Black Powder game. CM scale. Finally got this game played, orders were sent in for it at the beginning of October. Counters show hits. All Prussian infantry units are rated as Large.
Yellow counters show hits, purple disorder.
Sitrep:
Prussian XI has been ordered to advance on Saarlouis. At the same moment, the French disembarked from their train and marched North...
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Map2_zpsc9da40d4.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Map2_zpsc9da40d4.jpg.html)
Dillingen is a modern Ford car plant, in 1870 it was a tiny hamlet. The River Saar is the line of masking tape to the left of most shots.
As the Prussians approached from the North, they espied the French lines.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/003_zps3b062eab.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/003_zps3b062eab.jpg.html)
The French deployment.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/004_zps2cc638da.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/004_zps2cc638da.jpg.html)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/005_zps1cb0949a.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/005_zps1cb0949a.jpg.html)
Anyone spotted anything yet?
Yes, that is the Imperial Guard, plus an additional cavalry division!! :o The Prussian Corp commander was slightly worried by this news; however, being a good Prussian, followed his orders, and attacked! :'(
The French ordered a general advance with the intention of trapping the Prussians in the bottle neck, except this was the first of 6 French command blunders! This caused the Guard Zoauves to head off in the wrong direction, blocking the cavalry advance behind.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/006_zps22ae5f57.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/006_zps22ae5f57.jpg.html)
On the French left, a brigade of Voltigeurs anchors itself between the village and the river.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/007_zpsc07939e7.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/007_zpsc07939e7.jpg.html)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/008_zpseb6d468f.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/008_zpseb6d468f.jpg.html)
Yes, that was another French blunder!
The Prussians advance their first division, note the gun line forming up...
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/009_zpsccd48076.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/009_zpsccd48076.jpg.html)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/010_zpsba742b95.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/010_zpsba742b95.jpg.html)
This time the cavalry blundered!
Turn three, and a figure enters the rear of the French line, while the second Prussian division emerges in the distance....
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/011_zps208ef77d.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/011_zps208ef77d.jpg.html)
The Emperor himself takes control! From now on, the blunders reduced and the French became far more maneuverable.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/012_zps66b43457.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/012_zps66b43457.jpg.html)
The French Voltigeur division engages the Prussians, but their artillery is being targeted by longer range Krupps guns as they unlimber.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/013_zpse08eaf0c.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/013_zpse08eaf0c.jpg.html)
The initial assaults are bounced (that is a fairly average French morale roll, all Guards units are Valiant, which allows a reroll of first failed morale check, they needed this, a LOT)!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/014_zps425f9dbe.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/014_zps425f9dbe.jpg.html)
The best part of the Voltigeur Division is forced to retire, leaving their guns exposed! Another blunder, an attempted rally by Picard, sees a regiment of the Voltigeurs suddenly redeploy to the right of their gun line, leaving it exposed!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/015_zps09719155.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/015_zps09719155.jpg.html)
The Prussians seized this opportunity, decimating the gun line.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/016_zps8a17b180.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/016_zps8a17b180.jpg.html)
The French Guard Curriasiers and Cheveliguers hit the Prussians hard in the flank! The Prussian Corps commander was unhorsed and only just escaped with his life!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/017_zps56c6217d.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/017_zps56c6217d.jpg.html)
And destroy the unit, the attempted follow on charge bounces, teh Guards Heavy Cavalry brigade spent the rest of the game shaken, but in possession of a Prussian standard!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/018_zps5bc12d98.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/018_zps5bc12d98.jpg.html)
The Guards Grenadiers start to move up, but the Prussian gun line and second division close in.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/019_zpsf5e68c0a.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/019_zpsf5e68c0a.jpg.html)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/020_zpse4745f0f.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/020_zpse4745f0f.jpg.html)
Krupp would be proud!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/021_zps1f76991e.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/021_zps1f76991e.jpg.html)
The French Voltigeur division turns their massed firepower on the Prussian Fusiliers.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/022_zps59cad650.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/022_zps59cad650.jpg.html)
The Prussian gun line is complete!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/023_zps3c249ff7.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/023_zps3c249ff7.jpg.html)
Prussian Jagers snipe at the cavalry, concealed by woods.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/024_zpsaa300f40.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/024_zpsaa300f40.jpg.html)
The French attempted to reform their line under artillery fire.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/025_zpsf51f16c0.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/025_zpsf51f16c0.jpg.html)
It has to be said, the artillery was largely ineffective! The guns were interpenetrated by the Prussian infantry, and the end game was on.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/026_zpsad970a1d.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/026_zpsad970a1d.jpg.html)
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/027_zps7d85d1b3.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/027_zps7d85d1b3.jpg.html)
The Prussians withdrew their guns, and girded their loins as the first assaults from the Imperial Guards went in as dusk fell!
