20th March 1814 - Battle of Oberstein

Oberstein Campaign Area

French             32,000 infantry           2,000 cavalry              90 guns

Russian           56,000 infantry           4,000 cavalry              90 guns

French HQ       move to Oberstein                

2 French          hold B06                                

8 French          hold B04                                

26 French        hold B05

Russian HQ     Move to Bad Kreuznach       

1 Russian        move to C05 and attack       

2 Russian        move to C04 and attack       

3 Russian        move to C06 and attack       

4 Russian        move to D04 and attack       

5 Russian        move to Bad Kreuznach       
              

Table at start of wargame

French Brigades          8 infantry        2 cavalry         3 artillery

Russian Brigades        14 infantry      4 cavalry         3 artillery

Russian HQ     enter D06 move 5

1 Russian        enter D05 move 1

2 Russian        enter D04 move 1

3 Russian        enter D06 move 1

4 Russian        enter D04 move 5

French HQ       enter B05 move 1

2 French          start in B06

8 French          start in B04

26 French        start in B05

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Russians enter table on the right

French send their cavalry forward to slow the Russian advance

French artillery and infantry move onto hills.

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

French occupy town as garrison

French artillery, supported by infantry, unlimber on hills

Russian cavalry advance to pin French

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

Russians continue to advance

French cavalry withdraw

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

Russians change to attack formation

French wait to see what Russians will do

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Russian artillery unlimber in valley

Russian cavalry advance on to hills

4^th Russian corps arrives bottom right

French artillery withdraw from hills covered by infantry squares

 

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French cavalry move on to hills to counter Russian cavalry

Russian longer range artillery open fire 

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

Russian infantry advance on to hills to support cavalry

Russian and French gunners exchange fire

Russian gunners man handle their guns forward

 

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

Russian artillery fire on French infantry, no casualties

Russian cavalry and infantry advance on hills

 

Move 9 – 1600 to 17000

Russians continue to advance on hills

Russian artillery continue to fire on French infantry, light casualties only

French artillery continue to fire on Russian gunners, no casualties

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

Russian CinC is concerned that his artillery have been so ineffective

Movement on the hills has slowed down his advance

He is aware that there is not much daylight left to attack

He orders his corps to Engage

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

French cavalry prevent Russian infantry advancing beyond hills

Russian cavalry charge them, but are driven back in disorder

Russian artillery continue to fire on French infantry, but only minor casualties

As night falls Russian CinC halts the advance to avoid heavy casualties.

Game Casualties

French lose 800 infantry

Russians lose 400 infantry and 100 cavalry

Game Summary

The Russians should have won this wargame due to their superiority in numbers

The terrain allowed the weaker French to dominate the two valleys with artillery

The Russians had to advance along the hills, which slowed their advance

They deployed their longer range artillery in the valley, but failed to cause enough casualties

They fired 15 times and only achieved hits twice.

The French did little better, but could only fire on gunners, who are harder to hit

The Russian artillery had failed to weaken the French

The Russian cavalry now tried to remove the French cavalry

The Cossacks charged the guard cavalry, failed and were routed

The cuirassiers charge the French heavy cavalry, also failed and were shaken

By 1900 the Russian commander was faced with steady French infantry and artillery

He was also aware that he had just run out of time

He ordered his army to abandon the attack