These are some pictures of the Kaiser Franz Hussar Regiment No.1 , part of the Bubna's Austrian 2nd Light Division, with its dark blue and yellow facings. The pictures were shot in my gametable... -4ºC and no sun at Valladolid!
I hope the Austrian reinforcements will arrive in time to fight the French at Sellerhausen!
The fight at Sellerhausen has started with a long distance bombardment by the Prussian and French batteries. The Prussian fire is being more accurate and their columns are approaching the French line.
Marshall Ney is watching the Allied advance and has sent the Wurzburges to cover his right flank, because he is afraid of a turning movement by the Prussian Hussars accompanying the infantry attack.
The reinforcements could arrive in any moment!
The Austrian Bubna's 2nd Light Division fought at the battle of Sellerhausen. Formerly part of the Army of Bohemia, the division was transferred to the the Begninsen's Army of Poland in the previous weeks to the battle of Leipzig and forming the left flank of that Army, it linked with the Bernadotte's Army of the North.
The division included two Hussar regiments, the Liechtenstein No.7 and the Kaiser Franz No.1, assigned respectively to the first and second brigades.
The uniformes were the typical of the Austrian Hussars and the facings were
Jacket/Pelisse/Breeches: Kaiser: dark blue; Liechtenstein: light blue
Buttons/Lace: Kaiser: yellow; Liechtenstein: white
Shako: Kaiser: black; Liechtenstein: grass green
In my collection of figures there is an Austrian Hussar unit: Stipsicz No. 10 Regiment, with the same facings than No.7 exception made from lace, so these units are exchageable with a small historical license!. However, the Kaiser No.1 Regiment is not amongst my units, so I will need to paint that unit.
There are not Napoleonic Austrian plastic sets in the market, so a conversion is mandatory. By searching into my pile of old acquisitions, I found a box of Airfix01743 Waterloo British Cavalry (Hussars) wearing their pelisse hanging, so they are a better choosing than other hussar alternatives such as the Revell 02586 French Hussars, wearing the pelisse over the dolman.
However, the Airfix Hussars have busbies and not shakos, so I need also to swap heads with another figure. I'll use the same set than for the Gardes d'Honneur, i.e. HaT 8042 French Light Infantry, and the same technique than used in previous ocassions.
The battle for Sellerhausen is ready to start. Both sides have deployed in their respective places. The French under Ney are garrisoning Sellerhausen and Stunz protecting the stream line and the road to Leipzig.
The Bulow's Prussians are now in front, with his left anchored in Paunsdorf, ready to attack the French.
This will be a frontal head-to-head combat, but both side are waiting reinforcements to turn the enemy flank, and Bernadotte and Napoleon are also at hand.
I play solo, so I can design some ad-hoc rules specific to the Scenario. In the case of Sellerhausen, these rules will be (until now):
Entry point of the reinforcements
Each of the three French reinforcement units may enter at D2/D3/D4 (40%/40%/20%)
Austrians may enter at A3/A4/A5 (20%/60%/20%)
Each of the two Russians reinforcement units may enter at A4/A5/B5 (10%/60%/30%)
Irregular units (Cossacks) (optional)
1) Irregular cavalry units may charge enemy units standing in 'march column' formation.
2) Irregular cavalry units must to pass a 'Discipline' test to initiate the charge.
3) If routed in 'decisive combat' the irregular cavalry unit is immediately broken.
Sub-commanders (optional)
Some sub-commanders, marked with an asterisk, are added to take into account the actual command chain in the French/Austrian divisions and Prussian brigades. In the case of Prussian brigades, the sub-commander can be discretionally used by the Brigade commander to command a battle line or a task force as actually it occurred.
L’Empereur (or the Crown Prince) is here! (optional)
Napoleon will arrive with the Guard Infantry while Bernadotte will enter the game table alone, with his escort, like a normal Reinforcement unit (p. 91) at A1.
