Campaign Post Operations Report #3 - French : A cunning plan

French Campaign Map view as of 18 August 1813 (simulation #1)

David and James

I think it fair to say we do have a Cunning Plan for the campaign.

Your Commands are

James - as Maréchal Ney, Prince of Moscow, commanding the "Army of Berlin"

III Corps - Ney
I Corps - Vandamme
V Corps - Lauriston
VIII Corps - Poniatowski
XIV Corps - Saint-Cyr
27th Polish Division - Dombrowski
I Cavalry Corps - Latour-Maubourg
ADC/Commanders
Corbineau
Nansouty

Your immediate objectives to bring to the battlefield, and defeat, the Army of the North who I suspect will be defending Berlin. As part of this you will need to raise the Prussian seige of Magdeburg should you think this is both necessary and easily undertaken.
In support of your endeavours  Maréchal Davout has been ordered to march from Hamburg, with XIII Corps (minus the Danish troops which will garrison Hamburg) and V Cavalry Corps, along the main road to Berlin, passing through Schwegin.
Should you think it necessary I can bring the Imperial Guard in on this operation. This will need/require a very quick fought victory in order that we can then support both Oudinot and Macdonald in the south and south-east of Saxony.


David - as Maréchal Macdonald, Duke of Tarente commanding the "Army of Saxony"

XI Corps - Maconald
IV Corps - Bertrand
II Corps - Victor
III Cavalry Corps - Ariighi
ADC/Commanders
Hogendorp

David yours, should you wish to accept it, may be "the Mision Impossible" OR should that read Impassable. I'd like you to make it as hard as possible for the Austrians to come through the mountain passes from Bohemia. This effort is to give the Army of Berlin & Ney sufficient time to close with and defeat the Allied "Army of the North"

  Maréchal Oudinot will be to your E/NE covering Bautzen and the Imperial Guard will be in the region around Luckau

The attached map shows their approximate positions. Would you please deploy your forces, as you see fit, in order to achieve your objectives given above.
If you choose to "break out" troops from their parent Corps please ensure that they remain / move in conjunction with their parent Corps and Commander.
Troops out of command will not necessarily move / comply with their latest received orders.

ADCs /Commanders -  to assist the Army commanders you have both been allocated 1 or 2 of these. Do you want any more???

Other troops available to us are: IX Corps under Augereau, which is forming; V Cavalry Corps (part) under Milhaud - bis - and 2 batteries of Young Guard Foot Batteries. All of these troops will appear on the map, arriving through the central Supply point on the western map edge.

Our forward Supply Depot will be at Leipzig; two Magazines are to be immediately established at Wittenberg and Dresden. These will be able to be maintained/supplied from two of the three Supply points (NOT the Hamburg one)

Our aims therefore,in brief, to break the Allied Coalition by first knocking Prussia and Sweden out before the the Russian and Austrian armies reach the battlefields of Saxony.

Your troops are loosely positioned in your area of operations.

After you have fully deployed your troops as you want them for the beginning of the campaign please return file to me and I will submit the "Master Map" file.

Any comments, observations and / or suggestions are most welcomed

Thanks guys and good luck

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What are your thoughts of the plan?