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The Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812

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The Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812 AA FFIIRREE && FFUURRYY SSPPEECCIIAALL SSCCEENNAARRIIOO FFOORR WWAARRGGAAMMEESS IILLLLUUSSTTRRAATTEEDD The Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812 Scenario Design & Layout – Colonel (Ret) Bill Gray Map and Original Fire & Fury Design – Richard Hasenauer Map from William Blackwood & Sons, painting by Franz Roubaud Borodino Panorama (1911) L’Armee Francaise Battle of Borodino 7 September 1812 There are very few individuals with an number, gun stands are not shown on the map but interest in this period who have yet to may be deployed limbered or unlimbered within 12 hear of the great battle between Napoleon inches of a leader in their chain of command. and General Prince Mikhail Kutusov along the banks of the River Moscowa. Suffice it Leaders. Leaders who are Charismatic are marked to say that like so many other engagements, this with the (C) symbol on their label. Poniatowski is contest did not end as the decisive victory both Charismatic only for Polish units to include the Vistula commanders sought. On 7 Spetember 1812, some Legion, Platov only for Cossacks. 124,000 French supported by 587 guns slugged it out with the Holy Warriors of Russia, fielding 120,800 men Infantry. All infantry is Columnar except for those and 640 guns. When it was all over the French would assigned to the French Imperial Guard and Davout’s count over 28,000 men as casualties, the Russians Corps which is designated Impulse. Note two of over 52,000. Napoleon had driven his foe from the Davout’s infantry divisions (Morand and Gerard) have field, but the Russians left with their army beaten been attached to Prince Eugene. Skirmish capable senseless yet intact, and this assured that Czar infantry are annotated with the “Sk” abbreviation. Alexandr would reject any offers of peace by the French. In short, the battle was an indecisive tactical Cavalry. Cavalry may neither mount nor dismount in victory for the French, with the strategic edge claimed this scenario, though the Russians do have a single by the Russians. It could have been different. brigade of permanently dismounted dragoons. Scale. Each stand represents 360 infantry, 180 horse Artillery. All batteries have two functions. Each side or 6 to 12 (Russian) cannon. Ground scale is 120 may form not more than two Grand Batteries per yards per inch, while each turn is 30 minutes real time. game, and these must be commanded by an artillery general or the army commander. The French may Players. Assign one player to each French, French deploy one of the two massed batteries prior to game Allied or Russian corps, with some players also start no closer than 7 ½ inches from the enemy and doubling as their various army commanders. consisting of not more than 25 gun stands Terrain and Weather. The gaming table is 8 feet wide Reinforcements. There are none in this game. and 6 feet deep, laid out as given. Weather is cool and clear all day. All streams are fordable, as is the River Special Rules. The Facing to the Flank and Urban Kolocha south of Borodino, and afford a defender a +1 Combat rules are in effect from the Age of Eagles melee DRM if attacked entirely across stream. The (AOE) Supplement. Each building model will support Kolocha is fordable north of Borodino at double the four infantry or artillery stands. normal penalty. The River Moscowa is NOT fordable except at the village of Maslova. Forests, villages and Optional Rule – Napoleon’s Lethargy. When rolling slopes are rough terrain for movement. Slopes afford to activate or continue the progress of any unit of the the defender a +1 melee DRM if attacked entirely French Imperial Guard Corps under Reserve uphill. Forests and villages convey a -1/+1 DRM Movement, apply a – 3 DRM. This penalty permanently advantage to the defender for fire and melee disappears the first time a Russian unit moves close respectively. For Bagration’s fleches and Raevski’s enough to activate any Guard unit Tactically. Great Redoubt, the DRM is -2/+2 and -3/+3. Cavalry is automatically Disordered attacking into forests, field Victory Conditions. Determine victory using the fortifications or villages, or across any portion of the Casualty Point Chart (Figure 6) on page 17 of AOE. If Kolocha. Road movement may be used on all roads. Napoleon is killed, the French automatically lose and all French players are banned from wargaming for life. Playing Time. The game begins at 6:00 am and ends with the 4:30 pm turn, a total of 22 turns. Sources. There are many, most of which disagree as regards who was at the battle and how many of them Deployment. Units set up per following map in Line, were present. The George Nafziger OB was the Supported Line or Masse. Leaders deploy within 12 principal source used to develop this scenario. inches of any unit they command. Given their large Page 1 L’Armee Francaise River Moscowa Cossacks Maslova XX Ornano Jaegers IV XXX XX XXX Italian Gd Ouvarov XXXX 13th & 14th River II Napoleon XX Kolacha XXX XXX Korf Gorki VI XXXX XXX Barclay 1 Jaegers XXX st Gd Jaegers & 3d XX 3d & Kreutz Borodino XXXX VIII Guard XXX Kutaisov XXX III Cav III Cav Sievers River XX Kolacha Semenovska XX Militia X ya Knoring Alexinki VIII 27th III Fomkino XXX XX XXX XX 2d Gren Duronino III XXXX Guard Shevardino XXX XXX Lowenstern + Murat + Utitsa I XXXX XXX Jaegers Utitsa Bagration River Forest Cossacks Kolacha V XXX Page 2 L’Armee Francaise Battle of Borodino Order of Battle Labels and Order of Appearance FRENCH Starting Forces _____________________________________________________________ Napoleon Eugene Pino Pino Pino Pino Pino Pino Pino Eugene Eugene Pino Lecchi Triaire R R R R R Delzons IV Italian Gd E 9/6/4 Sk E 4/3/2 H Horse Art Horse Art Foot Arty Foot Arty Hvy Arty 13th XXX XX XX Lecchi – Royal Italian Foot Guard Triaire-Guards of Honor, Guard Dragoons, Queens Dragoons Delzons Delzons Delzons Delzons Eugene Morand Morand Morand Morand Morand 1st Bde 2d Bde R R Morand 13thLegere 17th Ligne 30th Ligne R R R12/9/6Sk R12/9/6Sk Foot Arty Horse Art 1st R 8/6/4 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art XX 1st Bde-8th Legere, 84th Ligne, 1st Provisional Croation Regt 2d Bde – 92d and 106th Ligne Eugene Broussier Broussier Broussier Broussier Eugene Gerard Gerard Gerard Gerard Broussier 1st Bde 2d Bde R R Gerard 1st Bde 2d Bde R R 14th R 9/7/5Sk R12/9/6Sk Foot Arty Horse Art 3d R15/11/7Sk R10/8/5Sk Foot Arty Horse Art XX XX 1st Bde – 18th Legere, 53d Ligne, Joseph Napoleon Regt 2d Bde-35th, 9th Ligne 3d/1st Bde- 7th Legere, 12th Ligne 2d Bde-21st and 127 