13 March 1813 – Battle of Brunswick

Tactical map of battle area

Background to battle

Prussian army launch a surprise attack

French army are under orders to rest and resupply

Prussian – 50800 infantry, 4000 cavalry, 120 guns

French – 40000 infantry, 3900 cavalry, 117 guns

Note.   Brigades with 30% casualties, or more, will not take part in the battle

They would be more of a liability than an advantage.

Table at start of wargame

4 Prussian arrive E07 start of move 1

2-7 Prussian brigade arrive E07 start of move 2

1 French arrive E05 start of move 1

3 French arrive F04 start of move 6

0800-0900

1^st Prussian corps are ordered to occupy woods on right

2^nd Prussian corps ordered to occupy farm on left

3^rd and 4^th Prussian corps ordered to deploy either side of main road

4^th and 13^th French corps are both on hold

1^st French corps marching through Brunswick

0900-1000

Both armies deploy

1^st Prussian enter woods on the right

Old Guard continue to pass through Brunswick

1000-1100

Both armies continue to deploy

French artillery open fire on deploying Prussians

1100-1200

Both armies continue to deploy

Artillery open fire, no casualties

1200-1300

Both armies continue to deploy

French infantry on hill on left receive artillery casualties

French infantry opposite woods on right also receive artillery casualites

Both brigades pass their morale test

1300-1400

Table has been moved one square (5 miles on the map) south

This is to allow room for 3^rd French corps to deploy as desired

3^rd French arrive on right

Blucher orders 3^rd Prussian to support 1^st Prussian

13^th French square receive more casualties, fail morale and rout into lancers

Lancers fail their morale and are shaken

The French right flank is now very vulnerable

1400-1500

3^rd French continue to arrive on the right

13^th French receive more casualties, but infantry pass morale test

3^rd Prussian infantry receive casualties, but pass morale test

Blucher orders 2^nd and 4^th corps to advance and attack hill

1500-1600

The Prussian attack moves forward

Infantry in 3^rd Prussian receive 20% casualties, but pass morale test

Infantry in 13^th French suffer 20% casualties, but also pass morale test.

1600-1700

Prussian infantry advance along the whole line

cavalry charge French artillery

2^nd Prussian cavalry rout gunners on hill, who take two infantry brigades with them

3^rd Prussian cavalry rout grand battery, who also take infantry brigade with them

Rout of 4^th French corps

2nd Prussian cavalry charge French gunners.

Gunners fail morale to move to nearby square

Gunners lose 20% casualties and rout

Nearby square, who already have 20% casualties, join rout

Prussian cavalry test morale to pursue

Fail morale and charge nearest French brigade

French lose melee and rout with 30% casualties

Rout of 13^th Polish corps

3rd Prussian corps charge 1^st Guard artillery

Gunners fire, but cause no casualties

Gunners then fail morale test to evade to nearby square

Cavalry charge home and rout gunners with 20% casualties

Nearby 13^th Polish artillery already have 20% casualties

Test morale because of rout, fail and join rout

Polish infantry supporting artillery already hve 20% casualties

They also fail morale, and also join rout

Nearby Polish lancers are shaken, and unable to support routers

Prussian cavalry pass morale to rally, but remain disordered

Conclusion

With eight brigades in rout Napoleon is forced to accept defeat

He orders all four corps to break contact and retreat

The French have lost 4100 casualties and 15 guns

The Prussians have lost 1200 casualties

Outcome

The battle is a convincing Prussian victory

Brunswick is not a fortified city, and has to be abandoned.

Battle Summary

Napoleon was not expecting to be attacked

He had two corps in and around Brunswick, with a third (the Old Guard) in reserve

His fourth corps was five miles away, and would not arrive until lunchtime

Blucher had concentrated his four corps, and they advanced in mass

Both armies had casualties from previous battles

But both had been able to concentrate those casualties

As a result the Prussians had 13 infantry brigades, the French only 11 brigades

Both armies had four cavalry brigades and corps artillery present.

Blucher sent his cavalry and artillery to cover the deployment of his infantry

He decided to ignore the city of Brunswick

Two corps would pin the city and French right

Two more corps would attack the hill on the French left.

The Old Guard had to march through Brunswick and then deploy

Whilst it was doing so the Prussians completed their deployment

The Prussian artillery proved more effective than the French

But they only inflicted light casualties

Blucher ordered his army to advance just as 3^rd French corps arrived.

The Prussian cavalry advanced and charged the enemy artillery

They were extremely effective, and routed three out of the four corps artillery

The rout spread to nearby infantry, who had received casualties earlier in the battle

With eight brigades in rout, Napoleon accepted defeat

He ordered a general retreat before the Prussians could press home their attack

The French lost 4100 casualties and 15 guns

The Prussians have lost 1200 casualties