A Delicate Escort - Napoleonics in 18mm

The club ran two Napoleonic games this month, one to Sharp Practice in 28mm and the other to my own concocted rules in fence sitter scale – 18mm to those confused amongst you. Mine was based on a Charles Grant scenario, No 4 ,Holding Action from his excellent book, Scenarios for Wargames, but by the time I had adapted it, I doubt if even the great man himself (Charles Grant, not the Chairman for once) would have recognised it.

The game started at dawn in thick mist with visibility initially down to just a few yards with units being represented by different coloured counters, the colour identifying which Brigade that unit belonged to. Before any attack or defence could be accomplished the players had to sort the units out into their respective Brigades. This command-and-control part of the game was quite challenging, particularly for the French, as their units had got very mixed up in the mist. The Russians also had problems, because their command control distance was reduced from 150mm to 100mm.

FRENCH 

Général de division Jacques Darnaud C300 I8 E0 L3 

1 4e batterie artillerie a pied 2x 8lb 1x Med How

Général de brigade Joseph Paradis C150 I9 E+1 L2 

2 Combined Grenadier Batalion Elite 

3 1er Batalion 100e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

4 2e Batalion 88e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

5 3e Batalion 88e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

6 1e Batalion 27e Infanterie de Ligne Sk

Général de brigade Françoir Bache C150 I8 E+1 L2 

7 1er Batalion 9e Infanterie Légère Elite 

8 2e Batalion 9e Infanterie Légère Elite 

9 1er Batalion 103e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

10 2e Batalion 103e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

11 3e Batalion 103e Infanterie de Ligne Sk 

Colonel Jacques Terrier C150 I7 E0 L2 

12 15e Reg de Chasseurs Elite 

13 2e Reg de Hussars 

14 3e Reg de Dragoons Elite 

15 19e Reg de Dragoons 

16 2e batterie artillerie a cheval 2x4lb 1x Lt How

C Mademoiselle Henriette Faubinion’s Convoy 2 Wounds

RUSSIAN 

General-Leytenant Count Alexander Ivanovich C200 I7 E-1 L2 ARMY MORALE 

1 8th Positional Battery 4x12lb 

General-Mayor Mikhail Bogdanovich C100 I6 E0 L1 

2 1/1st Jagger Battalion 

3 Kiev Grenadier Battalion 

4 1st Kiev Fusilier Battalion 

5 2nd Kiev Fusilier Battalion 

General-Mayor Nikolai Mazovski C100 I5 E0 L1 

6 2/1st Jagger Battalion 

7 Kazan Grenadier Battalion 

8 1st Kazan Musketeer Battalion 

9 2nd Kazan Musketeer Battalion 

Polkovnik Dmitri Dmitrievich C100 I7 E-1 L1 

10 Lithuanian Tartar Uhlan Regiment 

11 Izyum Hussar Regiment 

12 Ural Cossack Regiment Irregular 

13 Black Sea Cossacks Irregular 

14 3/1st Jagger Battalion 

Just to add some more fog I gave each side different a different objective. 

French Briefing 

You are escorting General Dorrial’s ‘aide de camp’, Mademoiselle Henriette Faubinion together with her travelling companion, to General Headquarters. Inclement weather has disorganised and disorientated your forces and you find yourself with the enemy between you and your objective. Due to her delicate nature, your charge must only travel by road. 

Russian Briefing 

A French force has advanced upon your rear, threatening your Supply Park. You have deployed Dmitrievich’s cavalry brigade to cover the enemy’s approach and have thrown up hasty earthworks to the west of the village of Nordhausen. Bogdanovich and Mazovski infantry brigades, although disorganised due to the adverse weather conditions, are fast approaching from the north.

First contact was made on the French left flank as the 15e Reg. de Chasseurs advanced to see the Ural Cossack Regiment looming out of the mist. The chasseurs charged only to see the Cossacks evaporate as they evaded back into the mist. In their place appeared the Lithuanian Tartar Uhlans and the Izyum Hussars. Fortunately the 2e Reg. de Hussars was under brigade orders and the ensuing melee ended with both sides withdrawing a respectable distance to reform. 

