Hundred Days: Quatre Bras - Scenario

 

Date Weds 21st August 2024

Context: I think we all know this one, but......Napoleon, having escaped from Alba and needing to secure his return, advances to prevent the British and Prussian forces joining up, intending to defeat them in detail, first one, than the other. This with the intention of forcing a peace treaty from the wider alliance. 

Meanwhile, 99% of the Anglo-Dutch command is pissing it up at the Duchess of Richmonds ball. Consequently, word comes through of Napoleons faster than anticipated Northward advance, and the command promptly exits to meet the oncoming French force.

Ney is despatched to prevent Wellington from assisting Blucher, defeat him, then to turn and assault Bluchers flank. Ney arrives as Quatre Bras to find Dutch forces holding the crossroads, with Wellington arriving shortly thereafter and the main British forces advancing along the road.

Battlefield Map:

Objectives - Anglo Dutch: You must hold the main crossroads at all costs, allowing time to defeat the French and to move onwards to Bluchers assistance, if possible. The French must not be allowed to get between the two armies.

Order of Battle - Anglo Dutch:

Commander in Chief - Wellington 

1st Netherlands Division - 4 Line Infantry, 2 Militia, Jager Company, 3 Foot Artillery

2nd Netherlands Division - 2 Line Infantry, 1 Militia, 1 Foot Artillery

Arrive turn 2

British Guards Division - 2 Foot Guard

Arrive turn 3

British Highlanders Division - 4 Highland Line Infantry, 95th Rifles, 1 Foot Artillery

Light Cavalry Brigade - 1 Light Dragoon Regiment, 1 Hussar Regiment.

Arrive turn 4

Heavy Cavalry Brigade - 2 Scots Grey Regiments

Objectives - French: Concentrate the corps of Counts Reille and d’Erlon and that of Count Kellerman, who is just marching to join you. With these forces you must engage and destroy all enemy forces that present themselves

Order of Battle - French:

Commander in Chief - Ney

1st Line Division - 4 French Line Infantry, 1 Combined Voltiguer Battalion, 2 Foot Artillery

2nd Grenadier Division - 4 French Grenadier Battalions, 1 Foot Artillery

Brigade of Dragoons - 2 Dragoon Regiments

Arrive Turn 2

Light Cavalry Brigade - 2 Hussar Regiments

Heavy Cavalry Brigade - 1 Carabinier Regiment

Guard Cavalry - 1 Imperial Guard Chasseur a Cheval Regiment

Arrive Turn 3

2nd French Division - 4 French Line Infantry, 2 Foot Artillery

Peninsular 1809 - Corunna

 Date: Weds 17th Jan 2024

Table Size: 8x6

Context: January 1809. Spain has risen and is in revolutionary fervour against the French. Sir John Moore has led the British army through a dismal march to the coast, following the departure of the British generals and Sir Arthur Wellesley back to England to face an enquiry into the Convention of Cintra. 

Napoleon is in Spain, marching hardened veterans to face the British, which has forced the decision to retreat in haste. By the time the British army reaches Corunna everything is exhausted - men, clothes, animals, everything, with some men having had to march through winter in their bare feet. The port providing much needed rest, supplies and rescue.

The French are some distance behind, but it takes days for the fleet to arrive, the evacuation to be organised and boarding to begin, at which point the French arrive to begin engaging with the British forces................

Battlefield Map:

Objectives - British: Deploy in a defensive line, hold the French to buy time for the main forces to embark onto the waiting ships, then withdraw in good order.

Order of Battle - British: 

CIC - Moore

Brigade 1 (Paget) 2 Light Dragoons

Brigade 2 (Bentinck) 3 Highlanders.

Brigade 3 (Warde) 2 Foot Guards

Brigade 4 (Manningham) 3 Line Infantry, 2 cannons

Brigade 5 (Leith) - 3 Line Infantry, 1 rocket 

Brigade 6 (Craufurd) - 2 Light Infantry, 1 95th Rifles

Objectives - French: Having finally caught and cornered the British, you will engage and destroy this line, pushing forward into the main port to complete the victory.

Order of Battle - French: 

CIC - Junot

Brigade 1 (Houssaye) - 3 Regiments Dragoons

Brigade 2 (Lorges) - 2 Regiments Chasseurs a Cheval

Brigade 3 (Mermet) - 4 Line Regiments, 2 Cannon

Brigade 4 (Merle) - 5 Line Regiments, 2 Cannon

Brigade 5 (Delaborde) - 5 Line Regiments, 2 Cannon

Deployments:  

French will deploy amongst the hills to the Southern table edge and get the first turn.

The British must deploy at least three brigades at least 24" onto the table from the Northern edge. Other Brigades can choose whether to deploy as deep.

Peninsular 1808 - Vimeiro - Battle Report

 So..........Vimeiro. Wellington faces off against the French properly. How do they get the measure of one another in the Wandsworth refight of this event?

Scenario here: LINK

Initial layout and deployments

(that might take some shifting)

The French begin their advance across the table in good order.

Dragoons out front. Which is good now, but they decided to remain in this spot for quite some time to come.........

British centre advances slightly to meet the threat.

French right flank makes an advance to attack the hill

The lines begin to form and exchange fire

The initial French columns get absolutely devastated by the British firepower going into them.

Central exchange of fire continues, with the French still getting the worst of it.

Columns begin to attack on the French right attempting to force a flank and take the hill, so as to roll up the British.

Bloody cavalry getting in the way. Stubbornly refusing to charge and missed their moment of glory!

French advance on the town begins, but its held and has artillery, so they can't advance in force until the centre has been consolidated.

French reserves arrive, sorely needed. Everyones wondering where the British reserves are.

British reserves finally begin coming in, but seem reluctant to move any further than the edge of the town.

Dragoons have finally decided to earn their pay and go in for a charge......only to receive their P45 and take a kicking, before retreating in ignominy. Thanks for turning up, lads.

Here we go, the reserves start appearing to bolster that centre, which had really taken a hammering from the British.

British moves in the town to strengthen the shooting.

Ah yes, the plucky and v well deployed French artillery, which had been causing hassle to anything on that side of the table.

Reserves start giving the bayonet.

French central brigade collapses and flees the table. It really was a textbook destruction of them

French reserves shore up the centre, but have to take the town into account too, so need to be wary of exposing their own flanks.

British reserves finally make their move to envelope the French lines.

Some light cav on light cav action. Both came on as a reserve. Both saw each other. Both went hell for leather straight into a charge.

The British cav lost, Hussars turn and begin hitting the British lines

Central firefight still going. Meatgrinder, really.

Not much in the town, but not a whole lot let to storm it either!

British advance on their right begins, now that the French artillery is suppressed.

French Hussars having a field day. Bit late, but better late than never!

And with that, the British close the door and force a French retreat from the field.

British comprehensive win! That one had a bit of everything really. Had the French managed to punch through, onto the hill, as planned, then it would have changed everything..............but again, the British lines blew the living shit out of the centre, turning it into the not living shit, and put paid to that idea. 

British reserve on their left were v unlucky to not move a lot at first, but this played advantage when they came in for the late game and the battered French had nothing that could deal with it.