Our 15mm Napoleonic Battle Game
The Game-master, Larry Reeves (on left) ponders a sticky situation with Phil Young (center) and Ed Sansing.
The Desperate Prussian Defense
Using Larry Reeves' If only we could all be Napoleon rules
Photo by Ed Sansing
Looking from South to North before the armies setup. The hill at front center will be the anchor of the Prussian left. The town in the foreground was the one about to fall to the Wurrtemburg, Saxon and Polish contingents at game's end.
Jim Pitts, on right stands almost behind the other town which was the other objective of the French Satellite armies. The stream which as such an obstacle to the Bavarians which tried to take that far-distant town does not show up well in this image.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The massed armies of the French Satellites. Polish lancers in forground were the right flank of the army. The contorted front line mirrors the stream bed. The attacking armies had to set up 12" back from the stream. Brent Voorhees hand in top left of photo is moving the Bavarians who formed the left flank of the attackers.
The Jackson Gamers struggling to defend Berlin from the treacherous attack were:
Photo by Ed Sansing
The stream shows up better in this image. This is the southern half of the Prussian line, commanded by Bill Reiman. The attackers would come from the left side of the image. The bridge, shown in the center, was the only practicable crossing for the attacking artillery. The infantry and cavalry could cross more easily, but the stream was still a defensible obstacle.
The Jackson Gamers commanding the attacking Saxons, Bavarians, Wurttemburgers and Poles were:
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SO, who won the game? We called it a draw, which really means that Prussia won the larger struggle to keep the filthy Frenchmen's German lackies out of Berlin. The French allies victory condition was to cross the stream and take both towns. In the south, Whifield, Sansing, and Young were closing in on the town, and had driven the defenders out of their works, and into the town's streets itself. They had the Wurttemberg, Saxon, and Polish contingents left in German by the Emperor when he went to Spain, along with half of the combined cavalry Division. On the northern flank, the Bavarians FINALLY got across the stream on the last turn of the game, but were some distance from the town, which looked awfully well defended. The Bavarian thrust was the smaller of the two, attacks against the Prussian defenses. They just did not have enough troops or luck in the north. The Prussians defended the stream with great skill and ferocity. The Jackson gamers begin their Saturday games when Hobbytown opens at 10:00am. We game till about 1:30pm then take a lunch break. We resume after 30-45 minutes and end the game around 3:00-3;30pm. this game went till 4:00pm. A good time was had by all, except for the commanders of the Bavarian attack - trying to cross that blood filled stream... |
Photo by Ed Sansing
Phil Young's Polish unit's start their assault on the Prussian left. The yellow rings mark disordered units. In the rules set that we used, any fire casualty inflicted on the unit disorders it. It may still advance, fire, and melee, but with some negative modifiers. The yellow markers that you see are the result of Prussian fire.
The last Prussian battalion shown, on the right of the image, is the extreme Prussian Left flank. The impassible swamp dimly seen on the left of the image marks the center of the field. Three quarters of the French Satellite infantry and guns, and half the cavalry were thrown against this half of the Prussian line.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Polish Lancers attack the Prussian Flank, having forded the river downstream to the right of the area shown.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Bavarian Cavalry assault across the stream in the center. These guys did get across, routing the Prussian infantry in front of them, but were very roughly handled by the Prussian artillery in the turns to come.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The south end of the table watches as the clamour of battle sounds from the northern end of the table...
Photo by Ed Sansing
Jim Pitts orchestrates the desperate defense of the Prussians, in the north, against the Bavarians.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The front of the hill has been cleared by the cavalry who now run upon the guns at the top.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The Polish lancers have cleared the southern hill (the Prussian gunners have left their guns) but run into the refused flank of the infantry. Saxon troops under Ed Sansing and Poles commanded by Phil Young are assaulting across the stream. Now visible in the town are the black "Busch" plumes of Prussian Grenadiers, letting the French Satellite forces know that they still have a lot of enemy to deal with.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The southern front is fully committed. Also the rest of the Polish cav can be seen circling around the south of the town. They are getting ready to engage the Prussian cav.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The assault on the works in front of the southern village. Polish cavalry which had made a long flank march around the Prussian left is engaging in the flank and rear. The yellow colored rings on the units denote disordered status.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The works have been taken and the town will soon follow. Note the confusion surrouding the place. Typical of a town fight! No way to keep the lines dressed or even keep the fields of fire clear!
Photo by Ed Sansing
View from the Rear of the Prussian right, looking over the town. In the north the hill is held by Prussian infantry squares and the village is secured by artillery. The Assaulting forces of Bavarian infantry were severely weakened. The half of the Bavarians that were militia were pretty much destroyed. The Cavalry supporting the northern attack were weakened by the artillery fire which never let up on them.
The Bavarians had lost so much during the crossing the stream, that they were unable to close on that village. After the game's end, we found that the village was packed with Prussian foot guard heavy infantry and probably the Bavarians could not have taken it, even if they had been able to close.
Go to the rules "If only we could all be Napoleon" that we used in this game.
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