Battle of Le Mans (1871): 6mm Franco-Prussian War

Here are some pictures of Doug’s FPW game at the centre on 12 December. A bruised but sizeable French army of low quality in fortifications (Phil, Jonathan) was trying to withstand the Prussians (Patrick and me) arriving through woods near the town of Le Mans. We were using Bloody Big Battles rules and Doug’s great 6mm figures from Baccus.

Table at start of game.

The French were set up along a river line, with several fortifications (depicted as coffee stirrers) manned by their infantry. Prussian objectives were marked by red tiddlywinks (Le Mans had four).

Patrick and I decided to focus on the centre and left. We intended to drive the Prussian attack against a weakened French brigade holding a village in the centre, then push on towards Le Mans. Accordingly, I advanced with elements of III Korps, which Patrick moved from my right flank in support. As we were in woods, the French could only spot us from three inches away or less.

I soon got in range of Phil’s French brigade, and eliminated a couple of battalions with close range fire.

Patrick moved up, but suffered heavy losses to French defensive and offensive fire from across the river.

Reinforcements from X Korps arrived on my left, and these began a march through the woods along the road against an adjacent French defensive position.

Meanwhile, Jonathan pulled back some of his infantry into Le Mans.

Phil also reordered his units, holding one of the bridges on the French far left, and forming a new defensive line on the French flank, after Prussian reinforcements were expected to arrive in this sector.

On the second turn, I elected to fire with one brigade and charge another into the flank of the French brigade holding the village.

The French lost more units, and the few remaining were forced to withdraw 9 inches to the river. I duly occupied the village, then pressed on.

Patrick’s Prussian reinforcements had arrived, facing Phil’s French flank. Doug’s figures looked splendid en masse.

With more reinforcements (X Korps) arriving on my left, including some cavalry, I advanced from three directions with my entire force against Jonathan’s French in the entrenchments. The woods prevented the superior French rifles from targeting the Prussian infantry from afar.

So my units got up close and began to fire.

At this point we had run out of time, but it seems likely that had the game continued, the Prussians would have broken the French line, and pushed on to the bridge near Le Mans. Patrick was busy on the Prussian right, and could well have broken the hinge of the French line had he attacked the furthest bridge.

Overall an enjoyable game with nice figures and simple rules (Bloody Big Battles). Doug has more figures available and we would enjoy a War Room game when more time and players would do this interesting period justice. Thanks to Doug for umpiring, and to all the players.

What Happened Historically?

After capturing the armies of the French Empire at Sedan and Metz in the Autumn of 1870, the German armies under the command of Helmuth von Moltke besieged Paris in September 1870. The newly-formed French Third Republic rejected a German peace offer and decided to continue the war and raise fresh armies to defeat the Germans.

General Chanzy’s Army of the Loire was falling back to Le Mans after losing the Battle of Beaugency (8-10 December 1870). The French army was greatly demoralized and ill-equipped. Much of the French ammunition had been soaked in the rain giving the Prussians a major advantage against the obsolete French gunnery. But Chanzy still ordered his forces into trenches prepared before Le Mans. The Battle of Le Mans took place between 10-12 January 1871. The Germans hit the French left flank guarded by the river Huisne. The flank was turned and nearly routed until artillery and a counterattack halted the German attack. A bold German attack was launched and overwhelmed the French right flank. Jaureguiberry attempted to rally the broken troops to mount a counterattack but failed to do so. The French defense dissolved, the stragglers falling back into Le Mans. The battle had completely ended French resistance in the west. The Franco-Prussian War came to an end on 28 January 1871.