BATTLE OF CRAONNE - 7TH MARCH 1814 - SCENARIO + AAR

[bill5549]

This was the latest Napoleonic game that I played at my house.  The 200th anniversary of this battle fell on my birthday but I did not get round to staging the game for a further 2 weeks.  We used Black Powder with 66% scale movement and ranges and my latest Napoleonic house rules.  Here is the scenario, game map and order of battle.  I will add a later report with game play and photos on my blog. The house rules are at
http://blenheimtoberlin.blogspot.co.uk/p/black-powder-house-rules-september-2012.html

Historical Background

In early March 1814 Blücher was moving north with the intention of joining the Prussian corps of General Friederich von Bülow and the Russian corps of General Ferdinand von Winzengerode. By 5 March they had combined, giving Blücher over 100,000 men.  The Emperor Napoleon believed that Blucher was retreating from him and planned to advance on Laon and attack the Army of Silesia’s rear with 30,000 troops of the Imperial Guard.   However, on 6 March he learnt that there was a substantial enemy force on the Plateau of the Chemin Des Dames.   He assumed that it was Blücher’s flank or rear guard and decided to attack the next day.  In fact Blucher wanted Napoleon to attack the Russian infantry commanded by General Mikhail Vorontsov.  His plan was that Winzengerode’s cavalry and General Friedrich von Kleist’s Prussian corps would then sweep round the French northern flank and attack their rear.  This flanking attack had to move over difficult terrain that had not been properly reconnoitred. It consequently moved very slowly and failed to get into the action on the 7th.  The French forces engaged at Craonne seemed to have been 17,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry.  Whilst the Russians engaged 19,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry.

Sources
My main sources for this game were:
The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book by Digby Smith
Napoleon at Bay by F.Loraine Petre

Terrain
The battle was fought along the ridge from east to west.  I omitted the initial struggle for the village of Heurtebise and designed the game around the area of Ailles, Paissy and Cerny.  As I don’t have a ridge 12 ft long to fit on my table I represented the steep valleys, which led up the flanks of the ridge narrowing it at certain points, by placing areas of impassable terrain.    The French start of table and have to be ordered on using the 3 entry points on the east end of the table.  Only 1 brigade per turn may use an entry point.  They could decide not to use the narrow route past Ailles but that would limit their entry points to 2 and delay their deployment.


Terrain map showing the 3 French entry points and the 3 Russian deployment lines.  Table is 12ft by 6 ft.

Objective/Timing
The game begins at 10am. The game ends at nightfall. Dusk falls at 6pm which limits visibility to 16” and night falls at 7 pm.  Each turn is half an hour.  The French move first. The French must drive the Russians off the table to win. If they fail the Russians win.  The Broken brigade rule is in use and when more than half an armies brigades are broken the army must retire.

Command Levels
The commanders in chief are rated as 9 and 8 respectively.  All infantry commanders are rated at 7 and cavalry commanders at 8.  I have simplified the command levels by omitting the Corps commanders and each of the divisions is represented by a BP brigade.

ORDERS OF BATTLE AND DEPLOYMENT

FRENCH FORCES: NAPOLEON C-in-C SR 9

OLD GUARD DIVISION Gen Friant
3 OLD GUARD BATTALIONS
2 HEAVY GUNS

1st YOUNG GUARD DIVISION Gen Meunier
3 YOUNG GUARD BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

2nd YOUNG GUARD DIVISION Gen Curial
3 YOUNG GUARD BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

BOYER’ ‘SPANISH’ DIVISION  Gen Boyer
3 LINE BATTALIONS

7th YOUNG GUARD DIVISION Gen Boyer de Rebeval
3 YOUNG GUARD BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

8th YOUNG GUARD DIVISION Gen Charpentier
3 YOUNG GUARD BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

1ST CAVALRY DIVISION Gen Colbert
GUARD 1st LANCER Regt
GUARD HORSE GRENADIERS REGT
GD HORSE GUN

2nd CAVALRY DIVISION Gen Excelmanns
2 HUSSAR REGTS
HORSE GUN

3rd CAVALRY DIVISION Gen Laferriere-Leveque
LANCER REGT
CHASSEUR A CHEVAL REGT
DRAGOON REGT

