Blucher Waterloo AAR - TSOG Does Napoleon’s Last Battle!

With the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo last Thursday TSOG decided to ‘do’ Waterloo. We would to play our game with 6mm figures on 40mm x 20mm bases representing Brigades using Blucher Rules on an 1800mm x 1000mm playing field. I researched several existing Blucher Waterloo scenarios while creating ours taking bits from each and creating a few of my own 'special historical' rules. So, with around 1500 little soldiers and terrain set up we entered the fray!

Dave was to Command the Allied Army, George the Prussians and Marcus and I took up the cudgels to play the French Army of the North. We aimed to start at 11:30am but the first MO dice were cast in the ‘original’ Dice Shako at 11:45am!

The Initial Deployment (Historic)...

The Allies...

The French...

The Plans!

The French plan was to run the II Infantry Corps and III Cavalry Corps around and deep into the Allied Army’s right flank, if this turned out to be successful the thrust would be reinforced, if not the main axis of attack would swing to the Allied left.

The Allied Army's plan was to hold the Mont Saint Jean Ridge to the last man!

The Prussian plan of attack was something to do with Black Flags and destroying the French Army while advancing on a wide front.

The AAR

The opening moves saw the French following their plan to the letter. The II Infantry Corps and III Cavalry Corps advanced past Hougomont leaving a Brigade to mask it and then around the Allied Army’s right flank.

French on the move...

Wellington beside the Brussels road calming watching the battle unfold...

The French quickly flanked the ridge avoiding the Dutch/Belgian garrison at Braine L’Alleud...

The advance proceeded well and drew first the Brunswickers and then some the Allied Cavalry Reserve to it while it gained ground and inflicted losses...

At this point the Allies in a very bold move advanced cavalry to strike the French I Infantry Corps...the sheer impudence Napoleon thought, he dispatched the cavalry of Subervie and Domon with artillery support to stop the threat.

Vivians and Vandeleurs Horsemen advance, Mont Saint Jean Ridge and Papelotte/LaHaye are in the background and Frischemont is in the foreground...

Following up this Allied cavalry attack the men of Bijlandt’s Brigade fearlessly advanced on the French Grand Battery and drew intensive fire, many a brave soul paid for this reckless advance, it was suspected the Prince of Orange ordered the move. But it did make the French burn precious artillery ammunition! The battle was unfolding in a very interesting way!

General Drouot and the Grand Battery watch in admiration the men of Bijlandt's Brigade advance then they blasted them into history!

Napoleon near his headquarters at La Belle-Alliance directing the Army of the North...

The appearance of Prussians to the east of the battlefield led the French to deploy Milhaud’s VI Cavalry Corps toward Frischemont. No infantry was to be spared and they horsemen with Subervie and Domon troopers were ordered to delay the Prussians for as long as possible!

French Heavy Cavalry engage Von Bulow's Prussians (foreground) near Frischemont. They charged and were counter charged by enthusiastic Landwehr, no quarter was given by either side and despite heavy losses the Prussians wore down the French!

Meanwhile the French right hook with the personal intervention f Napoleon made further inroads into the Allied right flank bending it back behind Hugomont and the defenders on the ridge who were now hotly engaged. The French VI Infantry Corps 19th and 20th Divisions moved to support the right hook and D’Erlons I Infantry Corps advanced on the Allied left. Wellington moved his remaining reserve cavalry up to support General Picton’s brave Infantry.

Overall view of the battlefield at this juncture, toward the top the Prussians can be seen advancing and in the foreground the battle rages behind the ridge both side units becoming more and more entangled...

The French VI Infantry Corps advancing to assist the attack on the Allied Army's right... 

D'Erlons Corps advances majestically toward the Mont Saint Jean Ridge! Jacquinot's Cavalry can be seen cresting the slope already!

While the battle around Wellington’s position heating up a series of French Cavalry charges and Prussian counter attacks occurred around Frischemont.

After the first Prussian wave retreats before Milhaud's Cavalry the second wave under the direct leadership of Blucher prepares to advance...

The Prussian II Corps advances behind Von Bulow's troops, Frischemont is in the top left of the picture...

