Nordhausen Campaign – Day One

2 September 1813 – Nordhausen Campaign - Day 1

French defend Nordhausen/Halle border
4 French army – defend Halberstadt
5 French army – defend Sangerhausen
6 French army – defend Heldrungen

Russian attack Halberstadt
1 Russian army – attack Halberstadt
2 Russian army – observe Sangerhausen
3 Russian army – observe Heldrungen

Battle of Halberstadt – table at start of battle

Both armies are deployed on the table at the start of the game, with 2 foot between them
This is a surprise attack by the Russian army.
The defending French army cannot move until the start of move 2

The three objectives are in the centre of the table.
The farm on the left, the woods in the centre and the hill on the right
The army which occupies at least two at the end of the battle is the winner

The defending army is not in position on the three objectives
Therefore the Russian army arrives at all three objectives a little earlier than the French

On the right three Russian infantry brigades are sent to take the hill
Their cavalry, artillery and one infantry brigade are deployed to the right of the hill
The French duplicate this deployment, also sending three infantry brigades to take the hill
The resulting infantry skirmish and melee decides the outcome
The French win the skirmish battle, but the Russians win the melee and occupy the hill

In the centre the Russians send three infantry brigades to take the woods.
Their cavalry, artillery and one infantry brigade hold the area between the woods and the hill
The French cavalry advance and force the Russian artillery into a nearby square
They are charged by the Russian cavalry, who win the melee and rout them
The Russian infantry hold the woods, despite a series of French counter attacks

On the left Russian infantry enter the farm, but come under fire from French artillery
The Cossack brigade are routed by the French cavalry, who in turn are routed by artillery fire
The French infantry attack the farm and after prolonged fighting rout the Russian defenders

At the end of just 6 moves both sides have suffered only light casualties
But both have a lot of brigades in rout, 11 French and 5 Russian
The French are too weak to launch another attack and the Russians win the battle

Comments
Normally the defending army are deployed on the three game objectives at the start of the game.
But for this campaign I have decided to deploy both armies at either end of the table
The three 2 foot squares containing the objectives are between them
Both armies have to advance to occupy them, resulting in an encounter style wargame

The normal sequence of a 12 move game was in three parts.
During the first four moves the attacking side moved onto the table and deployed out of range
For the next four moves the artillery and cavalry would try to gain an advantage
During the last four moves the attacking infantry would engage the defending infantry

This type of game relied on the attacker gaining an initial advantage for his cavalry or artillery.
He would then hope to break the weakened defending army with an infantry attack
Normally the first round of skirmish or melee would decide the outcome of the game
Because there would not be time to rally routed brigades and launch a counter attack
It was hoped that with this new deployment the fighting would start sooner
This would allow time for routed brigades to rally and counter attack.


This happened to a degree in this wargame, but it was not decisive
For some reason there was an unusually high number of routed brigades
And this despite the fact that casualties were not particularly high on either side
Obviously the reason was low dice at a critical time, and this applied to both sides.

In this game it happened more for morale tests than combat tests
This may be just a “one off”, and I will need to play a few more games to confirm
If so it may be necessary to change the morale rules.
This is something I have been considering for some time.

The change in deployment certainly resulted in a much more exciting wargame
Both armies were in contact at all three objectives much sooner than previously
But because of routs the expected counter attacks did not materialise.

Nordhausen Campaign Phase

Map of Europe

Our next campaign phase is set in central Germany where the Second French Army Group is opposed by the Russian Army.   This is the 23^rd campaign phase of the sixth campaign, which started in June 2020.  Nordhausen is the one with the white star.   Each star is a campaign phase and the colour indicates which side won.

There are five campaign areas and each one has a French army group plus an Austrian, British, Prussian, Russian or Spanish army.

Central Germany

There are three regions in central Germany, and the sixth campaign is fought in Erfurt region.   There are nine districts in each region, and each district is a campaign phase.   This campaign is fought in Nordhausen district.   There are nine squares in each district, each one is a wargames table.  

The French won two of the previous four campaign phases, and Russians also won two.  

Nordhausen Campaign Map

The campaign map  covers the area from Nordhausen (on the left) to Halle on the right.   The district border is the dotted purple line in the centre.   The Russian army is deployed to the right of the border, with its headquarters at Halle.   The French army is to the left, with its headquarters in Nordhausen.   The Russian army has orders to cross into Nordhausen district and take the city of Nordhausen.   It  is anticipated that they will have to fight six battles to do so, one for each town.  

Each square on this map is a 2x2 foot square on the wargames table.   There are six tables, one for each town.

Each army group is divided into three armies, and each army has three corps. 

 

Table at  start of wargame

Comment

Most campaigns last approximately 6 to 8 weeks and each wargame about seven to ten days.

I often use a campaign to test new wargame or campaign rules written as a result of the previous campaign.   For a long time our battles/wargames have consisted of one army in defence attacked by the other army.   This photo of the start of a wargame shows what I mean.   The game objectives are the centre three squares, the woods on the left, the hill in the centre and the bridge on the right.   An advance guard of one corps is in position on the hill in the centre.  The other two corps are in the squares either side of the town.   All three attacking corps are off table at the top of the photo, and will arrive at the start of move 1.

For the next  campaign we are going to test play a new deployment.   The three game objectives will be the three squares in the centre of the table.   One army will be in position on the top three squares,  the other on the bottom three.   At the start of move 1 both armies will march towards the three objectives.   This will be similar to an encounter game, where both armies march towards each other.  

There are a maximum of 12 moves in each game, and at present it is not unusual for the attacker to run out of time and the game is decided before either side has really won.  This is because it takes about four moves for the attacker to come within 12” (long range artillery fire) of the defender.   Two to four moves are required for the attacker to use his artillery and cavalry to try to gain an advantage, and then the final four moves for the attacking infantry to reach the defending infantry. 

