Napoleon at Riechenbach

He is on the battlefield!
Napoleon and his service squadron (composed that day by Chasseurs à Chèval) arrived in front of Reichenbach at 10.15 a.m. Here he can be seen, surrounded by the Imperial Staff, surveying the Russian lines with his golden telescope.
The Napoleon figure is very old and it is a conversion from the officer in the Esci 233 - British Artillery set: the greatcoat and the hat being modelled from plasticene. The chasseur holding the reins is a conversion from the cuirassier on foot of the old Airfix 01736 - Waterloo French Cavalry whereas the officer on foot with the telescope is the telescope-bearing officer of the Old Guard Esci 234 - French Artillery with a plasticene hat.
The conversions are very crude (inclusive for my own present standards!), but this 3-figures base is an old favorite of mine.
The accompanying chasseurs (the service squadron on duty)are also conversions from the Revell 02575 - Prussian Hussars.

Chemical party! (slightly off topic?)

Enjoy the summer holidays!

Reichenbach is on way!

The battle of Reichenbach, a fighting Russian retreat after Bautzen, is in play.
Napoleon himself arrived to the battlefield, to find the Russians deployed in the town and in the heights behind. Whereas Reynier is frontally engaged, the Light Cavalry of the Old Guard (including the Chevux-Legers de Berg) is outflanking the Russian left.
Watch this space!

Carlos Sastre wins the Tour de France!

Carlos Sastre closed in on victory in the Tour de France by retaining the overall lead after Saturday's time trial, the next-to-last stage of the three-week race.
Sastre led his top rivals by slightly more than a minute after the 20th stage from Cerilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond, which was won by Stefan Schumacher. Pre-race favorite Cadel Evans couldn't overcome his deficit of 1:34 to Sastre entering the stage despite being considered a superior time trialer.
Overall, after more than 84 hours of racing since the July 5 start, Sastre led Evans by 1:05, while Bernhard Kohl was third, 1:20 behind.
Today's final stage — an 88.8-mile ride from Etampes to the Champs-Elysées in Paris — is mostly a ceremonial ride that won't change the overall standings. Traditionally, attacks on the leader are frowned upon and any breakaway attempts by a rival are easy to counter on the flat course.
Sastre is poised to become the third Spaniard in a row to win cycling's premier race. Alberto Contador won last year and Oscar Pereiro inherited the 2006 title that Floyd Landis lost in a doping scandal.

Another Reichenbach scenario in the web!

Searching through my back-up files, an operation I made because of an electric spark that burned-out the power source of my PC, I have found another scenario for Reichenbach designed by Lamont Anderson of the Colorado Springs Gamers Association (CSGA).
The OOB, designed by normal Napoleon's Battles, is esentially the same than the mine (we have used the same sources!) . However, the table-top map is different because, as Mr. Anderson says: "Terrain is currently based upon vague descriptions of the battle by Nafziger; in other words it is largely a product of my imagination at this time".

My acknowledgements to this, almost forgotten, effort.

Carlos Sastre wins the yellow jersey!

Carlos Sastre (born 22 April 1975 in Madrid) won the 17th stage of the Tour de France, which ended at the summit finish of L'Alpe d'Huez, and took the overall lead in the race. The Spaniard went clear on the final ascent to take the last of three Alpine stages.
It started at Embrun and covered 210.5 kilometers, including the climbs of the Galibier and the Croix de Fer. Today's stage is one of the most celebrated mountain tests in the tour and includes 21 hairpin bends on the final ascent.
It was the last chance for climbing specialists to improve their overall standing in this year's race.
Sastre crossed the finish line in 6 hours, 7 minutes, 58 seconds, followed 2 minutes 3 seconds later by Samuel Sánchez and Andy Schleck. Then came Alejandro Valverde and Frank Schleck, 2:13 off the lead, with Cadel Evans in a group 2 seconds further back.

Stage 17 result
1. Carlos Sastre (ESP) CSC 6hr 07min 58sec
2. Samuel Sanchez (ESP) EUS - at 2min 03sec
3. Andy Schleck (LUX) CSC at 2min 03sec
4. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) GCE - at 2min 13sec
5. Frank Schleck (LUX) CSC - at 2min 13sec

General classification after stage 17
1. Carlos Sastre (ESP) CSC
2. Frank Schleck (LUX) CSC +1min 24sec
3. Bernhard Kohl (AUT) GST +1min 33sec
4. Cadel Evans (AUS) SIL +1min 34sec
5. Denis Menchov (RUS) RAB +2min 39sec

The final decision will be reached next saturday in the stage against the clock.

The battle of Reichenbach is about to start!

