Marshall Ney nodded to the officer in command of the Corps reserve batteries. This officer immediately dropped his raised arm and the Captains under his command shouted "Tirez!" A moment later, 12 cannon roared in unison. The crew members stepped out of the way of the recoiling pieces with the practiced nonchalance of veteran artillerymen. Ney's mount and several horses of his suite started at the sound of the guns, but were quickly reined in.
Twice times several hundred yards away, a sergeant in Bijeveldt's Horse Artillery Battery watched as 12 perfect puffs of white-grey smoke issued from the line of French guns. Just seconds later, he heard the distinctive report of the discharge and marveled at the delay between sight and sound. Seconds after that, the carriage to his left was smashed by two 12 lb cannon balls. Another shot took off the leg of a poor crewman on the far end of the line of light artillery. His screams were drowned by others, as yet another projectile scored a direct hit on gun number four, wrecking it completely and killing or wounding its crew.
What return fire could be offered was ineffective, as the Dutch Battery was out of range. Their few shots sputtered into the soft ground well before the deployed French batteries.
INTRODUCTION
In MWAN 107, Hal was kind enough to publish my rather lengthy piece on the research and recreation of The Battle of Quatre Bras utilizing Arty Conliffe's SHAKO Rules. What follows on these pages is the much delayed report of the historical re-fight. (The idea for the original article occurred to me in early June of this year; the actual wargame was not played and completed until late August.)
On general review, the solo-wargame went very well. Making allowance for my relative inexperience with the SHAKO system, as well as for the addition of several house-rules (the product of a certain bias when it comes to Napoleonic warfare in miniature), it was not difficult to average a complete game turn or two in an evening's time. This, as has been related in this publication and others, is a singular attraction of solo wargaming: the ability to play to a point and then leave it for a time if other commitments arise, or to re-think a house-rule. Further, one has the time to reflect upon and review the historical references while the game is in "motion". In short, the game may be played at the solo-gamer's pace and not at a tempo dictated by someone else.
On reflection, it is rather interesting to note that from a historical standpoint, the similarities between the actual engagement and the wargame re-fight began and ended with the exchange of artillery fire in the first game turn. [This, from the French side only as their infantry was not yet in range of the Dutch guns. In Waterloo: New Perspectives, Hamilton-Williams cites: "Bijeveldt's horse battery delivered one devastating volley of canister, slowing the French advance, only to receive an overwhelming and terribly accurate barrage of counter-battery fire from the French corps artillery. An ammunition limber was blown up and a howitzer disabled. Bijeveldt withdrew the remainder of his battery out of range rather than risk losing it all. (199)]
DISPOSITIONS, ORDERS AND ORDERS OF BATTLE
MAP I shows the dispositions of the 2nd Dutch-Belgian Division and the expected axis of advance of the French Army. As related in my previous piece, the Dutch-Belgian division was deployed as true to historical record as possible. The noted exception being the 27th Jaeger Battalion. The Hamilton-Williams text states that this single battalion was spread out over a large, triangular area - the points of the triangle being Gemioncourt, Piraumont and Paradis on the Namur Road. (197) Under the SHAKO rules, the Jaegers were deployed as skirmishers, roughly half-way between the farms of Gernioncourt and Priaumont.
All Allied Divisions or sub-units were under Defend / "March to Defend" Orders. The one exception was the Brunswick Contingent, which had orders to "attack" down the Brussels Road toward Gernioncourt and then adopt a defensive posture. All the divisions / brigades comprising the French force, in contrast, were under Attack Orders. In the main, the objective of each major French element was the village of Quatre Bras. The directions of advance varied slightly given the nature of the terrain, and opening deployment. For example, the French 9th Division under Foy had to veer to the right, due to the imposing growth of Bossu Wood.
