Nap Campaign: The 2nd Battle of Ainsworth (Prussia) Part 1

The night before the battle:

As dawn breaks on 18th March 1808, Blucher can now see what his scouts had been reporting. There was indeed a substantial force threatening his left flank. It was too late to redeploy. He therefore intended to hold his left flank with the forces available on that flank and gamble on a full concentrated attack on the French left intending to roll up the French flank. If he can break the Imperial Guard French morale will collapse.

For Napoleon it could not have gone better. Vandamme arrived at the perfect time. The 3rd Corps would be the main offensive weapon used to roll up the Prussian left flank and also prevent any possible retreat in that direction. When the time was right he would launch an attack on the Prussians pinning them against a deep river with just 2 bridges affording escape routes. This was his chance to deliver a crippling blow to the main Prussian army.

As this is a large battle this after action report will be split.

The 2nd Battle of Ainsworth

Part 1

French v Prussian

Total French 2535

CinC Napoleon

Total Prussian 2385

CinC Blucher

Scale - 6mm (Baccus)

Rules - General de Brigade (modified)

18th March 1808

0900 hours (max 32 moves)

ORDER OF BATTLE

TERRAIN

6' x 3'9" Table

French 28A10, 15, 20

Prussians 17A22, 23

Terrain Description:

17A22 – Firm grazing land. River deep. Cottage (cap 6)

17A23 – Firm grazing land, hedgerows, farm (cap 50), river deep

17A24 – Firm grazing land, fences, farm (cap 50), smooth grassy hill

28A10 – Rough terrain (difficult), Inn (cap 12). (good going on plain)

28A15 – Broken heathland (good going), rocky hill, village of Ainsworth (off map to south)

28A20 – Bleak treeless district, river deep

Prussians (right) - 4th Corps from top to near hedgerow field next to road in centre; 1st Corps centre in and near hedgerow field; 2nd Corps from centre to left flank.
French (left) - 2nd Corps frontline from top to just below nearest wood; Imperial Guard in reserve centre; 3rd Corps, the 3 divisions in column formation at bottom of photo. 

Overview from Prussian right flank.

Prussian right flank - 4th Corps. 13th Brigade regiments either side of Artillery reserve (commanded by Braun) and 2nd Neumark Landwehr regiment in wood behind 10th Inf Regt.
16th Brigade all 3 regts in reserve from centre left to bottom right.
Watzdorff's Hussars to left of 16th Brig
Part of 15th Brigade top left.

Prussian centre - Centre of photo behind artillery is Losthin's 15th Brigade with all 3 regiments lined up behind each other.
To Losthin's left is Donnersmack's 4th Brigade of 1st Corps consisting of 2 regiments. 3 bns of 19th Line inf in line formation in front with the 3 bns of 4th Westphalian Landwehr immediately behind in column.
4th Corps Reserve Cavalry to rear of both brigades.
1st  Corps 3rd Brigade on left in and in front of field surrounded by hedgerow.

Prussian left flank - 2nd Corps 5th Brigade nearest camera
2nd Corps 6th Brigade in and behind woods

French left flank - Husson's Brigade bottom right.
Campy's Brigade on hill middle.
Pire's 2nd Cav Division in valley to right
3 battalions of Middle Guard Grenadiers in support to rear of Bachelu.
The 6 battalions of Soye's Brigade line the woods through to behind artillery top left.
4 battalions of Chasseurs of Middle Guard in reserve behind Soye
D'Hurbal's 12th Cav Division behind Middle Guard

French centre - 7 light infantry battalions of Bauduin's Brigade in woods (centre) and in line behind massed artillery between both woods.
8 battalions of Old Guard in column behind Baudiun.
Heavy Cavalry of Guard top of photo.
In woods to left Gauthier's Brigade of Foy's Division.

French right flank - Jamin's Brigade in wood with 3 battalions in column next to wood.
11th Cavalry Division at bottom of photo. 

Closer view of French 3rd Corps on extreme right of French line

Closer view of French left flank. Husson on hill to left also occupies the Inn.

View towards the French centre.

Napoleon and his staff.

View across to Prussian right.

The Old Guard.

Massed artillery square up in the centre

The Excellent Lt Gen Foy behind his division on the right flank.

French 3rd Corps.

Vandamme relishes his chance of unleashing his Corps on the Prussian flank.

The target of the French 3rd Corps. 

Cardell (bottom left) prepares to take 2 of his battalions of 2nd Infantry Regt to occupy the farm and it's grounds.

View towards the Prussian 1st Corps and the centre of the Prussian line.

Prussian 2nd Corps.

View towards French centre

An artillery duel opens proceedings in the centre and French left. On the French right the 3rd Corps makes its flanking move. Lafol's 8th Division is tasked with capturing the farm and swinging in on the Prussian flank (bottom right). The 2 remaining divisions are to hit the Prussian flank directly from the front. All does not go well as confusion reigns among some of the brigades breaking up the well ordered concentration of the attack. With the 10th Division in the lead, Dupeyroux finds that his Brigade has inadvertently outpaced that of Gengoult as a result of which his the division will not attack as one as intended. To their rear, Bethezene's 11th Division also splits due to poor coordination. 

Foy begins marshalling his division to support the 3rd Corps with Jamin's brigade the first to move out. 

With the Prussian reserve batteries getting the better of counter-battery fire with the lighter French batteries on the Prussian right flank, Blucher ordered the first of his flanking attacks. Hake leads the 10th Infantry regiment, 2nd Neumark Landwehr regiment and the 2nd Silesia Landwehr from the 16th Brigade towards Husson's position.