This new deployment will allow the attacker to fight the artillery and cavalry part of the game, and to reach the enemy infantry.  In addition there should be time for a second or third round of melee to take place, which will allow for rally and counter attack.

Looking forward to seeing how well this works in practice.

Burgos Campaign – Day Seven

1 September 1813 – North Spain – Day 7

French lose campaign and retreat into Burgos district
10 French army – retreat to Picuerga
11 French army – retreat to Santa Maria
12 French army – retreat to Cuellar

British win campaign and hold Valladolid-Burgos district border
1 British army – occupy Quintana
2 British army – occupy Laguna
3 British army – occupy Coca

Burgos Campaign Map

Comments

Most of you will be aware that our campaigns, and the battles fought as a result, is very much a family affair. I do the map work on my own, and set up the table from the map with the two armies. I then brief Jan (my wife) at the table with a short background to the game and explain the winning conditions. For quite a long time this has been two of the three middle squares on the table. The player who controls at least two of those squares at the end of 12 game moves wins the game. Every square on my wargames table has a terrain feature, for example village, woods or hill. That is the object which must be controlled, rather than the whole square. Although I set up both armies on the table, Jan is free to change my deployment of her army, providing each corps remains in the square they occupy on the campaign map.

At the start of each campaign phase there is a declared objective. This is always the city which is the capitol of the military district being invaded. There is therefore always an attacking side, and a defending side. Because I run the map campaign I always command the attacking army.

The campaign map shows the area of the campaign, and the location of each corps at the start of the campaign. The British are on the left and the French on the right. There is one square between the two armies, which is no-mans-land. When a corps enters the square between them and the enemy a battle is declared. The British are the attacking force in this campaign and their objective is to take and hold the city of Burgos. They are deployed on the Valladolid side of the border with each army (of three corps) concentrated and ready to attack. The French are on the Burgos side of the border with one corps from each army on the border, and the remaining two in and around the nearest town to the border.

Normally the British would attack one army at a time. Because they are concentrated they have a slight advantage over the French. That advantage only last for the first battle, because the French react as soon as the first British army crosses the border. Because they have the advantage, it is usual for the attacking army to win at least two of the opening battles. At the end of three battles the defending army is normally in retreat towards the three towns on the right of the map, one of which is Burgos.

After the first three battles both armies have battle casualties, received during the wargame to decide the outcome of each battle. Often the losing army will have received more casualties than the attacking one Most of these casualties are replaced before the fourth battle is fought. Casualties in each brigade is reduced to 10%. This will affect both combat and morale tests for the brigade concerned, and it makes all six armies much more brittle than in the first three battles. It also makes it more difficult for the attacking player. Because he has to approach the defending army, who then normally fire first and can initiate cavalry charges. Therefore the advantage is with the attacking player in the first three battles and with the defender in the last three.

If you have followed the progress of the Burgos campaign you will be aware that things did not go smoothly. The attacking army, the British, only won one of the first three battles. Instead of advancing in pursuit of the retreating army they found themselves withdrawing back towards Valladolid. The British did win two of the next three battles, but only resulted in a draw. Because they had failed to take the French held city of Burgos they lost the campaign.

All of this does not matter much, because the whole purpose of the campaign is to produce interesting and enjoyable wargames. All six games were indeed both interesting and enjoyable. However they did highlight the weakness in requiring the attacker to force the defender to retreat after the first three battles.

The reason for the lack of British success was poor dice, made worse by particularly good dice for the French. We both feel that it is essential to accept the luck of the dice, even if it does mean a game which should last about a week only lasts a couple of days.

Burgos Campaign – Day Six

31 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 6

French attack Laguna
10 French army – regroup at Quintana
11 French army – attack Laguna
12 French army – retreat to Cuellar

British win battle of Laguna
1 British army – regroup at Palencia
2 British army – defend Laguna
3 British army – occupy Coca

Battle of Coca – Start of Battle

2nd British army retreated to Laguna having lost the battle of Santa Maria
11th French pursue and attack them at Laguna

French army is commanded by Marshal Oudinot
British army is commanded by General Hill

French – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
British – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

French have 9 infantry and 2 cavalry casualties (3800 men)
British have 6 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (2500 men)

The game objectives are the three squares at the top of the photo
Hill on the left
Woods in the centre
Bridge on the right
The side who controls two of the three at the end of move 12 will be the winner

Both armies are deployed on the table at the start of the game

The French started the battle with more casualties than the British
To have any chance of success they would have to weaken the British cavalry or artillery
To do so they would have to attack aggressively and hope to win the opening battle
They failed miserably and had lost the battle within 4 moves out of 12.

At the end of move 4 the British held all three game objectives
They were so confident that they advanced to rout the retreating French army

Comments
In a wargame, even more than in real life, it is really difficult for the side with more casualties to win. To do so they have to fight an aggressive game, and hope to win the opening moves and inflict casualties on the enemy cavalry or artillery. With superiority in either cavalry or artillery the weak infantry can then advance and hope to win the main battle.

This game opened with the French cavalry advancing on the left flank. They were charged by the defending British cavalry, and routed with 10% casualties. The British cavalry rallied and forced the nearby gunners into an infantry square. By the end of move 2 the battle was over on the left flank.

In the centre both CinC had taken command of two cavalry brigades to form a cavalry reserve. The French cavalry now advanced and were charged by the stronger British horse. The French won the first phase, but lost the second. Both French brigades were routed with 20% and 30% casualties. The British suffered 20% to one brigade, but both rallied. By the end of move four the battle was over in the centre.

On the right flank the British occupied both ends of the bridge, with the elite light division was on the right bank. There was never any real likehood of a French victory on this flank. With the loss of their centre and left, the French retreated without a shot being fired.

When one side has such overwhelming reverses so early in the game both players have to decide whether to accept the outcome, or go back to the start positions and refight the game. Most would agree to do so, and thus avoid the sheer waste of time setting up the game. However in a campaign game this is not really an option. We both felt obliged to accept the sheer unfairness of the poor dice rolled by the French player (which was me). Even if this did mean losing a critical battle, which in turn would decide the campaign in favour of the British.

