Bautzen, the battle commences. Part 1

We kick off with the French moving up on all fronts, the Allies sit smug in their positions. Ney's long flank move approaches the battlefield as he marches to the sound of the guns which herald the coming attack.

It might be worth having a peek at the prologue to this battle published here in March. I've been distracted so haven't been bothered to write this up until today and no one else has written anything up either so things here have been a bit quiet on Marauder Moments. I am on holiday in Devon for a week soon so may sneak off to the pub and write up older games I have found pictures for. Maybe some new toys will turn up soon too.    

Marmont has moved forward. The Middle & Young Guard move to support.
Latour Maubourg awaits orders with the heavy cavalry. 

The Allied lines await...

... confident they have strong reserves in depth.

The leading French units head for the Allied lines while
their batteries fire in support.

The Allies sit tight behind their redoubts. 

Blucher's boys are charged with holding the hill, the eye of the storm.

I mentioned that the Allies were content to hold their redoubts, almost true.
In the wooded hills the Russians attacked ferociously and the recipient of this aggression was me
and I wasn't prepared for this at all.

The first of Ney's forces start to arrive on the Allies flank. 

The string of ponds served to channel the French attacks.

Marmont's Italians head for the gap between the hill and the redoubt. 

The Russians in the woods fall upon Oudinot's boys as they enter the table and are roughly handled. 

A Russian battery limbers up and sensibly redeploys to the rear - flees from my skirmishers!

Dashing French Tony deploys more of Ney's lads 

Oudinot tries to ingnore the Russians in the woods and continues his attack by moving around them. 

Saxon light cavalry ford the stream, an Italian 12lb battery fires at distant Prussians.
The Young & Middle Guard move up.   

Two batteries soften up the Prussians from afar. Latour Maubourg's heavies wait in reserve.    

The aggressive Russians under Miloradavich continue to get the better of Oudinot.

Some early success for the French, Gortschakoff is killed by a 12lb shot from the Old Guard foot artillery. His redoubt is stormed by French infantry who cut down a Russian battery in the process.  

Not all the French attacks are fortunate, here two units rout sending the whole of Marmont's formation backwards.  

Latour Maubourg gets the order to move up.

Two of  Ney's formations finally attack, these took ages to sort out mirroring history very nicely. 

The Allied centre looks very tough.

Russian Tony commanded, Berg, Miloradavich, Gortschakoff and elements of the Rerserve.

The capture of the redoubt and death of Gortschakoff the Corp fell back leaving a hole for the French to exploit, could I exploit this? Place you bets gents...  

French reserves move up.

Latour's heavies get their shiny kinky black boots wet. 

The Allied reserve hasn't moved an inch.
Here is massed the following, 6 Russian Guards, 6 Russian Grenadiers, 3 Prussian Guards, 3 Russian Guard cavalry, 2 Russian Cuirassiers, 4 batteries and some light cavalry.
I think the Prussians in the foreground are either Yorck or Kleist awaiting more of Ney's attack.

Some of Ney's lads finally make the effort to attack. 

Good shot panning out to take in the centre and French rear lines...

... which emptying rather too quickly. 

The joy deployment in depth, Russians counter attack the redoubt quickly retaking it. A neighbouring formation has also broken and fallen back though, naturally I couldn't make any capital out of the situation though. There was no crisis in the Allied centre, quite the reverse. 

Blucher is up on the hill taking one for the cause. Unusual to see so many battalions in line.

Crunch time cometh.

Marmont has rebuilt his corp and prepares to go back in again. At one point all three lead French Corps were broken!

We French just need one of these columns to break through, just one, please God, just one tiny break through!

More of Ney's command arrives on the Allied rear table. This could be useful.

I suspect some of the Allied reserves have moved, I could swear that the Prussian Guards have turned to face Ney. 

Bavarian battery and limber team.

The grumpiest man in all of Bavaria, possibly all of Europe!
"Vots da madder Herr Grumpy? Vy zee long face?"

CHARGE! 

More CHARGE!

The lead units of French heavies negotiate the gap between the boards.

The edge of the world!

Every man offers up a prayer to someone when the grapeshot flies.

Ney attacking on the extreme French left.

Prussian Guards, 1st and 2nd Foot Guards, Life Guards and 12lb foot battery deploy in support of the Allied right.   

Oudinot has been rudely catapulted back over the river to his starting positions leaving Milo-bloody-radavich in possession of the woods like a bunch of silly tree hugging elves. Bah!

Sometimes I hate myself.
Look at that massive hole, it's huge and good old Napoleon here, me, hasn't even got a 2nd class skirmisher to go and stand in it waving two fingers in the air. I wonder if fishing might appeal?   

I think I saw another Allied reserve move a bit...  

Just about sums it up. 

The French have a lot to do and most of the expectation now lies with Ney. The main French frontal assault has faltered but must continue to attack in order to pin the Prussians in position and keep the allied reserve from committing too soon against Ney. Not shown here in this report are the movements of the French Guards, Old, Middle, Young and Guard cavalry all of whom are on the move the keep up appearances of a strong French attack still to come.

If Ney can get a breakthrough Latour Maubourg's heavy cavalry can be unleashed to roll-up the whole position - possibly. There is lots to play for still so pop back.