EYLAU - 1807

Now I know some of you (well, James) were hoping I'd do Golymin next but I was itching for something epic so I went for Eylau. Not a battle I was particularly familiar with so I did a bit of reading; Chandler and Petre mostly, and set up a battlefield based on a mix of sources. Before we commence I would like to wish my long-time friend Stephen Priest, who occasionally flits through the lair, a happy birthday!

Owing to some technical issues I used two cameras for this and the order of events is quite muddled so do bear with me! To make things worse, I stopped halfway through and started again as things got a bit out of hand and I hadn't read enough about the battle to make sense of it - as a game it was a mess!

An overview of the battlefield - I tend to avoid snowy battles as they never look quite right without matching bases and snow on rooftops etc but I compromised and just threw an old bedsheet over the table. French are on your left and the Russians your right.

Russian cavalry on their left wing hover around the village of Serpalten which will be heavily contested.

Turn 1

Historically, the French, with their usual distain for their opponents, launched an attack across the whole front. This I replicated as in the rules used (Volley & Bayonet) you can't afford to hang around when you are facing that much artillery!

En avant! The French massed around Eylau begin to trundle forwards with Murat's cavalry reserve in the rear.

Serpalten receives its first visit from the Davout's Corps.

Eylau is occupied.

The French centre advances towards the Russian batteries.

Which meet them with a thunderous volley - which does almost no damage! Sixteen batteries caused just two hits!

They do look pretty though!

Turn 2:

More of the same as the Russians simply rely on their guns to skittle the French out before they reach the infantry.

Contact is made...

The French take heavy casualties this time!

But, with the assistance of their cavalry, the French overrun the gunline.

And press on to attack the infantry.

Meanwhile on the French right, it is looking unlikely that Davout will repeat his historical right hook as he is unable to take Serpalten!

Turn 3

The tussle for the centre continues to little effect.

The Russians now begin a series of counter- attacks...

Turn 4

The French withdraw a number of severely battered units from the frontline but the fight on the slopes above Eylau continues with the French enjoying some success.

There is no mention of this in the notes but here the French seem to have pushed up on their left as well and are advancing beyond Eylau.

More of the same... We can see from the numbers on the small dice behind the units that they have suffered heavy casualties.

The French still have a large cavalry reserve and this now begins to move forward.

The French begin to clear the Russians from the heights but are taking heavy casualties.

The Russian infantry, however, is entirely fresh and now moves forward to do battle.

They also move up their cavalry reserves.

And on the far left of the French line, Cossacks ambush a party of Chasseurs. 

Turn 5

 It is already looking quite dicey for the French. They have committed everything except the guard and have barely dented the Russian frontline.

Lasalle's Light Cavalry division charges the Russian batteries at Serplaten. The French must make inroads here if they are to have any chance of victory.

The infantry tries its luck at the gates.

Murat moves his squadrons into position.

The infantry has cleared the heights and is now rolling up the Russian left.

However, the Russians still have vast numbers of troops in reserve and,  whilst they remain largely passive, they move up some cavalry to counter Murat.

Turn 6

Serpalten continues to hold out.

The French cavalry drives a wedge between the Russian centre and their troops at Serpalten.

But this is only the Russian frontline and the French can see dark masses moving forwards - victory is impossible. The French army has been seriously mauled. I call an end to the game.

Wargaming, whilst it can never replicate real battle, shares with it an element of chance. This is represented by the rolling of dice and in this game it is fair to say that the dice were not kind to the French. My decisions do not seem to have helped their situation though... I return to the books and decide to give the battle another go....

Stay tuned for Eylau II - Death in the Snow!

Marston Moor

 Well, I thought perhaps you'd like a break from the Napoleonic action - no? Well, you are getting one anyway! This is a recreation of the battle of Marston Moor which was fought on 2 July 1644 (I am writing this on the anniversary of the battle but it was played out in December 2023, apparently - only seems like yesterday!). The battle was the largest and, perhaps, most important battle of the war, as it spelled the beginning of the end for the royalist cause, particularly in the north. Having relieved York  which had been besieged by three armies; the Scots, the Northern Association and the Eastern association, the royalists, under Prince Rupert followed the allied forces away from the city until he came across them drawn up on rising ground between the villages of Tockwith and Long Marston.

After a certain amount of uncertainty on both sides, the parliamentarian artillery opened fire at about 2 in the afternoon, and battle commenced.

The refight was staged in my loft with 20/25mm figures from every manufacturer under the sun, using adapted Volley & Bayonet rules.

The Long Marston end of the battlefield, complete with abandoned measuring devices. The Scots/Parliamentarians are nearest the camera.

Turn 1:

Fairfax's cavalry moves forward.

Beyond the Scots, the Parliamentary infantry begins its advance.

The Eastern Association nears the foe (I think my table is due some TLC!).

The royalists prepare to give fire.

BANG!!

The royalist centre belches lead!

On the royalist left infantry (Tillier's?) move up the lane to secure their flank and skirmish with Fairfax's dragoons.

Turn 2:

Well I think this is turn 2 but, unusually, I haven't included any indication in the camera roll so I'm not actually sure!

The Northern Horse counter charges Fairfax on the edge of Long Marston.

Fairfax's infantry readies itself for the royalist onslaught - In the historic battle most of this lot were in Tadcaster by this stage, causing people in the area to think Rupert had won the battle! In this battle though, Fairfax wins the melee and Goring retreats.

A desultory and inconclusive fire spews from the the royalist ranks.

Turn 3:

Lillburn's Dragoons occupy Tockwith on the Parliamentarian left while Cromwell's Ironsides trot forward.

The royalist centre holds.

Rupert moves up to Tockwith to face Cromwell.

On the other side of the battlefield Goring charges again but without success and two of his units are lost.

Turn 4:

Overall situation - the parliamentarians are well across the road now and getting stuck in to the royalist positions.

Battle is joined at Tockwith.

Rupert smashes Cromwell and pushes him back.

The parliamentarians feed more units into the centre - this time Scots.

The royalists in the lane counter attack.

On the other side, Goring tries again. His troopers' horses nearing exhaustion, Goring's northern horse outflanks the overextended parliamentarians, and this time achieves the historical result; overthrowing them. (The cavalry on the left of the picture were painted over 30 years ago!).

Turn 5:

Doggedly the allies attack again. Here on their right they tried to use their dragoons to gain an advantage but in vain.

The attack in the centre achieves some success but the royalist infantry remains secure behind the hedge line.

Newcastle's regiment - feel they have done enough damage to try and press their advantage.

Goring moves to negate any advantage the allies may have had from their dragoons.

In the centre, parliamentarian units begin to break.

Turn 6:

The parliamentarians try to shore up their line but the royalists press on.

Having seen off Cromwell, Rupert starts to roll up the parliamentarian left.

Turn 7:

The Scots fight to the last strength point but the tide is irrevocably against the allies.

The parliamentarian units start to flee the battlefield as the royalists advance across the front. The battle is over, history has been altered.

Conclusion:

As always it comes down to the dice - there are various mentions in the notes that I tweaked the rules as things were a bit lethal for the 17th century but I am not sure what I actually changed. It was quite an enjoyable fight, much more so than my Naseby game a few years ago which just did not work, so I intend to revisit this period. Also, I have done some games in 28mm using Pikeman's Lament which I will post at some point. As usual - don't be shy - do comment. Do you prefer a mix of periods or are just here for the Napoleonics?