The Orders of Battle have been stripped-down so that each force may be listed completely on one page. Instead of a subsequent numbers or letters for each command element, regiment, battery or brigade, map identification is made based on nationality or name of higher-echelon command. For example, the Line Brigade of the Brunswicker Contingent is identified as BW5 (BW referring to "BrunsWicker"). Personalities are listed by three letter acronyms: DKW for The Duke of Wellington; STP for Sir Thomas Picton; and FOY for General Foy, Commander of the French 9th Division. Units of these same commands are identified by P1, P2, and F1, F2, respectively.
THE BATTLE IS JOINED
In addition to wrecking some havoc on the Dutch Horse Artillery, Ney's Reserve Artillery served as a signal for the French Division commanders. On both sides of the Charleroi Road, French Infantry moved forward; line battalions preceded by clouds of skirmishers. The Dutch- Belgian Divisions remained in place, waiting to see just how the French attack developed.
The Belgian Foot Battery scored a hit against the skirmish line fronting Foy's Division, but soon found itself threatened with envelopment by the advancing French light infantry. In the center, the Horse Battery was confronted with a startling attack by two regiments of French Lancers. Unfortunately, the battery commander had loaded shot instead of canister, and the volley against the charging horsemen was poorly timed. The result was not a good one for the Dutch-Belgians; those crewman who were able to escape the business-end of the lance ran for the imagined protection of Gemioncourt. In short order, the Horse Artillery Battery was eliminated and the victorious Lancers recalled.
On the right of the French advance, the 27th Dutch Jaegers put up a better fight, supported as they were by the 7th National Militia and 7th Belgian Line. Here too, however, the Dutch were facing trouble on each flank as the French skirmishers worked their way around the unit. The Dutch were staggered by effective skirmisher fire, and then again by the close deployment of Bachelu's artillery. The 7th Line, in return, was able to slow the advance of one unit of skirmishers. On the far right, two regiments of Chasseurs were coming up to the buildings of Piraumount, and their commanding officer was looking ahead to the crossing of the small water course before Lac Materne. Wheeling to the left then, his light horse regiments would be in excellent position to roll-up the Dutch-Belgians. It appeared as though nothing would be left for Prince Jerome's troops, who were just arriving on the field.
The appearance quickly turned into reality, as the advancing French light cavalry crossed the first water obstacle, wheeled left, and fell upon the flank of the 7th Belgian Line. In the face of the onslaught, the Belgians tried to form a hasty square, but the approach of the horsemen proved too much and the Belgians broke.
The 6th Chasseurs rallied in place, while their brother unit, the 1st, galloped through the routed infantry and fell upon the 8th National Militia. Here too, the infantry broke under the elan of the sword-wielding cavalry. In the space of a quarter hour, the DutchBelgian left flank disintegrated.
In the center and on the French left, things progressed at a more controlled pace. Both sides traded ineffective artillery fire, and then some more effective musketry. French skirmishers were blooded on both flanks; first against the elements of the 2nd Nassau Regiment in Pierrepoint and then against the 7th National Militia. The 27th Jaegers, though in dire straits with cavalry in their rear and overwhelming numbers to their front, "rapped the nose" of the 61st Line Regiment.
The stalwart action of the 27th Jaegers was reflected throughout the Division, as the Dutch- Belgians maintained their morale. The courier sent from The Prince to his left flank with orders for a fighting withdrawal was, however, too late. Indeed, he was nearly caught in the rout of the 7th Line and 8th Militia. The Brigade Commander too, narrowly escaped capture.
Reorganized after scattering the Horse Artillery, the 6th Lancers scored further success against the 7th National Militia. The Militia were completely broken, and this left the 27th Jaegers essentially surrounded. They tried once more to stop or slow the advance of the French to their immediate front, but in the face of such numbers, were thrown roughly back. Problem was, they really had no where to run. Another French Line unit coming in between the Lancers and the 61st caught the Jaegers in disorder and eliminated them as a fighting force. In just over an hour then, the French had cleared the area east of Charleroi Road of any opposition. To the west, the Dutch-Belgians proved harder to dislodge.
