The combat is finished
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| A French fantassin knocks down the last Cossack ... |
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| ... while the Prussian is dismounted by a French shot ... |
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| ... but he re-mounts and leads his Fusiliers towards the safety |
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| ... running from the French... |
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| .. which remain in the field |
A cavalry melee is formed when the French hussars pursue the Cossacks towards the houses.
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| The French hussars catch the cossacks defending the houses |
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| The two cossacks make recoil the lone hussar |
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| Two more hussards join the melee knocking-down one cossack, but the remaining cossack finishes one hussar. |
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| ... whereas the other cossack stands up again while facing the French |
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| The confused melee continues and a cossack is knocked-down from his horse... |
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| ...and, finally, both cossacks are dismounted... |
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| ... while the approaching French infantrymen fire into the mele, wounding one cossack |
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| ... although he buys the time necessary to allow the last cossack to mount and reject the hussars. |
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| A lucky Fusilier shot woundes the French officer, forcing the retreat of the last hussar |
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| The Allied have stopped the French attack |
The French Chasseurs advance along the road to the cemetery, shooting and driving back the Cossacks
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| A volley kills a Cossack... |
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| ... and a second kills another... |
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| ...with a third fininshing the third one! |
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| The enemy riders face off in several individual combats ... |
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| ... favoring one side... |
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| ..or another... |
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| .... but the fighting quality of the regular French Hussars.. |
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| ... forces the retreat of the Cossacks |
The battlefield and troops for this Song of Drums and Shakos Scenario are ready.
At the first lights of October 11, 1813, three Cossacks are watching the western (cemetery) road, whereas other three are in the south approach. The Russian NCO at command of the Cossack contingent remains in the cabin log (under the effects of the vodka!!). On the other hand,the Prussians have placed only two sentinels and all the contingent is still in the house.
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While the trap is closing behind him at Leipzig, Napoleon is trying to catch the elusive Bernadotte’s Army of the North in the banks of the Mulde River *. A small mixed squad sent by the Souham French IV Corps is scouting towards Polnitz and has found a small hamlet occupied by Prussian forces from the Dobschutz 4th Prussian Brigade.
The French party is commanded by the lieutenant Breton (10th Hussars) and includes sergeant Dupuis, 3 privates of the 10me Hussards as well as sergeant Lefevre and 6 privates (3/2me Légere IR). The Prussian rearguard patrol is commanded by lieutenant Mueller, sergeant Kroos and 6 privates of the 3/3th Reserve IR and includes also sergeant Ulianov and 6 men from the Karpov#2 Cossacks.
This is a Scenario for Song of Drums and Shakos from Ganesha Games
* This skirmish game was played in the context of the Dessau Lasalle Scenario
Terrain
The series of skirimish games French vs. Russians in the Campaign of Nations is drawn (3-3), and Murdock ruled that this humble wargamer would play a tie-break to decide the winner side. I decided to play again the 'Probing Patrols' Scenario with exchanged roles. See below the changes to the Scenario:
The Probing Patrol (September, 1813)
Historical background
Somewhere in Saxony, the French and Russian light cavalry units are scouting the terrain between both armies, trying to gather information about the whereabouts and composition of the enemy.
The French General Fournier has sent a patrol formed by hussars of several regiments (1e., 3e. and 5e. Hussards) * under the Lieutenant Lasserre from the 5e. Hussards to scout towards Lubben in search of information about the identity and numbers of the Allied forces facing him. Near the main road, there is a little inn at the banks of a stream spanned by a plank bridge. The inn and the near cabin log, seems occupied by a patrol of the Soumy Hussars Regiment*, under the Lieutenant Novikov.
This is a Scenario for Song of Drums and Shakos from Ganesha Games
* This skirmish game was played in the context of the Murdorck’s Campaign of Nations The “real units” involved were the Russian Alexandria Hussars and the Italian 2nd Principe Real Reggimento de Cacciatori a Cavallo
Terrain (same as the first game)
The stream and drainage ditch are broken terrain, fordable for mounted men. Wooded areas, out of the roads, are also broken terrain.
Engaged Forces
French (1e., 3e. and 5e. Hussards).1 Officer, 1 NCO, 1 Trumpeter, 10 Privates. 13 men 620 points
Russians (Soumy Hussars).1 Officer, 1 NCO, 1 Trumpeter, 4 lance-armed and 5 carbine-armed Privates. 12 men 604 points
Deployment
French. Must deploy at the East (right) side of the game-table behind the line of Woods.
Russians. Roll 1D4 for the number of vedettes deployed and covering the approaches. The lieutenant, the trumpeter and 1D4 are dismounted near the house. The NCO and 1D6 are dismounted near the cabin. The remaining men (if any) are behind the cabin and house. Only the sentinels are mounted.
Victory conditions
Both sides have the same objective: to deny the enemy any information, so the winner will be the side remaining on the battlefield. No Morale checks are allowed.
