Battle of Jena - STARTEX

Start locations, French in S/bottom, Prussians in N/top and left

I've had this sat on the table ready to go for a few weeks, but finally got started last night. I'm playing it a Brigade scale, so manoeuvre units are Brigade sized, and the only artillery shown are Army and Corps assets. Figure scale is 6mm (my normal Bn units in Bde sabot bases), and hex scale is 10cm hexon at ~ 300m per hex.

The rules are the "Grand Tactical" version of Steady Lads Steady. The same core mechanics but a bit of simplification and abstraction. In fact I've abstracted a bit more since its last outing, partly as a result of playing Blucher a bit. The main differences between SLS and SLS-GT are:

• Only Corps and Army guns on table as "grand batteries"
• Bde and Divisional guns as a DM 
• Skirmishers as a DM (but need a dominance to get an effect)
• Small cavalry units attached (as in Prussian Adv Gd units) cancel all skirmishers
• The Firefight and Resolve parts of the melee process are combined.
• All units assumed in Column/2 lines of Line unless Extended (occupy 2 hexes, but only 1 line), or Square
• 30min not 20min turns

On the logistical side I've also now got a slick spreadsheet to go straight from Orbat to unit labels!

The game opened with the Guard Grand Battery blazing away the Prussians W of Closewitz and the fell back before the infantry of V Corps could make contact.

V Corps advanced across its front. It took a couple of turns to remove the W most Prussian units in the woods - no melee but a succession of adverse resolve checks on the Prussians, but with the French refusing to actually close to melee (which is the way SLS is meant to work, so nice).

It also took 2 French Bde on the E to get into Closewitz, but they did close to melee and routed the Prussian defenders.

At the end of turn 3 just the remaining Prussian Bde in Luterzode to remove to establish the first French line and clear space for reinforcements. St Hilaire's Bde of Soult's IV Corps is also pushing forward to the NE of Closewitz so we're not far off on the historic timings. The Prussians are making a move to defend forward though.

Lannes prepares to take Luterzode

Battle of Auerstedt - ENDEX

Looking W from behind French lines

Well, that was over quicker than I expected! At the end of Turn 21 (1pm) it still looked like the French had  a big ask and they were running behind the historical timetable. But clearing the Prussians left of Poppel meant that another Prussian brigade was below 50% and so had to withdraw. That meant that the Prussians had lost 3 of their 8 brigades, so one more would put them at 50% and it was game over!

It was to the French centre and right that the glory fell, as left flank was now faced by the Prince of Orange's two fresh brigades.

DeBilly's 1e Bde of Morand's Division tried again to take on Wedel's Bde but was repulsed. But 3/21e Ligne of Petit's Bde had just made a nice move against a very weakened IR5 of Reynouard's Bde and sent it packing. It had to halt but on Turn 22, still formed it swung round to its right and piled into the side of Hanschstein's Grenadier Bn. The Grenadiers just about held, but 1/85e Ligne of Gauthier's bde moved up to join the fray and it was all over - Wedel was now below 50%, and his withdrawal put the whole force at 50% - Game Over!

The Final Conflict

The Prussians only had two serviceable brigades left - Orange's reinforcements, and fragments of Kloch and Greiffenberg. The French had two totally fresh brigade's from Morand's division which were only just reaching the front line, and another 2-3 brigades in pretty good shape - so its reasonable that the Prussians withdraw, and be hotly pursued by Davout - pretty much mirroring the final historical result.

One oddity concerned light cavalry. According to the orbats the Prussians had tons of it, most of which I put on the table (less Oswald at Suiza). Battle reports talk about Bunting, Quintzow, Irwin and Blucher, but suggest a certain amount of confusion and no indication that they had any real impact on the outcome apart from the initial clashes. I had them all on the table but it was obvious that if they were all let lose the 3 regiments of chasseur son the French side would soon be beaten off and the Prussians would have field day, so in the end I more or less matched the 3 French ones, but otherwise had them sat watching. I must re-read the accounts to see if I can get a better sense of what was happening. It may be that the majority was just assigned to flank guards, and in true light cavalry fashion didn't fancy getting involved in the mess of the battle!

There was also not as much town fighting as I expected, mainly since the gap from Hassenhausen to Poppel is pretty big and gave the armies enough to deploy, and Hassenhausen was taken very early - again worth a re-read.

Battle of Auerstedt - #2

Slow progress on this game as various real-life events have intervened, but finally getting back on track.

Currently at end Turn 21, so 7 hours in, about 1400. French are behind on the timetable, the push out from Hassenhausen (lower centre in photo) being frustrated by the density of Prussian troops forward of Poppel (top centre with church). However around 1300 major clashes on the French left flank (left of photo) came to and end and both sides had a couple of Brigades rendered hors d'combat and exiting the field. This has now opened things up considerably. However on the left flank the arrival of the Duke of Orange's men is enabling the Prussians to put up a firm new defensive line between Poppel and Gernstedt (top left of photo), although the arrival of Morand's Division is giving the French new men to throw into the fight.