To assist the attack against the first complex of Pierrepoint, the French brought up the Horse Artillery Battery from the Cuirassier Brigade (11th Cavalry Division). It quickly deployed just outside of enemy musket range and proceeded to fire canister against the hedges, stone walls and out building of the farm. This was to little effect however, but once the commander changed to shot, the defenders began to realize that their time on the field was limited. [This was an error on my part, allowing the French to fire canister against troops occupying a built-up area. I took range (proximity) to be the definitive factor when determining the type of fire (round) to be used against the Dutch-Belgian defenders. The SHAKO rules are very clear on the point, however. In both the short and long-term effects on the outcome of the wargame, I do not believe this oversight made any difference.]
In conjunction, the French skirmishers continued to push up and through the static Dutch-Belgian defense, if not out and out bypass it. One brigade of Foy's Division simply marched right up the Charleroi Road, getting very near to The Prince and his suite at Gemioncourt.
Help was on the way for the beleaguered Dutch-Belgians though, as it was at this hour that the Light Cavalry Brigade of the Division arrived on the field. They were joined by Picton's 5th Division; the leading elements of this Allied force winding their way into Quatre Bras while the Light Cavalry skirted around the western edge of the village.
Wellington, followed by his staff, made his entrance at this time too, but from the east and not the north. Indeed, if he would have cast a glance to his left, he would have remarked at the relative proximity of French Cavalry. The French were more interested in finishing off the remaining Dutch-Belgians however, then to give chase to a small retinue of riders making all haste down the Namur Road to Quatre Bras.
This interest was reflected in the French advance onto the ridge line before Gemioncourt, the advance of the 1st Brigade / 9th Division into the complex of Gemioncourt itself, and by the renewed efforts of Foy's other brigades to push the enemy from Pierrepoint. Much to the chagrin of Prince Bernard of Saxe-Weimar, The Prince of Orange quickly decamped from Gemioncourt and made his way north to the developing traffic jam of infantry in and around Quatre Bras. To add injury to insult, the fire fight around Pierrepoint grew in intensity as blue-coated skirmishers and line infantry attacked both farms. Protected by thick hedges, fences and the odd stonewall, the Nassau Battalions gave as good as they got, and were able to hold the buildings. Even with the loss of their remaining artillery (the French 1st/4th Legere closed and routed the crew), the Dutch-Belgians again passed their Divisional morale roll.
For the next half hour, combat was concentrated around Pierrepoint. With the addition of the horse battery as well as the superiority in numbers, the result might well be imagined: the Dutch were very much staggered by the weight and volume of fire. [SHAKO does not provide a "consecutive Fire on a target" modifier for artillery. After the third turn of firing on the Dutch inside of the first complex at Pierrepoint (with inconsistent results), I considered drafting another house-rule. Again, in terms of the flow of the wargame, I don't think this indecision on my part, or lack of such a rule in SHAKO, was detrimental.]
In the second group of buildings, the exchange of fire was also heavy, but in contrast, here the results were marginal. Growing anxious, the French front line commander ordered his men to charge. The subsequent melee was closely fought, but due to the advantage of being in cover, the Dutch-Belgians were able to throw the French back, bloodied and disordered, but more determined to wrestle Pierrepoint from Dutch control.
In the center and on the French right, the emphasis was on movement and maneuver. Both Ney and Reille were able to take up a position on the western edge of the first ridge line. To their immediate left, a horse battery deployed, covering the infantry as they solidified control of Gemioncourt. Bonaparte's Division pushed itself to follow on the heels of Bachelu's, as the forward elements of the latter were making their way up the reverse slope of that first ridge. The reorganized cavalry under Pire - no less than four regiments (two of Lancers and two of Chasseurs) - negotiated the stream running west from Lac Materne.
