Guest Blogger: Battle of Lützen 2nd May 1813

Since becoming part of the “blogosphere” we have become acquainted with numerous wargaming e-friends. It’s marvellous to see the figures that other people have painted, the games that they have played and to receive kind comments about our own “offerings”.

Today I am going to take this a step further and introduce a guest blogger to the ANF blog. Welcome Phil, who hails from another York; the original actually, in the UK.

Like us, Phil wargames principally in 20 mm using 1/72nd plastic figures. Also, like us (and numerous others), he has focussed (and is focussing) on the battles of the Napoleonic bicentennial years for many of his recent wargames. I have been corresponding with Phil following a post of his on the Hat forum. In the course of discussions he told me that he’d been doing bicentennial games, solo, and sent me some photos of his games. Not having a blog of his own I suggested that he might like to post them on ours and he kindly agreed.

Over to you Phil!

I set-up my game of Lützen on a 5’ x 8’ (ish – I lose a bit under the chimney breast) table. I recreated the battle using Volley & Bayonet rules so there is no specific scale but a Brigade in my version is represented by 2 stands of 8 figures (3 for cavalry). The army lists came from the Volley and Bayonet Website but were cross-referenced with Hofschröer’s from his Osprey book on Lützen and Bautzen. I use my own adaptation of Volley and Bayonet rules for my solo Napoleonic wargaming.

The battle is still under way with only two turns actually played so far as play was interrupted by a domestic crisis and has not been able to resume owing to the unusually hot (for North Yorkshire) summer weather making the loft space unusable.

So far Souham’s cavalry have been driven off and Blucher has launched an all out assault on Gross Görschen but has been unable to take the town.

Here are a few photos from the game to date.

Situation at the beginning of the battle. Souham’s division around Gross Görschen in the centre of picture, Blücher’s Prussians on and around Monarch’s Hill to the right, Girard’s division and Dolff’s Prussian cavalry in the foreground.

Souham’s cavalry (Laboissière), 10th Hussars, Baden dragoons and Württemberg chevau-légers, near Gross Görschen

Troops from Blücher’s Prussian I Corps descend from Monarch’s Hill to attack Souham’s isolated troops.

Another view of the same.

von Pirch I’s Upper Silesian brigade and von Klüx’s Lower Silesian brigade attack Souham’s men around Gross Görschen

Close-up of some of Souham’s troops

The Hessian Lieb Regiment of Marchand’s division of III Corps

Badly needed reinforcements, Régiment d’Artillerie de la Marine (RAMa) of Marmont’s corps

Close-up of the same.

Eugène of Württemberg’s Russians advance in support of the Prussians

Close-up of the Russians

von Röder’s Prussian guard

Laboissière’s cavalry suffer a disorder result (note yellow flag),

... and retreat.

Gallitzen V’s Russian cuirassiers and guard cavalry move up in support

In close-up.

Well done on staging such a great looking game Phil and thanks again for allowing me to post the photos and report of the game thus far on this blog.

We look forward to seeing more photos from the remainder of the game in due course!