Napoleonic campaign - sieges and summer

So what did Bavaria do? It attacked the closest weaker enemy – in this case Austria. The boys in cornflower blue marched to Innsbruck and laid siege. The Austrians skulked insided the city walls and defied the Bavarians who lost a base in the process.

The French, also being rash attacked – this time Dresden. Another siege ensued but the Prussian army withdrew leaving the French with an easier nut to crack than the Bavarians but to no avail, as yet.

That concluded Spring 1801 and Great Britain makes the first move of the summer campaigning season by again doing nothing. The Prussians however are made of sterner stuff and attack Smolensk. The Russians, with four bases missing from their army as a consequence of losing their first battle with the Prussian, advance to meet them.

The Prussians fail to muster any allies but when the Russians request help two nations reply. The French send a small division of two brigades and a battery to their aid whilst perversely the Bavarians decide to help Prussia with two infantry brigades and a light horse regiment.

Terrain is chosen and the armies deployed.

The smaller Russo - France army move first and send a briagde of cossacks marauding down the flank followed at a more stately pace by cuirassiers. The rest advance on village and wood.

 

Bavarians line up with their Germanic neighbours. There is a general advance. Whilst the Bavarian chevauxlegers move to intercept the Russian cavalry

 ... and soundly beat the cuirassiers who must have been surprised as they charge from behind the wood.

Batteries fire with the only success to the Russians who rout a Prussian brigade in the centre. The Bavarians on the right push forward.

... their columns hitting the Russians. One Russian is destroyed but one Bavarian is routed too.

Prussian dragoons are thrown into the fray and a battery brought forward

The Prussian battery is lost to counter battery fire!

Still the Prussians press forward hoping for a breakthrough.

Which the Bavarians and dragoons achive. The Russo French lose their fourth base and the game before the rash Prussians attempt to breach the village. 

Another loss for the Russians and a base lost for their French allies.

 A brave showing by the Bavarians who won the day for their new friends. "Perhaps a united Germany would be a good idea eh chaps?"

DBA Campaign map

The DBA campaign system is a very simple way of giving games a little more interest. Using DBA as the wargame rules a campaign can be undertaken in an afternoon or evening. We have had some fun campaigns in Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy. The city state type geography give the best feel for this simple campaign system.

The original DBA map is simply a stylised circle of provinces or nations. Shown below - a photo from first version of DBA.

Each player starts the game with three cities (or provinces) joined by transport routes (usually roads but may be sea routes). In the centre is another “independent” city which is often the place where fighting starts because at the end of the year reinforcements are based upon the number of cities held at the end of the year. Supply is automatic assuming that a players field army is next to a city he controls, otherwise there may be consequences of hunger, desertion and disease.

On a players turn he may invade another player’s city, moving up to two movement stages on a transport route. Alliances can and should be made and allies may provide contingents to aid in battle. All bases lost in battle, at sea or as the consequence of supply, from the original 12 base army, are placed in reserve.

Campaigning occurs during the three rounds of spring, summer and autumn; retiring into winter quarters on the fourth move. During winter a player may transfer a base from his reserve for each city held, not exceeding his original 12 base army strength.

I am keeping note of all moves and results on an excel spreadsheet but we have in the past used a stylised play board on which counters are moved to show where forces are at a given time.

My spreadsheet did not look very good when I tried to upload it here so below is a map of the cities I am using for the Napoleonic campaign. I was tempted to produce a more inspiring map with routes between Austria and France via Italy and adding Spain with routes to Britain but in the end I stuck to the original intention ie create an excuse to play games.   Poor old Dresden is in the middle and will no doubt be fought over a few times more.

 

(As a personal aside, my boy Jack has successfully passed out of basic training with the Royal Air Force. His mum and I are very proud of him.)

Austria stirs

Being led by an incompetent, as decided by the pre campaign dice, Austria has to attack. There is a choice of Bavaria, Dresden or Russia. The dice chooses and it's poor old Dresden that gets it again. And Prussia stand to fight. Neither side request reinforcements!

