The Musings of General Jimbob: Clash at the Arreson Ford

Clash At Arreson Ford

A Napoleonic Black Powder battle set in Russia in the early part of the French invasion of 1812.

With my mate, Danny, and I having a day off from work we decided to head to that Scottish nirvana of gaming, Common Ground in Stirling. If you haven't visited yet then I recommend it most heartily, We make infrequent trips there to satisfy our need for large Napoleonic battles as we can get a 12'x7' table to battle across.

It had been a while since we last went there so a visit was overdue. With the recent release of A Clash Of Eagles, the 1812 invasion of Russia campaign book from Warlord Games my Russians actually and finally had stats and characteristics and new rules!! There were also new Napoleonic themed rules for all armies of this period as well as stats and characteristic for Austrians, another favourite of mine, as well as Italians, Saxons, Prussians, Polish etc etc. Praise be!!

So with very little time to truly prepare a unique scenario we fell back on one from the original rule book (see map below) and, with newly revised army lists we came up with this..

The Russians would hold the redoubts marked on the map and the French would have to take them. The river is fordable for its full length. The French have a superiority in numbers;

French forces:

Divisional Commander; General de Division Nathaniel Bonaparte

On the French left flank and centre;

Brigade of the Imperial Guard:

Commander: General de Brigade Gaston Le Fromage-Grande.

3 Bns of Old Guard,

1 Bn Middle Guard:

Guard Artillery

Commander: General d'Artillery Rene Le Chien

1 battery of heavy artillery of the Guard;

1st Brigade of Swiss Infantry

Commander: General d'Infantry Lucas Le Fru-Fru

3 Bns of Swiss Ligne

1 Bn of National Guard

1 light horse artillery battery,

2 skirmishers screens of Voltiguers

Light Cavalry Brigade

Commander;Colonel Gabriel Dux-Baton

1 Regiment of Dutch Red Lancers

2nd and 9th Regiments of Line Lancers.

On the French right flank:

30th Brigade of Ligne:

Commander: General de Brigade Francois Le Bon-Flop

4 Bns of Ligne Infantry

1 battery of medium artillery

1 half battery of howitzers.

Heavy Cavalry Brigade

Commander General de Cavalry Michele Le Whinney

1 Cuirassier Regiment

1 Carabinier Regiment

Brigade of Dragoons

2 Regiments of Dragoons

Russian Forces;

Divisonal Commander: General Jacob Charles Baccy De Rolly

Russian Centre

Guard Brigade:

Commander: General Ivan Chestikoff

1st Bn Izmailovsky Guard,

2nd and 3rd Battalions of Life Jager.

1st Bn Archangelogrod Infantry

2 companies of 49th Jaeger (skirmish screen)

Simbirsk and Vilna Brigade

Commander: Colonel Fritz Egzund-Baykon

Commander; 1st and 2nd Bns Simbirsk Infantry

2nd and 3rd Bns Vilna Infantry

2 companies of 49th Jaeger (skirmish screen)

Marine and Tarnopol Brigade

Commander: Colonel Igor Olgonrongski

1st and 2nd Bns Marine Infantry

2nd and 3rd Tarnopol Infantry

2 companies of 49th Jaeger (skirmish screen)

Heavy Cavalry Brigade

Commander; Colonel Pietor Von Dei Attatiem

Glukov Cuirrasiers

Riga Dragoons

Light Cavalry Brigade

Commander; Count Etienne De Pennys

Lifeguard Hussars

White Russia Hussars

Alexandrija Hussars

Divisonal Artillery

6th Medium Battery

14th Light Battery

Divisional Cavalry Reserve

The Attaboy Cossack group (a large unit)

It is 1812 and Napoleon Bonaparte has unleashed the largest army known in modern times on the Russians. The Russian forces are trading space for time till they have a chance of defeating the French and their allies. As they fall back, Napoleon attempts to pin them in place and bring them to battle.

On the southern front, the French have spotted a chance of doing just that with at least part of the Russian 4th Army. This army was withdrawing across the River Schtenki at the Arreson Ford and through the forest that bordered it's eastern side. As a bottle neck was bound to occur, Napoleon's least favourite and least known brother, Nathaniel, a fairly capable soldier, had been given command of a small, fast moving division with which to win his spurs. His mission, to catch the Russians before they can complete their crossing of the Schtenki at the Arreson Ford. Arriving too late to effect this, Nathaniel decided to push on and at least harangue the Russians.

