Battle of Rothenburg 20 August 1813

In our simulated Campaign of Nations a Russian force was ordered to cross the Bobr River region near Rothenburg.

Mark's 9th Hussars being featured on the tabletop

The Battle of Rothenburg was played out using SHAKO rules by the Avon Napoleonic Fellowship.

Click the links above to go to the game and blog.

In the end the crossing was not hotly contested ...

Cossack & Lancer Skirmish Series

The provision of information is always critical in the development of a Campaign.

Lancers

During the period of the 1813 Campaign the eyes of the Allied armies were the Cossacks, for the French it was the Hussar or Chasseur that probed, while the Lancer performed screening duties.

There is a critical set of information, both sides want to get at this information and preserve the secret of their own from the other side.

To 'game-out' this situation, the game master is proposing a 7 game skirmish series, where the winner of four of the games will get to have the enemy information and preserve their own secret.

The location of the battle series is not revealed until after the series is played out ...

Game1 : Lancers win  - L1 :: C0
Game 2: Cossacks win   -  L1 :: C1
Game 3: Cossacks win - L1 :: C2
Game 4: Lancers win - L2 :: C2
Game 5: Lancers win - L3 :: C2
Game 6: Lancers win  - L4 :: C2

Lancers win the series 4 games to 2.

Battle at Berlin - other images

One of the player for the Battle of Berlin I, has posted up an image album of his iPhone shots from the field.

The Impetuous Maréchal Ney, Prince of Moscow

The first battle before the walls of Berlin is settled now.

Maréchal Ney, Prince of Moscow

Maréchal Ney, Prince of Moscow; took upon himself the Herculean task of storming the south gates of the city just as night was falling.

Taking command of a company of Grenadiers and Voltigeurs from 1st Battalion 29th Légère Regiment the impetuous Maréchal Ney attempted to force an opening through the scatterings of Cossacks that were still active on the north side of a bridge which had been holding up III Corps all day.

The Cossacks were screening back the French as they scrambled to get through the open gates to the city ordered by Russian General Harpe.

When last seen Maréchal Ney was set upon by a squadron of Cossacks, in the dim light his hat disappeared, then his horse could be seen being led away by the Cossacks as the south gates to the city closed behind them.  There were dead Frenchmen and horses in all directions around the bridge and scatterings of men were moving into the buildings outside the walls of the city.  Darkness overtook the battle scene and as III Corps had no chief of staff, Général de brigade Jomini having deserted three days before, the men of the 9th Division settled into a bivouac to await orders for the next day...

Battle for Berlin

A grand battle for Berlin is shaping up now, with Marshal Ney advancing in force on the city.

Berlin c. 1800

In 1813 the city and region of Berlin had a population of around 1.5 million, given that the allied armies had failed in May of 1813, there were efforts made to shore up the defenses of the city, notably written by Bulow.  However, in the rush to enable recruitment and finding the cupboard empty of arms, many of the Landwher regiments were only partly armed with muskets, the rest having not much more than pikes or farm implements.  The Freewilliger corps were even more hastily armed.

Certainly there would have been the manpower to improve the city defenses, similar to that found in advance of the Borodino battle, where massive earthworks were prepared.

What of the situation for our fictional Berlin in August 1813?

How many defenses were actually prepared to the south of the city?

What sort of civil defense measures might have been possible?  Conscription? More wild partisan-like units?

What would happen to the million plus inhabitants of the city once Ney's advance cavalry guard arrived on the 18th August?  Would there have been an evacuation already?  Would there be a panic, that might interfere with military operations?

Please do comment on your thoughts about this situation.

Post script battle from playtest at Potsdam II

Jim, one of our campaign players, had run the second encounter at Potsdam during the playtest phase.

His Blog post about that battle can be found here:

First battle action Campaign in action

General Barclay de Tolly

General Barclay de Tolly is leading his column north out of Bohemia, when the leading Russian Hussar Division encounters two Divisions of French Light Cavalry, Chasseurs and Hussars.

Now the columns must form up into battle formations from their march columns and move into engage with the French, for de Tolly has decided to force a battle here in the passes.

The battle details have bee sent out to the table partners, now we shall see if any could run this battle in the next 10 days.