Bar-sur-Aube 1814. Game at NBHW.

Not long after my first game of Carnage & Glory came my chance of a second, this time using 15mm figures, again from other members collections.

The scenario this time was the Battle of Bar-sur-Aube in January 1814 between the French Imperial Guard on one side and Austrian and Württemberger corps on the other. The French were holding strong defensive positions which the allies needed to try and force them out of.

There were three players on the french side and four on the allies. I was given command of the Austrian left wing. Being the second outing for these rules there were less "getting to grips with" issues and the game flowed a lot better sooner.

My command advances towards the french positions.

The French players decided on a shorter line of defence than their historical counterparts, with all eighty cannon to the fore deployed in an arc to cover both our possible axis of advance. These French batteries were to prove deadly. My Austrian infantry, together with the left centre of the allied formation, attempted to take the bridges over the river that secured the French right wing.

Allied left wing advances

Vorwärts Männer

Onwards to the guns!

Unfortunately we were badly mauled by the French cannon and our troops morale soon plummeted.

Keep going!

When a few of our senior commanders were struck as they vainly attempted to keep the advance toward the bridges moving, the attack began to stall.

My cavalry on my extreme left had better luck. The French Gendarmes d'élite refused to advance leaving the Guard Chasseurs à Cheval alone to face my troopers.

As it says "Charge!"

The target

A succession of successful charges backed up by horse artillery soon saw them off, before my cavalry recalled to avoid being cut off. However this small success had little effect on the battle as a whole.

Our advance on the right wing was no more successful, the leading cavalry regiments being shot to pieces by the French cannon. Austrian, Wurttemberg and Baden infantry attempted to push on, and attacked a French held hamlet at the end of the French position. The French defenders were finally driven out by the second assault, following a fierce contest.

However with our advance on the left stalled short of the river, and losses growing across the field, we called a halt. What we didn't know was that many of the French batteries were close to exhaustion and were going to be pulled back, but behind them were still eight battalions of French guard in reserve.

Anther great game and run out for these rules and a few more lessons learned which will be applied to their next outing. Also a resurgence in interest in 15/18mm Napleonics could be on the cards at the club!

For a fuller AAR and a lot more photographs including the right wing of the battle see the club's Facebook album here.


Tony.