Until the arrival of Bernadotte or Napoleon, the Allied and French C-i-C use, respectively, the statistics of Bulow and Ney. When the sovereigns arrive, the statistics are immediately changed. In the case of Ney, the presence of Napoleon improves him from (-/-) to (+1/*). On the contrary Bulow is worsened by Bernadotte, changing for (+1/*) to (-/-)
Lasalle Advanced/Optional rules in use in this Scenario
Superior Commander (p 75). In use for Napoleon
Unpredictable (p. 76). In use for Prussian Landwehr infantry
Howitzer and Rocket batteries (p.81). In use for British Rocket Corps (See picture above)
Objectives
Sellerhausen, Stunz and Molkau are targets for both French and Allied forces. These villages must be occupied (or enemy free at least) at the end of the game. The loss of Paunsdorff or Reudnitz implies the end of game and the automatic loss of this for Allied or French respectively.
In this way Sellerhausen will be somewhat different to a brute force frontal combat, and both sides will have a chance to win!
The town of Leipzig has grown with the years and some of the nearest villages have been incorporated into the city itself. However, many old places can be still easily located in a modern map or in Google Earth.
To draw the terrain for this combat, I have used two main sources. The first, 'Leipzig - Situation at 1630 Hours: October 18, 1813' is accessible at Napoleon-Series, and shows the military situation at that date and hour. The map is very schematic and mainly good for showing the disposition of the different troops on the terrain.
The other source is the Leipzig Karte of 1891. I have found it at Academic dictionaries and encyclopedias by using a Google Search of images for Sellerhausen. The Karte is downloadable in many different pieces (until 8!), that were then collated into a new map with a graphics program. The final map has many blanks left and shows the railroad network, the roads, the streams and the villages.
From all this information I drawn at last the terrain map for Sellerhausen with Powerpoint, by following the same technique used for Connewitz (and forn the rest of my battlemaps). The map is rotated at will and the terrain scale changed until the villages, Sellerhausen, Stunz and Molkau were located in the middle of the table. The final result is:
The more significant features of the actual battle, villages and the stream, are present. However, the final shape would include some low hills and ondulating terrain: the fog of war in action!I have finished the converting and painting of the Gardes d'Honneur, nicknamed 'the hostages'. The conversion has been made according to a previous post (See below Les Gardes d'Honneur for miniatures and facings).
Today is a cloudy and cold sunday, so the pictures were shot in the game table located in the basement, so excuse the poor light.
The pictures show the two squadrons from 2nd and 3rd Regiment des Gardes attached, respectively, to the Empress Dragoons and the Grenadiers a Cheval of the French Imperial Guard.
Thes Grenadiers a Cheval are also shown charging accompanied from the young French cavalrymen. Although the Gardes d'Honneur do not fought well in the Campaign of Leipzig, they covered themselves in glory during the campaign of 1814 in France.
The combats in the Sellerhausen area were directly supervised by Bernadotte, Crown Prince of Sweden and C-i-C of the multinational Army of the North and Napoleon. Whereas this last always achieved with his presence, a great moral effect over his troops, the same thing can not be said from Bernadotte. His pretensions to preserve intact the Swedish contingent, were always a hindrance for the rest of the Allied forces.
In order to simulate with Lasalle the different effects of both sovereigns, they were given the extreme combinations of the 'Officers Quality' (p. 20), the most high values for Napoleon and the most small ones for Bernadotte. Thus Napoleon has +1 in 'Vigor' and * in 'Tactics' and additionally the 'Superior commander' Advanced Ruke (enabling him always to chose the first in any combat) is of application. On the other hand Bernadotte is -1 and ¶ in 'Vigor' and 'Tactics' respectively.
Whereas Napoleon will arrive with the Guard Infantry. Bernadotte will enter the game table alone, with his escort, like a normal Reinforcement unit (p. 91).
Until the arrival of Bernadotte or Napoleon, the Allied and French C-i-C use, respectively, the statistics of Bulow and Ney. When the sovereigns arrive, the statistics are immediately changed. In the case of Ney, the presence of Napoleon improves him from (-/-) to (+1/*). On the contrary Bulow is worsened by Bernadotte, changing for (+1/*) to (-/-).
In summary, Napoleon and Bernadotte miniatures are a sort of markers showing the changes produced when his presence in the field supercede the orders of Ney and Bulow.
