Russian Imperial Guard, 1807

So here we have a bonus. I forgot I had these three battalions of the Semonyevski Guard Regiment for my early ((1805-1808) Russian Napoleonic army. Now, thanks to my current basing activity I have squeezed them in among the various Baden and Wurtemberg troops to get them finished. 

They are wonderful castings from Elite Miniatures, depicted as they are stoically standing to attention under enemy fire. They will of course be incredibly unwieldy on the table but one doesn’t expect clever manoeuvres from Russians; either stand and do not move, or at them with the bayonet! Hurrah! 

With 20+ battalions already I don’t really NEED this regiment but I’d regret it I’m sure as who had a Russian army WITHOUT the Imperial Guard. They will be brigaded with the Guard Jäger Battalion.

The Russian Patriotic War 1812, vols 2 & 3

As a lover of all things Russian in terms of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, I was and indeed am very happy to see the next volume in Peter Phillips’ translation of Modest Ivanovich Bogdanovich’s second volume in the official Russian history of the campaign. Again, the translation by author, historian and linguist Phillips reads as if it did not have its origins in dusty mid-nineteenth century Russian archives.

The narrative starts where volume 1 left off, starting with the period after the battle of Polotsk and takes us through the appointment of Kutuzov as commander in chief, the horrors of the battle of Borodino, the French capture of Moscow and its subsequent burning, and the manoeuvring that led up to the battle of Tarutino in October 1812. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the guerrilla war; not out of place in a more modern setting maybe.

The book benefits from a profuse scattering of original correspondence and reports which always add significantly to the overall narrative, and without which I always feel shortchanged in terms of depth of research. A very personal thing but I always like to put myself in the minds and thoughts of the people who were there, in whatever capacity and/or level of importance they may have held.

The appendices are again very revealing being transcriptions of contemporary reports and orders. There are of course several orders of battle and a number of well detailed maps of the theatres of operations and so forth.

This was an enjoyable book to read and one difficult to put down; I was up till about 03:00hrs finishing it off. As I’ve said earlier both for this volume and the previous one, the translation is seamless, which makes it so, so much easier to follow. I felt drawn in as I would a good novel. I have learnt a fair bit from this book, in terms of detail rather than generic ‘stuff’. For Napoleonic fans this is a must buy book, and if you’ve not bought volume 1 buy that as well. Roll on Volume 3 is all I can say.

ISBN978-1-804514-33-7 Soft covers, 421 pages.

The Russian Patriotic War of 1812 Volume 3: The Russian Official History is the concluding instalment of Major General Modest Ivanovich Bogdanovich's superb trilogy, now available in English as No.142 in Helion’s ‘from Reason to Revolution’ series. The author is meticulous in describing step-by-step, almost one frost-bitten foot after another, the events of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow until the remnants of the Grande Armée were chased from Russian territory, offering a comprehensive Russian perspective on these pivotal moments. 

 

I have previously reviewed the two earlier volumes, also published by Helion, both of which were excellent and certainly met my expectations in terms of the account of this campaign. This third volume is no different.

 

Bogdanovich was a distinguished nineteenth century military historian who had unparalleled access to Russian state archives. His narrative makes helpful references to other European sources, together with extracts from official and private correspondence, which together provide a well-rounded context to the campaign. The inclusion of detailed maps and battle plans certainly helped in my understanding of the strategic manoeuvres and terrain challenges faced during the war. Additionally, this edition features a brief review from sometime secret policeman, duellist, suspected ‘Decembrist’ and Freemason, Major General Ivan Petrovich Liprandi. His insights into contemporary analyses of the events is something I found especially revealing.

 

The highly detailed maps, 13 in total, are taken from original Russian sources, detailing strategic movements and battle plans such as Maloyaroslavets, Vyasma and Krasny. The appendices included detailed orders of battle and the book is finished off with an extensive bibliography. 

 

As with the preceding volumes, the book was expertly translated by Peter Phillips, and readers can be confident in anticipating a scholarly and thorough account of the conclusion to the 1812 campaign. 

 

ISBN: 978-1-804515-44-0   360 pages 13 maps, paperback 

 

The Russian Patriotic War of 1812, or how to be pleasantly overrun with Russian Napoleonic titles!

As the title of this post suggests, and if like me you are interested in all things Russian in terms of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, then you will be overjoyed that Helion are continuing their trend of publishing such titles with volume one of the official Russian history of the 1812 campaign. 

