We played a scenario on Saturday, March 10th, of the battle of Bar-Sur-Aube using General de Brigade. Jeff was kind enough to put this game together. It was, for us, a very large game that used most of my French collection. It was exciting to see the majority of my French troops on the field together for the first time! The few years spent planning, painting (with the help of Rex Painting Service - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), and basing troops finally paid off.
The French were deployed with Leval on the left, Duhesme on the right, and Jacquionot's horsemen behind Duhesme's infantry. Eddie commanded Leval's troops while I directed both Duhesme's and Jacquionot's divisions. Jacquionot's cavalry was brought across the river, at the bridge and at the ford, and the brigades were converted into independent commands in order to counter the Allied numbers.
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| A sketchy sketch of the battle |
The Allies plowed forward just as they were deployed. It was a murderous battle as the Allies poured units into the line as each side traded cutting volleys. The area between the Russians and Austrians was dominated by a "grand battery" of 10 gun models deployed against Duhesme's 4 gun models.
Things went pretty well for the French as we seemed to deal out more damage then we took. The Allied troops struggled to bring their weight to bear as the terrain was unkind to their avenues of advance. Eventually, the numbers began to tell. At the end of the battle the Austrians launched a series of charges that broke the troops of Voirol's brigade and Jarry's brigade which shattered both of them almost simultaneously. With his division ruined, and Bar-Sur-Aube in Austrian hands, Duhesme had no choice but retreat. This, in turn, left Oudinot with an untenable position. Oudinot's men retreated and ceded the field to the battered Allied units.
Battle of Bar-Sur-Aube February 27, 1814
French Order of Battle
Corps Commander – Marshal Oudinot
General Leval’s Division (Veterans from Spain)
| Maulmond’s Brigade: 10th Leger (1 bn) 3rd Line (1 bn) 15th Line (1 bn) | Montfort’s Brigade: 17th Leger (1 bn) 36th Line (1 bn) 105th Line (1 bn) |
| Chasse’s Brigade: 8th Line (1 bn) 28th Line (1 bn) 54th Line (1 bn) | Divisional Artillery: 6 pdr Foot Battery (3 sections)
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General Duhesme’s Division
| Materre’s Brigade: 20th Leger (1 bn) 4th Line (1 bn) 72nd Line (1 bn) | Jarry’s Brigade: Provisional Leger Bn Provisional Line Bn Provisional Line Bn
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| Voirol’s Brigade: 18th Line (1 bn) 46th Line (1 bn) 93rd Line (1 bn) | Divisional Artillery: 8 pdr Foot Battery (4 sections)
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Jacquionot’s Division (Cavalry)
| Wolff’s Brigade: 2nd Hussars 21st Chasseurs a Cheval | Treilard’s Brigade: 14th Dragoons 17th Dragoons |
| Amiel’s Brigade: 9th Chevau-Leger 4th Chasseurs a Cheval | Divisional Artillery: 6 pdr Horse Battery (2 sections)
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Allied Order of Battle
Corps Commander: General Wittgenstein (Russian)
Right Division: General Franquemont (Wurttemberg)
| Pahlen’s Brigade (Russian): Hussar Regt. Cossacks
| Koch’s Brigade (Wurttemberg): 1st Regiment (1 bn) 2nd Regiment (1 bn) 4th Regiment (1 bn) 10th Regiment (1 bn) 6 pdr Foot Battery (3 sections)
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| Walsben’s Brigade (Wurttemberg): 1st Chevauleger Regt. 2nd Chevauleger Regt. 6 pdr Horse Battery (2 sections)
| Wlastov’s Brigade (Russian): 23rd Jagers (1 bn) 24th Jagers (1 bn)
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Center Division: General Schachafskoi (Russian)
Cossacks attached to Divisional HQ
| Wolf’s Brigade (Russian): Morum Regt. (1 bn) Tschernigov Regt. (1 bn) 21st Jagers (1 bn)
| Schilwinski’s Brigade (Russian): Revel Regt. (1 bn) Siliginsk Regt. (1 bn) 20th Jagers (1 bn) |
| Leontiev’s Brigade (Russian): Pleskov Cuirassier Regt. Ingrelia Dragoon Regt.
| Divisional Artillery: 6 pdr Foot Battery (4 sections)
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Left Division: General Frimont (Austrian)
| Mengeu’s Brigade (Austrian): 3rd Jager Bn. Sczekler’s Grenz Regt. (2 bns)
| Gerambe’s Brigade (Austrian): Archduke Joseph’s Hussar Regt. Schwarzenberg Uhlan Regt. |
| Volman’s Brigade (Austrian): Archduke Rudolf’s Regt. (2 bns) Jordis’s Regiment (2 bns) | Divisional Artillery: 6 pdr Field Battery (4 sections) 12 pdr Position Battery (2 sections)
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| Prince Karl’s Brigade (Bavarian): 2nd Light Inf. Bn 3rd Inf. Regt. (1 bn) 10th Militia Regt. (1 bn)
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