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| The Russians lie nonchalantly at rest in the inn and cabin area |
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| The French flanking party overwhelms the lone Russian sentinel and the sergeant Pinaud kills him |
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| A general melee follows, with the Sergeant Pinaud finishing the Russian sergeant! |
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| The heroic French NCO is the lone survivor of his patrol and retires while fighting |
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| In the main bridge, there is another combat, with both sides exchanging carbine fire ... |
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| ... and the French become victorius in this area and cross the bridge at run |
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| The French and Russian remining men fight in the central área, between the two bridges... |
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| ... until a French private wounds the lieutenant Novikov... GAME OVER! |
A bloody skirmish took place this morning on the outskirts of the village of Herrnhut near Dubben. A patrol from the Soumy Hussars, under the command of lieutenant Novikov, surprised and completely routed a French patrol, formed by men of several hussar regiments, under the lieutenant Lasserre (from 5e. Hussards). Both squads were scouting in front of their respective armies, seeking for information.
According to local sources, the French were ravaging the farm of the local lutheran pastor, protected by a weak sentinel line posted in a near stream. The Russians approached under the cover of the wood and took the unprepared French by surprise, overwhelming the sentinels and crossing the stream. After sounding the alarm, the French tried to stop the Russians, but the superior fencing ability and weaponry of these lasts, tipped the scales in their favor.
Special mention must be given to the fact that some Russians hussars were armed with lances, and precisely the private Smolensk was who used his lance to seriously injure the Lieutenant Lasserre, ending the fight.
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| The French hussars nonchlantly at rest in the farm and cabin |
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| The Russians cross the stream attacking the lone sentinel over the small bridge |
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| The French trumpeter is attacked by two Russians at the large bridge |
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| A lone lance-armed Russian hussars fighting against three enemies |
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| The private Smolensk using his lance to wound the lieutenant Lasserre |
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| The remaining French are taken to captivity |
Murdock (from Murdock's Marauders fame) is playing a Napoleonic campaign game set during the Campaign of Leipzig, that you can follow on his blog (see the previous link) and also at the Campaign of Nations blog.
A peculiarity of this campaign is that, occasionally, the Game Master asks for collaboration to non-participiant players, to play skirmish games to simulate outpost affaires between opposing cavalry screens, as a way to acquire information prior to a battle. I have participated once in such effort (see this link) and I was forced to decline his invitation in another occasion, due to job. However, Murdock still trust me! and has asked me again, along other wargamers.
This time, the skirmish will simulate the clash between the Russian Alexandria Hussars and the 2nd Italian Chasseurs a Cheval regiments, near Dubben in Saxony. Both sides are seeking for information about the composition and strength of the enemy forece facing them. However, Murdock has allow me to change the involved units: Soumy hussars vs. a mixed patrol of French hussars in a new Song of Drums and Shakos Scenario:
The Probing Patrol (September, 1813)
Historical background
Somewhere in Saxony, the French and Russian light cavalry units are scouting the terrain between both armies, trying to gather information about the whereabouts and composition of the enemy.
The Russian Generalmajor Tschaplitz has sent a patrol of the Soumy Hussars Regiment*, under the Lieutenant Novikov, to scout towards Lubben seeking for information about the identity and numbers of the French facing him. Near the main road, lies a small farm with a cabin log in the banks of a small stream. There is activity near the farm: a mixed patrol of French Hussars* (1e., 3e. and 5e. Hussards) under the Lieutenant Lasserre from the 5e. Hussards, has arrived in search of provisions.
This is a Scenario for Song of Drums and Shakos from Ganesha Games
* This skirmish game was played in the context of the Murdorck’s Campaign of Nations The “real units” involved were the Russian Alexandria Hussars and the Italian 2nd Principe Real Reggimento de Cacciatori a Cavallo
Terrain
We are now in the middle of the bicentennial of the Leipzig's Campaign, the reason behind this blog.
After the end of the Armistice of Poischwitz (August 16, 1813) and with the incoporation of the Austrian Empire to the 6th Coalition, the Allies began the implementation of the Plan of Trachtenberg, avoiding direct confrontation with Napoleon, retreating if necessary, but attacking his lieutenants whenever they were in inferiority.
This plan was successful, and the Allied victories followed one after another, until the Allied armies encircled and defeated the Emperor at Lepizig (16-19 October 1813), forcing him back to the Rhine and thus finishing a campaign that would eventually end with the Napoleon's abdication, when the Allies went into France in the winter of 1813-1814.
I have solo playedt many of these battles, along with some other real or ficiticious minor engagements. The 'big' battles were played at brigade great-tactical scale with Napoleon's Battles (NB), whereas the minor engagements were fought with my own tactical divisional or regimental version of NB or with Lasalle, the ruleset I have finally adopted for these divisional-size affaires. Song of Drums and Shakos, the last incoporation to my rulesets, is being used for skirmish combats.
Whereas this blog is mainly used for the day-to-day description of my wargaming activities, the full AAR's and pictures, can be found at the main web site Wargaming with Napoleonic Miniatures. The list of played battles and combats is large, and although the bicentennial of the Campaign of Leipzig will end the next december, I expect to increase it in the next years to come. Visit the following links for the Scenarios played with Napoleon's Battles, Lasalle and Song of Drums and Shakos
Below you can see pictures of some of these old games played at three different scales
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| Dresden (1st day) played with Napoleon's Battles |
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| Connewitz (Battle of Leipzig) played with Lasalle |
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| Surprise at Kosen (Austrian Grenzers vs. French Chasseurs) played with Song of Drums and Shakos |
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!
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