Ligne, Mecklinburg-Strelitz Battalion 12th Lt – 9th, 19th Chasseurs 13th Lt – Italian 2d, 3d Chasseurs Eugene Ornano Ornano Ornano Ornano Eugene Eugene Murat 20th Lt-Bavarian 3d, 6th Chevau- Ornano 12th Lt 13th Lt 20th Lt 21st Lt R R Grouchy legers IV Cav R 4/3/2 Lt R 4/3/2 Lt R 4/3/2 Lt R 4/3/2 Lt Hvy Arty Hvy Arty III Cav 21st Lt –Bavarian 4th, 5th Chevaul- XX XXX egers Grouchy Chastel Chastel Chastel Chastel Grouchy La Houss La Houss La Houss th th th Chastel 11 Lt 10 Lt 17 Lt R La Houss Thiry Siron R 3d Lt R 4/3/2 Lt R 4/3/2 Lt R 6/5/3 Lt Horse Art 6th Hvy R 4/3/2 H R 4/3/2 H Horse Art XX XX 11th Lt-6th Hussars, 8th Chasseurs 10th Lt – 6th, 25th Chasseurs 17th Lt – Bavarian 1st, 2d Chevauleger, Saxon Prinz Albert Chevauleger Thiry-7th, 23d Dragoons Seron-28th, 30th Dragoons Napoleon Ney Ledru Ledru Ledru Ledru Ledru Ney Joubert st th th Ney Ledru 1 Bde 46 Ligne 3d Bde R R Joubert 4 Ligne III (C) 10th R 9/7/5 Sk R 6/5/3 Sk R 9/7/5 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art 11th R 6/5/3 Sk XXX XX XX st th st th 1 Bde – 24 Ligne, 1 Portuguese Regt 3d Bde-72d, 129 Ligne st Joubert Joubert Joubert Joubert Ney Scheler Scheler Scheler Wurttemburg-1 , 2d, 4th, 6th Wurttemburg st 18th Ligne 93d Ligne R R Scheler Wrttmbrg R R Line, 1 , 2d Wurttemburg Light R 6/5/3 Sk R 6/5/3 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art 25th R 5/4/3 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art st Bns, 1 , 2d XX Wurttemburg Jaegers Ney Wollwrth Wollwrth Ney Ney Ney th th th th th 9 Lt-11 Hussars, Wurttemburg 6 Wollwrth 9 Lt 14 Lt R R R Chevaulegers and 4th Jeger zu Pferd III Cav E 6/4/2 Lt E 6/4/2 Lt Hvy Arty Hvy Arty Hvy Arty 14th Lt-4th and 28th Chasseurs, Wurttemburg st XX 1 and 2d Chevaulegers Page 3 L’Armee Francaise Battle of Borodino (continued) Napoleon Junot Tharreau Tharreau Tharreau Junot Ochs Ochs Damas-Westfalen 1st Legere, 2d and Junot Tharreau Damas Wicknbg R Ochs Guard R 6th Ligne VIII 23d C 8/7/5 Sk C 9/8/5 Sk Foot Arty 24th R 6/5/3 Sk Foot Arty Wickenburg- Westfalen 2d XXX XX XX th Legere, 3d, 7 Ligne st st Guard-Westfalen Gd Grenadiers, Gd Jaegers, Jaeger-Karabiniers, 1 Jaegers Hammer-Westfalen 1 , 2d Hussars, Gd Lancers Junot Chebert Junot Junot Murat Latour Lorge Lorge st Chebert Hammer R R Latour Lorge 1 Bde 2d Bde th VIII Cav E 4/3/2 Lt Hvy Arty Horse Art IV Hvy 7 Curass E 5/-/2 A E 4/3/2 A XX XXX XX Latour Kozneski Latour Lotour 1st Brigade – Saxon Zastrow, Garde du Korps, Polish 14th Kurassiers Kozneski 29th Lt R R 2d Bde – Westfalen 2st and 2d Cuirassiers 4th E 5/3/2 LL Horse Art Horse Art 29th Lt – Polish 3d, 11th 16th Lancers XX Friant 3d Bde (below) - 15th Legere, Joseph Napoleon Regt Napoleon Davout Friant Friant Friant Friant Friant Davout Dessaix Dessaix Davout Friant 48th Ligne 33d Ligne 3d Bde R R Dessaix 85th Ligne 108thLigne I 2d R 8/6/4 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk R 9/7/5 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art 4th R 8/6/4 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk XXX XX XX Dessaix Dessaix Davout Compans Compans Compans Compans Compans Compans R R Compans 25th Ligne 57th Ligne 61st Ligne 111thLigne R R Foot Arty Horse Art 5th R 8/6/4 Sk E 8/-/3 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk R 8/6/4 Sk Foot Arty Horse Art XX Davout Girardin Girardin Davout Davout Murat
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