15 March 1813 – Central Germany - Day 2

Russians transfer 2 days supplies from Weimar to Sommerda

 

5^th French corps retreat to Eisenach

2^nd Russian corps establish depot at Wiessensee

 

2^nd, 6^th and French reserve corps deploy to attack Erfurt

1^st, 3^rd and Russian reserve deploy to attack Erfurt

 

The battle of Suhl is an encounter battle.

Both 14^th Westphalian and 4^th Russian corps have orders to take the town

Suhl is a fortified town, and close its gates to both armies

The battle if fought outside the town, and the Westphalian corps win

 

Westphalian lose 400 casualties

Russians lose 1500 casualties

14 March 1813 – Battle of Weissensee

Tactical map of battle area

Davout and Wittgenstein urgently need intelligence about the enemy

5^th French and 2^nd Russian corps are ordered to probe Weissensee

It is left to the initiative of each corps commander how to do so

 

French – 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 corps artillery

Russian – 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 corps artillery

Table at start of battle

No troops on the table at the start of the game

2^nd Russian corps will arrive on the right at the start of move 1

5^th French corps will arrive on the left at the start of move 1

End of move 4

Both corps have entered the able and are starting to deploy

 

The French infantry have sent two brigades to take the town

The leading brigade is just entering the town

They have reached the town first because of their order of march

Cavalry led, then one infantry brigade, then artillery

 

The Russians have also sent two brigades to take the town

Their artillery have already deployed, again because of the order of march

Cavalry led, then artillery ten infantry

The guns have deployed to fire on the town when the French infantry enter

End of move 8

Both commanders have sent two brigades into the town

The leading brigades will fight for the town

The second brigade will form a reserve

If necessary they can replace the leading brigade.

 

When they reach the edge of their town section they skirmish

Neither side suffer any casualties

The French brigade is ordered to melee the Russian brigade

They lose the melee and rout back into their reserve brigade

The reserve lose their morale and also rout

 

As they retreat the Russian artillery fire on them

The reserve brigade suffers 10% casualties

They are already in rout, and continue to do so

 

Summary

With half of his infantry in rout the French cannot continue to attack

The corps commander orders them to retreat

 

The French have lost 3 infantry casualties (1200 men)

The Russians have lost 1 infantry casualty (400 men)

14 March 1813 – Central Germany - Day 1

 

Both commanders want to gain intelligence about the enemy before they commit to battle.   To do so both send cavalry patrols into the disputed ground between them.

 

In the north this develops into a battle at Wiessensee

 

The battle opens with a skirmish for the town, which develops into a full attack

Both commanders send in a second brigade to support the fight

The French charge the Russians, but lose the melee and rout into their reserve

The reserve brigade fail their morale test and also rout

As they retreat they come under fire from the Russian artillery

They suffer a further 10% casualties and continue to rout

 

With the loss of two infantry brigades the French cannot continue to attack

They break contact and retreat

14 March 1813 – Central Germany – Erfurt Campaign

Europe 1813 Campaign Areas

There are five campaign areas in Europe

Three in Germany

Two in Spain

This is the 37^th campaign phase of the solo version of the 1813 campaign

Regions of Germany

This campaign phase is set in the Erfurt Region of central Germany.

 

Napoleon suffered a major defeat in the 1812 Russian campaign.

His battered army was retreated to Germany, pursued by the Russians

The Russians halted in the Dresden Region at the end of year

 

Napoleon had to create a new army to fight the 1813 campaign

He formed three armies in Germany, as shown on the above map

Marshal Davout was given command of Second French army

His task was to hold and defeat the Russian army

Second French army was formed in the Dusseldorf Region.

 

On 28 February the Russians moved into the Erfurt Region

They occupied the town of Gera.

 

On 30 March Davout also entered the Erfurt Region

He occupied the town of Fulda.

Erfurt Region

This map shows the location of the two armies at midnight on 13 March 1813.

Erfurt district is the location of this campaign

It is in the centre of the map indicated by the white star

Each square on this map is one days march and one wargame table

Erfurt District

This is the map which will be used during the campaign

It shows towns,villages, roads, rivers and major terrain features

It also shows the location of each depot

This map is used to transfer battles to the wargames table

Each square is a 2x2 foot terrain board on 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

3^rd Reserve corps

 

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

80000 infantry, 5000 cavalry, 150 guns

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

80000 infantry, 5000 cavalry, 150 guns

         

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 – 1^st French Army order of battle

22 - Prussian 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

 

Summary of Southern Spain Campaign

 

Regional areas of Southern Spain

There are three regions in Southern Spain

But unlike Germany, the French do not have a secure rear area

All of Spain is in revolt against the French, who only control the area they occupy

Fifth French army are in Madrid (off map top centre)

This is also their main depot

The Spanish army is in Toledo

Their main depot is in Seville

French Strategy in Spain

King Joseph is the commander in chief of all French troops in Spain.

However he commands no respect from either his army commanders

Both Soult and Suchet are determined to remain independent commanders

Suchet wants to invade southern Spain and become King of Andalusia

Soult wants to defeat Wellington and become King of Portugal

All three agree that Soult will drive Wellington out of Spain

Suchet will invade Andalusia and take Seville

He will then detach two of his four corps to support Soult

Soult will invade Portugal and drive Wellington out of the Peninsula

 

Anglo-Spanish Strategy in Spain

Wellington is the commander in chief of all allied troops in the Peninsula

However all Spanish generals deeply resent this appointment

Giron is determined to take Madrid and become the hero of Spain

 

Wellington is well aware that he cannot rely on his Spanish generals

To defeat the French he must first take Madrid

To do so the Spanish army must hold southern Spain to pin Suchet

Most importantly the Spanish must avoid a comprehensive defeat

This would allow both French armies to concentrate against Wellington

         

Diary of North Spain Campaign

The French Grand Army was destroyed during the 1812 Russian campaign

Napoleon had to create a new army to fight the 1813 campaign

 

1 January 1813 - Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia declared war on France

 

10 January 1813 - The Russian army concentrated in the Dresden region

1 February 1813 - Napoleon ordered the transfer of 50% of the veteran troops in Spain to north Germany.  There they would form the cadres of the newly created Grande Armee of Germany.   These troops would be replaced by an equal number of conscripts to maintain the number of troops serving in Spain.

