This article is my personal interpretation of the battle. Any mistakes are my own.
After Napoleon's Abdication in 1814, the Northern Dutch [ Flemings ] and the French speaking Southern Belgians [ Walloons ] finally gained their independence from France. In 1815, the two parts of the kingdom were joined becoming The United Kingdom Of The Netherlands.
To guarantee that independence, an Allied army under the command of Sir Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington was camped in and around Brussels, the Capital of the newly formed country. When news came of Napoleons return. all the Allied troops were sent orders to make ready in their Cantonments.
Also positioned in the Rhineland and parts of the Southern Netherlands was the Prussian Army. There were four Corps. 1st Corp under General Zieten at Charleroi. 2nd Corps under General Pirch 1st in the area of Namur. The 3rd Corp under General Thielmann near the Meuse River and finally, furthest north¬east was General Bulows 4th Corp camped around Liege.
Both the Prussian and Allied Command structure worked well together. Unfortunately, neither command knew exactly where Napoleon would begin his attack. Therefore both armies were strung out along the border facing south, the Allied Army on the right, the Prussian army on the left.
In the early hours of 14th June, the French Army in three columns started north toward the border. The Prussians were more aware of Napoleons movements so Blucher sent out orders for the army to close up in and around Ligny and Sombreffe.
The plan originally conceived was for the Prussians to delay the French long enough for the Allies to close up and hit the French left flank. Despite good communication between the two armies, events proved to move faster. When the first clash came at Charleroi, Zeitens Corps pulled back toward Ligny. a movement that was not initially known to Wellington
Wellington, still waiting for confirmation of the French advance did not know of the loss of Charleroi until the earl evening of the 14th. Finally appraised of the situation, he sent out orders for the Allied Army to make ready but still did not issued any movement orders. He wasn’t sure if the attack at Charleroi was just a feint with the real attack coming through Mons.
Hendrik George Count de Perponcher commanded a Brigade of Dutch¬Belgian troops in the small village of Quatre Bra. In closing up with the main army as ordered, Perponcher would have to evacuate the place. He knew that in doing so, a vital link between the two armies would be broken. Therefore he disobeyed orders and ordered his troops to dig in.
Wellington had waited until he knew where Napoleon would strike first. However, in doing so he was unable to support the Prussians as previously agreed, because of the time required to bring his army together. To make matters worse, word had come from Perponcher that Quatre Bra was under attack.
Not knowing of events unfolding on their right flank, Blucher and his ADC Gneisenau readied the the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Corps he had available around Ligny and Sombreffe , unaware his army would face the full force of the French attack unsupported......
THE PRUSSIAN ARMY: 71.000 = 71 POINTS.
GENERAL ZEITENS 1ST CORP 24,600 = 24.6 pts. = 24 pts r/u.
C-in-C Fieldmarshal Geibhard Von Blucher @ 1pt.
1 General [ Hans Ernst Karl, Graf von Zeiten ] @ 1pt
6 stands of Line Infantry @ 2pts = 12pts.
2 stands of Landwehr Infantry @ 2pts = 4pts
2 stands of Light Infantry @ 1pt = 2pts.
2 stands of Light Foot Artillery @ 1pt = 2pts.
1 stand of Dragoon Cavalry @ 1pt
1 stand of Lancer Cavalry @ 1pt
1 stand of Landwehr Cavalry @ 1pt.
GENERAL VON PIRCH 1ST : 2ND CORP. 25,000 = 25PTS.
1 General [Georg Dubislav Ludwig Von Pirch ] @ 1pt.
6 stands of Line Infantry @ 2pts = 12pts.
3 stands of Landwehr Infantry ' 2pts = 6pts.
1 stand of Light Infantry @ 1pt.
2 stands of Light Horse Artillery @ 1pt = 2pts.
1 stand of Dragoon Cavalry @ 1pt.
1 stand of Hussar Cavalry @ 1pt.
