2nd Battle of Johnsdorf - Blucher mauled

Marshal Vorwarts has been tamed by a combined French/Polish force under the joint command of Marshals Poniatowski and Oudinot.  The hardy Blucher tried to steal a march on the French before they could combine against him, but the plan backfired and he was forced to fight against a force seventy percent larger than his.  Despite the benefit of the terrain and a couple of redoubts, the Polish/ French numbers proved too much and the Prussian army is now in flight back to Berlin.  They are being hotly pursued by the vengeful cavalry of Marshal Oudinot, who the Prussians had given a bloody nose to only a few days previously.

A full battle report can be seen below.


The battlefield from the Prussian position.  Their left is anchored on a village, their right on a stream (which critically is fordable).  Dense forests and marshes break up the French deployment area.  The centre of the Prussian line is secured by a gentle hill, with two redoubts built between the hill and the village.  Oudinot's cavalry can be seen wending their way through the forest on the top right.  The Poles are top centre and left.  The other Richard can be seen at the top reaching into his pocket for encouragement, much needed in the face of such a formidable Prussian position.



A view from the French/Polish side.  The Prussian army is in a virtual square in the background, as masses of French cavalry and Polish infantry push forward through the marshes in the foreground.

The French cavalry advance in overwhelming numbers on the exposed Prussian right - but wait... that's not all.  A flustered ADC gallops up to Field Marshal Blucher to inform him of the arrival of a division of French cavalry on his right flank from across the river.  Mountains of abuse from Blucher are piled on the broad shoulders of the gods - how could this be....?

Two brigades of Cuirassiers supported by a battery of Horse Artillery arrive to further roars of foul play from the Prussian field marshal. The Prussian cavalry desperately realign themselves to contend with this new threat.  The Prussian gunners on the hill are feeling a little vulnerable, we suspect.

Meanwhile, on the Prussian left a Polish division prepares to eject a brigade of Prussian landwehr from the village, the key to the Prussia position.  But it won't be an easy fight for the Poles.

A birds eye view of the Prussian position as it starts to contract into a square.  One of the players mentioned the word Omdurman, but of course no-one had heard of that in 1813.  If only the Prussians had some gatling guns...

Back on the Prussian right, the French cavalry charge home, using their superior numbers to good effect.  The heavies clash in the foreground and will effectively exhaust each other.  But in the background, 2 brigades of French cavalry swamp the Prussian guns and will cause havoc as they pursue into the infantry near the guns who won't have time to form square.  The lone brigade of Prussian Hussars will be swept away in the pursuit as well.

Post the cavalry charge, a gaping hole has appeared in the Prussian right wing.  In the foreground, the Prussian landwehr in square staunchly resist the cavalry (and in fact will hold on until the very end, while all about them flee).

 

On Blucher's left, the Poles have formed into extended line to bring maximum firepower to bear on the Prussians garrisoning the village.  Two artillery batteries have also added their firepower.  The Landwehr hold on bravely, but eventually the Polish numbers prove too much and the Landwehr are ejected.  The Prussian line is now crumbling from both flanks and Marshal Vorwarts is starting to look backwards to his line of retreat.

A final view from the French/Polish position as the Polish infantry move in for the kill, while Oudinot's cavalry swarm over the Prussian right wing.

French lancers take the Prussian redoubt from the rear (calling to mind the quote of the day when Oudinot asked Poniatowski to make some space as Oudinot desired to insert himself...).  Prussian resistance finally collapses.  All that remains is for Blucher to try and save as much of his army as he can.  But this will be difficult as there are a lot of fresh French and Polish cavalry around.  Only the marshy terrain can help the Prussian fugitives now.

 

Little now stands between Napoleon and Berlin.  Will Prussia's allies arrive in time to rescue them, or will Prussia be forced to sue for peace and leave the Austrians and Russians alone to fight the French? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ney defeated - 1st Battle of Johnsdorf

Yorck's gamble of pouncing on Ney's isolated corps seems to have paid off with the French Marshal receiving a bloody nose south east of Johnsdorf.  However, Prussian losses were heavy in what was a fierce pounding match that either side could have won.

Rather than waiting behind the river for the French to mass, General Yorck boldly marched south and attacked the French.  Numbers were almost even though the French were slightly outnumbered in cavalry. 


