Game 88 : Waterloo- take 2

 This is a repeat of the Battle of Waterloo. I will just post a series of pics with some commentary. Briefly, the Allies deployed "normally". The French opted for a refused right flank on the basis of the Prussian approach.

In a nutshell, the French took both La Haye Sainte & Hougoumont relatively early. The battle for the ridge was intense at times but the Allies held. La Hay Sainte would eventually be retaken by the Allies, well nearly- we ran out of time!

The Prussians would make in roads into Plancenoit.

This pic is rather late in the game. It shows Bulow attacking Plancenoit with all four of his infantry Brigades, equivalent to French Divisions. Each village sector really requires a Brigade assault that is likely to fail on the first attempt. Constant attacking, best from 2 sides, will eventually tell. Here, the village sector on the left of Plancenoit, favcing the Prussians, has been taken.

Now, for some reason, the pics are in back to front order and the "Blog" is not liking me trying to change the order. So I'll go in reverse order, the pics are still nice!

This is at the end of the game when time ran out and I think equivalent time was 7.00pm. The French Guard are still trying to get tot the front and are about to be faced off by plucky Dutch-Belgian cavalry that has fought well

The Dutch-Belgian cavalry engaging French Cuirassiers and French infantry. This has allowed Belgian infantry to attack French infantry deployed in squares

French infantry manage to get to the British held ridge and engage the artillery. It then becomes a general melee which grinds to a halt. This would be the last action Picton's Division underttok, it would retire with heavy casualties. Maitland would replace him!

More British artillery facing a French infantry attack. Picton is in support and Somerset is positioned for a potential counter-attack.

This shows the Prussian "meat grinder" as it approaches Plancenoit. It did so in good order and all Brigades deployed with a 3 Btn regimental frontage in columns of companies.

This is to the left from the pic 2 above. Mitchell is placed to counter attack against La Haye Sainte. The French Division would get squeezed and so would retire in good order to affect redeployment.

The French have cleared Hougoumont gardens and are advancing on the ridge. The lack of space allows Dutch-Belgain cavalry to launch repeated charges to slow them down.

This is the French assault against Picton's position. Hard fought, but no  breakthrough

French Guard Chasseurs a Cheval and Guard Lancers attack to the right of the previous pic to try and create a hole in the line. Brave British artillery stand their ground and beat off both attacks.

The French take Hougoumont. Alten deploys to counter and stall any further French advance.

To the left of the previous pic, the French advance on the right end of the Allied ridge line

As usual, the casualty table reflects who was doing the bulk of the fighting. There were other action, notably the French Guard Heavies having a hard time against 3 Brigades of Uxbridge's cavalry.

French Formations	Losses %			Prussian Formations	Losses%
	Inf	Cav	Artillery		Inf	Cav	Artillery
Imperial Guard : Drouot				Army Reserve	0	-	21
Friant	0	-	0
Morand	0	-	0	I Corps : PO Orange
Duhesme	2	-	0	Maitland	0	-	17
Guyot	-	0	17	Alten	9	-	27
LeFebvre	-	3	2	Perponcher	5	-	6
St Maurice	-	-	5	Chasse	8	-	30
I Corps : D’Erlon				Dutch-Belgian Cavalry : Collaert	-	-	0
Quiot	15	-	13	Trip	-	21	-
Donzelot	33	-	50	Merlen	-	11	-
Marcognet	17	-	3
Durutte	8	-	0
Jacquinot	16	0	38	II Corps : Hill
I Corps Artillery	-	-	0	Clinton	4	-	2
				Mitchell	5	-	33
IV Corps : Reille
Jerome	19	-	13	Reserve Corps : no General
Bachelu	5	-	0	Picton	18	-	17
Foy	22	-	0	Cole	7	-	46
Pire	-	12	29	Olfermans	0	0	22
II Corps Artillery	-	-	0
				Cavalry Reserve : Uxbridge
VI Corps : Lobau				Somerset	-	0	-
Simmer	17	-	0	Ponsonby	-	5	-
Jeanin	1	-	34	Dornberg	-	13	-
Domon	-	17	29	Vandeleur	-	26	-
Subervie	-	6	46	Grant	-	3	-
VI Corps Artillery	-	-	5	Vivian	-	9	-
				Arentschild	-	6	-
IIIC Cav Corps : Kellerman				Estorff	-	0	-
L’Heritier	-	35	46	Royal Horse Artillery	-	-	19
D’Hurbal	-	0	0
				IV Korps : Bulow
IVC Cav Corps : Milhaud				Hake	3	-	-
St Alphonse	-	11	0	Funck	3	-	-
Delorts	-	10	0	Losthin	7	-	-
				Hiller	5	-	-
				Prince William	-	30	-
				Braun	-	-	2
				II Korps : Pirch I
				Tippelskirch	0	-	-
				Krafft	0	-	-
				Brause	0	-	-
				Bose	0	-	-
				Jurgass	-	0	-
				Rohl	-	-	0
				I Korps : Ziethen
				Steinmetz	0	-	-
				Pirch II	0	-	-
				Jagow	0	-	-
				Schutter	0	-	-
				Roeder	-	0	-
				Holtendorff	-	-	0

Pirch and Ziethan have been left for completion, but they were not actually deployed in our game. That's it for now. The next game up will be Gross Beeren, back to 1813.

And here is the rogue's gallery of gamers. I think Iain may have sat on something?!