Taking our experiments with playing Lasalle in Epic scale further, and learning from our previous game, this time we adopted 60mm Base Widths and a larger table. I also wanted to cram as many troops on the table as possible to stretch Lasalle, designed for Divisional games, to Corps size.
Secondary objectives were to get our recently painted Prussian army out on the table, and also get a feel for the footprint of large numbers of Epic scale units on the table in preparation for our forthcoming big Waterloo game. Daniel duly came up with a suitable (somewhat conjectural) scenario:
Below, the Prussian view across the Mulde. Their combat appreciation informed them that there were only two key objectives, the bridge in the town and the ford by the farms.
Our plan at this stage was to feint towards the town of Colditz on the left (above, top) and make our main effort towards the ford on the right (above, bottom). Below, my French colleague David is on the left, Peter (centre) and Daniel (right) commanded the Prussian defenders:
Daniel promptly formed square to seal off the flank. Predictable, but effective!
A second and third wave of infantry assaults met with the same results.
Seriously, how many ones and twos can a man roll in one evening? Maybe it was time to convert our feint on the left opposite the town into the main attack?
The squares prevailed, but the Prussian batteries fled the field!
However, with his infantry drawn into the centre battles, there was little David could do to follow up on his gains...
So, buoyed by David's success on the right, I decided to emulate that feat with my Dragoons on the left wing...
Surely I was due a roll of a six? Five? A four would be good...
But no, the Prussians held once again!
As our attacks reached their culmination point, the Prussians started to get confident...
And now the boot was on the other foot - they moved their cavalry up to force us into square...
Another excellent game there Ralph, which certainly had the look and feel of a large Nappies action:). Good to see the Prussians holding off the Corsican Ogre's troops too;)!
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve! Getting there on the look and feel...not so much with the tactics and dice rolling!
DeleteThank you for providing an enjoyable ‘first coffee of the day’ moment :-). A nice thoughtful scenario that deserves a second attempt with a new set of dice! The hard work of painting is certainly bringing lovely visual rewards.
ReplyDeleteThanks Norm much appreciated! Yes I reckon we'll revisit Colditz with fresh dice!
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ReplyDeleteI really liked it. I feel too good to read it this awesome blog. I am very happy to read.
Thank you so much - glad you enjoyed it!
DeleteHello, this is not a comment on your game. On 5 May 1996, I was cycling from Leipzig to Dresden, the first week of a cycle-around-the-world trip. On the ride side of the road, and I do not know exactly which road, a small monument was standing there and on it was the date of the battle that you are recreating. Of course the coincidence of passing the monument exactly 183 years after the battle has stuck with me.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I am trying to write about the bicycle trip, using old journals, memories, photos and also information on the internet about things I didn't notice or understand then.
So now I try to locate the direct spot where that monument is, and I wonder if you know and can tell me. At least I now know the battle was near Colditz along the river Mulde.
Hopefully you can help me a bit further
Ton
Thanks for sharing your remarkable story! For gaming purposes we expanded the size and area of the battle, but we do know the rearguard action was fought at two sites. The first is easiest to pin down: the original town bridge: Muldebrucke with coordinates from Google of 51.130919027462205, 12.802641502533579. The second site, the ford to the south of the this bridge, is less easy to pin down My guess is that it is the site of the modern Furtwegbrucke, (51.12557957874444, 12.80118236742806), simply because this is the nearest bridge south of the town bridge, most likely built over a ford...The most detailed account of the battle can be found in George Nafziger's Lutzen and Bautzen; Napoleon's Spring Campaign of 1813. My edition is from Emperor's Press 1992, account being on pp. 186-7. I know later editions have been published. Unfortunately the account doesn't really give much geographical data. Michael V Leggiere's more recent Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany Vol 1. 9Cambridge University Press 2015 is describes the action at a more strategic level but does give the site of the southern ford as 'one-half mile downstream', which fits with our conjecture. (Page 276). Hope this helps a little!
DeleteThat is great information. Although I still haven't found the exact location of the monument, I now can try to contact some local office and perhaps people there will know what i am looking for as they drive these roads regularly. And I have been looking into those two books you mentioned. It's a rabbit hole, I ma reading a bit into the Napoleon wars. Again, thank you very much.
DeleteAnd if you are interested, here is where some of the info ended:
https://tonbaars.substack.com/p/de-van-dam-tot-dom-fietstocht-stage-cb5
Thanks Ton glad it helped some! Yes I enjoyed reading about your trip across Europe!
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