Battle Command - Jakubowo 1812 scenario

Game with Stephen using Battle Command and a scenario based on action at Jakubowo 31st July 1812 (taken from scenario in Bataille Empire rules).

I was defending French and Stephen the Russians.

Both sides sides start with about a third of their force on table with reserves arriving to boost to 19 units versus 20 (French/Russian).

I pushed initial forces forward onto central hill with Ivans pushing initially on their left.

Both sides had their Light Cavalry forces on same wing and initial clash bewixt these saw Cossack forced back in disorder (a state they retained throughout) and it seemed French would gain ascendancy but was not to be as Russian Hussars broke on of their counterparts in short order and forced another back.

Both sides reserves arrived quite soon

On my left it was mostly a stalemate as it was in center around hill aided by a Russian Brigadier General coming off his horse (although and his disordered troops were rallied before I could take advantage). 

But on my right the arrival of a Russian Brigade of Grenadiers proved too tough for French and this wing was soon crumbling.

Morale losses mounted and soon plunged to zero from 24 (Russians had lost around 10 of their 25) and I was then gifting to Ivans.

I did pass my Army Morale role but called it quits as losses too grievous.

As ever fun game played to completion with this FOB variant.

My dice rolling was mostly fine except I just could not roll Evens on 'Action' Cards meaning I was restricted in Order options especially at key times (ain't that always the way !)

Trying out a new blanket/fleece mat (£10) which lies really well over hills but is bit bland in colour (will try to stick on some shading if I can be bothered)

Initial French deployment with Foot Brigade on left around Jakubowo and Hussars on hill on right wing

French advance onto central hill just before Ivan Jager do same

French right. Cossack in disorder but one French Hussar annihlated and the other forced back as Russian Grenadiers push forward. Note Russian central Brigade in disorder as General patched up

French left awaits Russian reserves

Just prior to the clash of cavalry on French right

Wittgenstein 'elbows' (groan) his way onto battlefield

French dominate in center

But wer ultimately let down by their supporting light horse

Just prior to opening firefights 

As an aside I found these images which certainly awoke some nostalgic childhood memories

L'Art De La Guerre - last two practice games and a personal wargaming nostalgia trip

Stephen off to Cork competition this weekend so final practice session for his Ottoman Turkish army.

I used Catalan and Order of St John against him today so lots of chances to practice evading, shuffling, shooting and generally annoying the enemy that his army relies upon.

Hopefully he good enough practice to do well (he usually does) 

 

Bit of nostalgia now as I came across several images related to old memories from days as a nipper and early wargaming influences.

Action Man (GI Joe) a very early military influence, I had one that 'talked' and had realistic gripping hands no less.

In addition to basic figures one could obtain several specialist uniforms and I had these two as well as several others

Had this beastie 

An early literary influence I got this on 5th birthday

Whilst contemporaries were buying various 'pop' albums this was my first ever LP 

I had of course watched dozens of war films but these two really helped get me into proper wargaming having seen them in cinema and thereafter trying to recreate such imagery in miniature or with board wargames

This led to devouring numerous war related reference books and novels (Sven Hassel) of which this was one of the first

An early Christmas toy that I soon (circa 1969) had to use only inside as 'Troubles' started here in Ulster and deemed too dangerous for young lads to have any gun type toy out in public

I had a ton of these transfer sets all war themed (still some knocking around)

Always lusted over various of these sets which were advertised in US Comics but never took plunge

I had both of these metal Dinky items (still have the cap-bomb that Stuka could drop)

Box set from local model shop from which I still have several of the terrain pieces

Hours spent pouring through this if only to enjoy art illustrations and planning purchases of boxes of 'Midgies' i.e. 20mm figures and kits. Turns out I still have this along with one for Revell and several for Taimya kits.

A very popular kit (still have this) useful for several periods

More Airfix goodness (think just about everyone I knew had this set)

Another Dinky set I also had a 25pdr and a Centurion

One of the cheap as chips low detail models Airfix produced which bulked out many a collection

Another popular kit that has given sterling service still to this day

Another 'play' set a lot of us had

A selection of the intoxicating Airfix box art, what red blooded youth could resist !?

Couple of later Airfix box sets

A big influence in late 1970s was this glossy gem

Which led to reading lots of stuff from these great old school (although they did not seem so at time) wargame types

Charles Grant

Don Featherstone

Peter Gilder in the excellent Battleground TV show. 

Sadly I only got to see a couple of these (no video recording in those days) and especially miffed not getting to see the WW2 episode with Gavin Lyall !!

My first two sets of wargame rules, I played OP Warboard a lot in early wargaming days

In tandem with getting into WW2 miniature wargaming in a big way I also started with board Wargames of which these two beauties were my first purchases around 1977.

First of metal figures I became aware of and kernel of interest in other periods besides WW2

Another very early influence, several early Taimya models built by my Dad whilst a Squaddie in West Germany, photo is from 1972 (I lived in BAOR Paderborn W.Germany for a year)

 

Up in loft other day for better half and found these (which started this nostalgia trip) and I think these are Dragon Models 1/6th figures that my son had when he were but a lad (20+ years ago), several figures but these two only ones I could find almost complete kit for.

A good deal fancier than my Action Men of yore.