Like buses my games are coming thick and fast at the moment. Next up a rescheduled Napoleonic battle at Martins. The battle of Polotsk, we would be focussing on the Bavarian defence of the Spa/convent, the Russian attack and then the larger French counterattack. The Russians were really looking to delay the French advance and shouldn’t have got engaged but historically the outcome was a bloody nose for both and a draw.
Martin has been painting Bavarians so it was a first chance for them to get on the table.
A search of the internet provides some useful ideas for the battle, but also a very wide range of differing OB’s we went for something reasonably balanced although even then when the French arrive the Russians will be outnumbered. The challenge is for the Russians to defeat the Bavarians quickly and then go on the defensive ?
The convent sitting in the centre which for V&F will be a defensible feature, the woods will provide some cover, the stream is difficult terrain. It only slows movement. The two smallish Bavarian brigades on the left. We would be using the free downloadable V&F sheet for these, who actually rate them pretty high !
The Russian columns advance using the woods as cover and deploy their artillery.
The fight for the convent quickly kicks off, even though it is only held by a battalion of light infantry they get the advantage of the defendable terrain and hold on the leading Russian columns are badly mauled.
In fact the leading Russians are driven back from the convent
On the Bavarian right the Russians are coming under heavy volley fire, whilst light infantry contest the woods
On the left the Bavarians are threatened by Russian Cossacks so are forced into square at the edge of the woods. The Bavarians are holding but only just.
Just as they are about to break the drums are heard as the French arrive from the south.
To counter the Russian reserve cavalry arriving the French bring on their cavalry !
The Bavarians are pretty much out of it now, the Russians have finally made it into the convent and a Russian reserve brigade can be seen advancing from the rear. But the French have the numbers
The Russians are thrown back on the right but the French advance is constricted by the stream
On the left of the convent the French initially fail to seize the moment and spend two turns redeploying in the woods, but then they charge forward in column to drive the Russians back.
The Russians are not giving up though and contest the convent to the end
The fresh french infantry has the advantage though and they are able to retake the convent, and drive back the remaining Russians. Time for Wittgenstein to withdraw…… somehow I missed taking any other photos of the cavalry battle. Not completely decisive but the cuirassiers eventually chased off the Cossacks, whilst the Russians dragoons sent my French hussars and chasseurs fleeing the field 🙁 honour even on the cavalry front I guess ?
A splendid set to, wargaming at its best. We might revisit this some time but give the Russians more time to finish off the Bavarians ?
On the painting front I have been painting up the WW1 warships, these were mainly picked up secondhand for a bit of fun to try them out, I have rebased them and at this scale it is a pretty simple paint job.
Finally with some improving health and a sunny day I got out in the hills not too far but the views were spectacular.
That’s it for now as George is arriving in a bit for an ECW battle down in the dungeon 👍
Thanks as always
Matt ❤️
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