The Brunswickers and Hill’s Corps fought well against French but were relentlessly pushed back both sides taking losses, it was at the height of these actions with the British Household Cavalry leading a counter charge that the heroic French General Kellermann fell leading his gallant Cuirassiers!

General Kellermann (square base in the lower left) can be seen just before joining Guiton's Brigade and engaging in a fateful action with the British Household Cavalry...

Pressure was mounting on Wellington with D’Erlons men of the I Infantry Corps cresting the Mont Saint Jean Ridge and taking the vital farmhouse of La Haye Saint! A furious charge by the Scots Greys near the farmhouse was repulsed by French Infantry with the support of the Grand Battery.

The Scots Greys about to charge down the front slope of the ridge to tackle Bourgeois's Infantry Brigade, they were wiped out but took many a 'Frenchie' with them!

La Haye Saint falls into French hands...

From the east as the battle raged hordes of Prussians moved forward but were slowed by the French horseman deployed against them albeit at a great cost. So far though no French Infantry had been diverted to this theatre and the whole of the French Imperial Guard was a menacing threat as it remained in a compact reserve.

The shadows were growing longer as confused fighting continued along the Mont Saint Jean ridge line. Many French we’re across the crest and a series of confused charges and firefights ensued. At this point the units from Prussian II Corps came into action against D’Erlons 4th Infantry Division on the extreme left of the French line.

 The French attack on the Mont Saint Jean Ridge can be seen top right of this picture of the Prussian IV Corps in prepared positions facing the French IV Cavalry Corps...

Hugomont was now isolated as the Allied right drew back under fresh attacks from the French VI Infantry Corps. Wellington’s casualties were growing at an alarming rate many Brigades were out of the fight and several more units rendered hors de combat and reduced to a mere cadre were withdrawn from the front. For Napoleon with less than half an hour of daylight remaining there still remained a tantalising chance of victory!

Wellington's last stand, his left flank is in complete disarray and here he is commanding the last six active Allied Brigades from the I and II Corps. French from the I and VI Infantry Corps can be seen dominating the high ground.

Also a bit of a close up of my Dice Shako!

The Guard Infantry remained in reserve while the Guard Horse were deployed to face the Prussians as Milhaud’s horsemen were now totally spent!

Von Bulow's IV Corps finally cleared the French screening cavalry and advance on Plancenoit while the Imperial Guard Cavalry move to meet them...

In virtual darkness the men of the French I, II and VI Corps were urged forward for a final time by their Officers in an effort to break the Allied Army around the ridge but their efforts even through pressing Wellington’s Army to the limit and creating holes in the line were unsuccessful!

The battlefield as night fell the depleted armies positions can be made out, viewed from the west it can be seen the Allied army has been driven from the ridge. The remaining organised Brigades can be made out being pressed back by the French VI Infantry Corps. The Hugomont garrison is isolated. The 3rd Netherlands Division is in the lower left of the picture and the French Imperial Guard can be seen still in reserve behind La Belle-Alliance...

From the east the view of the Mont Saint Jean Ridge shows it has been cleared but Prussians can be seen approaching in force. The Allied garrison of Papelotte/La Haye is still in position... 

Nightfall ended the 'battle of battles'!

The Outcome…

It was a big afternoon for all of us. But how did this engrossing game turn out?

The result a very close-run thing haha, tactically a draw I think, strategically an Allied victory depending what happened on the next day! At the close of play let’s see how the armies were positioned. The Allies had taken heavy losses, had lost control of the Mont Saint Jean Ridge and the Hugomont Garrison was negotiating their surrender while the Prussians even though they had driven in the French right flank had not broken through their lines and had only drawn off a small number of French units. The French at the end of the day commanded a central position the entire Guard Corps intact, the infantry of the VI Corps was still fresh and of course in the morning Grouchy’s men would be available having defeated Thielmann’s Prussians at Wavre...

The Casualties...

The Allies 10 units lost and 7 retired, with a Break level of 11!

The Prussians 1 unit lost and 1 retired, with a Break level of 11.

The French 9 units lost and 6 retired, with a Break level of 19.

After our debrief the consensus was we’ll be spending another weekend afternoon playing this scenario again!