'Road to Brussels' - SoN 1815 campaign, game 3 - Rearguard near Genappe

The third of our 1815 campaign series, and it is now day two, with the British now retreating north from Quatre Bras and the French in pursuit. This would be a rearguard action (handily thrown-up by the campaign system). So, somewhere south of Genappe, General Bond's division has been given the task of turning, standing and delaying the French (again aided by the remnants of the Hanoverian landwehr), with General Cheyrou's hard-fighting (rather weary) French division in the van, aided by an attached (weak) light cavalry brigade of chasseurs, trying to force passage up the Brussel's road (again). It was 3 brigades per side. 

The French attack plan was simple enough, a refused left flank, the most powerful infantry brigade would assault along the road on the right, supported from the centre by infantry to cover their flank. On left, the light cavalry, a distraction/harassing force only, to try and keep the bulk of the British infantry from the moving across to interfere in the main assault. It would another game were I found myself having to attack against an enemy with superior cavalry forces. How to neutralise them? (Maybe shoot them, a lot!).

The French infantry began their advance, in columns, at the quick, and the cannons opened up, do some early softening-up damage. The British response was to advance their hussars over the hill, and into a returning storm of artillery fire (2 artillery bombards events) and an intense cannonade, which soon had them in disorder (joys of being identified as a primary threat!). The French voltiguers would also rush out and add to the pian and the hussars found themslevs withdrawing and needing to rally (they did). Meanwhile, their horse battery was deployed and opened up into the French infantry. Behind their log barricades, the German conscripts ducked down and avoided the cannon balls whizzing overhead. The British infantry on their right moved up, and sent their skirmishers out (there are a lot of them, all Skirmish 3). The light cavalry sent some rushing back with their harassing attacks... some restbite. 

The French right marched on, the hussars being held off and closed in on the barricades, cautious advances and voltiguers doing excellent work. The hussars came back, but did not like the odds of the charge, especially as they were soon back in disorder. The covering French infantry where also using their voltigeurs and the horse battery was under threat. Meanwhile, the other hussar regiment had advanced into the central woods (it was dense) and got a bit stuck getting through it. Both sides rolled for senior officers to arrived, both rolled a 1, so no help from the big brass today. 

After 4 turns, the French where now close enough to charge the barricades and so tried, their veterans rushing in and smashing the landwehr at bayonet-point, which broke and fled. The shot-up hussars now had to respond and, sabres out, rushed into the fray, finally, but the veteran French column only just lost the melee and the hussars paid with incoming skirmish fire from all round, breaking and fleeing... their lack-lustre charge had failed to stop the French infantry, as they also overran the Hanoverian gun battery. This also stopped the British from claiming the bonus VPs for their 'Hold the Line' objective (part of the rearguard scenario). The French were ahead on VPs, but the British were soon back in it, when horrid skirmish fire broke a unit of chasuers and cannon fire broke a line infantry battalion in the centre. It was close, but the French momentum looked like sweeping the poor landwehr away, just 1 battalion left (4 stands) and the brigade would also be wiped out. It look desperate. 

On to Turn 6, the finale in a very close fight. The French infantry tried to press on, but the lead unit 'stalled' on a special event (second game that card has been crucial and painful) and the line regiment did not charge (no command re-rolls left for either side by now either). Their volley also missed, as did the supporting cannon fire from way back (and 3 orders to use). Somehow, needing just 1 Disorder to break them, the landwehr stood, through shot and shell. With just 2 cards left each, I used the 'command chaos' event to put a final nail in the British coffin... and rolled... a damn 1! That left the British a card to charge their 'lost' hussars, (having finally got out of the woods) into my chasseurs and rout them in the melee... the end of the French light cavalry brigade, and then rally his light cavalry to avoid any further costly routing. I couldn't do the same and so, as we added up the VPs, the British had amassed 19, needing 19 for the French to break. The French had 19, needing 20 for the British to break... aargh!!

So close, so close, and the British looked in big trouble, but the heroic charge of the 'lost' hussars saved the day. The French infantry had almost pushed through the road block, but had to be recalled, the road behind under threat of being cut. A cracker of a game, real drama at the end, and on Turn 6, my dice just deserted me... I literally could roll anything but 1s and 2s... the command chaos (1, grr 1!) would have changed it all... even breaking the last landwehr, but every shot missed or was saved... these redcoats are hard to beat!

For the campaign, General Bond's division has done its job (just). The French pursuit is delayed and they will now have to find another route around. We worked through all the post-game stuff (lost units, gained experience, etc), and the next game will be against the Prussians again, but again with Cheyrou's division (4 games on the trot, so Doubert's division will be completely fresh come the big end battle). Looking at a map, with the French diverting eastwards, it seems they might run into a Prussian flank guard somewhere around the village of Faux. That's game 4. Can General Cheyrou's battered vanguard (I assume Doubert is swanning along somewhere near the back, well in reserve), see-off the Prussians before we get the the grand finale in game 5?

A few pics, not many, as engrossed in the gaming...

Open fields south of Genappe (randomly generated). French infantry assault up the road, as British hussars try to counter-attack, over the hill and through the woods. Chasseurs cover the French left, and try to survive (failing). It almost worked.

The French infantry columns begin their march up the road on the right towards the German landwehr position, manning ad-hoc log barricades thrown across the road yesterday.

von Kleb's poor German conscripts face the main French advance again. 2 weak battalion and 6 pdr battery, behind their logs, vs Napoleon's veterans in full cry.

Brigadier Fleming's light cavalry brigade, in the centre, to launch a counter-attack to spoil the French infantry advance, Hussars to the fore... and horse battery on limber to be towed up. The hussars advanced over the hill into a storm of cannon fire and swarms of voltiguers.

Out on the British right, somewhat out of the main fight, Price's powerful infantry brigade, their advance only faced the French light cavalry screen, just a harassing force. Here their skirmishers and attached riflemen clear the woods of French chasseurs... who's only task is to keep them from the fight for as long as possible (and survive).

The French in the centre supporting the main attack, by stalling the light cavalry and taking fire from the deployed horse battery. They are covering the attack's flank... hoping to draw in the British light cavalry and allow the main thrust to get to the barricades unmolested. Voltiguers doing good work vs the hussars. One battalion broke under artillery fire.

Storming the barricades, the French columns charge and drive the landwehr back, also taking their guns. Only one small battalion remains, it looks like being overwhelmed, but the landwehr show some mettle as a last ditched effort and did not break (a small miracle, and my crap dice!).