12th March 1814 - Battle of Montbelliard

Montbelliard Campaign Area

6 French          halt on hold and resupply

12 French        halt on hold and resupply

16 Italian        halt on hold and resupply

24 French        halt and establish supply depot

1 Bavarian      move to F05 on attack orders

2 Bavarian      move to F05 on attack orders

3 Bavarian      move to F03 on attack orders

4 Baden          move to F04 on attack orders

French                                     Bavarian                    

64000 infantry                         64000 infantry                       

4000 cavalry                           4000 cavalry              

120 guns                                 120 guns

Table at start of wargame

24^th, 12^th and 16^th French corps are all on Hold orders

6^th corps will arrive at the start of move 4 on Move orders

2^nd, 4^th and 3^rd Bavarian corps are all on Engage orders

1^st corps will arrive at the start of move 1 on Move orders

 

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

French CinC – move to 6^th corps, change orders to “move to support centre”

6 French – will arrive start of move 4

12 French –unlimber artillery, deploy infantry

16 Italian –unlimber artillery, deploy infantry

24 French –move cavalry to left flank

Bavarian CinC –move to 1^st  corps change orders to “move to support centre”

1 Bavarian –arrive and march towards centre

2 Bavarian – artillery advance and unlimber, infantry move towards woods

3 Bavarian –artillery advance with cavalry and unlimber

4 Bavarian – artillery advance with cavalry and unlimber

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

French CinC – move to centre

6 French –arrive start of move 4

12 French –enemy out of artillery range

16 Italian –enemy out of artillery range

24 French –artillery unlimbere

Bavarian CinC –move to 2^nd corps change orders to “Hold woods”

1 Bavarian –advance towards centre, send cavalry and artillery ahead

2 Bavarian –advance into woods, artillery manhandle into range

3 Bavarian –advance onto hill, artillery manhandle into range

4 Bavarian –deploy, artillery unlimber

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

French CinC – no orders

6 French –arrive start of move 4

12 French –artillery miss gunners, remainder redeploy to make space for 6^th corps

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners

24 French –artillery miss gunners

Bavarian CinC –join 4^th corps change orders to “hold hill”

1 Bavarian –advance towards centre

2 Bavarian –manhandle artillery forward, infantry advance in woods

3 Bavarian –artillery hit infantry, infantry advance on hill

4 Bavarian –manhandle artillery forward, infantry advance on hill

 

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

French CinC – no orders

6 French –arrive on table

12 French –artillery miss gunners, remainder redeploy

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners

24 French –artillery miss gunners, infantry join battle line from town

Bavarian CinC –join 3^rd corps change orders to “hold hill”

1 Bavarian –advance towards centre

2 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry form column of attack

3 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry advance along hill

4 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry form column of attack

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

French CinC – no orders

6 French –advance towards the centre

12 French –artillery miss gunners

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners

24 French –artillery miss gunners, garrison move out of town

Bavarian CinC –no orders

1 Bavarian –artillery unlimber, infantry advance

2 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry advance in woods

3 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry advance on hill

4 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, infantry form column of attack

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French CinC –no orders

6 French –advance towards centre

12 French –artillery miss gunners

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners, cavalry move into front rank

24 French –artillery miss gunners

Bavarian CinC –no orders

1 Bavarian –artillery hit infantry, infantry advance towards centre

2 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry

3 Bavarian –artillery hit infantry, infantry form column of attack

4 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

French CinC – join 6^th corps change orders to Engage

6 French –artillery unlimber, infantry advance

12 French –artillery miss gunners

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners

24 French –artillery miss gunners

Bavarian CinC –join 1^st and 4^th corps change orders to Engage

1 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, remainder advance

2 Bavarian –artillery hit infantry, cavalry advance north of woods

3 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, cavalry move on to hill

4 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

French CinC – join 24^th corps

6 French –artillery miss gunners, remainder start to deploy

12 French –gunners lose melee and rout, take one infantry brigades with them

16 Italian – artillery miss gunners, 6^th infantry retire out of artillery range

24 French –cavalry lose melee and rout, take two infantry brigades with them.

Bavarian CinC –join 2^nd corps change orders to Engage

1 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, remainder advance

2 Bavarian –cavalry charge and rout enemy cavalry

3 Bavarian –artillery hit infantry, cavalry advance to front of hill

4 Bavarian –cavalry rout gunners, remainder advance

Note – Bavarians have started to attack

Note – 12^th and 24^th French corps badly shaken

Move 9 – 1600 to 17000

French CinC –move to 24^th corps order Retreat

6 French –artillery hit infantry who are shaken, remainder of corps deploy

12 French –change orders to Halt, cavalry retire facing enemy

16 Italian – artillery miss cavalry

24 French – artillery miss infantry in woods, shaken square fails morale and routs

Bavarian CinC –move to join 3^rd corps

1 Bavarian – artillery hit shaken infantry, remainder of corps advance

2 Bavarian –infantry firefight with square is a draw.   Cavalry cut down shaken infantry

3 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry.  Waiting for orders to engage

4 Bavarian –artillery hit and rout shaken square, remainder of corps advance

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

French CinC – Change 12^th corps orders to Retreat

6 French –artillery miss infantry at short range, cavalry charge cavalry and draw

12 French –infantry hit square and retreat

16 Italian –artillery miss gunners

24 French –guns limber and retreat

Bavarian CinC –change 1^st and 3^rd corps orders to Attack

1 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, cavalry charge and rout infantry

2 Bavarian –artillery miss gunners, corps moves towards centre

3 Bavarian –artillery miss infantry, remainder of corps advance off hill

4 Bavarian –artillery hit square, remainder of corps advance towards centre

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

French CinC – Order 6^th and 16^th corps to retreat

6 French –cavalry lose melee, artillery limber and retreat

12 French –cavalry retreat facing enemy to cover corps rout

16 Italian –artillery hit infantry, square miss cavalry, infantry win melee

24 French –limbered artillery routed by cavalry, all of corps now in rout

Bavarian CinC –order 2^nd and 4^th corps to attack

1 Bavarian –all advance

2 Bavarian –cavalry rout limbered artillery, remainder advance towards centre

3 Bavarian –artillery miss square, cavalry draw melee, infantry draw melee

4 Bavarian –artillery miss gunners, infantry rout square, remainder advance

French Rout

12th and 24^th French corps rout towards camera

Red circle denotes rout, number indicated casualties

Only lancer brigade remains formed to cover the rout

6^th corps (on the right) also covers the retreat

Game Casualties

French lose 9,600 infantry and 500 cavalry plus 400 gunners and 60 guns

Bavarian lose 3,200 infantry and 300 cavalry

Game Summary

Wrede delayed the attack until 1^st corps arrived and were in position.

He used the hills and woods to protect his other three corps until he was ready to attack

This allowed 6^th French corps to arrive and deploy

At this stage the French looked the stronger, as they were in defence

2^nd corps opened the attack, and won the initial cavalry melee

This allowed the remainder of the corps to press home their attack

2^4th corps lost the town and the whole corps broke and ran

The panic spread to 12^th corps, who soon joined them

6^th and 16^th corps held their own and covered the retreat.

The uneven casualties are not unusual

Once part of a corps routs the advantage quickly passes to the enemy

The rout spreads and casualties mount.

Total casualties at the end of this battle

Bavarian  3,500 

French 10,500  plus 9 brigades in rout and 60 guns abandoned