The Black Sea Cossacks on the Russian left had not been idle, and, with the mist slowly lifting, discovered some units of Bache’s Brigade. The Cossacks skilfully manoeuvred to charge the rear of the 1er Batalion 9e Infanterie Légère. However, totally unconcerned at seeing a band of wild Cossacks charging out of the mist, they calmly about faced their rear ranks. Cossacks and direct conflict are not happy bedfellows so they abandoned their charge and looked for easier meat, having successfully slowed the French advance.

The mist had by now almost cleared and counters were at last replaced by shiny toys! The Russians had successfully got their units under brigade command and were forming a defensive line in front of their supply park as well as strengthening the defence of the village of Nordhausen with Bogdanovich’s Brigade. The French had largely sorted out their 'spaghetti of units' into some sort of brigade order and were starting to organise an attack on Nordhausen village. Their plans had been somewhat thwarted by the appearance of a large Russian battery behind some hastily constructed earthworks. 

The French decided to engage it in counter battery fire with their 4lb horse artillery and their 8lb divisional artillery. Unfortunately, the divisional artillery commander had miscalculated the range and the majority of shots fell short. The 4lb horse artillery had better calculated its range and fired shot and shell into the Russian battery. One salvo of the higher calibre Russian guns was enough to a cause the horse artillery to rout and fly to the rear, leaving their guns behind them. Don’t poke the Bear!

The Russian cavalry on the Russian right flank continued to put the French light cavalry under pressure, eventually routing the chasseurs but when the dragoons of Terrier’s Brigade arrived the situation was stabilised. 

With the sudden dispersal of the Black Sea Cossacks, (they’d found better things to do) Bache’s Brigade was at last in a position to launch an attack. Paradis’s Brigade also started to advance in support and the Kiev Regiment holding Nordhausen came under skirmish fire which started to sap their morale. 

Both légère regiments of Bache’s Brigade charged unloaded into Nordhausen. The 1er Batalion 9e Infanterie Légère was halted in its tracks by a crashing volley from Kiev Grenadier Battalion. Not so it’s sister regiment, the 2e Batalion.. Despite suffering loses from 2nd Kiev Fusilier Battalion’s crashing volley, they pressed home their attack but failed to break the fusiliers who stoically resisted and the 2e Batalion 9e Infanterie Légère were forced to withdraw. 

Time was getting on and the players were getting thirsty, so it was decided to call it there as a decisive conclusion was some way off. 

If I were to run this scenario again, I wouldn’t scramble the units up so much as too much gaming time was spent in admin and not enough in getting stuck in.

And Mademoiselle Henriette Faubinion? She was last seen taking sanctuary in Tannhausen Church and seemed somewhat relieved that her passage to General Headquarters had been blocked. 

My thanks as ever to the players, Greg, Andy, Liz, Mark and Mike for playing the game with enthusiasm and with a real sense of fun.

Sharp Practice in the Peninsular War

The Attack by Leith's 5th Division at Salamanca - Bill Younghusband (Osprey)

With 'Clotted Lard' fast approaching in the club calendar and arrangements being finalised on the games available at this year's celebration of all things 'Lardy' a few of the chaps are warming up their planned games with some fun and action at our regular club meetings.

One such game is a Peninsular War 28mm set-to being planned by Bob, wheeling out his serried ranks of redcoats, riflemen and columns of French infantry to provide some Sharp Practice fun, a game I had on my list to play, with me taking a break from being a game organiser this year and instead enjoying the delights of playing in a couple of them instead.

So when I saw Bob's offer to run his Peninsular collection out at club using Sharp Practice, a set of rules I haven't played for too many years now, I jumped at the opportunity to join in the warm up process and refamiliarise myself with the nuances of this unique set of rules.

The premise for our game saw a column of French troops making a nuisance of themselves among the locals in rural Spain and causing particular offence by stealing anything that wasn't nailed down and even then making a serious effort to include that stuff as well, that saw these ruffians trying to make off with their ill-gotten gains that apparently included a lot of gold and bling encrusted with precious stones acquired from a recently liberated church on route and no doubt destined to end up in Marshal Soult's war chest.

However the 'good-guys' were on hand to put an end to this 'making war pay for itself' excuse for modern day rape and pillage created by that jumped-up little General Bonaparte and last carried out with such gay abandon by the Norsemen of old.

Thus close by, looking to administer a bit of a check on Boney's Boys, was a British column of line and light redcoats supported by riflemen operating here on the frontier, and cooperating with the local guerrilla leader by supporting an ambush on the French column as they marched through the last village on their route to more safer territory within their own lines.

