Sunday 28 August 2016

DBN17 Battle of Golymin 1806

The Battle of Golymin 1806, DBN style.  Boney has crushed the Prussians, he now leads his troops into Poland.  The French meet the Russian Army, who were hoping to aid the retreating remnants of the Prussian Army.  Murat comes across a small Russian force defending the towns of Kalezin & Golymin.

This battle is taken from the excellent Age of Eagles download :      
http://napoleonicscenarios.weebly.com/uploads/2/3/7/7/2377799/golymin_1806.pdf

The battle took place using DBN rules, the French having the edge in units.  Each element (4 bases) would be the equivalent of 1 Brigade.  To keep the game flowing, we decided to go with extra Commands, these would be sub General units that would have a limited command radius &  a separate CaP die roll (command action points or PiPs).

French Army - 3 Commands
General Murat (D6+1 CaP) 1st Cavalry Corps
5 x Light Cavalry (Dragoons, Hussars, Chasseurs), 1 x Heavy Cavalry (Cuirassiers)

sub General Augereau (D3 CaP) VII Corps
2 x Light Infantry, 2 x Line Infantry, 1 x Light Cavalry

sub General Morand (D3 CaP) III Corps
1 x Light Infantry, 2 x Line Infantry

Russian Army - 2 Commands
General Gallitzin (D6 CaP)  4th Division
4 x Line Infantry, 2 x Foot Artillery, 1 x Light Cavalry (Hussars), 1 x Heavy Cavalry (Cuirassiers)

sub General Dokhturov (D3 CaP) 7th Division
2 x Line Infantry, 1 x Light Cavalry (Dragoons)

The game would last 4 hours, in DBN terms 16 game turns.   The Russians would have to delay the French BUT also exit the majority of their units from the table on the Golymin road.  The French would need to destroy the majority of the Russians.  SPAV took the heroic Russian defence, yours truly ze French.


Golymin 1806, Lasalle 'punishes' his lads.....

Russian Infantry outside Golymin

The bulk of the Russians hold Kalezin

another view of Kalezin

Murats French units 



Lovely, massed French Cavalry.......

Russian guns outside Kalezin

Augereau's units attack...

The Russian Heavy Cavalry is re-deployed

Splendid....

Time ticks on, Morand's units arrive outside Golymin.

Morand's force, the Lights are sent through the forest on a flanking move.

The Russian guns perform poorly...  

The French Light Infantry inflict heavy losses on the Russians

The Russian guns are withdrawn, the Russian Infantry charge in with the bayonet.

Give em the steel...

Russian Dragoons support the defence of Golymin

The French Light troops have to recoil from the Russian onslaught

Morand's Light troops move into position 

The first French attack on Kalezin is repulsed

French Cavalry led by Lasalle take up position, time is ticking away though...

3 French Cavalry brigades would face the Russians

AAAArgghhh! Frustrating CaP rolls, one after one....
Movement is restricted for the French.

The Russian line is re-drawn 

More rounds pass & finally Lasalle is ready for the attack....

The other French Cavalry column comes under fire from the Russian guns

West of  Kalezin, French Light Infantry out flank the Russian line.

Time is ticking on, SPAV realises he has to WITHDRAW the Russian Army before night fall.

Some of the Russian Infantry are withdrawn to Kalezin.

Murat would lead one of the French Cavalry attacks.

Forward Lasalle!

Another French Light Infantry unit outflanks the Russians.

Finally, nearly half way through the game, the combined French attack begins!

Morand's Division attacks Golymin

The Russians withdraw through Golymin

Augereau's units pile on the pressure

The Dragoons would take the Russian Infantry, Lasalle's Hussars attack the Cavalry

If the French could cut the Kalezin the Golymin road, then the Russians would be destroyed.

Forward Murat!!!

The pressure is applied along the Russian line.
 
The Russian Infantry Brigade is near destruction


SPAV looses the combat roll, there's a big whole in the Russian line now.

On the other flank a big fire fight takes place.

Plug the gap please... In go the Russian Cuirassiers!

The Kalezin pocket is being squeezed

The Russian Dragoons charge in.

Some Russian units are passed Golymin now.

The Russian Light Cavalry takes a holding position north of Kalezin.

The Russian view looking south West of Kalezin.

& another...

Whoops, I don't leave enough space behind Lasalle's unit.  Combat result is a draw & both Recoil.
Lasalle's Brigade is out of this game. 

OOoo the Russian Cuirassiers are tough.  Back go the French.

Boom!  The Russian guns make short work of the French Light Cavalry.
It's proving to be a hard fight for the French.

However, CaP rolls improve & the French Cavalry movement is impressive 

With the loss of Lasalle, it's stalemate in the centre of the battlefield.

French Dragoons attack the Russian guns in the flank.



This could be a defeat for the French if this continues.  SPAV is 'chirping' out loud now.

Breakthrough move.  If a Cavalry unit destroys it's opponent, it gets another move.
The Russian Cuirassiers charge Murat's unit.

Those pesky Russian guns are finally destroyed.

Murat's leadership bonus makes the difference, it's a recoil for the Russians.

Four Russian units are left, the Golymin Races begin!
The Tsar will not be happy, the Russian Cuirassiers are surrounded.
Time is running out, a couple of game turns remain & darkness is falling.
The Russian Cuirassiers are destroyed.
Moderate CaP's for the Russians, the Infantry quick marches. 
It's going down to the last turn.
Augereau's attack in the south fizzled out.
The French Dragoons catch one Russian Infantry Brigade.
The Russian Hussars would escape.
However, we both agree this Russian Infantry Brigade is classed as 'pinned'
The rest of the Russian Army escapes.
The final positions.

In the end a minor, very minor, French victory.  A good game, however CaP rolls were pitiful for the French & it took ages to set up the combined assault.  In the end the French ran out of time.  Very similar to the historic result.