5th March 1814 - Battle of Kaiserlautern

Kaiserlautern Campaign Area

22nd French corps have orders to move to Worms

1^st Russian corps have orders to move to Kaiserlautern

French                                     Russian

16000 infantry                         16000 infantry                       

1000 cavalry                           1000 cavalry              

30 guns                                   30 guns

Table at start of wargame

Left – 22^nd French corps at Kaiserlautern

Right – 1^st Russian corps moving through pass

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Russians move first, deploy artillery protected by cavalry and infantry

French deploy artillery and move infantry towards the pass

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

Both sides use infantry to protect gunners

Russian cavalry move towards their left flank

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

Last Russian infantry brigade moves to extend left flank

French infantry move forward to attack

Nearest French square has received casualties but maintain morale

1^st Russian corps has managed to deploy just in time

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

French change orders to halt

Infantry square retires, but still receives more artillery casualties

Russian infantry square moves towards French cavalry

 

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

French cavalry receive casualties from square and retire shaken

Same square receives casualties from French artillery and also retire shaken

Cossacks advance to pin French infantry

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

Russian left advance towards French

Russian square rally

French change orders to retreat

French cavalry have rallied

They move towards the right flank to counter Cossacks and cover retreat 

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

Russian columns and French squares have a short fire fight

Squares break and run with heavy casualties

Nearby French cavalry join rout

Remainder of French retire in good order

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

French artillery retreat through town

French infantry and cavalry south of town in rout

French infantry north of town retreat in good order

Russian corps advance in pursuit

Game Casualties

French suffer 3200 infantry and 100 cavalry casualties

They also have one cavalry and two infantry brigades in rout

Russians suffer 1200 infantry casualties

Game Summary

The Russians managed to clear the pass before the French attacked

The longer range Russian guns dominated the counter battery fire

The Russians protected their Cossacks from melee, but used them as support.

The battle was decided by the firefight which the Russian columns won