Campaign
Map on 3 November 1813
Wittgenstein orders 1st corps to
move to Gerbstedt
They will join 2nd corps there to
hold the right flank
3rd corps will retreat behind Halle
4th corps will retreat behind
Landsberg
Davout orders 2nd corps to occupy
Eisleben
14th corps to support them and hold
bridge leading to Halle
5th and 6th corps to hold
and see what Russians do next
Campaign
Notes
Wittgenstein
is thrown into confusion, and panic, by the loss of Eisleben
His
first reaction is to move to support 2nd corps
He
sends 1st corps over the river Saale to help them rally and regroup
This
removes the option of a strong counter attack against 5th and 6th
corps
The
capture of Eisleben presents a threat to Halle
He
moves 3rd corps back behind the city
He
also moves 4th corps back behind Landsberg
This
redeployment splits the Russian army in half, with two corps either side of the
river Saale. Worse still they are not
able to support each other.
Davout
is wary that Wittgenstein might immediately attack on the east bank.
He
is aware that there are three Russian corps against his 5th and 6th
corps
Despite
this he orders 2nd corps to occupy Eisleben
14th
corps moves forward with them, and secures the bridge to Halle
He
orders 5th and 6th corps to hold their position until the
Russians react
If
they launch a counter attack he can outflank them by moving on Halle
If they retreat he can advance against Halle
and Landsberg
Both wings of his army can support each other
by the bridge on the Halle road.
He
is confident that he has seized, and can keep, the initiative
Interesting start! I note that the river is bridged in every square. So I guess it is only the combination of road and bridge that makes for a good line of communication between corps? Would an unbridged river section be considered completely impassable?
ReplyDeleteHi Yuri
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment
The campaign is designed to produce interesting wargames, and the campaign map looks exactly the same as the table.
I have always found that if there is a river down the centre of a wargames table, and only one bridge to cross, it is too easy for the defender to position a gun within close range of his end of the bridge. The result is usually a stalemate.
So I have a bridge on each river square, except where there is a bend in the river. Artillery must use the bridge to cross the river. Infantry and cavalry can cross any straight river section, but do so at half move speed, and are disordered for the rest of the move. There is no movement penalty for anyone using the bridge, but must do so in column of march.
So even though the river is passable, except on a bend, any brigade doing so if vulnerable until they have crossed and deployed. This usually take each brigade two full moves.
It seems to work ok.
best regards
Paul