The French Imperial Garde in Combat

Battle of Kuhfelde – Move 6

This wargame is a good example of the risks of using the Imperial Garde in combat.

This was mostly an infantry combat.   Napoleon positioned all four infantry brigades on his right.   The guard cavalry and artillery were posted on the left, plus the reserve cavalry and artillery. 

Blucher placed two infantry brigades on his left, one in the village and one on the right.  He also placed his cavalry and artillery on his left, to counter the French deployment.  And ordered his reserve cavalry and artillery to join them.

Napoleon planned for his cavalry to counter the Prussian cavalry and artillery.  His own artillery were to bombard the village in support of his infantry.  His four infantry brigades would attack right of the road.

Because Blucher reinforced his right, Napoleon directed his artillery to fire on the supporting infantry square, and then the massed cavalry.  If he could weaken both he would then send his cavalry to break this flank.

As the French infantry neared the village one of them skirmished with the garrison.  The other three moved to attack the two Prussian brigades between the village and the woods.

They broke and routed the Prussian infantry, and then moved to attack the village.   Meanwhile Blucher had moved his reserve artillery to support this flank.  They fired on the unsupported French infantry.

The village was held by a grenadier brigade, who managed to hold against two French brigades.   As the casualties mounted Napoleon ordered his infantry to withdraw and regroup.

At nightfall the Prussians still held the village, but they were too weak to continue the battle for a second day.   They withdrew and abandoned not only the village, but also Kuhfelde.

The French suffered 2400 casualties and one brigade in rout

The Prussians suffered 3700 casualties and three brigades in rout

Battle of Kuhfelde – Move 11

This looks like a convincing French victory.   But not all is as it seems.

The allocation of casualties are as follows

1 French Grenadiers – A class – 1 casualty

2 French Grenadiers – B class – 1 casualty

3 French Chasseurs – B class – 2 casualties and rout

4 French Chasseurs – B class – 2 casualties

5 Prussian Grenadiers – A class – 2 casualties

6 Prussian Infantry – B class – 2 casualties and rout

7 Prussian Reserve – B class – 2 casualties and rout

8 Prussian Landwehr – C class – 3 casualties and rout

Battle casualties are replaced at the rate of one per corps per move.  

But the corps must be halted, in supply and not in contact with the enemy

For infantry casualties, all can be moved to the weakest brigade, less one per brigade

Each brigade must keep one casualty until the end of the campaign

Thus the French can replace 2 of their 6 casualties

The Prussians can replace 5 of their 9 casualties

More important the Prussians can put most of their casualties in 8 Landwehr brigade

This will leave all four French brigades with one casualty

Each casualty reduces combat and morale tests by one

In effect it reduces an A class brigade to B class, or B class to C class

The French infantry will now consist of one B class and three C class brigades

The Prussian infantry will also consist of one B class and three C class brigades

There are two full strength Prussian corps in the campaign

If the Imperial Garde has to face either of them they will be at a severe disadvantage

As always it all depends on the luck of the dice.  

But even a win can result in serious unforeseen and not very obvious problems.

This is how I prevent the elite French Garde from becoming supermen!