This work, originally published under the intriguing title of ‘The History of the Patriotic War of 1812 According to Reliable Sources Compiled in Accordance with Supreme Orders’ in 1861 has been translated by author, historian and linguist Peter G. A. Phillips. I will say this now as the book needs no other endorsement other than to say it did not read like a translation from the original Russian whatsoever. I think the correct term is ‘sympathetically translated’. 

This hefty book of almost 400 pages is a comprehensive look at the campaign, starting with the build up prior to the commencement of hostilities before launching into the invasion itself. The descriptions of the movements of the armies, and the battles of Smolensk, Lubino, Gorodechno, Klyastisy and finally Polotsk are clear and detailed, scattered throughout with original correspondence and reports which always add significantly to any campaign narrative. 

The appendices are equally comprehensive, many of them being transcriptions of contemporary reports and orders. There are of course numerous useful orders of battle and there are also a good number of well detailed maps of the theatres of operations and of the individual battles.

This was an enjoyable and fascinating read. As I’ve said earlier the translation is seamless (if that’s the right word) which makes it all that much easier to follow.  I certainly know much more about the initial stages of the invasion of Russia than I had previously and am looking forward immensely to the next volume in the series. For Napoleonic fans this is a must buy book.

ISBN978-1-804514-32-0 Soft covers, 386 pages.

 

Back to the Russian Napoleonics

You can never have too many Russians, or at least it seems that way as I carry on with the early Russian collection for 1805-1808.  Barry painted the cavalry and I am in the process of basing them up. I do like my big cavalry regiments. The cavalry are all  Casting Room Miniatures and the jäger are Elite Miniatures.

More cuirassiers 

Dragoons

Guard Jäger Battalion (who may have carried flags unlike their line compatriots).

General d’Armee 2 - First Game. Somewhere in Poland.

 Saturday saw us try out General d’Armee second edition here at the Burrow. It was a fictional encounter but with some tenuous similarities to Pultusk and even Freidland, insofar that the Russians were deployed with an impassable river and only two bridges at their backs. There were lots of them though. 

The Russian objective was to avoid being driven into the river of course, and to capture and hold the crossroads, church and central bridge. The French were tasked with taking the same objectives thus denying them to the Russians and also to drive the Russians into the river. This was only a divisional sized battle, with seven Russian and six French brigades. The Russian commander turned out to be a ‘commissariat’ level general, ie pretty rubbish, but it didn’t seem to have much impact on the game

Mike (CinC) Nigel and Dom led the Czar’s finest on this occasion while Shaun (CinC), John and Nick were the French. Neil offered to umpire so I kept an eye on things at the opposite end of the table to Neil and also ensured we all got fed at lunchtime.

The scenario dictated that the Russians deployed first, which they did,  but they kept three brigades off table in reserve, including all their regular cavalry and their grenadiers. The French also held back a brigade of cuirassiers and their light cavalry. As this game was set in 1807, the French were nearly all classed as veteran. The more numerous Russians (especially in cavalry and artillery) were a mix of grenadiers, line and recruits. Their artillery were all large and classed as veteran to give them a bit of an edge.

I always used to enjoy GdA1 so was looking forward to this game, and I was not alone in wanting to see what changes had been made in this revised version of the rules.

The Russians look on as the French begin their attack.

The French right wing at the start of the battle. The skirmish screen are all resin 3d prints.

The Russian centre and left wing, which were quite lightly held by two brigades, totalling eight battalions or so and two batteries of artillery. As noted earlier they were facing the bulk of the French army. Would they hold?

John’s brigade in the centre as it begins its advance.

Shaun’s French light cavalry brigade, two of its regiments at any rate. The other unit, the 4th Hussars, is out of shot to the left.

Dom’s Russian heavies. They crossed the pontoon bridge and moved on towards the French left. Behind can be seen some Cossacks and horse artillery.

The view from the ‘garden end’ showing how the Russians have turned the French left flank, although the elite jäger battalions on the left didn’t move beyond that point for the entire battle. Don’t know why.

An example of Nigel’s unfortunate dice rolling. This was a shot of canister with his large battery at a French column. Double 1 meant they ran low on ammo (again) and received a fatigue casualty, all again!

My new unit, the 3rd Hussars, under fire from Russian jäger, while in the background is a battalion of the Gardes de Paris.

