Pitschenberg (September 4, 1813)
Macdonald comes back
INTRODUCTION
After escaping form the Allies at
Bunzlau, Macdonald is marching at full speed towards Bautzen
pursued by Bluecher. The Allied advance guard is commanded by
Vassilchikov which has garrisoned the Pitschenberg (a hill near the
Bautzen-Löbau high-road) with a Prussian detachment and is actively
following the dispirited French with the rest of their command.
However, Napoleon has returned to Bautzen at the head of a large
force and has ordered Macdonald to turn around and advance again
with his army group (XI, V, III and II Cavalry Corps). At the 6 p.m.
of September 4, the35th French/Italian division (XI Corps),
supported by the 16th division (V Corps) and the 28th Light Cavalry
brigade (XI Corps) and the 2nd Light Cavalry Division (II Cavalry
Corps) started the attack against Vassilchikov, forcing him to
retire. The Allies started again the cat-and-mouse game dictated by
the Trachtenberg Plan and retreated eastwards.
This Lasalle Scenario is 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
- - K. von Plotho,
Der Krieg in Deutschland und Frankreich in den jahren 1813 und 1814
(1817) Vol. 2
-
Militair Bochenblach No. 778 (1831) p. 4501-
http://books.google.es/books?id=9sJFAAAAcAAJ
- Maps
http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/geogreif/?map=overview&signatur=1211&coll_id=115
TABLE-TOP ADAPTATION
GO TO THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
Map of the area
General Nikolay Vasilyevich Vasilchikov
Game map
The actual table-top
battlefield
The initial deployement
Scenario pdf file for 'Pitschenberg'
GO TO
THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
Summary of the oob
French Army
C-i-C Macdonald French XI Corps
Gerard French XI Corps
35th Division Henin
- Infantry: 11 battalions
- Artillery: 2 Foot batteries
28th Light Cavalry Brigade Montbrun
- Cavalry: 2 regiments
- Artillery: 1 Horse battery
Reinforcements
16th Division Maison (V Corps)
- Infantry: 5 battalionss
- Artillery: 1 Foot batteries
2nd Light Cavalry Division Roussel d'Hurbal (II Cavalry Corps)
- Cavalry: 5 regiments
- Artillery: 1 Horse battery
Prussian Army (Army Moral 45;
Break point 15
C-i-C Vassilchikov
Prussian Advance Guard von Katzeler
- Infantry: 2 battalions
- Cavalry: 3 regiments
- Artillery: 1 Horse battery
Prussian detachment Hiller
- Infantry: 5 battalions
- Cavalry: 1 regiments
- Artillery: 1 Foot battery
2nd Russian Cavalry Division Lanskoi
- Cavalry: 2 regiments
- Cossacks: 2 pulks
Reinforcements
8th Brigade Hunnerbein
- Infantry: 5 battalions
- Artillery: 1 Foot battery
15th Russian division Rudsevich
- Infantry: 2 battalions
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 French are attacking and are
the first side.
OPTIONAL RULES
Deployment and Reinforcements
French units The 35th Division is
deployed in B1-C1. The 28th Light Cavalry Brigade in A1. Infantry
reinforcements (16th Division) may enter at D1w/D1s/D2 (20%/40%/40%).
Cavalry reinforcements may enter in D1s/D2 ((30%/70%)-C1 (20%/50%/30)
Allied units
Hiller’s command must be deployed on the Pitschenberg area (B3-D3). Von
Katzeler’s advance guard is in the west bank of the stream in the
Breitenfeld area. The Russian cavalry is near Carlsbrunn. Prussian
reinforcements may enter in A5n/A5e/B5 (20%/30%/50%). Russian
reinforcements in D4/D5s/D5e (40%/30%/30%)
All reinforcements
follow the Lasalle arrival rules (p. 91 of e-Lasalle).
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.
Victory conditions
The Allied aim is to reach the duration limit of the game (24 turns)
without breaking. Pitschenberg hill is an Objective for the game and the
rules of p. 67 and 91 (e-Lasalle) are of application..
See a story version at the
Project Leipzig (1813)
blog
THE BATTLE IN PICTURES