Stop Press: The Zahna AAR has been uploaded

A more detailed After Action Report of the battle of Zahna, has been uploaded to the main web-site.
Watch it at Battle of Zahna!

Tha battle of Zahna is finished

The Lasalle re-fight of the battle of Zahna is finished with a French marginal victory.

The Prussian cavalry has achieved a stalemate in the left flank and center, while fighting the 29th Light Cavalry brigade (Westphalian Chevauleger-lanciers, Hessian Chevaulegers and Bavarian Chevaulegers Regiments) after losing two cavalry regiments, one of them because of the galling fire of the Bavarian light infantry infiltrated in the woods. The Prussian cavalry regiments resulted more fragile than their German opponents, but also achieved to stop the French advance, fixing they in square formation.

The Prussian infantry and artillery of the second line in the center is retiring, under the cover of the cavalry and some infantry battalions.

In the Prussian right, the French infantry has fully occupied Zalmsdorff but, tired from the combat and under the menace of the Prussian cavalry and the Cosscks, they have limited themselves to take defensive positions, without exiting from the village.
The French losses were: five battalions, four guns and three wounded Generals (Brun, Pachtod and Beaumon). On the other side, Prussian have lost eight battalions, two cavalry regiments ans six guns. Taking in account that the village of Zalmsdorff is in French hands, Oudinot is the clear victor of the battle. The type of victory (according to Lasalle) is dependent upon whether or not there is a pursuit.
The French scored seven points (seven bases of pursuing cavalry), whereas the Prussians scored fourteen points (three 'normal' cavalry unis plus nine bases of pursuing cavalry). All in all, the French achieved only a marginal victory.
In the next days I'll upload a full AAR of this battle to the main web site.

The Zahna outcome?

The battle of Zahna is near the end. The Prussian right flank detachment has been overcome: its two infantry batallions broken and the two accompanying guns in French hands, that now menace to turn the Prussian right.
The Prussian first line has given way: several batallions have been broken and Zalmsdorf is being evacuated under French pressure to avoid the outflanking.

Only the Prussian cavalry, in the left flank is maintaining the ground, favoured by their superior numbers. Generallieutenant Tauentzien is now considring a retreat under the cover of his cavalry, hoping to save his still intact second line.
Watch this space

First movements in Zahna

The French forces have started their frontal attack, forcing the retreat of the Prussian batteries from the first line, at the cost of the loss of a full French battery.

Near the woods, a small cavalry/artillery combat took place. A Prussian Landwehr regiment was forced to retire, after surviving a frontal attack against a Bavarian battery.

And the Bavarians reinforcement have arrived.

Watch this space!

The Zahna battlefield

The actual battlefield resulted slightly different that the depicted in the first (official) map (see below). The main difference lies on the right Prussian flank, which is not open and in the air, but is actually covered by an isolated farm located into a soaked little valley, traversed by a small stream and surrounded by labour fields, i.e. a zone of rough terrain.
Tauentzien, the Prussian C-i-C, immediately took advantage of that feature, detaching two Reserve battalions, one Landwher cavalry regiment and 1/2 battery to occupy that strong-point, allowing him to menace and fire on the left flank of the expected French attack.

The rest of the Prussian force was disposed in two all-arms lines. The first included two battalions occupying Zalsmdorff, whereas the second line awaited in close support with its cavalry deployed in the left flank.

The Oudinot attack plan is simple: a frontal assault against the Prussian center while simultaneously watching the Prussian farm with one brigade of the 13th Division. The main attack will be carried out by the 14th Division, with one brigade attacking Zalsmdorff and the other breaking through the Prussian units in the open. The 29th (Bavarian) division and the 29th Light Cavalry Division will be maintained in reserve, to deliver the final coup de grâce.

You can see all these dispositions at the main web site.

Zahna. A scenario for Lasalle

The following is the OOB for the Lasalle refight of Zahna. The only non-official items are (1) the existence of a French divisional commander (Guilleminot) not necesary, but included to follow the line of command and (2) the use of one-half batteries by the Prussians.
Both armies are almost balanced in numbers, but the Prussian quality is unknown, since many of the Landwehr battalions are 'Unpredictable'. Ths statistics of the Subcommanders have been adapted from Napoleon's Battles when available, or diced out according to the ruleset.
The Prussians are defending, whereas the French are attacking from the North side of the table (actually the West). The depicted map is very general, and the actual table could be slightly different because of the fog of war!


