Battlereport Napoleon July 2015

[ErikG]

The last  battle we played was a narrow victory for France, the artillery however was a bit to "overpowered", therefore we decided to play another battle in the same period one more time, this time we downgraded the artillery a bit to get it more balanced. This was also the first time that my son, Alexander (8 years old), joined us and played a full game with us (he rolled for his troops)
France
Army General: Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of the French (Abe)

1st corps
Marshal Michel Ney, Duke of Elchingen, Prince of Moskowa, "Bravest of the brave" (Alex)
Brigade commander General Souchet 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander General Grouchy 3 infantry regiments
Artillery
Unit Hussars

2nd corps
Corps commander Marshall Louis Nicolas Davout, 1st Duke of Auerstedt, 1e prince of Eckmuhl (Sander)
Brigade commander General Chouard 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander Besiers 3 infantry regiments
Artillery
Unit Dragoons

3e corps (Old Gard)
Corps commander Marshall Nicolas Jean-deDieu Soult, Duke of Dalmatia (Abe)
4 infantry regiments Old Gard
Dutch "Red lancers" of the Gard
Artillery

Cavalry Reserve
Marshall Joachim Murat, King of Naples (Abe)
2 unit's cuirassiers, 1 unit carabineers
Unit of horse artillery
Allies:
Russia
Army General: Field Marshall Prince Michael Illarionovitsj-Koetoezov (Erik)
Brigade commander Prince Pjotr Ivanovitsj Bagration (Alexander) 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander Marshall Michael Andreas Barclay (Alexander) de Tolly 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander Count Fedor Petrovich Uvarov (Erik) 2 units Platov Grenadiers of the Gard
Count Matvei Ivanovich Platov (Erik) 3 cavalry units
Artillery 2 divisions

Austria
Army General: Archduke Charles Louis Johan Jozef Laurens, prince of Toscana, Duke of Teschen (Justin)
Brigade commander Marshall Dagobert Sigismund von Wurmser 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander General Karl Mack, Freiherr van Leiberich 3 infantry regiments
Brigade commander Count Andras Hadik de Futak 3 infantry regiments
Cavalry commander Johann I Joseph, prince of Liechtenstein 3 cavalry units
Artillery 2 divisions






The defeated allies moved back towards their own lands, they had lost but the armies and the Alliance was far from broken. Napoleon continued the pursuit, severely pressed by the French the allies regrouped for a final battle, Vienna lay in sight, this time a new defeat was not an option. The orders of the emperors were clear, no step further back and no return without victory but against this opponent that was nearly an impossible task.



This time the French wanted to finally crush the allied armies, the earlier victory had tasted sweet and the French hungered for more. Davout would move along the flank while Ney, Soult and Murat would break open the centre.
Austria and Russia however were planning to adopt a more aggressive policy then their last battle and planned to attack. The Russian armies would be left behind, they had to keep 2/3 of the French army busy, that would give Austria the possibility to attack Ney's corps with a numerical superiority, after Ney's corps would have been destroyed, they would move around and attack the French in the flank or rear an relieve the Russians.






The first turn was for Austria and Russia, the cannons thundered and the first French were felled. Austria brought the divisions of Wurmser, Hadik and Mack forward (Justin) and the Cavalry of Prince Liechtenstein (Justin) moved with great speed towards the troops of Ney (Alex). The Russians took up better positions in the Centre where the infantry divisions took a defensive stand.







Ney (Alex) saw the large amount of Austrian troops moving his way, only the Division of Grouchy guarded that Flank, Souchet moved his Division towards Grouchy to support them. A unit of French Hussars (Alex) charged the Austrian cavalry of Liechtenstein (Justin), Austrian Lancers brought the lances down and like a hot knife through butter the French Hussars were pierced, in a panic the Hussars left the battlefield.
In the Centre Murat (Abe) moved forward, he broke down his Division in two so that he could threaten both sides. The Guard (Abe) moved slowly forward. Davout (Sander) broke down his corps into two divisions, Chouard moved between the mill and the forests towards the Russians, Bessiers took the long route around the mill. If Besiers moved fast enough then he could surround the Russians and make his numerical superiority count.






