Napoleonic Tuesday - Prussian versus French

Another story in pictures.

So another convincing loss this time.  It's funny (well actually it isn't) that my capacity to consistently roll badly at a the most critical of situations is depressing.  My game hinged on the downfall of one failed charge, and from there it was all downhill.  The only units that seemed to actually perform were the Landwere which held, then fled, then won against one battalion of french.

Next time gadget, next time.

Andrew has been persuaded to provide his thoughts on each of the engagement photo's.  They may make more sense to the reader than my poorly worded recordings.

1: The troops deployed for battle.  I out scouted the french 45 to 27, so Andrew
had to deploy his troops first.  Which while it seems to be to my advantage
..... didn't!

french interpretation1 : Damn Prussian cavalry! Had to opt for vanilla deployment with infantry forward and artillery interspersed across the front to make sure they had targets. Cavalry were all back - light left and heavies right - looking for opportunities and avoiding artillery. My cavalry seem to be artillery magnets. Must be the cuirasses.

2: My perfidious french opponent!  

french interpretation 2: Better perfidious than a jack booted nazis in waiting.

3: Each game these lads have managed to be deployed.  Nicely painted
skirmishers.  Can't recall what troop type they were.

french interpretation 3: Plans for my Chassuers to erupt from the hamlet and charge to glory went bad when a brigade of Prussian cavalry deployed opposite. Better deploy skirmishes. That will fool him and buy time to think of something.

4: french left flank advancing.

5: french centre/right advancing.

french interpretation 4&5: No use staying back here. Better advance and make room for my cavalry. Someone once said 'you attacks, then you see what happens'. Sounds like a good call.

6: My Prussians deciding to commit to battle.  The brave or perhaps
foolish Landwere advance.  The dodgy raw lancers struggle across
the stream before being shellacked by shells from the artillery,

french interpretation 6: Landwehr up front blocking the good infantry. Very interesting - but stupid!

7: french being cunning and staggering their approach.

french interpretation 7: Landwehr deploying into line across the whole front? Must be an ambush. Wonder what he's doing.

8: My Prussian right flank advances, being very aggresive.

french interpretation 8: Bit decisive over here. Copping lots of artillery fire covering the infantry brigade flank and good and numerous supporting cavalry on the other side. Need to see whether he just wants to cramp my left or are they serious. Need to buy time. More skirmishes are more better!

9: Landwere adopt line with the view to shoot their opponent off the
battlefield.  Which wasn't that successful.

french interpretation 9: Landwehr to the right of them, Landwehr to the left if them, Landwehr in front of them. Shivered and shaken. Happy days!

10: Up in the top right photo, the critical engagement that determined
the mood for the rest of the battle.  Succeeded to charge (5+).
Took one casualty from shooting needed to roll (2+), failed.

french interpretation 10: Coming on in the same old style aiming his columns at my exquisitely deployed order mixte. Not too worried if my line runs. I have a regiment of Hussars looking for a gap to appear so they can get into his infantry.

11: The Landwere actually survived two rounds of close combat.
Eventually fleeing after receiving the worse in hand to hand.

french interpretation 11: These Landwehr should be a speed hump. They obviously haven't read the rules. Very un-German to ignore the instructions.

12: Lots of fleeing/routing Prussians.  Another successful charge,
another failed close combat, automatically disadvantaged due to
fighting veteran french.

french interpretation 12: More charges, more waves of Huns repulsed by my veteran Legere. Probably rather have my Hussars carving a path through his infantry. No pleasing some people.
 

13: Cavalry positioning for advantage.

french interpretation 13: Retiring infantry making a big gap for his cavalry. Better stay back here with the guns and pray for 6's.

14: Landwhere routing.

french interpretation 14: Quietly moving heavy cavalry up while he's distracted by panicking Landwehr. I'll give you 'perfidious'!

15: Lancers about to take another shellacking.  

french interpretation 15: Finally have enough room to get my Carabiniers into line opposite some remnant Landwehr cavalry. They are about 10% of my points so I'm rather keen to use them.

16: french cavalry breakthrough, routing the artillery.  Hussars engage
french cavalry.

french interpretation 16: Managed to get my cavalry through the gap in the centre made by his guns obliterating a French battalion or two. I think they saw what was coming and abandoned their guns to run off the table at an Olympic sprint champion pace.

17: The Landwhere (last turn) chasing off a french battalion.
Typical where a raw battalion performed better than trained troops.
The constant of my bad die rolling (or good for the Landwere).

french interpretation 17: As the Landwehr cavalry melt away in the face of my Carabiniere advance, my Legere execute a complex break contact drill to fall back on my right flank. An uncultured way of looking at it would be to call it a rout.

18: french breakthrough in the centre.  Artillery crew have run off.
My left side battalions are now horribly exposed.

french interpretation 18: The single battalion swapping close range musketry with a Prussian regiment selflessly screened the breakthrough of the Cuirassiers to their left. Time to return the favour now the Prussian artillerymen have left nothing but guns and dust to indicate where they were. Time to turn the screws before they have time to reorganise. 

19: Fleeing Prussians everywhere.

french interpretation 19: Here come their cavalry. Reluctantly send in my lights against his heavies. Hopefully they'll take long enough to die to give me chance to give his infantry a work out.

20: The death knell.  The french cavalry now in the position to roll
up the Prussian infantry, with very little I can do to stop them.

french interpretation 20: All happening on the other flank. Landwehr finally push back onto his depth Regiment. Cuirassiers behind one flank. Carabiniers coming around the other. The Prince of Orange would have been proud.

In the course of writing these comments I've concluded your tactics (and organisation) have become increasingly French and mine have become increasingly more Prussian. Since the Prussian tactics imitated the French during the 1812 to 1815 period it's not a big deal. Just ironic imitating people who are imitating you. Now I'm confused.

Another game planned for Monday next week and perhaps even another later in the week.