On the northern edge of the field, the Allies were also concentrating on movement. Unfortunately, the narrow streets of Quatre Bras did not allow for much maneuver. Sir Thomas Picton did his best to push his infantry through the village and get them in some kind of position along the Namur Road, but he had three brigades, and the column of march extended well back down the Brussells Road. Perhaps when Wellington arrived, he would be able to assist in the deployment. The Allied Commander was still making his way down the Namur Road though. The Allied Horse however, made better time, by using the relatively open ground south-west of Quatre Bras to advance within visual contact of the French infantry and command in and around Gemioncourt.
The sudden appearance of a mounted threat gave the French pause in the center. Having no cavalry in support (the Light Cavalry under Pire were a good distance to the right and had orders to advance to the Namur Road anyhow), the infantry near Gemioncourt formed square. Two battalions sat on either side of the Charleroi Road, with artillery in support. Their sister battalion remained in Gemioncourt, confident that cavalry would not dare attack the farm houses. To the right rear, there was another battery and more was coming up, as the Reserve Artillery was climbing the gentle slope.
At the end of the second hour of the engagement then, the French enjoyed an advantage. True, there was the thorn of Pierrepoint in the side of their general advance. But, for the most part, the contest had been one-sided. Terrain presented the main difficulty now, with the small water course and second ridge line to be crossed before getting to Quatre Bras. Interestingly enough, terrain presented a similar if more significant problem for the Allied forces.
After a brief respite, the French renewed their efforts to clear the buildings of Pierrepoint. Where before ranks of advancing battalions had been subject to desultory fire from the Nassau Regiments, the French line infantry now found their shooting much improved, as they raked the 1st and 3rd Battalions. The detached skirmishers of Foy's Division made matters worse, as they had been able to bypass the farm houses and supporting infantry, and then double-back so as to bring the Nassau Brigade under fire from two directions. The pressure finally proved too much for the beleaguered DutchBelgian Brigade. Caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, yet another battalion broke and ran. This time though, it was not from attack by cavalry but due to the combined effects of musketry and close range cannon fire. And this proved to be the last straw for the remaining units, for a Division morale check yielded the worst possible result.
Ignoring the relative protection afforded by the buildings, hedges and stonewalls, the Dutch- Belgians turned and fled, heading for the shadows of Bossu Wood. Efforts by the 2nd Brigade Commander to stem the tide of this rout were unsuccessful. A quick administrative check revealed that the Dutch-Belgian 2nd Division had lost 16 of its original 28 strength points. In contrast, the French had lost but a few points, and these were dispersed between two largish divisions of veteran infantry.
Pierrepoint, then, finally fell to the French. As they occupied the now abandoned farm complexes, the Allies continued to struggle with finding the space to deploy all the units that were arriving on the field.
Wellington had finally arrived on the outskirts of Quatre Bras, and immediately set about assisting General Picton with troop deployment. The 8th Brigade held the left of the line; the skirmishers of the division arranged to the left-rear as this end of the line was "open". Fearing the advance of four regiments of French horse against this vulnerable flank, Wellington ordered the 9th Brigade to march behind the 8th and extend the line. The Hanoverian Brigade formed in two lines of two battalions, holding the center between the 8th Brigade and the village itself. One battery of the division was placed in front of the Hanoverians, the other was deployed across the Brussels Road just in front of Quatre Bras. The 95th Rifles - in skirmish order - were well in front of this main line.
The majority of the Brunswick Contingent was on the field by this time. Instead of joining Picton in defense, Wellington reinforced his original instructions to the Duke that his men were to advance and attack the French at Gemioncourt. This would serve two purposes: first, it would slow the French, and second, it would make a little more room for additional reinforcements that were expected by both the Nivelles and Brussels Roads.