As the French debouched from the outskirts of the Spanish hamlet, they became aware of British troops ahead, and eager to get out into the open ground before them, where they could better deploy their numbers, as well as securing a crossing of the nearby stream still carrying some mountain flood waters, immediately deployed their skirmish screen of voltigeurs bolstered by foot dragoons, and sent them ahead to secure the only bridge.

However the British commander, aware of the Spanish guerrilla leader's plan to ambush the column of French troops in the narrow streets and confines of the village was equally keen to contest any French attempts to debouch from the village in numbers and to restrict their advance no further than the stream that flowed between the two forces.

 

The lead elements of the French column were met by riflemen and British light infantry skirmishing from the higher ground beyond, that took a heavy toll of casualties and shock off the French foot dragoons that would see their leader wounded and the eventual dispersal of the unit as a whole as it attempted to control the road over the bridge ahead.

As the French were getting the worst of the skirmish battle ahead, the rear of their column was soon assaulted by a daring attack by a troop of mounted Spanish partisans armed with light lances that crashed into the back of the rearmost French column forcing it to attempt to about-face and deal with this unexpected threat as their comrades ahead prepared to advance out of the village to fight the 'rostbeefs'.

With the battle developing on both sides of the village, the French were torn between forcing a way clear of of its confines by winning the battle with the British to control the road out and a route of march to safety, whilst fending off a serious threat from behind and within the village confines itself, this soon seeing a unit of French hussars about facing from their march to deal with the British skirmishers and instead redirected to deal with the mounted Spanish partisans.

As more units deployed into the battle, the shock and casualties on both sides started to mount, dispersing some, forcing others to break off and retreat to avoid dispersal, intermixed with the wounding or occasional loss of a commander, and the French were fighting back hard bringing some of their line battalions forward to add fire to their skirmish line, that shattered a small group of British riflemen pushed too far ahead and caught well within French musket range.

These damaging blows create a game of 'death by a thousand cuts' as these often small blows start to accumulate, with never enough actions to adequately deal with them all and the inevitable drop in force morale that will eventually decide which side has had enough and is forced to capitulate.

Our game drew to its close, and both sides found themselves teetering on the edge of disaster with about three points apiece left on the Force Morale table but with the French seemingly teetering a little closer from the losses suffered in units and leaders, only made worse in the final turn as the Spanish had the honour of administering the coup-de-grace, and ending French resistance, roughly handling both the French hussars sent to deal with their mounted troop and a damaging round of fire that broke the rear most French column leaving the wagon of booty and gold ready to be taken back by the church, less of course an appropriate handling and recovery fee.

Needless to say much fun was had by all involved and thank you to Bob for giving us a glorious feast for the eyes as well as a fun scenario.

JJ

Albuera, Part Two - Carnage & Glory II

We were fortunate enough to be allowed to have a second try at fighting the battle of Albuera in18mm (fence sitter scale) to "Carnage & Glory" run by David Hedges. In the first battle the British and Portuguese managed to fight off the French attack despite a few surprises along the way.

Devon Wargames Group - Positively no Badgers at Albuera

For the next refight we all agreed to randomise the commands assigned, so we all had different problems to solve. Some changes in personnel playing the game made the outcome of the random assignments quite surprising as three of us previously allied commanders (there being four players a side) ended up as French commanders. I am sure this gave us an advantage. Plans were made. When dawn broke over a crowded battlefield, I was put in command of the cavalry division and it is from this perspective that I have made my report. My apologies to those battling on the other flank as I have less to report on in that area.

As General de Division Andre Francois Moineau woke covered in a cold sweat, he recalled the massed French troops marching into the withering volleys of the British troops holed up in the seemingly impregnable fortress that was the village of El Tejon and his cavalry command rendered ineffective by the cramped terrain and the sudden collapse of the whole French army. Relieved to discover that the nightmare was simply a fever dream, probably brought on by some bad mussels, he hurried to the pre-battle briefing determined to avoid the mistakes made in his imagination.

Marshal Soult had sent orders for General Renard to take the main east west road that passed through the village of Tejon. The village was protected by a river to its front and a walled orchard on its right flank. Sited on some low hills it was an excellent defensive position, and the British commander was bound to take advantage of this. There were two narrow bridges over the river, suitable for artillery or cavalry crossing but otherwise only the infantry could ford the river. 