Now for the terrain!
This is the OOB for the combat/battle of Sellerhausen. Near this small village, the defection of the Saxon contingent of the Grande Armee took place, leaving a dangerous hole in the Napoleon's line. This area was also the point of contact between the Bernadotte's Army of the North and the Begninsen's Army of Poland, a perfect target for the French counter-attack, immediately devised by Napoleon and carried out by part of the infantry and cavalry of his Old Guard.
I have used the 'Liberation' lists for both sides to use forces whose number and composition were similar to the actual units fighting in October 1813. The statistics of the Subcommanders have been diced out according to the ruleset.
French
19 Battalions/5 Regiments/6 Batteries
Army Moral 56 Break point 19
C-i-C Napoleon (+1/*)
Army wing Ney (-1/-)
32nd Division Durutte (+1/*)
1st Brigade Devaux (+1/*)
1/35th Légère Reg Reliable/Experienced/SK2
3/131st Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/132nd Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2nd Brigade Jarry (+1/-)
4/36th Légère Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/133rd Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/Würzburg Line Reg Shaky/Amateur/SK1
Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
9th Division Delmas (-1/-)
1st Brigade Esteve (-/¶)
2nd Prov. Légère Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/136th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/136th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/136th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2nd Brigade Maran (+1/-)
1/138th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/138th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/145th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/145th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/145th Line Reg Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/9th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
11/9th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
Reinforcements
Old Guard Infantry Christiani (+1/-)
1/1st Grenadier à Pied Valiant/Experienced/SK2/Guard
2/1st Grenadier à Pied Valiant/Experienced/SK2/Guard
1/2nd Grenadier à Pied Valiant/Experienced/SK2/Guard
2/2nd Grenadier à Pied Valiant/Experienced/SK2/Guargd
2nd Old Guard Foot Bat Foot/3 cannons/Heavy/1 Hw
Old Guard Cavalry Letort (+1/*)
Empress Dragoons Valiant/Experienced/Guard/Shock +
Grenadiers à Cheval Valiant/Experienced/Guard/Shock +
1/Old Guard Horse Bat Horse/2 cannons/ Medium/ 1 How
2/Old Guard Horse Bat Horse/2 cannons/ Medium/ 1 How
Heavy cavalry Daugeranville (-/*)
1st Carabinier Reg Valiant/Experienced/Shock
2nd Carabinier Reg Valiant/Experienced/Shock
1st Cuirassier Reg Valiant/Experienced/Shock
Allied
20 Battalions/10 Regiments/6 Batteries
Army Moral 68 Break point 23
C-i-C Bernadotte (-/-)
Prussian 3rd Army Corps Bülow (+1/*)
3rd Brigade Hessen-Homberg (-/-)
Subcommander Sjonholm (+1/*)
2nd E. Prussian Grenadier Valiant/Experienced/SK2
2/3rd E. Prussian Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK2
Fus/3rd E. Prussian Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK2
1/4th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
2/4th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
3/4th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
1/4th E. Prussian Landw Unreliable/Amateur/SK1
2/4th E. Prussian Landw Unreliable/Amateur/SK1
3/4th E. Prussian Landw Unreliable/Amateur/SK1
4/4th E. Prussian Landw Unreliable/Amateur/SK1
Leib Hussar Reg Valiant/Experienced/Pursuit
6pdr Foot Battery #5 Foot /3 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
6th Brigade Krafft (-/-)
Subcommander Zastrow (-/*)
1/Colberg Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK2
2/Colberg Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK2
Fus/Colberg Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK2
1/9th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
2/9th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
3/9th Reserve Inf Reliable/Amateur/SK2
6pdr Foot Battery #16 Foot /3 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
Reinforcements
2nd Austrian Light Division Bubna (-/-)
1st Brigade Rheinau (+1/¶)
1/Peterswardeiner Grenz Reliable/Amateur/SK1 +
Jäger #6 Reliable/Experienced/SK2
Liechtenstein Hussar Reg Valiant/Experienced/Pursuit +
6pdr Cavalry Battery Horse /2 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
2nd Brigade Wieland (+1/¶)
3/Rainer Inf Reliable/Experienced/SK1 +
4/Würzburg Inf Shaky/Amateur/SK1 +
Kaiser Hussar Reg Valiant/Experienced/Pursuit +
6pdr Cavalry Brigade Horse /2 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
British Rocket Battery 3 launchers
1st Saxon Horse Battery Horse/2 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
Russian Cavalry Division Tschaplitz (-1/)
Comb. Dragoon Reg Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
1st Conv. Chasseur à Cheval Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
2nd Conv. Uhlan Reg Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit/Lance
Horse Battery #2 Horse/3 cannons/Medium/2 Hw
Cossacks Platov (-/*)
Tcharnusubov #5 Cossacks Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit
Black Sea Cossacks Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit
Sluysarev Cossacks Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit
Schaltanovka Don Cossacks Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit
There some questions to be thinked about in the next days: the inclusion (or not) of French and Allied brigade commanders and the role played by Napoleon and Bernadotte.
