Rabbitman Lost in the Fog of War

This post has taken literally months, to write, as I periodically updated it as things where fresh in my mind. But we started playing in September 2022.

It would have be nice to post monthly reports, but the Mad Padre reads this blog too, and he was on the other side. So OpSec was paramount.

A listener to our podcast heard the Mad Padre's desire to experience the grand sweep of Napoleonic strategic maneuvering and invited us to join her Play By E-Mail (PBEM) campaign refighting the 1806 campaign which ended in the Prussian defeat at Jena.

I thought this sounded like jolly good fun and volunteered for a minor role.

Then I got my briefing, only to find myself to be the Prussian C-in-C, General Charles William Ferdinad, Duke of  Brunswick.

The Duke of Brunswick KIA IRL at the B. of Jena

Of course, I was distracted by Real Life before the game kicked off, so I didn't sit down to read anything until the night my orders were due! No time for a Council of War or issuing orders to corps commanders. One of my Corps (General Ruchel) promptly galloped off into the blue to cause havoc among the French around Meiningen and Ohrdruf, and I occasionally got unexpected and much delayed reports, but my ability to support or coordinate with them was minimal. I just sent encouraging replies, outlined a few broad options, and hoped they are enough of a disruption to tip the balance for me.

Zany hijinks ensue as I figure out how to deploy my divisions and get them moving without too much congestion. My main body of 6 divisions ends up maneuvering in two separate columns and I get updates such as "You hear artillery fire to your south which lasts for 2 hours." 

I anxiously await the arrival of a lathered staff galloper with a report from the other large Prussian Corps commanded by another player.

And wait....

And wait....

For a contact report that never comes.

Fearing the worst I'm imaging their corps shattered and retreating in disarray and start worrying about a French outflanking move to my left, when I get a message that they're still comfortably ensconced in their original position at Hof while I'm engaging a French corps that has slipped between us.

Area of Operations

End of each turn I get lovely situation maps like this and report of what I've encountered. But, note that my map does not include the locations of the other Prussian corps!

The road South

At the rate of 3 kph it is slow going on the tiny map. A 10 hour march only moves you about an inch!

Where is everybody?

Contact! "More than a Division" 

Finally there is contact, but with who? and how many of them? I issue my orders and draw up my deployment. It's all very exciting! I compose a suitably stirring Order of the Day hoping that it might get me a +1 modifier. And for fun to keep in the spirit of things.

My deployment for the first engagement 
Pretty complicated, huh?

See attached photograph of deployment.

1Div and Arty Reserve Center

2Div west 

2Res Div east

Can I add that batteries should be dug in, infantry deployed in dead ground as much as possible and 2nd Reserve Div should refuse it's left wing? because I really think the French are going to fix my front and come around my open left flank.

I will give battle if the French attack me. If they do not then I will attack the detachment holding Schleitz. I want 2 Res Div to patrol to the east and look for the French and Hohenlohe.

From General Charles Wiliam Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, before Schleitz, 1900 11 Sept 1806

To: Generals Scharnhorst (3Div) Kuhneim (1 Res Div) Blucher (advance Guard), Prinz Louis (Adv Guard of Prince Hohenlohe's corps)

Gentlemen, I have encountered a strong enemy force occupying Schleitz and will give battle in the morning. I require you to march to the sound of the guns.

Leave your baggage at Saalfeld and force march through the night to Schleitz to envelope the enemy's left flank. Destroy all the Frenchmen before you. We will shake hands when we meet on the road to Hof.

From Duke of Brunswick, before Schleitz, 1900 11 Sept 1806

To General Ruhl near Morningen

Sir,

In the morning I expect to be attacked by the French main force. You are too far away to give aid in the coming battle.

Continue in your harrying of the enemy Lines of Communication and if you can return via the Neustadt-saalfeld pass you will discomfit Bernadotte's Corps considerably. 

Order your reserve division to march to Saalfeld as well.

Order of the Day to be read to all ranks

"Soldiers of Prussia! The invader is before you! Your homes are behind you! The eyes of God and your King watch over you! The fate of Fatherland is in your hands today!

You are the inheritors of Frederick the Great, who defeated enemies greater than this. Be firm in your resolve, steadfast in your courage and strong in the iron discipline of Prussian arms!"

After all that, the French promptly retire to Lobenstein, seeking, I suspect, to pull me out of position and into a trap. I fall back to Saalbourg where I can support Hohenlohe. 

Just in time as 2 French corps come thundering up from Hof. So my flank is threatened from Lobenstein,  but I am in a position to fall on the flank of the French main force too.

We fight a two pronged battle at Saalbourg and Schleitz. I try to hold my front and send half my force to help Hohenlohe by flanking Napoleon.

We give the Corsican Ogre a bloody nose but have to break off at night fall. I squeak north with just two divisions, while Hohenlohe and the rest of my corps sideslip over the hills to the east. There are many turns of anxiety and I conduct an epic night march north and slip from the French trap. I hope the German poet Korner writes something stirring about it. I am pursued and fight a few rear guard actions but manage to get into Altenbourg unmolested where I can rest, recover stragglers and dig in. The rest of my corps, followed by Hohenlohe join me there.

