Skip to main content

10mm Franco-Prussian War Black Powder: The Battle of Harville.

After their encounter with II Corps the previous day, Frossard's 2nd Corps had continued retiring on Sedan, only to find they had been somewhat left behind by the main column (a leisurely breakfast had helped raise the spirits of his men, and the Prussians were in no fit state to follow). As they approached the small hamlet of Harville, about 10km West of Mars-La-Tours, it became obvious that a Prussian formation had got between them and the main column of French forces. If Frossard was going to reaquaint his corps with them, he would need to push his way through.



As the sun was setting on the day, Lt Gen von Voights-Rhetz I was torn. He was under orders to keep tabs on the retreating French column, but von Alvensleben from II Corps had sent a courior last night explaining that he had enountered and delayed a French Corps, but had take heavy losses in doing so, this meant there was a French Corps coming up behind him, and if they were as efficent as the Prussians, they should have closed on him at lunchtime.. So far, they had not arrived, and after a wasted day, had he just despatched 20th Division to reengage the French main body. He had just set out himself with his staff leaving 19th Division with orders to wait an hour, then depart and follow.

Harville, and environs, a small, linear hamlet with a stream to one side of the road, and not many other features. The French will enter from the right.


Prussian deployment, as seen from the French lines., two cavalry squadrons of dragoons are in reserve, the Corps artillery, with the 78th hold the right. Two of Stephen's regiments hold the hamlet, deployed in line between the strem and edge of the settlement, while divisional artillery and one more infantry unit hold the open left.


The view from the Prussian side, as the first French units (a cavalry division) arrived along the road (ignore the next units David has stacked up on the right).


The sun was in the French eyes.


The French cavalry advanced, but sensibly stopped outside of Dreys needle rifle range, and awaited reinforcements.


The cavalry, dragoons and chasseurs nearest us.


Rolling to bring on the next division (French generals are all rated as an 8, but all units are 'unreliable', meaning they need a 7 or less to advance towards a known enemy), this was about David's worst roll during the early stages of the battle. The French, bouyed by yesterday's success, were up for the fight!


This brings on Geberal Bataille's 2nd Division, which swings off road to the left of the cavalry and moves up to the other road, ready to immediately engage the Prussians. The Prussian divisional commander was taken aback by this bold move.


Thankfully for the Prussians, while their early cannonade might have been ineffective in slowing the French advance, the sound of it warned Lt Gen von Voights-Rhetz I that something was up, and he was able to issue recall orders and get himself onto the field quickly.


He was still a way off the front line, but he was moving the right direction.


Frossard ordered the cavalry division to head right and scout the fordability of the stream, but the order got lost in transit to Gen Marmier, and the cavalry division blundered forwards one move towards the hamlet and into range of Prussian small arms!


This is not a good position for an unsupported cavalry formation, as the Prussian guns also have line of sight to them, as do the two Prussian infantry regiments in line behind local walls and fences!


Both units quickly take losses and are disordered by small arms fire, so were not able to advance (the Dragoons taking three wounds and saving none was perticularly unfortunate).


At this moment, Lapasset's brigade (which should have been with 5th Corps, retirting on Chalons, but had been separated at Spaarbruken) moved onto the battlefield for the French and towards the stream, which the Prussians countered by limbering up and moving forwards to reposition their Corps artillery around the fishpond. Meanwhile, off to the left, Bataille's division had moved to close the range with the Prussians, who were desperately attempting to bring 20th Division back to reinforce the line. Lt Gen von Voights-Rhetz I had ridden over to the two Dragoon squadrons in reserve, and taken personnal command of them, bringing them up to support the Corps artillery line, which was busy shelling the approaching brigade of Lapasset.


Prussian rifle fire pours into the dragoon brigade, which prompty disintergrates.


This leaves an uncomfortable hole for the French! The blunder had cost them dearly.


Marmier decided to seek death before dishonour, and personnally leads the 4th and 5th Chasseurs in a valiant charge, catching a Prussian battery with limited support, quickly overrunning the guns.


With the break of the gun, the adjacent infantry unit falls back disordered, only to be failed to be hit by pursuing French cavalry, who were disordered by closing fire from the artillery.


Elements of the returning Prussian division move quickly to shore up the line. It means the Prussian guns will be masked, but at this range it is work for smallarms. The Prussian infantry in the hamlet turns to face the flank of the cavalry, pouring in fire which disorders them, pinning them in their place. Frossard brought up the French Corps artillery, and they were sighted on the Prussians occupying the right of the road.


Lappesett's brigade, under artillery fire which disorders the Chasseurs a Pied, cross the stream to threaten the Prussian Corps artillery.


The general situation as the French press on. On the right, the Prussian 5th Cavalry division arrives having ridden to the sound of the guns, arriving on the flank (it's an 8 on a d10 is anyone was interested, a 10 would have been behind the French!) The French commander on the left points to who will shoot first.


The action hots up a level
Despite being initially outnumbered, the Prussians hold firm and reinforcements move in.


