Category: Battle Reports

Well the French have won, the Allied centre had broken, Picton was looking to withdraw and save his precious elite troops, while the British Guard looks to cover the retreat.

La Haye Sainte is always a key area of the battle field and even though the Dutch Belgium troops fought valiently they couldn’t in he end stop the French

The French plan to screen Hougomont, while the small Brunswick corps operated ineffectively within it’s gounds, proved a winner. Sure there was a fight but the veteran French light infantry proved more than a match for the inexperienced Germans. The resulting break of the Brunswickers and the pressure on the far right of the British lines proved too much. The timing of Durutte breaking the unfortunate Dutch divisions coinciding with the collapse of the right of the Allied line.

The rest of the Allied line remained static after initial success in repelling the attack of Lobau on Papelotte. The arrival of the Prussian masses proved enough to push the French through Plancenoit, however the stalwart stand of Donzelot, the position of the French Guard cavalry holding up half of the Prussian advance, all proved to be just enough time wise.

This is a great shot of the Scots trading volleys with the French, even though the right flank had gone the French still couldn’t move forward in the centre against the British volley fire.

In the end all the allied commanders agreed, enough was enough. They would plan to withdraw to the port of Ostend link up with the forces from Halle and possibly wait to link up with the Prussians again.

I’m not sure Napoleon would have given them time though! The French cavalry would have harried them, although that said there would have been plenty of Allied cavalry to delay the pursuit, given a lot of the British Cavalry had actually been held in reserve. Still this is a game for another weekend. A “what if” scenario.

The view from the British lines as the French move ever forward.

After 20 turns of action, we had reached a conclusion, everyone had a blast and three bookings were made for the next game…

Thanks for looking, we hope you enjoyed it.

The Allied troops begin to fall back in front of the troops from Reille’s Corps, the battered Allies just can’t stop the French attack which has got to them almost untouched. Finally Altens division breaks completely, nine battalions are either routing or retreating joining the growing number of Dutch and Belgian troops fleeing to their left from behind La Haye Sainte.

La Haye Sainte in the distance is lost, Donzelot is still trying to get over the ridge against the British infantry and the French Old Guard march towards Smohain… Things are looking bad for the allies!

Donzelot is still fire fighting the British on the ridge east of La Haye Sainte, with the British still looking like they have the upper hand.

The Young Guard can’t stop the Prussian advance, Plancenoit is lost, but is it all too late?

The Prussian cavalry Brigades from Bulow’s corp have begun streaming past the southern suburbs of Smohain trying to support Pirch’s push on Plancenoit where the Young Guard are struggling to prevent the village being captured. They are currently hanging on doggedly to the west of the village.

The French guard cavalry line out again, sweeping everything before them as they have all day.

Cavalry of the French Guard have started manoeuvring to the west of Smohain village in order to delay the Prussians of Bulow Corps but whether they will get there in time is yet to be seen.

As impressive as they are the French Guard haven’t been needed and it’s all over before they can get into combat.

The Chasseurs of the Old Guard begin their attack toward the east of Smohain into Altens division, waiting for them on the ridge are the British guard and Heavy cavalry…

To the west of La Haye Sainte Cuirassier from Kellermans corps have crested the ridge in front of Chasse’s division. The only option left to the Dutch militia in the face of this powerful enemy is to form square and prey their morale holds… once again with little hope and against the odds the Dutch fight off Kellerman’s cavalry repulsing them from the ridge with a close range volley.

Kellerman’s Cuirassier charge over the ridge straight at the Dutch Belgium militia!

While Kellerman’s Cuirassier where entertaining the troops on the ridge Reilles corps advances toward the British ridge from Hougomont pressuring the end of the ridge line, with the Dutch wavering along the ridgeline to the east the British need to hold off this new attack. Then all they need to do is work out how to stop The Guard Grenadier division which is continuing its advance toward the ridge west of La Haye Sainte. It’s not looking good for the Allies between Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte but they are clinging on!

Reilles corp advancing on the British linies to the east of Hougoumont… the British must find some way of stopping this advance or the ridge will be lost!

Durutte’s division has won the fight for the sunken road to the west of La Haye Sainte but it wasn’t easy and they are having to regroup, not able to press the attack further at the moment.

The Dutch Belgium’s have finally been beaten away from La Haye Sainte, the French will not be stopped here now!

