A bloody skirmish took place this morning on the outskirts of the village of Herrnhut in northern Saxony. A Cossack patrol, from the Denisov #7 Cossack Regiment, surprised and completely routed a similar Polish patrol formed by men of the Krakus Light Cavalry Regiment. Both squads were scouting in front of their respective armies searching for information.
The ambushed Cossack have fallen on the surprised Krakus
According to local sources, the Russian Lieutenant Uvarov stood hidden in a small wood with the bulk of his men, while the rest of his squad, led by his NCO, dismounted and remained hidden in a nearby log cabin, from where fired their muskests against the Poles that, led by Lieutenant Kaminski, advanced in two groups separated by a few hundred meters.
The Poles were taken aback by the unexpectedCossack fire and, before they recovered, were charged by the ambushed Cossacks. After a series of bloody individual melees, the Krakus were slaughtered, suffering one dead and seven wounded, for only one killed and three wounded in the Cossack ranks.
The Krakus leaving the field in a very ignominiously way
Only Lieutenant Uminski and one of his privates were able to leave the field, closely pursued by the triumphant Cossacks. It is said that french HC is considering the poor performance of the Polish light cavalrymen, attributed (according the same sources) to the lack of carbines and musketoons in their weaponry but also to the to poor planning and cowardice of the young and inexpert Polish ADC.
For the Tsar and the Holy Mother Russia!
Taken from "The Courier of the Steppes" web site
So (for Murdock and friends) ALLIES 1 - FRENCH 0
A more detailed report will follow!
Murdock (from Murdock's Marauders fame) is playing a Napoleonic campaign game set around the Campaign of Leipzig, that you can follow at the Campaign of Nations blog.
In his last post, Murdock describes how the Game Master has found a way to simulate the acquisition of information by means of scouting parties. A 7 game skirmish series, will be played by Allied and French players, and "the winner of four of the games will get to have the enemy information and preserve their own secret".
This led to an interesting exchange of comments about rulebooks and mechanisms, and at last Murdock proposed me to play one of the 7 games as a solo game and using Song of Drums and Shakos. Details of units and strengths were quickly exchanged during a frenetic series of e-mails, and this is the final result:
The Probing Patrol (September, 1813)
Historical background
Somewhere in Saxony, the French and Allied light cavalry units are scouting the terrain between both armies, trying to gather information about the whereabouts and composition of the enemy.
The Polish General Uminski has sent a patrol of the 1st squadron of the Krakus Regiment, under their young ADC Lieutenant Kaminski, to scout towards the village of Herrnhut. Past the cemetery, the road leading the village crosses a stream and a drainage ditch through a plank bridge. There is a lone cabin log on the far bank at left and a small wood at the right flank and the Poles, fearing an ambush, approaches cautiously to the water stream.
Meanwhile and hidden in the wood, lieutenant Uvarov (a young aristocrat serving as ADC to Majorgeneral Tetteborn) watches the approaching Poles, while his men, veterans from the Denisov #7 Cossack Regiment, are awaiting his signal to fall over their ancestral enemies..
Terrain
I have uploaded to the main site, the Scenario and the AAR and pictures of this combat.
The Prussians are advancing carefully through the wood of Paris, in the three columns prescribed by Bulow (See the previous post).
However the alarm is fired: a French batallion has been discovered blocking the pass of the central column. The Landwehr cavalry squadrons immediately charge home to screen the deployment of the infantry, but they are repulsed and fall back in disorder.
The Prussian infantry is deploying to overcome the menace, but it is a Landwehr unit and its performance is unknown. Meanwhile, the Prussian main column continues its march in haste, to exit the wood.
Watch this space!
At last I have uploaded the pictures and the AAR of Wiederitzsch at the main web site.
You can watch it at The battle of Wiederitzsch.
Enjoy!
The battle of Wiederitzsch has finished after 32 turns, i.e. aproximately 4 hours of fight. Since none of the contenders did reached its moral broken level, the battle is a draw.
The French-Baden light cavalry is protecting the retreat of the French foot artillery towards the small bridge, whereas the Russian cavalry is watching and the Russian infantry has become entangled in the wood.
The French centre is solidly anchored between the stream and Gross Wiederitzsch
In the French left flank, the French light cavalry and horse artillery are keeping the Russians bottlened.
All in all, the Russians have been left without reserves and although the battle is technically a draw, the French position seems more solid.