Burgos Campaign – Day Five

 

 

30 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 5

French attack Coca
10 French army – occupy Quintana
11 French army – pursue British to Laguna
12 French army – attack Coca

British win battle of Coca
1 British army – retreat to Palencia
2 British army – retreat to Laguna
3 British army – defend Coca

Battle of Coca – End of Move 2

Wellington’s invasion of Burgos District has suffered a major set back
He has lost three of the four battles fought so far
His army have been forced to abandon the invasion and retreat into Valladolid District

The French defeated Picton at the battle of Cuellar two days ago
They now attack him at Coca as he regroups and resupplies his army

12th French army is commanded by Marshal Marmont
3rd British army is commanded by General Picton

French – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
British – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

French start the battle with 8 infantry, 2 cavalry and 1 artillery casualties (3500 men)
British start the battle with 9 infantry and 3 cavalry casualties (3900 men)

Despite starting the battle with more casualties, the British win the battle.

Comments

Both armies started the battle with considerable casualties from earlier in the campaign.
This would mean that most brigades has 10% casualties and would have brittle morale
They would also be less effective in combat than those without any casualties

On the right the French infantry reached the hill without any artillery casualties
Hand to hand infantry fighting decided the outcome, which was a victory for the French

The British heavy cavalry charged and routed the French cavalry in the centre left
However they also received casualties and would both rout when a nearby brigade routed
The Polish lancers rallied and supported the attack on the town

French infantry took the hill on the left, again after extensive infantry hand to hand fighting

So the battle was decided by the Vistula Legion attack on the town
This was delayed until the cavalry melee was decided
The Polish artillery then concentrated on the right half of the town]
The garrison was routed and Polish infantry entered
However the highland brigade launched a counter attack, which routed the Poles
Meanwhile two more Polish brigades attacked the left half of the town
Heavy fighting resulted in a Polish withdrawal
At nightfall two British brigades held the town, one was shaken and the other disordered
But there were no Polish infantry left to attempt a counter attack

Normally when both sides start a game with heavy casualties there is a quick winner
One rout often leads to many more amongst the supporting brigades
Aware of this danger, the French player attacked with great caution
He managed to attack all three objectives, and all were hard fought
But the town was the deciding one, and both sides ended the game battered
If the French had just one formed infantry brigade near the town they would have won
But they didn’t.

Very enjoyable game with the winner decided at the end of move 12.

Burgos Campaign – Day Four

29 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 4

French attack Quintana
10 French army – attack Quintana
11 French army – regroup and resupply at Burgos
12 French army – rally and regroup at Cuellar

British lose battle of Quintana
1 British army – defend Quintana
2 British army – regroup and resupply at Santa Maria
3 British army – retreat to Coca

Battle of Quintana – End of Move 2

Their defeat at Picuerga has forced 1st British army to retreat to Quintana
10th French army follow up their victory, enter Valladolid district and attack them

10th French army is commanded by Marshal Soult
1st British army is commanded by Duke of Wellington

French – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
British – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

French have 6 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (2500 casualties)
British have 4 infantry casualties (1600 casualties)

On the left 28 French corps attack the woods held by 1 British corps
The British put up a determined defence, but lose the woods late in the day

In the centre 29 French corps attack the town held by 2 British corps
They take the right half of the town, but can make no progress against the left half

On the left Soult takes command of three infantry brigades and captures the hill
The remainder of 30 Polish corps move to support the attack on the town

Despite starting the game with more casualties, the French take two of the three objectives
In doing so they win the battle

Comments
This was another very close run game.

The French started the game with more casualties than the British.
They also had to attack, because the British retreated after losing an earlier battle

29 French corps, in the centre, had the majority of casualties
They also had to attack the town, which was the most difficult objective
It is not surprising that they failed to take it.

On the left the CinC took command of three Polish infantry brigades to attack the hill
They took it with ease, and the British could not organise a determined counter attack

But it was on the right that the most interesting battle was fought
The French routed the British cavalry and pushed back the infantry to the right of the woods
They then brought up their artillery close range and battered the defending highland brigade
Two French brigades attacked the woods, one from the front and one from the right
They routed the highland brigade, but also lost their brigade on the right
The British guards brigade counter attacked with just one move to go
The result was a draw, both sides lost 10% casualties but passed their morale

We agreed to fight an extra move to decide the game
Once more both sides lot 10% casualties and both passed their morale test
Of course we had to fight another move to decide the game
This time the British lost 10% and automatically routed with 30% casualties
The French did not lose any casualties, but failed their morale and were shaken
Though shaken the French remained in the woods, and could claim victory

It is really enjoyable when a game goes all 12 moves without a decision
And then has to fight a further two to determine the winner
It was clearly a convincing French victory 
But if they had lost that melee for the woods they would have lost the game

Burgos Campaign – Day Three

 

 

28 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 3

British attack Cuellar
1 British army – regroup and resupply at Quintana
2 British army – occupy Santa Maria
3 British army – attack Cuellar

French lose battle of Santa Maria
10 French army – regroup and resupply at Picuerga
11 French army – retreat to Burgos
12 French army – defend Cuellar

Battle of Cuellar – End of Move 12

This was the third battle of the Burgos campaign. The French had won the first, the British the second. The British must win this battle if they are to continue to advance towards Burgos. If they fail they will have to retreat west and abandon their campaign.

Picton fought an aggressive battle, and all three battle objectives were soon engaged.

On the left Oswald’s 9th corps quickly took the two northern sections of woods, but was unable to make any progress against the two southern sections. Munsier’s Italian corps fought back and routed all six British brigades. The gunners rallied and took shelter in the village, but were unable to man their abandoned guns. Oswald was unable to rally any of his four infantry and one cavalry brigades.

