The French deployment placed Massena on the left with a mixed force of infantry, cavalry and artillery. MacDonald held the center around a swamp that divided the shallow valley between the two hills. He was backed up by the Old Guard and two divisions of cuirassiers. On the right, Girard extended his force out as far as possible to prevent any flanking movements. The Emperor's hope was that the enemy would try to storm the center, placing him between the two hills. He deployed his men and guns as if the hills were two forts protecting the pass and left reserves under all three generals to deal with any contingencies.
The Prussian plan of attack was simple: Move forward. The main point of attack would be on the Prussian right under Gen. Yost., who was to seize the hill and push toward the pass between the hills as his main objective. He would be backed up by Blucher and the guard infantry while Gen. Stein in the middle and Gen. Wilhelm on the left would stay in contact and protect the flank.
Prussians on the right of the table. Wilhelm in the foreground, Stein in the middle, Blucher and Yost in the distance.
French on the left of the table. Girard in the foreground, Macdonald in the valley with the Emperor and guard behind him, Massena on the hill.
The whole battlefield.
Various shots at the start...
The Emperor with the swamp to his front. Macdonalds command was on both sides of the swamp, which limited maneuvering in the valley.
Looking at the massed French emerging from the chemical shelf...
Looking up at Massena's hill. It would be the last sight a lot of these boys would ever see.
Blucher and his aides, flanked by the horse artillery battery and grenadiers.
Stein's command in the center.
Yosts flank where it touches Stein's command. (And yes, those are French carabiniers subbing for Prussian cuirassiers in the background.)
The battle begins...
The Prussians got off to a good start. Yost made good time and had minimum disruptions to his line, even though they were negotiating a rather steep hill. Stein and Wilhelm managed to stay in contact. As the Prussians advanced, some units came under French artillery fire from the hills and took some casualties, but the bulk of the French forces were deployed back so it wasn't until the Prussians actually crested the hill that they were under the full force of the French defenders. Because of the terrain, the Prussian guns couldn't see the French and had to be dragged along on the attack to support the infantry at close range.
"As we moved across the fields toward the hill to our front, we could hear the booming of the French guns to our left. As we climbed the hill, I could see the cannonballs tearing holes in the ranks of one of our battalions to our left. They hesitated, then started to retreat. I could see the officers running about trying to stop the panic, but it wasn't until they were behind a hedge that they stopped and reformed. Even from a distance, I could see that the carnage was frightful. We continued our advance, the only sounds being the clanking of our equipment and the breathing of the men as we labored upward, always expecting the French to come charging over the hill at any moment. We were starting to think that maybe the French had retreated before our massive advance, but as we crested the hill, we were greeted with a hail of cannister and musket volleys."
Pictures of the Prussian general advance.
Wilhelm stops his force near the base of the hill where he can both maintain contact with Stein in the middle and stay sheltered from French cannon fire.
Yost, with Blucher's guard division behind him, climbs the hill.
"Sir, why aren't the French firing yet?"
Part of Stein's command at the top, Wilhelm's at the bottom.
The Prussian attack on Massena's hill started strong. The first forces up took heavy casualties from cannon and musket fire, but held their composure and returned fire. Many French gunners were killed or wounded and the 51st line was routed, sending men streaming back past Massena who did his best to stop them. The 48th, holding the ground to the right of the 51st, also took casualties and was forced back, opening up a gap in the French line. The French battery on the hill continued to fire cannister into the Prussians, and finally drove back the 3rd East Prussian battalion, but the 2nd East Prussian battalion refused to give up the ground it had fought so hard to win. After an hour of hard fighting, the battle for Massena's hill hangs in the balance. The units on the crest for both sides have either been forced back or shattered.
Casualties mount, but the stubborn French guns refuse to retreat.
Yost pushes his men into the valley to try to break through the thin French line.
Units swarm up the hill, and then are pushed back, only to reform and try again. The only constant is the French battery that rains death on Prussian infantry as they advance.
The battle rages in the valley below. Note the Prussian horse artillery that's found a nice perch to fire across the valley. It silenced one French battery for a time.
