Weekend Napoleonic Action - Battle of Jakubovo

 

Legrand's Division line stretching right 
across the valley defile.  Mark commanded
these guys.

Yesterday, Sunday 27 August, I got to play on one of Mark's (Chasseur) vast Napoleonic battles that I have occasionally featured in this blog. I was invited to bring along my own Russian army - and I'm here to tell you it was a drop in the bucket among the vast host that Matt, my fellow 'Russian', supplied! This action was fought on a 12ft x 6ft table, using overall somewhere north of 1600 figures.  My contribution: fewer than 200.

Verdier's Division (commanded by Paul)

This action centred around Marshal Oudinot's drive towards Saint Petersburg during Napoleon's 1812 campaign against Russia.  For some days, the Army of General Pyotr Kristianovitch Wittgenstein had been retreating northwards from Polotsk, seeming to offer little in the way of resistance. When at last the Russians showed sudden surge of aggression, it came as something of a surprise to Oudinot, who was somewhat ill prepared for such an eventuality. Finding a position around the village of Jakubovo, he chose there to make a stand. 

Occupying the village and the ridge alongside, he extended his line into the woods on both flanks. To the Russians advancing (Matt and me) the battlefield presented a defile maybe between wooded north-south ridges perhaps a little over a verst ( 1 verst = 2/3 mile = 1.1 km approximately) apart. Clearly, this was going to be a battle of attrition. An 'Agincourt position' was what I was thinking.

General Russian advance.  The centre of the 
ridge successfully stormed, and it looks as 
though we have taken half the town as well
by this time.

Matt and I being of like mind, we attacked vigorously all along the front, sorting out the traffic jams as they arose. We took first the northeast quarter of the town then the northwest, then held both against French counterattacks. However, my grenadiers were unable loosen the enemy hold on the southern half of the place. Some light infantry successfully stormed the centre of the ridge line, but was unable to hold there for long. In the east, the light horse, and later the Cossacks, both essayed successful charges against disordered foot, though their attempts to exploit these successes failed, and they were able to draw back behind the local gun battery to regroup. 

General view, looking southwest.  By this time 
the French had restored his ridge line.

Although I didn't quite realise it at the time, although our attacks seemed to making little progress, except maybe on the Grenadiers' front west of the town, our local successes were absorbing a great deal of the French reserves. The French rarely seemed to essay any attacks of their own other than attempts - occasionally successful - to recover lost ground. At the end of the day, I thought it was going to be 'honours even' or maybe a whisker - no more - in our favour. It turned out we had lost four units 'routed' (removed from the table); the French thirteen! I hadn't noticed their reserve line getting thinner and thinner as the day wore on. We decided this was going to be a Russian victory, all right! Marshal Oudinot won't be visiting Sankt Peterburg this year.

I just want to make a comment here upon the rule set we were using: 321 - Fast Play Napoleonic. This is something Mark has been working on for some time - a fast-play set with simple game mechanics that can accommodate large games with vast numbers of figures. To what extent these are derived from other sets, I don't know. Considering the number of figures on the table - though apart from mine they were mounted upon bases of 6 foot or 3 horse - the thing did rattle along at a brisk pace. I believe we got in 8 IGoUGo turns a side in the time we had. The Club opened at 11 ack emma, the table set up, the figures laid out, the game played - with a result - and everything put away and I was home shortly after 4. Five hours.  Pretty brisk!

Units, usually representing regiments or battalions depending upon scenario, are the standard 24-figure line infantry (skirmishers are smaller), 12-figure horse, and 2-gun batteries. The artillery batteries are mounted on one base per gun; the other units upon 4 stands. The whole combat and morale system is geared around this arrangement. My own basing system being different is at least adaptable, but it does make moving stuff around a deal slower. 

The dice rolled for close combat are rolled for the unit that brings it on, 4 dice usually, and the results for and against in the one roll.  Roll sixes, you score hits; roll ones you've taken hits. The basic results are modified by situation, e.g. cavalry don't do well attacking squares; urban fighting is difficult; disordered troops are likely to take more damage.  I saw one combat in which the attacker (our side) rolled 2 sixes and 2 ones. A bit of a blood letting that one! Simple, quick, clean.  

I have to say that the troops presented by Mark, Matt and Paul look magnificent!

My thanks to Mark and Matt for inviting me to join the action, and to Paul ('Jacko') for providing transport for me and my army. By the way, the Woolston Club does a bally good beef burger and fries.

Here is a link to Mark's own account of this action: Battle of Jakubowo.