Picton took command of half of 8th British corps in the centre. They routed the cavalry and three infantry brigades of Joubert’s Vistula corps, but were unable to take the woods which dominated the road junction. The one remaining Polish infantry brigade still held the woods at nightfall.

On the right Halkett’s 7th corps aggressively attacked Villatte’s French corps. The French were forced to retreat, but kept hold of the village. Villatte launched a counter attack which routed three British brigades. Halkett continued to attack, but the French still held the village at nightfall.

Both armies suffered heavy casualties. The British lost 20 infantry and 7 cavalry casualties (8700 men) and ten brigades in rout. The French lost 18 infantry, 5 cavalry and 1 artillery casualties (7800 men) and twelve brigades in rout.

At nightfall the French held all three game objectives and had won a convincing victory

Comments
 game resulted in an unusually high number of casualties on both sides. Normally this only happens in the second half of the campaign, when both sides start the game with existing battle casualties. The reason for this is that both sides were able to rally routed brigades and launch counter attacks.

The morale tests are decided by one D6 roll. Points are added for elite troops, generals within 4” and supports within 4”. If a brigade has 10% casualties and is disordered they lose two points. The plus and minus points often cancel each other out. A dice roll of 4 or more is a pass. 3 is disordered, 2 shaken and 1 rout. Both shaken and routed brigades lose two points on subsequent morale tests.

If a brigade is routed early in the game it is quite possible that they will rally and return to the fighting before move 12. This happened to both sides during this game. The result is that the brigade runs the risk of more casualties in the final stages. In this particular game a large proportion of brigades ended the game in rout with 30% casualties.

This is the second British defeat out of three battles. They are the aggressors, and must now abandon their campaign to take Burgos. It is likely that the defending French army will pursue the retreating British army and invade Valladolid district.

This would be another first since the campaign started in 2009.

Burgos Campaign – Day Two

27 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 2

British attack Santa Maria
1 British army – retreat to Quintana
2 British army – attack Santa Maria
3 British army – observe border

French win battle of Pisuerga
10 French army – concentrate on border
11 French army – defend Santa Maria
12 French army – advance to border

Battle of Santa Maria – End of Move 12

The battle opened with one French corps deployed on the centre objective. The other two corps were either side of Santa Maria. All three corps would be able to move at the start of move one.

The British were off table, but all three corps would arrive at the start of move one.

On the right 31st French corps arrived at the bridge before 4th British corps. Half of their infantry were on the left bank with the corps artillery. The other half were on the right bank with the cavalry. The British light division were on the right bank, supported by the corps cavalry. The CinC commanded the other two infantry brigades and the corps artillery; he also took command of 5th corps cavalry. The British forced the French on the left bank to retreat, and redeploy their cavalry to support the light division on the opposite bank. They now held both ends of the bridge and continued to do so until the end of the battle.

The British had a much harder task in the centre. Neither side could use their cavalry on the hills either side of the main road. The British captured the hill on the right by late afternoon, and then the hill on the left just before nightfall.

The battle for the woods on the left was the most complicated. All four sections of the woods had to be taken and held to control the third objective. The British quickly took the two northern sections, but struggled with the two southern ones. By late afternoon they had taken three of the four sections. The French then launched a counter attack on the bottom right section, and routed the defending highland brigade. The British brigades holding the other three wooded sections had to test their morale because of the rout. All three failed and joined the rout. At nightfall the French held the bottom right section with a shaken infantry brigade. But there were no British reserve to counter attack and the French held the objective.

At nightfall the British held two of the three game objectives and won the battle.

Comments
At the end of move 10 (of 12) it seemed certain that the British would take and hold all three game objectives. They held the bridge on the right. They also held the right hand hill in the centre, and were about to attack the left hand one with three brigades against two. They held three of the four wooded sections on the left, and had just routed the French brigade in the fourth section

The British took and held the hill on the left and thus secured the second of the three objectives

During move 11 they secured the fourth wooded section, and thereby held all three game objectives. However at the start of move 12 the French counter attacked the bottom right section of woods. The result was a draw, but the British had lost 10% casualties. In each move we draw a poker chip to decide which corps moves next. The French had come first to counter attack, it was all down to the outcome of the second round of melee when the British chip was drawn. Another draw, this time both brigades suffered 10% casualties. The French passed their morale test, the British failed and routed. The other three wood sections were within 4” and each of the British brigades holding them had to test their morale. All three failed and joined the rout!

The British still won the game, because they held two of the three game objectives. But Jan (the French player) felt she had won a moral victory by routing all four enemy brigades and retaking the woods.

All of this is possible because of the simple morale rules we use. All brigades who have taken part in a melee or received casualties have to test their morale, even if they have won the melee and not received any casualties. This is decided by the roll of 1D6. It is very unusual to have such a dramatic failure of morale, particularly on the last move of the game. But the fact that it is possible means that no game is ever decided until the chip for the last corps is drawn at the end of move 12.

Burgos Campaign – Day One

 

 

26 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 1

British attack Pisuerga
1 British army – attack Pisuerga
2 British army – observe border
3 British army – observe border

French win battle of Pisuerga
10 French army – win battle of Pisuerga
11 French army – hold Santa Maria
12 French army – hold Cuellar

Battle of Pisuerga – End of Move 2

The campaign opens with a surprise attack by 1st British army on the border town of Pisuerga.

29th French corps is deployed between Pisuerga and the border
28th French and 30th Polish corps are in reserve either side of the town
They will not be able to move until the start of move 2
The British will enter the table at the start of move 1

On the left the Poles deploy their artillery and one infantry brigade on the hill.
The remainder of 30th corps are behind or to the left of the hi
3rd British corps have lost their artillery to the army reserve
They attack the hill, but quickly withdraw in face of the Polish artillery

The main British attack is in the centre
Wellington has taken command of the artillery from 2nd and 3rd corps
They advance to the left of the main road in support of 2nd corps
2nd corps have orders to attack the road junction in the centre of the table

Despite being outnumbered 29th French hold the road junction throughout the battle
Both sides suffer heavy casualties.

