Return to Gilly

The 100 Days - Part One

I Have This Plan...

A while a go I was given a copy of the Scenario book 'The 100 Days'. I fact, we had played the first scenario from this back in September and you can revisit that clash here.

So the book has six scenarios that cover some of the key moments of the Waterloo campaign (although I note,  it omits Wavre, sigh), using the  very excellent General d'Armee 2 rules. 

Anyway,  I was thinking six battles means we could do one every second month and play though all of them over the course of the year. So a plan was set and several people decided to join in my crazy plan.

So we would start from the beginning, and would return to Gilly!

A Quick Recap

The Armée du Nord initially attacked in two directions, first on the Brussels road towards Gosselies and eventually Brussels itself, while the secondly arm advanced towards Gilly, heading in the direction of Fleurus. On this second front the Prussian 2nd Brigade from Zeithen’s 1st Corps, under the command of Pirch II, regrouped at Gilly. Pirch’s orders were to delay the French advance for as long as possible and gain much need time in order to permit the bulk of the Prussian army to fall back and concentrate at Fleurus. Pirch’s infantry Brigade now drew up on high ground near Gilly, presenting a solid front against the French advance.

The French attack was lead by Vandamme’s Division and as the French approached the Gilly position they deployed off the route of march into battle positions. On receipt of this news Napoleon personally rode to Gilly escorted by Empress Dragoon cavalry of his Imperial Guard. On arrival Napoleon conferred with Vandamme and observed the Prussian positions from an observation point at the windmill near Gilly. Realising the limited Prussian force before them Napoleon immediately ordered the forward elements of Vandamme’s infantry corps to attack and drive in the lone Prussian Brigade. At about 6pm French batteries opened fire on the Prussian lines and so opened one of the first significant engagements of the Waterloo campaign. 

The French had 14 battalions of trained line infantry to the Prussian 9, with around half of this being reservists and Landwehr. The French also had twice the amount of guns and cavalry, including a detachment of the Old Guard cavalry, the elite Empress Dragoons. 

The French victory conditions were to disperse two Prussian brigades with in ten turns. All the Prussians had to do was to  survive and hold on.

The Armies Gather

The field around Gilly. The French muster on the hill line on  the left, with the Prussians taking defensive positions along the stream  and garrison the village. The French have arrived in force and the Prussian line looks very thin indeed.

Corsin's Brigade of the 37th and 64th Regiments of the Line. This brigade would advance on the ford positioned on the French right.

The French Centre. Here was the cavalry, the 1st and 4th Hussars, the elite Empresses' Dragoons of the Imperial Guard, the artillery and Hu guns battalions of the 15th Light and 23rd Line regiments, making up Lefol's Brigade.

Over on the French left, five battalions of the 12th and 56th Regiments of the Line making up Berthwezen's Brigade.

The much smaller Prussian forces took up defensive positions back from the Gilly stream. On the Prussian left was von Hinhtenbrock's Brigade of battalions from the 28th Infantry Regiment supported by both foot and horse batteries and the Prussian Dragoons and  Westphallian Landwehr cavalry.

On the Prussian right were three battalions of Westphallian Landwehr infantry. They looked very lonely  out there.

The Prussian centre was held by General Pirch's Brigade who also garrisoned the village. 

The French Advance and the Prussian Left - Vive L'Empereur!

After all the preparation, it was time for the French to attack! The masses battalions stepped forward to the bands playing La Victoire est à Nous.

The Prussians grimly fixed bayonets and prepared to meet the onslaught.

The  Prussian 6 and 9 pdr guns opened up on the advancing Empresses'' Dragoons and  momentarily drove them  back in disorder. 

The French line of Corsin's Brigade now came uder heavy fire from the Prussian skirmish line and in turn the guns turned there attention to the advancing French columns. The artillery did their deadly work, but still the French arche on, crossing the Gilly Stream pushing back the opposing skirmish line. 

The Prussian cavalry now massed and charged forward lead by the 2nd Dragoons. The disciplined French infantry formed square and repulsed the Prussian charge. 

Again the Dragoons formed up and charged! Again the French squares held! 

The remaining French line brought their muskets up and poured fire into he Prussian  infantry and guns. The Prussian line staggered but held on returning fire, volley after volley. 

In the Centre

The key future on  the battle field was the small  village of Gilly itself. this was to be the objective of the best troops in the division, Lefol's Grenadiers. 

Lefol's brigade advanced with the first battalion of the 15th hitting Gilly hard, but the Prussian's remembered Jena and refused  to give ground, forcing the French back in disorder. checking this repulse, Lefol now pushed two fresh battalions into the bitter street fighting. The French pressed home their vicious attack, slowly forcing the Pussans back and the tricolour advanced through Gilly.

 

The Prussans  now  move what units they have available to shore up the centre and support what is happen over on their right. 

Shaking out into line, muskets ready.

As the Prussan move to shore up the centre, the French cavalry have organise themselves and now race though the village to try to cut off the redeploying Prussian infantry. 

The Prussian troops desperately forms squares to fend off the onrushing horsemen. One of their units is too slow and is caught in the open and the Hussars roll up the line, sabers doing their terrible work. The Prussians falter, but the squares hold on, driving off the Hussars and Dragoons of the Imperial Guard.

 

Meanwhile, On the Right

Some plans do not require subtlety.  Seeing the strung out lines of the Westphalian Landwehr, Napoleon sent forward the masses ranks of Berthwezen's Brigade, five battalions of the Line to simply drive all before it.

Charging over the stream, the French fall on the Landwehr driving them back in disorder! The way forward is open!

But the French need to reorganise their lines, giving the Landwehr precious time to regroup and prepare to stand and face the oncoming masses of French.

To the French the  Landwehr are a poor nail and they are the hammer, the charge is called and they surge forward into the teeth of desperate musketry. Volley after volley rolls out from the Prussians. The Westphalians fire again and again, stopping the French advance cold.

Things Fall Apart,  the Centre Cannot Hold!

All along the line the Prussians held! 

Dogged defence had slowed the French advance. But then, the hard pressed squares in the centre could hold no more, desperate  men now turned and fled, their squares crumbling away as the victorious French cavalry and infantry surged forward, the collapse Prussian centre was absolute.

What was left on the Prussian left was now under attack from both flanks and also fled before the victorious French horsemen. 

And the Landwehr? What was to be their fate? That my dear readers, we can only speculate. For it was games end and time to pack up and tell our stories of battels lost and won.

So that was the first game of the 100 Days Campaign. 

A resounding victory to the Forces of the Emperor of the French, the Thief of Europe, The Corsican Ogre, Napoleon Bonaparte.