Game 66 : The Apple Orchard, Russia 1812

This battle is a "what if" scenario designed by Graham. It is based on the Battle of the Alma during the Crimean War. Graham tells us that "Alma" in Russian, means "Apple", hence the name.

The terrain is taken directly from the battle, so the intrepid readers will be left to explore the books to look at the battlefield. In essence, it is a line of hills, filled with orchards, with a stream to its front. In front of this are two villages. Amongst the Orchards are two steep hills that rise higher than the orchards and the Russians have artillery emplacements on both.

The Russian army has two corps of all arms. One corps starts deployed, one corps arrives as reinforcements. The "French Army" also has two corps, deployed around a single road which goes through the villages, over the stream and orchards, and continues through the hills onto a plateau.

The Russians hope to halt the advance. The French have to force the road.

Attacks are launched, by both sides, into the villages. The importance of control of the villages is easy to see and whoever can achieve this will have a distinct tactical and strategic advantage.

The village combats continue unabated all day. There is attack followed by counter-attack and still the control of both villages hangs in the balance. Eventually, the Russians gain control of the upper village, but the fighting for the lower village remains fierce.

The fighting in the lower village now involves the Russian reserve corps and refitted troops who again launch attacks. Losses mount but the outcome is still unclear.

Both sides have now exhausted themselves on the lower village. The upper village is in Russian control. At this point the game was called. It was a draw, favouring the Russians who performed better than they did historically.

French Formations	Losses %			Russian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
VI Corps Louve	-	-	20	III Corps Avdeeva	-	-	0
Rochie	1(5)	-	13(50)	Zherensky	5(23)	-	0(17)
Dejardin	3	-	38	Peltovok	26	-	23
Dehaut	6	-	0	Soudzal	3	-	17
Majorn	-	0	-	Poltva	-	15	33
				Vukassovich	-	17	0
Wrede	-	-	3
Lefebre	15	-	-	V Corps Alexis	-	-	0
Jankers	47	-	13(22)	Schustekh	6	7	50
Coloier	0	-	6	Reuss	0	-	-
Wollwarth	0(13)	-	3(6)	Kottulinsky	0	-	10
Hus	-	4(35)	0(25)

The casualty table is above. 30% losses equates to a formation being combat ineffective. The brackets indicate losses before the troops went to reserve status to regather strength. This was a battle where formations would retire, refit and then advance to renew combat. This system works very well and encourages the use of reserves at various levels to allow fresh troops to be rotated in the battle line.

Usual reprobates. Graham, the designer, is standing top left. A great little game and there will be more of them in the future.
The next game is back to WWII. It is early war involving the French army for the first time. New challenges for all. Enjoy!