Lafol leads his division through the wood in a race to the farm with the Prussian 2nd Infantry Regiment rushing to cross the fence to head them off.

3rd Corps artillery moves into a clearing to seek out opportunities to inflict some chaos on the Prussians.

Dupeyroux holds up his brigade allowing Gengoult to catch up. The French 10th Division is now ready to begin it's assault (middle of photo). A gap has opened up with the 11th Division who is struggling to maintain its formation. The 11th Cavalry Division steadily advances to support the 3rd Corps (bottom left).

From this position the dislocation of the 3rd Corps becomes more apparent. Foy however, has successfully reformed his Division and moved out of the woods in support (middle of photo). Prussian artillery is causing significant casualties among the packed columns. Another Prussian battery has fired on a newly deployed French artillery battery sweeping away many of their crews (middle right with red micro dice beside French battery). The red micro dice indicates that this battery will need to take a morale test in the morale phase due to the number of casualties it has suffered.

Action starts to hot up on the Prussian left. A firefight erupts at the edge of the wood between the lead battalions of Lafol's Division and a battalion of the 2nd Infantry. Major Roebel is sent with his 5th Westphalia Landwehr regiment to support the 2nd Infantry in and around the farm (to the right of the farm in the photo). The first melee of the battle can be seen in middle of photo.

More on that melee. Dupeyroux launches his Brigade at the Fusilier battalion of the 2nd Infantry and the Prussian 5th Brigade's artillery battery. The battery fires off a round of canister at the same time a volley is fired from the Fusilier battalion. Serious casualties are inflicted on the attacking columns but such is their eagerness to get to grips with the Prussians, all units pass their morale test and charge home. The artillery battery pays the price of failing to evade and is routed by the French (gap left by artillery between 2 Prussian battalions). The Fusiliers put up stiff resistance but are no match for 2 French battalions in column formation and they are forced to retreat. 

Lafol's Division drives the 2/2nd Infantry away from the vicinity of the farm causing it to retreat. They then attack the farm itself. Fighting breaks out along the farm perimeter as the French struggle to gain a foothold within the farm complex. The 1/2nd Infantry are not giving up easily and beat off the first assault. To the right Maj Roebel's Westphalians hurry to support the farm garrison.

Away from the farm events turn against the Prussians. Helmenstreit cajoles his 25th Infantry Regiment into a line formation to replace the gap left by the retreating Fusilier battalion of the 2nd Inf (the two line formations in the lower centre of the photo). His Fusilier battalion however, takes fright at seeing the retreating battalion and the sight of the massed French columns. It promptly routs from the field. This causes several morale tests to be taken (green micro dice) but his own regiment suffers the worst. They fail the subsequent morale test meaning that they are broken and have to retreat 18cm. A huge gap opens up in the Prussian line on the left flank.

On the Prussian right Lettow leading the 19th Infantry successfully drive in the first of Husson's battalions. The Inn also catches fire from artillery bombardment. Schmalensee leads his 3rd Neumark Landwehr out to the left of the massed artillery to attack Campy to his front.

Pire's Cavalry Division is pulled out of the valley where it has little value and makes its way towards the French centre (middle and left). The 7 battalions of the Middle Guard now move over towards the left to counter the Prussian threat. An ADC has taken command of the 3 Grenadier battalions of the Middle Guard and intends to support Husson (top right).

More of Pire's relocation.

An overview of the battlefield at this stage. Lafol's Division (bottom right) continues its fight to capture the farm. Habert's 10th Division (middle right) is now joined by Foy's 9th Division (middle). The Guard Heavy Cavalry with it's artillery can be seen moving forward towards the front line (middle left by edge of wood). 

The collapse of Helmenstreit's regiment and the retreat of the Fusiliers of the 2nd Infantry demonstrates the precarious situation on the Prussian left. Those 3 battalions have reformed on the edge of the board (bottom left). A heroic charge by 3 squadrons of  the Prussian 11th Hussars however buys them time. A closer look:

Seeing the rapidly deteriorating situation, the commander of the Prussian 11th Hussars gathered together his 3 squadrons and charged pell mell towards the massed French columns. Caught unawares and rather surprised by such a reckless charge the French battalions did not have time to form square. The gallant Hussars withstood the defensive volleys and ploughed into the columns. Unfortunately they did not have sufficient strength to break the columns and after a brief melee they retreated. Although they had not been successful the Hussars did buy the Prussian left valuable time.

While the Hussar charge was underway the Horse Artillery Battery of the Prussian 2nd Corps Reserve cavalry fired a devastating round of shot into a nearby French column causing it to falter just as it was preparing to charge an unformed Prussian battalion. 

 Kraft's 6th Brigade moves forward through wooded areas to meet Foy's 9th Division.

Supporting the 3rd Neumark Landwehr's advance (centre) is the 3 battalion columns of the 15th Infantry Regt from the 16th Brigade. Sydow's 3rd Cavalry Brigade moves up to support the infantry.

The battle around the farm continues to rage with Lafol's Division struggling to overcome the strong defence. Roebel's Westphalian Landwehr begin to deploy in support.

The Guard Heavy Cavalry Brigade move out to threaten the Prussian centre.

Activity around the Prussian centre.

A final push and the French finally eject the Prussians from the farm. The rest of Lafol's Division moves up to engage the Westphalian Landwehr.

Foy's Division and Kraft's Brigade clash with fighting breaking out along the length 

of the wooded areas.

NEXT: PART 2 Can the Prussians hold the left?