Thursday, April 21, 2022

Auestadt 1806

PeterC set up an Auestadt 1806 scenario for Chis (Prussians) v. Jim (Davout). 
All pics taken from behind the French.

Davout's advanced guard is approaching Hassenhausen.  Blucher with the Prussian advance guard is advancing towards him.  
In accordance with scenario rules, the impetuous Blucher threw his cavalry at the French infantry.  Davout's veterans stood in line & brushed off the hussars.As more troops arrived on both sides, Davout deployed a defensive line either side of Hassenhausen. A hasty infantry attack directly at Hassenhausen was beaten off.
The Prussians amass more troops for another assault.  Davout extends his line to the left as his last units come up.
A Prussian infantry on the French left centre has been halted by musket & artillery fire as more Prussians deploy to both flanks & artillery fire dominates the centre.  On the right the Prussians have deployed guard infantry & cavalry .  The French infantry have got out of square into line to face the coming attack (counting on artillery support to help resist the cuirassiers). 
On the left Prussian cavalry has gone around the French flank, but Davout is deploying his reserve infantry in squares to meet them.
In the centre the Prussian infantry has been broken, but another division is moving up to replace them.
On the right, the Guard Cuirassiers survived the artillery fire & rode down one French infantry brigade & the guard infantry broke another brigade with a bayonet charge.
On the right the Prussian guards have broken thru the front French line, but they had lost significant casulties in doing so & were not supported.  The chasseurs a cheval held the line while the French infantry & artillery beside Hassenhausen wheeled right & stopped the Prussian advance by shaking the enemy brigades. 
On the left, Prussian cavalry charges uphill at the squares have been beaten off. 
In the centre the Prussian infantry is making yet another advance.

Once again French firepower has stopped the Prussian infantry in the centre.  The Prussian army has only one un-shaken brigade left & night is about to fall.  They have to concede defeat & retreat.

So our simulation produced a similar result to the original with Davout's Corps defeating a much larger Prussian army.  The scenario rules that helped this to occur included:
- Historical times of arrival of divisions.
- Blucher was deemed impetuous so had to make piecemeal attacks at the start. 
- Davout's troops were all rated veteran in all respects (shooting, HTM, drill & command).
- The Prussian line were rated poor command & poor shots, but good drill & good HTH. 
- The terrain provided some advaatages for the defence.

 


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