After some indecisive rounds, both contenders have almost reached their limits, being one unit away from their Moral breakpoint and the battle is slowly coming to end.
At Kleing-Wiederitzsch, the Russian infantry trying to exit from the village has become fixed by the presence of French light cavalry.
Meanwhile, the infantry of the French III Corps is retiring behind the stream, protected by the Corps cavalry and under the pressure of the Russian cavalry.
In the centre, the French-Polish cavalry is covering the retreat of the infantry of the III Corps, while fill the gap in the centre.
The end is near but the final decision is contested!
The battle of La Albuera was the bloodiest battle of the Peninsular War. An Allied force commanded by Beresford and containing 39,000 British, Spanish and Portuguese with 48 guns, faced a French force of 24,000 men and 48 guns commanded by the Marshall Soult.
This battle is part of the British epic (see for example Die hard) and only in recent years, the Spanish participation has started to receive the due acknowledgements. Both sides claimed the victory, although actually the battle was an Allied tactic victory.
The battle is profusely covered in internet and it is very interesting to make a comparison of the French, Spanish and British versions of the battle, as shown in the respective Wikipedia pages:
French version: Bataille d'Albuera
Spanish version: Batalla de La Albuera
British version: Battle of Albuera
A refight of La Albuera using Napoleon's Battles can be seen at my web site: La Albuera (May 16, 1811).
The game resulted in a Substantial Allied Victory and was very different to the real battle. The Spanish Guard and Foreign infantry units fought very well and were the key to the French rout. On the contrary, the Anglo-Portuguese infantry units behaved very badly and only the sacrifice of the Spanish cavalry avoided the collapse of the Allied flank. The British cavalry (both Light and Heavy) fought following their historical role and were finally dispersed. No square was broken and the Lancers of the Vistula were routed by the British Heavy Dragoons.
It is a pity that history can not be so easily re-written!
The Russian artillery is maintaining at bay to the French/Polish forces in Wiederitzsch. Thus, the Polish Uhlans have been destroyed after making a suicidal frontal charge against the Russian heavy guns.
And almost simultaneously, the Russian horse artillery has achieved a lucky target, destroying a French divisonal battery. These large Russian batteries with their licornes are too powerful.
The French forces in the right flank are retiring under the protection of the French/Baden Light cavalry and its half horse battery
But the Russian Jagers have routed and broken the 145th Ligne in the wood, like in the real life, and menacing to outflank the retiring French/Baden cavalry.
The battle is still raging and the victory is dubious.
A French horse artillery achieved a very unusual success near Klein Wiederitzsch. The first salvo of the one-half battery attached to the Fournier cavalry addressed against the Russian 15th Heavy Foot Artillery, resulted in the total destruction of this last.
Although the target was at long distance, the number of dice was doubled because the target was in limbered formation. Four dice were rolled obtaining four six! so the battery was broken.
The gun is roaring at Wiederezitsch and the Polish inafntry is forced by the Russians to leave its advanced position in the cemetery, and to take refuge in Klein Wiederitzsch.
Meanwhile in the center, the Russian cavalry has crossed the small stream under the fire of the Polish artillery, and the Russian Mounted Jagers are fighting the Polish Uhlans, that are forced to retire in the first stages of the mele because of the weigth of the numbers.
But the Polish Uhlans, with the help of its horse artillery, recover and reject their 'hereditary enemies'.
Dombrowsky is maintaning his position against the Russians... at least by now!
Both sides have deployed at Wiederitzsch. The Polish have occupied Klein Wiederitzsch, placing one battalion at the cemetery and one in the village itself. The other wo battalions of the Dombrwosky's division are in reserve in the space between the twin villages. The Polish/French light cavaly is deployed on both flanks, whereas the French "heavy" cavalry (really "dragons d'Espagne") are in the rearguard.
The Langeron's forces are menacing the front of the Wiederiztsch with the infantry, whereas the cavaly is trying to outflank the position.
The scene is ready for the fight and both sides are expecting reinforcements.
The actual shape of the table game is always slightly different from the first sketch. In the case of Wiederitzsch the terrain is almost flat and the geographical features are few: some low hills, a wood, a stream and the two twin villages of Klein (little) and Gross (Big) Wiederitzsch.
The pictures show three views of the final battlefield. The cemetery adds another place to fight, whereas the windmill is only added for aesthetic reasons.
Now for the deployment!
