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| Gemioncourt Farm from the Allied lines looking South |
After the so-so Brigade level refight of Quatre Bras it was time to do it at Bn level as intended. 6mm, with hand-drawn 40mm hexes, and custom hill contours cut from ply (and desperately in need of a jig-saw!). Rules were standard SLS.
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| Starting positions, looking N. Felt hexes at right show low ground. |
1500 (T3)
Bylandt has been able to rush
7th Belgian into Gemioncourt and 8th Militia into La Bergerie, and place 5th
and 7th Militia above the Gemioncourt brook. Goedeck's 2nd Bde lines the wood
and Grand Pierpont awaiting the late arrival of Jerome. Unfortunately
Stevenaar's battery opposite was not supported or withdrawn by the time that
Pire's 1er Chassuers a Cheval charged it and the guns were over-run. However as
the 1er pursued the gunners they ran into the advancing 2/2 Nassau who formed a
hasty square and repelled the Chassuers, who were now quite weakened from their
two encounters and withdrew. Foy and Bachelu have advanced their divisions to
the Gemioncourt brook. Merlen's cavalry is hastening towards Quatre Bras. As
the hour turns Best's 4th Hanoverian Bde and Kempt's 8th Bde are just arriving
from the North, but their is no sign of Jerome.
1700 (T9)
Soye has pushed the Nassaus out
of Pierrepoint and back into Bossu wood. 5eme Lancers rode down 2/2 Nassau just
E of the wood. Gauthier pushed 7th Belgian out of Gemincourt but lost a
battalion in the process. Guathier and Baudin advancing slowly up the road
towards La Bergierie, supported by Hubert's Chassuers. British reinforcements
have now arrived, so Merlen shadows the French Chasseurs whilst Pack's 9th Bde
establishes a new line a La Bergerie, with Best's Hanoverians lining the sunken
road. Jamin has finally pushed across Gemioncourt brook after 4eme Legere took
heavy losses from 28J. 1st Brunswick Bde is forming up as a 2nd line behind
Perponcher. Husson has also crossed N of Pireauoment, cutting the road and
delaying Wellington. kempts's 8th has hurried to the edge of the Cense wood,
and 1/95th are already inflicting casualties on the skirmishes of 2/3eme. 11e
and 12e Curassier Div have arrived but are being held in reserve.
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| Jamin finally gets across the Gemioncourt Brook |
1800 (T12)
A busy hour. On the left Soye
finally makes headway against Goedeck, forcing his skirmish line off the edge
of the wood, but 1/2 Ligne is spent for its troubles and 3/2 is shaky. In the
centre the large 6eme Chasseurs tried to break the emerging Allied line but
failed to charge home against the 92nd Highlanders who stood firm in line.
Guathiers 1/9 Bde has been pushed to the fore, but 1/92eme is taking heavy
casualties from a Dutch foot battery, and 8th Dutch militia successfully held
La Bergerie against a first assault by 2/93eme, but have now been relieved by
42nd Black Watch. Buadin's 1/6 Bde is now massing behind Gauthier. On the
Gemioncourt stream Jamin's 2/9 Bde finally came to grips with Bylandt at the
top of the valley. The Dutch artillery managed to stop 3/100 pressing home, and
5th Militia managed to hold 3/100 just above the Materne. But 1/4 and 3/4
managed to drive home against 7th Militia, and then fell on the gun and on 5th
Militia's flank. 27th Jäger the counter-attacked, sending 1/100 and 1/4
packing, but they are now threatened by 2/4. 3/4's pursuit of 5th militia
brought them into the path of Kempt's counter-attack and they were routed.
Husson's 1/5 Bde having suffered badly from 1/95ths skirmish fire whilst
reforming from crossing the screen finally went over the the offensive, but the
rifles melted away to revalue a strong British line. One French Bn (2/61?)
stalled in front of 79th Cameroon Highlanders, who counter charged, routed the
2/61, and then the 2/3eme for good measure. 32nd chased off 1/61 and 3/4eme.
The British have now regained the road, but Campi's 2/5 Bde is now largely
across the stream. All the heavy cavalry is in reserve, and hour ago with no
targets, but now with potential expolitation in the centre, or stabilisation
tasks on the E flank. Both Jamin and Husson's Bdes are spent and are
withdrawing.
