Shadow of the Eagles - battle of Dresden 1813

This battle is the first for a while to feature the Austrians. We played part of the Battle of Dresden, focusing on the French right where Murat attacked Gyuali attempting to to take a couple of villages and breakout of the encirclement. As we were 5 players we opted for a single game this week, on a 9 foot table.

The Austrian defenders deployed a brigade in each of the two target villages with  a third held in reserve and the cavalry on the more open western flank. A unit of Grenzer held the non-scoring central village. 

The French, and their German allies, deployed reinforced brigades in the centre and on each flank. Their own cavalry squared off against the Austrians.   

Central brigade

East flank

The French advanced steadily in line across the the board looking to bring maximum firepower to weaken the enemy. The defenders had the best of the shooting in the first couple of turns aided by some close range canister fire, and by the end of turn 2 it looked like the French were in trouble.    

Fearing they would be broken though in the centre, the Austrian reinforcements and on table reserve were both committed to holding off the central French attack. 

The first decisive play came in turn 3 when the reinforcing French cavalry (two units of Guard) pushed thorough the centre, They swept away a unit of Austrian line that opted to volley them and also took out the gun guarding the eastern village.  This village (Gorbitz) then quickly fell to the French. 

In the west the outnumbered defenders also succumbed to French pressure and  Rossthal also fell to give Murat a 2-0 victory. 

The decisive part of this game was the Austrian decision to commit about 50% of their forces, including all their reserves to holding the centre. Although they held this, it starved the scoring villages on the flanks of the resources they needed to hold.  

 

 

Shadow of the Eagles - battle of Bautzen

As we had 5 players this week we reverted to a single game. Continuing with our Leipzig theme this game was Bautzen, which saw the Prussians on the defensive against an attack by the French, who had to capture Doberschurtz and try to rout the enemy from the field. 

The Prussians deployed to the centre and east of the table, with a refused western flank guarded by cavalry. The best units deployed to guard the village.  

The French deployed to attack in three columns in the east, west and centre. Their slightly greater number of cavalry was deployed to attack the refused western flank and they too placed their best units to attack the village.   

Germans prepared to assault the village

The early action was on the flanks with French superior units advancing to the village and a cavalry melee in the west. This action slightly favoured the smaller Prussian force and certainly kept the French horse busy for most of the game.

As the French advanced they were met with a wall of lead from the defending Prussians who were fairly convincingly winning the shooting battle right across the line. The French responded but were unable to really make much progress.   

In a show of bravado the Prussians even mounted a limited counter attack in the centre, but were quickly rebuffed by the French.  

The game ended with the stalled French hitting their break-point without capturing the village or breaking enough if the Prussians. I had originally planned to give the French an additional (Inferior) brigade but opted not too once the units were deployed. In hindsight I probably would as they lacked the troops to really threaten the defenders.    

 

Shadow of the Eagles - Battle of Lutzen, part 3

This week we played the final part of Lutzen, with the  French attacking to capture the village of Eisdorf. We had 8 players, so fought two separate, but identical, games side-by-side - so double the pictures this week.

Game 1 - the French are depicted by French

The allies split left and right. In this game the French reinforcements came straight up the centre of the field.    

 

As we needed plenty of infantry, my dismounted Dragoons made a rare appearance on the field. 

The French pushed forward  with their main thrust on the western side and straight into the town. The allies stood firm seeking to get as much shooting as possible into the attackers. 

 

The French Guards threw themselves straight into the Russians holding Eisdorf but bounded straight off. On the Western side the Prussians sought to outflank the attacking French columns and shoot into them,.

With time running-on the French threw the Leger into the village but once again bounced off. This ended the action with a good Allied win. The fresh defending lines supported by artillery seeing off the French columns. 

Game 2 - the French as depicted by Germans

The defending allied deployment was identical but here the French reinforcements went to the western side against the Prussians.

The game was a more cagey affair with the French attacking in line and the Russians initially pulling back behind a low hill to avoid the French guns. The French attacked strongly against the Prussians in the west, destroying most of the brigade by turn 4.  

With the Russians pinned in the east by the attacking French, despite some heavy Russian fire (4 * 6's on one shot!) the French on the west were able to seize the village  from the single defending Prussian unit that remained. So a clear French win.   

So the battles ended with one win a piece - which I guess shows it was pretty balanced. 

Shadow of the Eagles - Lutzen part 2

This scenario follows directly from last week's and uses the same terrain. In this battle it is assumed that the Allies had captured three of the villages and so the French must recapture them. They do though have the Imperial Guard and Napoleon himself to lead the attack. 

Sadly I managed to delete the photos I took, so the battle report is a little bearer than usual.

The French decide to attack on both flanks looking to take Rahna and Klein-Gorschen from the defending Prussians. These attacks were pretty successful and pushed the Prussians back just as the Russian reinforcements arrived. 

Although they were unable to push the French back entirely they did secure Gross-Gorschen and put some pressure on the French centre. This enabled one of the surviving Prussian units to slip through a gap and nearly take Kaja.

It ended 2-1 to the French but could easily have been 2-all so we counted as a minor victory for the French.  Next week part 3, the battle of Eisdorf.