colonel Jean-Jacques Sauvequipeut (Dependable)
3xline infantry (small)
1xlight infantry
2xlight artillery (ammunition for 4 rounds only)
BP:4

Independent
1xGrenadiers (superior)

Cavalry Brigade
Gen de Cavallerie M. d'Ithery (Dependable)
1xDragoons (they start dismounted)
1xChevaulegers

Independent
1xHussards large (Inferior)

Army BP:6

Picture viewed from the French side

From left to right:
Three small infantry battalions and two light batteries defending the fortified road.
Grenadiers defending the fortified town
A cavalry regiment in reserve
Light infantry and dismounted dragoons behind the convent walls
Extreme right, one Hussar regiment

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Allied Army

Prussian Contingent
C-in-C
FML Von Munden (Dashing)

Infantry Bde
Oberst Pickel Haube (Dependable)
3xline infantry (superior for fire only)
1xlight infantry-Jagers (rifle)
2xheavy artillery
BP:4

Cavalry Bde
Oberst Helmut Rauppen (Dependable)
2xHussars

British Contingent
C-in-C
Count Mortimer Percy Wigglewaddle the Third (Dashing)

Infantry Bde
Colonel McBawheid (Dependable)
1xelite Fusiliers small (superior)
1xFusiliers (superior for fire only)
2xmedium artillery
BP:3

Cavalry Bde
Lt Colonel O'Doodle (Dependable)
aided by Major Patrick O'Course
2xDragoons

Army BP:8

Picture viewed from the allied side

From left to right:
Two British cavalry regiments
British infantry brigade
British medium artillery batteries, limbered on the road to the convent
Prussian jagers, in front of the Prussian cavalry brigade
Prussian heavy guns, limbered on the road to the town
The Prussian infantry brigade, two battalions in front and one in support

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More about the game

The Allied leaders act as C-in-Cs for their own contingent, at the end of the round they can remove hits from their own units.
The French have one C-in-C 

Move Initiative: Allies +1
Fire Initiative: Allies +1

Turns:16

Victory conditions:
The French player must try to retreat all his units via the bridge within the time limit.
Every unit crossing the bridge gets 1 pont. Every unit retreating via the bridge with 4 hits gets 1/2 point.
At the end of the game at least 6 unit-points must have crossed the bridge for the French player to win the game.
One point must be artillery!
In all other situations, the French lose the game.

Special rule:
All French units with 4 or 5 hits, retreat or do their rout move making an informal column which must move via the road, trying to cross the bridge.
(So the bridge will be a choke point which will cause additional problems to the French player)

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The French:

Three infantry battalions behind the fortifications. They are small (depleted from a previous battle, fire and fight with -1)
The light gun batteries have only four rounds of ammunition!

The grenadiers must hold the town at all costs!

The Chasseurs de Fischer Light Infantry and some dismounted dragoons are waiting for the British behind the convent walls

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Opening phase.
The Prussian jagers screening two hussar regiments are cautiously advancing towards the convent.

The French cavalry sneaks in the little copse, trying to find the opportunity to attack the Prussian skirmishers.

The British cavalry redeploying closer to its infantry.

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The British infantry attack the convent.
The French skirmishers and the dismounted dragoons send a volley and evade.
The French commander decided that it would be perilous for his right flank to stand and fight, so next round gives them the order to fall back to the town.
It had to be done now, before the British cavalry to be too near.

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The Prussian infantry emerge on the crest of the hill and the Prussian heavy artillery start pounding the town and the entrenchments.
The French commander holds his light guns until the Prussian lines to enter in canister range. 

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The French hussars posted at the extreme right, hidden behind the small woods join the rest of the cavalry falling back to the town.
British cavalry and infantry advancing to secure the convent.

The French line infantry and the grenadiers, ready, waiting for the Allied onslaught.

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The French cavalry regiments cross the bridge. The French commander ordered the skirmishers to stay in the town.

The Prussian lines advancing determinedly

The British infantry scouring the convent enclosures for ambushing French.

The French Hussars keep in safe distance the British cavalry, crossing the obstacles of the convent enclosures.

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First French canister fire and one Prussian battalion falls back with four hits to reform!

The Prussian heavy guns continue to pound the town and the fortifications, with no significant results, for the moment.

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The British continue their advance against the town

The French cavalry brigade cross the bridge. The Hussars are passing through the town road and they will soon join them.

Two in the bag (two units crossed the bridge) and, for the moment, all seems easy for the French commander...

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The British advancing.

Three batteries pounding the fortified town.
Luckily, the Grenadiers have received only one hit till now.

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Second Prussian attack!
The small French battalions defend doggedly, they don't flinch an inch!
(Ok, the dice performed miracles  )

Canister and melee cause one Prussian battalion done for and another to retreat with four hits!

Now that the Prussians have been repulsed for a second time and gun ammo depleting, the French C-in-C decides that it is time the line battalions to start an orderly retreat. The leftmost French battalion forms column. Also one of the two light gun batteries is limbering.

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Von Munden gives orders for a third Prussian attack!

One Prussian battalion is repulsed again with four hits!
Ce sont fous ces Français! 

(My dice luck went skyhigh)

The battalion column and the limbered battery find time, protected behind their colleagues still fighting, to make their way towards the town

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Artillery pounding the town from one side, the British battalion makes a supported assault on the town!

Here, the French player made a liiiittle mistake. 
He had decided to withdraw the skirmishers aiding to the town defense.

The Grenadiers de France manage to repulse the British with four hits but take also four hits and they abandon the town!
The town is undefended! If the British capture the town, the rest of the French units will find their way to the bridge blocked, will be trapped and the French will meet a disastrous defeat!

Waiting the start of the next round who will take the move initiative!