On the right 1st British corps send three infantry brigades to attack the village
28th French corps have one brigade in the village and two in reserve
The remainder of the corps is deployed to the right of the village
The British take and hold the village

At nightfall the French hold two of the three game objectives and win the battle.

Comments

Wellington took command of the artillery and one infantry brigade from 2nd and 3rd corp
He used this reserve to support his main attack on the road junction with 2nd corps
Despite this he failed to take and hold the road junction.

Without their artillery 3rd British corps were unable to take the hill on the left
The Poles reached the hill first, and moved their artillery onto the hill
Cavalry are unable to fight on hills, and without artillery the British infantry withdrew

On the right the majority of both 1st British and 28th French corps were inactive
Only one brigade can be inside the village, but two brigades can attack either side
The British were confident they could take and hold the village with infantry alone
They pinned the rest of the French with their cavalry and artillery, plus one infantry brigade
The French should have attacked, and thus forced the British to reduce their attack on the village
However they concentrated on holding the village, and lost it.

The main attack in the centre was interesting. The British won an initial advantage with their superiority in artillery. They routed half of the French corps holding the road junction.
However they could not redeploy quickly enough to engage the other half.
An extensive infantry melee would decide the outcome, and the French had better luck (dice)
During the melee I (as British player) rolled three 1s and one 2 out of four dice!

The French won, but they lost more casualties than the British. So in their next battle they will start with more casualties than the British. Battle casualty replacements bring all brigades up to strength less 10%. The French have casualties to six infantry and one cavalry brigade. The British have casualties to four infantry and one cavalry brigade. The French casualties are spread between two corps, the British confined to one corps. All of this will put 29th French corps at a disadvantage when they next meet up with 2nd British corps.

Start of Burgos Campaign Phase

Campaign map of Europe

There are five campaign areas in Europe, as shown on the map above

North Germany – French v Prussians
Central Germany – French v Russians
Southern Germany – French v Austrians
North Spain – French v British and Portuguese
Southern Spain – French v Spanish

This is a fictional campaign and is based loosely on the historical 1813 campaign.

The campaign is divided into campaign phases
Each phase is self contained and starts with both armies at full strength
Each phase is about the size of the historical Waterloo campaign

The map of Europe is divided into squares, and each square is a military district
Each campaign phase is fought for possession of one of those districts

The aim of my campaign is to allow me to use all of my model soldiers and scenery
To achieve this each campaign phase is fought in a different campaign area

The sequence is

North Germany
North Spain
Central Germany
South Spain
South Germany

This sequence was chosen to allow maximum contrast with uniforms and scenery.
For example we have a series of buildings for north Europe and Spain
The bland Prussian uniforms are followed by Wellington’s red coats
Bland Russians come next
Followed by the very colourful Spanish regulars and guerrilla brigades
And finally white Austrians, before we return to bland Prussian again

North Europe battlefield – Goslar campaign phase

The table is a collection of 2x2 foot scenic squares which replicate the campaign map.
The buildings, woods etc are placed on top of these scenic squares
6x6 inch fabric square are sued to show the area of the farm, village or town
A farm or village has one of these squares, a town two and a city four

On the photo above there is a farm top left, with a green square
Top right is a fortified farm, similar to Hougoumont or La Haye Sainte
Bottom left is a second fortified farm; normally this would be a village
Bottom is the city of Goslar, represented by four scenic squares

No attempt has been made to make my city look anything like the actual town of Goslar
To do so would require a lot of effort to make specific buildings or features
Just not worth the effort for a two month wargame campaign

Spanish battlefield – Merida campaign phase

You will see that I use the same scenic squares to create the wargames table
I live in Spain and have visited most of the major, and many of the minor battlefields
There are parts of Spain which are barren, particularly in the summer
But most of the country is similar to the UK, certainly in Valencia comunidad where I live
So I feel it is acceptable to use the same colour green for the base of each scenic square

The town buildings are all Hovels, of which I have a large and varied collection
The villages and farms are all homemade, from card.
My wife Jan did the artistic work, I did the basic painting
The town’s buildings are all light brown, to reflect the better construction
The farms and villages all white, which is very common on rural buildings

When there is a river involved there are less villages or farms
This is because I never have two buildings in adjacent squares
I have found that this allows a more open battlefield, which is more challenging
I also have eight squares with hills, which allows a good variation
And finally five river sections, including two bends.

This photo illustrates well the reason I use fabric squares to show the area of buildings
In the centre of the photo the city of Merida is represented by four such squares
The two nearest to the camera have been removed to show fighting inside the city

Burgos campaign map

I used to restrict the campaign phase to the area covered by the district being attacked.
In this came it would have been the nine squares with Burgos in the centre
But I had a problem when the attacking army lost the early battles and had to retreat
So I changed the campaign map to include the area either side of the district boundary
In this case the British base of Valladolid is on the left
The French base, and the campaign objective, of Burgos in on the right

I always have a twinge of regret when my fictional campaign involved a historical objective.
Some years ago my wife and I spent a week exploring Wellington’s 1812 siege of Burgos.
I know the ground extremely well, and would love to recreate the siege
But, again, that is not possible in a two month wargame campaign

Nor is the general area anything like the physical area around the city of Burgos
The river Douro does flow through the Burgos area, but not the city itself
And I am quite sure no resident of the area would recognise the route of my river
I long ago came to realise that the most important part of creating a wargame campaign is compromise

Conclusion

I don’t think I have any favourite campaign area.
The important thing for me is the wargame itself, which must be enjoyable
I have left behind the desire to recreate historical battlefields and battles
Or to attempt to make my tabletop battles just like “the real thing”

In my early years of Wargaming I read Don Featherstone’s Wargamers Newsletter
Don had fought through WW2, and had experience of “the real thing”
His approach was that Wargaming was an enjoyable recreation experience
He know only too well that it was impossible to recreate the horror of real war
And who in their right mind would ever want to do so

So I am looking forward to a couple of months of moving my French, British and Portuguese model soldiers around my well used wargames table. And when my wargame campaign visits a village or town which I actually visited I will have happy memories of the real thing, and not spoil the fictional wargames experience.

