FPW - The Battle of Beaumont, 30 August 1870, Part Two: The Battle Report

Rejects Dan, Lee, Postie, Ray, Steve and Surjit gathered with me in Postie's shed to fight out the Battle of Beaumont.  

For the background and scenario details see my previous post here.

I knew that I had a busy day of umpiring ahead, so I had packed some paracetamol just in case.

The Sides
The Germans were made up of Lee, Postie and Surjit.

The French were commanded by Dan, Ray and Steve.

The Battle
To recap quickly, the actual battle started at around 12:30pm.  The players are picking up the situation after two hours of fighting, at 2:30pm.

Their positions are shown as follows.

French infantry brace themselves for the storm.

The Prussians set to launch their assault.

The game opened with the German artillery batteries obliterating all the front line French guns and mitrailleuse in a storm of shells.  Fortunately, the gallic rifle fire caused more apprehension in the Prussian ranks.  However, the Teutonic tide swept forward into close range.

For the French, it quickly became clear that to delay the German juggernaut the French right was going to be sacrificed. Meanwhile, their left wing and cavalry would withdraw as quickly as possible. Some retiring troops being used to make redoubts of farms and towns to cover the general withdrawal.

French commanders Steve and Ray grudgingly having to remove all their destroyed artillery and mitrailleuse stands.

As the Germans advanced all along the line, the French chassepots opened up.

Prussian cavalry snake their way forward to be ready to press the pursuit if or when required.

The French commanders confer as they digest the destruction of almost all their artillery and the number of Germans pounding towards them. 

As soon as possible, the French set about retiring troops in some sort of orderly fashion.  Seeing no good use for their cavalry, they were quickly dispatched in the direction of Mouzon.  Other divisions also started retiring infantry away from the fray.  In this respect the game was very odd with the French trying avoid being involved in firefights and melee.

French cavalry make their way through Yonq en route to Mouzon.

French troops from their left pull back leaving a "forlorn hope" to hold up the Germans for as long as possible.

On their right, the wayward troops from 7th Corps begin their withdrawal leaving just one regiment in the woods.  Other woods remain occupied to cover the retreat.

However, the Germans are bounding forward, although the Bavarians on the left flank stuttered and stalled in their efforts to assault the farm on the road. A combination of south German reluctance and punishing French rifle fire causing the problems.

At the first opportunity, the Prussians launched themselves at the "forlorn hope" in the woods on the French left.  At the same time making moves to bypass the defenders to continue the pursuit.

Two melees.  One of them very uneven!

However, honours are even as one imperial regiment holds off the Germans.  Nonetheless, the Teutonic horde are in the woods.

All across the piste French units were retiring.  Some in slightly better order than others.  At least for the French their cavalry are closing in on Mouzon and their escape across the Meuse.  Regardless of some delaying successes, the French commanders are looking concerned.

And so they should be concerned.  The German divisions are in pursuit.  The Bavarians on the left seek to make up ground on the fleeing 7th Corps division.  Meanwhile, the Prussian centre is forcing its way into and through some woods and towards the strongly held farm on top of the heights overlooking the river and Beaumont.

However, a stroke of fortune for the French.  12th Corps, who have already crossed the Meuse have responded to the sound of fighting and deployed two batteries in the loop of the Meuse. Whilst the Prussian gunners will soon silence this aid, the help ends the hot pursuit of some Prussian heavy cavalry, causes injury to two infantry regiments, and forces at least one unit to delay its advance.

In the woods on the French left, the two remaining imperial units continue their desperate stand.

It's not looking good for the French.

And in go the Prussian charges.

Despite a valiant stand, the Prussians' are vengeful and merciless in dispatching these sons of La belle France.

Up on the hill the German column determinedly assaulted the farm.  A much closer fight ends with the Prussians in occupation and the defenders thrown back.

French in occupation.

Now the Prussians own it!

The Result
Whilst there were still turns left in the game, alas real world time and consideration of better halves led to an agreed end to the game.

The situation at the close of play.

For the French to avoid a defeat and do better than General Failly had done in 1870, they had to exit at least half of their army - essentially the Germans had to kill 178 figures (infantry, cavalry and artillery).  Now, I did a casualty count.  But because of the "earlier" end to the game, I also had to make some judgement calls.  In the end, and this did find agreement with all the players, the Germans killed 173 figures! So... a French victory... of sorts!!!  At the very least they did better than their historical counterpoint.

Analysis
I have to confess to being really worried about how a fighting withdrawal would translate as a wargame.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much thought and nervous tension the players expended in this game.  I shall leave it to them to pass the final judgement on the game (see Lee's and Ray's blogs).

The scenario specific rules worked nicely.  They stopped the French from just running away and meant that they had to consider how to do a fighting withdrawal.  Essentially, the French established four redoubts at two farms, the small town of Yonq and the woods on the French left.  These, in my opinion, acted to deter, delay and deny free passage for the advancing Germans.  A particular thorn in the Prussian side was the stubborn resistance in the woods.  In the end those brave Frenchmen were forced to surrender.

The hexes represent what I consider to be the French "redoubts"

I denied the French some reinforcements.  Basically, I felt that they didn't need them, that they wouldn't make any difference to the outcome, and would seem to punish the German commanders for their hard work and endeavours.

Perhaps, on reflection the Germans might have sent more troops and cavalry through their left flank against and after the French right.  Could there have been a possibility of a hook to cut off the road to Mouzon?  Not sure, I think most cavalry would have been shot out of their saddles at either the farm or at Yonq. Though the infantry would have been advancing behind them.

Despite the difference in numbers the game proved to be nicely balanced for the type of clash.

They Died For Glory performed well as a ruleset - concise, clear and took the stresses of Rejects' questioning.  The players had to be busy and "on task" all the time, and the umpire didn't have time to even have a drink.

In the end, I enjoyed the game and found the experience interesting and entertaining.  I didn't even need to take any paracetamol!

A big thank you to the players and to Postie's hospitality. I had a great day.