15th March 1814 – Battle of Clerval

Clerval Campaign Area

6 French               move to D06 on attack orders                    arrive D06 move 1                           

12 French            move to E04 on attack orders                     on table

16 Italian              move to E06 on attack orders                     on table

24 French            move to E05 on attack orders                     arrive D05 move 1

31 French            move to D07 and hold                                    arrive D07 move 1

1 Bavarian           move to E05 on attack orders                     arrive F05 move 1

2 Bavarian           move to F05 on attack orders                     arrive F05 move 5

3 Bavarian           move to F06 on attack orders                     arrive F06 move 1

4 Baden                move to E08 on attack orders                     arrive F07 move 5

5 Baden                move to F08 on attack orders                     arrive F07 move 9

French                                     Bavarian                    

Infantry - 56000                      infantry – 56000

cavalry - 4000                         cavalry - 4000 

guns - 160                               guns - 160

Notes

8000 French and Bavarian infantry are missing on garrison duty

Table at start of wargame

6^th, 24^th and 31^st French corps arrive at the start of move 1

1^st and 3^rd Bavarian corps arrive at the start of move 1

2^nd and 4^th Baden corps arrive at the start of move 5

5^th Baden corps arrive at the start of move 9.

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

24^th French-move towards town

31^st French-move towards top village

French cinc-change 16^th corps orders to “form left flank”

16^th French-move towards top village

12^th French-move towards town

1^st Bavarian-move to left of village

3^rd Bavarian-move to right of village

6^th French-move between town and village

Bavarian cinc-order 1^st corps “Hold village” and 3^rd corps “Hold hill”

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

24^th French-continue to advance

Bavarian cinc-move to join 2^nd corps

6^th French-continue to advance

French cinc-change 31^st corps orders to “move onto hill”

12^th French-continue to advance

31^st  French-move towards hill

16^th French-continue to advance

1^st Bavarian-advance and garrison farm

3^rd Bavarian-move onto hill

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

1^st Bavarian-deploy around village

31^st French-continue to advance

24^th French-continue to advance

Bavarian cinc-order 2^nd corps “move to right flank”

16^th French-continue to advance

6^th French-continue to advance

12^th French-enter town

3^rd Bavarian-start to deploy on hill

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

31^st French-move onto hill

French cinc-change 12^th corps orders to “Hold town”

Bavarian cinc-move off table with 2^nd corps

16^th French- continue to advance

6^th French-continue to advance

12^th French-artillery fire on gunners, remainder occupy town

24^th French-continue to advance

1^st Bavarian-redeploy round farm

3^rd Bavarian-artillery fire on town

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

6^th French-deploy around town

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on town

Bavarian cinc- move with 2^nd corps

4^th Bavarian-continue to advance

31^st French-deploy on hill

French cinc-order 24^th corps “support 12^th corps”

12^th French-artillery fire on farm

2^nd Bavarian-continue to advance

16^th French-continue to advance

24^th French-change orders to “Halt”

3^rd Bavarian-artillery fire on garrison

Extend table to the right to cover area of Bavarian approach march

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on cavalry, no casualties

2^nd Bavarian-continue to advance

5^th Bavarian-continue to advance

31^st French-deploy on hill

4^th Bavarian-move onto hill

6^th French-artillery fire on gunners, no casualties

16^th French-change orders to “Halt”

3^rd Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

Bavarian cinc-change 2^nd corps orders “deploy between hills”

French cinc-change 6^th corps orders “Engage hill”

24^th French-waiting for new orders

12^th French-artillery fire on farm, no casualties

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

4^th Bavarian-continue to advance

6^th French-advance to engage hill

31^st French-continue to deploy

24^th French-waiting for new orders

12^th French-artillery fire on farm, no casualties

2^nd Bavarian-artillery unlimber on hill

5^th Bavarian-continue to advance

French cinc-change 16^th corps orders “Engage hill” and 31^st corps orders “Hold hill”