The Russian cavalry are piling the pressure on the French left. Just visible top right is the French 3rd Hussars who are a very vulnerable and exposed position, with Russian dragoons to their rear. Fortunately for the French the hussars were able to escape the trap by adopting the cunning ruse of failing a discipline test and being forced to retreat.

Cavalry action developing on the French left.

The French 4th Hussars about to defy the odds and drive back the Russian dragoons, more than twice their strength.

The French on the right attack the Russians facing them.

On the Russian left their infantry were under great pressure, especially as there was a river to their rear! This battalion attempted to charge the Tirailleurs du Po. They were not successful.

The French attack in the centre.

….and their attack on the extreme right, which was successful in pushing the Russians back but at the cost of one battalion routed as it attempted to charge the Russian line.

In the centre elements of both armies were closing. Both sides were taking casualties from artillery fire, although the usually effective Russian guns were not performing well on this occasion.

The Russians held back a brigade of infantry and all their regular cavalry. With only a single bridge in the centre and a pontoon bridge on their right this was their only way across the river so it took a while for the reinforcements to arrive where they were needed..

The St Petersburg Grenadiers emerge onto the table as they cross the bridge.

The French light cavalry brigade attacked the Russians before they could cause any mischief in the centre.

Shaun’s outnumbered French light cavalry charged the Russian cuirassiers and held them. They also forced the Russian dragoons to retreat.

Russian grenadiers readying themselves to assault the churchyard.

The Russian’s last chance was to capture the churchyard so Mike launched the St Petersburg Grenadiers into the attack, all three battalions of them.

The St Petersburg Grenadiers managed to drive the French out of the churchyard.

By this time we had played about a dozen turns and the Russians were hanging on, technically winning, but we had to call it a day as night fell.  A minor Russian win was declared.  Of course if everyone had brought all their reserves on who knows what might have happened. If Nigel had thrown better dice, and he could not have thrown worse, the French attack on the Russian left would probably have been repulsed, but……

The game was great fun and I do like the changes that have been made to streamline and/or simplify the rules. They’re easy to grasp, and there were  several players who had never played GdA1 and most of the others had not used them for ages. The rules nicely presented and even the four-sided QRS seemed less troublesome to navigate through.

An excellent day of gaming in excellent company. We are having another smaller game this Friday, which I am looking forward to.

A few Napoleonic Additions.

 Not much been going on this week for various reasons, but I have finished a couple of command stands for the Russians and one for the French. You can never have too many commanders. They always look worse in the photos, so say I at any rate! They will do nicely.

The Relief of Danzig, 15 May 1807

Another smallish battle from the excellent Battles for Empire scenario book is the attempted Russian and Prussian relief of Danzig, then under siege by a small French army under Marshall Lefevbre. In an attempt to raise the siege some 8,000 Russians disembarked on the Baltic coast at Weichselmude, held by a small Prussian garrison, and moved towards the French forces on Holm island, west of the city, and blocking the way to Danzig.  Most of the besieging army were on the other side of the Vistula so reinforcements would take a few hours to arrive meaning the French would be outnumbered for much of the game. Oh, and did I say the Russians had support from a British sloop of war on the river?

Danzig is off to the right. The Baltic is north amd the Vistula runs down the left side. The Vs are the objectives for the Russians, 2, 4 and 3 are the entry points for the French reinforcements. The red stars are the Russian entry points. The open woods restricted movement by one third but otherwise had no effect on the game. The river/canal was only crossable at the bridge.
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Richard and Nigel were the Russians and Prussians, and Neil and Conrad were the French. The French started the game with two brigades of French, Poles and Saxons, totalling no more than seven battalions, one squadron of cavalry and two batteries of 4-pdrs. I classed the French and Poles as veteran and the Saxons as, well, Saxons. The French also had the support of the Vistula Redoubt (on table), the Holm Island Battery (off table) and the 12-pdr coastal battery (also off table). One brigade was deployed in the woods behind some  defensive works while the other remained in reserve to quickly head off any flanking movement by the enemy or provide support to their comrades in the front line. The Russians were limited to bringing onto the table only what would fit in their slightly limiting deployment area. Their plan was to send the Cossacks and two infantry battalions over the dunes to capture the bridge and then to attack the enemy rear. Meanwhile the Russian jäger brigade would advance directly towards the French in the woods, supported by the small attached Prussian brigade, while Nigel and ultimately 10 battalions of Russians marched south to outflank the French in the woods and take control of the objective areas. 

