208 Heilsberg - Opening Phase (10 June 1807)

Oops. Meant to say French attack on the Russian right below.

An interesting scenario which developed very slowly until a LGM card allowed the French to redeploy the Grenadiers and artillery through the shattered Russian right.

The French got off to a rocky start, losing two inf units in the center. The Russians were also able to get to VP for the town hexes. The towns were turned info fortresses. The French were worried until the French left were able to mobilize their CAV units. Two Cossack units were destroyed, and finally the French destroyed the Russian CAV. Due to some good tactics cards and Le Grande the Russians were able to move ART freely getting one ART all the way over to the Russian right. However, the French Heavy Cav put a Russian LT into square on the hill next to a Russian ART. With one French INF the battle on the hills ended up with two Russian units destroyed. It was now French 6 Russia 4. The French LC took out another Russian line iINF, and a Rally card helped the French regain strength and finish off Russian INF in square for the game. In this game the Mother Russia roll was heavy on Cossacks, and one fieldwork. The Russians placed it between the two town hexes, but it seems it would be better on the Russian right were they are weak. French win 8-4 with 2 Russian VP for the towns.

With the battle of Eylau out of the way, Evert and I reach scenario 8.
Evert starts with the French, so my first job is the Mother Russia roll. I was able to add a block to the Light infantry in the town and to the Line infantry to their left (for simplicity, I'll use left and right as they are in the picture rather than from each army's point of view). I added two more Cossacks to cavalry centre left at the front of the Russian troops and fieldworks to the lefthand artillery unit on the right.
As the French forces advanced, the Cossacks (centre left) attacked en masse, hoping to do some damage to the enemy's Light cavalry. They succeeded (and forced one Line infantry into square), but took a mauling, two units biting the dust (but there are no banners for Cossacks).
The French then made a rapid move in the centre, their Foot artillery taking the two hills in the centre of the battlefield and Line infantry seizing part of Bevernick town. The French Grenadiers also infiltrated through the woods on the left edge of the battlefield. {A "La Grande Manoeuvre" card gave Evert a commanding position in the centre and a useful bit of outflanking.}
Russian troops pounded the French in the town. They hung on for a while, but were eventually eliminated. {Making the score 2:0 with the banner for the other part of the town.}
Exchanges of fire around the battlefield saw the Russian Line infantry in the centre take casualties, one unit falling. {2:1}
Then the French attacked all along the line. On the left, Light cavalry forced the Russian Line on the hill into square and they were then overrun by French Line. In the centre, fine shooting eliminated the Russian Light infantry in Bevernick and, on the right, General St Cyr's Light infantry attacked and destroyed the artillery behind the field works. {Some lucky dice and the score's suddenly 1:4 as I lose the banner for the town.}
Russian infantry advanced on the right to drive St Cyr back, while their Light cavalry took on the French troops on the left. It was in the centre that French Light (on the hills centre-left) fell to the Russian infantry though. {2:4}
In a bold move, French Light infantry took Bevernick again, but were immediately destroyed by the Russians around the town. {3:4}
Nothing daunted, full strength French Line units took over the whole of Bevernick while the Grenadiers seized Langwiese on the left. The Russians tried to throw the French out of Bevernick, succeeding in part, but losing the artillery in the process. {A second "La Grande Manoeuvre" was very useful for Evert and he got the artillery on a "Battle back". That's 3:5, but the French gain two more for the towns they hold to make it 3:7. Just one more needed for a French win.}
Secure in the towns, the French infantry blazed away at the surrounding Russians, eliminating a Light infantry before the Russians conceded the field. {That's a "Give them the Cold Steel" card and a 3:8 win for Evert.}
Wow! Evert made great use of the Grande Manoeuvres (I should probably have left units in the towns - easy if we were using the garrisons rule) and that Cold Steel put the seal on it. I was thrashed and I can't see that I'm going to do better than that as the French.

My turn as the French as Evert and I play the return match. Evert starts with his Mother Russia roll. Evert added extra blocks to the rightmost artillery, the Light infantry between the hexes of Bevernick town, the Line infantry on the hill centre-left and the Light infantry on the hill on the left, where a new Cossack unit also appeared.

The French started by hustling their Foot artillery forward onto the hills in the middle of the battlefield while the Grenadiers and Heavy cavalry moved up on the left. {Yes! A "La Grande Manoeuvre" card right at the start should let my guns dominate the centre.}

The French centre moved forward, the Light cavalry trying to clear the Cossacks out of the way, while the artillery opened up. Russian Light cavalry came to the support of the Cossacks only for the rest of the French Light cavalry to arrive. Both sides lost a cavalry unit, while the French Grenadiers got rid of the Cossacks. The surviving horsemen retire. {The score is 1:2 as Evert has a banner for holding a town and I don't get any for the Cossacks.}

The Russian artillery on the right inflicted heavy casualties on General St Cyr's advancing Line infantry across the river. However, it was the French guns in the centre that eliminated a unit - the battered Light cavalry. {2:2}

Russian Light infantry advanced in front of the guns to finish off St Cyr's men, the General retreating to another unit. {2:3}

The French cavalry attacked the Russian infantry on the left, both units forming square in the face of this, and the Grenadiers and Line infantry advanced in support. The Heavy cavalry swung right around the hill, forcing more Russian infantry into square while the Grenadiers mauled the square on the hill.

The Russians rallied, their guns continuing to pound the French across the river, removing a Light infantry. {2:5 as we finally remember that Evert's occupied the other part of Bevernick town.}

The French pressed their attack on the left, the infantry eliminating two of the squares. The cavalry had less success, the Lights being repelled by the remaining square while the Heavies made no impression on the full-strength Line infantry that stood their ground on the central hill. {4:5}

The Russians countered in style. Light infantry on the left came out of square to remove a damaged French Line unit while heavy fire in the centre caused casualties in the French Heavy cavalry and Light infantry, both of whom retreated. {A timely "Elan" card from Evert takes the score to 4:6.}

General St Cyr finally got to make some progress in the centre even as some of the French artillery retired under heavy fire. French Line stormed into Bevernick, though a Light infantry fell in the attack. {A "Bayonet Charge" for me, but it's still 4:6 as the Russians lose a town hex.}

The Russians counter-attacked into Bevernick, but lost a Light infantry in the attack. Meanwhile a Cossack unit had evaded the French Light infantry on the left by seeking shelter in Langwiese. {5:7 as the town hex gives Evert another banner and 6:7 when I get mine.}

Another Russian Light infantry falls as the French secure their position in Bevernick, but the Russian artillery in the centre finds a clear shot through the buildings to eliminate a French Line unit and that's that. {7:8}

A close battle and the first win for the Russians for quite a while. It also means Evert won this scenario from both sides! A lack of centre cards meant I couldn't capitalise on my forward artillery, while Evert did far more damage with the Russian artillery than I could manage as the Russians.