Time for the re-match between Evert and me and my turn to be French. Evert's Mother Russia roll let him boost a couple of infantry units, so the Line holding Czarnowo and the one next to his right flank artillery went to full strength.
And battle is joined! Well, almost, as the French develop their centre and the Russians their right. And then both respond to their opponent's moves. Some desultory artillery fire has no effect. {But the score is 0:1 as the Russians hold Czarnowo.}
The French infantry under Generals Gudin and Petit on the left paddle across the Wkra and open up on the Russian Line infantry. The full-strength unit takes the brunt of this and what's left retires out of range. Russian Grenadiers move up in support of the other Russian Line and together they completely demolish the closest French Line, Gen Gudin falling with his soldiers. {Suddenly it's 0:3}
As the French left falls back, the Russian left advances. In response, the French right moves fast, with Line infantry moving into Czarnowo. {A "Grande Manoeuvre" lets me put a unit in Czarnowo, depriving the Russians of that banner: 0:2.}
Russian Grenadiers promptly blow away the French in Czarnowo, while Light infantry advances in the centre and the right flank artillery damages the French Line opposite. {A very useful "Elan" for Evert, taking the score to 0:3. But he's vacated the field works in the centre, giving the French a banner, but then gets back the one for the town: 1:4.}
The French Light cavalry pounces, attacking the Grenadiers. They stand their ground initially, but then form square as the horsemen inflict casualties and force them back. In the centre, concerted fire from the French Light infantry and artillery batters two of the Russian Lights, one of which retreats. {My "Counter-attack" wasn't as successful.)
Double-shotted artillery fire from the Russians inflicts casualties on the battered French Line (Russian right), which hides in a patch of woodland, and, on the left, drives back the French cavalry with casualties. (Evert played "Bombard".}
The French press their advantage against the Russian Light infantry in the centre, taking out the unit under General Lieven (who escapes to the unit battered earlier) and pushing the advanced one back into the fieldworks. {A banner for me, but I lose the one for the empty fieldworks, so it's still 1:4.}
Exchanges of fire on the (French) right see the Russians in Czarnowo force what's left of the French cavalry to retire. While the French musketry persuades Gen Lieven to move further back and eliminates the Cossacks who've been prancing about. {No banners for Cossacks, though.}
The French infantry on their left (with Generals Friant and Petit) double-times across the battlefield to engage the Russian Light infantry holding the fieldworks on the central hills. {"Force March" from me.} The Russians fall back in the centre and the French continue to advance. Musket volleys finish off two badly mauled Russian Light infantry, Gen Lieven falling with his men. {An "Assault Centre" and suddenly it's 4:4, then 5:4 when the French get the banner for the empty fieldworks again.}
However, the French advance puts a Light infantry in range of the Russian Cuirassiers, who seize their opportunity. A hastily-formed square holds off the heavy cavalry, but then takes a pounding from the Russian artillery on (their) left. In the centre, Russian infantry counter-attacks round the hills with artillery support and batters the troops under Gen Petit. The General's men give as good as they get though. Not so the artillery on the left end of the French forces. Russian Grenadiers storm across the stream, up the hill and round the side of the fieldworks to eliminate them. {A very useful "Forward" lets Evert attack across the board and a lucky die-roll gets the artillery, 5:5.}
The French infantry continues to advance in the centre, Gen Friant leading Line infantry into the fieldworks on the hills and finishing off the Russian Light infantry savaged by Gen Petit's men. {A second "Assault Centre" to make it 6:5.}
Cannon and musket fire from the Russian left demolish the French Lights in square. {6:6}
The French infantry rolls over the central hills, another battered Russian infantry unit just surviving volleys from Gen Friant's men while a combined arms attack forces the dangerous Cuirassiers to retire.
The Cuirassiers are still in range, though, and rally to attack Gen Friant's advanced Line infantry. Their square is solid, however, and hurts the Cuirassiers. Gen Sukin leads Grenadiers and Line infantry on the Russian left to engage their battered French counterparts, but the French are able to retreat, despite taking casualties. {"Rally" gave Evert full-strength Cuirassiers again and two partly-recovered infantry. A retreat flag on his first infantry attack left the Grenadiers unable to kill off the target French unit.}
With Gen Sukin's Grenadiers close to the French artillery, a combined arms attack from the guns and a French Line unit is too powerful for them to survive. {7:6}
Phew! Another close game that could have gone either way in the last few turns. The final positions show both wings of the French army battered, but their centre is strong and now occupies the central line of hills - there's just that Russian cavalry to worry about. The one-block French units (four of them) are mostly out of harm's way, but part of my success was being able to finish off the damaged Russian units. I'm impressed with the Russians, though: despite their under-strength infantry, the ability to ignore a flag makes them tough. I'm also impressed with this scenario - two very close games.
