1 November 1813 – Central Germany– Halle Campaign

1813 Campaign Areas

There are five campaign areas in the 1813 Campaign, three in Germany and two in Spain.   The campaign is divided into campaign phases, each lasting about ten campaign days.  This is the thirty fourth campaign phase of the 1813 Campaign and the seventh phase in Central Germany

All Germany

All twenty one previous campaign phases are shown.  

A blue star indicates a French victory and grey, green or yellow an Allied victory

                                             

There are three campaign areas in Germany.

Northern Germany – 1^st French army v Prussian army

Central Germany – 2^nd French army v Russian army

Southern Germany – 3^rd French army v Austrian army

Each square on the map is 7 miles, it is also one square on the wargames table

A corps can march 21 miles in one day, which is also the area of a wargames table.

Central Germany

All 24 previous battles fought are shown.    A blue star indicates a French victory, a red star a British victory and one white start is a drawn battle.   Each square on this map covers the same area as one 2x2 foot scenic square on our wargames table.

Summary of the campaign in Central Germany

At the start of February 1813 Napoleon believed that the Russian Army was held on the eastern bank of the river Oder by his allies the Prussians.   He was unaware of the secret treaty signed by the allies on 1 January 1813 which agreed that Prussia, Russia, Austria, England and Spain would all declare war on France.   Or that the Russians had crossed the river Oder on 20 January 1813

On 15 February he received reports that the Russians had not only crossed the river Oder, but had entered Dresden a week earlier.

He immediately ordered Marshal Davout to form Second French Army at Dusseldorf and prepare to march east to confront the Russians.   On 28 February Davout confirmed that his Army was operational and ready to advance.

5 March 1813 – Kassel Campaign.  The Russians advanced west and defeated the French at the battles of Kassel and Warburg.   The French recovered and beat the Russians at Second Kassel, but lost four days later again at Kassel.   The Russians again won at Friedland.   However the French fought back and won at the third battle of Kassel.   The Russians were forced to retreat east.

19 March 1813 – Gotha Campaign.   The Russians again attacked and beat the French at Suhl.  However the French quickly recovered and won at both Gotha and Suhl.   Once more the Russians retreated east.

5 April 1813 – Armistice.   The Russians accepted the seven day truce offered by Napoleon.   Second French Army would concentrate at Kassel.  The Russian Army would retreat to Gotha.

12 April 1813 – Second Gotha Campaign.   The French opened the campaign and won at First Meiningen.  However the Russians recovered and defeated them at Second Meiningen and again at Barchfeld.   The French retreated to Kassel.

24 May 1813 – Eisenbach Campaign.   Davout lost the first battle at Kassel.   He defeated the Russians at Meiningen, but lost again at Friedland.   He won at Gotha and again at Dolstadt.   The final battle of Meiningen was a draw.   The battered Russian Army retreated to Erfurt and the French won the campaign.

         

16 July 1813 – Erfurt Campaign.   Davout won the first battle at Amstadt, forcing the Russians to retreat and abandon Erfurt.   He was surprised and defeated as he tried to cross the river Saale, but when the Russians tried the same tactic again they were defeated at Weissensee.   The final battle was fought at Rudolstadt.   The Russians still held the town at the end of the battle and claimed a victory.  However with two of their four corps in rout they had to retreat during the night leaving the French winners of the campaign.

                                                   

26 August 1813 – Bayreuth Campaign.   The French opened the campaign by crossing the southern Saale bridge and taking Eschenbach.   They were defeated when they attacked Kulmbach, but won a major victory at Bayreuth.   They also won the final battle at Kulmbach and won the campaign.  

Introduction to the Halle Campaign

Having won five of the six previous campaign phases, Davout is confident that he can drive the Russians back to Leipzig and secure he river Saale.

Wittgenstein retreated to Halle after his defeat in the Bayreuth campaign.   From there he holds a vital bridge over the river Saale, and is determined to hold it and keep his options open

Halle Campaign Map

This map shows the area covered by the Halle campaign.  Each square is 7 miles.  It shows all terrain features.   Green areas are high ground.     Red roads are main supply, yellow connect main towns and broken are local tracks.   It also shows the location of French and Russian corps at the start of the campaign, plus the four supply depots per side.