Edited:
The Subcommanders marked in red are optional. In the case of Austrian or French divisions they will make a more historical command chain. For the Prussian army, as it occurred in the reality, these officers allow the Brigade commander to use a subordinate commander for a specific battle line or an ad-hoc task force, as it occurred in the reality.
After his defeat in Russia and the loss of the cavalry arm, Napoleon decided to call upon the sons of the leading and wealthly classes from all over theEmpire. This was a military and a political necessity to ensure the loyalty of the families playing a part in the empire administration, and as consequence these units were nicknamed 'the hostages'.
Four regiments of Gardes d'Honneur (Guards of Honour) were raised by a decret of 3 April, 1813 to be recruit in all parts of the French Empire. They were uniformed in bright red and green 'hussar style' uniforms provided by themselves. Their perfomance was so poor that Napoleon decided that each Regiment would be attached to one Regiment of Guard Cavalry.
In this moment I don't own any adequate Hussar figure, so a little of surgery is necessary. I have used old REVELL Prussian Hussars (Set 02575) with heads taken from HÄT French Light Infantry (Set 8042) with the plumed shako, using the same method used for other conversions (see Head swaping).
I only need four figures to be mounted in pairs, to make two bases representing the 1 and 2 squadrons of the 2nd Gardes d'Honneur Regiment attached to the Empress Dragoons and the 1 squadron of the 3rd Gardes d'Honneur Regiment attached to the Grenadiers a Cheval.
These two units will fight in Sellerhausen... I hope!
Bibliography:
Napoleon's Guards of Honour: 1813-14. Ronald Pawly and Patrice Courcelle. Osprey MAA 378
October 18, 1813 at the Sellerhausen-Stunz-Paunsdorf area, near Leipzig. The Saxon army has defected to the Allies, leaving a dangerous gap in the French line.
The Durutte 32nd division (Reynier's VII Corps) deployed in the Sellerhausen-Stunz area and supported by the Delmas and Compans divisions (Ney's III Corps), is awating for the attack of the newly arrived Prussians of the Bulow's Corps (Bernadotte's Army of the North) arriving from the north-east, that have linked with the Austrian Bubna's 2nd Light Division and the Russian cavalry of Platov and Tschaplitz Russians of the Benigsen's Army of Poland arrived from the south-east.
However, Napoleon is at hand and the Old Guard infantry (Christhiani's brigade), the Guard cavalry (Grenadiers a Cheval and Empress Dragoons) and a brigade of Heavy Cavalry (Carabiniers and Cuirassiers) are massing for a counterattack addressed to the weak contact point of the two Allied armies.
This combat has a multinational Allied force: Prussians, Austrians, Russians... and British (Rocket Corps) sith some colorful units: Austrian Grenzers and Jagers, Russian cossacks, British rocketeers.. and the Saxon artillery just after joining the Allies. In the French side, there were the Old Guard infantry and cavalry and the Wurzburgers.
This batte, as always in these times, was suggested by my "Chief of Staff", my old good Argentinian friend Armand d'Arc.
The map is taken from Nafziger's book on Leizpig and I am now working on the OOB, using the Nafziger's and Smith's books, so watch this space!
This work is under a
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