The lonely French brigade in the woods at the start of the battle.

Richard sent his Cossacks and a couple of battalions down the left bank of the river/canal to outflank the French position. Meanwhile the Russian jägers and the first of Nigel’s infantry begin their advance. The redoubt is actually off the table with only a limited range. For some reason the Russians appeared to march round it, even though it was two feet to their rear. I didn’t say anything at the time…..

Richard’s flanking force.

Neil ordered his French to advance which caught them on the back foot a little. The Russians close to the camera threw the first of at least five 1’s when trying to activate his brigade which delayed their advance considerably. They could have been in the French rear by turn 4 but didn’t get there until turn 10!

The French exchange fire with Prussian schutzen.

This brigade was made up of Polish infantry, a squadron of French Chasseurs a cheval and some 4-pdrs.

The Chasseurs charged the Russian jäger battalion and as it was caught in line the infantry were routed. The battered Chasseurs withdrew to lick their wounds and sink a few bottles of cheap vodka.

The Chasseurs had to take four fortitude tests due to the losses in the melee and passed them all!  

Conrad’s Franco/Saxon brigade moved to be in position to head off Nigel’s infantry on the other side of the wood.

Nigels leading brigade.

On Turn 4 the French received some much-needed reinforcements in the form of some Saxons, two battalions of the Garde de Paris (who were involved in the real battle) and a light battalion (with the Tirailleurs Corse) standing in for them on this occasion.

The reinforcements heading off the Russians. Nigel’s second infantry brigade had been sucked into the fighting at the other end of the table so was unable to offer any support. 

The Prussian brigade included a detachment of dragoons who charged the French cavalry and drove them back. The dragoons also retired, job done and threat removed, as being a detachment they were very brittle.

The defenders of the woods were attacked by Nigel’s brigade and Richard’s Prussians. The Russian jäger brigade was down to 50 percent strength so was wisely kept out of the action. The French battalion closest the camera broke, and although the Fortitude test was passed Neil decided it was time to pull his troops back before they were overwhelmed.

The French reinforcements attacked Nigel’s brigade while Conrad’s original command pinned them from the front. 

The Cossacks finally made it to the bridge after a string of 1’s for activation, only to find the now recovered French Chasseurs waiting for them.

The infantry of the outflanking brigade were too far behind to offer any support. However although the leading Cossack sotnia was destroyed by the French, the French became shaken. This was taking place at the same time as the Polish battalion in the woods was routed. The Fortitude test was failed which meant that shaken units within 6” of the enemy had to be removed, so bye bye Chasseurs. 

The pressure is mounting on the Russians attacking the southern end of the woods as they are now outnumbered and out classed.

The Garde de Paris. One regiment wore red faced green and the other green faced red. They look superb I reckon.

An example of Nigel’s unfortunate run of crappy dice rolling.

Nigel’s entire brigade was wiped out.

Neil’s brigade escaped being overwhelmed by a great mass of Russians and Prussians and pulled back to Conrad’s position.

Neil’s retiring survivors of his brigade.

Neil even managed to save his artillery.

The last surviving battalion of Nigel’s brigade about to be put in the box.

Well, that didn’t go as I expected! The Russians were the first to admit that their actually quite well thought out plan didn’t work as they were unable to execute it properly, especially with the second Russian brigade getting sucked into the battle for the northern end of the woods. This involuntary diversion from the plan was a killer in the overall scheme of things. Were it to have moved as planned, this brigade would have avoided the fighting in the north and would, I expect, have tipped the balance against the French at the southern end of the woods. Of course, if the flanking force had not wasted at least five turns failing activation tests they would have forced Neil to pull back sooner, but it was not to be. The Russian plan was a sound one but as with such things it didn’t survive first contact with the enemy. 

We played from around 10:30 until just after 3:00, including lunch, and managed 12 turns out of a total scenario length of 14. It was a resounding and unexpected French victory. Oh, and do I say that the RN sloop was sunk by the French 12-pdr battery off table? Well, it was.

The game was excellent and both sides had to work hard; it’s just that the French were less unfortunate with their dice rolling. The rules remain, in my opinion, rated OK. I think that despite the fact that they were written with big multi-player games in mind they’re perhaps too brutal. IMHO a better set is Black Powder with the house rules I’ve included for several years, e.g. the fire then move sequence, so maybe I will go back to them? And when GdA 2 arrive I look forward to trying them out.

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