Duben is finished!

Generallieutenant Kapzevich, commander of the Russian 10th Corps, has saved his heavy baggage train from the vanguard of the French/Saxon VII Corps, commanded by the Général de Division Guilleminot. Düben is now in French hands, but the Russian column is retiring towards the north safety, thanks to a combination of rain, mud and a stubborn defense.

Above we can see the last combat of the day fought under the rain, between the square of the Russian Olonetz Infantry Regiment and the Saxon Hussar Regiment. Despite heavy losses, the Russians were able to stand the cavalry onslaught forcing the Saxons to retire.
Last, a general view of the battlefield with the Russians leaving the battlefield under the protection of their cavalry and artillery, whereas the French/Saxons remain jammed around Düben and the bridge over the Mulde River.
A Russian victory without any doubt!

Duben on way (IV)

It is raining from several turns ago, and the men are moving with extreme dificulty over the soaked and muddy terrain. The French/Saxon units are slowly advancing towards the Russian lines but the Russian commander, Generallieutenant Kapzevich, has almost achieved his main objective: to save the heavy baggage and his aides de champ are passing the retreat order through the line.

Only a weak infantry rearguard and the fire of a heavy Russian battery, protected by the Russian dragoons, is visible, whereas the wagon train is vanishing under the rain.
The end of the battle is near.

Duben on way (III)

The combat of Düben is developing in a similar way to the real thing. The Russians are maintaining the advancing French-Saxon vanguard at a respectable distance, whereas their baggage wagon train is ponderously advancing and almost has reached the safe exit-point of the table.
It is raining now, and the terrain has become mud, so all units are now moving at reduced speed. This fact, united to the late arrival of the French reinforcements and the traffic jam in the bridge over the Mulde River, all are leading towards an almost sure French failure and a subsequent Russian success.
You can see above the retreat, to the second line, of the almost broken Saxon Prinz Clemens Uhlan Regiment, after suffering a strong Russian bombardment during several turns.
We are only at two Russian turns from the game end, marked by the baggage wagon train leaving the table. Only several additional turns and the end of the rain, could avoid the French failure and the Emperor's anger!

Duben on way (II)

The combat of Düben continues. The French have avoided the Düben trap by turning the town by the left, and are now advancing to break through the Russian center.
Because of the total absence of Russian cavalry (they are Reinforcements) the Saxon Prinz Anton Uhlans have broken a Russian square, and are now in good position to menace the Russian infantry.
However, the Russian baggage train, now past the cemetery, is slowly moving away from the danger. One Russian battery is also retiring under cover of its infantry, whereas the other has deployed and is firing, with small success, againts the left French flank.
The Russians are escaping!

Duben is on way

The combat for Düben is now in its first movements. Here, French Light Infantry is seeing while crosses the bridge and deploys, under the protection of the Saxon Horse Artillery and the Saxon Light Cavalry, that is charging the Russians in front of Düben.
The Russian C-i-C has hastily deployed a Light Foot battery covering the town, whereas the rest of the batteries have left the convoy and are trying to come back and deploy, covered by the Russian infantry. Now, only the slow baggage wagoons are still on the road moving ponderoulsy towards safety.

Some optional (home) rules for Duben

Lasalle is a ruleset designed primarily for club and tournament type games providing a well balanced and short game with few or none optional rules. However, I play solo, so I can add optional rules to make a more fun game. Of course, the added rules must not be unrealistic and the game-engine must not be substantially modified.
Below there is a list of Optional rules I will use in the next Lasalle game. I have given a chance to Cossacks to charge regular enemies (forbidden in the oficial Lasalle), defined a new type of units, the baggage units, and randomised the deployment and entry point of the reinforcements. Last, I have imposed victory conditions based on the number of broken units.

Optional rule for Cossacks (and other irregular cavalry)
1) Irregular cavalry units may charge enemy units standing in 'march column' formation.
2) Irregular cavalry units must to pass a 'Discipline' test to initiate the charge.
3) If routed in 'decisive combat' the irregular cavalry unit is immediately broken.

