Impromptu Game Saturday Nov 22 20:00 BST

As there doesn't appear to be a campaign game this weekend, I've put together a small scenario featuring everyone's favorite whipping boy, General Borozdin.

The 2-ya Russkaya armiya Zapada under command of General Pyotr Bagration has been slowly falling back before the steady French advance.  Two days ago, the army narrowly escaped from a pincer attack executed by the French right wing.  Moving rapidly, the enemy is intent on halting Bagration's army and forcing it into battle.  General Mikhail Borozdin's 8-y korpus has been given the task of delaying the French advance so Bagration can put as much space between himself and the enemy as possible.

Borozdin while being tenacious is not the most tactically nimble officer in the army.  This is unfortunate as the size of his force is insufficient for the frontage he must hold.  With the enemy advancing on such a broad front, Borozdin cannot adequately deploy his divisions so that they are in easy support of one another.  Should the enemy concentrate along one road it will be quite difficult to contain them.  Bagration is well aware of the problem and had detached two regiments of the guard heavy cavalry as added support.  He expects them back in one piece.

General Borozdin must hold his position and prevent the French from advancing any farther north today.  Cossack patrols report that the French III corps and part of the 5th under overall command of General Ney is no more than 3 miles away to the south and moving rapidly.  They also report that in addition to his corps, a division of heavy cavalry is in support.  The Cossack ataman estimates the enemy strength to be 45,000 men.  Given the Cossack habit of exaggeration this number may be wildly inflated.  Accurate or not, it is apparent that the French mean to break any obstacle in their path in order to run the 2nd Army of the West to ground.

Hold the assigned line until nightfall.  Failure to do so may win you a trip to the Siberian taiga to inventory birch trees.

As usual no player may scout more than 250 yd. ahead of his troops.  The 2nd and 12th divisions have cavalry which can be used for this purpose.

Russian Order of Battle
8-y Korpus : General-Poruchik Mikhail Borozdin I ( 28'515 inf , 3'120 cav , 96 guns )

2-y Diviziya : General-Mayor Karl von Mecklenburg-Schwerin  ( 8'900 inf , 1'880 cav , 24 guns )
Brigada Mesheryakov : Polkovnik Demid Mesheryakov ( 2'480 inf )
Brigada Choglokov : General-Mayor Pavel Choglokov ( 3'220 inf )
Brigada Lyapunov : Polkovnik Dmitry Lyapunov IV  ( 3'200 inf )
Gvardiya Lieb-Kirasiry Brigada : General-Mayor Nikolay Borozdin II ( 1'880 cav )
5-y Konnaya Artilleriya : Podpolkovnik Daniil Kandyba ( 12 guns )
4-y Konnaya Artilleriya : Polkovnik Pavel Merlin ( 12 guns )

3-y Diviziya : General-Poruchik Peter Konovnitsyn ( 5'175 inf , 24 guns )
Brigada Aleksopol : General-Mayor Fedor Aleksopol ( 2'100 inf )
Brigada Stavitski II : Polkovnik Maxim Stavitsky II ( 3'075 inf )
1-y  Zhiznennaya Okhrana Tyazhelaya Batareya Polozheniye : Shtabs-Kapitan Ivan Bogdanovich ( 12 guns )
46-y Batareya Truppa : Podpolkovnik Ivan Yefremov ( 12 guns )

11-y Diviziya : General-Mayor Nikolay Bakhmetyev I ( 5'000 inf , 24 guns )
Brigada à nisyev : Polkovnik Peter Denisyev ( 3'180 inf )
Grenader brigada Chatilov v : Polkovnik Ivan Shatilov ( 1'820 inf )
32-y Batareya Truppa : Podpolkovnik Yakov Volevach ( 12 guns )
13-y Batareya Truppa : Podpolkovnik Danil Devel ( 12 guns )

12-y Diviziya : Maj Gen Illarion Vasil'chikov ( 9'440 inf , 1'240 cav , 24 guns)
Brigada Tsybulsky : General-Mayor Ivan Tsybulsky ( 3'060 inf )
Brigada Aigustov : Polkovnik Aleksey Aigustov ( 3'160 inf )
Brigada Ivelich : General-Mayor  Peter Ivelich IV ( 3'220 inf )
12-y Draguny Brigada : General-MayorIvan Panchulidzev I ( 1'240 cav )
22-y Konnaya Artilleriya : Podpolkovnik Yegor Khoven ( 12 guns )
7-y Batareya Truppa : Podpolkovnik Evstigney Talyzin ( 12 guns )


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Sounds great, Kevin. Thanks for making the scenario. I should be there.

What map will this fiasco be played on?

I think is one of the Napoleonic Random Maps.

Gral. Borozdin can count on me for this one.

Hoping to make this one too. Am out during the day but should be back by 22.00.

Can you provide the Map No. please Uncle Billy? I would like to print it off before the game.