Germioncourt was solidly in French hands, however. The sole remaining organized Dutch-Belgian force on the field - the 2nd Light cavalry Brigade - contested this possession by their presence on the second ridge line. It was a short-lived presence, as French Horse Artillery posted in front of the infantry squares just to the left of Gemioncourt rained death and destruction on the men and horses of the 6th Hussars. The Brigade Commander survived, but now had half his original complement of Hussars. The Light Dragoons were not physically harmed, but were overwhelmed by this turn of events. To their front was Gemioncourt, garrisoned by French infantry; to its left, as the dead Hussar troopers could attest, was a horse battery and two infantry squares; on the ridge line past this concentration sat the French command of Ney and Reille; to their right were two batteries of heavy artillery. To make things worse for the Dutch-Belgian Light Cavalry, another horse battery deployed on their left flank. This battery was supported by the regiments of Lancers, who, to be fair, were more interested in the line of red-coated infantry along the Namur Road that awaited their advance.
Withdrawal was also an option for the brigade, an option that was finally taken when the newly deployed French horse battery to the left helped make the decision.
The retreat of the 2nd Dutch-Belgian Light Cavalry Brigade gave the French control of the second ridge line. The 5th and 6th Divisions pushed forward, eager to trap the British and their allies around Quatre Bras. Though slowed by the 2nd Brigade of the Dutch-Belgians, Foy's Division was now making up for lost time and pressing forward, coming even with Gernioncourt. Some units from his division were just inside Bossu Wood, progressing as well as the terrain would allow.
Back over on the French right, the Lancers did charge down from the ridge into the line established by the 8th Brigade. The 1st of the 28th and 32nd Cornwall Light Infantry formed hasty squares in response. The North Gloucester Regiment was able to hold and beat back the French, but the 32nd Infantry broke and were hotly pursued by the victorious Lancers. The 44th (East Essex) Regiment of the 9th Brigade found itself as the next target of the French cavalry, and so, also formed a hasty square from its field column. These troops held, and like the 1st/28th, were able to deter the Lancers. Fortunately for the Allied Army, Wellington, Picton and The Prince of Orange (all three of whom were in the immediate area) were able to evade the attacking Lancers.
It was on this flank then that the French suffered their first significant loss. The Lancers kept riding around these two squares, attempting to catch the British infantry without loaded weapons, or at the very least, inflict enough casualties with their lances to break the foot. It was to no avail. Both regiments of Lancers succumbed to the steady volleys of the British infantry; the squares were bordered by the remnants of horses and troopers.
Pire's Light Cavalry Division was now reduced by half. He watched, frustrated, as his Lancers were ruined in the attempt to break the squares. The two regiments of Chasseurs at his right rear, watched also, aggrieved at the destruction of their sister regiments but understanding that infantry in formed squares were very difficult to break.
Their combined frustration was relieved by action however, as the remnants of the Dutch- Belgian Cavalry Brigade swung around and attacked the detached skirmishers of the 5th Division. Cutting through these troops, the Hussars and Light Dragoons fell upon the horse battery deployed on the forward slope of the northern most ridge line. Pire ordered his troopers to counter-charge, and the Dutch-Belgian cavalry were soundly beaten. The Hussars died to a man in the swirling combat around the French guns, and the Light Dragoons - much reduced - retreated in some disorder to a position in front of Quatre Bras, very near Braun's artillery battery. [The SHAKO rules for melee do not alloA for casualties to be "shared". One side is clearly the winner, and the other side is the loser. Casualties are only taken by the losing side. While Mr. Confiffe does explain his rationale behind such rules mechanics (and well supported these are from an historical standpoint), I guess I hold a bias when it comes to melee resolution. It seems to me that while the victor would perhaps sustain fewer casualties overall, there would still be measurable casualties inflicted on both sides.]
Excepting this action, the concentration of both armies remained movement and maneuver. On the Allied side, the Brunswickers were pushing their contingent through the gap between Bossu and Quatre Bras; all the while interfering with the advance of Alten's Division, which was entering the field via the Nivelles Road. The Brunswickers had their cavalry and horse artillery in front followed by the Light Brigade. (The Brunswicker Cavalry had scored initial success on this flank, riding down a group of over-extended skirmishers from Foy's Division.) Following these units, the Line Brigade was arrayed. In the center and on the left of the Allied position, things were still somewhat disorganized. There was just no room for all the units. Their left flank was still "up in the air" after the Lancer Regiments attacked and were destroyed in the process. Some units remained in square, as the French Chasseurs were close. But the problem was compounded by the artillery they had on the ridge and the rapidly approaching infantry of Bachelu's command.