Optional rule for baggage units
Baggage units are formed for one or more wagon train models. They can move only by road at limbered Foot Artillery speed (reduced or not as indicated in the scenario). They can not fire nor fight. They are plundered or destroyed by any enemy unit in contact for at least one Turn.

Optional rule for Weather
The weather in Saxony in October 1813 was very rainy. To account for, the Roll Weather procedure (p. 87) must be repeated every odd turn, until a ‘Precipitation’ result is rolled, after which it will rain continuously until another ‘Precipitation’ result was rolled.

Optional Russian deploymentDuben is a running combat between a vanguard (French VII Corps) and a retiring rearguard (Russians) trying to evade and escorting a slow baggage train.
I have added a 'Baggage unit' formed by two wagons. These areinitially are on the road with the last wagon touching the north end of the crossroad. They move at reduced Foot Artillery speed (2 BW per turn).
All the combat Russian units (except the Reinforcements) are on the table at Turn 1, but only the 8th Division is deployed. The actual formation of the 22nd Division and the three artillery batteries must be individually determined at the start. The percentages for Deployed /March Column are 30%/70% respectively.
The Russian cavalry was detached by Langeron days before the battle and were at the left bank of the Mulde. Reinforcements may arrive to the battlefield at A1/B1 (70%/30%)

Optional French deployment
Only the 26th Light Cavalry Brigade and the Brigade Grayer are on the table at Turn 1. They must be deployed in the left (west) bank in march column formation.
All VII Corps units were at the left bank of the Mulde. However, in this scenario the Saxon Infantry reinforcements may arrive to the battlefield at D2/D3 (70%/30%). The existence of an un-historical ford is for give similar chances for flank moves to both sides.
The Brigade Lejeune may be also considered as Reinforcement. In that case, the Saxon units can not enter the table until that Brigade will finish its deployment.

Optional objectives
The game will end when the last Russian wagon unit exits the table (around 16 Turns). The side with the lesser number of broken units is the winner.

I hope these options will make more interesting the Düben combat!

Düben: a scenario for Lasalle

I am presenting the OOB for the Lasalle refight of Düben. This battle is smaller tha Zahna so the forces are more manageable and similar in size to the used in a standard Lasalle battle.
I have used the 'Liberation' lists for both the French and Russians. The French got the organic Light Cavalry asset and an Allied Saxon brigade as reinforcements. The Russians got a Jäger organic brigade and a Light Cavalry brigade as reinforcements. The Russian OOB has been made more similar to the actual , as the components of the Jager brigade have been divided between the tow main infantry brigades.
Düben is a running combat between an attacking vanguard (French VII Corps) and a defending and retiring rearguard (Russian 10th Corps) trying to evade and escorting a slow baggage train. A unit of twwo baggage trains, moving always by road at reduced Foot Artillery speed (2BW per turn) has been added to the Russian OOB. The wagons must be escorted to safety , leaving the table by the North road end.
Both armies are almost balanced in numbers. Ths statistics of the Subcommanders have been diced out according to the ruleset. The actual table could be slightly different because of the fog of war.

Russian Forces 10th Corps (Langeron’s Army Group) Army Moral 38 Break point 13.
Commander Generallieutenant Kapzevich

8th Division Generalmajor Count Ourousov -/-
Archangle Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Old Ingermannland Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Old Ingermannland Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Schusselburg Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
7th Jager Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2
37th Jager Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2

22nd Division Generalmajor Tourchaninov -/-
Viatka Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Viatka Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Staroskol Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Staroskol Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
Olonetz Infantry Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK1
29th Jager Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2
45th Jager Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2

Position Battery #18 (12 guns) Foot/4 cannon/Heavy/1 Howitzer
Light Battery #3 (12 guns) Foot/4 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
Light Battery #19 (12 guns) Foot/4 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
Baggage train 2 wagons

Reinforcements
Cavalry Generallieutenant Korff -1/-
Kargopol Dragoon Regiment + Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
Kiev Dragoon Regiment + Reliable/Experienced/Pursuit
1st Ukranian Cossack Regiment Shaky/Irregular/Pursuit
Horse Battery #18 Horse/3 cannon/Medium/2 Howitzer