French Right Flank -  Zackwar in background, French on right

The French are also progressing slowly on the right flank, finally moving on Zackwar (upper right of main photo), but initial results have been mixed - again Morand's men may enable them to push through.

The SLS rules are still working well. The big change I've made this time is how over/under strength works. It used to be +/-1 DM for every 15% difference in numbers, I then stretched that to about 30%, but I still found that it made big units almost invincible. So this time round I've broken with my "every unit has 5 damage" mantra, and instead let large units have a capacity for 6 damage. This means that they don't cause damage any worse than a smaller unit, and can take damage at the same rate, but they can absorb more of it - which seems a fair compromise. Working well so far.

The battle for Poppel

Once nice little vignette outside of Poppel. Three French bn from Lochet's 5e Bde fell on Prussian from Reynouard's Bde in front and S of Poppel (in the two now empty hexes above). The two on the French right won, but suffered heavy casualties. Whilst they were regaining order (and with Prussian Hussars loitering with intent N of the road sharpening their swords), the third bn lost its fight once a fourth Prussian bn joined the fray (those units now in front on church with red marker by them to denote disordered). The French battalion routed, and in a morale check took the adjacent recovering French unit with it. That then caused a morale check on the 3rd (most northerly) French Bn, which managed to stand, only to then be cut down by the Prussian Hussars as soon as they were activated. The Hussars then chased the routing French deep into French lines, and came to a halt, unformed, just by some French chasseurs. On their activation the chasseurs tried to charge the Prussians, but were too close for a full blooded charge, and anyway the hussars were effectively in open order, so the Frnehc just round through (both sides got the Open Ranks result - quite common for light cavalry). Come the next turn it will be a race to see who moves first, the Prussian hussars back to safety (but still disordered), or the French chasseurs trying to avoid another Open Ranks result!

Battle of Auerstedt - STARTEX

Finally got my solo game of Auerstedt (14 Oct 1806) started. 6mm, Steady Lads Steady Rules, battalion manoeuvre units, 200m hexes (Hexon 10cm).

Scenario opens at 0700 as Gudin's 3rd Division (bottom of image) of Davout's III Corps tops the defile from Kosen and the Saale valley onto the main plateau. Up ahead of them is Hassenhausen (centre of image above). Problem is it's thick fog so they can only see 100m ahead of them, so they aren't yet aware of Blucher's Light Cavalry Brigade approaching through Poppel (top of image) - and more importantly of the whole Prussian Army (well at least its 1st Line and Reserve Corps). The rest of the French, including Napoleon, are simultaneously engaging the rest of the Prussian's at Jena.

The scenario rules allowed fog to lift at a random rate each turn. All units  not on the table at the start also come on with random delays - so a unit may arrive 6 turns later than you'd hoped.

So, on with the game as it played.

The French close on Hassenhausen at the same time as Blucher. Blucher's cavalry are first in just as the fog lifts, see the French and charge straight out of the town (unformed). The French hold their nerve and send the horses packing.

With the cavalry pushed back (smoke/damage markers) the French infantry can push on into Hassenhausen.

End Turn 9 (1000), Petit's 7th French Bde are in Hassenhausen and Schimonsky's Prussian Bde is about to try and retake it. The second Prussian Bde is swinging south (left in image), and the 8th French Bde (Gauthier) is swinging N (right) to secure the line to Spielberg.

End Turn 12 (1100) - Bloody fighting for Hassenhausen, the Prussians come through the sunken road/woods on the W (right) of the town, get repelled by the French, French counter-charge form the flank, rout the Prussians but then get charged themselves by the Prussian 2nd line.

Nice view from Fr lines S of Hassenhausen towards Poppel church.

Overview of the whole battlefield. Friant's Division is being swung S (left) of Hassenhausen to go against Albensleben. The line to Spielberg is being probed by Prussian cavalry but holding. I was worried that the masses of Prussian cavalry would unbalance the scenario but they've been pretty ineffective against the French and the small amount of French cavalry has also sent some packing. The battlefield is now too crowded for them to be effective.

End Turn 15 (1200)  Battle Royale developing just S of Tuagwitz/Poppel with about 4 - 6 Bn a side getting involved. The  Prussians appear to be getting the upper hand at the moment, but both sides have fresh brigades to throw into the fight.

The Prussian are also now assaulting the French right wing with elements of Wratensleben's Division. Davout is desperately awaiting the arrival of Morand to either shore up that flank, or if it's holding to punch through Friant in the South.