Rear Guard"

[SWS_Admin]

We are getting ready to try a new mission "RearGuard" with the Prussians and Polish lists. It should be an interesting match and well worth the game I think. I have created the lists for both sides and have just uploaded them here. Will hopefully have loads of pics and a battle report for you all in the next couple of days.

Polish Corps: Poniatowski:- Excellent Class 3, Range 16 inches, Charismatic, Lucky 125 points
1st Polish Division: Kaminski Good, 5 inch range, (2+) 240 points
(Steadfast, 9/BD)
4x Polish Line Class 5 Polish, Dla Polska
1x Polish Skirmish Class 5
2x Polish 6# Foot Batteries
2nd Polish Division: Zaminiecki, Good, 5 inch range, (2+) 240 points
(Steadfast, 9/BD)
4x Polish Line Class 5 Polish, Dla Polska
1x Polish Skirmish Class 5
2x Polish 6# Foot Batteries
3rd Polish Division: Dombrowski, Good, 5 inch range, (2+) 240 points
(Steadfast, 9/BD)
4x Polish Line Class 5 Polish, Dla Polska
1x Polish Skirmish Class 5
2x Polish 6# Foot Batteries
Polish Light Cavalry Division: Kaminiecki, Experienced, 4 inch range (3+) 155 points
(4/BD)
2x Class 5 Light Cavalry, Lancers
2x Class 6 Horse artillery
Prussian Corps: York:- Good, Class 2, Range 14 inches, Vor der vaterland 110 points
Advanced Guard Division: Katzeler Experienced, 4 inch range, (3+) 190 points
(Steadfast, 5/BD)
1x Line Class 6, 24 figures, March, Napoleonic
1x Skirmish Class 6, 8 figures, Rifles, Skirmish Light Infantry
1x Hussars, Class 6, 8 figures, Light Cavalry
1x 6# Horse Battery
1st Division: Pirch, experienced 4 inch range, (3+) 190 points
(Steadfast, 9/BD)
1x Line Class 6, 24 figures, March, Napoleonic
1x Reserve Class 5, 24 figures, Napoleonic, March
1x Landwehr Class 4, poor Shots, Napoleonic, March, Befreiunskrieg
1x Skirmish Class 6, 8 figures, Rifles, Skirmish Light Infantry
1x 6# Foot Battery

2nd Division: Steinmetz, experienced 4 inch range, (3+) 190 points
(Steadfast, 9/BD)
1x Line Class 6, 24 figures, March, Napoleonic
1x Reserve Class 5, 24 figures, Napoleonic, March
1x Landwehr Class 4, poor Shots, Napoleonic, March, Befreiunskrieg
1x Skirmish Class 6, 8 figures, Rifles, Skirmish Light Infantry
1x 6# Foot Battery
Corps Cavalry Division: Jagow, Average, 4 inch range, (3+) 145 points
(Steadfast, 6/BD)
1x National Cavalry, Class 4, 8 figures, LC, Lancers
1x Uhlan Cavalry, Class 5, 8 figures, LC, Lancers
1x Hussars, Class 6, 8 figures, Light Cavalry
1x 6# Horse Battery
Corps Artillery: 175 points
2x 12# Batteries
1x Horse battery
1x Howitzer Battery
1x Horse Battery

[FredericktheGreat]

With the Rearguard mission, the defending player deploys a Rearguard: any Light, Advanced Guard, Mixed Division or Cavalry Division and then the attacker deploys a Vanguard: any Light, Advanced Guard, Mixed Division or Cavalry Division at 8 inches away from the Rearguard. Each turn reserves come on the board for the rest of each army using ready reserves rule. The Commander of the rearguard recalling all divisions in the area to turn around and march back to halt the enemy advance which is concentrating in the area. The attacker has multiple divisions converging on that area.

The Prussians deployed an Advanced (in this case) Rearguard division and the Poles had to deploy their Polish Lancer division as the advanced guard. Both sides then rolled for reinforcements and the Poles rolled 2 6's allowing the 1st and 2nd Polish Line divisions to march onto the table. These marched down the road and then deviated towards the left of the Town in the center.



Turn 2-4 saw the game developing as the Prussians managed to deploy 2 infantry divisions and the the Poles true to form managed to get their 3rd division marching onto the table. The Prussians moved the 1st Prussian division forward with an Attack order straight at the Polish 2nd Division and became engaged in a desultory bit of skirmishing. The second Prussian division moved to the Prussian left of the town supporting the Prussian 1st division. By this time the fire from the howitzer sections of the 3rd Polish Divisions Foot batteries had set the whole town ablaze and the Prussian Line regiment and 6# battery garrisoning the town were forced to evacuate.

Meanwhile a furious counter battery dual had developed between the Prussian 6# Foot, 12# Foot and both Polish 6# Horse batteries in the Polish Light Cavalry division. Gun carriages, wheels and ammunition stacks were being smashed and blasted all over the field and eventually the Polish Light Cavalry division redeployed away from the Advanced Guard and Prussian Reserve batteries attached to the Advanced Guard having lost 9 guns to the Prussians. The Prussians were not much better off and had lost 4 12# guns and 3 6#'s.



Turn 5 really heated up as the Prussians finally managed to deploy their Cavalry division on the table with the rest of the reserve batteries attached. This division raced towards the Polish left flank and took up position to the right of the Advanced Guard. The 2nd Polish division was pinned in place by the way it had been deployed, leaving no room to form line, while the Prussians on the other hand had plenty of space to deploy. By turn 7 the Polish right flank was in trouble, having been decimated by Prussian fire. The 1st polish division sent 2 regiments both batteries and the divisions skirmishes to help alleviate the Pressure. This it did but then the other 2 regiments were then forced to defend against an entire Prussian division and pounded by canister, Jagers and the charged by a Prussian line regiment 1 of the 2 Polish regiments fled under the pressure, leaving the other regiment to try and hold up the whole division.



It was time for Poniatowski to rectify the situation. Attaching to a weakened Polish Line regiment the Poles and Poniatowski charged the flank of the Prussian Landwehr and then into the flank of a Prussian battery. While another regiment swept away a Jager skirmish battalion.



Turns 6-10 were really the death knell turns for the Poles. Suffering from outrageous casualties and unable to inflict many on the enemy the 1st and 2nd Polish divisions crumbled. Not all was at a loss because the Poles had destroyed a Prussian division, all the batteries and skirmishes in the advanced guard but could not press home their advantage against the Advanced Guard due to the reinforced Prussian cavalry division menacing the Polish left flank.



Both the Prussians and Poles passed their Divisional Morale tests for having permanently battle damaged divisions on Turn 11 and 12 and the Poles passed both Army Morale tests as well. The Prussians "Fur der Vaterland" special army rule prevented them from taking any Army Morale test with only 1 division destroyed. As night fell (End of the Battle after 12 turns) the final points count was a 4:3 victory to the Prussians.