French Forces: 13th Division (VII Corps) Army Moral 41 Break point 14.
Commander: Général de Division Guilleminot

26th Light Cavalry Brigade: von Lindenau +1/-
Prinz Clemens Uhlan Regiment Valiant/Experienced/Pursuit/Lance
Saxon Hussar Regiment Valiant/Experienced/Pursuit
1st Saxon Horse Battery "Birnbaum" Horse/2 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

Brigade Grayer +1/-
4/1st Légêre Regiment Reliable/Experienced/SK2
1/18th Légêre Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/18th Légêre Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/7th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
1/156th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1

Brigade Lejeune -1/-
2/ Illyrian Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/52nd Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/67th Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
2/101st Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1
3/101st Ligne Regiment Reliable/Amateur/SK1

1/8th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
4/4th Foot Artillery Foot/3 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

Reinforcements
24th (Saxon) Division: Generalleutnant von Zeschau -1/-
1st (Lecoq) Light Battalion Shaky/ Experienced/SK2
von Spiegel Grenadier Battalion Reliable/Experienced/SK1
von Steindal Infantry Regiment Shaky/Experienced/SK1
Prinz Frederich Infantry Regiment Shaky/Experienced/SK1
2/von Rechten Infantry Regiment Shaky/Experienced/SK1
1/Niesemeuschel Infantry Shaky/Experienced/SK1
1 Saxon 6pdr Foot Battery Foot/2 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer
2nd Saxon Horse Battery "Groshayn" Horse/2 cannon/Medium/1 Howitzer

In a next post I will detail some optional rules I'll use to add spice to the Scenario!

Düben, the next Lasalle combat

In the first days of October 1813, the Blucher's Army of Silesia was put under the command of the Swedish Crown Prince, Bernadotte, and crossed the Elbe River at Wartenburg (see also the Wartenburg page at the main web site) thus placing itself near the Bernadotte's Army of the North. In order to achieve the junction of both forces, Blucher made a 'flank march' under the eyes of the Ney's Army of Berlin, routed recently in Gross-Beeren and Dennewitz.

This dangerous situation was immediately spoted by Napoleon, that hurried up with the mauled Army of Berlin (VII, XI and IV Army Corps), other Army Corps (III, VI), the I, II and III Cavalry Corps and the Guard. The maneuver was discovered by Blucher, which crossed the Mulde River towards Bernadotte, instead moving back towards the Elbe River and his line of communications. This bold action sealed the fate of Napoleon and forced him to fight in Leipzig against a ring of converging Allied armies.

The Düben affaire took place in October 9, when the vanguard of Reynier's VII Corps, advancing by the left bank of the Mulde River, arrived to the bridge of Düben and ran into the village. Düben was the crossing point over the Mulde River assigned to Langeron by Blucher, but when the Allied outposts were alerted from the arrival of the french, Langeron hurried up by the right bank towards the next northern crossing point. The Russian rearguard, the Kapzevich's X Corps, scorting the heavy artillery, was almost catch up, and only the rapid reaction of that General stopped the pursuit saving time for the slow baggage columns. Incidentally, Blucher and Langeron avoided capture by only one half hour, because they were also staying at Düben.

This engagement is too small for Napoleon's Battles and it seems adequate for Lasalle, so it will be my next project.

Sources
- Correspondance of Napoléon Ier. Vol. 26. Paris. 1868
- Mémoires de Langeron, Général d'infanterie dans l'armée russe. L.G.F. Paris. 1909
- Mémoires du Maréchal Marmont Duc de Raguse (Vol IV). Paris. 1857
- Journal des opérations des IIIe and Ve Corps en 1813. G. Fabry. Paris. 1902
- Napoleon at Leipzig. The Battle of Nations 1813. G. Nafziger. Chicago. 1996
- The map is taken from the napoleon-series.org site

Nota bene. Again my acknowledge for my good friend Armand d'Arc, that kindly told me about this small combat