VAUCHAMPS (1814) Battle Report
Napoleon's brilliant "Six Days Campaign" came to a dramatic end at Vauchamps, where he scored one of the most decisive tactical victories of his military career. For players looking at the scenario, the orders of battle are reasonably equal. Both armies are brittle--it's 1814 after all--and have a mixture of conscripts, regulars, and a handful of powerful formations. The real advantage for the French is the delayed arrival of a cavalry corps from a different table edge, allowing them to converge on the allied position from multiple angles. Historically, this is how Napoleon won the day. Can the allies use interior lines to blunt the Emperor's attack?
10:00am: A large Prussian corps under von Kleist begins the morning deployed in and around the town of Vauchamps. The Prussians adopt a conservative defensive line, with infantry brigades in a wide semi-circle around the town and artillery commanding the heights.
Marmont's small French corps arrives on the field and boldly advances toward the town. The troop disparity strongly favors the Prussians at this early stage. 10:30 am: Marmont's advance slows when he appreciates the strength of the Prussian defensive front. Desultory artillery fire opens the battle, but Kleist does not move to attack. Perhaps uncertain of when French reinforcements might arrive, Kleist elects to hold firm. |
11:00am: Marmont probes the Prussian infantry line, but does not engage fully. Instead, he maneuvers around the outskirts of Vauchamps, hoping to swing behind the town and avoid a frontal attack. Aside from minor realignment, Kleist's corps remains stationary, satisfied to engage in an artillery duel weighted strongly in his favor.
11:30am: "Viva l'Emperor! Viva la France!" Napoleon arrives on the battlefield, bringing the Ney's Young Guard and Mortier's Old Guard. Immediately, he directs his infantry to continue the turning movement around the town. His formidable cavalry corps is nowhere to be seen...yet. Kleist continues to adjust his lines to avoid being outflanked, but his best hope for victory is now arriving two miles away on the road behind him. The redoubtable old Marshal Blucher rides at the head of two Russian corps. |
12:00pm: With Blucher's column still too far away to be of assistance, Napoleon orders a full attack on the end of the Prussian line. This happens to fall on an unfortunate brigade of Landwehr, who promptly collapse. Kleist knows that a large body of French cavalry is lurking somewhere nearby, and resists committing his own cavalry reserve too early. His pins his hopes on the arrival of the Russians to stop Napoleon's flanking movement.
12:30pm: Grasping the initiative at a key moment in the battle, Blucher urges the Russians to the front. They arrive just in time to check the French attack and fill the void left by the Landwehr. It is now midday, and both armies have committed all of their available infantry to the same sector of the field...but what about the cavalry? Kleist continues to hold his cavalry in reserve, and Napoleon's guard cavalry finally arrives. They are directed to the opposite flank, where open ground to maneuver can still be found.
1:00pm: The infantry battle rages, with the French slowly driving the Russians back. The Prussians hold firm. The French guard cavalry ride out into the open ground, which finally tempts von Kleist to send his own cavalry to meet them. In hindsight, this would prove to be a fateful decision.
1:30pm: The decisive hour finally arrives. On the French right, Napoleon commits Mortier's Old Guard to break a large hole in the Prussian line. The sudden opening threatens to unhinge the entire allied line. Meanwhile, on the French left, Grouchy's long-awaited cavalry corps appears. Kleist's Prussian cavalry would have been there to meet them...but Kleist committed his reserve the turn before to square off against the guard cavalry. This has left a full flank of the allied line exposed. Ride on, Grouchy! Forward!
2:00pm: The situation for the allied army is grim, but if Blucher can somehow win back the initiative, he might be able to reorder his broken lines and make a fighting withdraw. But alas...it is not to be. Napoleon maintains the initiative and drives home his attack from all angles. Grouchy's cavalry slams into the end of Kleist's line and scatters them. In the center, the gaping hole created by the Old Guard allows French troops to pour through and capture the town of Vauchamps. Blucher and Kleist barely manage to avoid capture. With the entire allied line now disintegrating, Grouchy's prowling cavalry is positioned to cut off the retreat and round up survivors. |
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Victory Objectives:What began as a close-fought battle turned into a total rout, much more decisive than any Age of Eagles game we played before. Our scenario actually matched the historical outcome of the battle, almost identically.
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