Pirna for Lasalle: the full report

I have uploaded the full Scenario and the After Action Report (AAR) of the combat of Pirna (August 28, 1813). You can watch the development of the battle: the dogged Russian defense and the Vandamme's marginal victory, by following the instructions to use the visor.

The next project will be the combat of Grunberg, in the southern approachs to Leipzig and some days before the final battle, when the Allied Army of Bohemia advanced towards Leipzig fighting the Murat's forces.
Watch this space!

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Pirna for Lasalle (and V)

The Russians are desperately trying to open the exit towards Bohemia

Russian Guard Uhlans overrun the 3/85e ligne before forming square...

.. while the triomphant Russian Guard Cuirassiers reject the 5e Chevau-Legers Lanciers

The Russian line fires furiously...

The Russian Guard cavalry is now master of the strategical bridge...

... and some Russian units cross the stream flying fom the French

... but the game ends and the Russian have lost!

The game finished abruptly because in turn 22 the Russians when the French failed the Army Morale Check after reaching their Army Morale Breakpoint (one third of losses).The final results were:
French losses (8 points): 3/ and 4/55e ligne; Italian Chasseurs a Cheval; 9/8e foot artillery and 2/4e horse artillery
Russian losses (18 points): 1/Revel IR; 1/ and 2/Tchernigov IR; 2/Minsk IR; 1/Semenovski Guards IR; Grodno HR; Soum HR; Loubny HR; Position battery #5 and Horse battery #7

In Lasalle, the presence of pursuing cavalry can convert a retreat in a total rout. In this case, the French had 4 bases left of pursuing cavalry, i.e. 4 points, whereas the Russians had 12 bases left and 2 'normal' units, giving a total of 14 points, so the Russian cavalry (mainly Cossacks) is able to cover their retreat.

Therefore the battle was a French marginal victory

Epilogue. Pirna for Lasalle finished like the real combat. Ostermann-Tolstoi was able to extricate his forces from Vandamme interference, although with a larger number of losses than in the reality.  In 1813, Vandamme pursued the retiring Russians into Bohemia, only to be trapped and routed in Kulm (29-30 of August 1813),  making that Napoleon lose all advantages won at Dresden.  See the main web site for a re-fight of Kulm with Napoleon's Battles.

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Pirna for Lasalle (IV)

Vandamme launches a global attack in the central sector

The sheer weight of French numbers breaks the 1/Semenovski Russian Guards...

... while the 1/Mourman IR rejects the assault of the  2/13e Legere.

But the Anhalt Chevau-Legers Regiment breaks the last Russian regular cavalry unit, the Grodno Hussars ...

... and the 7e Chevau-legers Lanciers break the Russian Horse Battery #7...

... although the surprised 2/Preobragenski Russian Guards reject the subsequent attack of the German cavalry...

... and the heroic Russian Jaegers maintain their positions in the wood against the French cavalry

Despite the Russian heroism, the whole Russian line is tumbling while the baggage wagons remain halted near the cemetery!

To be continued

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Pirna for Lasalle (III)

The battle as seen from the Russian side

The Semenovski Guards run through the village to close the gaps in the centre

While the Prageobrinski Guards run to the south side of the cemetery

French Chevau-Legers Lanciers in the wood advance unseen against the Jaegers

The Jaegrers are engaged at their front with the French reinforcements, whereas the Russian Guard cavalry has crossed the stream

The Russian losses are increasing and the bridge is in French hands. The Russian Guard seems the key to extricate the Russians of the closing trap.

To be continued

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Pirna for Lasalle (II)

The French continue their attempts to cut the retreat of the Russian column towards the Bohemian mountain passes.

The 2/37e Legere forces back the Russian 2/Tobolsk

Whereas the Grodno Hussars force the Anhalt Jager zu Pferd to fall back

French reinforcements run towards the vital bridge

A lucky salvo from the Russain horse artillery breaks the  French 9/8e 12 pds. Reserve battery !