After several home problems caused from an over-voltage spark that ruined the main home-computer, the external hard drive and the modem-router, I have been able, at last, to finish the terrain and to deploy the opposing forces for the battle of Reichenbach.
The game will start int the next days and I want to test some variations of routing moves found in the Napoleon's Battles Yahoo group.



See the Russian Jagers occupying the cemetery and the town of Reichenbach.
Watch this space!

Bicentennial of Bailen (1808-2008)

The Battle of Bailén was fought between the Spanish regular army, led by Generals Francisco Castaños and Theodor von Reding, and General Pierre Dupont's corps of the Imperial Grande Armée. Between July 18 and July 22, 1808, Spanish forces surrounded the French and compelled Dupont to surrender almost 18,000 men, the worst disaster and capitulation of the Peninsular War (taken from Wikipedia)
See the oficial site for the Bicentenary and watch this video

Chevaux-Legers de Berg

I have finished the painting of the Berg's Lancier Brigade fighting in the Campaign of 1813. I have used the ITALERI 6039 'Dutch-Polish Lanciers', including the trumpet. For the colback- wearing elite company, I have used of the elites from the ITALERI 6080 'French Light Cavalry' set and one rider from the REVELL 02576 'French Mounted Guard Chasseurs'. The lances are made from wire with the lance pennants modelled with toilette tissue.



See the full history at the main web-site: Chevaux-Legers de Berg

A new tabletop map for Reichenbach

After reading the book: "Bautzen, la pursuite jusqu'a l'armistice 22 mai-4 juin 1813", of Liet. Col. Foucart, published by Berger-Levrault, Paris, 1901 and available through Google books, iI have modified the tabletop map (see the attached figure) and the arrival times for the French and Russian forces of the battle of Reichenbach.
The arrival times are now:
French
VII is on the table, Saxons (Sx) at right and French (32) at left.
GC is on the table and deployed
Napoleon arrives 10.00 h at C1
I Cavalry Corps enters 12.00 h at C1
Russians
II is on the table, Schachafskoy (3/II) at right and Pischnitzky (4/II) at left and the cavalry at south
5th division enters 9.30 h at C5
R enters 10.30 h at C5
2C enters 11.30 h at C5
This is a rearguard Scenario, so the Russian objective is to delay the advance of the French allowing his army the crossing of the Neisse River at Gorlitz, 7 km from Markersdorf by the C5 road. At that month and latitude the sunset is 21.00 h, so the French have until 18.30 h to.
The point values of the contending forces are: French 796 vs. Russians 691. The multiplier for the weaker side (Russian) is 1.38 in both NB1 and NB2 (372 and 149 victory points respectively). The key points and the percentage of victory points allotted are Reichenbach (20%), Mengelsdorf (10%), Marksdorf (40%), A4-C4 (20%) and B5 (10%) heights. Each Russian unit (infantry, cavalry or artillery) exiting the table in good shape is worth an additional 2.5% (there are 42 units in the Russian rearguard).
See the new pdf file at the main web-site: Reichenbach (1813).

Lanciers de Berg (Berg Chevaux-Legers)

The Régiment de Chevau-Légers du Grand-Duc de Berg (or Kleves-Berg) was raised in 1807 and when Murat became King of Naples on 1 August 1808, and relinquised his title of Grand Duc de Berg, Napoleon took one squadron (the former Garde du Corps de Berg) into his Imperial Guard.
After several reshufling and changes of denomination (including the reception of lances in 1809), in 1812 there were two Regiments, the 1st in Spain and the 2nd with the Grande Armee in Russia, known as Régiments de Chevau-Légers de Berg.
In 1813, the survivors of the Russian were combined with the returned squadrons from Spain to form the Brigade des Lanciers de Berg, brigaded with the Dutch lancers of the Imperial Guard commanded by Général Colbert and fighting along the Light Guard Cavalry in the Campaign of 1813.
The Chevau-Légers de Berg undergo several changes of dressing during the Napoleonic era. In 1813 they wore a Polish-type lancier uniform in dark green with pink (instead the official crimson) facings in lapels, collar, cuffs and lining of trousers. The lance pennons were pink-over-white and the only difference between the two Regiments was the upper part of the czapska: pink for the 1st and green for the 2nd.
The lanciers de berg fought in the battle of Reichenbach so they will be the next addition to my collection. The best alternative are are the ITALERI 6039 'Dutch-Polish Lancers', first released as ESCI 218 'Polish Lancers French Cavalry'. It's a very easy conversion, including the elimination of the aiguillettes and the building of a hungarian-type white sheep-skin shabraque trimmed in pink.