Firing at the village, 2nd Corps guns start to take their toll. The Prussian corps guns however have found their range, and are battering the lancers and chasseurs a pied trying to cross the stream.

Lappesett's infantry advance, trying to find the flank of the Prussian line.


Prussians try to flank shoot the chasseurs from the village, the dice are NOT good! Eight dice, all misses!


Seriously!


Thankfully for the Prussians, the unit to the cavalry's front decided to show how it should be done, and rolled enough hits to shake the cavalry, who promptly fail their morale test and leg it!


The French 1st Division arrives, and following orders, march in column straight down the road towards the settlement.


French Chasseurs a pied enter a shooting duel with Prussian infantry.



This time the Prussian shooting on the right redeems itself, 7 hits out of eight!

As the Prussian right reforms to deal with the French infantry threat, which now has it's flank exposed to an awful lot of shooting!


On the left, Prussians guns crest the hill, and disorder a French unit, while a rifle duel goes on beneath them.


The Prussians decide that they can't sit around under French sharpshooter fire (French get to reroll one misssed dice a turn per unit due to the fire rate of the Chassepot rifles), and do what they do best...
CHARGGE!


The result is the left hand French unit flees from the Black Brunswickers, but both units in the centre draw, then draw again, then draw again, then draw again... Eventually, the French lose by one, and shatter, but the Prussians also are so beaten that their unit slinks away too.This is enough to break the division, and the French left crumbles. Meanwhile, French 1st Division is making in-roads into the settlement, while Prussian cavalry advances to counter any break outs.


Lappesett's 5th Lancers, seeing a viable target, charge the Prussian Corps artillery. The result is bloody and one-sided.


But it does not help his striken infantry, who are shaken and disordered by artillery fire from other batteries.


The Prussians on the left swing in towards the hamlet to try and drive the French out, while the French try to advance through.


A counter charge from the Prussian heavy cavalry sees off the French Lancers, and with teh Chaaseur a Pied lost, and one infantry shaken, this shatters the morale of Lappesett's brigade.


The French now only have one viable didvision on table, 1st Division, which was in danger of being surrounded in Harville.

With that, Frossard withdraws to lick his wounds, cut off from Sedan, will he retreat on Metz or find another way out? A big win to the Prussians, who lost three batteries and an infantry regiment compared to two divisions and a brigade lost for the French. Another cracking game, and I hope to get the figures out again soon!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The random miniatures in my lead pile thread

Hi all, As the months go on, I am finding more random stuff that does not fit into any catagory is creeping it's way up to the surface of my lead mountain. I decided a few years back, rather than just throw it back like one of Nobby's escaped socks, I would actually paint some of them.   Nemisis the Warlock - Khaos; Deadlock; the Warlock; the Shape of Things to Come; the Lord of the Flies; Holder of the Sword Sinister; The Death Bringer One of my all-time favourite 2000AD characters (2000AD is a British sci-fi based comic for those not from the fair shores of Blighty). "Creedo!" I got hold of two of these on Evil Bay, one uncommon (yellow base rim), one rare (red base rim), so I trashed the rare one (and kept the base elsewhere). This is a simple conversion of a heroclix figure,  Excessus, Sword Sinister replaced, base ripped off and new one sculpted, undercoated figure,  completly  repainted, flying stem attached. Sometimes, you just need a seri

15mm By The Fire and Sword Transylvanians commission.

Principality of Transylvania ( those ones , not those ones , get your mind out the gutter). Batch 4:- Ten more bases of Transylvanians (so thirty figures) for Manny, this time Comitatus or heavy household troops. Heavy lancers. A lot more colourful than the light horse. As ever, Manny will do his own basing and add flags later. Lots of cloaks Quite a sizable force Batch 3: 30 extra Transylvanian light horse for Manny Not as bright as others, but these are lower order troops. Advance Lots of hairy cavalry As ever, Manny will base these himself. That way lads! Player's eye view At the trot The force, so far (there's still have a bag of blisters to do) Batch 2: As ever, Manny will add the flags and his own basing at his leisure. 12 bases of household levy lancers (36 figures, not sure how many units that equates to) for the 15mm Transylvanians. Only realised whe

Medieval Scots - A replacement army - second set of three spear units added

I  have, after much soul searching (no I could not find mine either), decided that I really should stretch my Pictish spearmen a whole 1000 years. 300ish to 1300 ish, so really stretching the whole Pict-morph-thing now. So 10mm to replace the fallen over the winter, this will be fun ( 18 months later, and summer is on the way and I finally started them ) This means a restart and finish with my Scots army back where I started with them for DBM, a successful army, but before MeG came out I had not touched them in 10 years, then I sold my 15mm version of them in 2014 (and then were instantly stolen from my late friend's car).  So, back to the 1300s version. 1315 to be exact. A project I've been putting off for years, but now I have started the Medieval Scots spearmen from c.1315 with Pendraken figures and flags . Got this lot finished just in time for this weekend's MeG tournement. More Scots spears and the generals Another 25