The armies meet. (I have divided the board into six rather than the usual DBA four to determine terrain so a little more than last time).

Austria moves first and doesn't hesitate in their advance, throwing two light infantry brigades out on their left. Prussia deploys between two villages and holds back their heavies in reserve.

The Austrian hussars get stuck in straight away but are routed.

.....away they go. It will need pips to stop them in these rules.

The Prussians take advantage of the gap left by the hussars rout and advance, some through the vineyeards (of Dresden?)

Austrian cuirassiers begin a flanking movement around the village. And the artillery continue their ineffective long range fire. 

The Prussian advance seems inexorable and Austrian foot retreats in haste before it.

The rallied hussars however rout the Prussian Uhlans leaving the Prussian flank exposed

Unfortunately Austrian command fails to roll good enough dice to take advantage and the bluecoats press on without mercy.

 Finally, on the other flank much manoeuvring has led to the clash of heavy cavalry, and the Austrians are pressed back, one brigade being routed

The Prussians go vorwarts and push the cuirassiers into the woods

On their right the Prussians have effectively broken the Austrians and the fourth unit is lost.

The Prussians win again, without loss, for a second time.

 Again they had good fortune both with their combat dice and with the Austrian inability to take advantage of the one situation where the Prussians may have pressed too far. The incompetent commanders pip handicap may have proved crucial again. Dresden remains in Prussian hands and two enemies have sadly depleted forces.

Now what will Bavaria do?

The first coffee table campaign moves

The dice determined that Great Brtain would be given the honour of the first move in the coffee table "Napoleonic" campaign. 

Perfidious as ever they refused to do so. So, in a clockwise way, the next move fell to Prussia. Without hesitation the bluecoated army swooped and captured the central city of the campaign map - Dresden.

What would the incompetent Czar do in response. Without hesitation the Russkies are ordered to march to free the poor Saxons from the Prusian yoke. Battle it is to be.

A quick set up of dice determined terrain (looks a bit sparse) and the two armies face off across the table.

The Cossacks are quickly sent out to harry the flank and rear of the Prussians, and a general advance ensues with the heavy cavalry on the Russian right.

Soon the batteries open up

... and the heavy cavalry clash

The Prussian reliagn on the village and send the Uhlans back to deter the roaming cossacks

Taking advantage of the gap the Russians advane on a broad front

But lose the first unit

To the rear of the Prussian the Cossacks cannot avoid the charge of the Uhlans and are well beaten (in these rules they are scattered like hordes to reappear later)

Emboldened Prussians advance on their right flank to assault the village, but even at 2:1 are beaten back.

Excellent Prussian dice in the centre see off another Russian base

... and even better dice destroy a Russian battery

On the Prussian left the heavy cavalry battle that had gone back and forth sees the Prussian get their break through and the Russians lose their fourth base and the battle.

Dresden remains in Prussian hands and the Russians limp back in defeat. It seems a long way to winter when reinforcements can be called up. 

Not unexpectedly the incompetent Russian leader probably "chose" the wrong action by attacking an enemy so early in the campaign, failed to request for allies and and the -1 "pip" modifier was the final straw. It does make for a fairly interesting solo campaign however. (By the way the Prussians did ask for allies but were refused by all).

Coffee table campaign

It is a wargame truism that a campaign is always better than one off games. So I thought that I could have a quick coffee table campaign over the next few weeks before the financial year end grinds me down and steals my time. The intention was to use the Austrians and Prussians C18 but I quickly got bogged down in relatively complicated detail so that has gone out of the proverbial window. Perhaps for later.

So for a simple campaign on a small table thoughts naturally turned to the DBA system, particularly as there are a few hints on playing with programmed leaders on the Fanaticus web site. However as I don’t have half a dozen ancient armies it’s going to be Napoleonics. Starting with the six nation DBA map it’s going to be France, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Great Britain and, obviously, Bavaria.

