GARDEN WARS JULY 2011 part 2

So the battle that was interrupted when the French were advancing towards the Russian lines was finished a few days later.

The command of Murat continued a steady coordinated advance (I know breakneck was more his style ... and I was really the one in command).


The foot now took on the great job of winning the field of battle, here we see what was to become the leading division (mostly garbed in greatcoats).


Meanwhile the Dragoons were given new orders ... race round the left flank and push forward towards the Russian center.

The remaining lines held fast and another column of infantry started pushing forward up behind the Dragoons.

The Russians were not standing still, two formations of Infantry were rushing forward to plug the gap in the space between the Russian Dragoons and the HQ.



Here we see the lines of French Allied Infantry looking towards the Russian Dragoons and forming lines of Russian Infantry.

The whole battle zone now seen looking reverse angle (up sun). The reclining player took over the Russian Dragoons and Cossacks.

The forward French line had formed square alongside the now captured Russian Grenadier Horse gun!

The new French forward positions were a threat that the Russians could no longer permit to form, orders were given to drive the Dragoons into the French lines. Unfortunately for the Russians the French Chasseurs were close enough to counter their charge and engage them, this protected the advancing Infantry columns and permitted them time to set up their gun lines.


These Chassuers a Cheval drove back the Russian Dragoons and held fast while taking shot after shot from the Horse battery on the other side of the lake.

The French Dragoons had reached their deployment zone, just in time to break up the Russian Infantry advance...now they were forcing Russians into squares and standing still while the horse artillery chopped the squares into pieces!

While the Russian Infantry was holding ground the French columns were pressing forward, particularly on the French left wing, where now they had passed the line of the river and lake.

The French Allied force was now the distant second line.

While the forward line manned the captured Russian guns and delivered even more damage to the Russian squares. In the distance of this image you can see the tall grass that was let 'grow' to simulate forested areas.

The Cossacks charged, they were cut to pieces by successive counter charges from the Chasseurs and Hussars.

The Russian Dragoon force pushed ahead and charged again, this time only leaving behind their horse artillery that quickly fled the field after the fleeing horsemen.

The Russian lines were now cut off from their HQ and even their rear was blocked by marauding French Dragoons (seen here behind the French lines). The French Dragoons target was the last of the Cossacks still in shaken morale after the punishment meted out by the Chasseurs a Cheval.

Even after all this carnage my eldest son was still happy to have played the afternoon out with me.


His massed gun line was not brought into use, though he was certain that the 'big gun' power would have repulsed all comers.

The final scene of the field was the Russians in total retreat before a victorious French with plenty of strength to maintain a vigorous pursuit!