Thursday, December 03, 2015

Napoleonic Encounter Battle

Jim & Mike's French
v. 
Chris' Russians & Steve's Austrians

Two Austrian infantry divs occupy the village.  Each has 2 line, 1 grenadier, 1 Landwehr battalion plus a battery and a half battalion of Croats.  A Russian infantry division of 6 battalions & 2 batteries and a Russian cavalry division of 2 dragoons & 3 hussars is coming to up.
Two French infantry divisions are lined up ready to attack the village.  Eash has 1 light and 4 line battalions, plus a battery.   The French have an infantry division of 6 line inf and a cavalry division of 2 dragoons & 2 hussars coming up.

The entry points for the reserves were decided by drawing chits A-D.  A = centre rear, B= left flank, C = left rear, D = right flank.  The entry points of your reserves was kept secret from the enemy.  On turn 2 each side threw 1 dice per reserve division & they were to arrive on 5+.  Then 2 dice on turn 3, etc.
 The French are on the left, Jim's infantry div on their right.
Both reserve infantry divisions came on in each side's turn 2.  The Russians on the road at the far end, the French behind their left.  Their first 2 divisions have both rushed forward.
On turn 3 the Russian cavalry came on behind the Austrian rear.  The flanks of the Austrian position are being pushed back.
On the right of the village the Austrian Grenadiers are giving ground, but still haven't broken.  On their left the Austrians have lost a battalion, but it bought enough time for redeployment on new defence line.  There's no sign of the French horse.
On the far flank the Russian infantry is slowly deploying out of its road columns - just doing so in time before the French columns hit them.  The Austrian grenadiers are still hanging on in the centre.  On the near flank the French infantry has run out of steam, but the Russian cavalry has been slow to deploy.  The French horse has finally showed up in the French rear
The Austrian grenadiers have finally broken in the centre, but the Russian Hussars were ordered to about face and charge the victorious French.  Despite their poor command rating they got the distance they needed and charged home.  The column got into square alright, but then threw rotten dice and got ridden down anyway.  The sweeping advance then took the adjacent column out and Mike's 1st division having lost another battalion in a futile attack on the cornfield was broken.
On the far flank, squares & poor command kept the Russian hussars at bay but the French atatck has shuddered to a halt in the face of determined Russian infantry.  On the near flank the French cavalry has swept forward while their infantry & artillery regrouped.
The far flank has turned into a stalemate.   On the near flank the French are on the attack again.

The French battery, now well sited on the hill, is pounding massed targets as the cavalry finally get into action.
The Austrian left has broken but the 2nd division has redeployed to cover the flank.
Mike's last hope of breaking the Russian infantry disappeared in a flurry of of 1's. 
Both sides have lost one division and all the rest of them have so few units unshaken they cannot make a serious attack.  It was after 10 so nightfall was declared and the battle was agreed to be an honourable draw.

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