Sunday Game - late (1813/14) Napoleonic Scenario

Headed off to Barrys this morning with half my Austrian collection on board, ready for a post the battle of Dresden (1813) game - but first, I had to find an alternative route after being diverted off the motorway as below! (It added about 30 minutes to the trip - I normally get off at Hillsborough Road ......GGRRR!)

So - on to the game, and we start with the now traditional view of the table from Barrys spiral staircase connecting the gaming room to his home above!

The scenario was that post a victory at Dresden, the Austrians are in hot pursuit of the retiring French, when the emperor orders the rear guard to turn back and make a spoiling attack on the pursuers, with the aim of causing as many casualties as possible

Above and below is my command on the Austrian right flank - three brigades of 4 Btns each plus a Light Brigade of one unit of Grenzers and two regiments of hussars.

In the centre of our lime was Chris with his monolithic collection of Perry Austrian infantry (and cavalry not in shot here)

And on the left flank was Nick with his smaller Prussian collection

Facing off against Paul's French 

Barry was in command of the French centre

And John was on their left flank, facing me.

The Austrian right flank advances, I rolled well for activation and got 3 time and a half moves in the first four turns.

View of the Austrian centre from Barrys position

My Austrian 3d printed senior officers made their first foray onto the tabletop!

The Austrians, despite taking a few hits from the French artillery, were in pretty good shape as they approached the enemy lines.

In the centre, too, massed battalions moved forward purposefully

Whilst the French cavalry on their right advance with the intention of throwing a spanner in the works

Causing one brigade to form square!

As the French right wing moved ominously towards the Prussians 

The French left...

... and centre as the White Hoard moves ever closer.

Austrian Kuirassiers move up to the front line.

My first two battalions go in

The unit on the right was repulsed but that on the left stayed in the fight and eventually prevailed, driving back the French

In the centre Chris nears Barrys defensive positions on the high ground, with his left secured against the French cavalry by a brigade in square

Most of the French cavalry were driven off by musketry - hurrah!

Close up of the Prussian position

Action on the Allied left flank

The French cavalry drove off their Prussian opposite numbers

French at bay as lancers move up behind the Austrian squares

Back on my flank, a series of vicious melees ensued - the lancers are a troop sized unit assigned to protect the guns - they charged my line but were repulsed, despite numerous advantages

In the centre, Chris threw in his Kuirassiers to support the infantry as they assaulted the artillery head on

Whilst to their left, the massed Austrian light cavalry looked for a way through their infantry to get at the enemy!

The Prussians were continuing to put up a stiff resistance to the very aggressive French

The cavalry melee in the centre continued for several turns, with the Austrian Kuirassiers falling back then re entering the fray

The elite Grenadier brigade marches straight into the muzzles of the massed French batteries!

Thanks to extreme congestion, the French Cuirassiers are forced to charge one of my columns in a column of their own

The Kuirassiers have been driven back from the heights, but the massed infantry still goes in!

Frenetic activity in the centre of the field as Chris throws in everything in an attempt to smash Barrys French commend

The grenadiers get a face full of grapeshot - after a couple of rounds, the entire brigade (four battalions) was destroyed1

On our left, Chris's hussars finally reach open ground and prepare to attack

They are wavering, boys, they are wavering!

Gaps are starting to appear in the French lines

But at a fearful cost to the brave grenadiers!

Now, the lancers, too, have found a way to get at the enemy

On my flank, the French line is also looking a bit shaky

Although there are still three regiments of cavalry in good shape

And in come the Cuirassiers against my already weakened line - 7 dice to 2 - I need 5 or 6, the cavalry only needs 4 5 or 6 - they beat me 2:1 and all I have to do is retire! And because they only won by one, they have no follow up/break through!

In the centre, the Austrian Kuirassiers and grenadiers have been fought to a standstill

But further left, they are poised to do fearsome damage to the French 

Even further left, the Prussians have driven back the French attack, to keep the allied left flank secure

The game more or less finished here

But in the final turn, Chris smashed through three or four units of Barrys infantry, blowing them from the field, and the Austrians definitely finished the game with the upper hand.

On my wing, I destroyed four units of Johns infantry for the loss of three of my own, and all my brigades were still in the fight whereas one of his no longer existed.

It was a great game and went right down to the wire - in fact, I don't know who Mark called as the winners - check out his 1866 and all That blog in a day or so and he may provide the answer!

Thanks for dropping by and persevering to this point - I think there were about 70 pics of the game in all!