1870 French VI Corps vs Prussian VIII & III Corps: Le Village Est Un Trou.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Andy invited me over to the Aylesbury club for another Franco-Prussian Black Powder bash.
The French VI Corps was holding 'Le Village Est Un Trou', The Prussians had the simple objective, Minor victory - get into the village. Major Victory, breakthrough and cut the French Lines of Communication.
The table from the Prussian lines.


Andy had rolled randomly and got the Prussians, so I was running Canrobert and the French.
French deploy on 'Une Position Magnifique'. Iem Division in the centre, 3em on the left, 2em on the right while 4em reinforces the hill centre.

Unfortunately, the French had not prepared and Iem Division was half-in, half-out of various built up areas and not a coherent line (and probably enjoying breakfast and the local population).

Generalleutnant Albert von Barnekow brings 16th Infantry Division forwards on the Prussian left.


Then Andy has an unprecidented run of blunders (two in a turn, one from the next), his 15th Division artillery wanders off randomly to his left!


While 15th Division advances bravely on the stream crossing, while Andy blunders again and the whole of 16th Division retires quickly, much to von Goeben's disgust.


Prussian guns deploy forwards and 16th Division reemeges from the woods, looking slightly embarressed and with von Groben's screaming ringing in their ears.


French try shooting at limbered artillery, with no effect.


On the left, the French try to advance off the hill to the gap between the village and the wood, their only movement is a single blunder forwards. They try this for six turns, not so much a position magnifique, but a position tragique!


Behind 16th Division, III Corps of the Prussian army arrives, and is brought to a tangled halt while caught up.


Crossing the stream (which turns out to be nothing more than a dry ditch, with the odd muddy patch that means some sergeant will be putting lots of soldiers on charges for muddiness), the 29th Prussian line charges at the village. They try charging, but are stopped by fire and also disordered by Prussian artillery fire.


Who promptly failed their morale test and broke.


Two Prussian regiments (one in line, one in assult column) crash into the 100em ligne.


The Prussians also bring up the fourth regiment in the division, hoping to take on the guns. The guns pin them in place, while the  mitrailleuse inevitably jams!


The Prussians assult the 100em again, this was my save roll, needing 4s to save...


Forcing a morale test on the 100em again.


Pushing them further back again into the village.


The Prussians push hard on into the village, past the gun line. The French 10em repositions to support.


The 100em take seven wounds in the next assult, breaking them and forcing the supporting 10em to withdraw.


Yeah, that went well!


The Prussians continued to make significant gains.


15th Division has done exceedingly well, whereas, the French could not form a coherent defensive line.


The 10em launched a flank charge on the Prussians, and miss with every attack, therefore losing the melee and breaking.


The general situation. The Prussians III Corp is massing to support the VIII corps assult. 15th Division are in the French Iem Division's rear and cutting their line of command. The French retired, split and diorganised.


The French spike their guns and evacuate.


Andy played it really well, great game, and a lot of laughs (especially with the blunders).

[pierre the shy]

Great report thanks Lord Speedy 

Looks like your dice had a bad day 

As for the 100eme Ligne......reminds me of a certain poem:

"La mitrailleuse est bloquée et le colonel est mort.
Et le régiment aveuglé par la poussière et la fumée.
Le fleuve de la mort a débordé sur ses rives"   

[sunjester]

A lovely looking game! As for your dice Will........    

[BernaDotDotDot]

Great stuff.  I really like the swarm-y basing

[fred.]

Great looking game - the mat does a great job of tying together all the elements. Is it a Deep Cut one?

I think your problem may be using red dice for the French. You need some blue dice! Good sized ones for rolling, and 7mm ones for marking the hits 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

The mat was from Holtz, they don't make them any more in that size! 
The dice did well early on, and in shooting, but for morale, combat and saves, nope!

Andy's shots of the game
French on the central hill


VIII corps artilley form a deadly gun line


Prussian left advances


Prussian assults go in, viewed from the left


The demise of 10em and 100em ligne as the glorious Prussians take the village

[John Cook]

Le Village est Un Trou?  That's not very nice it looks alright to me.

[Steve J]

Great looking game Will .

[Chris Pringle]

For a battle on a two-corps frontage, the poor Germans might have hoped for a bit more terrain to cover their approach! Seems to have worked out OK for them anyway. Good-looking game, Will!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Le Village est Un Trou?  That's not very nice it looks alright to me.

Glad someone got it!

[Roy]

Cor, that looks good 

Nicely reported too