Photo by Ed Sansing

The battlefield looking west (I don't know if that corresponds to the actual direction on the real thing but that's the direction toward the front of the store).

Historical Background

LEIPZIG 16 OCTOBER 1813 - Area - Around the Village of Gschwitz.

Charles, Prince of Schwartzenberg, commanding the allied armies, has ordered the Prussian II Army Corps (General Kleist Commanding) to attack the French lines around the Village of Gaschwitz. Kleist first sent in his 11th and 12th Brigades with his reserve cavalry under Roder. Commanding this area for the French was General Bertrand with the IV Corps. This was a mixed corps. of Italians, Wurttembergers, and French. Bertrand seeing only two brigades counter attacked. He did not realize that the Prussians had committee their reserve cavalry, and the results were devastating. Schwarzenberg, seeing the French breaking, sent in his Russo-Prussian reserve, the Guards, the Austrian II Corp under General Merveldt, and the remaining two brigades, the 9th and 10th of Kleist's Prussian corps. Our battle starts here!

How we set up the game

We begin in the middle of the first turn. The Allies have already moved and the French are reacting. Larry Reeves, the Game-master showed the players the original line of battle on the table. The French set up their forces there. The Italians were on the left, the forces of Wurtemburg were in the middle and the French troops were on the right. Then the each French player rolled a D6 for each Battalion. This is to determine the results of the previous parts of the battle (which we did not game.)

• If the D6 result was one that battalion had to immediately move back two full moves and was routed, facing away from the allies. Then the player rolled another D6 to see how many casualties the battalion had taken in the earlier fighting.
• If the D6 roll was two or three the battalion would fall back two moves, facing away from the allies and was in Disorder. The battalion suffered half of a D6 of casualties.
• If the D6 roll was four, five, or six the battalion would fall back one move, retaining its facing towards the enemies, and with no Casualties.

At this point the Allies could set up anywhere, but no closer than one foot (12 inches) from the closest French Battalion. The Russians deployed on the allied right, the Austrians in the middle and the Prussians on the left. All of these battalions/regiments were fresh troops. General Kliest has withdrawn the 11th 12th and Reserve Cavalry from the field after thier (pre-battle) success.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The French have set up and the Allies are forming. The French and their allies had to roll on a table supplied by the game master to determine their condition at the start of the game. The conditions varied from disordered to routing with casualties. The French rolled fairly well with only 3-4 units in rout status. In the foreground are the Italians. The middle was held by the Wurts(?) and at the far end was the French.

Photo by Ed Sansing

A close-up of the enemy facing the French on the east end of the table. Notice the yellow 'Disordered' markers on all the French units.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The Allied commanders contemplating their coming demise.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The French commanders (minus you know who) plotting their strategy. Travis, who played Napoleon, is getting into character by being small.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The field looking from the west as the Allies move out toward the French.

Photo by Ed Sansing

Light troops move out into the space between the battle lines.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The French right, mostly Italians stiffened by the Young Guard, has formed squares to try and ward off the opposing cavalry.

Photo by Ed Sansing

A close-up of troops in the center of the battlefield.

Photo by Ed Sansing

A swirling cavalry/infantry melee on the French left.

Photo by Ed Sansing

A view of the middle and French right. The French objective was to establish a new line. The plan was to anchor the right flank and allow the middle and left to slowly move back.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The fighting in the middle.The French allies have pulled back south of the road under pressure.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The middle has fallen back but is being reinforced with French cavalry.

Photo by Ed Sansing

The end of the Italians. At the end of the battle most of the Italians were destroyed but they slowed the Russians and kept his cavalry out of the French rear. Please note (says the Russian Commander) that the Russian Cuirassiers were poised to move against the French left flank and rear if the game had continued!

The Russian player was the only one of the allies that really enjoyed his day. The French on the right crossed the small river and beat the Prussians badly. The Austrians in the center suffered terrible casualties and never got thier artillery to advance properly and masked their own guns when the Austrian foot advanced.

The Russian player obtained artillery superiority and ground up the French satellite troops. But the allies paid for this by the destruction of their left (the Prussians). It was GOOD to be the Russians (Jay Stribling)!

More top come!

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