Phil's Wargames Stuff: Battle of Romanov- 15th July 1812

The third and final scenario of the Russian rearguard of cossacks under the command of Count Matvei Ivanovich Platov, which succeeded in allowing the Russian army to get to Minsk in Napoleon's doomed campaign of 1812. The Scenario written by Michael Hopper.

The Russian Winters are severely cold, but the Summers can be just as severe and July of 1812 was scorching. Many Horses were lost through starvation as the Russian used Scorched earth tactics and left nothing to feed the French army. Villages and crops were burnt, wells were poisoned as the Russian army withdrew further into the interior of the Motherland.

Napoleon wanted to trap the Russians and force a major battle, but as his lines of communications got longer and garrisons got stationed along his route, this battle looked more unlikely with every passing day. Napoleon's main army was reducing with every day he marched towards his goal, Moscow and the annihilation of the Russian army, but it was not to be the outcome he hoped for!

Men and horses were dying of thirst and starvation and this was only three weeks into his campaign. Horses were fed thatch and soldiers would be eating dead horse to survive.

At Mir and Simakovo the Polish cavalry got forced back and five days later on the 15th July they once again caught up with Platov's cossacks at a small town of Romanov, over the Vousva River. A good defendable position with marshland either side of the town and what seemed like the only crossing point in the area, although a small track crossed the marsh to north of the town.

Now under direct command of Baron de Faÿ de La Tour- Maubourg, General of Napoleon's IV Cavalry Corps, the Polish division arrived west of the town and could see the cossacks arrayed in front of them, so they prepared for battle, and vengeance.

Our game starts from this point. I was not sure how much reconnaissance was done of the area (not much probably), so I assumed they would not know of the crossing across the marsh to the north. Orders were written as if the marsh track did not exist and would be diced for each turn from turn 2 in the command phase(allowing for a bit of scouting), and the French could not deviate from their orders until they "find" it.

The game length is 9 turns (0800 - 1100hrs), But I will see how the game develops from this point. In reality the bridge was blown just before noon, when the French heavy cavalry arrived, and the Russians withdrew, but with the marsh crossing, it may all change!

Victory conditions: 2 points for each division lost, 1 Point for Tyskiewicz division, and 1 point for the Poles if they have a unit east of the river on turn 9.

Small blue dice and Chits: Blue dice in melee are the units FMR (Frontal Morale Rating-Fight value) which get adjust up and down depending on circumstances, kills, staggers, etc. The standing wounded figures are Stagger counters (shaken), the oval horse markers show blown cavalry (not good if charged when blown) and the rectangle Bugle are Recall cavalry markers (Reforming). MDF Counters from Charlie Foxtrot Models : https://www.charliefoxtrotmodels.com/

Initiative dice: After artillery phase initiative dice are rolled highest goes first. Any 6s allow the division to remove either a Kill or a Stagger. The dice with actual numbers (not pips)will always show closest to the division it was rolled for!

These round bases with multiple figures on are Divisional Stagger markers and go next to Divisional officer when he fails divisional morale.

The two forces: There were also two more Horse artillery units to go on.

The Russian deployed first, then the Polish. All units start requiring new orders, but I had written the orders already.

TURN 1: Artillery missed, Initiative:

End of movement saw melees as two cossack units hidden by the hill can now see and charge the hussars

Melee, round 1, a draw on the left, both sides take a kill and re-roll. The hussars on the right cause 3 kills (difference in dice score) and rout the cossacks as their FMR is 2.

The re-roll: 2 K on the cossacks, 3K in total, routing them also (FMR 3).

The hussar unit on the left is vulnerable to attack whilst blown next turn, so in decides to charge a Tartar unit in the breakthrough phase.

The ensuing melee was better for the Tartar causing 1K to the Hussars and forcing them to fallback (all lost melees force a Fallback/withdraw)

TURN2: Artillery phase. The Hussars in fallback took a hit from artillery causing it's 4K and so breaking the unit (FMR4). This will cause a Divisional morale check in the command phase.

The polish Horse artillery Stagger and 1K and a Stagger on the Uhlans

Initiative Phase: The dice next to the numbered dice are re-rolls from draws.

Movement: Russians charge first, to keep the Polish away from the bridge

The Polish are trying to outflank the Russian right.

Melee see two more Russian units rout.

Polish Breakthrough Phase:

Break through Melee: Routs (2 arrows) and Fallbacks (1 Arrow)

Command Phase: Iiovayski's Cossack Division have gone through two morale phases, 1/3rd and 50% and with a plus 1 to the dice, pass both. The numbers below the dice are the unit morale tests. using all the FMRs of the division and dividing the score by 331/3rd , 50% and 75% to get the test points. At 75% the division breaks.

The Polish hussars have the same, and pass both.

