13 April 1814 – Battle of Kurutze

Kurtuze Campaign Area

23 French           have orders to attack Kurutze

3 British              have orders to hold

French                 12,000 infantry               1,000 cavalry                   30 guns

British                 12,000 infantry               1,000 cavalry                   30 guns

 

Table at start of wargame

French Brigades              3 infantry           1 cavalry             1 artillery

British Brigades              3 infantry           1 cavalry             1 artillery

Both corps are on the table at the start of the wargame

 

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

French – advance and are spotted

British – deploy to meet attack

 

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

French – start to deploy

British – continue to deploy

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

French – artillery unlimber, infantry form column of attack

British – complete deployment

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

French – artillery hit square, infantry pass morale with 10% casualties

British – artillery fire on infantry, out of range

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

British – artillery fire on gunners, no casualties

French – artillery fire on square, no casualties.   infantry advance

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

British – artillery redeploy to fire on infantry

French – artillery hit square, infantry pass morale with 20% casualties

French – infantry approach British line

 

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

British – infantry skirmish, one French brigade shaken with 20% casualties

French – artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

French – infantry skirmish, no casualties

French – shaken brigade rallied

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

French - lancers charge and rout gunners with 20% casualties

nearby infantry square fail morale and join rout with 20% casualties

lancers fail to rally and charge nearby infantry who also route with 20% casualties

highland brigade fail morale and join rout

British – Picton orders cavalry to cover the rout

British rout

French lancers declare flank charge on gunners

British dragoons fail morale to counter charge

Gunners fail morale to move to nearby square

Lancers rout gunners with 20% casualties

Nearby square (who already have 20% casualties) fail morale and join rout

Lancers fail morale to rally and charge nearest enemy

This is the flank of the nearest brigade in line, they also rout with 20% casualties

The highland brigade fails morale and also joins rout

Only the British dragoons are left, and they cover the rout

Game Casualties

French corps lose 400 infantry

British corps lose 1,600 infantry and 200 gunners

Game Summary

The British deployed into line to await the French attack

French artillery opened fire on British cavalry, who retired out of range

French infantry advanced in column to attack the British line

British won initial skirmish fight

French artillery caused 20% casualties on square, who retreated out of range

This allowed the French lancers to charge the gunners in flank and rout them

The  lancers failed to rally and charged the nearest infantry in flank

The rout spread to all three British infantry brigades

Only the British dragoons were left to cover the rout

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

 British  3,000 casualties 4 brigades in rout

French 2,000 casualties