New Year's Napoleonic game :: Defend the bridgehead

 After the boys did their WH40K game on New Years Eve morning/afternoon, we set up a Shako II game to follow up the forced river crossing ...

I was requested to do a 'follow on' game to our December 4th game of 'crossroads' a 'capture the bridge' scenario.

Austro-Russian Allied command was surprised
by a French force that had slipped past their
reconnaissance in force divisions ...

The Austro-Russians had time to create a fortification, then deploy out some of their faster forces beyond the river area into the territory held by French forces; the French had plans to lure them away and by-pass the reconnaissance force and attack the bridgehead.

Tabletop setup video

Into the action we proceeded.

table setup as the action started

part of a Russian division across the river

Austrians manning fortifications

French VI Corps artillery

A fresh French Division had been added to the VI Corps

Bavarians (in columns) and Italians

alternate view of the Bavarian and Italian lines

turn 2 start

massed French light and heavy cavalry smashed through
1/3 of the Russian Division

more artillery brought forward

Austrians fire and re-deploy in their fortified positions

the massive Bavarian column takes a pounding

Russian Jaeger formation performs heroic work
in many delays to the massed French cavalry ...
buying the much needed time to have the Russian and
Austrian cavalry arrive ...

The French knew that they had limited time to make the Allied army retreat, so taking out the formed troops was the immediate task at hand.

opening of turn 3

French command needed to send off some more
messengers this battle - once again they were
dying before delivering their commands

the Bavarian and Italian attacks were stalling ...

Russians were managing to stay around and delay
the attacking French

frustrated at the lack of progress the Cavalry
were pressed to keep attacking!

by the end of the turn the French were right up
to the Russian last line ...

finally the French were on to the flank of the
Russian foot

unfortunately, the Russian Heavy Cavalry had arrived

now the Bavarians would have to start forming squares

Unknown to the French, their time had mostly run out.  They were to discover this in turn 5.

Austrian cavalry, that had been sent out to seek the French and had been by-passed, was now arriving on the field.

They would be devastating.

opening of turn 5
note the area where the QRS (white page) is
this is where the Austrian cavalry would be arriving...

French 21eme Division pressing forward

Bavarians forced into squares

Russian dragoons did get wiped out

Austrians started leaving the fortifications
in order to carry the fight to the Italians

Russian Dragoon Division was ordered to go
into the center of the field ... they did not need
to go that far in the event as the French were coming
to them.

longer view across the last of the Russian Infantry
their Jaegers again causing the French horsemen to slow down

the critical bridge access, now well covered by Russian
cuirassier and Austrian foot.

Allied command now suddenly knew that
they could win this battle ... all it took was to
have the Russians stand.

Desperately the Russians tried to hold on ...

it looked like the French would overwhelm them

the cannons now had clear shot on the Russian horse
(note the open area behind these guns)
the open area behind them filled with Austrian horse
in a matter of 10 mins and within 30 the
French Division had been demoralized.

 

French Division was demoralized, the Italian Division collapsed and retreated.  Bavarians were holding on, only just.  With the Allied numbers now rising the French command knew that it must break one of the Russian divisions or loose the battle.

start of turn 6

Austrian light cavalry running rampant in the rear
and flank of French columns
none made squares and were, in the end,
all broken

Russian Cuirassier stood and took fire!

Bavarians now were under fire on two sides

more Austrians poured out of the fortifications

the critical bridge would be held

Russian dragoons made ready to stand off against
French heavy cavalry

in the end, it was not to happen
the French had broken army morale and
their retreat was on

All in all a great end to the new years eve game session.

It did come down to the last two die rolls, which if they had gone in favor of the French would have seen one Russian Division broken utterly and the other needing to make a critical morale roll ... which if it had gone poorly (1/3 chance) then that division also would be broken and flee.

Fantastic to see combined arms used by both sides and an amazing performance by some Russian Jaegers.

The time lapse of the whole battle.

I took a couple of photos of the 40K battle that took place earlier in the day.

Up next, some Piracy using Blood & Plunder, which was played on Sunday Jan 1 2023.