The Bridge. 1813.

24 października 2024

The Bridge. 1813.

Last Thursday, we played an extensive Napoleonic game using the Black Powder rules. Michael and I agreed to an 800-point game. I could use my new third battalions for the first time, which made a significant difference. Michael fielded the Austrian army, while I commanded my Polish forces. The game was played with six participants.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

POLAND

(Alasdair, Bartek, Campbell)

CinC (9)

1 x Horse Gun (Veteran)
1 x Field Gun (Veteran)
1 x Heavy Gun (Veteran)

1st Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

5 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Regimental Gun Battery

2nd Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

5 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Regimental Gun Battery

Cavalry Brigade

Brigade General

1 x Ułan Regiment (Veteran)
2 x Ułan Regiment

AUSTRIA

(Bart, Michael, Tim)

CinC (8)

1st Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

2 x Light Infantry (Large)
1 x Regimental Gun Battery

2nd Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

2 x Grenadiers (Large)
1 x Regimental Gun Battery

3rd Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

2 x Hungarian Grenadiers (Large)
1 x Regimental Gun Battery

1st Cavalry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

1 x Dragoons (Large)
4 x Hussar Abtailung
1 x Horse Gun

2nd Cavalry Brigade

Brigade General (8)

1 x Cuirassiers (Large)
4 x Dragoon Abtailung
1 x Horse Gun

2. The game.

I aimed to create a symmetrical battlefield. At the centre was a bridge, the main objective of the game. The Austrians occupied one side, while the Poles were stationed on the other. Alasdair commanded an infantry brigade on our right flank, facing heavy Austrian cavalry and potential Hungarian grenadiers led by Tim. To give him a fighting chance against such a formidable opponent, he was provided with Field and Heavy guns from the commander-in-chief. Alasdair's mission was to reach the river line, halt the Austrian assaults on this flank, and also protect me from being flanked. In the middle, I stood with my infantry brigade and kept our commander close by. My task was to capture the bridge before Michael could take control of it. On our left flank, our cavalry was tasked with halting and defeating the light Austrian cavalry commanded by Bart. Their goal was to flank the Austrian troops, diverting them away from the main objective of the game.

Our units advanced, and soon our infantry reached the river line. However, we encountered problems. Alasdair blundered and mistakenly moved the regimental guns too far forward, placing them right in front of our lines. They became easy targets for the Austrian cavalry, who quickly decimated them. Meanwhile, my attack on the Austrians across the river ended in disaster, destroying two of my battalions. Fortunately, I still had three more available. Our cavalry met a similar fate; their first charge failed. The situation looked very grim for us.

A battle of attrition began. Tim moved his cavalry forward against Alasdair and even managed to charge the square, but the Poles withstood this assault. Unfortunately, the Austrians positioned their guns and unleashed salvos that destroyed two more infantry battalions. In the centre, my troops were stuck on one side of the river and could do nothing for now. Campbell did his best, but his Uhlans were successfully repelling the Austrian light cavalry, which was led brilliantly by Bart. At this point, I was about to announce a retreat when something incomprehensible happened...

Tim, sensing easy prey, charged at the battered Polish battalions with his grenadiers. However, Alasdair not only persevered but also triumphed in the hand-to-hand combat, forcing the Austrians to test their morale. What happened next exceeded my wildest expectations: every Austrian unit failed this test, creating a significant gap in their lines. Campbell also managed to destroy one of the hussar units, but he was still far from breaking through on our left flank. At that point, I decided to go all in. My least damaged unit, which had been stationed in the village on our side of the river, charged the disorganized group of Austrian grenadiers. Initially, the first order was ignored, but then the intervention of the commander-in-chief proved invaluable. The Poles charged across the river and defeated the Austrians in hand-to-hand combat! This action concluded the entire game, resulting in an undisputed Polish victory.