Summary of 1813 Campaign

 

1813 Campaign map

The campaign started in July 2009. 

The campaign has been reorganised six times since then, either because it ran out of days in the year, or when it changed from a solo campaign to PBEM (play by email).   Within each campaign there are varying numbers of “mini campaigns” or “campaign phases”.   Each campaign phase is a self contained mini campaign consisting of 5 to 10 (usually 6) battles fought as wargames.

There have been 95 campaign phases, each lasting about two months.    This map shows the location of each phase and the colour indicates the winner of the phase.   The campaign has also produced 507 battles which were fought as wargames.   There are a series of blogs covering the whole campaign from July 2009 with a continuous diary and battle reports with photographs of each battle fought.

Sixth Campaign map

The current campaign (The Sixth) started in June 2020.   This was the first campaign to use the new fictional maps of Europe with military regions and districts.   I decided to create a fictional map of Europe having spent 11 years trying to create a map which I could divide into squares which I could then transfer to my wargames table.   Trying to scale down my master map (a road atlas of Europe) to a series of wargame tables proved too difficult (for me anyway).  So I decided to scale up a wargame table to create a fictional map of Europe.   Each square on this map is a military district.   Each district is divided into nine towns, and each town is a wargames table.    Nine districts make up a military region.

 

There have been 21 campaign phases each of which is shown on this map.   These have provided 134 battles to wargame.

Hildesheim Campaign Phase

When I started the Sixth Campaign I fought each campaign phase on a map showing the nine towns of that military district.   However I soon decided it would make more sense to show the area either side of the district border and include the administrative HQ of each army.   In this case the French HQ is Hildesheim and the Prussian HQ is Goslar.   The district border is the purple dotted line in the middle of the map.

There were six battles fought during this campaign phase, and the location of each is shown by a coloured star.   French victories are in blue and Prussian in Grey

When I started the 1813 Campaign in July 2009 I never thought that it would last so long.   I had run quite a few solo campaigns before then, but each were based on an historical campaign, rather than a fictional one designed to provided battles to wargame.  The great advantage of a fictional campaign is that you can develop it as much as you like. 

The objective of the campaign has always been to provide interesting battle for my wife and I to wargame, using to the full our collection of model soldiers and scenery.   In 2009 that included identical armies in 6mm, 18mm and 28mm.   However we soon found that we preferred to use the larger figures, and the 6mm and 18mm were soon gathering dust on the shelves.

The maps and the orders of battle have changed over the years, but the objective has never changed.   Being able to restructure the maps and order of battle has allowed me to created different scales of battle so we never get bored with the actual wargames.   It also allows me to undertake lengthy projects, such as the fictional maps, to add interest to the campaign itself.

When I wrote the original campaign rules I also wrote a set of rules loosely based on  “Le Feu Sacre” Napoleonic rules.    Both have changed drastically over the years, and now bear little resemblance to those used in 2009.   But this also has maintained our interest in Wargaming. 

The beauty of designing campaign and wargame rules for yourself if that you don’t have to justify them to anyone else.   It has certainly worked well for us, and I would strongly recommend it to other wargamers.

Hildesheim Campaign – Day Seven

25 August 1813 – Northern Germany – Day 7

The Prussians retreat to Hildesheim-Goslar border
1st Prussian army – retreat to Seesen
2nd Prussian army – retreat to Holle
3rd Prussian army – hold Harsum

The French hold Hildesheim and win the campaign
1st French army – regroup at Hildesheim
2nd French army – hold Springe
3rd French army – occupy Alfeld

Comments
The failure of the Prussians to take Hildesheim created a problem as to who had won the campaign. They had won four of the six battles fought during this campaign phase. But the campaign objective was to take and hold the city of Hildesheim.

Having failed to take Hildesheim 2nd Prussian army has to retreat to Holle, just south of 3rd Prussian army at Harsum. This left 1st Prussian army isolated at Alfeld, so they had to retreat west to Seesen, bringing them into line with the other two Prussian armies. This allowed 3rd French army to retake Alfeld.

This seemed the most reasonable solution. The Prussians occupied the three border towns, reflecting their success throughout the campaign phase, in that all three were within French held Hildesheim District.

In truth the result of this campaign phase was a draw. Both armies had suffered considerable battle casualties, and neither were in any condition to continue the campaign. Both would need a week or so to regroup, resupply and reinforce. All this would be easier to do were the Prussians to move further west into Goslar District. But I could not convince myself that this was a decision Blucher would have made in similar circumstances.

It is perhaps a little surprising that this sort of compromise is not required more often. Given the unpredictability of our wargame rules one would imagine that it would happen more often. But in fact the “obvious winner” almost always takes the campaign objective of the enemy city and rightly wins the campaign phase.

So a rather unsatisfactory conclusion to an otherwise enjoyable campaign phase. Not a great problem, because the aim of the campaign is to produce interesting and enjoyable battles to wargame, and it has certainly done that.

Hildesheim Campaign – Day Six

24 August 1813 – Northern Germany – Day 6

The Prussians attack Hildesheim
1st Prussian army – occupy Alfeld
2nd Prussian army – attack Hildesheim
3rd Prussian army – regroup Harsum

The French retreat
1st French army – defend Hildesheim
2nd French army – regroup at Springe
3rd French army – retreat to the west

Battle of Hildesheim – End of Move 2

The city of Hildesheim is the administrative centre of Hildesheim military district.
It is also the main supply depot for the French army.

