Massive battle expected any day! 7 September 1813 (Turn 12)

Post the 2nd Battle of Dahme, Napoleon pounced with 3 corps on that already devastated town, hoping to catch the victorious but isolated Austro-Russian forces still recovering from yesterday's battle.  But the Allies were too canny and pulled back towards the main Russian forces in Luckau, leaving the frustrated Emperor clutching at fresh air.  Napoleon was reported to have gnawed at least one carpet, an expensive item he brought back with him from the Orient one report said.

To the south east, a large Austro-Russian force is massing and should they decide to attack we could witness the decisive battle of the campaign (the THIRD battle of Dahme??).

Further west, Prince Schwarzenberg is pressing Marshal Marmont back along the Herzberg/Jueterbog road and threatening to cut French supply lines to Wittenberg.  Marmont though has been joined by Marshal Ney's dilapidated corps (who have finally recovered from their pounding at the 1st battle of Dahme) and the 2 French Marshals look determined to fight to keep their supply lines open.

Reports from the west tell of a long procession of French supply wagons streaming south from Wittenberg.  Explosions have been reported from that town, suggesting the French are planning to abandon Wittenberg as their main supply base.  This is only a rumour at this stage, but if it's true it would appear that the Emperor is planning to abandon Germany east of the Elbe, a politically dangerous decision and one that may prompt the Prussians to re-enter the war.

Is the campaign reaching it's climax or are the French going to avoid a major battle a fall back to fight another day?  The Emperor is famous for his gambles.  Will he take one now?

The 2nd Battle of Dahme - 6 September 1813

New from Germany is from the once unknown village of Dahme, just south of Berlin which has witnessed a bloody encounter between Marshal Oudinot's French cavalry corps and General Pahlen's Russian Cavalry.  Through the course of the battle the French received reinforcements from General Bertrand's corps and the Russians were reinforced by Austrian's from General Meerveldt's corps.

The full battle report is below

The battlefield just after midday.  The Russian cavalry are on the right, the French on the left, with Dahme in the centre.  The Allies have to win the battle to reopen their supply lines which is the road going off table centre right.  French reinforcements will be arriving on the road left centre.



Russian Dragoon division sharpening their swords for the coming clash.

The Cossacks screen off the heavies, giving them a chance to deploy.  Don't misatake the quality painting for quality fighting abilities.  The Cossacks will effectively avoid conflict all battle.

Reinforcements start to arrive - French heavy cavalry division arriving on the left - Carabiniers & Cuirassiers

And the Advance Guard of the Austrian corps hits the field, minus a brigade of grenzers who heard there was fighting up ahead and "accidentally" took a wrong turn.

The cavalry corps swiflty close, supported by their horse artillery.  A brigade of French dragoons is at risk of becoming isolated.

Bertrand's 1st Division arrives (minus the artillery who got left behind in the rush to the battlefield).  They march swiftly up the road to grab Dahme before the ponderously moving Austrian infantry can get there.



The cavalry charge!  The Russians manage to get more supports up though , with French reserve brigades too far away to make a difference.  This pic shows two of the 3 fights that occur simultaneously.



The 3rd cavalry clash - Russian lighs into French heavies, but the Russians do have some Cossacks up in support.  The Russians also are superior with an attached general while the French cavalry are without any encouragement and are still relatively green.

On the far side of Dahme, French and Russian light cavalry are a little less keen to close and advance more cautiously.

The 3 cavalry fights end badly for the French.  The central French heavies win the fight and rout their opponents but they are left wavering from the fight and vulnerable to the swarms of fresh allied cavalry nearby.  The other two French units are routed leaving a gap in the French line.

The full battlefield showing the thin remnants of the French right.  In the middle background Bertand's corps has occupied Dahme, while the light cavalry brigades have finally clashed in the far distance.

On the left, the French hussars defeat their Russian counterparts but become disordered in the process.  Nevertheless they pursue and hit a fresh brigade of Russian Uhlans.  Things are going to turn out badly for this over enthusiastic French brigade.

Within half an hour things are looking even worse for Marshal Oudinot.  His corps has almost ceased to exist.  The wavering dragoons have routed in response to a combined Austro-Russian charge, and on the left in the distance, the wing of Hussars & Chasseurs are in flight or close to it.  In the centre Bertrand's infantry have been gradually arriving (though with a lot of stragglers failing to arrive).  However, with Oudinot's cavalry in flight, the situation is not looking good for them.  They begin to take up defensive positions and attempt to old out until nightfall, about 90 mins away.

