Battle of Possneck Day 2 – Move 7

1400-1500  15^th August 1813

Table at start of Move 7

6^th  Russian division (top) are advancing beyond the woods

7^th and 8^th Russian divisions (centre) are approaching the French

9^th Russian division (bottom) are already skirmishing with the French artillery

  Russian corps at the end of Move 7

3^rd Russian Corps

Wintzingerode urges his corps commanders to press home their attack

He is confident of victory and even the destruction of 2^nd French corps

Rudzewitsch (left) continues his skirmish combat with the Westphalian gunners

His infantry advance within volley range and force the enemy to retire shaken with 20% casualties

He orders his artillery, which is screened by his infantry, to move onto the hill to his left

Woroncow (centre left) send his left hand infantry regiment to join the skirmish fight

The remainder of his division continue to advance

Melnikow (centre right) orders his leading infantry regiments to skirmish with the French infantry

They win the initial exchange, disorder the enemy and inflict 10% casualties on each regiment

Galitzin (right)  orders his hussar regiment to charge the nearest French infantry

They have been disordered in the skirmish fight, and fail their morale to react or form square

The hussars cut them down and the regiment is wiped out

The nearby gunners and infantry in the woods are both shaken by seeing them cut down

The remainder of 6^th division advance towards the river

 French corps at end of Move 7

2^nd French Corps

The French have suffered badly during this move

Their artillery continue to be ineffective

They have lost another infantry regiment to enemy cavalry

Dubreton (left) having lost the initial skirmish combat he orders his infantry forward

They win the volley fight, and one Russian regiment retires shaken and with 20% casualties

Then Russian hussars charge the left hand regiment, who are disordered by the combat

The French infantry fail their morale to form square, and are cut down

The regiment in the woods, and the gunners, are both within 4” and must test morale

Both lose and are shaken

Vial (centre) holds the centre.

His artillery cause 10% casualties on the nearest Russian infantry

But they pass their morale test and continue to advance.

11^th hussars are shaken by the infantry rout on their right

Maison (right) moves his reserve regiment to replace the shaken 6^th infantry

Despite this 6^th regiment fail their morale test and rout

They rout into 3^rd dragoons who fail their morale test and become shaken

11^th hussars (4^th division) are within 4” and also have to test their morale, fail and are shaken

The remainder of the regiments within 4” of the rout all pass their morale test

Game Notes

The skirmish combat has now spread along the whole table

Regiments within 4”, but less than 2”, can skirmish.  

They require a total of 6 to hit

However if they advance  within 2” they can volley fire

Both sides fire at the same time, and the result is likely to be more decisive.

After skirmish or volley fire a regiment is disordered

One such regiment charged by nearby enemy cavalry has been cut down.

It is very unlikely that 2^nd French corps will survive this battle

Even if they hold out until night, they must still secure the bridge to retreat

The loss of the cavalry melee on their far left has left the bridge unguarded

6^th Russian division has now only to reach the bridge to cut the French retreat

Rule 11 covers skirmish combat

Rule 12 covers musket firefight combat

Rule 15 covers cavalry v infantry combat

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/