2nd Prussian army, commanded by General Bulow, attack Hildesheim
They have12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
They start the battle with 4 infantry casualties (1600 men)

1st French army, commanded by Emperor Napoleon, defend Hildesheim
They have 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
They start the battle with 6 infantry, 2 cavalry and 2 artillery casualties (2800 men)

On the right the Imperial Garde hold the hill and area to the left. As the Prussians approach the artillery move forward to delay their deployment. The Prussian infantry are forced to advance through the fortified farm, causing considerable delay. The Prussian artillery deploy at short range on the flank of the Garde gunners, causing them to withdraw. This allows the Prussian infantry to attack the hill. After an initial success the Garde counter attack and rout the Prussian infantry

In the centre the Prussian reserve cavalry charge the French cavalry. They lose and are routed, allowing the French cavalry to threaten 5th corps and force them to form square. The Prussian cavalry rally, again charge the French cavalry and this time win the melee.

Only then can 5th Prussian corps advance and attack the woods. They quickly take the woods, and supported by the reserve cavalry break the French centre

On the left 6th corps infantry advance on the hill, causing considerable delay. Their cavalry and artillery pin the French to the left of the farm. The Prussian infantry take the farm, but are drawn into the melee for the centre. This allows the French to counter attack and retake the farm.

At nightfall the French hold two of the three game objectives and despite suffering much heavier casualties they win the game.

The French have lost 15 infantry, 4 cavalry and 2 artillery casualties (6600 men)
The Prussians have lost 11 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (4500 men)

There are 7 French brigades in rout
The Prussians have 4 brigades in rout

Comments

The French started the game with more casualties than the Prussians. This prompted the latter to launch a very aggressive attack. Both CinC had created a cavalry reserve of two brigades. This often results in a stalemate, with both sides reluctant to risk a melee. However in this game the Prussian cavalry advanced early in the game and charged the weaker French. Much to my surprise (as Prussian player) the French won, and routed both Prussian brigades.

The French cavalry then charged the nearby Prussian artillery, forcing the gunners to abandon their guns and seek shelter in a nearby square. This left the French cavalry in possession of the centre, and forced 5th Prussian corps to form square. Fortunately the routed Prussian cavalry rallied, returned and again charged the French cavalry. This time they won and turned the tables on the French. It was now the Prussian cavalry which dominated the centre.

For most of the game it looked like the Prussians would win. In fact at the end of move 10 they occupied all three objectives. However the French counter attacked and retook two of the three objectives.

Despite suffering many more casualties the French were clear winners at the end of the maximum 12 moves. They had lost 2nd corps in the centre, but firmly held both the farm on the left and the hill on the right.

A fast moving and very enjoyable wargame. The rules are working really well, and allow for unexpected reverses – such as the late French counter attacks. This is the main advantage of using our simple, but effective, combat and morale tests with just one D6.

Hildesheim Campaign – Day Five

 

23 August 1813 – Northern Germany – Day 5

The Prussians attack Alfeld
1st Prussian army – attack Alfeld
2nd Prussian army – regroup Holle
3rd Prussian army – occupy Harsum

The French retreat to Springe
1st French army – regroup Hildesheim
2nd French army – retreat to Springe
3rd French army – defend Alfeld

Battle of Alfeld – End of Move 2

On 20 August the Prussians defeated the French at the battle of Seesen
The French retreated to Alfeld and the Prussians entered the city of Seesen
Both armies have regrouped and the Prussians now attack Alfeld

1st Prussian army, commanded by Marshal Blucher, attack Alfeld
They have12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
They start the battle with 3 infantry and 1 artillery casualties (1200 men)

3rd French army, commanded by Marshal Murart, defend Alfeld
They have 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, and 3 corps artillery
They start the battle with 5 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (2100 men)

Murat has created a cavalry reserve by taking command of the cavalry brigades of 7th and 8th corps. He has placed them centre right between the two corps…

Blucher has created a grand battery by taking command of the artillery of 1st and 2nd corps. He has placed them centre right opposite the French cavalry reserve.

On the right 7th French corps have occupied the woods. 1st Prussian corps is advancing to attack the woods, with their cavalry on the far right. These cavalry charge the French gunners, who evade into a nearby square. The Prussian infantry are then free to attack and capture the woods.

The Prussian grand battery advance in support of 1st Prussian corps. They are charged by the French reserve cavalry, and one battery is routed. However one cavalry brigade fails to charge home and the second are counter charged by the 2nd Prussian cavalry. Both French cavalry brigades retreat is disorder.

This allows 2nd Prussian cavalry to force 8th French corps infantry into square, and they are routed when charged by the Prussian infantry.

On the left 3rd Prussian corps advance to attack the farm. Their cavalry and artillery pin 9th Polish corps, whilst their infantry attack and capture the farm

Comments

It is quite normal for the CinC to take command of either cavalry or artillery to form a reserve. Normally the opposing general creates a similar command, and this often results in a stalemate.

However this time the Prussian commander left all three cavalry brigades with their respective corps. Instead he took command of artillery and supporting infantry from two of his corps and placed them opposite the French cavalry. He then manhandled his guns forward, and the French cavalry have to either charge the guns or retreat. They choose the former option.

When cavalry charge enemy guns they advance half a move. The gunners must then test their morale to determine how they will react. If they pass the test they can choose to fire at short range, or evade if there are supporting troops within half a move.

In this game one Prussian battery started with 10% casualties, which is minus 1 on firing. They retreated to a nearby square. The cavalry charging them halted and withdrew next move.

The second battery remained with the guns; the French cavalry charged and received 10% casualties. If the cavalry charge home it is an automatic 10% casualties on the gunners and an automatic rout. However the cavalry failed the morale test and halted shaken. The nearby Prussian cavalry then charged and routed them.

The loss of the French cavalry gave a big advantage to the Prussian army and played a major role in them taking all three game objectives. However if the cavalry had won, and the Prussians lost two of their three corps artillery, they would not have been able to continue their attack.