The final view of the battlefield.  The Russo-Austrian cavalry have taken a lot of casualties but hold the field.  The Austrian infantry and artillery are marching up to pound the French foot, but nightfall will intervene before they can cause too much damage, leaving the French to slink away northwards.  The Allies have reopened their supply lines (at the cost of a lot of horse flesh) but the precious French cavalry have been decimated.

 And so ends the 2nd Battle of Dahme.  The strategic situation is not significantly changed (which it would have been if the French had won), but the Allied army remains intact and the French have taken more losses that they can ill afford, especially not in cavalry.  The French have lost a valuable opportunity to redress the numerical advantage the Allies have.

Major battle looming 5 & 6 Sept 1813

Following the day of 3 battles, the armies have momentarily pulled apart. 

5 September
Schwarzenberg's Austrians fell back to Herzberg after being bloodied by the Guard at Seyda.  The Guard chose not to pursue, fearing an attack by Klenau's corps which was reportedly in the area.  The French can never really be that sure where the enemy are due to their lack of cavalry, whereas the Allies generally have a better fix on French positions due to superior cavalry, sypathetic locals and a persistent smell of garlic.

Ney's corps is reportedly licking their wounds around Jueterbog, the bravest of the brave wondering when his fabled courage will start to rub off on his troops who keep fleeing from the battlefield.  The combined Austro-Russian army army that defeated Ney and Marmont at the battle of Dahme, rather than pressing home their advantage and pusuing the defeated French, gave them space to withdraw and regroup, preferring to head off cross country in an attempt to catch and isolate the victorious French force from the battle of Baruth.  This attempted punch appears to have hit fresh air as Bertrand and Oudinot withdrew north after their victory (why is everyone running away after winning??). 

The Russians, anticipating an aggressive follow up by Bertrand after the battle of Baruth, withdrew to await the reinforcements from Dahme, and so catch the French in a pincer, only to be foiled as Betrand withdrew.

6 September
Seeing that they weren't being pursued after Dahme, the French under Marmont have pressed south towards Herzberg in a belated move to pursue the defeated Schwarzenberg.  In doing so they suddenly found themselves enjoying croissants from Vienna and sweet Austrian wine as they stumbled onto the Austrian supply train that has been battling to keep up with the intrepid General Meerveldt who has decided to make his men into 19th century boy scouts by taking them off road after the battle of Dahme.  Marmont's men were particularly gleeful at finding Saxon wounded in the supply train, Saxons who had so treacherously deserted them at Torgau and then fought them at Dahme.  What has become of these deserters is anyone's guess, but since this article may be read by children, we feel it best not to speculate.  The effect of this though is that Meerveldt and his Russian allies, find themselves living out of the provisions in their knapsacks, a situation that they won't be able to sustain for long.  As Marmont's men tuck into the Austrian supplies, they will have to look to the south though, as less than half a day's march away in Herzberg, an Austrian army is itching to get revenge after Seyda, and may be about to strike (if that's not too strong a term for the leisurely way the Austrians have been moving around).

Meanwhile, further east, huge forces from both sides are converging on the small town of Dahme.  There has been a clash of a French and Russian cavalry corps in the fields south of the town that looks like it may blow up into a major battle as both sides feed more troops into what began as a skirmish.  Before the day is over, we may be bringing you a new battle report.  It all depends on whether both sides are keen to fight.  This will be an interesting match-up with two cavalry corps fighting it out, possibly with reinforcements arriving through the course of the battle. 

We have received reports that the shattered Russian corps from Baruth is still recuperating around Lubben on a diet of vodka and schnapps.   This magic potion is expected to restore them to health soon.  But more interestingly the Russians in Lubben have been seen fraternising with Prussian soldiers, practising all the German they have learned from the frauleins as they conducted their merry tour of Germany while Prussia was fighting for her life.  Where have these Prussian soldiers come from?  Could it be that General Yorck is about to make another appearance?

All the armies are now within a short distance of each other.  A major battle seems inevitable.  Can the Allies bring their superior numbers to bear, all will the French from their more central position be able isolate and destroy them piece meal?  Will the Austro-Russian force under Meerveldt be able to restore their lines of supply or be forced to surrender to the converging French armies.  Don't mention the Ulm.  Once again, the next few days will be crucial.