Lasalle II Waterloo - D'Erlon's attack

 

Following on from my last post about our Waterloo Games day, here are some more photos of one of the Lasalle II games, focussing with historical orbats on D'Erlon's Corps attack on Picton's Division on the western side of the Anglo Allied ridge.

Thank to Peter, above right, for putting in the hard yards on the scenario and orbat!

David had Durutte's Division over on the right, I had Donzelot's Division on the left, and we split Marcognet's Division between us, so that we each had 3 Brigades of 4 Battalions each, and a light and heavy battery initially. Cavalry support might be forthcoming later - much later....

Whilst I was facing the toughest sector of the Allied line, David had to cope with the difficult defensive terrain around Papelotte and Frischermont, so 50/50 seemed a fair division.

For the sake of historical flavour in this anniversary game, I was persuaded to employ D'Erlon's actual tactics of an advance by Division Column of Battalions in line.... 

I was fortunate in that, deployed on higher elevation, the Allied guns could not claim bounce through on my serried lines!

Whereas, given the broken terrain in front of him, David went forward in more compact masses.

On our right flank, David lost no time engaging the hamlets from the front, whilst also lapping around the flank...

So that Stuart, the allied commander in this sector, had no choice but to crochet around to match, else be cut off...

For my part, I was having nothing to do with such subtlety. Even in line, trading volleys with crack British Regiments was an eye-watering experience, so I reverted to type - we would go on in the same old way...

The first wave of charges went in, their flanks secured from the dread British heavies by a couple of squares..

They were duly rebuffed...

 Shredded by 4 rounds a minute!

I opened a new box of heroes and sent them in again - the last thing the enemy expects is to repeat the same folly!

And back they went too...

I settled instead for some hard pounding...

Meanwhile, on the right flank, David was having much more success - evicting Saxe Weimar's Brigade from the hamlets...

With his flank secure, he set off up the ridge...

By this point, turn 5, the Allied deployment of cavalry had triggered our own equine reinforcements... 2 Heavy Brigades:

And 2 Light Brigades:

The Anglo Allies duly formed squares...

Which held!

And unleashed the Union Brigade against the French Heavies...

And then Vandeleur's Brigade of Light Dragoons against David's advance...

At this point it was a toss up between me running out of Infantry on our left and the Anglo-Allied line running out of space to retreat to on their left...

With either the night or the Prussians arriving, we agreed to draw stumps and call it a draw!