Unfortunately, so do the French, with Napoleon and the heavy cavalry reserve close behind.

Of course, whenever things get complicated, the weekly turns are only two hours long! So it can be quite anxious, and confusing, when you're sitting and waiting while the clock slows down for something going on somewhere else, and it takes 5 or 8 weeks of real time just to play out one day!

Okay! At last. I'm rested. My entire army is concentrated behind a river and dug in. I'll put Hohenlohe into reserve to rest and I'll fight the French Tyrant with my entire force behind redoubts!

Hohenlohe takes his corps against orders to engage the French corps coming from Gera. Which I said was a diversion to pull us apart, and we'd be better off staying concentrated behind all my lovely earthworks. But no, he swallows the bait.

FUCK!

Idiot. His corps would've come in handy during the battle.

Here is my feedback after the first two hours fighting at Altenbourg:

Reserve

1^st Div Orange

1^st Res Div Funheim

2^nd Res Div Arnim

NORTH

Blücher Advance Guard (7000) Warten's Div (8000) west	Brunswick Heavy Artillery Wurtemburg's Reserve (14,000) centre	Scharnhorst's Div (12,000) east
Inf Division (8000) west	Ney Inf Division (7000) Light (2000) centre	Napoleon Murat 1 Div Cuirassier (2000) 2 Div Cuirassier (2000) 1 Dragoons (2000) east

SOUTH

 The heaviest fighting takes place in the east sector where the French heavy cavalry comes wading through the water and up to the earthworks in multiple short probing attacks looking for any sign of weakness but they find none and after two hours they are forced to retreat back across the stream. Despite the fury of the action casualties are light (-5 to morale for Scharnhorst's Div) but you inflict twice what you suffer. In the centre Ney leads his troops forward more timidly and here the casualties are extremely light on both sides  as the French make no attempt to cross the river but just try and soften you up with their light field guns and skirmishers but you get the better of it and the French once more take twice the casualties that you do (-1 to morale for Wurtemburg's Reserve)

In the west the French make a more concerted effort, pushing hard to get across the river but they are thrown back by Blücher with significant casualties while Blücher's and Warten's casualties are quite light (-5 to morale for both Blücher and Wartens and twice that for the French). 

You will notice that there aren't many French infantry or the Guard revealed yet. So who knows what the Ogre is up to? My orders for the next two hour turn:

"Well we'll stick to our positions and I'll give a saddle bag of Thalers to whoever puts a ball into Napoleon, and I'll stand as Best Man at his wedding and God Father to his children too!"

And I offer up a prayer that Ruchel is marching east.

Turn 43 ends at 10:00 am on the 17^th of September 1806

 There is a lot of movement across the river in the Grande Armée. At 8:00 am a new Corps comes up and relieves the heavy cavalry in the West sector and immediatley presses forward into the attack. They cross the river and slam into the troops of Scharnhorst's Division. Scharnhorst is able to keep them out of the redoubts but his losses are heavy (-12 to morale for his Division) and he is not able to push Davout's men back across the river this time (this means that you lose the defensive bonus of the river in the West sector from now on). Scharnhorst's men are visibly wavering. Napoleon joins Ney in the center and urges the Division of infantry and cavalry there forward. They cross the river  shouting "Vive l'Empereur!", but they don't make it more than a couple of paces up the bank before they fall back to the safety of the south side again. Casualties in the centre are quite light on both sides (-1 to Wurtemberg's morale). In the West the Infantry Division facing you is reinforced by three Divisions of green coated Dragoons who all come on trumpets sounding and blades flashing but they are met with a firestorm from the Advanced Guard and Warten's Division and none of them make it across the narrow stretch of water. Casualties in the west are moderate (-6 to morale for both Divisions there) but you inflict twice what you receive on the French.

Reserve

1^st Div Orange

1^st Res Div Funheim

2^nd Res Div Arnim

NORTH

Blücher Advance Guard (7000) Warten's Div (8000) west	Brunswick Heavy Artillery Wurtemburg's Reserve (14,000) centre	Scharnhorst's Div (12,000) east
Inf Division (8000) 2 Div Dragoons (3000) 4 Div Dragoons (3000) 5 Div Dragoons (5000) west	Napoleon Ney Inf Division (7000) Light Cavalry (2000) centre	Davout 1 Inf Div (8000) 2 Inf Div (7000) 3 Inf Div (7000) Light Cavalry (2000) east

SOUTH

I commit Orange's Division to reinforce Scharnhorst.

