Bunzlau (August 30, 1813)
The escape from the katzbach
INTRODUCTION
Macdonald has been defeated by Bluecher at
the battle of the
Katzbach
and the Imperial forces, closely pursued by the Army of Silesia, are
retreating westwards. The French rearguard (Souham’s III Corps) has
occupied Bunzlau (present day Bolesławiec in Poland) a small town on
the right bank of the Bober River, possessing the only bridge
suitable for wheeled traffic in several miles around.
At the dawn of August 30, the French main body has crossed the river
leaving behind a small rearguard from the 11th division, with orders
to destroy the vital bridge at the Prussian approach. Meanwhile, the
Prussian 7th brigade arrived to the area with the purpose of taking
intact the crossing point, forcing to the full 11th division and the
23rd Light Cavalry brigade to turn around to face the attack. Both
sides feed more and more units in action but, at the end, the French
retreated leaving the bridge in Prussian hands.
This Lasalle Scenario is loosely based on that combat.
Bibliography
- F. Nafziger. “Napoleon
at Dresden: The Battles of August 1813”. The Emperor Press,
Chicago, 1991
-
Nafziger Orders of Battle Collection. Combined Arms Research
Library.
- G. Fabry ”Etude
sur les opérations du maréchal Macdonald, du 22 août au 4 septembre
1813, la Katzbach“ Paris, 1910
-G. Fabry. “Journal
des opérations des IIIe et Ve corps en 1813”, Paris, 1902
TABLE-TOP ADAPTATION
GO TO THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
Map of the area
General Heinrich Wilhelm von Horn
Game map
The actual table-top
battlefield
The initial deployement
Scenario pdf file for 'Bunzlau'
GO TO THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
Summary of the oob
French Army
C-i-C Souham French III Corps
11th Division Ricard
- Infantry: 10 battalions
- Artillery: 2 Foot batteries
- Sappeur detachment
23rd Light Cavalry Brigade Beurmann
- Cavalry: 2 regiments
Reinforcements
8th Division Brayer
- Infantry: 4 battalionss
- Artillery: 1 Foot batteries
Prussian Army (Army Moral 45;
Break point 15
C-i-C Horn 7th Brigade
Flank Guard von Katzeler
- Infantry: 3.5 battalions
- Artillery: 2 batteries
- Cavalry: 2 regiments
First line von Zeppelin
- Infantry: 3 battalions
Second line von Weltzien
- Infantry: 9 battalions
- Artillery: 1 batteries
Reinforcements
16st Russian Division Uschakov
- Infantry: 2 battalions
- Artillery: 1 battery
Cossacks Karpov
- Cavalry: 4 regiments
Notes: The basic duration of the game is 24 Turns (3 hours). Seven dice
are used, instead five, to test Army Moral. Bonus Turns are allowed
rolling 2D6 (p. 66 of e-Lasalle book). The Prussians are attacking and
are the first side.
OPTIONAL RULES
Deployment and Reinforcements
French units
The Brigade Valory (11th Division) acts as last rearguard and can be
deployed in any area east (right bank) of the River Bober, including
Bunzlau itself. The rest of the French infantry, can be initially
deployed anywhere in the west (left) bank of the Bober with the
artillery limbered. The cavalry must be in the C1 area.
French reinforcements may enter deployed (or not) in A1-B1-C1
(20%/50%/30)
Prussian units
Von Katzeler’s flank guard is on the table at the start of the game
deployed in the C5-D5 area. Von Zeppelin’s first line will enter at B5
in the 3rd turn and von Weltzein’s second line in the 5th (30%), 7th
(60%) or 9th (100%) turn, at the A5-B5-C5 area.
Allied reinforcements may enter in C5-D5 (40%/60%) All reinforcements
follow the Lasalle arrival rules (p. 91 of e-Lasalle).
Destroying the bridge (Modified from “Lasalle”)
The French sapper detachment force must be in contact with the bridges
for demolition. The large and small wood bridges require, respectively,
two (successive) and one engineering tests to start burning (D4+). The
fire can be extinguished by one (Prussian) infantry unit wasting one
full turn in contact with the burning bridge. That unit cannot fire and
will fight at disadvantage, halving its dice if caught in hand-to-hand
combat. A fire burning during more than two successive (Prussian) turns
will render impassable any bridge.
Assault of defiles (optional)
1) A column of march can assault a defile like a bridge, a fortified
gate, a fort, etc. It represents not only true march columns, but also
all those formations with reduced front.
2) It fights at 1/2 dice and with no previous shooting, adding a -2 for
"bad terrain" as they will be fighting in cramped quarters.
3) The enemy can use the "cover" or "higher elevation" modifiers when
applicable.
4) However the small front, the enemy never halves their dice.
Cossacks (Optional rule)
1) Irregular cavalry units may charge enemy units standing in 'limbered'
or 'march column' formation in open terrain.
2) Irregular cavalry units must to pass a 'Discipline' test to initiate
the charge in open terrain.
3) If routed in 'decisive combat', the irregular cavalry unit is
immediately broken.
Small irregular Prussian units (to be tested)
The Prussian Jaeger units (line and guard) only have two elements, so
are in disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat with larger units and will
fall back automatically if charged (no morale test is necessary). They
can only initiate combat against unprotected artillery batteries or
wagon train units. However their small size and because of their
marksman ability, these units have a full SK3 capacity in the fire step
(when firing or fired upon).
Victory conditions
The French aim is to retreat after breaking the bridge over the River
Bober, while the Prussians should try to avoid it. Therefore the bridge
in B3, while intact, is an Objective for the game and the rules of p. 67
and 91 (e-Lasalle) are of application if the bridge is in Prussian hands
(use 6 dice instead 4). If the bridge is broken by the French, the
Objective rules are not applied.
See a story version at the
Project Leipzig (1813)
blog
THE BATTLE IN PICTURES