1 stand of Landwehr Cavalry @ 1pt.
GENERAL VON THIELEMANN: 3RD CORP 21,000 = 21PTS.
1 General [ Johann Adolf von Thielemann ] @ 1pt.
4 stands of Line Infantry @ 2pts = 8pts
4 stands of Landwehr Infantry @ 2pts = 8pts.
1 stand of Light Foot Artillery @ 1pt.
1 stand of Lancer Landwehr Cavalry @ 1pt.
1 stand of Dragoon Cavalry @ 1pt.
1 stand of Landwehr Cavalry @ 1pt.
Note; The Heavy Artillery was on the road to Namur.
Note; Von Bulow's 4th Corp was to far back to take part in the battle.
FRENCH ARMY: 71,850 = 71.850 pts =72 pts r/u.
DOMINIQUE-JOSEPH RENE VANDAMME :3RD CORP 19 PTS
1 General [ Vandamme ] @ 1pt.
6 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 pts = 12pts.
1 stand of Line Grenadier Infantry @ 3pts
1 stand of Light Infantry @ 1pt.
32 Guns x 50 gunners = 1,600 = 1.6 pts r/u = 2 stands of Light Foot Artillery @ 1pt = 2 pts.
ETIENNE MAURICE GERARD 4TH CORPS 15,500 = 15.5 PTS = 16PTS R/U.
1 General [ Gerard ] @ 1pt
1 stand Line Grenadier Infantry @ 3pts.
4 stands of Line Infantry @ 2 pts = 8 pts.
1 stand of Light Infantry @ 1 pt.
.32 Guns x 50 Gunners = 1,600 = 1.6pts r/u = 2 stands of Light Foot Artillery @ 1 pt = 2 pts.
3rd Cavalry Division [ Baron Domon = not represented ] 900 = 0.900 or 1pt r/u = 1 stand of Light Cavalry @ 1 point.
7th Cavalry Division [General Maurin- not represented ] 900 = 0.900 or 1pt r/u = 1 stand of Light Cavalry @ 1pt.
GENERAL GIRARD 7TH DIVISION: 4,000 = 4pts.
1 General [ Girard ] @ 1 pt.
3 stands of Light Infantry @ 1 pt = 3pts.
GENERAL HULOT 14TH DIVISION 4,000 = 4 PTS.
1 General [ Hulot ] @ 1pt.
3 stands of Light Infantry @ 1 pt = 3 pts.
Pajols 1st Cavalry Corps: 2,700 = 2.7pts = 3pts r/u.
1 General [ Grouchy ] @ 1pt.
1 stand of Cavalry [inc Pajol ] @ 1pt.
12 guns x 50 gunners = 600 = 0.600pts r/u = 1 stand of Light Horse Artillery @ 1pt.
Exelmann's 2nd Cavalry Corp: 4,100 = 4pts r/d;
2 stands of Cavalry @ 1pt = 2pts.
1 General [ Exelmann ] @ 1pt.
12 guns x 50 gunners = 600 gunners = 0.600 or 1pt r/u = 1 stand of Light Horse Artillery @ 1pt.
THE GUARD:
OLD GUARD 12,000 = 12pts
3 stands of Old Guard @ 3pts = 9pts
Napoleon Bonaparte @ 3pts.
YOUNG GUARD 6,400 = 6PTS r/d:
2 stands @ 3pts = 6pts.
Reserve Guard Cavalry [ Baron Guyot not represented ] 1,950 = 1.9 or 2pts r/u = 1 stand of Cavalry @ 2pts
GUARD ARTILLERY:
96 Guns x 50 gunners 4,800 = 4.8 or 5pts r/u = 2 stands of Heavy Guard Foot Artillery @ 2pts = 4 pts
1 stand Guard Light Horse Artillery @ 1pt.
THE BATTLE.
* The battle will played for 8 Game-Turns. and/or until one side has its Morale total reduced to zero at the end of a Game-Turn.