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/028_zps99108909.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/028_zps99108909.jpg.html)
The Prussians were coming off worst in a sustained firefight, but they were successfully holding the French line. You can see the shaken and battered state of all units on all sides (we had run out of counters at this point, so the Prussians were using red dice for disordered and hits), the French were really too shaken to carry the attack.
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc94/madlemmey/Saarlouis%201870/029_zps564646b8.jpg) (http://s214.photobucket.com/user/madlemmey/media/Saarlouis%201870/029_zps564646b8.jpg.html)
As night encroached the battlefield, the French grand charge went in, and despite the loss of many brave souls, two units of Voltiguers and a unit of Grenadiers broke into the night. The Prussians had held their ground, bloodied the nose of the French and then retired. They had lost a division in strength, but were jubilant at their success!
The French held their ground, knowing reinforcements were arriving from the west bank of the Saar any moment. They had met a full strength Prussian corps on equal terms and won! The presence of the Emperor whilst boosting the French will to advance, their morale was truly shocking!
The Prussian can hold their head high, and also claimed the win! The dice were in their favour (quite a rare event for Going-a-Viking)!
I enjoyed that.
Nice report! Looks like a great game!
Great report Will but oh so many French blunders!
Excellent report Will.
Great stuff !
Cheers - Phil.
Hi really nice battle report and loved your scenery timcast buildings if I'm not mistaken
take care
andy
Nice game, Will. But Napoleon and Bazaine in charge - no wonder there were so many blunders! :D
Bazaine is actually somewhere else, and has his own command stand. Must buy a third Emperor figure for Napoleon on his own!
Most of the blunders were Picard and Bourbaki! Once his Imperial Majesty came in command range they mostly stopped!! :D
An impressive performance by the Germans.
Terrain - river Saar to the left and wooded hills to the right - prevented French from using their superior numbers to outflank the Germans. They had to assault the Germans frontally in a gap wide enough for 6 regiments (one and a half divisions) and the Germans had got their gun line and infantry line in position, as you can see.
None of the French blunders caused a serious problem: usually they just went forward. Their main problem was their inferior command rating, as it should be, which required His Imperial Majesty to get his boots muddy.
A early charge by German infantry had threatened to break the front French division until, at the last minute, Will remember that he had given the Guard the ability to re-roll one morale test each game and this saved them.
Normally a line of half-a-dozen batteries can systematically break a division one regiment at a time but on this occasion poor German shooting and superior French morale prevented this and the German infantry had to engage at close range. Fortunately the French had lost a lot of stamina by the time they got into melee.
If this had been an ordinary French Corps it would have been a German victory, possibly a decisive one, with one division lost in the advance to engage and another in the engagement ... but not this time. However the Empire's finest did not cover themselves with glory.
I must congratuate Will on producing an enjoyable and realistic FPW game using Black Powder.
:-[ Thanks Brian, it was hugely enjoyable.
Nicely done there. FPW is one era I am looking at to start of my self. I have bought some french troops and this kind of reading does not help me keep them in the box...
/Conny
Nice report. 8)
I haven't played Black Powder for ages. I must dig it out.
I love playing the Black Powder rules they give a reasonable result in an evening we have been using them for ages at the club
Take care
Andy
Sorry I missed your inital reply Andy, yes those are Timecast houses apart from one Lilliputt Lane building a friend gave me for my 40th!
The Prussians cannot claim a victory.....Tthey were ordered to Saar Louis and failed in this objective and they then withdrew from the field of battle at the end of the day. I the accepted sense of the term during the 19th Century if you fail to carry out your orders and fail to retain the battlefield you are not able to claim a victory. French won....... ;D :P
Indeed, but they also beat up the aguard, so moral victory.
Hello Bela
Quote from: Bela Miklos on 14 January 2014, 09:23:49 AM
The Prussians cannot claim a victory.....They were ordered to Saar Louis and failed in this objective and they then withdrew from the field of battle at the end of the day. .... French won.......
... but did not destroy XI Corps despite their qualitative and quantative advantages.
This battle is part of a campaign that is being fought both militarily and politically. (Will is using 'To the Last Gaiter Button' for the overall campaign).
The French were reacting to a German advance and have forced the Germans to retreat. However the campaign too date has been one of continual French victories (although it took three battles against superior numbers before the single German Corps involved was destroyed). Now the Germans have mobilised and the finest Corps in the French army has gone head-to-head with an ordinary German Corps and been underwhelming. I am confident that the author of the Ems Telegram with be able to present this as a contest that shows that backing Germany is the wise choice.
Quote from: mad lemmey on 14 January 2014, 07:47:16 AM
Sorry I missed your inital reply Andy, yes those are Timecast houses apart from one Lilliputt Lane building a friend gave me for my 40th!
No worries I always miss stuff. I really do like timecast buildings I've got all there acw ones next on the list is some world war ii ones
Take care
Andy