Mini AAR 1814 Allies vs Fr "Part II"
We finished off the 1814 Allies vs French battle last night in M'ville.
We played 6+ turns in a little over 2.5 hours using Black Powder. And this time I remembered to bring out my 15mm movement/range sheets. We finished PT 1 with both Zach's Prussian and Charles French forces on the Bridge (the Objective of the Battle)
The Allies went first and Rob the Swede order his Swedish DIV to assault Gen Grays Frenchmen holding the big hill. Despite watch his Swedish Grenadiers being routed the line INF attacked heroically pushing back all the French Inf and destroying two batteries leaving only a French Horse battery who ran away the next turn. Lord Malcolm continued to push his Prussian DIV deep into the woods that controlled the center. Zach rallied a few of his troops but his only assault failed and another Prussian BTN fled the field.
Two turns later Grey was able to send 3 Swede Line BTN scurrying off the hill top but the French losses were horrific! Gen Grey has lost 2 full BDE of French line trying to recapture the hill only to fail!
Marshall JD marched on with a BDE Of Middle and Young Guard and a BDE of Carabineers CAV and Dutch lancers. The Guard Inf when order to attack but "blunder" and ran off to hide near the village!
Seeing the Guard scatter the next turn Rob order his Swedish LT Cav BDE to charge the broken French scented line only to be counter charged by the French Carabineers and Dutch lancers. You world have thought this would be a BIG & easy victory of the French but JD rolled real bad the first round of HtoH and the fighting went into the next turn. After the 2nd round of CAV action the Swede ran away shaken! Allowing the French Heavies to advance and forcing the Swede Line Inf t go into square.
In the middle Lord Malcolm Prussian finally cleared the BIG woods after 10 + turns over two games. It was a tough fight and the French 100th Voltigers and Croatian Line Inf Regt were mention in dispatch to the Emperor for thier stiff resistance against over whelming forces! Lord Malcolm once cleared of the the enemu started to mass his artillery & rally and reorganize his Inf only to see a French HY Cav Bde start to form in the distance preparing to attack.
On the far right Gen Zach Prussians fought the tough fight vs Charles French but was forced to give ground. The Prussian Guard du Corps made two charges but were defeated twice and sent running away. Seeing this Charles ordered his Chaussers to charge forcing what was left of Zach's Inf to go to square and they were picked off by French cannons.
After 10+ turns of volley fire, artilley barrages and many assaults the French finally cleared and secured the bridge. They lost two full BTN's and a artillery battery vs 4 Prussian BTN's. There were 100s if not 1000s of casualties on and around that damm bridge.
The game ended with the Rob's Swedes holding the hill and Malcolm holding the woods. The French had fallen back towards the village and the Guard and had massed two "grand batteries" nearby.
With Gen Charles French capturing the bridge and with no threat of it being recaptured the Allies conceded the battle and the GM awarded the French a Minor Victory!
(GM was going to call it a draw but the Allies admitted the bridge was the Objective!)
Brigade General Charles was mentioned in dispatch to the Emperor and along with a request for promotion the Major General….but the dispatch rider never made it to Paris!
That night the French Corps Commander ordered MAJ Gen Grey to rally his Div but Gen Grey was heard to say "But Sir I have no division…they are dead on the field!"
Gen Rob was arrested by King Charles of Swede and was executed for conspiring to switch sides and fight for France son after the battle!
Lord Malcolm commander of the Prussian Corps sent in a request for Gen Zach to be awarded the 1814 Iron Cross for heroism on the bridge!
While Black Powder has its quirks…it does move fast and gives a feel of a Naploeonicfight. We love the system
SFC Retired
