21 hours ago
Friday 31 December 2010
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Post battle questions (I). The performance of the new units
In the battle of Sellerhausen I used several units painted for the occasion. This is a very unusual event because, after wargaming for near thirty years, I have amassed a large collection of wargaming figures belonging to most of the nations involved in the Napoleonic Wars, so almost always I can replace a given unit with other wearing a similar uniform (I am not a purist!).
However in many occasions, that substitution is not feasible so a new unit must be painted, or converted, because there is not a viable candidate. This was the case with two units of the battle of Sellerhausen, the French Gardes d'Honneur and the Austrian Kaiser Franz Hussar Regiment No.1. I was very proud of these 'last painted' units, so I was very curious about their performance in battle. The results were not disappointing.
(a) The French Gardes d'Honneur squadrons, four figures in two bases, were attached to the Old Guard Cavalry. The 2nd Gardes d'Honneur Regiment to the Empress Dragoons and the 3rd Regiment to the Grenadiers a Cheval. I expected these new units would share the glory of their 'big brothers'... and truly that is how it was: both squadrons passed gloriously away sharing the crushing defeat of the Old Guard Cavalry!
(b) On the other side, the Austrian Hussars behave in a different way: they contributed strongly to the defeat of the Empress Dragoons watching their last fate at the hands of the Russian Light Cavalry..
Other nearly new units also participated in the battle. The Russian Mounted Jagers took part in the cavalry battle, actually finishing both French Guard Cavalry regiments. The Austrian Grenzer had a symbolic and almost neglogible role.The above pictures show all the cavalry units, French, Austrian and Russian, involved in this affaire.
Thursday 23 December 2010
Napoleon routed!
The battle of Sellerhausen has finished with a decisive Allied victory.
The French has suffered additionally, the shameful rout and dispersal of two famous Regiments of the Imperial Guard: the Grenadiers a Cheval de la Garde (a.k.a. the (fallen) gods) and the Dragons de la Garde (a.k.a. Dragons de l'Imperatrice). The presence of l'Empereur in the battlefield has added insult to the injury. The numerical superiority of the Allied cavalry, that mustered until five cavalry regiments against two, was the main cause of this unexpected rout. The death of the General Letort, commanding both Guard regiments, in the first hand-to-hand combats, avoided the use of his favourable tactics modifier, thus also contributing to the rout of these previously invincible warriors. On the contrary, the Grenadiers a Pied de la Garde maintained their reputation, with the 1/1st Grenadiers smashing a Prussian Reserve batallion and leaving the field unmolested. The Guard Horse Artillery was at last deployed and used to cover the retreat of the rest of the French forces.
The rest of the battle was on head-to-head fight between French and Prussian infantry. The French were garrisoning the twin villages of Sellerhausen and Stunz with the Durutte's division, but were outnumbered and evicted by the Hessen-Homburg's Prussians in that zone of the battlefield. The superior weight of the Prussian artillery fire forced to the removing of the French artillery of the front line. Whereas Stunz was taken by the Prussians, Sellerhausen remained in French hands during all the battle, and was only evacuated, in an orderly fashion, when the left flank units left the field in the last stages of the fight.
In the French left flank, the Delmas´s division faced the Kraft's Prussians. Here, the figth was more leveled although so fierce asin the rest of the battlefield. The French maintained their terrain, and only retreated when the ir right flank collapsed.
In summary, the result was similar to the historical facts. In the real world, the attack of the French cavalry was unsucessful because of the lack of infantry support, and the French were forced to retreat towards Leipzig. This was a very funny battle full of alternatives.
A long AAR is available at the main website.
Saturday 18 December 2010
The French Guard Cavalry is routed!
The cavalry battle is developing in the French right flank, but Napoleon is nerviously watching the advance of the Russian cavalry reinforcements, that are menacing to outflank him, cutting his retreat line.
The Empress Dragoons are encircled by the Allied cavalry: Austrian Hussars in front and Russian Chasseurs and Ulahns, respectively, in flank and rearguard, so they broke and fly.
