14th March 1814 - Battle of Oppenheim (2)

Oppenheim Campaign Area

4 French                      move to D05 on attack orders          arrive move 5   

10 French                    move to D05 on attack orders          arrive move 1

14 Westphalian          move to D05 on attack orders            arrive move 5

22 French                    Move to E04 on attack orders          arrive move 5

1 Russian                    move to F05 on attack orders           arrive move 5

2 Russian                    move to E05 and defend                   on table

3 Russian                    move to E06 and defend                   on table

4 Russian                    move to E04 and defend                   on table

French                                     Russian                      

Infantry - 54800                      infantry - 52000

cavalry - 4000                        cavalry - 3900 

guns - 120                               guns - 120

Notes

9200 French infantry are missing due to garrison duties and casualties

12000 Russian infantry, and 100 cavalry, are missing due to garrison duties and casualties

Table at start of wargame

2^nd Russian corps are marching towards Oppenheim

3^rd Russian corps are marching to top centre square

4^th Russian corps are marching south to village

10^th French corps will arrive top left at start of move 1

Remainder will all arrive start of move 5

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Russian cinc – orders 2^nd corps to “engage 1^st French corps”

3 Russian – advance north, 12 brigade leave Oppenheim to rejoin corps

10 French – commander and cavalry arrive to observe Russian deployment

4 Russian – march south towards village

2 Russian – start to deploy to defend Oppenheim

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

3 Russian – deploy to meet 10^th French

2 Russian – 8 brigade garrison Oppenheim, remainder deploy around town

Russian cinc – orders 2^nd corps  “hold Oppenheim”

4 Russian – move around village

10 French – deploy to meet 3^rd Russian, artillery and infantry move onto hill

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

4 Russian – deploy around village

3 Russian – start to deploy at road

10 French – advance on hill

Russian cinc – orders 3^rd corps  to “hold road”

2 Russian – deploy around town

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

4 Russian – deploy around village

Russian cinc – orders 4^th corps to “hold village”

10 French – infantry and artillery leave hill and rejoin corps

2 Russian – deploy around town

3 Russian – artillery miss cavalry, corps deploy at road

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

1 Russian – arrive on table

12 French – arrive on table

4 Russian – withdraw cavalry, infantry support farm

14 French – arrive on table

3 Russian – artillery hit cavalry who rally

French cinc – orders 10^th corps  to “engage 3^rd corps”

2 Russian – redeploy south of town to make room for 1^st corps

10 French – advance towards town, cavalry withdraw out of artillery range

4 French – arrive on table

Russian cinc – orders 4^th corps to “hold village”

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

22 French – continue to deploy on table

14 French – continue to deploy on table

Russian cinc – orders 1^st corps “move to north of town”

10 French – advance towards 3^rd Russian

2 Russian – artillery hit infantry who rally

3 Russian – infantry form line

4 French – continue to deploy on table

1 Russian – move towards town

4 Russian – artillery hit infantry who rally

French cinc – move to centre of battle line

 

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

 14 French – continue to deploy

French cinc – no orders

1 Russian – start to deploy north of town

Russian cinc – no orders

2 Russian – artillery hit infantry who rally,  infantry reinforce town

9 French – continue to deploy

3 Russian – artillery miss gunners

10 French - deploy in column of attack, artillery unlimber

4 Russian – artillery miss infantry

22 French – continue to deploy

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

4 French – artillery miss town garrison

10 French – artillery miss infantry

4 Russian – artillery miss infantry

French cinc – orders 4^th and 10^th corps to engage enemy right flank

1 Russian – artillery miss infantry

22 French – artillery unlimber on hill, infantry advance

14 French - artillery hit garrison of village who rally, cavalry move to left flank

3 Russian – artillery miss infantry

2 Russian – artillery miss infantry

Russian cinc – orders 1^st corps to “hold”

Note – Russian Army now fully deployed

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

14 French – artillery miss village garrison, infantry advance off hill

4 French – artillery miss town garrison, infantry advance to attack

3 Russian – artillery miss infantry

10 French – artillery miss infantry, infantry advance to attack

French cinc – orders 22^nd corps to “engage enemy centre”

1 Russian – artillery hit infantry who rally

2 Russian – artillery miss infantry

22 French artillery miss town garrison, cavalry advance to charge guns

Russian cinc – no orders

4 Russian – artillery miss infantry

Note – French attack has started

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

2 Russian – Gunners flee to garrison and abandon guns, infantry form square

10 French – artillery miss infantry, remainder of corps advance to attack

French cinc – orders 14^th corps “engage enemy centre”

Russian cinc – move to centre of battlefield

22 French – artillery and infantry fire on garrison, no casualties

1 Russian – artillery hit infantry who rally

14 French – artillery miss village garrison, remainder of corps advance to attack

4 French – artillery and infantry fire on garrison, no casualties

4 Russian – artillery miss cavalry, abandon guns and seek shelter in village

3 Russian – artillery hit cavalry who rally

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

Russian cinc – no orders

1 Russian  - artillery hit infantry who rout

4 Russian – infantry square advance to secure abandoned guns

14 French – artillery and infantry fire on village garrison, no casualties

4 French – artillery and infantry fire on village garrison, who are shaken

2 Russian – replace shaken garrison, cavalry advance

3 Russian – artillery hit infantry who are shaken

French cinc – orders 10^th corps to retreat

10 French – artillery hit infantry who rally, corps start to retreat

22 French – cavalry charge cuirassiers, melee is draw and both disordered

Move 12 – 1900 to 2000

Russian cinc – no orders

French cinc – no orders

4 Russian – replace shaken village garrison

22 French – cavalry lose melee and retire shaken

4 French – infantry skirmish, enemy rally

3 Russian – arillery rout shaken infantry, who take nearby supports with them

2 Russian – garrison skirmish but no casualties

1 Russian – infantry draw firefight, both sides lose 10% and disordered

10 French – continue to retreat

14 French – infantry lose skirmish and are shaken

Move 13 – 2000 to 2100

4 Russian – shaken infantry rally

2 Russian – cavalry charge and rout shaken chasseurs

1 Russian – infantry draw firefight, both sides lose 20% and are disordered

4 French – infantry lose firefight and retire shaken

Russian cinc – no orders

French cinc – orders 4^th corps to retreat

14 French – win firefight, enemy retire shaken

3 Russian – artillery miss cavalry

22 French – skirmish but no casualties

10 French – continue to retreat

As night falls Marshal Victor orders a general retreat

Game Casualties

French lose 6400 infantry and 300 cavalry, and have five brigades in rout

Russians lose 5600 infantry, 100 cavalry, 100 gunners and three guns

Game Summary

A glance at the map will show how confused the orders of both armies were

It took both sides a lot of time to deploy as required

The French had to move through difficult terrain to deploy and attack

It was a very hard fought battle, which had to have an extra move to decide the winner

Both sides lost heavy casualties, but the Russians held the town at night fall

The French had to retreat in order to rally their five routed brigades

Total casualties at the end of this battle

French 6700 casualties and five brigades in rout

Russians 5700 casualties and one shaken brigade