This map is used for all campaign movement and on the campaign diary blog.

            

At the start of the campaign the two armies are deployed as shown on the map above.

Halle Campaign Objective

The Russian objective is to hold Halle and the bridge over the river Saale

The French objective is to take Halle and force the Russians to retreat to the east

Halle Wargames Map

This map covers the same area as the campaign map, but actual size of hills are shown.   Each square is the same as one 2x2 foot square used on the wargames table, and shows the exact terrain feature.   The number shown in the top right of each square is the number of the scenic terrain square to be used on the table.   When a battle is declared this map is used to prepare the wargames table.

Second French Army

Marshal Davout

2^nd Young Guard corps

5^th French corps

6^th French corps

14^th Westphalian corps

Reserve corps

Each corps has four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery

The reserve corps has four infantry brigades and will provide depot garrisons

80000 infantry, 4000 cavalry, 120 artillery

Russian Army

General Wittgenstein

1^st Russian corps

2^nd Russian corps

3^rd Russian corps

4^th Russian corps

Reserve corps

Each corps has four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery

The reserve corps has four infantry brigades and will provide depot garrisons

80000 infantry, 4000 cavalry, 120 artillery

Reference

The campaign diary contains comprehensive details of the whole campaign.   The labels on the right are an index to various parts of the campaign.

01 - Introduction to the1813 campaign

02 - Five campaign areas

20 - Introduction to the campaign in Central Germany

21 – 2^nd French Army order of battle

22 - Russian Army order of battle

23 - Daily diary for the campaign in Central Germany

24 - Battle reports of all battles fought in Central Germany

25 - Summary of campaign in Central Germany

31 October 1813 – Summary of Campaign in North Spain

                             

Battles fought in North Spain

Campaign History

By the end of January 1813 most of the experienced French troops had been withdrawn from Spain to form the new Grand Army in Germany.   Marshal Soult was ordered to organize all remaining troops in Northern Spain into the new Fourth French Army.   He was to concentrate them at Burgos and to hold the northern border with Portugal

On 2 February 1813 Wellington took the border city of Cuidad Rodrigo and marched his Army east to drive the French out of Spain.   He reached Zamora on 27 February 1813, where he received reports that the Soult was still at Burgos but preparing to march on Valladolid.

Wellington halted at Zamora on 28 February 1813, to allow his army to rest and reorganise after their long march from Portugal.  He was aware that the French were at Burgos, and that he would have to fight to take Valladolid.

1 March 1813 – Valladolid Campaign.    Wellington opened the campaign by defeating the French and occupying Valladolid.   The French counter attacked and won the battles of Arriba and Medina.   Wellington halted the French advance at Palencia and went on to defeat them again at Palencia.   Soult was forced to retreat east.

9 March 1813 – Burgos Campaign.   The campaign opened with a determined French attack during which they won the battles of Agular, Sarracin and Burgos.  Wellington rallied and counter attacked to win at Agular, Castrojarez and Burgos.   However Soult won the third battle of Burgos and with it the campaign.   Wellington was forced to retreat towards Portugal.

25 March 1813 – Zamora Campaign.   The French won the first battle at Morales.  However Wellington won at Zamora, Benavente and again at Morales.   Soult regrouped and won a series of four battles at Zamora and Benavente resulting in the French also winning the campaign.  Once more Wellington had to retreat.

5 April 1813 – Armistice.   Wellington was forced to accept the seven day cease fire in order to rally and reorganise his shattered army.   He ordered them to retreat to Oporto and concentrate there.   Soult halted his army at Zamora

12 April 1813 – Oporto Campaign.   Wellington was determined to prevent a retreat into Portugal and opened the campaign with an aggressive advance.   He was defeated at the first battle at Chaves, but won the three battles for Murca.    This town became the centre of the campaign, and the French attacked again and again.   By 19 April both armies were battered, had lost considerable battle casualties and were low on supplies.  But when Wellington defeated the third attempt to take Murca Soult ordered his army to withdraw.  