The Russian Chasseurs and Ulhans repeat the same trick against the Grenadiers a Cheval de la Garde Imperial, that are obstructed by their foot comrades, and are also dispersed..
The French situation is desperate!
Friday 17 December 2010
Cavalry combats at Sellerhausen (II)
(Follow from previous post)
The Empress Dragoons, although taken in flank, reject the Prussian Hussars
and changing front to left, rout them after an inconclusive combat
Meanwhile, "the Gods" rout easily the Austrian Hussars sending them to rearguard
but are rejected by the Prussian Reserve Infantry formed in square
The French Guard Cavalry has not routed the Allied cavalry, but merely has sent them to rearguard for regrouping. Sunday 12 December 2010
Cavalry combats at Sellerhausen
Ney and Napoleon have sent the French cavalry to try stop the Prussian advance in the center and left flank.
The Carabiniers have taken the Prussian East Grenadiers by surprise, preventing them from forming square, but the Prussians at last did manage to reject the French cavalrymen.
In the French left, the Heavy Guard Cavalry is not achieving any real success againts the Allied. The Grenadiers a Cheval de la Garde have been rejected by a joint attack of the Prussian and Austrian Hussars.
At this turn, the daring Allied cavalry now attacks the Guard Cavalry, with the Austrians charging the 'Gods' and the Prussian Hussars attacking the flank of the Empress Dragoons.
The fight on the flank will be decided soon!
Friday 10 December 2010
Sellerhausen: the fight in the center
A hard fighting is taking place in the space comprised between the two twin villages, Sellerhausen and Stunz, involving Prussian and French battallions.
The French 3/132me de Ligne deployed 'en bataille' (i.e. in line) has rejected again the attack of the Fusiliers of the 3rd East Prussian Regiment, which falls back.
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On the contrary, their comrades from the 3/133me de Ligne, which are covering the retreat of their divisional artillery, have been broken and dispersed by the 2nd East Prussian Grenadier battalion, leaving a hole in the French defensive line.
The Daugeranville's brigade of heavy cavalry is sent by Ney to block the Prussian advance.
The fight is becoming more hard by moments!
Wednesday 8 December 2010
Thirty years without Lennon
Today, 8 December 2010, is the thirtieth anniversay of the murder of John Lennon.
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Street fight at Sellerhausen
Stunz, the Sellerhausen twin village, has fallen into Prussian hands after the combined assault of the 2/3rd East Prussian and 1/4th Reserve Infantry Regiments of the Hessen-Homberg's 3rd Brigade. The batallion garrisoning the village, Durutte's 1/35th Légère Regiment, has been broken and scattered this battalion to the winds. The Prussians are ready to turn the French right flank.
Meanwhile, the 3/132me de Ligne, deployed in line in the French centre, has rejected the attack of the Fusiliers of the 3rd East Prussian Regiment, stopping the triumphant Prussian advance.
In addition, the French heavy cavalry (the famous Carabiniers) and Napoleon himself at the head of his Old Guard Cavalry and Infantry, have arrived to hold the French line.
The battle result is still in the air!
A trip to Beja (Portugal)
This last weekend, my wife and me traveled until Beja (Portugal) to see our daughter, that has made a research three-months stage in the Escola Superior Agrária de Beja.
Beja is a beautiful small town (ca. 21,000 hab), with a long history. It was named Pax Julia by Julius Caesar when he made peace with the Lusitanians in 48 BC. Located in the Alentejo region the town was dominated by Visigoths (6th century) and Muslims (713 AD) until the king Sancho II finally recaptured the town from the Moors in 1234. The town also suffered in the Spanish-Portuguese Wars of the 17th century, and was sacked by Junot in 1808.
The main feature is the castle, built in 13th century over the remains of a Roman castellum that had been fortified by the Moors. Its keep (Torre de Menagem) with its height of 40 m is the highest in Portugal.
Summarisig up, a very nice and friendly town.
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