The 48th manages to take advantage of a lull in the action and move back up the hill to fill the gap in the line. Soult sends the 38th line to try to drive off the stubborn Prussian attackers and save his guns, but they are driven off with light casualties. The 49th infantry fires at the approaching East Prussian Dragoons and drives them off, but in doing so, opens a firing lane for the Prussian artillery that had been dragged up the hill. The Prussian gunners work to get the guns swung around toward them. Meanwhile, the 38th tries again and manages to push the Prussians back far enough to take the guns out of danger for the time being.
On the French right, Girard has a cavalry advantage and if he can take advantage of it, might be able to turn the entire Prussian left. He pushes the 59th line forward to begin skirmishing with the Silesian landwehr that are on the flank of the Silesian hussars that anchor the Prussian line. In the center, Macdonald pushes two battalions up to get a better line of sight on any moves that Stein may make in the center to support Yost. Napoleon also sends two battalions of the Old Guard closer to the action in case they are needed. There's already a small gap in the Prussian line there and he wants to be able to exploit it if the situation presents itself.
Yost rallies his men and sends them back up the hill, this time with Blucher's reserves close on their heels. He also sends his forces directly into the small valley between the hills to try to punch through the thin French line there, and sends one of his dragoon units against the only French cavalry in the area, the chasseurs a cheval. The dragoons get repulsed by the steady chasseurs, and one of the Prussian battalions in the valley routs after taking heavy losses, but Yost has the advantage in numbers and hopes to bludgeon his way through the French line.
The Prussians try again...
The result of the assault is carnage for both sides. Each time the Prussians establish a foothold on the crest of the hill, the French push them back again, only to be assaulted again. Men fall in droves on both sides. At one crucial point, the Prussians push the French back for what looks like the final time. Units are wavering and some have routed, leaving gaps along the French line. But Massena rides back and forth across the hill, rallying his troops. The men are envigorated by their leader's courage and reform, pushing the Prussians back off the hill. The stubborn French battery fires a rain of cannister in support. As the battle rages on the hill, in the valley, Prussian forces push forward and deliver deadly volleys at the thin French line. Many Prussians are lost, but more step up to take their place. Finally, the 44th line can take no more and routs, opening up a hole in the French line.
This is a great opportunity for the Prussians, but as it happens, their attack on the hill sputters. The men have just taken too much punishment and the front units begin to rout, leaving the French in control of the hill once more. Prussian cuirassiers, ordered by Blucher himself to charge into the gap in the valley, suddenly come under fire from the French guns on the hill that no longer have Prussian infantry threatening them. The cavalry is forced back with light losses. The left side of Yost's command is growing dangerously thin. The guards division is behind them, but there is little maneuver room and French guns are raking the position. Yost can see his men are tiring. Each assault looked to be the final breakthrough, but the French stubbornly hang on.
The French infantry routs, opening a hole in the line!
The broader tactical situation in the area.
The price to be paid...
Blucher now has a major decision. Does he risk all in one final assault to try to break the French line?
"Forwards, my children, forwards one more time!" he yells. But Yost's command is all but finished. After taking a pounding all day, one of the two remaining battalions in the valley routs after being under continuous fire from the nearby French battery. As they stream away, they expose one of the two Prussian batteries that had set up behind the infantry. More cannister fire decimates the first battery knocking it out of action. Yost only has two battalions left, a shaken unit on the hill facing a still-steady French line of defense, and one unit in the valley. Things are looking bleak and the Prussian army morale is starting to give way as more and more men start streaming toward the rear.
When things look almost lost, a stray cannonball kills Marshal MacDonald, putting his entire center command into confusion. But Napoleon, who is only a hundred or so yards away when it happens, quickly assigns Gen. Petry to take command of the center division. The remaining battalion of Yost's command is pushed back by French musketry and the French bring up reinforcements to solidify Massena's hill once more. After fighting all morning and suffering horrendous casualties, the Prussians have nothing to show for it.