The Russian reform their battle line

And the Russian Guard Cavalry is arriving at last!

To be continued...

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Pirna for Lasalle (I)

The Russians and French forces are facing and the first long range bombardments try to shaken the enemy line

French artillery line raging with fire

The Russian answer

A lucky French salvo breaks a Russian battery!

The 37e Legere advances uphill...

.. against the Russian artillery fire

that is then substituted by the Russian infantr

that charges in line the French column

While this fight is taking place in the hill, the Soumy Hussars were finding their Nemesis in the central battlefield sector.

To be continued

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The (unfortunate) debut of the Soumy Hussars

The Soumy (Soumskii) Hussar Regiment is the last addition to my miniature armies (see here and here for the painting process). During the battle of Pirna, they were brigaded along the Grodno Hussar in the Rüdinger's 1st Brigade of the Milesinov's 1st Hussar Division in the Pahlen III's Cavalry Corps (see here for the OOB).
With some excitement, I did attend his first combat during the 4th turn of the Pirna combat. The Milesinov's Brigade was screening the Russian central sector, when it received the order to charge the German-French 21e Light Cavalry Brigade.
See below the graphical sequence of their fatal fate.

The leading Russian unit, the Grodno Hussars, receiving the converging fire of the French artillery

The Soumy Hussars also suffered, in a lesser extension, the accurate artillery fire

The Anhalt Jager zu Pferd charge the Grodno Hussars

And the Soumy Hussars countercharge to help their comrades

But the Grodno Hussars fall back leaving alone the Soumy Hussars

That are broken by the German Jagers in the subsequent hand-to-hand combat!

Has anyone had a similar frustrating experience with his/her best painted unit?: only 4 turns played and they were broken!

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Pirna. The deployment

Vandamme's I Corps is in the way of the Ostermann-Tolstoy's Russian column, that is retiring towards Bohemia after the Dresden defeat. The Russian salvation depends on the taking of a bridge at the other side of a wood, but Ostermann-Tolstoy is currentnly weaker than Vandamme and must wait for the arrival of reinforcements, while simultaneoulsy the road is held open for the retreat of the slow baggage train. Vandamme has decided to attack frontally the Russians to fix them waiting for the arrival of his flanking forces.

The objective of the combat

The village of Zehista under the Mill heights.

The Russian escaping route

A view of the French deployment area

Both armies are ready for combat

Watch this space!

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Pirna: the map and the Scenario rules

The above map depicts the gaming table for Pirna with the road leading to Bohemia crossing the battlefield. The the C1 road end is an objective. The units that start on the table are
Russians: Wurttemberg's 2nd Corps and Pahlen III's Cavalry Corps
French: Vandamme's 1st Corps and 21th Light Cavalry brigade

Reinforcements
The units not marked as Reinforcements (Russian Yermolov's 5th (Guard) Corps and the French 1st Light Cavalry Division and 1st Brigade (23th Division))  may enter as reinforcements. Use 2D6 for the Arrival Turn (p. 91 of e-Lasalle). The units arrive in march or attack column as desired. Each commander arrives with his first unit.
Russians
Each brigade arrives separately. Baggage units enter simultaneously in march column formation (they take 10 turns to clear the table).
Arrival point. Infantry A3-A4-A5 (30%/30%/40%); Cavalry A1-A2-A3-A4 (15%/20%/25%/40%); Baggage A5-road
French
Each brigade arrives separately.
Arrival point. Infantry D1-D2 (40%/60%); Cavalry B1-C1-D1-D2 (10%/20%/30%/40%)

