sellerhausen (october 18,1813)
INTRODUCTION
The
Sellerhausen-Stunz-Paunsdorf
area is located at the north-east of Leipzig.
The Saxon army has defected to the Allies, leaving a dangerous gap in
the French line. The Durutte 32nd division
(Reynier's VII Corps) supported by the
Delmas division (Ney's III Corps),
is awaiting the attack of the newly arrived Prussians of the
Bulow's Corps (Bernadotte's Army of the North)
approaching from the north-east. The Prussians have linked with the
Austrian Bubna's 2nd Light Division
and the Russian cavalry of Platov and
Tschaplitz of the Benigsen's Army of Poland arrived from
the south-east, so the risk of rupture of the French line seems very
serious.
However, Napoleon is at hand and the Old Guard
infantry (Christiani's brigade), the
Guard heavy cavalry (Grenadiers a
Cheval and Empress Dragoons) and a brigade of
Heavy Cavalry (Carabiniers and Cuirassiers) are massing
for a counterattack addressed to the weak contact point of the two
Allied armies.
This combat has a multinational Allied force:
Prussians,
Austrians,
Russians... and
British (Rocket Corps) with some
colorful units: Austrian Grenzers and
Jagers,
Russian cossacks,
British rocketeers and the
Saxon artillery just after joining
the Allies. In the French side, there were the
Old Guard infantry and cavalry and the
Wurzburgers.
I have taken the Lasalle 'Liberation'
lists as a starting point, with slight modifications, in order to
achieve forces similar in number and composition, to the actual
units fighting in October 1813. The statistics of the Subcommanders
have been diced out according to the ruleset.
This battle was suggested to me by my old
good Argentinean friend Armand d'Arc.
Bibliography
- Maude F.N., The Campaign of Leipzig, Leonaur Ltd, 2007
- Nafziger G., Napoleon at Leipzig. The Battle of Nations 1813,
Emperor's Press, 1996
- Plotho C. von, Relation de la Bataille de Leipzig, Adamant Media,
2006
- Smith D., 1813 - Leipzig: Napoleon and the Battle of the Nations,
Greenhill Books, 2001
TABLE-TOP ADAPTATION
GO TO THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
Battle map (Napoleon at
Leipzig. The Battle of the Nations1813
Old Sellerhausen map
(1891)
Game map
The actual battlefield
French deployment
Allied deployment
Scenario
file for
Sellerhausen
(pdf)
GO TO THE BATTLE IN PICTURES
French Forces (Army Moral 56 Break
point 19)
GdD Marechal Ney (-1/-)
32nd Infantry Division: 6 battalions)
9th Infantry Division: 69 battalions)
Artillery: 3 foot batteries
Reinforcements Old Guard Infantry: 4
battalions;
Old Guard Cavalry: 2 regiments; Heavy Cavalry: 3
regiments; 1 foot battery, 2 horse batteries.
Allied Forces: (Army Moral 68
Break point 23 )
General der Kavallerie
Bülow
3rd Brigade: 10 battalions, 1 Hussar regimenbt, 1 Dragoon
regiment
6th Brigade: 6 battalions
Artillery: 2 foot batteries
Reinforcements 2nd
Austrian Light Division:
4 battalions, 2 regiments, 3 batteries, British rockets; Russian
Cavalry Division: 3 regiments, 1 horse battery; Cossacks: 4
regiments
Notes The duration of the game is 24 turns (Bonus Turns are
allowed rolling 2D10 instead 2D6). Allied are the first side.
OPTIONAL RULES
Entry point of the reinforcements
Each of the three French reinforcement units may enter at
D2/D3/D4 (40%/40%/20%)
Austrians may enter at A3/A4/A5 (20%/60%/20%)
Each of the two Russians reinforcement units may enter at A4/A5/B5
(10%/60%/30%)
Irregular units (Cossacks)
1) Irregular cavalry units may charge enemy units standing in 'march
column' formation.
2) Irregular cavalry units must to pass a 'Discipline' test to initiate
the charge.
3) If routed in 'decisive combat' the irregular cavalry unit is
immediately broken.
Sub-commanders (optional)
Some sub-commanders, marked with an asterisk, are added to take into
account the actual command chain in the French/Austrian divisions and
Prussian brigades. In the case of Prussian brigades, the sub-commander
can be discretionally used by the Brigade commander to command a battle
line or a task force as actually it occurred.
L’Empereur (or the Crown Prince) is here!
Napoleon will arrive with the Guard Infantry while Bernadotte will enter
the game table alone, with his escort, like a normal Reinforcement unit
(p. 91) at A1. Until the arrival of Bernadotte or Napoleon, the Allied
and French C-i-C use, respectively, the statistics of Bulow and Ney.
When the sovereigns arrive, the statistics are immediately changed. In
the case of Ney, the presence of Napoleon improves him from (-/-) to
(+1/*). On the contrary Bulow is worsened by Bernadotte, changing for
(+1/*) to (-/-)
Lasalle Advanced/Optional rules in use
Superior Commander (p 75). In use for Napoleon
Unpredictable (p. 76). In use for Prussian Landwehr infantry
Howitzer and Rocket batteries (p.81). In use for British Rocket Corps
Objectives
Sellerhausen, Stunz and Molkau are targets for both French and Allied
forces. These villages must be occupied (or enemy free at least) at the
end of the game. The loss of Paunsdorff or Reudnitz implies the end of
game and the automatic loss of this for Allied or French respectively.
See a story version at the
Project Leipzig (1813) blog
THE BATTLE IN PICTURES