Blucher studies the situation. The French have reinforced the hill and all he has left to throw at them are his guards. He sees no sense in throwing away his irreplacable units in what has proven to be a fruitless attack. In the center, the French have been pushed slightly back from their starting positions, but still have a strong line and are backed by four battalions of the Old Guard and two divisions of cuirassiers. There is little hope there. The French are spread thinner on the left, and seeing his army's morale starting to fail, he orders Gen. Wilhelm to launch an assault. If he can push through on the left, it might bolster the morale of his troops and put pressure on the French. He knows it will be a bloody affair, because the French under Girard have been basically unengaged the entire day and will be waiting for the attack.
French dragoons immediately charge the advancing Silesian hussars and force them back. The silesian landwehr fire an ineffective volley and things get off to a rough start. But both the 1st and 2nd Silesian battalions withstand French artillery fire and hold their ground. The 3rd silesian takes casualties from French musketry, but returns a steady fire and drive back the 35th line, opening a large gap in the center of the division. The 4th Silesian is driven back with losses, but the 6th quickly replaces it and the 5th Silesian holds its gains as well. Overall, Wilhelm is initially please with his assault. What had once been a solid French line now had a large hole torn in it. Unfortunately, his shortage of cavalry was going to be a problem. There were two dragoon divisions already pushing his lone hussar unit back, and he could see more French horses on the crest of the hill. But he pushes forwards regardless. Stopping now would mean defeat.
The 1st and 2nd Silesian charge the French battery that's been firing at them since they crested the first rise. The devasting fire immediately silences the guns and hides them in a bank of smoke. The 6th Silesian on the right pushes foward in place of the 4th, who was pushed back earlier. They halt near the French line and fire. The 61st Line buckles and falls back, stopping only when they run into the reserve 45th line further up the hill. It's now the French line that's starting to falter as casualties mount.
Blucher, deciding as always to attack, sends his last orders of the day: Attack. Advance at all costs. Do not retreat. Spare no one. With that, the remaining Prussians advance all along the front and the guards division, supported by what's left of Yost's command, march up Massena's hill where so many fell earlier in the day. The West Prussian Grenadiers march into the face of cannister fire and take heavy losses. But Blucher emerges out of the smoke, reorganizes the line and sends them forward again. Yost's beat up battalions move up the hill and exchange fire with the defenders to little effect. In the center of the valley, the Prussian cuirassiers move up behind the advancing infantry toward a steady line of French backed by their own heavy cavalry. On the Prussian left, Gen. Wilhelm rides up and down the line as his troops engage in a massive firefight with the troops under Girard, who was slightly wounded moments before. Another Prussian battalion routs, and two others fall back, but the outnumbered few that remain fight on and push forward.
Wilhelm's division moves to the attack.
The French fire slackened then stopped. Gen. Wilhelm waited for the smoke to clear and then saw the French falling back enmasse. They were in good order, but they were falling back all across the front.
Napoleon, who could see the battle was working to his advantage on his right, was furious. He sent rapid orders to all commanders to hold ground, that no order had been given to retreat. Unfortunately, most of Massena's men had already vacated the hill they held all day and one battalion of the old guard had already left the field to secure the retreat route. His flanks were still somewhat organized, but the general retreat had left a giant hole in his front as the men moved back from the swamp that broke up the prior center of his line. The only thing currently working in his favor was that because the Prussian attack was so reckless, Blucher's forces were far from organized, which might give him just enough time to throw together a new battle line.
The French left after the confused fallback...
The French center. Note the big gap past the swamp.
Massena's command is in good order, but it did give up the hill.
Both sides spend some time organizing their lines in preparation for the final assault or final defense. French generals and aides scurry about, issuing orders and getting men back in line. Napoleon plugs the hole in his center with a battalion of the Old Guard and maneuvers a battery and another battalion of the Old Guard into place. He also orders his cuirassiers closer to the line to counter any moves by the Prussian cuirassiers. On the French right, Girard, bandaged up from his earlier wound, quickly gets his men reorganized into a line of defense.
