"Ligny 6PM" Topic

Die Schlacht Von Ligny 16th Juni 1815
　
Timeline 6.00 PM

An overview of the field looking towards Brye. St. Amand La Haie is on the left with St. Amand on the right. Ligny with many buildings burning is in the middle distance. Mont Potriaux church is in the far distance in the centre.

The view from St. Amand towards the Ferme du Moulin showing the French advance from St. Amand la Haie towards Brye. Lieutenant-general Dominique-Rene, Comte Vandamme General officer commanding 111 Corps directs operations.

The cavalry battle at Wagnelee has escalated with the cavalry of 3rd Division, Lieutenant-general Baron Jean-Simeon Domon and Cuirassiers of 13th French cavalry Division, Lieutenant-general Wathier, Comte de Saint-Alphonse engaging the Prussian cavalry. Prussian 2nd Brigade, Oberstlieutentant von Sohr and 1st Brigade, Oberst von Thumen are fully committed.

6th Brigade, Generalmajor Karl August von Kraft assaults St. Amand with a fierce attack around the church and brook.

Lieutenant-general Maurice-Etienne, Comte Gerard observes 1V corps assault on Ligny with increasing satisfaction.

French infantry have captured much of the southern sector of the village and are pressing home their attack towards the Ligne brook.

　
1st Brigade, Colonel Baume from 14th Infantry Division, Marchel-de-la camp Baron Etinne Hulot are attempting to outflank Ligny near the stone bridge and mill.

The mysterious coloum has been identified by the French as 1st Corps, General officer commanding Jean Baptiste Drout, Comte d'Erlon. Orders have been issued to envelope the Prussians at Wagnellee and crush their flank.

La victoire est a nous!
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Needless to say, this is absolutely mind-boggling. I feel I've seen this (or something similar, certainly related!) before. Could someone enlighten me as to what it's all about – other than the obvious? Who made it, when, why is it new?

Are they crazy???

Astonishing!

Great!

It's been posted on TMP before, Tango has done so a few times.
Always worth looking at.

Beautiful and awesome.

Terry

Here are a few of the earlier postings. The photography and modelling is superb. Some repetition, but, more recently, the idea has been to show the events at 30 minute intervals, to judge by the titles.

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Ligny was a very different battle from most other Napoleonic engagements. Nearly all of it was fought in built-up areas. Not many rules sets handle that sort of thing very well.

Impressive photographs! Thanks for sharing!

Terrific.

Thank you to everyone for their kind comments.

I have posted this as a new subject as it avoids trawling through the previous posts to get up to date.

Following up on the lessons learnt from my Waterloo refight I turned to Ligny, the lesser known but equally large predecessor.

The project started many years ago with research from many sources including the wonderful Google Earth search engine to attempt to recreate the historical buildings required. The actual refight commenced in February 2015 and is now nearing its climax.

There are approximately five thousand troops involved plus many hundreds of casualty figures at its height.

The rules are based on Charles Grants, the Napoleonic Wargame, amended by myself. This has allowed an authentic refight that worked equally well for the Waterloo engagement.

The photographs are the record of the action with lots of conversions to enhance individual scenes.

It is a wish to eventually put everything together on a web site but at this moment the Imperial Guard require moving into play and Quatre Bras is in the advanced planning stage.

Happy modelling.

Chris

The modelling, the scenery and the photography is all simply outstanding. For many of the pictures one feels they are stills from a massive budget film (if only……)

In practice these are better than the film industry would likely now produce…..CGI is simply not there yet for massed humanity.

Ligny is the poor relation of the 1815 campaign. Even Wavre gets more attention, as the fighting was on a smaller scale and the geography more easily understood.

I have before lamented here that the personal accounts are missing for that day, down the road from Quatre Bras.

Where is the Closing of the Gates?. ..the Taking the Eagle?…..the Dying in Square?………the flight from LHS?…Stopping La Garde (whoever did it in the end)? Any account comes down to chessboard movements of regiments or divisions, not individuals. Your evolving model does a great job of teaching me anyway what went on!

Thank you Deadhead for your lovely comments, they are very much appreciated and help keep me inspired.

The general problem with the period, apart from the all often forgotten aspect of illiteracy, is that from time immemorial the battle accounts are generally written from the victors point of view. Not forgetting of course that his majesty also had a knack of giving himself a good press when he thought events required it.

I have researched this battle extensively and the savagery of the fighting and hatred of the opponents has to read to be believed. There are individual accounts available and some are in Mr Uffidells book, The Eagles last triumph.

I feel that this battle with massed cavalry attacks at Wagnelee, Brye, huge infantry assaults in close terrain and massive artillery presence is the equal of its famous successor.

I am about to read Andrew Fields Quatre Bras, the French perspective and can only hope he turns his attention in the future to Ligny to read what he finds.

Seasons greetings.

Chris

Thanks, Chris, for outlining what you have done. I had always assumed this was just a diorama somewhere that people were sharing and never imagined for a moment that they were actually enhanced stills from a game! Your scenery, attention to detail and research is phenomenal and all I can say is what a remarkable project. I look forward to seeing the whole thing in its entirety when you are done. Thanks for the visual Christmas gift.

This is stunning as a diorama. That it is actually a game is extraordinary. Thank you for posting, its very inspirational!

Patrick

OMG this is from a game?! Outstanding! Keep up the good work!

Inspiring. Sensational. Informative. Educational. Chris Dodson.

The computer rules "Carnage and Glory" do a great job handling combat in built up areas. In fact, Nigel Marsh did Ligny last year- see the C&G yahoo website link
Scroll down to Ligny.

C M DODSON

Great images. They, or something similar, may well have been shown before but they are so good to view I can't see anyone not wanting to see more or even the same ones again. And the time, effort and skill to make such astonishing scenarios must certainly be applauded.

Yes, I agree, I'm also hoping Andrew Fields brings out a Ligny title from the French perspective. I have far too many books on Waterloo now, after going mad on the buying side last year, but I would certainly buy his book on Ligny if he published one. There are not enough accounts of Ligny and Quatre Bras, since most accounts prefer to concentrate on Waterloo and tend to sideline the other two actions. It is a bit like the 1813 campaign accounts, with many books covering Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig, but I don't think there is one covering his incredible victory against the odds at Dresden.

Anyway, thanks again for the images. Much appreciated and look forward to those yet to come.

Exactly…we so badly need more personal accounts and such must exist. Individual experiences of the Battle of Ligny, rather than the regimental movements.