Thursday, May 21, 2015

Huzzah Day two Part 3: Quatre Bras

Saturday night I attended Christopher Boynton's Battle of Quartre Bras. He had an impressive selection of miniatures as you can see the British, Hanoverians and French in the center.
and a number of special command cards with various officers such as this one with General Pack.  Playing against type I was with the English and really playing against type I was the Duke of Wellington as well as having General Pack's command
To the left two Brunswick light infantry battalions would play hell with the French advance for a while.
The French advanced on the center left  but bad command rolls kept them form moving as a body.
On the right the Brunswick Division soon found it self under pressure
The center left of our position was under some pressure as well but the flank was my main concern as I directed my fellow players to move the Hanoverian Landwehr to use the woods to cover our flanks.
The Brunswick troops have managed to disengage and gain some space their cavalry has forced the French into squares.
In the center Belgian Cavalry is advancing thought the town not were I would wish them to be but I wasn't asked... Sadly that is as far as they got.
More French are advancing on the left the 95th Rifles has taken casualties and is shaken so I move in with the Duke to rally them
The French in the center have advanced and Kellerman's cuirassiers are moving up with them but on the left disaster strikes the Anglo allied  army.

The 95th rifles attacked by no less than 3 battalions of French Infantry are overwhelmed in hand to hand combat. The Duke of Wellington is caught up in the route and loses control of his horse and is swept from the battle field.
Pack Moves up to support Picton in the center and their combined fire hurts the French badly the Landwehr are also fighting like lions to our suprise.
To our great surprise the Brunswick cavalry throw back part of the French cuirassiers and for a moment it looks like the French flank will be rolled up.
But the french recover and are putting pressure on the Allied right..
and center..
The fight is rolling back and forth.
Keller man break through on the right as well just as the Light infantry battalions on the far left give way to a combined arms assault and the french Cavalry whips around the Allied left flank.  Nay's armies are badly cut up.  Both sides are down 3 brigades but the loss of Wellington is deemed a tie breaker making a minor French victory.

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