After a Peninsular break of near five months long, the moment has arrived for a return to the Campaign of Leipzig. The battle has been chosen by my Argentinian friend Armand d'Arc which acting as my Chief-of-Staff (my particular Jomini) has found the battle of Wiederitzsch.
This combat was part of the battle of Mockern, fought during the first day of the battle of Leipzig (October 16, 1813) between the Bluecher’s Army of Silesia and the Marmont’s VI Corps. The forces involved at Wiederitzsch were the Dombrowski’s (in polish Jan Henryk Dąbrowski) 27th Polish division reinforced by the Delmas’s division of the Souham’s III Corps (escorting the baggage train of the III Corps towards Leipzig) and the Langeron's Russian Army Group.
For the OOB, I have used the books of Digby Smith and George Nafziger as a basis, but removing some brigades to make the battle manageable for Lasalle.
Polish/French Army Moral 42 ; Break point 14
11 Battalions/7 Regiments/5 Batteries
27th (Polish) Division Dombrowski (+1/-)
Infantry Brigade Zoltowski (+1/*)
1/2nd [P] Reg R/E/SK2
2/2nd [P] Reg R/E/SK2
1/4th [P] Reg R/E/SK2
2/4th [P] Reg R/E/SK2
Cavalry Brigade Krukowiecki (+1/*)
2nd CheCHL Reg V/E/Pu/La
4th ChasChe Reg R/A/Pu
Artillery
1st [P] FA Foot/2 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
2nd [P] HA Horse/2 cannons/Medium/1 Hw
6th LC Division Fournier (-/-)
Mixed R/A/Pu
Mixed Hussars R/E/Pu
1/2 Horse Artillery Horse/2 cannons/Medium
1st Brigade 4th HC Division Avice(+1/*)
Mixed Dragoons R/E/Sh/Pu (+)
Reinforcementes
9th Division Delmas (-/-)
1st Brigade Esteve (-/*)
1/2nd Prv Leg Reg R/E/SK2
1/136th Ligne Reg R/E/SK2
2/136th Ligne Reg R/A/SK1
2nd Brigade Maran (+1/*)
1/138th Ligne Reg R/E/SK2
2/138th Ligne Reg R/A/SK1
1/145th Ligne Reg R/E/SK2
2/145th Ligne Reg R/A/SK1
Artillery
2/9th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannons/ Medium/ 1 How
11/9th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannons/ Medium/ 1 How
23th LC Division Beurmann (-/-)
10th Hussar Reg R/E/Pu
Baden Dr Reg S/A/Pu
1/2 Horse Artillery Horse/2 cannons/Medium
Baggage Train 3 units
Russian Army Moral 42 Break point 14
12 Battalions/7 Regiments/4 batteries
C-i-C Langeron (-1/-)
Avantgarde Rudzewitsch (-/-)
Cavalry Korff (-/-)
Brigade Emmanuel (-/-)
Kargopol DragR R/E/Pu
Kiev DragR R/E/Pu
Kinburn DragReg R/E/Pu
Brigade Pahlen III (-1/¶) (Edited 23/04/2011)
Derpt MountJag R/E/Pu
Livland Mount Jag R/E/Pu
Cossacks Witt (-/-)
1st Ukrainian Cossacks S/I/Pu
3rd Ukrainian Cosacks S/I/Pu
9th Division Udom II (-1/-)
1st Brigade Poltaratzki (-1/¶)
Naschburg IR R/E/SK1
Apscheronskoi IR R/E/SK1
3rd Brigade Grimblatt (-/*)
Riaschsk IR R/E/SK1
Jager #38 R/E/SK2
Artillery
15th Heavy Foot Artillery Foot/4 cannons/ Heavy/1How
8th Horse Foot Artillery Horse/3 cannons/Medium/2How
X Corps Kapsewitsch (-/-)
8th Division Urusoff (-1/*)
1st Brigade Schenschin (-1/-)
Archangel IR R/E/SK1
Schlüsselbourg IR R/E/SK1
2nd Brigade Rehren (-/¶)
Old Ingermannland IR R/E/SK1
Jager #37 R/E/SK2
Artillery
18th Heavy Foot Artillery Foot/4 cannons/ Heavy/1How
3rd Light Foot Artillery Foot/4 cannons/Medium/1How
Reinforcements
IX Corps Olsusief (-/-)
15th Division Korniloff (+1/*)
1st Brigade Torn (-/-)
Vitebsk IR R/E/SK1
Kaslow IR R/E/SK1
3rd Brigade Tichanowski (+1/*)
Jager #12 R/E/SK2
Jager #22 R/E/SK2
Bibliography
- 1813 Leipzig. Napoleon and the Battle of the Nations. D. Smith. Geenhill Books.2001
- Mémoires de Langeron, Général d'infanterie dans l'armée russe. L.G.F. Paris. 1909
- Journal des opérations des IIIe and Ve Corps en 1813. G. Fabry. Paris. 1902
- Napoleon at Leipzig. The Battle of Nations 1813. G. Nafziger. Chicago. 1996
The forces are similar in size and capacities, so the battle promises to be a very bloody affaire.
