Having set myself a goal of painting three Prussian Battalions from the Epic range during July, I was on the hunt for a situation that would accommodate this small force, the beginnings of my Prussian Pocket Army.
A handy place to look for smaller Prussian actions can be found immediately before the Battle of Ligny 16th June 1815, when the advancing French army under Napoleon was contacting the various outposts of Zeiten’s I Corps. From a quick scan of reference material, I picked up enough information to put down a themed scenario on such an outpost coming under pressure.
Background.
As Napoleon’s French troops crossed the Belgian border, a series of skirmish actions erupted as small Prussian outposts were pushed back in by the advancing French. The weight of the advance made it clear that this was the main part of the French army and the Prussians decided that the forward elements of Zeiten’s I Corps should fall back and concentrate at Gilly.
Not far from Gilly, the Prussian 28th Infantry Regiment was positioned on a rise behind a stream on rearguard duty. They would soon be overwhelmed by the French. It was their task to delay the French, but also to retire intact as a rearguard and maintain the cohesion of the regiment.
The letters 'F' and 'M' on the map at the top of the post refer to the Prussian Fusilier and Musketeer battalions. They each count as ‘large’ units. The Prussians also get a company of Jäger infantry that can place anywhere on the table that is also on the friendly side of the stream. The regiment is commanded by von Hictenbrock.
Opposing the position, Général de Brigade Billiand (1st Brigade from Lefol’s 8th Division) has two French line infantry regiments, the 15th Light (Brice) and the 23rd Line (Vernier), each of three battalions, plus Billiand has a battery of foot artillery for support.
Neither side has cavalry in the scenario (though in the real battle, cavalry was present) and only the French have artillery.
This will be a seven turn game. The French get 1 Victory point if reaching the far end of the bridge by the end of turn 3 and 1 VP for every French battalion that exits the road (to Gilly) on the Prussian edge of the table. The Prussians will get ½ VP for each battalion (not the jäger company) that voluntarily moves off the map at the friendly road exit (to Gilly) after turn 5. Both sides will score 1 VP for each enemy unit (not jäger) that is forced to retreat or rout off the table or that is removed from play due to casualties. The side with most VP’s at the end of the seventh turn wins. On a draw, the Prussians win for their rearguard doing so well against such odds!
The Prussians will need to decide at what point to abandon the position and retire ..... if they are lucky enough to get that choice!
The stream is a crossable to infantry, but they must stop when first entering the water and become disordered. The artillery can only cross at the bridge.
The scenario is not too demanding on space, time or collections and particularly suits our Prussian starter force.
Note the table size is just 4´ wide x 3½´ deep.
The Action!
(Above) I dice for where the Prussian Jäger company should go and they are placed in the woods on the Prussian left.
Turn 1. The musketeers in the Centre of the Prussian line (1st Musketeer Battalion) take artillery fire and nervously fall back disordered. A Random Event has caused the 2nd Musketeers to be marked ‘Out of Command’, so they cannot move to cover the 1st Musketeers abandoned position. Has the Prussian position unravelled so soon! The jägers advance out of the woods and line the banks of the stream.
The French advance in assault columns, Brice’s light regiment nearest the viewer and Vernier’s 23rd Line on the far side of the road. Click for slide show.
Turn 2. The French change from column into line and advance, getting ready to attack. 15th Light Regiment (left) enter the stream to attack the high ground ahead, with their 3rd Battalion staying in assault column to strike at the Fusileers. On the right, 23rd Line likewise enter the stream to advance against the high ground, while their 3rd Battalion stays on the road, intending to capture the bridge.
Above - the view from behind the Prussian fusiliers who are holding the right flank.
Turn 3. The French attack gains momentum, but importantly, the fire from the fusiliers on the Prussian right, throw 3rd Battalions assault column back from the stream with heavy casualties (above). The French have more luck over at the bridge, capturing the far side.
Turn 4. The French now closing on the Prussian line, halt and fire at the ridge. Both 1st and 2nd Musketeer battalions reel backwards and Vernier’s 3rd Battalion on the French right, moving up the road, get a foothold on the ridge. The two musketeer regiments quickly rally and counter-attack. One fires in support of the assault and the other charges to contact (above - the firing musketeers are off camera, to the left), but their assault stalls due to the weight of French defensive fire and the Prussians fall back … again!
Turn 5. The Prussians are ordered to start their retreat towards Gilly, but the Fusiliers on the right are struggling to disengage. Facing them and once again back in the stream are Brice’s French 3rd light Battalion and despite very heavy losses, they charge out from the stream and send the relatively well ordered fusiliers tumbling back into the woods. With three French battalions now on the ridge, the fusiliers look like they are about to become isolated and trapped, unable to get to the Gilly road. 1st Musketeers voluntarily leave the table via the Gilly road, with 2nd Musketeers sitting at the table edge, ready to follow them up.
Turn 6. On the French right, they push the jäger back and a line battalion moves down the rear of the ridge towards the road exit, just in time to see 2nd Musketeers leave the table towards Gilly. On the French left, 3rd Battalion who had done a remarkable job in returning to the fray and pushing the fusiliers back, had by now lost all cohesion due to losses. Their morale failing, they routed from the field. The fusiliers attempt to move towards the road, but the now unengaged French Infantry are too thick on the ground - the fusiliers will not be able to escape.
Turn 7. The French 3rd Line Battalion that had been attacking up the road, exits the enemy table edge (the road towards Gilly). Four other French battalions are not far behind and Billiand is ready to pursue the Prussians all the way back to Gilly. The fusiliers, cut off, are forced to surrender.
Casualties in the game. The French suffer 160 losses and the Prussians 170 losses.
Victory Points.
The Prussians get 1 VP for exiting the two musketeer units and 1 VP for causing the rout of a French battalion for a total of 2 VPs.
The French get 1 VP for taking the far side of the bridge by turn 3, another 1 VP for the capture of an enemy battalion (the fusiliers) and a third VP for exiting a battalion off the Gilly road, for a total of 3 VP’s, so a French win.
I thought that considering how few units the Prussians had, that the scenario gave an entertaining game. There were some moments in which fortunes might have changed. For example the Prussian fire at the French crossing the bridge in turn 3 was abysmal. They could have easily inflicted harm on the French column and seen it hurled back to the other side. Likewise, the fusilier battalion should have been re-positioning itself earlier, moving nearer towards the road. This might have got the fusiliers away from the French gunners sights and made it harder for the French to secure the hill, while getting them closer to their escape route.
There will no doubt be some updates about the progress of the Prussian army build over at my COMMANDERS site over the coming weeks, which is a bit more magaziney than here. Prussian Landwehr cavalry are presently on the painting sticks.
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