The Russians, under General Baccy De Rolly, grandson of a Scottish tobacco lord who emigrated to Baltic Russia, had moved most of their forces through the woods and only the tail of the army was still in the bottle neck. To quell the grumbling of the Russian officers who were heart sick of always running, Baccy De Rolly decided to plug the bottle neck with a division and give the French a bloody nose. Sending back a what artillery was at hand to re-garrison the redoubts on the eastern side of the river overlooking the ford, the Russians had managed to get half their forces in place before the French appeared on the west bank of the Schtenki.

the Russian centre. The medium battery is the nearest. The 14th Light
Battery is only covered by the heavy brigade, not a good situation for shock cavalry

the Russians left flank with Count De Pennys massed Hussar
brigade literally chomping at the bit

Deploying into line on the western bank, Gen d'Div Bonouparte orders
the French forces advance across the Schtenki

Cursing Baccy De Rolly's poor plan of deployment, Colonel Von Dei Attatiem's Heavy
Brigade find themselves in the unusual role of being the only defenders nearest the 14th Light Battery..

Col. Egzund Baykon encourages his men of the Simbirsk and Vilna Regiments to make best speed. In an attemtp to cover ghis advance he sends out a skirmish screen provided by the 49th Jager

Count De Pennys deploys the Life Guard Hussars and The White Russia Hussars to
cover the extreme left flank of the Russian line

Le Fru-Fru's French Swiss Brigade make a bold thrust toward the weaker Russian flank

Realising the danger to their guns, Colonel Von Dei Attatiem sends forward the Glukov Cuirassier to slow down the French advance. Placing them in some peril as they are shot at from both the front and the flank. They stood there, unflinching, most of the day taking a lot of fire and becoming disordered several times but only breaking when the flank was reinforced by the Russian infantry

The Russian infantry pour into the centre to stem the French flood. Col. Egzund Baykon sends the Simbirsk Regiment and the Jaeger skirmish toward the advancing enemy whilst the Vilna Regiment head toward the weak right flank

General d'Infantry Le Fru-Fru observes proceedings and likes what he sees. Only a regiment of cuirassiers in front. As they aren't French they must be inferior.

The skirmishers of the 49th get left behind as first the Simbirsk then
the Izmailovsky Guards send their French opponents reeling

The French left wing.. Both the Riga Dragoons and Glukov Cuirassiers are holding
up a massed infantry advance of Line, Old Guard and Middle Guard. Joining them
in the fray are the Divisions only reserves, the Cossacks, who with typical disregard
for their General's wishes, have committed themslves too early...or have they?

Count De Pennys, impoverished emigre French Royalist Hussar Colonel.

De Pennys sends the Life Guard Hussars to the prop up the Russian's right flank

The Cossacks send the Dutch Red Lancers reeling...

..carried away with this success, the charge the 9th French Line Lancers

...but they bite off more than they can chew and break. But they have made a major contribution to the battle as the Dutch Red Lancers are unable to participate further

Meanwhile, the French 2nd Line Lancers are charged by the Riga Dragoons,

who send them cantering back to their own lines

On the French right flank, General de Cavalry Le Bon-Flop, his Cuirassiers and

Carabiniers in a state of disorganisation from the Russian firing,

sends the Dragoons in a sweeping flank attack on the White Russia Hussars

..who, though caught off guard, aquit themselves well and defeat the Dragoons

On the French left flank, things are looking rosier. The Riga Dragoons

can take no more of the French infantry and cannon shot and break,

much to the dismay of Col. Von Dei Attatiem, who suddenly
finds himself without a command

A study of command under fire and under bicornes;

General Lucas Le Fru-Fru

and General Ivan Chestikoff

Under the guns of the 14th Battery a giant, swirling melee begins
as the Archangelogrod Infantry are struck by the hammer blow of Pas
De Charge delivered by the French Old Guard and withstand the shock

The combat is joined by the 2nd Line Lancers and the
Life Guard Hussars and lasts for what seems an eternity

until the Archangelogord Regiment, having
withstood shot and steel for too long, break.
But their sacrifice wasn't in vain. The French forces are
exhausted and, as night falls, they pull back

View from the centre of the French position

..and the right of their position

General Baccy De Rolly congratulates General Chestikoff

on his Guards Brigades performance

Post Script

Well that was a brilliant battle. It had it all from a Napoleonic perspective; bold advances, sweeping cavalry charges and swirling combats with game changing results, bad shooting and grim, deadly combats. Black Powder, in my opinion, certainly delivers when it comes to big battles like this.

The new rules in A Clash Of Eagles are great and give plenty of flavour to the armies in its pages. Whilst being pretty naff at shooting, the Russians make up for it in combat and staying power.

We normally ignore the Broken Brigade rule in games this size as we seldom get to play games this size and after building and painting all these troops you want to have them participate in the game.

Thanks to Danny for being such a sporting opponent. His French still had enough forces and plenty of fire in their bellies and a turn or two more would've seen them take the 14th Battery position on the Russian right flank and gain a minor victory.

All praise to the Archangelogrod Infantry Battalion. After being bested in combat by the Old Guard and 2nd Line Lancers and being pushed beyond their stamina twice, once by +5 and the second by+3 I managed to roll high enough for them to remain in the game.

The French were let down by their heavy artillery which failed to get in position during the whole game; their commander, Rene Le Chein, was more interested in spending his time entertaining dancing girls than battering the foe. A swift posting sideways will no doubt be his reward.