9th March 1814 - Battle of Worms

Worms Campaign Area

1^st Russian has orders to hold Worms

3^rd Russian will arrive at 1300

4^th Russian will arrive at 1700

14^th French has orders to move to Worms

22^nd French has orders to move to Worms

French                                     Russian       

28000 infantry                         48000 infantry                       

2000 cavalry                           2900 cavalry              

60 guns                                   90 guns

Table at start of wargame

1^st Russian corps deployed in front of Worms

3^rd Russian will arrive start of move 5

4^th Russian will arrive start of move 9

14^th French have orders to march to Worms

22^nd French will arrive start of move 1

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

14^th French move to the left of the pass to prevent 1^st Russian retreating north

22^nd French start to arrive

1^st Russian have extended to their left as far as the woods

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

14^th French cavalry receive 10% casualties, lose morale and are shaken

Remainder of corps take up position out of artillery range

22^nd French send cavalry to pin enemy and move infantry and artillery through the pass

1^st Russian 12 pounder guns score first casualties on French lancers

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

14^th French withdraw cavalry out of artillery range

Remainder of corps start to deploy

Lancers pass morale test and become disordered

22^nd French push half of corps ahead to engage Russian flank

1^st Russian await developments

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

14^th French have sent their cavalry to the hill to recce their left flank

Remainder of corps moving into position to attack the town

22^nd French advance through pass

1^st Russian counter battery fire as remainder of enemy out of range

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

14^th French send infantry brigade to reinforce cavalry on hill

Remainder of corps form column of attack

Artillery cause 10% casualties to Cossacks who fail morale and are shaken

22^nd French start to deploy to attack town

1^st Russian hold their position and wait for reinforcements

3^rd Russian start to arrive behind cavalry screen

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

14^th French deploy cavalry and infantry on hill

Artillery fire and miss

Change orders to engage

22^nd French form column of attack and unlimber artillery

3^rd Russian continue to advance towards woods

1^st Russian no change

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

14^th French artillery rout left Russian infantry into woods

Nearby Russian gunners test morale for rout, fail and join rout

22^nd French infantry firefight with square.   Russians lose and rout

Nearby infantry test morale for rout, fail and join rout

3^rd Russian continue to advance towards woods

1^st Russian all in rout except for two infantry brigades who cover the retreat

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

14^th French limber artillery and move to face 3^rd Russian

22^nd French advance on town

1^st Russian rally brigade in town and retreat

3^rd Russian advance towards hill behind cavalry screen

Move 9 – 1600 to 17000

14^th French cavalry charge and rout Cossacks

Infantry advance on to the hill

22^nd French enter town and rout one brigade

Remainder of corps prepare to crush 1^st Russian

4^th Russian stat to arrive

3^rd Russian prepare to attack hill

1^st Russian try to break contact and retreat

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

14^th French cavalry charge he shaken square, who break and run

They then charge the nearby limbered artillery who also break and run

22^nd French artillery and infantry rout the remaining Russian infantry in and near Worms

1^st Russian all corps in rout

3^rd Russian have lost their cavalry and artillery, infantry form square

4^th Russian are unable to advance and deploy due to rout

Russians call off attack and retire north to regroup

  

Game Casualties

French suffer 2,400 infantry and 100 cavalry casualties

Russians suffer 4,800 infantry and 300 cavalry casualties

They also have 6 infantry and two cavalry brigades in rout

Game Summary

1^st Russian corps started the game well, and held their own against two French corps

With the arrival of 3^rd Russian corps it seemed that they would win the game

By then 14^th French corps had reached Worms and engaged 1^st Russian corps

Luck was with the French, and they routed the whole corps with only light casualties

22^nd French corps turned to face 3^rd Russian corps as both raced to secure the hill

The French cavalry charged and broke the Cossacks.

Next move they charged the shaken infantry square, who also broke and ran

They then carried on to rout the nearby limbered artillery

The rout prevented 4^th Russian corps deploying.

A decisive, but very lucky, win for the French

Total casualties, including from earlier battles, at the end of this battle

Russian 5,100 casualties and eight brigades in rout

French 2,500 casualties and no routed brigades