AAR - Blucher at Table Top Generals(Battle of Dennewitz - a LSHM Event)

Submitted by A. Spencer

It was September, 1813. Napoleon has one last chance to capture Berlin. The Prussians have been waylaid by rumors of a French column elsewhere. They have turned to their Russian allies to try and stymie the French advance on their capital.

On June 30, 2019, I ran a Lone Star Historical Miniatures (LSHM) supported event down at San Antonio’s Table Top Generals game store. The participation/demo game was a “semi-historical” battle as the battlefield was historical, as were the army lists – but not for this particular battle.

James Stiers took the role of commanding the French, while I took the Russians. Fortunately James wasnot a novice to napoleonic gaming, and quickly grasped the battlefield situation. The sleepy village of Dennewitz was to not be sleepy very long.

Dennewitz battlefield

For the Blucher aficionados, the army lists were about 300 points each, using the Late French list.

[Insert Objectives Map -Map1]

The French needed to capture and hold both Dennewitz and the crossroads to the north, while the Russians only had to capture one of them. The French had Marshal Ney’s III Corps deployed first around the village of Dennewitz. Then the Russian I Corps deployed to the north of the crossroads.

The Russian reinforcements were to arrive near the small town of Wieser Gohlsdorf (seen below). It would be near here the French 7th and 8th Hussars would make their names.

Early Action

The Russians, knowing they had to keep the French from moving north, moved most of their I Corps under General Berg toward the woods and the crossroad junction. The Cossack polk brigaded with them decided to stay “undiscovered” for the entire game awaiting developments.

The French infantry under Ney’s III Corps moved toward the same crossroad to clear it of the approaching Russians.

Fight at the crossroads, Russians bottom, French top

Meanwhile to the east, the Russians started appearing in mass near the villages of Wieser Gohlsdorf and Wohmdorf. Ney, seeing the dust from the Russian reinforcements, sent the 7th and 8th Hussars to seewhat was up.

The Russian CinC, Barclay de Tolly, arrived on the battlefield with the Russian reinforcements.

Seeing the lone brigade of French Hussars blocking the direct path to Dennewitz, he ordered the II and III Infantry corps to clear them away (unfortunately not telling them how critical it was to make it snappy).

A brief interview of German villagers arriving with information on the French, let Barclay know the major French forces he was expecting were not yet on the battlefield. So Barclay sent orders to the II Cavalry Corps to go and blockade the road.

HOWEVER – Barclay’s Russian was not as good as he thought, and instead of the II Cavalry Corps

French 7th and 8th Hussars hold up 3 Russians corps

heading to head off the French, the order was delivered to the IV Infantry Corps under General Markov to go and head the French off south of the village of Dennewitz (my mistake so opps!)

Russian General Markov was ecstatic to receive such an order – hoping to secure a future Field Marshal promotion from the Tsar, and marched off smartly with his corps and the attached converged dragoon brigade in support.

When he finally got to the hills south and east of Dennewitz, and saw the number of the French reinforcements arriving, he was a little more apprehensive of this “opportunity to excel”.

Russian IV Corps feeling a bit lonely facing all those French alone.

Napoleon finally arrived on the table to find his commanders moving cautiously as they had no idea of the full nature of the Russian strength. He continued to bring on corps, divisions and brigades to deployto face the Russian IV Corps. However, no matter of encouragement by the Emperor made the room available south of Dennewitz any more open. Thus, not all the French reinforcements could advance upon the table due to the presence of Markov’s IV Corps.

Meanwhile setting up his headquarters near Wohmsdorf, Russian Field Marshal Barclay de Tolly, quickly recognized the erroneous orders sent to IV Corps, and followed up with orders to the II CavalryCorps to move in support of IV Corps left flank. This would allow them to threaten both Dennewitz, Ney’s rear, and support IV Corps.

In the center, the French 7th and 8th Hussars, seeing the Russian infantry advancing, decided to “give it ago” and charged the Russian infantry of II Corps. They inflicted some slight wounds and quickly retreated to where they had come from. Apparently these Russian were of sterner stuff than the typical Prussian Landwehr they had been facing.

Barclay ordered the II and III infantry corps to attack the French hussars holding up the center. Unfortunately, these corps had been “infected” by the thought that the musket could do the job, and spent well over an hour trying to shoot the phantom-like hussars from their saddles – to no avail.

Meanwhile, to the north, the French and Russians closed on each other in the woods at the crossroads north of Dennewitz. The French conscripts made a brave showing, but were pushed back by the 1812 Russian veterans of the I Corps and chased from the woods. The Russians grabbed and held the objective, preventing further northward movement to Berlin.

Russians capture the crossroads

After over 4 hours (12 turns), the Russian CinC had had enough, and ordered II Infantry Corps to assault the 7th and 8th Hussars blocking the main Russian thrust. The French hussars died gloriously fortheir Emperor, holding up 3 Russian corps for well over half the battle.

South of Dennewitz was becoming a very bloody affair. Russian light cavalry charged the French conscripts, only to be repulsed. The French in turn charged the Russian infantry, to receive the same outcome. Artillery on both sides was being consolidated to fire on their foes, but it was negligible.

French hussars finally driven off, freeing 2 Russian corps.

Even the release of the Russian reserve cavalry under Grand Duke Constantine was not able to make a significant change to the situation.

Eventually, the Emperor Napoleon was able to climb the steeple at the church in Dennewitz. From this vantage point, he could see the road north to Berlin blocked, and his reserves nullified.

Napoleon recalled Ney and withdrew south … toward Leipzig.

Aftermath

It was a great game with James playing admirably the French with rules he was just learning. We had some other watching on and commenting on the game and gameplay. So all in all a great time.

Thanks again to James Stier for gaming with me this day.

Vive L’Emperor and Fight on – the Tsar is watching!

Road north to Berlin