Forward planning had allowed General Renard to push up to two divisions across the river on his right flank to avoid having to cross the river. The decisions here would be vital to avoid mistakes made in Moineau’s dreams (likely all new mistakes could be made instead). The battle planning meeting was quite lively as each brigade and division commander put forward their demands for the place of honour, and reasons why they should probably not just charge towards the enemy guns.

In the end General Belette’s brigade of six regiments was placed on our left flank opposite the walled orchard. Furet with slightly better troops was our centre. Blaireau with all three combined grenadier battalions and three line regiments was pushed across the river on the right flank. My division of dragoons, hussars and horse artillery led the right flank across the river. The divisional artillery remained in the centre with Furet.

The British placed their best troops in and around the walled orchard and only lightly defended the village on their left flank. They kept a large mobile defence in their centre where their artillery had an excellent view of the slopes in front of them.

The attack started with a general advance of all units. The cavalry was split into two brigades. The Hussars and the horse artillery on our extreme right flank and the Dragoons towards the centre on the other flank of the grenadiers.

Surprisingly the initial French advance made rapid progress without great opposition. The British fired their artillery at long range, to little effect and sent out a swarm of skirmishers to contest the ground between the river and their initial positions. The French set up with an expectation that the river crossing would be contested and so the divisional artillery was unlimbered and fired a few rounds. The British and Portuguese made some small adjustments in their reserves.

Then the rain came. Visibility became very poor, and it was a chance for the Imperial forces to advance without being destroyed by defensive firing.

On the left flank Belette was holding up very well against the British elite forces. Skirmishers were protecting the line units, and the greater numbers of the French brigade were sufficient to maintain cohesion despite some losses. The elite British forces started pushing forwards to contend with Belette’s forces and there was some concern that the Portuguese cavalry could make an appearance. Belette had pushed forward over the river and was now under a lot of pressure. Allied horse artillery was sending round shot into his right flank and some French units were starting to falter. Despite this, Belette was holding the cream of the allied army and stopping them from reinforcing the centre.

In the centre Furet became involved in a furious firefight. He pushed forward with great resolution. His skirmishers battled with the swarm of Portuguese skirmishers sent out from the village and from allied units supporting the British artillery in the centre. The French divisional artillery moved over the river, unlimbered and was shooting at any available target switching between round shot and canister as targets appeared. The advancing French line regiments had taken insults from the skirmishers, the artillery and the defenders of the village but were now pouring their own shot into the troops in front of them.

On the far right the horse artillery had unlimbered as close to the allied troops as they dared. Supported by two troops of hussars they braved the skirmish fire and pushed their guns forwards up a small slope. Anticipating the next order the Portuguese troops formed square to defend themselves from the  inevitable cavalry charge. Pushing their guns out of a declivity the horse artillery were rewarded with the gift of two battalions of Portuguese line infantry in square formation (skirmishers called back in) and in canister range. The first case of cannister staggered the first square and the French Hussars prepared to charge the remains. Without fuss (and without skirmishers) the grenadiers advanced in attack columns upon the village of Tejon.

The Allied commander responded by moving another brigade of Portuguese into the village. The elite cacadores having the speed to secure the edge of the village before the Grenadiers could just march in unopposed, the cacadores proceeded to pour shots into the grenadiers. Two troops of Portuguese cavalry followed on their heels ready to charge any troops in the open.

The focus of the battle was now firmly in the centre. Skirmishers from both sides had been driven in, and the artillery were shooting at close range. The French trying to blast an opening into the village and the allies concentrated on trying to bounce round shot through as many French battalions as possible. The Portuguese in the village were gradually losing cohesion. Exhausted by their constant firing and the buildup of casualties. 

Much to everyone’s surprise (other than the enterprising officer in command) a French line battalion (3/64e Ligne Reg) charged. They caught the British artillery who were still busily pouring round shot into the flanks of the French battalions. The British artillery were caught out of position and never had a chance to evade. Six guns were captured and it seemed that the simple frontal assault that everyone had feared would win the day.

Then the Portuguese cavalry arrived (1st Portuguese Dragoons). They had pushed through some rough ground and found themselves on the flank of the celebrating French battalion. This was the moment that all cavalry dream of. In the flank of a line of an enemy Infantry battalion on a gentle slope, with fresh horses and an enthusiastic body of troopers, led by their general. The command to charge went up. The Bugles rang out and the Portuguese broke into a fabulous slow trot. 