The rules will be square based and vaguely DBesque.

Wake me up when September ends

Long time no post. Summer stuff has got in the way of drivelling on the blog but it's dark at 7:30 now. Winter drawers on? Not quite as it was 28c today. Ridiculous temperatures for October.

Anyway - yesterday we got out Songs of Drums and Shakoes again. We took the scenarios from the main book and supplement (the sensibly named More Drums and Shakoes) and had three fun games with only a few figures. The first scenarios was the Foraging Mission which gave Richard the opportunity to show of his rather dapper sheep. Having more players than expected we stretched the table to six feet by three and had four British squads attempting to run off the Johnny frog and steal the mutton.




Very out of focus redcoats look a bit arty in the woods.




A single French squad hold off the Brits from behind the fold.

The gunfire soon brings reinforcements from the nearby farm and a protracted struggle ensues around the stone walls.

Eventually however numbers tell and the French run away to the farmhouse leaving the redcoats with the meat.

Brimming with confidence Major Gray has no hesitation in following the retreating French ever hopeful of more supplies in the farm.

A wide stream stretches in front of the fenced farmyard. But only one bridge.

Of course the question is always asked "is the river fordable?". The scenario in the book suggests that it should not be but as this was a mulitplayer game the rule was that a soldier may attempt to cross but must throw a D6 to see if he got wet. 4,5,6 meant a successful crossing, 2 or 3 and that meant a slip and damp powder so no firing for the rest of the game. And a 1 would lead to the poor soldier being dragged down stream and drowned. So probably worth a try as we will see.





Two French squads take up positions in and around the farm with the bridge well covered.

Good activation brings a squad of rifles quickly onto the bridge and get a quick kill. Good start by the chosen men. Another British squad follow up in support while a third intend to make a quick dash over the stream to assault the lightly held farmyard.

I suspect Private Boursin smokes too much.

However the French light infantry taking advantage of their cover hold their own around the bridge and quite a few Brits hit the deck allowing the French to charge in.

The outflanking movement reaches the stream. The first brave soldier wades in and Richard shakes his dice with the wry comment "and now he drowns." Of course a 1! Undeterred the next figure takes off his boots and dips his toe.

1!

Another Brit floats face down.

It can't happen again - and doesn't. The third figure crosses the babbling brook.

Now for the fourth figure.

1

Oh dear!

It was about now I was struggling for breath - with laughter - for poor Richard had lost half his unit playing in the water and of course fails his morale.

On the bridge Major Gray leads a charge to break through but is brought down by a well aimed musket!

The rules suggest a game can be quick but this must be a record.

Scenario 3 Baggage Wagon

Wary that the Brits may come back the French load up the wagons and head off to the border.

All they have to is get the two wagons from one end of the table to the other. Given that no one else can be seen this shouldn't be a problem.

The wagons are allowed to move once every turn but the squads must activate as usual.



Due to poor activation the wagon starts to pull ahead from the guard.

The wagon train moves along the road unhindered for half a dozen moves but there is movement in the bushes and a crashing volley is delivered at point blank range.

Fortunately for the French it is Spanish guerillas hidden in the woods and there is no effect.

However at the head of the column the Spanish charge out and with odds of four to one manage to bring down sergeant Boursin.



All seems to be going well for the Spanish until a rash charge onto a wagon by Furia Roja himself leads to him being skewered on a French bayonet.

The resultant morale failure sees the guerillas scurry back to the woods and against all the odds two tired squads of Frenchmen make their wearyway towards the Pyrenees.

Through the streets

Song of Drums and Shako (cont)

The rules suggest that a game of SDS ought to last up to 45 minutes so I had hoped that in the five hours we normally have at the club would could get through 5 scenarios. However as the first game took us a couple of hours I decided to compress a couple of scenarios into one for the next game.

Having been pushed backs from the town walls the French fall back through the town. The standing orders in case of attack were to make for the church.