Martin (J)

Thanks Kevin but unfortunately I can't make it. Tomorrow is also out for me .

Have a good game, all.

Mike

The map is one of Garnier's maps, RandomMaps6L_4.  Everyone will need the Supplemental Map Mod.  If you haven't already downloaded it, you can get it here: KS SOW Supplemental Maps

Hope you will get back two hours earlier than that, Martin, the game starts at 20:00.

I have that MOD!! thanks Billy! I hope to make it too!

Whoops! 20.00 it is then! I'm clearly not CinC material .

Thanks for ref

Martin (J)

Martin wrote:I'm clearly not CinC material

Nonsense. Your just the man. Errr...you may need to bring a few extra hats. You may have need to stomp one or two. I'll bring the extra hankies, just in case.

Err......where am I? Actually, who am I?

As your division commanders scream for support and you have none to offer, you will quickly come to the conclusion that fate has dealt you a cruel hand, in being born Russian instead of French.

But I'm sure I've read that senior Russian officers often had good French. This has a nice ring, I think "Please take me to votre marechal. I have important information for him".

Yes, as some no account voltegeur leads you away and into captivity, that phrase may just save you from the firing squad.

Err......where am I? Actually, who am I?

As you are 2 hours out of synch with the rest of humanity I think a more appropriate question would be "When am I?"

A good question, Martin, as we all know what you are.

Is this going to be a co-op game, Kevin?

If so, can I volunteer to lead the French against you guys.

<----- Russian team.

Mark wrote:If so, can I volunteer to lead the French against you guys.

Sure if you'd like. It will be interesting to see if you can do better than the AI.

I expect so! The AI can be very variable. Sometimes it'll pull some surprises but often its not that strong and is frequently guilty of leaving whole divisions unengaged, which can be battle-losing decisions.

The ACW AI is better than the Nap, for obvious reasons.

EDIT: With me, Kevin, Borodzin Martin, Morsey and Pepe we have the necessary 5 Russians. If Mark wants to bring more people along we could make it an adversarial game - though possibly Kevin you may wish to adjust the French side since I think almost all your co-op games have a numerically significantly stronger AI side.

I think you'd be surprised how good the AI is in this battle. I tested it a number of times. The French gave the Russians a serious beat down every time.

I'll make a second version in case a couple more people show up and join the French. Borozdin won't need as many spare hats.

Просто давая лошади морковь и полировки шпоры.

Excellent! I'll follow you anywhere.

Sorry wont make the game today! Hope you guys have a great time!

What a pity we couldn’t finish yesterday’s game. As always Kevin’s scenario was very interesting, a real tactical dilemma (vigorous applause!).
When I read the briefing, I thought that 2nd Div, is in for a though time, so strong, so alone.
At the start of the game, I saw 11,000 men and thought, what do I do with all this?

After setting defensive positions for infantry & artillery, I tried to scout and was afraid of going too far from the division that had a very long front. If I would have gone a few hundred yards further south I would have become a prisoner or seen the bulk of the French. Here I was missing a cavalry officer.
From the far west I saw French infantry moving north, to the west of Shosse St. Kpnstantinov (I tried to write the name in a message, LOL, did you get it Martin James?). Went back with my troops. After a while I reported I thought it was a full division.

I see in the replay that Josh/Knight “demonstration” got Brett/Calpurnius away from me to the east just a little before the French attacked me.
Then at 16:45h, it came the attack. Where I learned more in this battle.
At the beginning I had my guns ready, and my score started to go up. But Mark/kg_soldier, had been studying my position for some time, so his attack was quick and well aimed, he got a wedge in my line and with the woods, if was difficult for me to control and see my troops.
I believe the forces engaged were very similar in numbers. The French were getting the upper hand but Brett/Calpurnius was coming from the east and I had 1 infantry brigade and the cavalry uncommitted.
Then I saw another french division (Kevin’s) coming on my right form the far slope of the ridge to the soth-west of me, and looking to the west I see lots of french flags (Martin/Digby) just west of my line.

So Bagration wants his heavy cavalry regiments back in one piece. That order takes priority.  

To stay would have meant a quick destruction of 2nd Div, I think I was able to do it, because my cavalry was just there so the French had to think twice before pursuing. Disengaging was a nightmare and I lost some battalions and 10 guns in the process. And 1/3 of my infantry was gone.

And finally when I was setting my second defensive line (but not last) I could see 3rd Div fighting to the south, and feared the French were going to concentrate on them, “maybe I went too far back”, “should I advance south to support 3rd Div?”.
I was gathering my troops, and little by little the horizon wherever I looked was dotted with French flags. Kept informing and I was starting to retreat again when the battle ended.

One more thing:
Looking at the dispatches received, I realize that in the heat of battle a clicked some of them without reading, in particular 2 from Brett that would have comforted me a little.
Martin James’s plan allowed us the flexibility needed for this battle.

Looking forward to the next one. Thanks to all players.