4 February 1813 - Spanish army in Saville Region

 

20 February 1813 -  Anglo/Portguese army in Oporto Region

 

28 February 1813 - Fourth French army operational in Burgos Region

 

3 March 1813 - Fifth French army operational in Madrid Regi

 

9 March 1813 – Start of Toledo campaign phase

Toledo Campaign – 9 to 13 March 1813

 Suchet won two of the four battles, but lost the two important ones.

 

He won the first two, but needed the third to establish a base for the invasion of Andalusia.   The Spanish victory at Bargas forced 7^th corps to retreat to Madrid.

The failure to take Bargas left just one French corps against four Spanish corps.

 

Suchet was forced to abandon his invasion and concede the victory to Giron.

The campaign started on 14 August 2020 and ended on 31 August 2020

 

This unusual result was largely due to my setting up the initial deployments wrong.   I should have started the campaign with the French in the three northern towns.   The campaign would then have been fought for the three centre towns.  This would allow both armies space to retreat, rally and regroup if necessary

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

50 - Introduction to the campaign in Southern Spain

51 - 5^th French Army order of battle

52 - Spanish Army order of battle

53 - Daily diary for the campaign in Southern Spain

54 - Battle reports of all battles fought in Southern Spain

55 - Summary of campaign in Southern Spain

 

13 March 1813 – Southern Spain – End of Toledo Campaign

Battles fought during campaign phase

Suchet won two of the four battles, but lost the two important ones.

 

He won the first two, but needed the third to establish a base for the invasion of Andalusia.   The Spanish victory at Bargas forced 7^th corps to retreat to Madrid.

The failure to take Bargas left just one French corps against four Spanish corps.

 

Suchet was forced to abandon his invasion and concede the victory to Giron.

 

The campaign started on 14 August 2020 and ended on 31 August 2020

 

This unusual result was largely due to my setting up the initial deployments wrong.   I should have started the campaign with the French in the three northern towns.   The campaign would then have been fought for the three centre towns.  This would allow both armies space to retreat, rally and regroup if necessary

 

 

Toledo Region

Suchet orders his army to retreat to Madrid.

 

Giron occupied the same position as at the start of the campaign.

The Spanish win the campaign Phase 

13 March 1813 – South Spain - Day 5

 

The failure of 15^th Vistula corps to take Albareal has made it impossible for Suchet to continue his invasion of Andalusia.

 

7^th French corps have already retreated to Madrid, and it will take two more days for them to rally, reorganise and become operational again.

 

15^th corps also requires time to rally and recover.  If they try to do so at Torrijos they are in danger of being attacked by 1^st Spanish corps.

 

That leaves just 16^th Italian corps to face four Spanish corps

 

Rather than risk the loss of his whole army, Suchet orders 15^th and 16^th corps to retreat to Madrid.

 

Two of the four Spanish corps are now out of supply, and will lose attrition casualties until they resupply.   Therefore Giron is in no condition to pursue the French until he can reorganise his army.

 

 

 

12 March 1813 – Battle of Albareal

Tactical map of battle area

Having lost the battle of Bargas, Suchet has two options

He can halt and fight a defensive campaign

Or he can continue to attack and increase the pressure on Giron

He orders 15^th Vistula to pursue and destroy 3^rd Spanish at Albareal

Unknown to him, Giron has ordered 1^st Spanish to move to Albareal

They will arrive at the start of move 9

1 guerrilla is resting in the inn

4 militia is garrison of Albareal

 

15^th Vistula – 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 corps artillery

1^st Spanish – 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 1 corps artillery

3^rd Spanish -  2 infantry brigades, corps artillery

4 militia       -  1 infantry brigade

1 guerrilla   -  1 infantry brigade

Table at start of battle

15^th Vistula arrive centre top at the start of move 1

1^st Spanish arrive centre right at the start of move 9

1 guerrilla can only attack shaken or routed brigades

4 militia cannot move out of Albareal

End of move 4

Vistula infantry advance in the cenre

Artillery on their right open fire and hit Spanish square

Lancers advance within charge move of enemy gunners

 

Spanish infantry pass morale test with 20% casualties

Artillery open fire on enemy gunners, but no casualties

End of move 6

Polish artillery hit Spanish infantry supporting artillery

They fail morale and rout with 20% casualties

Gunners pass morale test for nearby rout

 

Polish lancers charge Spanish gunners

Receive 10% casualties, fail morale and retire shaken

Meanwhile infantry advance towards village

Right hand brigade charge Spanish gunners

Also receive casualties, also fail morale and rout

Nearest Polish infantry fail morale test for nearby rout

Are shaken and must rally to advance

End of move 9

Polish infantry engage in fire fight with last Spanish brigade

Spanish lose 20% and rout.

Spanish gunners test morale for their supports running away

Pass test, but limber and withdraw anyway

 

1^st Spanish corps (top left) arrive on table

They march towards town.

 

15^th Vistula corps cavalry and one infantry brigade in rout

They are too weak to tackle full strength 1^st Spanish corps

They abandon any further advance towards Albareal

 

The Spanish have won the battle.

 

 

Summary

The Vistula have lost 2 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (900 men)

The Spanish have lost 4 infantry casualties (1600 men)