28 April 1813 – Tordesillas Campaign.   Soult was determined to hold Wellington on the Spanish/Portuguese border.  But Wellington was equally determined to establish himself in Spain.   This campaign developed into a series of victories for Wellington.   He won six of the seven battles fought, and the seventh was a draw.   He took Tordesillias, pursued the retreating French and took Valladolid after two days of fighting.   Both armies were battered during the 14 day campaign.  On 11 May 1813  Soult ordered his army to retreat to Burgos to rally and regroup.  Wellington called a halt at Valladolid.

10 August 1813 – Leon Campaign.  Wellington needed to take Leon in order to secure a port on the north coast to shorten his lines of communications.   The campaign opened badly for the British, with their defeat at Sanabria.   The French went on the attack but were defeated at Mayorga.   Wellington defeated the French at Sanabria and Benevente.   But he lost the last two battles at Leon and again at Sanabria.   Wellington was forced to retreat to the river Duero.  Both armies suffered heavy casualties, but the French clearly won the campaign.

31 October 1813 – Santiago Campaign.   Soult is determined to defeat Wellington and force him to retreat into Portugal.   The campaign started badly, with the French defeat at the first battle of Corunna.   They were more successful at Lugo, where they forced Wellington to retreat to Santiago.  This was followed by a French victory at the second battle of Corunna, and they went on to occupy the town.   Guerrilla attacks on his lines of supply forced Soult to send one corps back to secure his supplies.  This allowed Wellington to counter attack and take back Corunna.   In the south the French attacked and captured Santiago.   However Wellington abandoned his lines of communications and attacked again in the south.  He defeated Soult at the battle of Ribadeo.   This forced Soult to order a general retreat, leaving Wellington the winner of the campaign

Reference

The campaign diary contains comprehensive details of the whole campaign.   The labels on the right are an index to various parts of the campaign.

01 - introduction to the 1813 campaign

02 - the five campaign areas

40 - introduction to the campaign in North Spain

41 - French order of battle

42 - British order of battle

43 - daily diary for the campaign in North Spain

44 - battle reports of all battles fought in North  Spain

31 October 1813 – Northern Spain – End of Santiago Campaign

Start of Campaign

The Santiago campaign was the seventh campaign phase in Northern Spain, between the Fourth French Army commanded by Marshal Soult and the Anglo-Portuguese Army commanded by the Duke of Wellington.   It lasted twelve days and there were six battles.   Wellington won three and Soult also won three.

Battles Fought

The campaign started with the French advance to take Santiago.   If they are able to do so Wellington will be forced to retreat south into Portugal.

                                                      

It started badly, with the French defeat at the first battle of Corunna.   They were more successful at Lugo, where they forced Wellington to retreat to Santiago.  This was followed by a French victory at the second battle of Corunna, and they went on to occupy the town.   Guerrilla attacks on his lines of supply forced Soult to send one corps back to secure his supplies.  This allowed Wellington to counter attack and take back Corunna.   In the south the French attacked and captured Santiago.   However Wellington abandoned his lines of communications and attacked again in the south.  He defeated Soult at the battle of Ribadeo.   This forced Soult to order a general retreat.

The campaign ended in a close British victory

30 October 1813 – Santiago Campaign – Day 12

7^th and 16^th corps retreat to Oviedo

Both are now out of supply, and will lose attrition casualties until they resupply

There are only 5 days supplies at Oviedo, but that is sufficient for them to regroup

It will however take some days before either are operational again

                                                                           

Their retreat in the north also force 8^th and reserve corps to retreat to Lugo

Both are low on supplies (two days each) and there is only one day at Lugo

They will have to continue their retreat to Astorga, and resupply from Sanabria

The French retreat allows guerrilla bands to occupy both Ribadeo and Santiago

Wellington’s army is also running short of supplies (two days each)

But he is much closer to his supply depots, and will be fully supplied within two days

This will allow him to move on to the offensive

Soult is well aware of his desperate situation, he orders a general retreat.