Optional rule for baggage units (As for my suggestion in Lasalle e-book p. 143)
(1) The wagon moves as if it were a foot artillery unit, always limbered.
(2) The wagon neither fires nor can charge the enemy. It has only one formation: limber. It does not block line of sight or fire. It may not be fired upon.
(3) Friendly units may move through it, as they move through a limbered artillery unit.
(4) Any enemy unit - regular or irregular - may charge the wagon, as long as that unit is eligible to charge (it is in a formation that permits it to charge, it is facing the right way, etc.)
(5) In its reaction phase, the wagon may attempt a Fall Back, as if it were a foot artillery limber. It succeeds on a roll of 4+, but if attacked by enemy cavalry, it must re-roll a success, even if within 1BW of friendly infantry.
(6) If it fails to fall back, then the wagon is automatically captured in the ensuing combat. Combat must be “resolved” against it, as if against any other unit, but the resolution consists simply of removing the wagon, advancing the enemy unit(s) that captured it 2BW, and awarding the captured Objective to the enemy.
(7) Any enemy unit that contacted the wagon suffers 1DISR, unless that would break it. (The men are dispersed, plundering the loot). The unit must then take a discipline test. If it fails, it is marked in some way, showing that it is disordered and still plundering.
(8) A unit that is still plundering is considered “Out of Command” for the entirety of its side’s next turn.

Optional rule: Irregular cavalry (Cossacks)
1) Irregular cavalry units may charge enemy units standing in 'limbered' or 'march column' formation in open terrain.
2) Irregular cavalry units must to pass a 'Discipline' test to initiate the charge in open terrain.
3) If routed in 'decisive combat', the irregular cavalry unit is immediately broken.

Victory conditions
The Russian aim is to retreat into Bohemia with the two baggage units and the largest possible number of combat units, while the French should try to avoid it. The C1 square is an Objective for the game and the rules of p. 67 and 91 (e-Lasalle) are of application.

Next the gaming table itself!

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Pirna. The forces in action

The Pirna Scenario will be a fighting retreat: the French must avoid the Russian retreat towards Bohemia. Russain mix of forces was commanded by Ostermann-Tolstoi and the french by Vandamme

Russian forces
16 Battalions/5 Regiments/3 Cossacks/ 6 batteries
Initial Army Moral 37, Break point 12; Total Army Moral 52, Break point 17

Ostermann-Tolstoy

C-i-C Osterman-Tolstoy (+1/-)
2nd Corps Wurttemberg (-1/¶)
3rd Division Schachafskoy (-1/-)
1st Brigade Salfinski (-/-)
  1/Revel IR R/E/SK1
  2/Revel IR R/E/SK1
  1/4th Jaeger R/E/SK2
  2/4th Jager R/E/SK2
2nd Brigade Wolf (-/¶)
  1/Mourman IR R/E/SK1
  2/Mourman IR R/E/SK1
  1/Tchernigov IR R/E/SK1
  2/Tchernigov IR R/E/SK1
4th Division Pischnitzky (+1/*)
1st Brigade Treffurt (+1/¶)
  1/Tobolsk IR R/E/SK1
  2/Tobolsk IR R/E/SK1
  1/Minsk IR R/E/SK1
  2/Minsk IR R/E/SK1
Position Bat #5 Foot/4guns/H/1Hw
Light Bat. #13 Foot/4guns/M/1Hw

Cavalry Corps Pahlen III (-1/¶)
Cossack Brigade: Kuriatov (+1/-)
  Rabinov #2 S/I/Pu
  Jagodin #2 S/I/Pu
  Gorin #2 S/I/Pu
1st Hussar Division Milesinov (-/*)
1st Brigade Rüdinger (-/¶)
  Grodno HR V/E/Pu
  Soum HR V/E/Pu
2nd Brigade Schufanov (-1/-)
  Loubny HR V/E/Pu
Horse B #6 Horse/3guns/M/2Hw
Horse B #7 Horse/3guns/M/2Hw

Reinforcements
5th (Guard Corps) Yermolov (-1/¶)
1st Guard Division Rosen (+1/-)
1st Brigade Potemkin (-/-)
  1/Preobragenski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  2/Preobragenski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  1/Semenovski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  2/Semenovski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
Guard Position Bat #2 Foot/4guns/H/1Hw
Guard Light Bat. #1 Foot/4guns/M/1Hw