16^th French-advance to engage hill

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on gunners, no casualties

3^rd Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

31^st French-artillery unlimber on hill

Bavarian cinc-order 4^th corps to “Hold hill”

2^nd Bavarian-artillery fire on cavalry, no casualties

French cinc-order 12^th corps “Engage village”

12^th French-artillery fire on village, 10% casualties and Shaken

6^th French-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

24^th French-waiting for new orders

5^th Bavarian-continue to advance

16^th French-cavalry charge cavalry, lose melee and retire Shaken

4^th Bavarian-continue to advance

3^rd Bavarian-artillery fire on cavalry, no casualties

1^st Bavarian-Artillery fire on infantry, 10% casualties, infantry rally

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

12^th French-cavalry charge artillery and rout gunners

1^st  Bavarian-garrison rally, second brigade enter village in support

16^th French-artillery fire on cavalry, 10% casualties, cavalry rally

2^nd Bavarian-cavalry charge cavalry, win melee, losers retire Shaken

5^th Bavarian-continue to advance

31^st French-artillery fire on cavalry, 10% casualties, cavalry rally

3^rd Bavarian-infantry form square

24^th French-waiting for orders

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

Bavarian cinc-change 5^th corps orders to “Engage hill”

French cinc-change 24^th corps orders to “Engage village”

4^th Bavarian-continue to advance

Cavalry charge guns

Lancers charge gunners

Gunners fail test to retreat to square

Gunners fire on lancers, 10% casualties

Lancers pass morale test and continue to charge

Lancers kill 50% casualties on gunners

Rest of gunners abandon guns and rout

Lancers test morale to pursue or charge nearest enemy

Lancers test morale and halt on guns

Note: Wargame Rule 16 refers

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

4^th Bavarian-deploy to engage hill

2^nd Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, 10% casualties, infantry rally

16^th French-artillery fire on cavalry, 20% casualties, cavalry rout

6^th French-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

 6^th French-infantry skirmish square, 10% casualties, square shaken

31^st French-artillery fire on infantry, 10% casualties, infantry rally

5^th Bavarian-cavalry charge and rout infantry column

24^th French-advance to engage village

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

Bavarian cinc-orders 4^th corps “Engage hill”

French cinc-no orders

3^rd Bavarian-infantry skirmish, 10% casualties, enemy rally

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

16^th French-artillery fire on cavalry and infantry, no casualties

1^st Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, 20% casualties, infantry rally

1^st Bavarian-cavalry charge stationary lancers, melee draw, both disordered

Bavarian cinc-order 2^nd corps “Engage)

12^th French-artillery fire on village, no casualties

12^th French-lancers lose melee, 20% casualties and rout

French cinc-order 16^th corps “Hold”

2^nd Bavarian-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

4^th Bavarian-continue to advance

31^st French-artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

3^rd Bavarian-infantry win skirmish, 40% casualties, French rout

24^th French-change orders to “Halt”

5^th Bavarian-deploy to attack hill

6^th French-artillery fire on cavalry, 10% casualties, cavalry shaken

6^th French corps break and rout

The failure of 6^th corps to take the centre hill marks the end of the French attack.  

The Bavarian army are now concentrated and ready to counter attack

Marshal Marmont orders Fourth French Army to break contact and withdraw

Game Casualties

French lose 4400 infantry and 300 cavalry

Bavarian lose 1200 infantry, 300 cavalry and 6 guns

Game Summary

This was an encounter battle, and both Armies had to reach the battlefield and deploy

However the French were the first to do so, and immediately went on the attack

Marmont ordered his 6^th corps to attack the Bavarian held hill in the centre

Due to the hilly terrain the French guns were unable to cause sufficient casualties

The battle would hinge on a massive infantry battle for the centre hill

3^rd Bavarian corps won this battle, and routed 6^th French corps

By late afternoon the Bavarian army was ready to launch a counter attack

Marmont ordered his Army to break contact and retreat before they could do so

Total casualties at the end of this battle

French 4700 casualties and five brigades in rout

Bavarian 1700 casualties and three brigades in rout