After many years (2019), it was time to get my 10mm Franco-Prussian out, partly to celebrate Pendraken's 30th Birthday, and partly because David and Steve both playing ACW Black Powder at Leighton Buzzard, so Franco Prussian is not too large a step away, and these armies and this period is my great (unfinished) project with at least four corps a side painted.
Before you ask, it uses my modifications for Black Powder, listed here, and my basing is on Volley and Bayonet basing at 75mm squares, and the scale is regimental, so instead of brigades breaking, we work on divisions going. This was a corps level game. Unfortunately, Steve could not make it, so I took on David.
We fought the Battle of Hannoville-Suzemont, a historical 'what if' where the French army had pulled out of Gravelotte/Mars-La-Tours, efficently, leaving Frossard and 2nd Corps acting as a rearguard over the bridges at Hannoville-Suzemont, which is one village West of the great battlefield, while the Prussian III Corps catches up. Could the Prussians pin the French in place or break through, or could the French hold off the attack or successfully withdraw? The French hold the centre and left, the Prussians arrive from the right. (next two images from Google maps).
David picked French, I had Prussians. Brackets denote command level of divisional commanders.
The French
II CORPS,
General Frossard (9)
10th + 11th Batteries, 5th Field Artillery Regt Hv
6th+ 10th Batteries, 15th Field Artillery Regt
7th + 8th Batteries, 17th Horse Artillery Regt
1st Division, Gen Verge (8)
3rd Chasseurs a pied
32nd Regt de Ligne
55th Regt de Ligne
76th Regt de Ligne
77th Regt de Ligne
6th Battery, 5th Field Artillery Regt mg
5th + 12th Batteries, 5th Field Artillery Regt
2nd Division, Gen Bataille (8)
12th Chasseurs a pied
8th Regt de Ligne
23rd Regt de Ligne
66th Regt de Ligne
67th Regt de Ligne
9th Battery, 5th Field Artillery Regt mg
7th + 8th Batteries, 5th Field Artillery Regt
Attached Division, Gen Lapasset (Attached from V Corps) (7)
2nd Co. 14th Chasseurs
84th Regt de Ligne
97th Regt de Ligne
3rd Lancers
7th Battery, 2nd Field Artillery Regt
2nd Cavalry Division, Gen de Valabregue (7)
(Gen Marmier should have led this division, but didn’t make it to the battlefield, and I picked up the wrong box, so this division was proxied in)
4th + 5th Chasseurs lt
7th + 12th Dragoons
The Prussians
III CORPS, Gen von Alvensleben (9)
Corps Artillery, Maj Gen v.Bulow (8)
3rd +4th Light Batteries, 2nd Div, 3rd Fld Art
3rd + 4th Heavy Batteries, 2nd Div, 3rd Fld Art
2nd +3rd Horse Art Batteries, 3rd Fld Art
5th Division, Lt Gen v Stulpnagel (8)
8th Grenadier Regt
48th Inf Regt
12th Inf Regt
52nd Inf Regt
9th Dragoons (2 squadrons)
2nd Light Battery, 1st Div, 10th Fld Art Regt
3rd Jager Bn
12th Dragoons
1st + 2nd Light Batteries, 1st Div, 3rd Fld Art
1st +2nd Heavy Batteries, 1st Div, 3rd Fld Art Hvy
6th Division, Lt Gen v Buddenbrock (8)
20th Inf Regt
35th Inf Regt
24th Inf Regt
64th Inf Regt
2nd Dragoons
5th + 6th Light Batteries, 3rd Div, 3rd Fld Art
5th + 6th Heavy Batteries, 3rd Div, 3rd Fld Art
5th Cavalry Division, Lt Gen v.Rheinbaben (9)
4th Kurassiere, 19th Dragoons + 13th Uhlans
7th Kurassiere, 13th Dragoons + 16th Uhlans
10th, 11th + 17th (Brunswick) Hussars lt
Converged Horse Artillery
1st + 3rd Btys Horse Art Div 10th Fld Art Regt
David's deployment on my rough approximation of the map. Lappaset holds the high ground across the stream, while Frossard's other two infantry divisions are spread across the front of the settlement, the cavalry division lurks in reserve. 
Stulpnagel's infantry forms up on the right, the Prussians put their cavalry, Stulpnagel's guns and the Corps artillery in the centre, while v.Rheinbaben swings the cavalry left to deal with the threat of the French cavalry division.
You will see the orange tape measure A LOT in this report, as David's tape suffered a catastrophic malfunction during turn 1 and we were sharing mine for the rest of the evening! David scored a hit on my horse artillery from Corp with his heavy guns under Frossard himself, the 'school teacher' taught me a good lesson there!
But the Prussian guns thundered, causing many hits on the French line, as they had deployed just out of Chassepot range! On the right, Stulpnagel's division advances, but units are already taking a battering from Chassepot fire to which they cannot return, and one unit falls back.
von Rheinbaben decides he cannot wait in Chassepot range for Valabregue to stop stalling and throws his entire division into the French horse. The central brigade, made up of the 10th, 11th + 17th (Brunswick) Hussars is considerably lighter than the Chassuers they hit, but my dice were exceptional and the green clad warriors pass back in disorder through the dragoons behind.
The French 8em infantry, which for several turns was under sustained Krupp artillery by several batteries, breaks, upsetting the regimet next to it.
The Chasseurs fall back, leaving the Dragoons wandering whether this was a good idea.
The Prussian Hussars add their own opinion to the arguement, and despite being even worse off against the dragoons than the chasseus, they charge in, and the dragoons fail to counter-charge. leaving the Hussars at an advantage.
But again, my Hussars were on form, taking two wounds, but also dealing with two as well.
On the far right flank, the 5th French lancers crash into the Prussian 9th Dragoons (both are these are single regiment bases, unlike the brigades you saw a moment ago) in a whirling maelstrom of cavalry...
Which sees the French lancers collapse and rout, bouying the Prussian right.
Back on the left, both the French dragoons and Prussian Hussars rout! Oops!
This is too much for the Chasseurs, who also evaporate, leaving the Prussians a division up and with the long French line with their flank exposed.
Unfortunately, the Prussian cavalry was stalled in front of the French infantry line, not a good place to be. Six hits, five saves. Phew! However, shaken and disordered does not bode well for cavalry.
The division of von Stulpnagel was in serious trouble as French chassepot and artillery fire smashes the infantry, forcing two regiments back, while the 9th Dragoons are also taking hits (excuse the tape).
6th Infantry division makes it on, but it will be too little, too late. The Prussian gun line forces back a French unit, but also fail to hit the Chasseurs a pied!
However, von Stulpnagel's division is wavering after all the French fire comes in, and the 9th Dragoons breaks.
The width of David's line and bringing forwards his guns seals the fate of von Stulpnagel.
Meanwhile, von Rheinbaben's cavalry failed to move at all and capitalise on their initial success, and were shot away by the French, meaning the Prussians have lost 2/3 of their divisions, while the French, badly beaten up as they are across several divisions, have only lost 1/4.
The Prussians fall back out of Chassepot range to regroup and await the rest of the Prussian army, while Frossard retires back, confident he has secured the route for the rest of the army to fall back to Verdun.
(A French win, but we know the Prussians will also claim the battlefield and a win)
A cracking game, I was within two hits of breaking David's left-hand infantry division before my right collapsed. I forgot to apply the extra strength of 'large' status, but it would not have mattered, in this position the Chassepots were telling. A great game, and not one sided at all. So great we are fighting another game in a couple of weeks, where the Prussians might have more friends!
A great looking game, Will.
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