Bautzen II: 1813 Campaign at the Cabin

We refought the Battle of Bautzen again on Sunday 19 October at Richard’s cabin, following a Friday version of the same battle earlier this year. The game was part of Richard’s enjoyable 1813 Napoleonic Campaign, using General d’Armee II rules and his nice 15mm figures.

Mark (left), Rob (centre) and I (right) were the Russians, while Jonathan (right), Doug (centre and left) and Brian (C-in-C) were the attacking French.

Turn 1: March Attack!

Doug began with a quick advance on the French left, aiming at my Russian right flank, where the French had chosen two objectives (a hill, and a village).

My force consisted of a brigade of grenadiers (3 units), and a brigade of dragoons with horse artillery. The terrain favoured the defence, and the French attackers had no cavalry, which left their artillery in a grand battery on a hill to their rear as the main attacking option besides the infantry.

While Doug’s artillery missed me, I inflicted two hits on some of his advancing foot. Elsewhere, on the Russian left, Mark’s artillery on the hill dealt four hits to Jonathan’s cavalry, in an artillery assault.

Turn 2: The Russians Brace

The French advance continued against the Russian right, and Rob’s infantry moved off in the Russian centre. His cavalry soon moved up in support.

My Russian skirmishers clashed with the French skirmishers beyond the hill, who came off worse. I added another hit to Doug’s infantry.

Turn 3: The French Repulsed!

I moved up my cavalry to behind the hill, while Doug’s infantry approached it. I had a concealed grenadier battalion behind the crest. French artillery dealt two casualties to my infantry in the orchard. My horse artillery responded and hit the battalion heading towards the hill.

The first setback to the French was the retreat of one battalion which lost 6 casualties from my infantry firing and a discipline test. It fell back 30cm.

My grenadiers on the hill inflicted four casualties on the two French units approaching. One became unformed, and on a roll of 12, all three French units had to retreat. 8 casualties had been caused on two units. The first French assault had been repelled.

At this point the French were despondent. They had no cavalry in the vicinity to support their attack on the Russian right. Russians rolling for ADCs, initiative, and brigade activations had also been much luckier, and Mark’s artillery very effective.

Turn 4: The Russians Eroded

After lunch, I pulled my infantry back from the wood to avoid casualties. Doug changed Grillot’s brigade into line.

Jonathan’s and Doug’s skirmishers dealt six casualties to Rob’s infantry in the Russian centre.

As I dealt a hit to a French unit in line, I also took one from ‘fatigue’. Meanwhile the French decided to split their grand battery into two, to better attack Rob’s brigade.

Turn 5: The Russians Bombarded!

The Russian plan was to swing round in the left and centre to attack Jonathan’s brigade. Rob moved up, and his cavalry brigade secured his flank.

Doug advanced his rallied brigade against the orchard, which one battalion entered.

Doug’s artillery battery dealt four casualties to one of Rob’s infantry units. My guns went low on ammo and missed, picking up a second casualty as fatigue.

Turn 6: The French Repelled

I fired on the French in the orchard, and rolled well again, driving them back before they could close…

The other two battalions in the French brigade had to make a compulsory retreat. The second French attack had been repelled!

Meanwhile Jonathan’s infantry and cavalry were holding the French right rather cautiously, while Mark’s infantry had been unable to advance.

Turn 7: The French Press On!

As I redeployed my skirmishers to the front of the hill, Doug brought up his two other infantry brigades. They were ‘Marie-Louises’ struggling to roar Vive L’Empereur convincingly!

Meanwhile, Doug’s skirmishers increased the number of hits on Rob’s damaged unit to 8.

My artillery missed for the third turn in a row. But Mark’s artillery hit Jonathan’s cavalry twice, making them unformed.

Turn 8: The Russians Impacted…

My infantry on the hill were still undamaged and behind the reverse slope. The French could not charge them as they could not see them.

Doug’s brigade next to the damaged brigade duly advanced on the hill – the third French assault had begun. I dealt his skirmishers a hit with my own.

Rob’s infantry was badly outnumbered by skirmishers, but he advanced further in the centre. Doug’s artillery now destroyed Rob’s infantry unit on the front-right.

Turn 9: The Russians Hold!

10 French battalions under Doug were now advancing on the Russian-held hill. I still had just three of my own in the area (one of which was in a village, one behind the orchard, and one on the hill itself).

Rob’s infantry charged into Jonathan’s skirmishers, who withdrew. I managed to cause a few casualties to Doug’s advancing French with my skirmishers and artillery.

Turn 10: The French Flounder…

As one French battalion approached the hill, another charged my damaged grenadiers behind the orchard.

Unfortunately for me, Doug won the melee decisively and the Russian battalion was destroyed. The third French attack had finally made some headway.

Doug also charged one of Rob’s infantry battalions in the centre, but took several casualties in defensive fire, and the French became unformed and broke.

I ordered a charge of one dragoon regiment, which made contact with one of Doug’s battalions. Again, the Russians won the melee, and the battalion (which had not formed square) dispersed. I then pivoted my remaining dragoons to be in position to charge the oncoming battalion of Doug’s central brigade.

Meanwhile, Doug’s second battery dealt two casualties to my battalion in the village, and set it on fire.

The French decided to concede, after being unable to take either the hill or the village.

Conclusion: GDA2 Rules Are Alright, Jack!

A tough day for the French, who had to attack a narrow area on their left flank with much cover for the Russians, without supporting cavalry. The Russians were lucky to roll better throughout much of the game, and I managed to make the right tactical decisions on the Russian right with good support in ADCs from Rob (C-in-C).

We fought a final (hypothetical) turn with three French battalions attacking the village. Unfortunately the lead French unit was forced back after losing a melee against my infantry there. My cavalry would have charged in to the supporting infantry anyway. Rob also tried a cavalry charge against Jonathan’s line, but took 6 casualties going in from three battalions, and had to retreat.

A hard-fought game, but a comprehensive Russian victory. Players commented that attacking is difficult without an advantage in ADCs, while even with numerical superiority poor activations can lead to a disjointed assault. While deprived of cavalry support at the point of attack, the French might have risked luring the Russian cavalry into an attack, just to neutralise it, before following up with more French infantry. Sacrificing some infantry might have blown the brigades, but could have got rid of the cavalry threat…

I found the rules more amenable this time, though the feeling may have been different had we lost. General D’Armee II are much quicker if players know the rules, and Rob did (as well as being hands on as C-in-C) which certainly helped the Russians. Mark’s artillery also performed well. Thanks to Richard for hosting a very enjoyable game, tasty lunch, hospitality and umpiring. His riveting 1813 campaign continues…