* The French will have the Initiative Point on the first Game Turn and will Move and Fire first in each phase.
* From Game-Turn 2 until Game-Turn 8, both sides will roll a die for the Initiative Point.
* Both sides will use the Morale rule;
* Prussia has 36 points rounded up.
* France has 36 points rounded up.
* As each stand is removed from play its points are removed from the respective morale total.
* Whoever wins the Initiative Point for the Turn also wins any tied results.
* THE RIVERS
* The Ligny and all its tributaries can only be crossed at the bridges or villages. Any stand entering the rivers will be lost.
* THE WHEATFIELDS
* Stands can only move one Square per Game-Turn when moving in the wheatfields. ALL stands within the Wheatfields can only move through the face of a square not a diagonal.
* Stands firing into, or out of the wheatfields have one point deducted from their die rolls on top of any other deductions.
Note: The Prussians only knew the French were advancing toward them because the shako plumes were like moving flowers. The wheat was as tall as a man.
SOMBREFFE AND MAZY.
* Any stands firing at targets within Sombreffe, Mazy or behind the hedgerow in front of the villages in that area must have 3 POINTS deducted from their die rolls. [ The hedgerow is shown as a thick line on the top right of the map.].
All the other villages have a normal minus 2 on each die roll for those stands firing at targets within them.
* Opposing stands have 2 points deducted from their respective die rolls if both are firing and/or are in close combat within the same village.
MOVING BACK;
* As per the normal rules if any stand cannot move back when required, that stand is removed from play and its point are removed from that Army's morale total.
WINNING THE GAME;
* The side that has achieved these results wins the game.
1) The French win if they hold Ligny and Sombreffe.
2) The Prussians win if they still hold Ligny and Sombreffe
3) If neither side achieves their objectives the side with the higher morale total wins the battle.
THE HISTORY:
This was an extremely tough battle. Napoleon thought it would be fairly easy to defeat the Prussian army. However , Ligny and Saint Armand were choked with the dead in testimony of the bravery of both sides. The villages changed hands several times and combat came with musket butts and bayonets at close quarters.
Von Pirch threw in troops to help Zeiten maintain his position. Thielmann’s Corps held on the left thanks to the close nature of the terrain dotted with stone farmhouses. Grouchy’s troops could not gain an advantage.
Every time the French thought they had gained the villages around Ligny, the Prussian troops stormed in again and drove them out. The ground didn’t help as it was soaked and muddy. This hindered the Cavalry. Napoleon needed the bridges over the Ligny to move his artillery as the River and its tributaries were deep with very muddy banks.
To gain victory, Napoleon had to bring forward the Guard infantry and Artillery to smash their way into Ligny aided by the Guard Cuirassiers. Even General Blucher went down and was rode over by the French Cavalry. Luckily he survived and was rescued.
When the 1st and 2nd Corp finally broke it was Thielmann’s 3rd Corps that performed a strong rearguard action enabling Gneisenau to gather the army. The French Cavalry were to exhausted to mount a pursuit allowing the Prussians an orderly retreat.
Crucially, Von Bulow’s Corps was untouched and although he had the longest distance to march, he was able to aide Wellington at Waterloo at the critical moment……
CREDITS;
Nearly all the French are from the now departed Irregular Miniatures 15mm range. All the Prussians and some of the French are from Essex Miniatures. some of the standard poles are javelins from North Star Miniature. All the flags are from labels and hand painted.
The square stands are 40 x 40mm square and cut from picture framing card. The round 40mm bases are from Sarissa Precision.
The hedgerow is from Pendraken Miniatures. The trees are from Guagemaster. The “ flat pack villages” are scratcbuilt as are the hill sections and bridges.
The roads and rivers are cut from thin card. The cover is from Deep Cut Studios as a custom mat with 2 inch ( 50mm ) squares printed on.
The board is 3 feet ( 90mm ) x 2 feet ( 60mm).
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