Until the actual painting, you can se two plates taken from the Histofig site.

The narrative above is from the german Military Miniatures Magazine site.

The Scenario for Reichenbach is ready

I have finished the Scenario pdf file and the page for the main web site: Reichenbach (1813). In the next weeks I'll be playing it.
The accompanying picture shows the most famous of the battle of Reichenbach: the dead of Duroc, Grand Marshal of the Tuileries palace, and responsible for the measures taken to secure Napoleon's personal safety, whether in France or on his campaigns.

The OOB's for Reichenbach

By using the books of George Nafziger and Digby Smith (See the previous post on Reichenbach) I have built the Order of Battle for the French and Russian Armies in Reichenbach. Summarising
French Army (Napoleon)
- VII Corps (Reynier)
32nd (French) Division
Saxon Royal Corps
- I Cavalry Corps (Latour-Mauburg)
1st Light Cavalry Division
3rd Light Cavalry Division
1st Cuirassier Division
- Guard Light Cavalry (Lefebre-Desnoettes)
Total: 11,000 Infantry , 5,400 Cavalry and 11 Batteries
Russian Army (Wurttemberg)
- 2nd Infantry Corps (Wurtemberg)
3rd Division
4th Division
Corps Cavalry
- Reinforcements
5th Division
2nd Cuirassier Division
Trubezkoi Cavalry (Corps?)
Total: 12,300 Infantry ; 7,180 Cavalry and 12 Batteries

The Russian numbers are slightly greater than the French and their quality superior. However, the Russian Reinforcements will be not present at the start of the battle and Napoleon is commanding the French, so the final result is in doubt.

See a near contamporary map taken from the 3rd Military Survey of Austria-Hungary

And now Rafa at Wimbledon!

Rafa Nadal ended Roger Federer's five-year reign as king of Wimbledon on Sunday with a 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory in one of the most dramatic finals seen at the All England Club.
The 22-year-old Nadal survived an incredible Federer fightback to become the first Spaniard to win the grasscourt grand slam since Manuel Santana in 1966. He is also the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.
Nadal, beaten by Federer in the last two finals here, took the opening set with a single service break and then stormed back from 1-4 down in the second to snatch a two-set lead and leave the world number one reeling.
An 81-minute rain break seemed to help five-times champion Federer and he returned to snatch the third set on a tiebreak. He then saved two match points before taking another tiebreak to square the match at two sets all.
With light fading fast Nadal broke Federer at 7-7 in the fifth before claiming victory when Federer netted a forehand.
(taken from National Post)

Battle of Reichenbach

After their defeat at Bautzen (20-21 may, 1813) the Allied retreated towards the south-east in two columns of weary soldiers in order to cross the Neisse River. Their rearguard, commanded by Eugen of Wurttemberg and comprising his 2nd Russian Corps, remained in Reichenbach and was catched by Reynier's VII Corps (not fighting in Bautzen) and the 1st Cavalry Corps. Napoleon himself arrived to the battlefield and engaged the Guard Light cavalry, including the famous Red Dutch Lanciers, a "new spectacle" for Wurttemberg, as it had been a long time since he did seen a force of French cavalry.
This will be my next battle. It will be fought using the 'one-half' Napoleon's Battles version and for the OOB's and basic narrative I will use the Nafziger's book (Lutzen and Bautzen. Napoleon's Spring Campaign of 1813, The Emperor press, 1992) and the Digby's Databook (The Greenhill Napoleonic Wars Data Book, Greenhill Books, 1998).
The picture is taken from The red Lancer Inc.

The Mamelukes at full strength

In 1802 Bonaparte decided to form a squadron of Mameluks organized like hussars. Napoleon decided that the valiant cavaliers with dark skins would help to reinforce his own prestige and incorporated them into his Imperial Guard. They fought at Leipzig.
The Mameluks ('Mamelucos' in spanish) were hated by the Spaniards. During the revolt in Madrid the "popular fury was loosed upon the Mameluks. These 'pagan sons of dogs' were assailed by women who jumped onto the cruppers of their horses ... Before a house in the Carrera de San Jeronimo two Mameluks fell to the pavement, shot from the window above. Furious their comrades entered the house, killed all the occupants - both men and women - and threw their heads into the street. ... Towards two in the afternoon the canaille was finally subdued; but then the reprisals began. Tied in pairs to the strirrups of the Mameluks and Guard Chasseurs, the condemned were dragged to the Pardo, the Retiro, and the Convent del Jesús were firing-parties awaited them." (Lachouque - "The Anatomy of Glory")
Enjoy the picture depicting the squadron of HäT mameluks, painted by my Argentinian friend Armand d'Arc