The track across the marsh is found with a roll of a 6.

TURN 3: Initiative.

Melee: Cossack unit in fallback

Cossack passes it's Fallback test. Elsewhere, other units reform. New orders are sent to Polish left: To attack Romanov through the marsh. Message diced for and received.

TURN 4: Artillery Phase: A miss from the Russians and 2K and a Staggers from the polish

Initiative: The Polish Left are trying to secure the marsh crossing on the right of the picture.

Movement: The Polish Left are trying to secure the marsh crossing on the right of the picture, and Platov has sent regular cavalry to stop them.

Cossack flank attack a Polish Uhlan unit and then routed Top of pic. A Cossack unit is routed too, bottom of pic.

The Polish hussars, in the Breakthrough Phase, charge the rear of the Dragoons and get force back!

The hussar's fallback just misses an enemy unit, or it would have been routed if it hit it! But it's not looking good for next turn!

Not that it mattered, as it failed to Rally in the Command Phase.

Russian Losses so far:

Polish Losses:

TURN 5: Artillery Phase: All missed!

Initiative: As the Russian go first, their Dragoons would reform before the Polish could Charge. NOTE ABOUT REFORMING AFTER MELEE: When you win a Melee, you reform when your division moves, when you lose melee and pass the Fallback roll, you Reform in the next command phase (Rally phase)

Melee: The Dragoons bounced the Uhlans, even with bonus's

Melee in the Center sees another cossack unit rout

On the Russian left, another unit loses and routs

Command Phase: The Polish reform in situ in the center (as there are fresh units ahead), But the unit the Dragoons bounced on the Polish left fails and routs.

End of turn situation:

Some of the Poles are through the marsh

Elsewhere, units are reforming from melee.

The Cossack Division of Iiovayski has now reached it's break point and routs, leaving the regulars to hold the bridge.

Polish losses

TURN 6: Artillery, is it within 45 arc

Initiative:

Another Uhlan takes the Dragoons on (now in line)and loses. In the command phase the Uhlans passes the Fallback Morale test.

TURN 7: Artillery, another Kill from the Russian Horse Artillery

The Polish Artillery is on target too!

Initiative:

The Polish on the East bank now charge and are repulsed by regular Hussars.

Melees in the center. The Cossacks on the hill force the Polish unit back and the Russian Dragoons must Fallback.

Breakthrough Phase:The Dragoons fallback as far back as they can go, to the edge of the marsh, and are contacted in the rear, so break and rout! The Cossacks now Breakthrough, even though they were charged, and attack the Uhlans on the other hill.

The Cossacks are themselves beaten and forced back, and now the Uhlans decide to due a Breakthrough Charge.

The Uhlans in turn are beaten and forced back, but the Hussars remain on the bridge.

In the Command Phase one of the four units on table failed, and it was a Polish unit and then the Division fails it's Morale. Even with it's plus 1.

Demoralised Division!

TURN 8: Artillery, great shooting from the regular Russian HA, Stagger and the bounce through is a Kill and a Stagger. Polish Artillery misses.

Initiative: Nothing moves this turn and all units and Divisions pass morale tests.

TURN 9: Artillery, another hit and Stagger for the Polish

Initiative:

All Polish go before cossacks.

Melee on the East bank

Hussars Perform Breakthrough charge and are repelled

Command Phase: All units pass their Morale.

The bridge fuse is set and roll of 5 or 6 will blow the bridge this turn.

End of Game in historical terms. Bridge has blown, so Latour- Maubourg failed with his Polish again. Points wise it is a Polish win, as the Poles have broken one Division (2 Points) and have Units on the East bank (1 Point). The Cossacks have only broken a small Division (1 Point).

This is a tough one for the Polish and it is balanced with the points, which helps the Poles achieve a victory of sorts, if they do not save the bridge. In the Shako II rules, they do not allow Cavalry into towns, but I feel they can go through towns if in Column and then reform when they exit. They could not have fought their way through Romanov, so they could only take out as many cossack units as they could, and which they achieved. A great little mini campaign, and well written scenarios make my job as a wargamer easier as I like to play the bizarre.

I decided to roll a dice to continue, and rolled in favour of a "What if" situation. So now the Polish want to get over the river as their blood lust is up and they have units with a foot hold on the east bank. Also could the Russians break some Polish divisions to even the points out.

The Russian artillery scored hit every turn and the Russian Hussars had a good melee round breaking the first Uhlan unit then a second unit, Which in turn broke the Division by turn 11. The Russian Hussars forced their way along the marsh track and the main Uhlan Division broke on turn 12.

In the continued game turned it round to a Russian victory, although Napoleon had to get the bridge repaired when the engineers arrived and Bagration got to Minsk in good time.

Turns 10 - 12

10.