TOTAL
18 BATTALIONS
7 REGIMENTS
8 GUNS

DEPLOYMENT

All troops start of table and have to be ordered onto the table:

10.00 am - Boyer , Meunier; Excelmann

11.00 am – Colbert, Curial, Boyer de Rebeval

12.00 am - Laferriere, Charpentier

13:00 am – Friant

There are 3 entry points for the French shown on the map.  Only 1 brigade per turn may use an entry point.  They could decide not to use the narrow route past Ailles but that would limit their entry points to 2 and delay their deployment.

Variable French troop quality.  Dice for the quality of the French Young Guard brigades and Boyers line infantry brigade when first in action.  On a 4, 5, 6 the Brigade is the higher quality given below:
Young Guard infantry = Marie Louises or Line infantry
Boyers infantry = Line infantry or Veteran infantry

 
ALLIED FORCES, GENERAL VORONZOV C-IN-C SR 8

14th INFANTRY DIVISION, Gen. Harpe  - 1st LINE
4 BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN
HVY GUN

24th INFANTRY DIVISION, Gen. Swarikin - 1st LINE
4 BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

21st INFANTRY DIVISION, Gen. Laptiev - 2nd line
4 BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

1st CAVALRY CORPS, Gen.O’Rourke - 2ND LINE
2 HUSSAR REGTS Pavlograd, Soumy
SMALL COSSACK SOTNA
HORSE GUN

12th INFANTRY DIVISION, Gen. Chowanski - 3rd LINE
4 BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN
HVY GUN

13th INFANTRY DIVISION, Gen. Szeltzin - 3rd LINE
4 BATTALIONS
FOOT GUN

CAVALRY CORPS General Vassiltchikov - OFF TABLE
2 HUSSAR REGTS Achtirskii & White Russia
SMALL COSSACK SOTNA
HORSE GUN

TOTAL
20 BATTALIONS
4 REGIMENTS
2 SOTNAS
8 GUNS
 
DEPLOYMENT

Russian: Army is drawn up in 3 lines facing east.
The Russian 1st line cannot move until turn 3.
The Russian 2nd line cannot move until turn 5.
The Russian 3rd line cannot move until turn 8

Vassiltchikov’s Corps starts off table and may appear in the afternoon as deemed appropriate by the umpire.

[fantassin]

look very nice, .. waiting for more 

[bill5549]

Dave Paterson, Dougie Kirby and I played the game out over three 3 to 4 hour sessions.  Dave commanded the Russians and Dougie commanded the French while I supported Dougie commanding the French left wing and also umpired.


French cavalry continue their slow advance

The villages of Ailles and Plaissy, the anchors of the Russian 1st line, proved to be formidable obstacles to the French advance.  This was not helped by some truly appalling command rolls that repeatedly held up the advance of the cavalry brigades and then later delayed any serious attack on Plaissy for 4 turns.  The main struggle was over this Russian first line which was reinforced by the 2nd line infantry and cavalry. 


French close up on the Russian 1st line

Ailles finally fell late in the afternoon.  By this point the survivors of the Russian first line and second lines except for the garrison of Plaissy had withdrawn to regroup behind the steady third line formed up near Bovelles Farm.  The French managed to take the farm but a final attack in the gathering gloom by the old Guard was held by the Russians who were counter-attacking Bovelles Farm.

Cossacks in action vs French cavalry

At the end of the 3 game sessions we had played thru the complete day and at sunset both sides were still engaged with the Russian line holding strongly.    In all after 14 turns of play the Russians had lost 7 units and the French 5.  At their lowest point the French had 3 broken brigades.  All of which fell back and reorganised.   I hope to replay the game again soon.

More on my blog at
http://blenheimtoberlin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/28-mm-bp-napoleonic-craonne-7th-march.html

[fantassin]

Very beautiful figures and table, congratulations

[wrgmr1]

Great posts, nice looking figures!!