1813 Die Schlacht am Kölsch-Berg

Last week Thursday we decided to play 28mm Napoleonics using BlackPowder 2. Bill brought his wonderful Prussians for him, me and Peter to play, while Angus, Bart and Alisdair and Campbell shared the French Bonapartistes. I guess the scenario was from Angus, as all the commands and important and unimportant terrain was named after some wine (in the French case) or beer in the Prussian case.

The Prussians were to hold the two villages and one hill for 12 turns and would win, or so were victory conditions, on which I will come back later. The French would come from three different roads/entry points in march column into the field with more and better troops. And the Prussians would dice for possible re-inforcements.

For starters, the French came/zoomed in, already in attack column and consequently were in no time battle ready in front of the Prussians guns. I know a despicable oversight which was down played by the French players "stante pede". They concentrated all their might on my village so it seemed.

The overall battle din was then simulated with a lot of shouting and arguing (sometimes over the foggy knowledge of the said new rules, which then had to be clarified very often by Bill - who had only imported orange juice to support his strained voice) the actual beverages of the others only accelerating the issue(s).

The Prussians defended the objectives gallantly and at the 8th turn all of them were at least with some tattered units contested when we had to close the battle due to time. Which led some of the post-revolutionary Bonapartists immediately declare victory for their side. 

I think I made my case clear, dear High Court of Wargaming Table Top Integrity, that this and was not the case. The conditions were not met and future, hypothetical, game turns can not and will not at the end of the battle, have any influence on the part fulfillment of the victory conditions! (sound of audience shouting and roaring and applauding)

Still Bill declared it a draw. 

So in which case, I will declare, this a fine example of a typical SESWC Napoleonic 28mm Battle, including all the rule infringements and health and safety risks - a nice evening indeed!

My brigade of Line, guns and Landwehr occupying the village 

The Fusiliers and the Jäger

Peters lot on the other village

Hiding behind Built up areas

The first French men are arriving in the woods

Some Prussian Reserve (line and guns) are appearing behind the Kölsch-Berg

The approaching Frenchies get a blast

... but more Frenchies arrive...

... in fact in about a turn the whole table was full of them ...

Thats me fighting "was das zeug hält" ...

After some initial success the French -Wurtembergische Reiterei came threatening my flank 

and meanwhile a lot of gun and musket fights

the smoke is rising the battle gets intense

The French trying to dictate the scene

Slowly my troops are melting away

But also the traitors on the German people (the Wurtemberger) are getting light

the village fought to the teeth

meanwhile Peter get hell as well ...

but also the French ...

The last attack on Kölsch-Berg

house by house is falling into French hands

... but the last one was still in our hands