Napoleonic: Last club game of 2021

Post your Battle Reports here
Post Reply
User avatar
Paul K
Posts: 405
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:34 am
Contact:

Napoleonic: Last club game of 2021

Post by Paul K »

The French and Russians were pitted against each other for this last club game of 2021. Tim, Tony and Chris commanded the French and Dave and I the Russians in what turned into an epic cavalry engagement.
IMG_0667sm.jpg
The dice decided the timing of the various units from each side which gave our Russians an opportunity to take plenty of ground with a cavalry force before the French cavalry appeared on the table. My Russian infantry division advanced to take up position along an 8 hex hill and deployed heavy and light guns forward. Here I awaited the expected arrival of more French reinforcements. Dave, on the other Russian flank continued to press his cavalry further forward.
IMG_0670sm.jpg
The dice delivered more Russian cavalry along the road behind our centre which heralded the start of my infantry’s slow advance. Under the cover of an area of woodland for protection against shooting from French positional artillery mounted on an unscalable escarpment, I advanced the Russian infantry in column.
IMG_0676sm.jpg
Meanwhile, Dave waisted no time in throwing his Cossacks against Tim’s defensive line of French infantry and light guns. They were soon bounced away but heavier cavalry units were waiting to continue the attack. However, Tony’s French cavalry brigades had now arrived on the table and the stage was set for a massive cavalry engagement.
IMG_0679sm.jpg
IMG_0680sm.jpg
A French charge demolished a Russian light gun battery along with a unit of Dragoons only to be countered by Russian cuirassiers. The Russian forces had by now captured three quarters of the table but in response the French had established an extremely strong defensive line across the table centred upon their artillery position on the central escarpment.
IMG_0685sm.jpg
Dave’s Russian heavy cavalry smashed the French square defending the road beside the small hamlet, then rallied back. Tim’s infantry had formed square behind the adjacent wood and the Russian cavalry units were unable to make further progress here. Instead, Dave switched the direction of the cavalry towards the central escarpment.
IMG_0682sm.jpg
IMG_0683sm.jpg
Chris had deployed his French infantry battalions to support the escarpment and positioned his light guns ready to unleash a cannonade upon my advancing Russian infantry. Their target shifted however, when the central Russian cavalry force advanced towards them. The capture of the escarpment was the key to any chance of a clear Russian victory. Tim held the Road and hamlet on the left, Tony’s French cavalry were behind the centre and Chris’s infantry and guns held the escarpment and ground between it and the woodland.
IMG_0688sm.jpg
The massed Russian cavalry formed a line ready to charge Chris’s infantry to the left of the escarpment. However, the French cannon batteries soon found their targets causing a unit of heavy dragoons to flee, disrupting another, and effectively prevented the Russian cavalry from launching an attack into what was a very restricted space. This was the final act of the game which could be called as a draw but was certainly a territorial gain for the Russains.
Kind regards
Paul

Image
http://www.kallistra.co.uk
Post Reply