The commanding colonel maintained that proper formation was better preserved with a slow advance. Distant observers were heard to laugh at the so-called charge but when they hit the side of the advanced French battalion they utterly routed them captured their colours without losing a single sabre (much debate erupted about quite what their colours constituted at this point in the war, but they were definitely captured whatever they were). Their charge continued to follow the broken unit and scattered them beyond recovery. The wild shooting of nearby regiments had almost no effect on the victorious cavalry, and they advanced again filled with Elan, at their now terrifying slow trot.

Furet’s whole Brigade was shaken, and it began to look as if they battle would be lost before the Grenadiers could make their blow count. The tremendous work of the nearby officers managed to steady the brigade, some having fallen from their saddles were remounted, and rallied their troops. The French Dragoons that had been held in reserve on the right flank were moved left to either hold the line or to cover a retreat.

Back on the left flank the long-range shooting and skirmishing was degrading the British forces and even some of the elite regiments were starting to have reasons to avoid advancing. With orders to defend, they were not keen to charge in and drive off the plucky French battalions, some of whom were also starting to have their doubts about continuing the battle. Good work by the officers kept morale high enough for both sides to continue the firefight.

Back in the centre all eyes were on the victorious Portuguese cavalry spoilt for choice of targets. The colonel pointed at the artillery in the centre of the French line and despite distant cries of “that’s very brave of you”, and “charge and be damned” or “we might still win if you pull that one off”. They slowly trotted forward with grim discipline shrugging off the desultory shooting from the surrounding line troops and bore down on the tremulous gunners who kept repeating “We are loaded with canister aren’t we?”.

The crowded street fight in El Tejon required the buildings to be removed as the battle reached its crescendo.

On the right the Grenadiers were finally called upon to earn their elite status having marched up to the enemy in the village, both sides serenaded each other with volleys at short range and then the Grenadiers charged. The Portuguese outnumbered and outmatched in skill at arms gave up the protection of their houses and withdrew further into the town. The Grenadiers were now tired but exultant and readied themselves for the next challenge.

On the far right flank the horse artillery were exhausting themselves pouring canister shot into the Portuguese squares. One square gave up the challenge and retired behind their reserves, the other was starting to waver as whole files of troops were flicked away by the lethal metal sweeping across their formation. The French Hussars received orders that they were to charge after the next shot.

It seemed that that the battle was about to be decided. The left flank was a stalemate but events in the centre and the right flank would undoubtedly decide the winner.

The 1st Portuguese Dragoons finally launched themselves at the artillery. Who were definitely loaded with canister The cannons roared the Dragoons cheered and the referee (computer) was consulted. The charge of the cavalry ended in bloody ruin. Their officer had his horse shot from under him and the remains of the unit retired to a safe distance to consider how foolish it was to charge artillery.

In the village the Grenadiers were called upon to charge again, this time accompanied by the fresh line battalions who were called upon for the first time. One grenadier battalion decided that they were not yet ready to charge again, but the others (led in person by General Blaireau) were inspired to throw themselves upon the enemy regardless of their losses. The Portuguese infantry in front of them broke almost at once. 

The French battalions charged and broke multiple units and then charged into the rear of the retreating units multiple times and the entire garrison of the village began to fall back. The crowded streets forced the fleeing troops through their own formations so many times that they ceased to exist as a fighting formation. At this point the allied commander sent up the command for a general retreat as the entirety of their left flank had collapsed and there was an entire brigade of French cavalry that had yet to engage.

A major victory was declared for the French.

Despite never managing to carry out a cavalry charge I still had a great time discussing all the different options and threatening to charge was almost as effective as charging for controlling the shape of the battlefield. The lack of dice rolling gives a little disconnect to the action, but it does give a great feel for the fog of war. Only sometimes was the referee giving feedback on the effects, so you had to gauge how much you had asked of your troops previously and then decide whether to ask more, or to let other fresher troops take over. Having fresh reserves on hand, after a fierce battle, was essential for turning encounters into a lasting victory. 

A very enjoyable experience and better for having a referee to control the flow of information and to adjudicate any disputes.

My thanks go to the other players and to David for hosting such excellent fun.