This is the first time that we have used this tactic of opposing massed cavalry with massed artillery. It was a risky option, but fortunately it paid off. No doubt this tactic will be used in future game, and it will be interesting to see how often it works.

Blogger is very slow

 

Is anybody else having problems with Blogger .   It is very slow to post photos or amend text.   I keep getting a message "this page is not responding" and Post: Edit.   It started about ten days ago.

Wargame Rules - Artillery

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I was having problems with the Artillery rules.   In particular the effect of crew casualties.   In our current rules casualties are shown as a percentage, for example 10%.    Such casualties affect the combat and morale tests by imposing a minus 1 on all tests.

This created a particular problem with counter battery fire.   At long range artillery required a roll of 6 using 1D6.   This meant that a battery with just 1 casualty could not hit enemy gunners at long range.   Long range artillery is 12” and short range 4”.   This gave a massive advantage to the side without any gunner casualties and their gun dominated each game.

Counter battery fire had become a standard tactic in our games, particularly for the attacking player.   The attacking player would unlimber his artillery at long range of the enemy guns, with the rest of his army out of range.   Both sides would then fire away at each other, usually with no effect at all.  

Apart from counter battery fire, the only other option was to charge the enemy guns with cavalry.   Cavalry charge range is 12”, the same as artillery long range.   The cavalry would have to move into artillery long range, and then charge the next move.   This meant that the artillery could fire once at long range (3 or more for a hit) and again at short range (2 or more for a hit).   

I am play testing a new rule which restricts counter battery fire to short range.   I have never experienced a game where guns are able to deploy that close to the enemy guns.   In practice they would be engaged by either cavalry or even infantry.

With this rule change cavalry is the most favoured option for removing enemy artillery, though a very risky one.   The sequence for cavalry charging artillery is:

Cavalry advance half move (6”)

Gunners test morale, if they pass they can either fire at short range or evade to nearby supports

If gunners evade cavalry can either halt disordered, or retreat 6” to their start line

With cavalry the only option to take out the enemy gunners, this tactic is used much more often than when counter battery fire was an option.   We draw chips to determine the sequence of corps moves each turn.   If the cavalry are drawn after the enemy artillery they can move into charge range of the gunners without risking fire at long range 

The artillery reaction has become an interesting choice.    If they pass their morale test they must choose to either fire at short range or evade.   If they evade the enemy cavalry can prevent them returning to the guns.   If they fire they will probably hit the cavalry, who must then test their morale to charge home.   They require a roll of 3 or more to do so.   If they pass they charge and the gunners rout with 10% casualties.  If they fail they remain at short range of the guns and are either disordered or shaken depending on their test result.  

In our first game using this new rule there were two cavalry charges against artillery.  In one the gunners already had 10% casualties, passed their morale test but ran to a nearby infantry square.   In the second the gunners fired, the cavalry failed their morale test and were counter charged by enemy cavalry and routed.

Lots of possibilities with this rule amendment and it has added a new challenge to our wargames

Hildesheim Campaign – Day Four

22 August 1813 – Northern Germany Day 4

The Prussians attack Harsum
1st Prussian army – regroup Seesen
2nd Prussian army – occupy Holle
3rd Prussian army – attack Harsum

The French retreat to Hildesheim
1st French army – retreat Hildesheim
2nd French army – defend Harsum
3rd French army – regroup Alfeld

Second battle of Harsum – End of Move 2

On 19 August general Yorck failed to take the town of Harsum
He had to retreat east to Langelsheim to regroup

Since then the French have been defeated at Holle and Seesen
They both had to retreat west to regroup

This has left Marshal Victor isolated at Harsum

Yorck has been ordered to attack Harsum again and force Victor to retreat

General Yorck commands 3rd Prussian army
Marshal Victor commands 2nd French army
Both armies have suffered casualties at the first battle of Harsum

French start the battle with 6 infantry and 1 artillery casualty – 2500 men
Prussians start the battle with 4 infantry and 1 artillery casualty 1700 men

On the left the French artillery started the battle with 10% casualties
This meant that they were outgunned by the Prussian artillery
Consequently 6th corps had to withdraw slowly to keep out of artillery range
This allowed the Prussian infantry to attack and take the village

In the centre both CinC had taken command of two cavalry brigades
Neither side were prepared to risk a melee, and neither played any role in the battle
Without cavalry support the fight for the woods in the centre was an infantry melee.
It continued for three moves, but eventually the Prussians took the woods and road junction

On the right the Prussian artillery started the game with 10% casualties
This put them at a serious disadvantage against 4th French corps.
However the Prussian infantry advanced onto the hill and engaged the French infantry
This melee continued for most of the game, and both sides lost many casualties
But once again the Prussians gained the advantage and took the hill

Having captures all three game objectives the Prussians won the battle

Comments

The large number of casualties with which both sides started the game would play an important role. As explained above this was particularly so for those corps with gunner casualties.

The reluctance of both sides to commit their cavalry did not play a significant role. If they had risked an extended cavalry melee it would have been a game changer for the winner. Had the Prussians lost they would not have been able to advance their infantry in mass. A French defeat would have resulted in their infantry being forced into square, and their gunners put at risk. This is the reason neither player risked a cavalry battle.

The Prussians were able to concentrate their best infantry brigades to attack the three game objectives. The game was decided by three prolonged infantry melee. This is always risky, because so much depends on the luck of the dice. And with both sides starting the game with casualties, many brigades were very brittle and at risk from morale tests. The large number of French brigades in rout at the end of the game was a direct result of this condition. Once one brigade failed their morale and routed, all supporting brigades within 4” had to test their own morale. If they had existing casualties there was a real risk the rout would spread throughout the whole corps.

Very enjoyable game, and not nearly as one sided as the outcome would suggest. In the early moves either side could easily have one any of the three decisive infantry melee. The French were unfortunate that they failed their early morale, and the rot spread