At the other end of the valley Bulow’s Prussians begin arriving at Smohain, ready to start their advance by way of Papelotte.

The large Prussian force lead by Purch gets in position to attack Plancenoit… can the Young Guard hold on in the face of so many allied troops??

Pirch is pushing on hard towards Plancenoit and the pressure begins to tell on the Young Guard holding it. The village is now the centre of the Prussian attack and the French are being forced back, giving ground in front of overwhelming numbers of Prussian infantry.

Heavy musket fire from the ridge to the east of La Haye, as the French try to shoot the British line troops off the ridge… but the British are having none of it and give it back to the French!

French infantry line out and firefight the British line at the top of the ridge

The plucky Dutch Belgiums forced out the back of La Haye were busily trading fire with the new occupants and didn’t see the Cuirassier creeping up on them in the smoke; it was a very unpleasant surprise when they caught them in the flank. But they weren’t ready to be cut down to a man and fought of the attack in heroic fashion firing a devastating long range volley which deterred the cavalry to the disgust of their leader!

French Cuirassier charge the remaining Dutch Belgium troops behind La Haye Sainte, but find them a harder nut to crack than they had expected!

The French now completely control Hougoumont and are making it hard for the allies to hold the end of the ridge… it’ll get very tricky for the allies if they can’t find a way to stem the attack here.

French infantry push through Hougoumont forcing the allies out and capturing the chateau

In the centre the guard cavalry clashed with a squadron of British cavalry, out numbering them they beat off the allied attack and rolling three ones for their rally roll pursued the allies back through the last gun battery on the ridge in front of them!

Not usually a role you like to see but on this occasion triple one was probably the best role ever!

The Prussians now are advancing on Plancenoit with the French Young Guard ready for them in the village, the Prussians have the numbers but the French won’t let go of the village without a hard fight.

The Prussians advance on Plancenoit in large numbers, with the Young Guard waiting for them

With troops from Bachelu’s division attacking Hougoumont, the French attacking force to the east of Hougoumount was able to push onto the end of the ridge with very little resistance.

French infantry push towards the end of the ridge east of Hougoumont

The French continue to build their strength around La Haye Sainte getting ready to force their way up to the ridge top, but the plucky Dutch Belgium’s still refused to run and are standing at the back of the farm trading volleys with the occupiers.

French Infantry in La Haye Sante fire down on the Dutch Belgium troops behind the farm.

The troops to the east of La Haye are now moving up to the ridge and forming line, whether trading volleys with the British line there is a good idea we will have to wait and see!

French infantry form lines at the top of the ridge in the centre to the east of La Haye Sainte

Having cleared the guns from the ridge in front of them the French guard cavalry are now looking for new targets and are forcing the infantry along the ridge to form square.

The Prussians are now arriving to the east of Papelotte this is forcing the French there to rethink and they have started forming a defensive line away from the village, but the arrival of the Prussians has also released the Young Guard and they are now moving to help out the French around Plancenoit.

The Prussians have arrived to the east of Papelotte and are starting to push towards the town. With more of Perch’s corp coming on to the east of Plancenoit the French Young Guard is coming over to try and hold them off

The French after their initial attacks around Papelotte they are starting to reform for another attack, deciding to shoot the occupants out of the buildings… but in the distance dust can be seen so maybe it is too late… Perch’s corp has now been spotted driving in from the east, surely this will relieve the pressure around Papelotte.

Elements of Perch’s corp arrive in the form of cavalry

The French guard cavalry rode hard to the ridge crashing into the three gun batteries there and cut them down to a man… the gunners died valiantly fighting for their position but couldn’t hope to hold in the face of the guard cavalry. All along the line the allied guns are finding it hard to keep firing and more and more are falling to the same fate, abandoned guns litter the ridge line.

The first troops of guard cavalry ride into the British guns

The sound of more intense musket fire can be heard from the woods around Hougoumont as the French push on the position, seeing how few men are defending the walls the French now seem to want to attack the chateau.

French infantry from Bachelu’s corp capture the outer walls of Hougoumont

In the centre French infantry silence the muskets in La Haye Sainte, charging home to prise the farm from the defending Dutch Belgium infantry who stalwartly refused to give in with the Prince of Orange looking on from the ridge. Weight of numbers finally forcing the brave men out and away up the hill.

The French finally capture La Haye but the plucky Dutch Belgium infantry wont lay down and continue to fight from the back of the buildings