For the French, their emphasis was placed on building a solid line of blue extending east from the Bossu Wood, across the second ridge, and then turning north-east at the Namur Road. In effect, Ney was putting the Allies in a three-sided box. Bossu Wood formed the one side, and his forces comprised another two. The only open side was that ground behind the village of Quatre Bras. Indeed, the point was fast approaching where Ney could relay orders for his troops to hold in place, for the onus was on Wellington and his men to push the French back and thereby keep the Namur Road open between themselves and the Prussians. Either way, it would prove costly for the Allies, as Ney was lining the forward slope of the second ridge with as much artillery as he could muster.
Three hours into the battle, the advantage remained very much with the French. For example, on the left of the Allied line, as has been mentioned, they were faced with a dual threat of French cavalry and infantry. Reacting to the withdrawal of Pire's cavalry, the British redeployed in line to face the advancing columns of Bachelu's infantry. Regardless, the British were subjected to a withering artillery fire, which staggered two of their battalions. The detached skirmishers of Picton's Division ran forward and harassed the advancing enemy columns, but to no real effect.
The Brunswickers exchanged artillery fire with the French, but neither side fired with any noticeable effect. Shortly after this poor preparation, the Brunswicker cavalry brigade launched itself into a French Brigade that was in "order mixed" (one battalion in line, flanked by battalions in column). The French line held and due to an advantage in numbers, were able to break the Brunswicker horse. Routing survivors streamed back through the several lines of infantry before Quatre Bras.
The sole remaining Allied cavalry on the field met a similar fate when they contested the advance of the 2/3rd Line of the 1st Brigade of the 5th Division. Even with the disadvantage of coming out of a cornfield, and unprepared to meet the sudden attack of horsemen, the French gave better than they received, and the Light Dragoons died at the points of some 400 bayonets.
In terms of artillery and small arms fire, things were relatively quiet. The Brunswickers did knock down a file or two of French infantry, as the formations marched closer. In the center, the 95th Rifles (in skirmish order) kept up their annoying fire on the French artillery lining the ridge. In the main, it was ineffectual, but it did still disturb the crewmen.
Finally, in the "dance" over on the far French right flank, Pire and his cavalry moved closer to the Allied line, forcing the 92nd Highlanders and 44th Essex Regiment back into squares.
The squares were then brought under concentrated artillery fire, as the French had the foot battery of the 5th Division and the horse battery of the 2nd Cavalry in place. The horse battery was partially screened however, and so could not bring their pieces to fully bear. The foot battery did inflict some damage against the 1st of the 28th, but the square held firm. That is, until the French infantry advanced in the wake of the fire and punched a hole in the side of the square. Two battalions of the 61st Line Regiment each broke a British square: the 1st of the 28th collapsed, followed shortly by the 92nd Highlanders.
In the space of 15 minutes, the Allied left flank was once again placed in peril of being over whelmed. The remnants of the 5th Division passed their moral test, even in the face of continued French pressure and local victory.
Action in the center and on the French left was less severe, though the 95th Rifles were pushed out of their cornfield by an advancing French Line Battalion. The French artillery lining the ridge line could now breathe a collective sigh of relief. The reduced 95th rallied behind the Hanoverians.
Versus the Brunswickers, the French were also successful. The 2nd Battalion of the Light Brigade was eliminated by the combined effects of canister and well-aimed musketry. The Guard Battalion was in place however, and quickly filled the gap left by their sister battalion.
At 5:45 p.m., the British Guards Division arrived to a scene bordering on chaos around Quatre Bras. Wellington quickly assumed direct command and ordered their advance behind what could be loosely called the Allied line, in order to shore up or create a new left flank. In addition, he pulled the two second line battalions from the Hanoverian brigade and wheeled them in the same direction.
