Situation:
Interestingly the book Prelude to Waterloo by Andrew Field provides us some insights into Ney’s mental state and his last minute allocation by Napoleon to lead the left wing. Literally the day before he is given command, he catches up with his force and meets Reille who is pressing on Frasnes and Bachelus is moving toward Mellet. Ney’s Corps was somewhat spread out. But he has little idea of his force composition, barely any aides and literally shooting from the hip as he enters the fray.
Units:
Reilles Advance:
1400 advance through Frasnes
Interestingly unless I set up wrong the Allies had no units in Frasnes. Which in hind sight might have helped slow the French forces advance. Or perhaps the battle begins at a different time!?
The Prince of Orange is ensconced in Le Quatre Bras
1430
The French prepare to overwhelm the thin red line.
French Assault of Grand Pierpont [farm]:
11-5-72 108i & 61st from II Corps lead the effort.
They attack 1-2N Sax “a” who retreats with 1 step loss.
1-2N Sax ‘b’ forms a square and forces the II-c-5 Lancers to cancel their charge -1 step
Meanwhile GC Lancers, & Chasseurs. take Tilne and move West of La Baroque 1500-1530 timeframe.
1500
II Corps move thru the marshes, etange Maternee and directly toward Quartre Bras.
II-5 72nd attack into the woods pressing on Sax part of 2nd Netherlands Division led by Lt General Perponcher-Sedlnitzky. Sax B is fired on by arty
II-6 advances on Gemincourt.
No effect on all fires on all sides.
Melee!
The 72nd line and its 2 battalions of soldiers attack into the Woods: 3 vs 8+6 = 3 vs 14 4:1 0:d1 [0 means no effect on attacker. D1 means a step loss and check] routs the defender!
Meanwhile Jerome Bonapartes 6th Division attacks the Square 2vs 9 = 2:1 o:d1
Gemincourt 2:1 0:*D
The Allies move Wellington, and Pack arrive at the quick step! These elements of 5th and 6th Division move to block the onslaught.
Pack 1&2 screen the village of Banterlet
Best with his Hanoverian Brigade and Kempt’s 8th British Brigade which includes the North Gloustershire, Cornwall, Cameron Highlanders and of course the 1/95th Rifles form a thin line with Orange.
Brunswick arrives
By the end of the 1500 turn Wellington is being hard pressed on all sides.
1530
France
II Corp advances II-5 attack the arty. II-6-1 Attack the Saxe Nassau [DG]
II-6 & 11-9 storm the rise toward Quatre Bras. & La Baraque.
Blocks are used to indicate step losses – 1 step a white block.
Kellerman moves around Bois du Bossu
Def Fire – accurate shooting at Quatre Bras Bijlandz pepper II-6-2 Legere. – II-6-2 return fire!! [1 hit]
Offensive Fire Guard d Arty DG-1 Sir Deni Pack’s boys I !!
II-C Chasseurs + II-5-72 attack forcing a retreat and a dG – Bijland I these units are a mix of Dutch militia and Dutch Jagers
II-6-2 assault of the Quatre Brass fails which forces forces an elimination on a 1:2 attack.
Allies Move: Brunswick 1-4 move to support from Banterlet – cross road near western edge of Quatre bras.
Def Fire Gd Arty 4 and again forcing a retreat and another step loss.
Best-2 II- & II-9-92 exchange fire and melee. The 92nd Holds yet both lose a step. Blue blocks are 2 step losses.
Made an error earlier on with the morale counter placement.
1530
French Move and fire at the British Arty. Inflicting hits! Offensive fire rakes Best -2 who takes 3 hits and wipes it out!
II-9 is denied La Baraque [Wellington and Ney face off in hex!] 3:2 attack that yielded a 2 result.
Similarly, Orange holds on to 4Bras +1 hit, to 3 of 6 units. French also lose a step.
Allies destroy a French arty unit too close to the battles.
1600
French moves
Defensive fire rakes II-9-4 Leg. They survive the cannonade and charge! Offensive fire smashes the Pack-2 formation inflicting 2 hits.
Near La Baraque a viscous melee breaks out between 7th & Neys & 100th a tightly fought contest at 1:1. The 193rd Li and 100th Li fight alongside.
II-9-4 vs Best and the reduced arty unit ends up as a 2:3 attack, and the French get lucky with a 1/1* result.
Orange and Bijland fight for 4 Bras again. Losing two more steps. Red block = 3 steps lost.
The French flanking movement will serve to slow down reinforcements and harry the enemy’s cavalry.
Below Kellermann is a man possessed his Lancers, run amok!
They force a retreat and conduct a follow on attack!
Kellerman and his cavalry combine to cut thru Wellington’s Reserve Cav and conduct follow on attacks.
The Brits toy with an opportunity charge but think better of it.
The Allied turn shows a mixed bag of results as the body count swings both ways and results start to vary fairly widely.
Brunswick #1 attacks II-9-4 inflicting 3 step losses but they hold the line and do not retreat..
1630
Best 2 was eliminated in 1600 turn [error], and 17th Arty Turn 1 or 2 [side note]
During offensive fire Kempt takes another step loss from Cannonade, and the rear supported attack by II-9-4 with no effect on it locale again! A bloody to and fro with fixed bayonets.
[note] Pack 1 is eliminated
Quatre Bra is attacked at 3:1 earning a D1. Bijland is down to 1 step!! But morale is still ok, yet the Allies are running out of options. Will Welly be captured by Ney?
The Allies have lost 20/45 steps, and will lose QB this turn. We call the battle here, given the number of units dislocating to the rear!
Obviously a very different ending to the history.
Maps courtesy of Osprey Publications
Beautiful looking game. My friend gas the Four Battles in Spain and I might have to bug him to get it to the table now.
Well worth it. Im not much interested in the Pennisula as a campaign, but the system is pretty good. muskets might be a tad over capable but hey!