Game 91 : Gross Beeren 24th August 1813

This is the last of the 3 joint games we played. It is effectively the second day of Gross Beeren. The French have been reinforced by Oudinot and the heavy cavalry form Arrighi. Bernadotte, just himself, has arrived and the Prussians have been reinforced by a Brigade from the battle at Blankenfeld.

Both sides had learnt from the first battle. The French opted to use the skirmishers to swamp Gross Beeren and degrade the garrison prior to an assault. The Prussians had likewise learnt, the front part of Gross Beeren being difficult to hold, so they opted to defend the rear part of Gross Beeren in strength.

The above happened fairly quickly with the initial garrison being ejected.

Klein Beeren saw a similar French tactic. However, the Prussian elected to defend the village itself and had both artillery and cavalry support on its flanks. The French also had cavalry support so escalation was inevitable. 

The action for control of Klein Beeren becomes general. There are attacks and counter- attacks on the village itself and amongst the units, from both sides, on the flank of the village.

At Gross Beeren, the French are now working out how to attack the rear part of the village. If this is secured in French hands, then the whole Prussian position becomes virtually untenable.

The battle at Klein Beeren intensifies. This is really a Divisional battle between the two sides. The French slowly force the Prussians back and gain the ascendency in this sector.

The battle at Gross Beeren favours the French. The attacks are now being organised agains the rear part of the village and the flanks, at the same time.

Over at Neu Beeren, the action is limited by both sides. The village is out of shot at the bottom of the pic but the terrain is dominated by two Russian 12pdr batteries. The artillery battle would be protracted on this flank.

The Prussians manage to check the French advance against Neu Beeren. The French have to re-organise before attempting to renew the assault as the artillery duel continues.

There was a single cavalry on cavalry action in the battle between Gross and Klein Beeren at the height of both assaults. The initial contact was a draw, but French reinforcements were available to throw in and this tipped the balance in the battle.

 The French have now began the assault on Neu Beeren for a second time. At this point, the battle was called as the French either controlled, or were about to control, all the villages. 

French Formations	Losses %			Prussian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
OUDINOT				BERNADOTTE
Bertrand			0	Bulow
Fontanelli	0	-	0	Hesse-Homburg	14	14	25
Morand	0	-	0	Thumen	1	0	31
Franquemont	0	-	0	Borstell	15	54	47
Briche	-	0	0	Krafft	13	26	47
				Tschaplitz	-	0	0
Reynier			0	Holtzendorf	-	-	22
Le Coq	6	-	19
Von Sahr	1	-	8	Tauenzien
Durutte	3	-	28	Dobschultz	0	0	0
Gablenz	-	8	46	Lindenau	0	33	44
				Wobeser	0	0	0
Oudinot				Hirschfeldt	0	0	0
Pacthod	16	-	5
Guilleminot	0	-	6
Raglovich	2	-	20
Arrighi
Lorge	-	0	0
Fournier	-	16	13
Defrance	-	0	0
GROSS BEEREN II ITALICS: NOT PRESENT				WEATHER 22 turns, 7 fine, 9 light rain, 6 heavy rain

The Prussians suffered heavily. Not only was Prussian training/morale an issue, but the weather seem to favour the French just when they needed it and was against the Prussians when they really needed it.

 Fighting with a Landwehr type army is fraught with problems and finding a balance between ability and what actually happened historically is a fine balancing act. I think we nearly got it right. A great game was had by all.

We had a new French General join this battle, the mug shots are above. The next battle will see us visit the area from lower Saxony into Bohemia and fight the battle of Lobositz, 1st October 1756 SYW, a first for us in this period.

Game 90 : Blankenfeld 23rd August 1813

This battle took place at the same time as Gross Beeren. It was fought between the largely Saxon Corps of Bertrand and the Prussian Landwehr of Tauenzein. The battlefield is very similar to Gross Beeren. The village of Blankenfeld sits astride the road to Berlin and to the west is the village of Diedersdorf. There are no hills to mention, but the approaches to both villages are masked by woods.

This is a very technical battle in that the Prussians, apart from a Regt of Reserve Infantry, are composed of Landwehr. Frontal assaults on villages are not very easy as I found out at Gross Beeren, so the village is initially masked and the Wurttemburgers/French are trying to work the flanks of the village. The Prussians are best trying to defend from the rear as they need to operate as a mass, intricate tactics does not bode well with their abilities! Here the French side is trying to control all sides of the village prior to any assault. 

In the area of Diedersdorf, the French forces will stay in the open and mask the village or they will become stretched and open a gap between themselves and the forces facing Blankenfeld. The Prussians initially hold the same gap with cavalry, something the French side has very little of!! 

On the French right, the ground is open except for fields, so the Wurttemburg cavalry, all of it, deploys to protect the French right. Opposite is a small Landwehr formation of all arms, likewise with a hold posture of their own left flank.

Prussians have been drawn forward in an attempt to hold the rear part of Blankenfeld as the front part has just fallen. It was largely firepower, despite the same rain rules, that dislodged the Prussian garrison.

The Wurttemburgers and French are now advancing against the rear part of Blankenfeld an the Prussians deployed to their front who are attempting to organise a counter-attack.

With growing success in the centre, the French on the left flank launch an attack against Diedersdorf. It has the added affect of denying the Prussians nay reinforcements from their own right flank. Even the cavalry in this sector are being used in an attempt to stop the French advance.

The French are indeed stalled and cease their advance when the Prussian cavalry makes any further gains impossible as the French have no cavalry support. The Prussians decide to attack and the French deploy with a very effective defensive line, the artillery especially doing giving great service.

Blankenfeld has now fallen and the Prussians have retired to a final defensive line. Their position is fragile and is quickly being undone as it forms by French skirmishing and artillery fire. 

Nightfall is now coming to the rescue of the Prussians. The French under Bertrand have forced the Prussians back towards Berlin, but he cannot afford to redirect troops to Gross Beeren for the upcoming second day of that battle. The Prussians will manage to divert a portion of their force to reinforce Bulow and Bernadotte who has just arrived to assume command. 

French Formations	Losses %			Prussian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
OUDINOT				BERNADOTTE
Bertrand			16	Bulow
Fontanelli	9	-	3	Hesse-Homburg	0	0	0
Morand	2	-	0	Thumen	0	0	0
Franquemont	2	-	0	Borstell	0	0	0
Briche	-	8	8	Krafft	0	0	0
				Tschaplitz	-	0	0
Reynier			0	Holtzendorf	-	-	0
Le Coq	0	-	0
Von Sahr	0	-	0	Tauenzien
Durutte	0	-	0	Dobschultz	9	0	6
Gablenz	-	0	0	Lindenau	13	25	0
				Wobeser	7	3	44
Oudinot				Hirschfeldt	16	28	42
Pacthod	0	-	0
Guilleminot	0	-	0
Raglovich	0	-	0
Arrighi
Lorge	-	0	0
Fournier	-	0	0
Defrance	-	0	0
BLANKENFELD ITALICS:NOT PRESENT

The casualty table is above and this battle saw high casualties inflicted on the artillery of both sides.

The sides were the same as the Gross Beeren battle and the scene was now set for the Battle of Gross Beeren II, the second day.