To the front of all this, the French Reserve Artillery fired into the static line formed by the 79th Highlanders. Casualties were taken, and the unit was shaken but it did hold its place.
Back on the Allied left, the French light horse entered the fray - perhaps encouraged by the success of the infantry or just wanting to take part in the destruction of this wing of the British line. The 1st Chasseurs charged the 1st Royal Scots; that unit attempted to form hasty square. Unfortunately, they panicked and were broken. The Scots became the third unit in half an hour to fail under French pressure.
The French pressure on the Allied right was withstood however, as the troops of the Brunswicker Contingent meted out as much punishment as they were handed. The Guard Battalion pushed back the 1st of the 92nd Line. The French did succeed in assaulting and taking the foot battery, but the two battalions were in turn staggered by the musketry of the Advance Battalion.
On the following turn, the Brunswickers continued in their stubborn resistance, breaking two weakened French battalions in a musketry duel. The resulting hole in the French left was quickly mended by battalions from a supporting brigade. Indeed, the French were not at all short on reserves that could be used to repair a damaged battle line. The same, unfortunately, could not be said for the Allies, as their left flank literally melted under the heat of constant French assaults.
Peppered by close range artillery, the 44th Regiment was contacted and broken by a powerful French column. The 79th Highlanders tried to stand against two line battalions that advanced into melee, (uncharacteristically for the French, these battalions were in line) but failed in the face of these numbers. The Scots did not break, but they did fall back. The 42nd Highlanders faced a double-threat when they were attacked by French light cavalry on one side and by infantry on the other side. This square held its ground against the weight of the attack. Both French units were thrown back in some disorder. However, the other Chasseur regiment riding free in the Allied left rear more than made up for this set back.
The two Hanoverian battalions that were pulled from the defensive line along the Namur Road to re-establish the left flank were assailed in succession by the French horse. Landwehr Battalion Gifforn attempted to form a hasty square, but was broken. Their sister unit, Landwehr Battalion Hamelin was still in line when the Chasseurs hit them. It was over before it had even begun; the survivors of these two battalions streaming back towards Quatre Bras or in whatever direction that safety from the pursuing French lay. The 3rd Battalion of the 1st Foot Guards was too late to help in this disaster and so could only form square in defense. Wellington, under direct threat of capture or worse by the Chasseurs, took refuge in the Guards square.
It was at this point, the end of Game Turn 17 (6:00 p.m. on the "clock"), that the game was called. While the Brunswickers were doing comparatively well versus the French on the Allied right, the Allied left was non-existent. Their line had been penetrated, and what infantry remained along the Namur Road now faced a mounted threat to their rear as well as a significant artillery presence to their front. (The French now had five artillery batteries on the ridge facing Quatre Bras. If Ney had so elected, he could have held his infantry back and simply shelled the Allied line into fragments.) Finally, while the Allies did have reinforcements present and coming on the field, (Alten's Third Division and the Guards) these units were so backed up along both access roads that any commitment would be piecemeal. The constant pressure by the French on the Allied left prevented any real room to move and or maneuver anyhow. In a word, while Quatre Bras was itself held / occupied by the Allied Army, the overall position was untenable.
COMMENTARY
In brief review, the French had scored both a tactical and strategic victory. Historically, they had only achieved strategic success, in that they kept Wellington from giving any assistance to Blucher at Ligny. However, the historical turn of events on this field prevented the effective use of D'Erlon's Corps by either Napoleon or Ney. Given the outcome in this wargame reconstruction - Jerome's Division being untouched and the cavalry reserve still very much intact - it is not too far-fetched to imagine that the IV Corps would have been "released" and well used by Napoleon to deliver a truly decisive defeat on the Prussians . . . perhaps even to the extent of forcing their withdrawal along lines of communication, and not in conjunction with Wellington and the Anglo-Allied forces.