The battle of Connewitz-Dölitz has finished with a drawn.
That result is really a rout for the Austrians: (1) they have suffered more losses than the defending French-Polish (5 large infantry vs. 3 small and one large infantry units); (2) they were only to one point from their Army Morale breakpoint when the game finished and above all (3) they have not achieved none of their objectives, the crossing points at Connewitz and/or Dölitz.
The main reason behind this failure has been the rough nature of the terrain in the proximity of the bridges, that forced the Austrians to leave behind the supporting artillery during their approaching to the bridges. On the contrary, the French-Polish forces, moving always over open terrain, were able to concentrate the reinforcements in the crossing points, making the most of their artillery, that literally swept away several Austrian battalions located in the opposite bank (See the above picture showing the terrain near Connewitz).
The difficult task given to the assaulting infantry units, forced to use inefficient march column formations (See this post) was also a very significant factor in the Austrian rout. Thus, until four assaults were launched against Connewitz and one against Dölitz and all were easily repulsed by the French or Polish garrisons. However, the Austrian assault against the Dölitz Manor from the west side, succeed at the first attempt.
During the actual battle, the Austrians were also unable to take the bridges at Connewitz although they succeed in crossing the river at Dölitz, only to be repulsed by a French counter-attack, that left General Meerfeldt, the Austrian C-i-C in this zone of the battlefield, as prisoner in French hands allowing him to play a role as messenger between Napoleon and the Allied sovereigns.
Therefore Lasalle almost replicated exactly the actual result of the battle. Using the Rosbif words in a previous post "I find that's the sign of a good rule set, when taking all factors into account, the result reflects reality."
In the next days, I'll upload all the narrative and pictures to the main web site.
The hours are slowly passing and the Austrians are not achieving none of their objectives.
The terrain in front of Connewitz has become a slaughterhouse, with several Austrian or French battalions reduced to a debris of wounded and killed. The Austrians are still in front of the town trying a last assault, but are suffering staggering losses because of the French direct and enfilading fire.
Only at Dölitz are the Austrians achieving some local success: the Manor is in their hands and a Polish assault has failed before the determined Austrian defense.
The sunset is slowly coming and the battle will fade away.
The battle is still raging in front of Connewitz. The Austrian battalions have deployed in line to answer the fire of the French artillery, forcing it to limber up and make a hasty retreat behind the arriving French infantry. Meanwhile, more Austrian infantry is forming to attack again the bridge leading into Connewitz. 
In Dölitz, the Poles are maintaining the Austrian infantry at bay with the help of fire of the enfilading fire of the French artillery near the river and over the hill. Several Austrian columns are converging towards the zone, but the Polish infantry is ready to cross the bridge, to take the Manor House from Austrian hands.
The result is uncertain whereas the day is slowly passing by.
The Dölitz sector of the battle of Connewitz is being like a nightmare for Poniatowski. After the rout of the 1/1st [Polish] Regiment at the hands of the Austrian 2/W. Colloredo Nr. 56 IR in the scrub surrounding the Manor, the 2/1st [Polish] Regiment, defending the Manor's walls, has been dispersed by the joint attack of the 1st and 2nd battalions of this same Colloredo Nr. 56 IR.
In the meantime, in the Connewitz sector, the Lefol's French 1/54th Line Regiment has been dispersed by the Austrian musketry fire of the 2/Graf Bellegarde Nr. 44 IR, that is now charging a French bataillon de marche near the Connewitz bridge.
The things are going really bad for the French/Polish!
Before to leave for the Pyrenees, I played a pair of moves of Connewitz combat. Summarising the situation: the French engineers have blown out the Connewitz main bridge over the Pleisse
but the Austrian are crossing in force using the neighboring upstream bridge
and by the bridge at Oetzsch, whereas a, French captured, Austrian bridge train is approaching the zone.
The combat does not look well for the French-Polish forces.
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