The Battle of Konigsberg 1813

CGC After Action Report

This event was staged at the Connecticut Game Club on January, 12th 2013.
Thomas, Greg and Vik, came down from the Hartford Area Gaming Society (HAGS) to play in a Napoleon at War event at the CT Game Club's (CGC) monthly meeting in January.







The Polish French played by (from left to right) Vik, Karl and Fritz (respectively.)
Phil Spera acted as GM and he also wrote this After Action Report.
 The Russians played by Mike, Greg, Jim, and Thomas.




We played a "what-if" battle.




The 200th anniversary of Konigsberg January 5, 1813.
The rule set used was Napoleon at War.


MacDonald's X Corps is abandoned by the Prussian forces and their heavy cavalry, which was the main cavalry element. This left the remaining forces of French, Poles and Westphalians on their own to hold Konigsberg. Bearing down on them is the Army of Finland led by Count Steinheil. Historically, there was some skirmishing but MacDonald leaves the city to its fate. Count Steinheil and his forces are allowed to jubilantly march into the city and continue to press MacDonald's fleeing forces.
 


Instead of leaving Konigsberg, a key depot in this region, Napoleon orders MacDonald to stay and hold the vital city. Napoleon reinforces the Poles of the X Corps with an ad hoc brigade of French infantry and cavalry rummaged from several Corps available from the remnants of the Grande Armee.



Using the actual orders of battle I was able to find, I used the Napoleon at Bay downloads available from the NaW website to build the forces. It turned out to be a pretty even 2,900 points per side battle. The Polish/French are outgunned in artillery, out manned in infantry and outclassed in cavalry.
 


The Polish Division were out manned 20 battalions to 12 until the 6 battalion French brigade reserve arrived on turn 3. Out gunned 36 guns to 12, but the Polish had a grand battery as Konigsberg was a supply depot. And third, they are outclassed in cavalry, three light cavalry units against the Russian reserve battle cavalry brigade of Chevalier Guard (Elite Guard), Life Guard (Guard) and Pskov Cuirassier.

This event was staged using 15mm figures.


The battle was fought between the towns of Awieden and Altenberg, an area just south of Konigsberg. I had the outskirts of each town on either side of the table represented by one building. Using the Village rules, a battalion could be deployed in each town. A frozen meandering stream connects the two towns. The steam is fordable (difficult) except for Artillery. There are two bridges for the artillery to cross, in the center and outside of Altenberg. However, the French defense positions were in range of medium guns so the really did not have to cross the stream for most of the game.

Frozen marsh (difficult, no artillery) is just south of Aweiden and is along either side of the stream. A forest is in the center of the table with a victory objective behind it. It is flanked by ridgelines that extended to Altenberg to the south and halfway to Aweiden on the north side.

On the southern ridgeline was placed the second victory objective. The French were deployed along the center of the table. The Poles setup a battalion in each town, the grand battery and two brigades on the long ridgeline south of the woods and the other battery with a brigade on the northern ridge-line stretching to Aweiden. The light cavalry brigade formed up in columns outside of Altenberg.
This was a hypothetical battle not a recreation of a historical event. The Russians had two even divisions of 4 brigades and three batteries. They started a foot from their table edge. Mike commanded the Russian right was given two batteries and two brigades and he sent them towards Aweiden. The artillery has orders to hammer the town with howitzers; eventually putting it on fire and forcing the Polish battalion to abandon it. The infantry had to slog their way through the frozen marsh to advance upon the Polish left commanded by Fritz.

On this part of the battlefield, the Polish battery there found itself in a sanguinary artillery duel with the Greg's Russian artillery across the stream. The polish infantry hiding behind the reverse slopes of the ridge-line and in the forest kept themselves in reserve until the Russians finally crossed the marshes and came at the Polish Lines. Fritz unleashed a murderous volley of canister and musket fire. Mike's Russian columns wavered then halted. Only one battalion was able to bring combat and it was thrown back with heavy loss.


In the center Greg's Russian jager and infantry battalions slowly pushed the Poles from the forest and in sight of the victory objective. However, they could not go much farther as Fritz formed the Polish battalions into a battle line with Vik's reserve French infantry that arrived just in time to hold the center from collapsing.
Click Here for Polish/French Order of Battle At Altenberg Karl deployed a Polish battalion in the town and the light cavalry brigade in columns outside of it. With his remaining battalions in support, Karl's plan was to cross the stream with his cavalry and pin down Thomas's brigade on the Russian Left. His plan was thwarted by the timely first turn arrival of the Russian guard cavalry brigade. Instead of the hunter, Karl's forces now became the hunted. The cavalry scurried from this sector of the battle field and made its way all the way across the Polish lines to support Fritz. His infantry hid behind the ridge-line, a la Wellington, and formed into squares. Thomas advanced to assault Altenberg but made no headway. After heavy loss, his battalions retreated.



The action of the day took place on the southern ridge-line after the French Cavalry withdrew. On the ridge-line, Vic commanded the grand battery and a Polish battalion for support. Facing him are Jim's jagers and line infantry battalions supported by his Russian battery. Thomas on the French left, also swung two battalions and two batteries of his brigade to support Jim's assault on the center.
Click Here for Russian Order of Battle

The Russian artillery kept a frisky counter battery duel that kept the Polish guns busy. This allowed Jim and Thomas to march their brigades across the open valley to engage the grand battery in a frontal assault. The Russian cavalry brigade also advance and crossed the ridge-line to face the squares of Karl's battalions.

It was grand...

It was glorious...

It was sanguinary.

The mass of Russian infantry in the valley now masked their own artillery. This allowed the grand battery to concentrate its fire on the helpless infantry. Onwards they came.

The Russians made it to the crest of the ridge-line, forcing the heavy guns of the grand battery to flee their guns. The victory objective they guarded now disputed by the remnants of Jim's brigade.

But that was the high water mark.

Vik's battalions formed a firing line of muskets causing Jim's brigade to disintegrate. Karl's squares formed a line of muskets and punished the cuirassier. That is how turn 6 ended.

The Polish right giving ground but still clung on to the victory objective. The Russian assault stalled on all fronts, they would retire to lick their wounds.



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Parting Shots Dept.,

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and myself founded empires; but what foundation did we rest the creations of our genius?
Upon force. Jesus Christ founded an empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him"

- Napoleon Bonaparte