The battle of Dresden, 26 & 27 August 1813, is the next scenario that Mike and I have tackled from Dr Mark Smith's "Napoleon's Bloody Big Battles" scenario book. I had played it once before, a number of years ago, as French and really not done well. This was Mike's first go at the scenario.
Mark has introduced some interesting elements to this scenario - the French have fortified redoubts to occupy, with half a gun in each. The incessant rain on the first day of the battle means that the river that splits the French right/Austrian left area of operations becomes impassible, so on the French right flank it is about holding/dominating the two bridging points.
I chose French, Mike opted to be the Austro/Prussian/Russian coalition.
The map:
Set up
The whole battlefield - the Elbe is the wide river, lower left. The Weisseritz is the medium sized river, this is impassible on day 2 and only has two crossing points. The bright green rectangle is the Gross Garten. Shedloads of French troops wait to be released into Dresden from the Eastern bank.
The French left, Dresden and it's suburbs lower left, a thin cordon of defenders in the redoubts. I deployed a 4 block unit and gun as far forward as possible as a "speed bump".
The French right - a couple of redoubts, otherwise just empty of my defenders!
Turn 2
At the end of turn two the French have re-inforced Dresden. More re-inforcements wait to cross into the city.
The French left wing, with French troops in the Gross Garten buying time.
The French middle - holding off the Russians in the centre, but only just.
The French right - the Austrian advance has stalled and i diverted my reserves here. Mike has already had one unit go spent.
Dresden city hall - actually it's for a Franco Prussian game, but it gives a bit of grandeur!
Turn 4
By turn 4 the battle was shaping well for the French as night fell at the end of day 1. On the left, Dresden is a solid wall of French defenders and Mike halts outside the city limits.
In the middle Mike did take a redoubt, but the French & Allies are now racing to put troops on the hill.
On the right, Mike took up defensive positions, whilst my French controlled both river crossings.
Turn 6
At the end of turn 6, two turns after the night interval, the battle was going well for the French. On the left the city was well defended, mainly by the Young Guard. For some reason the Old Guard infantry kept failing their movement rolls!
In the middle a to and fro battle developed for possession of the hill, with both sides attacking and then getting repulsed. This is where I channelled my reserves and aggressive/killer best troops.
On the right the Austrians could only hold on, so both sides did not do much fighting. The Austrians started to direct their attention to the upstream bridge.
Turn 8
By the end of turn 8 the French left had advanced to take on the Allied right and was regaining the Gross Garten, putting pressure on the Allied middle and trying to retake the hill.
The French right held the Austrian left and blocked the Allied advance on the upstream bridge.
Turn 9
At the end of turn 9 the French had won a decisive victory. On the left, they were catching and destroying the retreating Allies. Dresden is now empty of French defenders!
In the middle the battle for the hill continued as the Allies clung on.
On the right the Austrian left held on, but the troops trying to take the upstream bridge had broken and retreated with heavy losses.
Game end
In this game everything had gone well for the French. The Austrians had low movement rolls and had not taken any redoubts or suburbs early on. The French "roadblock" unit in the Gross Garten was destroyed, but contributed to the Allied right's slow progress.
The French re-inforcements deployed quickly and the French right did really well, stopping the Austrian left and inflicting enough casualties early on to stop the Austrians and make them go defensive.
This secure right flank enabled the French to concentrate on the middle and left sectors, where French quality and quantity stopped the Austrians then drove them back. The French were able to keep moving and ensure that reserves were fed into the weak-spots in the line. The battle for the central hill was a real to and fro affair, but by the end of the game this position was in danger of being outflanked.
It was a really enjoyable game, my thanks to Mike as a worthy opponent.
