An invitation from Jonathon Moore was accepted to visit the League of Ancients to take part in a 6 player Age of Eagles game. The scenario was set in 1813. Napoleon was heading a mixed force of French guard, line and conscripts to try and relieve the isolated force of Vandamme. Barring his path was Blucher with his army of Silesia.
The Prussians were defending the approaches to the road up which Napoleon’s relief force needed to travel. Some Russian reinforcements were due to arrive early on, but the French did not scout well. So the French were unaware which flank the Russians would arrive on.
Opening Maneouvres
The Prussians were defending a line of shallow hills. Their right flank was solidly resting on a large village which included a substantial church and grounds. The centre and left had smaller villages in front which they moved forward to occupy.
The French plan was to make a pinning attack on the left of the Prussian line with the conscript corps, hold off the Prussian centre with a grand battery and overwhelm the Prussian right with the line and guard corps. This would allow these two corps on the French left to swing in behind the Prussians and gain control of the road they needed.
{gallery}napoleon/ageofeagles/090215aoe/part1{/gallery}
Battle Begins
The French left launched an aggressive assault. The grand battery in the centre opened fire, although it was at long range and not immediately effective.
Acting on false information that the Prussian left flank was mostly landwehr, the French conscript corps attacked more aggressively than planned. The French reserve cavalry was attached to this corps and began a forward move to the right of the village in an attempt to overwhelm the single Prussian cavalry brigade. If this was successful, it would allow the reserve cavalry to swing in behind the Prussian left and create havoc.
{gallery}napoleon/ageofeagles/090215aoe/part2{/gallery}
Opening Maneovres
The Prussian right flank was .
{gallery}napoleon/ageofeagles/090215aoe/part3{/gallery}
The Battle Continues
B
{gallery}napoleon/ageofeagles/090215aoe/part4{/gallery}
The Prussian Line Reaches Breaking Point
B
{gallery}napoleon/ageofeagles/090215aoe/part5{/gallery}