As a Deja vu to an earlier battle the French troops of Grouchy (Alex) couldn't form into square, they were a willing victim for the troops of Liechtenstein (Justin) that were out for revenge. Austrian sabres beheaded French troops while the survivors were crushed under the horses hooves, Liechtenstein seemed satisfied as a French unit of Fusiliers was removed from the face of the Earth. The Austrian infantry moved further forward towards the troops of Liechtenstein and Grouchy whom were engaged in a mortal combat.
In the Centre the Pavlov grenadiers of Uvarov (Erik) manoeuvred with the Cavalry of Platov (Erik) this way the Cavalry of Murat was given no chance to charge without receiving a deadly traversing fire. Prince Bagration's infantry (Alexander) formed square so as to be safe against the Cavalry of Murat. Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) moved his infantry in the direction of the troops of Chouard (Sander), he wanted to attack and destroy them before Besiers (Sander) would arrive.






Grouchy (Alex) formed his remaining troops into square formation, they were now safe from the Cavalry of Liechtenstein (Justin), the French troops of Souchet had now also arrived and fresh troops formed besides the troops of Grouchy, they were still in the minority but at least they now had a fighting chance to stop the Austrians.
The Guard (Abe) moved further forward and Murat moved his cavalry more to the sides but he did not dare to attack. The mounted artillery also moved forward. Chouard (Sander) moved further forward and the voltigeurs of his division adopted skirmish formation and moved into the forest while Besiers continued his march on the flank.




The Austrian infantry of Wurmser and Hadik (Justin) also arrived and the first units charged the infantry of Grouchy (Alex) who were now in a square formation and with great difficulty they managed to resist the power of the Austrian attack. The units of Souchet (Alex) were also charged and a deadly battle broke out. Bayonets pierced flesh and the rear of the muskets shattered skulls, the fighting was severe and bloody. A unit of Fusiliers from Souchet had had enough, fearful they moved back, the Austrians tasted blood and continued the pursuit, a temporary fall back turned into a flight,  they did not run far however, the Austrian grenadiers slaughtered the French and a French unit went down, this only reinforced the majority of Austrians.

Platov (Erik) divided his cavalry into two parts, two units would charge the Guard that was now clearly visible in the Centre, this was meant to force them to form square after which the cavalry would redirect their charge so that the artillery would have a good target to shoot at, the second unit of cavalry would charge the French horse artillery while they were still limbered, at least that was the plan. The reality was different, the cavalry moved very reluctantly towards the guard but did not reach them, they had achieved more than the second cavalry unit however, they didn't move at all.

In the Centre the artillery opened fire on the Guard but few casualties were inflicted. Barclay de Tolly's troops (Alexander) charged the French troops of Chouard (Sander), but the French were ready for the Russian attack and the Russians were impaled on a wall of bayonets, a complete unit was destroyed, the other two remained behind bewildered. On the left flank the Austrians had the upper hand, in the Centre still nothing had managed to slow the Guard down, while on the right the French held their ground and every turn that they did the envelopment came closer.





On the flank the battle went unabated, French grenadiers of Souchet (Alex) managed to destroy a Hungarian unit of infantry from Hadik (Justin), this brought the fight a little more back into balance, this despite the fact that the troops of Grouchy were driven back further.

Murat (Abe) now gave the order to attack, his cavalry would charge the Russian Cavalry (Erik), and unfortunately Murat's cavalry did not understand his loud shouting and his cavalry didn't move. Lancers of the Guard (Abe) decided to take a risk and moved in front of the artillery and the troops of Bagration (Alexander), they wanted to attack Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) in the back, it turned out to be a deadly gamble, the artillery shot while the squares of Bagration opened a coordinated fire, the unit of Lancers broke and defeated they left battlefield.
The troops of Chouard (Sander) opened fire on Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) but they did little damage, in the meantime the troops of Besiers (Sander) marched around the mill, Besiers's troops could see the backs of the Russians, the enclosement was beginning to take form.

[ErikG]

Liechtenstein (Justin) and his cavalry now brought further pressure on Grouchy and it became too much, completely panicked, Grouchy gave the command to regroup, beset on several flanks the French had had enough and both units from Grouchy left the field. Only Souchet (Alex) was left, he feared that he could not hold back the tidal wave of the oncoming Austrians.

Platov (Erik) decided to make a new attempt to attack and his cavalry charged towards the Cavalry of Murat (Abe), Murat got a grin across his face, his eyes filled with a blood lust and he ordered a counter charge, the Cavalrymen became locked in combat with each other, while man and horse perished, Murat was hacking and slashing into the Russian cavalry, Platov had seen enough and heavily bloodied and humiliated they were pushed back by the French and reformed behind the Pavlov grenadiers of Uvarov (Erik), in the Centre the advance of the guard (Abe), supported by Murat (Abe) still could not be stopped.

Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) saw the troops of Besiers (Sander) looming behind him, he decided that there was only one possibility, the Russians again formed and charged towards the troops  while screaming loudly they attacked Chouard (Sander), this time the attack was less well received by the French and the front lines of the French fell to the ground while the French divisions were driven back several meters, this resulted in an important gain in ground that the Russians could use since it brought them further away from Besiers.





Souchet (Alex) was driven further back, two units now had to defend the flank against the entire Austrian army, Mack (Justin) moved to the Centre. Murat (Abe) still gave another order to a cavalry unit to charge past the artillery and squares but this unit to go down.  The Guard (Abe) formed square to counter the threat of the Cavalry of Platov (Erik) while a third unit of guard moved towards the Russians of Bagration (Alexander). The voltigeurs of Chouard (Sander) charged the flank of a unit of the troops of Barclay de Tolly (Alexander), the stubborn Russians held and stayed where they were.






The Austrians (Justin) brought forward everything they had and that was a lot, too much for the last troops of Souchet (Alex), they had fought bravely but it had been to no avail, the last units of Souchet were defeated broken, the entire corps of Ney (Alex) was broken, a third of the French army was defeated. Austria now had the ability to turn and to attack the French in the Centre. In the Centre the Cavalry of Platov (Erik) regrouped themselves and the Pavlov grenadiers (Erik) took new positions to counter the French Guard that had moved forward unhindered by what the Russians had shot at them. Bagration (Alexander) moved his units in line, they opened fire on the Guard who had approached to right in front of them.
Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) fought on unabated, the pressure exhausted the French, the Russian pressure became too much, a French unit was broken and this fight balanced itself out.








Besiers (Sander) was moving towards the troops of Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) who had their backs towards these French units while they were locked in combat with the troops of Chouard. They could not yet reach the Russians, the next turn they would finally have the Russians surrounded. Davout (Sander) gave a unit of French Dragoons the order to attack the Russians in the flank, the order was received and from a great distance the Dragoons charged forward and rammed themselves into the flank of a Russian unit of Barclay de Tolly (Alexander). Self-assurance evolved into fear filling the eyes of the Russian soldiers, attacked in the flank and heavily engaged at the front put the Russian unit at the point of breaking. Barclay de Tolly (Alexander) could not sit idly by and watch his troops go down, his troops saw him storming into the forefront of the fight, with complete disrespect for his own life he fought the enemy while he was shouting inspiring words to his troops, a staunch gaze formed in the eyes of the Russians, faces pulled tight and the Russians pulled back in line, as one they moved forward, the French were completely overwhelmed. The French threw themselves on the ground in a panic, begging for a mercy that was unknown to these Russians, encouraged by their leader they destroyed a French unit and thus the Division of Chouard was also broken.





Bessiers almost completes the trap

There was only one unit left that could restore order and they knew it, like a well-oiled and disciplined machine the Guard(Abe) moved forward, they fired no shots, they did not scream or shout, discipline dominated while they marched towards the troops of Bagration (Alexander), this Russian unit opened fire with everything they had but such discipline they could not break , determined to break open the centre the Guard fixed bayonets and Bagration had no choice but to do the same and to receive the oncoming attack.

Was it the ground, was it the warrior spirit and the hatred of the Russians or was it sheer luck, in retrospect this question as no other has kept the historians busy, within minutes the Russians broke through the lines of the Guard that was repulsed by a violent defence, the iron discipline broke and the front Guard unit fled, almost immediately followed by a second. While the Russians did not know what happened, the Guard was broken and they fled the field. A shock wave moved across the battlefield, "the Guard is broken", disbelief and bewilderment took control of the French army, the Guard was broken, all hope lost, They had been so confident at the start of the battle, now panic broke out amongst both the soldiers and the senior officers, what initially seemed like an ordered retreat turned into an overall flight.









 
Austrians and Russians looked at each other stunned, the Russian assignment was to keep the French busy while the Austrians would take the flank and then swing back to relieve pressure of the Russians, the Austrians had done their job extremely well but swinging back was no longer necessary, the complete French army had been broken, it was a great Allied victory. They had done what they had set out to do, The French would retreat back to the French regions, what had started as a dream start of the campaign had ended in a nightmare.

[Atheling]

Marvelous looking game 

Darrell.