French Forces: XII Corps (Army Moral 52; Break point 18)
Commander: Maréchal Oudinot Duke of Reggio

14th Division Guilleminot -/-
1st Brigade Grayer +1/-
2/18th Légêre Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2
6/18th Légêre Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/156th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/156th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/156th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2nd Brigade Brun de Villeret -/*
2/ Illyrian Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/52nd Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
4/52nd Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/137th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/137th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/137th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/4th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
1/8th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

13th Division Pacthod +1/*
3/67th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
4/67th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/101st Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
4/101st Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
4/4th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

29th Light Cavalry Division Beaumont +1/*
Westphalian Chevauleger-lancier Regiment Shaky/Amateur/Pursuit/Lance
Hessian Chevauleger Regiment Shaky/Amateur/Pursuit
Bavarian Chevauleger Regiment Reliable/Amateur/Pursuit
3/5th Horse Artillery Horse/2 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

Artillery Reserve
1/4th Reserve Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Heavy/1 Howitzer

Reinforcements
29th (Bavarian) Division Raglovich -1/
2/3rd Regiment Bavarian Line Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/4th Regiment Bavarian Line Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/8th Regiment Bavarian Line Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/13th Regiment Bavarian Line Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1st Jaeger Batallion Reliable/Amateur/SK2
1st Bavarian Foot Artillery Foot/2 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer


Prussian Forces IV Prussian Army Corps (Army Moral 54,5 Break point 19)
Commander: Generallieutenant Tauentzien

Detachment Beyer -/-
1/3rd Reserve Infantry Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK2
2/3rd Reserve Infantry Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK2
3rd East Prussian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur
1/2 Horse Battery #11 (Borchard) Horse/2 cannon/Medium

First line Dobschütz -/-
1/1st Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
2/1st Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
1/5th Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
2/5th Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
3/5th Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
4/5th Kurmärk Landwehr Regiment (Mellersky) Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
1/2 Horse Battery #6 (Jenichen) Horse/1 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
6pdr Foot Battery #17 (Gleim) Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
1/2 6pdr Foot Battery #30 (Hertig) Foot/1 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

Cavalry of the first line Schmitterlöw +1/-
1st Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur
7th Kurmärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur
Berlin Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur

Second Line Lindenau -/-
1/2nd Silesian Landwehr Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/2nd Silesian Landwehr Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
5/2nd Silesian Landwehr Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/3rd Reserve Infantry Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK2
1/2nd Neumärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
2/2nd Neumärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
3/2nd Neumärk Landwehr Regiment Unpredictable/Amateur/SK1
1/2 Horse Battery #11 (Borchard) Horse/1 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
1/2 12pdr Foot Battery #5 (Lent) Foot/1 cannon/Heavy/1 Howitzer
6pdr Foot Battery #27 (Mathias) Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

Cavalry of the second line Seydlitz +1/-
Brandenburg Dragoon Regiment Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
Pommeranian Dragoon Regiment Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
2nd Neumärk Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur
3rd East Prussian Landwehr Cavalry Regiment Shaky/Amateur

Wings Illowiaski #3 Don Cossack Regiment (+) Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit

This battle is big for the Lasalle standards, and I am curious about its development.

More Bavarians from Armand d'Arc

Bavarians from Argentina, ready to fight in the fictional Afrincan colonial campaign of my friend Armand d'Arc


Note the camp fire scene at left with the spit-roasted pig and the man with the teapot!

To see all the Armand's amazing painting job, search the label Armand d'Arc

Bavarian infantry à l'Armand d'Arc

Look at these new pictures from a new ficitional infantry unit for the African campaign of my Argentinian friend Armand d'Arc.

The unit is composed from 342 rank-and-file and 27 officers. The figures used are 1/72 plastics 8028 Bavarian Infantry from Hät. Many of the figures, particularly the officiers, the musicians at such, are conversions from that set.


The unit depicted is a fictional one, Fussjâgers Company, and being light infantry, they carry a green plume in the typical bavarian helmet. The unit will play a main role in the battle of the next year.
Enjoy his work!

Artillery for Gross-Beeren

There is a very hot summer here at Valladolid (around 40ºC or 100ºF). I have painted the artillery assets of the French allied contingent for the Campaign of Leipzig. Whereas Italians and Saxons were simple painting cvonversions from ZVEZDA French Foot Line Artillery, the Bavarians were ESCI French Guard Artillery with heads from HAT Bavarian Infantry and the Wurtembergers were HAT French Horse Line Artillery with heads from HAT Austrian Infantry. All the guns were metal ones from Newline Designs French and Austrian 6lbs and Russian 12 lbs. See below some of the pictures with links to my web-site where is the full history (OOB's, uniforms, figures, conversions...).

Italian Foot Artillery

Saxon Artillery

Bavarian Foot Artillery

Wurtemberg Foot Artillery

The Bavarian infantry

The last week-end I finished the Bavarian contingent for the Leipzig Campaign. I used the HAT 8042 Bavarian Infantry set painting the men as Line or Light.




See the full story at The Bavarians at Gross-Beeren

French allied cavalry for Gross-Beeren

At last I finished the cavalry of the German pro-French contingents present in the Leipzig Campaign. I have uploaded some pictures but a more comprehensive information can be found in the links provided below each photo.

Bavarian Chasseurs

Hessian Chevaux-Legers

Saxon Prinz Clemens Uhlans

Saxon Hussars

Westphalian Garde Chevaux-Legers>

Wurtemberg Chasseurs a Cheval

Wurtemberg Chevaux-Legers

See these and more at mi web page or go directly to Odd units at Gross-Beeren