An overview of the  early stages of the battle.  In the foreground, 2 French Light Cavalry brigades are boldly trying to fend off 3 Prussian cavalry brigades (one of them heavy) with a fourth in the background.  Oh the hill, the French conscripts attempt to look threatening but are loathe to leave the safety of their high ground.  Notice how both armies have deployed in a long straight line with little depth.  This will lead to the battle becoming a real slogging match as both sides will attempt to wear down their opponents from shooting before closing in with the bayonet. 
The stream was an insignificant brook and played no part in the battle.



After the first cavalry encounter both sides retreat with bloody noses.    The surviving French cavalry advance bravely but are soon chased from the field by the masses of Prussian horsemen. Crucially though the French divisional commander carelessly gets himself killed in this fight (he couldn't withstand the onslaught of a Prussian double 6) and this means the French are unable to rally whereas the Prussians can. The entire division remains leaderless for couple of vital hours.

On the opposite flank, two brigades of Baden and Westphalian hussars become bogged down in front of a Prussian division on a hill.  Their infantry move up to support them but are unable to budge the Prussians.  Every time the Prussians appear to be wavering, their general rides to the critical point and rallies the men.

 



The Baden hussars boldly charged the Prussian infantry advancing down the hill but to no avail.  The Prussians confidently formed square and saw off their German enemies.



 

The crucial moment of the battle - in the centre a Prussian brigade is thrown back, wavering under massed French fire.  A second Prussian brigade suffers the same fate and runs through their own wavering brigade.  Everyone holds their breath as the Prussians test for morale. If they fail it could set off a chain reaction down the line as over 50% of the Prussian infantry are disrupted or wavering.  Veteran French infantry stand poised to charge in.  But the crucial test is passed and the best French chance for victory is lost.



The French left is turned.  Prussian cavalry swarm around their flank.  A couple of charges later and the hill is cleared of French guns and infantry and as the French centre gives way, Ney breaks off the battle to try and retrieve what he can.



The closing moment of the battle.  The French centre and left are fleeing the field.  The Prussian infantry though are shattered and in no position to pursue.  However, the Prussians do have two fresh cavalry brigades who will hound the French as much as they can before nightfall.



 

 

 

 

 

 



Two Battles in the North - Berlin about to fall?

Turn 5
26/27 August 1813

While the Russian and Austrian armies march steadily into Germany, the war continues to rage fiercely just south of Berlin.  Field Marshal Blucher has taken the French by surprise and attacked across the river at Johnsdorf.  This has resulted in 2 battles being fought on consecutive days within 10 miles of each other.  Watch out for reports from these soon.

However, roads north of Berlin are reportedly clogged with refugees as Berliners flee the approach of yet another French corps that is now less than 20 miles short of the capital.  A hastily assembled force is preparing to repel the hated French but the quality of these hastily assembled Prussian recruits is questionable.  Will the fact that they are fighting to defend their capital inspire them to a fight with a vigour that overcomes their lack of training?  If the city falls, there is every chance that the Prussian king will sue for peace, no doubt against the wishes of his indomitable Field Marshal.  As the wagons piled with worldly possessions trundle north, the French drumbeats draw closer and the city awaits a mighty battle right at its gates.  The next few days will be crucial.

Prussian Landwehr prepare to sell their lives in the defence of Berlin

Dresden is now completely invested by the Austrians who continue a steady waltz up the highway towards Torgau.  The local population have been seen lining the road cheering on the men in white, placing rings on their fingers and bells on their toes.  It appears that no-one is missing the French, and it is proving impossible to find anyone who ever did support them - funny that.  

Cossacks are reported to be roaming freely across Germany and, now that they have stopped treating everyone's wives and possessions as their own, even they are receiving a rapturous reception from the locals.  French reinforcements have been flocking into Germany from Spain and stragglers now have the pleasure of being slaughtered by partisans with German or Russian accents, rather than Spanish.  We suspect French supply lines are going to become increasingly under pressure as these warriors from the steppe make merry in the rear areas (we know what we mean).

And a report just in is talking of dramatic events in the Saxon occupied fortress of Torgau on the Elbe.  It seems the Saxon commander, without his King's blessing (said King being kept close to the French Emperor, in line with the sage advice to keep your firends close and your enemies closer), has departed the fortress with his troops and is marching south to join the Austrians.  This is unconfirmed at this stage, but if the Austrian commander would paint his Saxon division faster, there is every chance that we may be able to confirm the rumour.