1900 (T15)
The tide is turning. In the west though
Soye continues to push through the Bossu Wood with Goedeck withdrawing before
him. But Goedeck's reserves are coming up and Maitland has just arrived from
Nivelle. In the centre Hubert's Chasseurs have twined thrown themselves against
the 92nd Highlanders but been pushed back, as has Gauthier's 1/92eme. Most of
Gauthier's Bde is now spent, and 3/93eme was repulsed from La Bergerie, and
Baudin's 1/6 Bde is now making what might be the final attempt to break through
as Halkett's 5th Bde is hurrying to support Pack, who has anyway now pushed
forward of La Bergerie. East of centre Bylandt's rallied forces have chased
Jamin back over the Gemioncourt brook, and Merlen is moving forward to exploit
the large gap between Bachelu's 5e Division in the east and the rest of Ney's
forces. Butlar's Brunswickers have also been ordered forward. The French heavy
cavalry has been sat passively waiting and has only now had orders from Ney to
make their own attempt to fill the gap left by Jamin. In the East Kempt's 8th
Bde has now cleared the road of Husson's 1/5 Bde, and Campi's 2/5 Bde, and
Wellington has finally made it up from Ligny. In the fight for the road Campi
pushed two battalions up against the advancing British line. Both stalled, and
the 79th counter-charged, wiping out one Bn and then charging on into the 2nd,
routing that as well. This precipitated a rout of most of the rest of the
French troops on this flank. Campi's one remaining battalion is now in full
retreat.
2000 (T18)
Ney is now pretty well spent, and
Wellington's best forces are only just arriving. In the W Soye continues to
press through the Bossu Wood, but 3/1eme fails to go home against 2nd Dutch LW
(huge unit), and Kleimansagge is now entering the wood from the N with 1st
Hanoverians. In the centre the Brussels road has been held valiantly by the
92nd, and the 42nd in La Bergerie. The 92nd repulsed 1 & 3 eme Bn of 1eme
Legere. The they held both 3/1 Legere and 2/2eme, unitil a charge In their rear
by 3/2eme finally routed them. Meanwhile 6eme Chasseurs saw an opportunity and
charged the run to the W of the 92nd, and then surprised the 44th who were
sheltering on the reverse slope and were soundly routed. At La Bergerie 42nd
still hold out against 1/2eme, and bounced 2/92eme. 3/2eme saw an opportunity
to charge 1st Royal Regt, between the two highlanders, which it forced to
retreat before turning on the 92nd. But although Pack's line is crumbling
Halkett's 5th Bde has now come in behind it, and Maitlands 1st Guards is coming
out of Quatre Bras. Against this Ney has almost no ffresh infantry. On the
Gemioncourt brook Bylandt has reached the brook and stopped as the last of
Jamin's troops race away. However 27th Jaeger and 4th LD stepped over the brook
and were caught by Hubert's 8eme Cuirassier which had been sent to stabilise
the flank along with Donop. The LD were mauled and chased back across the
brook, and the 27th massacred in it. Butlar's 1st Brunswick Bde which had been
heading to support Bylandt has now been swung W to take the French in the
flank. Out on the E flank Kempt is now across the Pireamont brook, but Donop's
2/12 Bde of Carabiners is coming to meet him. |
| ENDEX - Ney's forces are spent and the Allies have regained their start line |
2040 (T20)
A marginal victory to the
Allies, and a decisive victory had Wellington focussed on helping Blucher
rather than defeating Ney. In the West Soye continues to push through Bossu
Wood, oblivious to the bigger battle - but the 2nd Dutch Militia managed to
push back 3/1eme, and Kleinmansagge is now up in support. On the Brussels Road
Butlar's 1st Brunswick Bde were swung away from helping Bylandt and instead
advanced through the crops to take the French line N of Gemioncourt in the
flank, 3rd Brunswickers penetrating furthest, sending two of Buadin's bn
packing, but then being mauled by Hubert's horse gun on the rise, and then
charged and massacred in the dying minutes by 5th Lancers. However Halkett's
Bde had also joined the fray, with the 30th holding off both 1/1 and 3/1
Legere. Behind Halkett even Maitlands Guards are almost ready to join the
fight, and Ney has no battalions with less than 3 damage - Gauthier's 1/9 Bde
is already withdrawing, although his albeit battered cavalry is probably strong
enough to cover the retreat. Even though Wellington did not quite reach
Gemioncourt farm, Bylandt is sitting comfortably on Gemioncourt brook, and
Kempt is across the brook and belatedly heading in Bluchers direction.