With respect to casualties accepted and inflicted, a tremendous advantage lay with the French. The 2nd Netherlands Division had been broken due to loss, suffering over 50% casualties. The supporting 2nd Light cavalry Brigade "of" that same division was also eliminated: both by effective artillery fire and close combats. Picton's 5th Division suffered quite a lot too; the majority of this unit's casualties coming at the hands of roving French light cavalry. The Brunswickers, though quite involved with the French, took the least punishment of any allied force, if one accepts the argument that losing all the artillery and cavalry arm of their contingent qualifies as "light casualties". The division under Alten and the Guards Division were close to fighting, but did not get involved. If the wargame had been extended to include a rear-guard action, it is not illogical to conclude that these units would have been heavily engaged.
In contrast, the French came through the engagement relatively untouched. True, Pire did lose half his strength in the first attacks on the British squares, but the Chasseurs more than made up for that loss. Additionally, the close support of Bachelu's Division pinned the British in a rather uncomfortable defensive position. Both Bachelu and Foy's Division lost their complement of attached skirmishers, and Foy also suffered the loss of two line battalions. Aside from that, both divisions, while tired from four-plus hours of marching and fighting, were still in good condition. Prince Jerome's battalions witnessed only the aftermath of the battle, as this division was forever bringing up the rear of the French. The heavy cavalry of Kellermann's Reserve did not see any action what so ever on this reconstructed field. Here too however, one can well imagine that they would have played a pivotal part in the pursuit; giving veritable fits to the commanders of the 3rd and Guards Division.
While on the subject of casualties taken and inflicted, I think it's interesting to note that casualties among command elements were very few and far between in this re-fight. In fact, with the exception of the French cavalry swarming around the British left and eventually breaking into their center and rear, higher commands went untouched. To be certain, Wellington, Picton and the Prince of Orange did have some close calls on a few turns. Historically, it seemed as if general command was especially subject to the fortunes of combat. The Duke of Brunswick was felled while rallying his men, and General Picton was wounded. Based on this limited experience, I am re-thinking my house-rules on command casualties.
I am also re-thinking the first volley house-rule. Not in terms of eliminating it from the game turn phase or sequence, but in what way would I be best reminded that it is in effect. I am almost embarrassed to admit that during the course of the game, this house-rule was rather forgotten. Now, with the prospect of enjoying another horse & musket period game before the end of the year, I have to decide how to go about reminding myself of this particular house-rule. As I used numbered chits to mark the current strength of battalions, regiments and batteries, it would not be an imposition (either on production or on the appearance of the terrain) to develop a chit or counter that was marked with "1st Volley". Each infantry unit marked with muskets or rifles and each artillery unit would receive one of these markers. Then, when the first fire combat was resolved, the marker would be removed.
In contrast, the house-rules governing the disordering effects of the terrain on the Quatre Bras wargame table were well followed. Indeed, there were a number of turns when the French spent a lot of time (in the Command Phase) trying to re-organize units that were disheveled by passing through tall corn fields, across small water courses or into the environs of Bossu Wood. Here too, however, a discrepancy was noted with respect to the "Disorder" marker. As discussed in my article in MWAN 108, one may want to make the distinction between disorder caused by terrain and disorder as a product of combat.
Conclusion
To conclude, overall, I think the re-construction and re-fight of Quatre Bras went well. It is tempting to consider following this battle with a try at Ligny or even of Waterloo (a wargame I've always wanted to do), for I think, despite my numerous amendments, the SHAKO rules lend themselves to this type of project. And yet, I think I will take a break from the concerns of Napoleon and his marshals for a while. The recent purchase of several issues of Wargames Illustrated at EHQ, has served to awaken my interest in other periods and topics concerning the hobby.
Finally, I would like to extend thanks to Arty Conliffe for providing me a foundation by which I could even attempt this research and re-fight project. (Some readers may note that he was also instrumental in the production of "Considering Cannae", a similar article which appeared in The Courier, NO. 79.) A measure of gratitude is directed to Hal Thinglum as well, for the compliment he pays me every two months.
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© Copyright 2001 Hal Thinglum
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