Black Powder: Grochów 1809.

Another game from Roger Grafton's supplement to the Polish-Austrian War of 1809. This time, it focuses on the third scenario: the Battle of Grochów, fought on April 26, 1809. On the table are my and Michael's collections, and the rules used are Black Powder.

SCENARIO: Roger Grafton, Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

In his scenarios, Roger includes additional forces to enhance gameplay and make the combat more engaging. The original battle was fought by the Duchy of Warsaw's 12th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Ułan Regiment, who were supported by two artillery guns. The Austrian side had two infantry battalions and a squadron of Hussars, also backed by some artillery.

DUCHY OF WARSAW

CinC (8) (Bartek)

1st Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8) (Jimmy)

4 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Field Gun Battery

2nd Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8, High Independence) (Bartek)

4 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Field Gun Battery

Cavalry Brigade

Brigade General (8, High Effectiveness) (Bartek)

1 x Ułan Regiment
2 x Small Ułan Detachment
1 x Horse Gun Battery

AUSTRIA

CinC (8, Low Decisiveness) (Michael)

1st Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8, High Agression) (Michael)

1 x Large Infantry Battalion
2 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Jaeger Detachment
1 x Gun Battery

2nd Infantry Brigade

Brigade General (8) (David)

1 x Large Infantry Battalion
2 x Infantry Battalion
1 x Jaeger Detachment
1 x Gun Battery

Cavalry Brigade

Brigade General (8) (Michael)

1 x Small Cuirassier Detachment
1 x Small Hussar Detachment
1 x Horse Gun Battery

2. The Game.

While writing my previous game report, I realised I forgot to mention that the Polish side had a choice before the game: they could either have their voltigeurs form a separate unit or cooperate with their main battalions. In this instance, both Jimmy and I opted for the latter. Our plan was for Jimmy's forces to launch a feint attack on the Austrian flank, which would distract David's forces and prevent them from interfering with my brigade, which was set to directly assault Grochów. This assault would occur after my Uhlans had either defeated or driven off the Austrian cavalry. The only concern that truly worried me was the Austrian cuirassiers; so far, I had only managed to defeat them once.

Due to either my unclear instructions or Jimmy’s carelessness, he deployed one of his battalions too far into the centre, making it vulnerable to concentrated Austrian fire. This led to the destruction of that battalion. However, the rest of the forces advanced as planned. Jimmy launched an attack on David's forces, but in two separate engagements, he lost two battalions completely. His final unit withdrew and prepared for another attack, but it became unnecessary, as developments in the centre and on our left flank ultimately determined the outcome of the battle.

My Uhlans efficiently crossed the river using the bridge and took up positions on our left flank. The Austrian cavalry came out to confront them. My regular Uhlans wasted no time and immediately charged the Cuirassiers. The outcome was predictable: my Uhlans recoiled from the Cuirassiers, but they were so badly damaged that they could not pursue. My smaller Uhlans then engaged the Hussars and Cuirassiers. This time, they were luckier, successfully driving back the Hussars they had pursued, and they ultimately destroyed the Cuirassiers! With the Austrian right flank now open, my infantry could launch an attack!

My infantry captured Gocław on the first turn and then waited for their next move. As my cavalry began to succeed, Jimmy's actions led to the capture of most of David and Michael's infantry. Taking advantage of this, they launched an attack on Grochów. They managed to reach the village buildings, where hand-to-hand combat ensued. In the first turn, the Austrians managed to stop the Poles at the village border, but in the second turn, the Poles broke into the village. The second infantry battalion then joined the fight. Although this battalion came under fire from Austrian artillery, it fortunately suffered no damage. Michael also applied the Traversing Fire rule here, though I believe, based on my interpretation of the rules, that it shouldn't have happened. We will revisit this topic in future games. Returning to the battlefield events, the Poles were able to eliminate the Austrians in Grochów, leading to the collapse of the Austrian lines. Furthermore, the Uhlans defeated the Hussars, resulting in the Austrians' surrender at that moment. It was another victory for the Poles!

Once again, I decided to employ the original tactics used by the Polish forces during this battle, and once again, they proved effective. The deployment of the Austrian forces also contributed positively. Instead of placing a large infantry battalion in Grochów, I would have opted for a standard-sized one. I would arrange the infantry brigades in a line, one behind the other, to provide additional protection for Grochów against an anticipated frontal assault by the Polish forces, possibly involving both infantry brigades. For the first time, we also took into account the individual characteristics of the commanders, which added a unique dimension to the game. We will incorporate this approach in future games.