Battle of Gorodetchna
(2nd Run) in Fast-Play Grand Armee

On March 31, Peter (of Duchy of the North) and I had the opportunity to have time to game.

I suggested a few different options that I had immediately available and he chose to go to east Europe in 1812 with a run at Fast-Play Grand Armee and the Battle of Gorodetchna.

This would be a second go-round with the rules set for me and I let Pete choose the side he wanted. He chose the attacking French-Austrian forces.

As before the Russians were set out in full view of the French, then they chose where to make their moves ... mostly off-map to the crossings of the river.



Pete opted for a fast moving cavalry force to come into the center, with part of the French forces to go to the long flank. Support of a mixed division was given to the left flank (which faced the Russians at the start).

I took advantage of my prior experience by having the large division of the Russians get full advantage from the wing commander attached (so that lapels could be grabbed if needed - something that the Russians needed a LOT of last time I played).

Also I made sure to keep the Russian Cavalry properly positioned to the flank of the Division. The massed Dragoons had little choice but to be in column and ready to move out to the left wing once clear of the swampy ground.

Ultimately the dice rolls early went horribly wrong for the Austrian forces and only so-so for the French ones ... this created a HUGE opportunity for the Russians - that was squandered by the Russian Cavalry commander standing totally still for a whole 'pulse' just when MOVING was the most important thing!

The French Grenadiers managed to get into the gap between the river and swamp - plugging it totally against the Russian Dragoons, meanwhile the mixes Austrians on their left wing were being mauled by effective use of combined arms by the Russian leading division ... not to mention that the Russians won the initiative rolls for the first three pulses!



Likewise the French cavalry moved into position to take on the small mixed Russian left flank force ... now totally cut off from the main body ...



Once again the combat die rolls of Pete were horrible, the Grenadiers managed to hold their ground - at terrible cost! Worn down to just a fraction of their strength while the Dragoons were equally damaged, there were more dragoons coming with no such quality to support the French Grenadiers. More over in the artillery exchanges the French had lost a whole battery, while the Russians were merely driven back to re-consolidate their batteries and come on again ...



Nasimov, commanding the leading Russian Division was able to totally clear away two Austrian Divisions opposite him, and once the Russian Dragoons were halted by French Grenadiers they fell upon the remaining Austrian Artillery sending it fleeing from the field!

Now the French went for the throat on the Russian Left, alone with his Division Count Lambert was to hold off two French Cavalry brigades and face off against an Infantry Division. Losses were high on both sides, yet the Russians managed to just stay alive on the table, while the French losses were enough to take off two units.

In the middle of the afternoon of the first day of battle, Prince Schwarzenberg of Austria was to call off the attack and order a general retreat.

Generallieutenant Tormassov, with no orders other than to hold his ground would be content to let them march off.



Photos of this battle were poor as my 'steady hand' was not so steady this day ... many pictures were just too blurry to use.

Next up ... Quatre Bras in Fast-Play Grand Armee, I have the troops and tags all printed up in color!