So in scenario two all the French have to do is get across the table. A table only three feet across. Of course success of the British assault has inspired the locals to retrieve their old guns, or recently captured muskets, from barns lofts or sheds and make trouble for the retreating French.


French squads enter the table and head for the comparative cover of the central park.

However the locals of San Antonio have a score to settle.

A number of partisans were set up in ambush using the simple mechanism of laying a couple of markers down one being a dummy and the other the actual figure. Activated at will by the Spanish player or when the French move close enough.


Xavi and Pepe await les bleus.

An interesting thing to note with most wargamers is that although the oblective is simply to get across the table as intact as possible the temptation to stand and fire is just too great. Despite the fact that the British are just a couple of moves behind!





A sharp firefight ensues around the central park. Luckily the gunfire brought a supporting squad to the aid of the beleaguered French. Very poor movement dice for the Rifles prevented the destruction of the retreating French and eventually most of them got across the board.

The final scenario of the day ( as that was all we had time for) was the assault on the churchyard.

The standing order for the French forces was too retreat and consolidate at the church if attacked.

One French squad was placed in the churchyard and all the (now) allies had to do was get in take the gold. Of course other French squads could appear down the side streets to join in the fight.




The church of San Antonio under assault by Spanish and British alike.

A bitter battle ensued despite snake eyes Bob (defending) living up to his name. Luckily he didn't have to move much. Again the greencoats seemed hesitant to get stuck in whilst the Spaniards suffered by their impetuosity (or lack of support).



Soon the French support began to arrive.




It wasn't long before the partisans' reckless charges led to too many casualties and they were forced to retreat. Whilst the original French defenders were also whittled down to nought the reinforcing squads proved too much for the attackers who had a foothold arund the gravestones but not in the church itself and the British were repulsed. Leaving the payroll chest intact but and with fewer to pay.

I think most of the players enjoyed the game and indeed further orders have been dispatched to Front Rank to bolster the ranks a little. It made a change from corps or divisional level battles. Fewer than sixty figures were used. The rules were simple but subtle and made for a fun game. With a little thought many scenarios can be devised to create mini campaigns. Brigadier Gerard and Sharpe may yet meet in a little Spanish village.

p.s.
I've now bought the Arthur and Merlin rules so watch you're back Jim, Adrianus of Pant Glas may ride again.

Once More into the Breach.....

The battered walls of San Antonio.



Song of Drums and Shakos is designed to be played by two players on a 3 foot square table (for 28mm). I wasn't sure how many players were going to turn up - but more than two anyway. So I took along the old sand covered boards; all of which were three feet deep but with various widths so we could choose what size when we set up. The rules suggest that the three feet deep table is used as routing figures with a bad morale throw are likely to exit rearwards. We decided on a five foot wide board for the six players that turned up. Each player got a squad each of 5,6 or 7 figures.

All the Britsh players had to do was get more of their figures on the town side of the wall than the French had. However the frogs began with more figures so some had to be disposed of.

Deploying first the French had to defend three breaches in the wall so were rather stretched. Sensibly Major Gray concentrated his forces on one breach and advanced without hesitation. Despite the victory condition the French squad furthest from the assault ventured beyond the wall to try to catch the British in the flank.

One of the nice subtleties of the game is the activation where one needs to equal or beat the Quality of the soldier on a dice One chooses to throw 1,2 or 3 dice to determine the number of actions allowed the soldier. The sting is that 2 fails means the end of activations allowed to the squad. Throwing one dice means that a fail is impossible but means that a) this leads to slow progress 2) some actions, such as reloading, require two passes.

Fortunately for the Red (and Green) coats the assault was made against the squad of "snake eyes Bob". I believe that chance of throwing double one is less that 3%. For Bob this seemed to have changed to 50%. Despite losing a couple of privates to long range fire the Brits advanced without further loss due to the nervous slow loading French and with accurate rifle fire and a bayonet charge routed Bob's French squad and had made their way into San Antonio.