Marengo 1800

Just made first consul after the Brumaire coup Napoleon crosses the Alps to fight off a renewed austrian offensive in northern Italy. Unaware of the position of the enemy the corsican spreads his army to search for the kaserlichs, and one of his divisions under Victor is caught  by the entire enemy army in the village of Marengo. Now the french must endure the onslaught while Bonaparte comes to their aid.

With only one serviceable bridge the austrians take their time in crossing the river

Fanning out on the opposite shore

In a daring flanking maneuver the bulk of the imperials move left to close on the french rear

Leaving Marengo untouched during the whole morning

It is now 15:00 and Bonaparte comes into the field with the first wave of french reinforcements

Moving the cavalry in support of Marengo while the infantry holds the village of San Giuliano

Two hours later Desaix's men come into the field and the counterattack begins

With most of their army far away on Castel Ceriolo the austrians are surprised by a french offensive that like in Austerlitz breaks their center and takes the guns

The austrian hussars on the right are also destroyed

Leaving the would be flankers with their flank exposed and a formidable gunline before them

The french proceed to roll the flank by cutting to pieces an austrian division

Falling another to a charge from the Marengo garrison

To little to late the austrian ulhans ride back

But as night falls into the battlefield the day ends in victory for the First Consul

Waterloo refight

 

Last friday we replayed Waterloo with dad to celebrate the 210 years of the battle, with me taking command of the allies and the old man getting into the boots of the little corporal. The scenario would be decided at the end of ten turns, with Hugoumont (left) la Haye Sainte farmhouse (center) and Plancenoit (right) as the three objectives that would decide the game

The battle began at 11:00 with a tentative french advance against Hogoumont

La Haye Sainte

And Papelotte

Answered with round of artillery fire from the british guns

I launched the scots greys to win some time, forcing the french line to form square

And sweeping the guns of the great battery

Meanwhile the french had entered the Hugoumont woods and were trading shots with the british guards, while the vieille garde was kept in check by the light dragoons before la Haye Sainte

With the situation under control I advanced my left flank to support the incoming prussians, a move that would prove a mistake since it left the farmhouse unprotected

The french also made another blunder when they retreated most of their center units to face the prussians on their right flank

It was now 16:00 and Blücher and the first wave of germans came into the field, charging straight for Plancenoit and some poor frenchmen caught in line

Things remained the same at Hugoumont, with both french and redcoats suffering grievous losses that forced the intervention of the light dragoons, leaving the old guard free to advance

The second wave of prussians came into the field and smashed against the defenders of Plancenoit

But alas Blücher fell to a charge of cuirassiers

By 17:00 the old guard charged into la Haye and slaughtered its defenders, putting two of the three objectives in french hands

It was not all wine and roses for the french player however, ans Napoleon was killed by the scots greys

With time running out, all british guns aimed for the farm while two mauled divisions of infantry raced to retake it

The fight for Plancenoit quickly devolved into a grind for the prussians

Tied up in the village and scattered by the arrival of the young guard

But in a last throw of the dice the british cannon destroyed the french guardsmen, leaving la Haye Sainte free for the taking

A last ditch attempt to stop the brits was foiled by a british square

Letting the guards retake the farm in the last turn, and securing victory in extremis for the allies!

Austerlitz 1805

 

Last wednesday I went to see the napoleon film, which if not at all an accurate history portrayal of his life, its nonetheless an appealing and enjoyable movie. Needless to say it motivated me to put some napolenics on the wargaming table again, and given that we had never played Austerlitz before I thought that it would bee a cool battle to refight

The battle starts at 4:00 A.M. with a massive column of austrorussian troops marching on the french left

Solidly entrenched in the villages of Sokolnitz and Tellnitz waiting for Davout's reinforcements

Napoleon himself takes a central position to control his troops

The game begins with the allies, who get the initiative and reform in attack columns

On the other side of the battlefield Lichtenstein unleashes a massive cavalry charge supported by the russian imperial guard

The french answer by attacking with their own riders led by Murat

And soon the first charges smash into the imperial troops

Only to be met by deadly canister fire and an infantry square

Both sides cuirassiers clash in the left with the russians pushed back

Meanwhile, in the center the frenchmen have crossed the Goldback and taken Puntowitz

Murat's charge mets with its first success when his dragoons run down some russian backline guns

Below the Pratzen heights the allies form in line and advance on the enemy village

With the enemy flank on the back foot the Old Guard moves into the fray

Easily repelling the assault of the enemy uhlans while Bagration's division reaches the field

Not so much combat on the right, where the allies are keeping back from the fortified villages

It is now 8:00 and the soleil d'Austerlitz shines on the battlefield removing the fog, time for the big guns to play their lethal music

Ravaged by musketry and impaled on the guard's bayonets the uhlans beat the retreat

An auspicious sign for Napoleon, who sees Davout arrive now on the field with his divisions and decides that it's time for the offence

In a rapid series of movements the french proceed to wipe out most of the opposition starting by the russian guard, caught in square and bayoneted by the veteran grognards

The russians try to stem the tide by charging over the Goldback only to be beaten back

Even the cuirassiers fall to the fusillades of the valiant Guard

Davout and his men soon join this slaughter by cutting to pieces an isolated austrian division

With most of the enemy right destroyed Napoleon proceeds to turn the flank and pushes the allies towards the iced ponds

No place is safe for the allies, french shots fall all over killing a cavalry division next to the Tsar

Davout by from right and Napoleon from the left make a pincer move against their trapped foes

Running down two artillery batteries

Only Bagration still stands firm, but outnumbered by the foe his fate is certain

With this last act of futile defiance battle comes to an end

And the outcome is a marvelous napoleonic victory, with 45.000+ dead allies for no french loss