"more d`Erlon solo games planned..." Topic

Apart, of course, from just enjoying the spectacle of the game, it`s still quite a conumdrum – how should one attack the position that Wellington had chosen ?

Determined to get my "money`s worth" out of the thing, I`ll be doing some more games on the terrain I`ve made.

Next, I think I`ll try a more conventional divisional-level attack with support, keeping more in reserve.

Vive l'Empereur !

See photos of my first game at:
grandmanoeuvre.co.uk/gallery

how should one attack the position that Wellington had chosen?

Flank it.

YouTube link

Perhaps a little anachronistic

I should have said: "…given the orders Napoleon had dictated for the attack".

Flank him! Go for Wellington's right flank and he'll flank you. Go for his left flank and the Prussians take your rear. Short of a march to the coast and the Ostend packet (and short of time), you're stuck with a frontal assault.

those orders were:

TO EACH CORPS COMMANDER OF THE ARMY,

June 18, 1815, eleven o'clock in the morning.

Once that all the army is arranged in battle, about an hour after midday, the moment when the Emperor will give the order to the marshal Ney, the attack will start to seize the village of Mount-Saint-Jean, at the intersection of the roads, to this end, the battery of 12 [pounders] of the 2nd corps and that of 6th will meet with that of the 1st corps. These twenty-four pieces of ordnance will fire on the troops from Mount-Saint-Jean, and the count d' Erlon will begin the attack, while carrying ahead his left division and supporting it, following the circumstances, by divisions of the 1st corps, 2nd corps will advance accordingly to keep in line with Count d'Erlon
The companies of sappers of the 1st corps will be ready to be barricaded at once in Mount-Saint-Jean.

& added by Marechal Ney.

The comte d'Erlon understands that it is the left that will lead the attack, instead of the right. Communicate this new provision to the general en chef Reille.

Go for his left flank and the Prussians take your rear.

Yep, good point.

Go for Wellington's right flank and he'll flank you.

Only if the French are daft enough to make a flank attack in full view of the enemy…

Heavily wooded on the right…

Use D'Erlon's historical approach gain and hope that Uxbridge is off his game.

I'm convinced that D'Erlon nearly made it but as history does not give "do overs" his attack plan has gone down as folly.

Bob

Form lines before charging. Have space for maneuvre.

Tiger is correct.
A grand-tactical flanking manoeuvre from the French right would take troops through difficult terrain for cavalry & artillery. And going wider in a more strategic right flanking march, would possibly run into unknown enemy forces – as Billy says, exposing one`s own flank.

Possibly so Bob,
…I did intend to roll for either Uxbridge, or Wellington decide to launch the cavalry – and it`s plain that that cavalry was there ready, poised to counter-attack.
As the game went, Uxbridge decided it before Wellington did.
Once the French columns had reached the ridge/hedge-line, I gave Uxbridge 3 turns of dicing for initiative before would Wellington definitely order it, but Uxbridge passed the test in the second turn.
Timing was crucial to the real event – and it`s trying to capture that in a game really that was the aim.

Sho,
The position made it difficult for the French to do this as there were so many troops focused in masses in a such a small area – and that`s why I intend to make a more conventional attack next time.

So, this time a more conventional attack:

…a larger attack on La Haye Sainte is determined:

…as the eastern flank is attacked in a similar syle as before:

MC MD for the +1 – the more I read teh more it looks like, as Wellington himself described it, a "close run thing". Hindsight shows us it was folly, but at the time the French came close, so as wargamers and with our dice gods, we can always enjoy the game.

Yes, after very slowly setting up this second game again I`m looking forward to how the thing plays out.
Some changes in this one; I will be rolling for the effect of the bombardment before the attack (this could weaken the Dutch-Belgian and second line British troops) and optional fatigue rules will be applied (and this will limit the effectiveness of the British cavalry).
In these respects the results will be a littl more realistic perhaps?

I`ll be continuing the second game this weekend… stay tuned !

Continuing my solo game at a most leisurely pace…

The French artlliery bombardment has resulted in some serious damage to the allied lines.

In the first line, the Dutch 7th Militia is shaken and the 8th Militia is demoralised. Behind them, the 28th Regiment is demoralised and the 1st Scots Regiment is shaken.

Picton`s 5th brigade and the Netherlanders have both passed their bridage/divisional morale checks, but it is almost a certainty that, on first contact, the Dutch 2nd division will need to check their morale once again because the demoralised Militia battalion will not stand.

It would seem that this second game may be a near run thing indeed !

Photo of the damaged allied lines awaiting the French advance below:

white marker = shaken
yellow marker + base removed = demoralised

With the unleashing the Union Brigade, the allied position is saved (once again) by Uxbridge`s swift intervention and the attack by Donzelot`s second division was beaten off.
Unfortunately, The Union Brigade was counter-attacked by Traver`s small supporting brigade of Cuirassiers.

So, a more conventional attack in this case was not more likely to succeed.

It`s all a matter of timing; if the French lines had more time to sort themselves out they may have beaten the weakened British battalions. Some of the columns that crossed the hedge-lines being too close to one another, were disordered as they attempted to form line… and then the Union brigade were bearing down upon them quickly!

Would a second divisional-sized attack on the ridge succeed?

d`Erlon`s corps still has attack orders… will he repeat the form of the attack with the third division ?

And if so, how will the attack be made ?

More photos of the second game at the gallery:
grandmanoeuvre.co.uk/gallery

So, this question of whether d`Erlon will continue the attack with the 3rd division (his reserve), or simply try to preserve his force.
The test in the solo module which fits this change of situation is on page 58.
My result: a "2" is rolled with a +1 modifier for d`Erlon being a good general = 3 (a "do nothing" result.)
And so, covered by Jacquinot`s light cavalry and Traver`s cuirassiers, the 2nd division will retire behind the massed battery. Papelotte and La Haie and the sand pit at la Haye Sainte are in French hands – La Haye Sainte Farm is still being attacked by the 1st brigade of Quiot`s division.

However, it`s obvious that either Ney or Napoleon himself will either remind d`Erlon of his orders, or order a new attack perhaps with added reserves and support….

continued…

Napoleon has ordered d`Erlon to make a renewed attack – an assault in column with the bayonet to finally break the British line.
This time it is to be supported by the Cuirassier brigades of Farine and Vial; one on each flank of Marcognet`s 3rd division.

Marcognet`s division moves through the wreckage of the 2nd division and the massed battery, deploying skirmishers as the two cuirassier brigades move to the flanks of the infantry:

I just finished the 2nd game. Marcognet`s division was beaten quickly by an alert Uxbridge and the resolve of the British infantry in doubled lines.

Photos below:

The 79th are disordered as the French skirmishers push their way over the ridge and hedge-lined banks:

The British line steadies itself as the French columns are disordered in crossing the hedges and some units become shaken by the infantry combat. Meanwhile Uxbridge reacts quickly and launches the Household Brigade on the French attack formation`s right flank… On the other flank Vial`s Cuirassiers had been bounced by Hanoverian infantry squares:

The moment of decision; as the British heavy guard cavalry burst through two leading French columns and the Cuirassiers (previously shaken by artillery fire) are beaten – In two reaction tests the French morale crumbles; Marcognet`s division and Farine`s brigade are routed… d`Erlon`s second attack had failed.