Meanwhile, Blucher and Yost (who is down to two battalions, one of which is barely functional after the morning's assaults on the hill), organize their plan of attack. The line is assembled, but Gen. Stein in the center either doesn't receive or understand his orders as his men stay in place, leaving the center sagging behind both wings. On the Prussian left, Gen. Wilhelm spends time reorganizing his men after their earlier success -- but ends up taking too much time. As the smoke dissapates, the men starting shouting and pointing. Stein turns to see a solid line of French, freshly rallied and with bayonets lowered, coming right for him at the quick step. The French hold their fire until they are at point-blank range and the effects are devastating. The 2nd, 5th, and 6th Silesian battalions are routed, the 4th Silesian battalion is destroyed as a fighting force and Stein is struck by a musketball and killed. The only thing that saves the entire Prussian left wing from being destroyed is the overmatched Silesian Hussars beat off an attack by French dragoons on the far flank -- combined with the Silesian landwehr and 1st Silesian infantry holding steady as well.
Blucher, who from his high vantage point on the right can see his left flank dissolving, faces the reality of defeat. All Girard will have to do is isolate and destroy the few men left on the flank and then he can pivot his entire force around the Prussian center and take the army in the flank, possibly destroying it in detail. He looks around, surrounded by his dead and dying countrymen who fought so hard for the hill he now stands on and gives his last order of the day.
"Sound the retreat. The day is done."
The French counterattack the ill-prepared Prussians on the French right.
They close for action...
Meanwhile, on the right flank, Blucher watches from the hill.
Here's the valley, with the newly formed French line.
The Prussian left wing dissolves. Most of those units are routing.
Another view of the rout of the Prussian left. The hussars and landwehr prevented the whole force from being wiped out.
Finale view from the French right, looking at Stein's command in the center. If Blucher didn't retreat, Girard would have pivoted on the end point of his line on the hill and taken the rest of the Prussian army in the flank.
Final situation in the center.
The French left, ready for another Prussian assault that never came.
Blucher sounds the retreat as daylight fades.
Analysis: The Prussians, who strategically only needed to bloody Napoleon, did some damage with their assaults, but the inability to break through the line limited the damage that was done. The assault on the hill on the right should have worked just through sheer weight of numbers, but some heroic defense by the French denied them a breakthrough time and time again. The Prussian center made some progress, but Stein was in a difficult spot. The only maneuvering ground was divided by a swamp, and the entire position was covered by French cannons on three sides, which was Napoleon's defensive plan all along -- the shortest path to the objective would be the one with the heaviest price to pay. The Prussian left was mainly a covering force until Blucher's last gamble near the end of the day, and it too nearly paid off.
The French army had run out of morale points and Napoleon managed to stave off total retreat by one pip on the die. In a way, the confused partial retreat actually helped the French regroup, because it extricated several units, including two batteries, that were on the verge of being overrun. With some minor maneuvering and some good rally rolls, the Emperor quickly put together a fresh defensive line that had to be discouraging to a worn out Prussian force. Once the French counterattacked on the Prussian left, there was no stopping them. The Prussians were just too beat up and tired from all the earlier assaults to be able to withstand the attack.
There was only one point where Blucher might have been able to have gambled and won: When the French were still reorganizing, there was a large hole in the center. His cuirassiers were nearby and could have been sent into the hole, but there were still a few steady infantry units and he decided to wait until he could get his infantry together for an assault to try to blow it wide open. Unfortunately, the French counterattack by Girard eliminated any chance of that and ultimately led to him quitting the field.
The overall French plan of defense worked well. The center was kept weak, but was protected by crossfires of artillery and also backed by the Old Guard and heavy cavalry. Both flanks had local reserves, which made a huge difference, particularly on Massena's hill. On several occasions, French defenders would be driven off the crest of the hill, only to be replaced by fresh reserves who in turn pushed the exhausted attackers back down the other side. Most of Yost's entire division was destroyed in the assaults.
Technical specs:
Rules: Field of Battle (Piquet) with a few house rules
Troops: 15mm Old Glory and Battle Honors. French limbers are from Musket Miniatures as are the ox carts and tent that mark the objective.
Terrain: Homemade for the most part; swamp is miniature world maker with some enhancements added; fields are Woodland Scenics project sheets lined with my homemade hedge rows (there's a tutorial elsewhere on the blog on how to make them).
This was probably the funnest battle I've ever had. The drama was great and every time I thought one side would prevail, the other would claw back. Great fun.
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