Turn 44 ends at noon on the 17^th of September 1806

 At 1000am Soult and his IV Corps begin relieving the troops in the west sector and then forward across the stream behind a thick screen of skirmishers. By noon he is across the river with out any casualties. On the right in the east sector Orange’s Division comes forward and joins the Schaenhorst there to a chorus of grateful cheers (+5 to morale for Scharnhorst). Davout redoubles his offesive and his men can be seen scrambling up the sides of several of your redoubts bayonets gleaming. The fighting on the left is like a see-saw back and forth, whenever it looks like a redoubt is about to fall your brave me manage to throw the French out again until finally at noon one Scharnhorst’s Division has had all they can take and gives way. The men begin streaming to the rear! Seeing their friends running  Orange’s Division looks like it is wavering but their officers beat and cajole their men back into ranks again. As the sun reaches it's zenith Scharnhorst and Oranje’s casualties are heavy (-11 to morale for Scharnhorst, -21 to morale for Orange) while the French appear to have taken half of what Scharnhorst has the earthworks are still contested.

In the center The light cavalry withdraws the  Good order to be replaced by Cuirassier and Dragoons to the cheers of Ney's 1er Division, who give the dashing cavalry a heart and together they dash forward and into the great redoubt in the centre of the batlefield. For two hours Wurtemberg struggles mightily, shot and shell rain down on both sides, bayonets and sabres run red everywhere and then a loud groan can be heard as 14000 men who have been pushed past all endurance cry out as one and then break and run! The French with theor damned eagles are in the redoubt! The Wurtemberg is running! the wings hold but the centre has broken! 

The casualties in the centre are monumental (-30 to morale for Wurtemberg’s Division). One of the French Divisions moves into the North Center sector.

This is the situation as of noon:

North

Blücher Wartens Division (8000) Advance Guard (7000) west	Unknown French Division center	Orange's Division (8000) east
Soult 1er Div IV Corps (7000) 2e Div IV Corps (9000) Guyot's Lt. Cav (2000) west	Napoleon Ney 1er Div VI Corps (7000) Nansouty Cuirassier (2000) Klein Dragoons (2000) center	Davout  1er Div III Corps (8000) 2e Div III Corps (7000) 3e Div III Corps (7000) east

SOUTH

Things are looking grim. Hohenlohe's separate fight to the west is going badly as well. I cannot throw my 2 reserve divisions directly at the center. Reinforcing either wing is pointless, because you'll notice that the Guard Infantry and Cavalry are uncommitted. Napoleon will just push those into the gap, and each wing will be destroyed piecemeal. I order a retreat and suggest that the king seek peace and send Hohenlohe into exile on some remote estate. 

The turn summary that arrives a week later is rather climactic:

Turn 45 ends at 2:00 pm on the 17th of September 1806 in a welter of blood and chaos.

  At Noon Brunswick, with his centre stove in and two Divisions broken and routing orders a general retreat. As the wild eyed and terror stricken men of Wurtemberg’s and Scharnhorst’s Divisions run through Altenberg they are joined by the shattered remnants of Zechwitz, Louis, Pryttwitz, and Grawert’s Divisions (Hohenlohe's Corps) racing into the already chocked streets from the west. It was pandemonium in the town while on the field of battle in the west sector Blücher tried to form a rearguard with Warten’s Division so that the Advance Guard could retreat in good order but unfortunately there was no escape since the streets were gridlocked by the terrified ruin of Hohenlohe’s army and the ruins of Wurtemberg’s Division.

  Soult’s Corps hit Blücher’s rearguard like a ton of bricks while Ney, who had brought forward one of his infantry divisions to take the ground vacated by Wurtemberg slammed into Blücher’s left flank. Caught like a nut in a nutcracker the rearguard shattered while in the east sector Orange tried to withdraw his exhausted Division but Davout’s men, with their blood already up from seeing off Scharnhorst surged forward and hit Orange like a lightning bolt thrown by an angry war god. Inevitably this was too much for the Prussians who immediately began to rout along with the rest of the Prussian army.

  The 17th of September 1806 will be remembered as the greatest day to be a French cavalryman in the history of the cavalry. There is nothing that a cavalryman likes better than there sight of a fleeing infanteer and before them were thousands!  The pursuit began at noon and it continued for six hours and twenty kilometres. It finally ended as the sun set at 6:00 pm. Brunswick hoped to get a chance to attempt to march all night and reform the broken ruin of the Prussian army in Leipzig but at 7:00 pm he learned from a courier riding south from that city that at 6:00 pm General Lasalles had risen in from the west and Seized the city, cutting the line of communications to Madgeburg and any further hope of retreat.

  Meanwhile far away in the Thuringerwald northeast of Meiningen the shattered remains of Ruchel’s flank guard were also being run down by Lannes’ light cavalry. This rout had begun in the morning just north of Ohrdruf and went on all day long.

 

  With the majority of the Prussian/Saxon army destroyed King Frederick William III was forced to submit and offer terms on the 18th of September 1806. The treaty of Magdeburg was signed a few days later ending Prussia’s part in the War of the Fourth Coalition.

Wendy has produced animated maps showing all the maneuvering. Here is the first episode:

I'll put up the links to the remaining episodes and the link to our post game interview with Wendy on the Canadian Wargamer Podcast as they are ready.