The Battle of Tortosa - May 2008

Campaign Background

This wargame is part of a campaign based in 1813.

The Spanish are marching north along the eastern coast towards Tarragona. As they reach Tortosa they encounter the French.


Wargame

The wargame was fought in May 2008, using 15mm figures

Top of photo leads to Tarragona
Bottom of photo leads to Valancia
Right of photo leads to port of Tortosa
Left of photo leads to Teruel

French (Paul) on right
Spanish (Jan) on left

Photo 1- Spanish attack

The Spanish have crossed the river and are approaching Tortosa (on cross roads). However the French have beaten them to it and are entering the town (note some buildings have been removed to measure French movement through Tortosa)

The French are advancing on both sides of the river.

At the top of the photograph the Spanish on the hill have not been spotted and are still on blinds.

Photo 2 - Spanish right

The Spanish in front of Tortosa have been routed and are trying to escape over the bridge. The French are moving through the town in pursuit.

Photo 3 - Spanish right

The French have crossed the river and are swinging to their right to cut off the Spanish retreat. At the top of the photo one Spanish brigade is holding the village in the bend of the river.

Photo 4 - Spanish left

The main Spanish attack in on their left. They have driven the French back, but failed to break them. They are not yet aware that their right has been broken and is in retreat, and that the French are moving to drive them away from the Valencia road, their line of retreat.

Photo 5 - French counter attack

Although the Spanish have captured the village at the top of the photo, the French are preventing any further advance.

Meanwhile the remaining Spanish in the centre have been driven back to the village in the bend of the river and are about to surrender.

The French have cut the Spanish line of retreat and are moving up the river to surround them.

Campaign Result

The Spanish are decisively beaten and Tortosa and suffer heavy casualties. They are unable to retreat towards Valencia and are forced back into the mountains north of the coast. This is the end of the Spanish effort on the east coast.

The Battle of Landshut - May 2008

The Austrian army are advancing down the Danube valley towards Munich.

The Bavarian army are marching to Landshut where they intend to hold them

Photo 1

Landshut is the four building stand at the cross roads on the left of the photo.

The top road leads to Linz

The bottom road leads to Munich

The left road leads to Ratisbon

The right road leads to Salzburg

The Bavarians (Jan) are defending on the left

The Austrians (Paul) are attacking from the right

Both armies enter their side of the table on move one

The river is fordable to infantry and cavalry, but artillery must use a bridge

Photo 2

The 1^st Austrian Korps have crossed the river Danube and are advancing against the Bavarian right flank, which is anchored on the schloss. Cavalry have forced the supporting infantry into square, and the jagers are about to storm the schloss.

Photo 3

The Austrians have captured the schloss and routed the garrison. They are about to swing right and roll up the whole Bavarian position.

Photo 4

The 2^nd Austrian Korps approach the Bavarian centre, but it is too strongly held for them to attempt to storm the bridge. On the far left the 1^st Korps, who stormed the schloss, are starting to swing right, which will allow 2^nd Korps to take the bridge and push on to Landshut.

Photo 5

The Bavarian centre is under pressure from 1^st Austrian Korps who are approaching from the left. 2^nd Austrian Korps, top of photo, are waiting for their opportunity to storm the bridge.

Photo 6

The Bavarians are attacking on their left. One corps has advanced to the left ofthe river and is approaching the lightly held farm. A second corps is crossing the river in support. 3rd Austrian Korps has deployed well back from the river in a defensive postion to hold their right flank while their main attack is delivered on the opposite flank

Photo 7

The Austrians in the farmhouse are about to be overrun. But they have done their job in delaying the main Bavarian attack. By the time they are established over the river, the Austrians will have taken Landshut and the Bavarians will have to retreat.

Battle of Celle - May 2008

Celle is the town in the middle at the cross roads. The centre road leads to Luneburg at the top of the photo and Brunswick at the bottom. The road left leads to Burgdorf and right to Bergen. Jan commands the Prussians who must hold Celle. Paul commands the French who are attacking from right to left.

This wargame was fought in April 2008. It was another of the 1813 campaign games. Each game was designed to be played in one day. If it was a club game it always finished the same day, though sometimes it would have to be stopped early and winner agreed.

When we played this game we were introducing new rules, so Jan and I played it on our own so that we could just stop and restart if we found one rule was not working.

The campaign background is that the Prussians are retreating to Burgdorf, and have left a rear guard at Celle to delay the French. The French must take the town without delay, or they will lose their touch with the retreating Prussian army.

Table Right. The Prussians have lost the combat on their right flank and are in retreat.

Table Centre. The Prussians have been driven out of Celle and are retreating .

Table Left. The Prussian are holding their left flank, but are under French attack

Table Right. The French have pushed their artillery forward to break the Prussians.

Table Centre. The French have taken Celle and are in pursuit of the retreating Prussians.

Table Left. The Prussians are holding the village, but only just. All out French attack.


Result

The French won, and the Prussian retreat continued.

Battle of Hannover - April 2008

This photo was taken during the early part of the game. Hannover is at the cross roads in the centre. The centre road leads to Magdeburg at the top and Hamburg at the bottom. Road to left leads to Osnabruck, one on the right to Erfurt. Jan commands the French on the left, and Paul the Prussians on the right.

This wargame was fought in April 2008. It was another of the 1813 campaign games. Each game was designed to be played in one day. If it was a club game it always finished the same day, though sometimes it would have to be stopped early and winner agreed.

This particular game was played between Jan and I, so there was no pressure to finish in one day. Indeed we would often have only two or three moves one morning or afternoon, and it could then last for many days.

The campaign background is that the French must hold Hannover to defend the northern approach to France and keep communications with Napoleon. Both French and Prussians are force marching to reach the city first. One French division arrives the night before the battle and starts the game in possession of the city.

French Centre. The French hold half of Hannover, and the Prussians the other half. Both are determined to hold their own and if possible take the other. The French CinC is just arriving to change the orders from Hold to Attack.

Prussian Centre. Blucher is leading the Prussian attack on Hannover. His presence would indicate that this is the critical attack of the game.

Prussian Left. Prussian infantry hold the hill, cavalry the open ground in front. This is a holding action to protect the main attack on Hannover, which is right of photograph.

French Right. The French hold the farm and are content to keep the Prussians at bay.

French Right. The French move through the woods and approach the T junction.

Prussian Right. The Prussians hold the farm which dominates the T junction. They are moving up to prevent any further French advance.

Battle of Gotha - February 2008

This game was fought on 28 February 2008 as part of a campaign set in Germany in 1813.

The French are advancing towards Halle and the Russians moving to block them.

Gotha is in the centre of the table. The French enter from the bottom of the photograph along the Kassel to Halle road. The Russians enter from the top edge.

The French are holding with their left flank on the hill. The Russians appear happy to sit and observe on the opposite hill.

The main French attack is in the centre atainst Gotha. Cuirassiers support on the left and hussars on the right.

The main Russian attack is on the French right. They have already broken a Saxon division and French hopes are firmly on the shoulders of the reserve division behind the hill.

The result was a convincing Russian victory.