Guard Cavalry Brigade Saxe-Coburg (-/¶)
  Empress Cuirassiers V/E/Sh/Guard
  Guard Uhlans V/E/Sh/Guard +
Two baggage wagon train units

French forces
French II Corps
18 Battalions/6 Regiments/6 Batteries
Initial Army Moral 41 Break point 14; Total Army Moral 57, Break point 19

Vandamme

C-i-C Vandamme (+1/-)
1st Division Philippon(-/*)
1e Brigade Puchelon(-/¶)
  1/37e Légère R/A/SK1 +
  2/37e Légère R/A/SK1
  1/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
2e Brigade Fezenzac (-/¶)
  1/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  1/36e Légère R/A/SK1 +
8/2e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
15/9e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
2nd Division Dumonceau (-/¶)
1e Brigade Dunesme (+1/-)
  1/13e Légère R/A/SK1 +
  2/13e Légère R/A/SK1
  1/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
23/3e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
Reserve Artillery
9/8e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/H/1Hw
6/7e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/H/1Hw

21 Light Cavalry Brigade Gobrecht (-1/-)
  9e Chev-Lg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/ln
  Anhalt Jager zu Pferd R/A/Pu
2/4e Horse Artillery Horse 2Guns/M/1Hw

Reinforcements
1e Light Cavalry Division (I Cavalry Corps) Corbineau (-/-)
2nd Light Cavalry Brigade Montmarie (-/*)
  16e Chassers a Cheval Regiment R/A/Pu
  3e Chev-Leg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/Ln
3rd Light Cavalry Brigade Heimrodt (+1/-)
  5e Chev-Leg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/Ln
  Italian Chasseurs à Cheval R/A/Pu

1e Brigade (23rd Division) Quiot (+1/-)
  1/85e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/85e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/55e Ligne R/A/SK1
  4/55e Ligne R/A/SK1

Next the map and the Scenario rules

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Pirna: a new Lasalle project

Taken from Nafziger

The Allied main army, including the three coalition heads, the sovereigns of Austria, Prussia and Russia, has been defeated at Dresden by Napoleon, after a two-day battle ((26 - 27 August, 1813). The Allied C-i-C, Schwarzenberg, has ordered that the Allied forces will retire, in three columns, in southern direction towards Bohemia. In that way, the Allied forces will reorganize behind a protecting mountain screen in order to return immediately to the offensive. Additionally, that retrogradous movement will drag behind him as many as possible Imperial forces, thus facilitating the efforts of the remaining Allied armies (North and Silesia) which, according to the Trachtenberg plan, are succesfully operating against the Emperor's lieutenants in other areas of Saxony.
However, the eastern Osterman-Tolstoy's Russian column, formed by the 2nd (Württemberg) and 5th (Yermolov) Corps, is under the threat of Vandamme’s II Corps. The French commander, after crossing the Elbe River in Koniggstein, is menacing to cut the roads leading to  Bohemia in the Pirna area (See the enclosed map). The outnumbered Russians, were forced to make a fighting withdrawal, cutting their way through the French, leaving them behind and reaching the Bohemian mountain passes.
This Lasalle Scenario is based on that combat. The Russian forces will a mix of units of the Württemberg 2nd and Yermolov 5th (Guard) Corps. The French units will belong to the Vandamme's reinforced II Corps. The French will enjoy both, a slight numerical superiority and the possibility of the arrival of outflanking reinforcements.

Bibliography
G.F. Nafziger. “Napoleon at Dresden: The Battles of August 1813”. The Emperor Press, Chicago, 1994
D. Smith. “Napoleonic Wars Data Book”. Greenhill Books, London, 1998
G. Fabry. “Journal des Campagnes du Prince du Württemberg 1812-1814”, Chapelot, Paris, 1907

Watch this space!

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