Phil's Wargames Stuff: Battle of Simakovo 10th july 1812

With CV 19 around and we are not allowed to game with friends, so I got in two strangers. This is Filip Flop and Boris Filovski who helped me refight the scenario of the Battle of Simakovo July 10th 1812, by Michael Hopper, and using Shako II rules.

A continuation of the Mir battle a day before, and involving all cavalry of the French Polish Division and Russian Cossacks and tartars. This is a rear guard action as the Russian army under Bagration was withdrawing toward Minsk in 1812

I have had to proxy some of the Cossacks with Uhlans.

The two Forces, all Polish had lances, and all the Cossack units except a couple of Hussar, Dragoon, Tartar and Kamlyks on the Russian side. 12 game turns.

I hid two units, Tartar and Kalmyk in woods. I placed marker with dice set to 1,2,3 and diced which wood they were to be hidden and would only charge out on a dice roll, and only into the flank or rear of the enemy, which seemed to work ok, and broke up the Polish attack.

All morale rolls were at plus 1 for both sides, due to the hatred between the two combatants for each other. The Polish were slightly outnumbered at the start of the battle, so had to act before more Russians arrive

Deployment: Polish had nine lancer regts split between two wings

Polish.

Polish Left. Set up in front of the town.

Russian had 14 units. Five Russian Cossacks blocked the route and also had a Horse gun!

Russian Right: Hussars and Dragoons

Russian reinforcements, (Arrive turn3). Cossacks and Tartars.

TURN 1: Artillery caused 1 kill and a stagger on the Poles. The initiative dice worked well for the Russian as their Ambush units would go second, (they are attached to the Red units)' Poles dice, White & Blue.

Polish Left moves up and then the Russians roll for their ambush units. The Tartar unit rolled a 5, so could attack Flank or rear. Kamlyks failed their roll.

The Cossack moved off the hill and the Poles charged.

And the tartars charged in.

The Russian Right also moved towards their objective, which was to hold the Polish left until the reinforcements arrive.

Melee: The purple dice the white dice with the red pips are the units FMR (Frontal Morale Rating=Fight & morale value), which will get adjusted: eg: -1 more kills than opponent, -1 if unit is Staggered (Shaken),etc. The other white and red dice are the random combat rolls, the highest wins and the difference are the kills caused on the loser.

The Tartars hit the flank of the Polish unit, which has it's FMR reduced to 1 (disordered). The Tartar's FMR is only 2 (Unreliable Cavalry), both rolled low, but the Tartar won 4 - 2, Poles take 2 kills and fall back away from the point of contact 12", and through another Polish unit which has to take a morale test and fails and becomes staggered.

The results of the Russian left: From L - R: Polish lost 1 K and fellback. Polish lost 2 K and fellback. Russian lost 2 K and fellback. Polish lost 1 K and fellback.

I diced to see who had breakthrough and the Russian won so the Cossack unit pivoted and charged in. First round was a draw, both take a kill and reroll.

Reroll: Another draw, both take a kill and reroll.

Reroll: This time the Poles win cause 2Kills on the Cossack, which as the casualties match/ beat their FMR (3). The Pole have to recall in situ.

The Cossacks rout and one unit which is passed through test morale and pass. Failer would be a Stagger, and if already Staggered, a Kill.

The Tartars then take a breakthrough charge into the next Polish unit (that received the Stagger) Disordered FMR =1, then -1 for being Staggered, so a straight dice roll against the Tartar FMR of 2 plus the dice roll.

1 K to the Poles and fallback to the rear of the other unit the Tartar hit.

Command phase situation

Rally and Reform rolls: Equal to or less than FMR, but minus 1 to all dice (Hatred)

A failure- remove from play

TURN 2:

Artillery - 2 K and a Stagger

Initiative dice: Russian get the drop!

The Kamlyks in ambush rolled and passed and charged the rear of still blown Polish Uhlans.

The Tartar were charged in the flank. They could have moved blown, but they would have to head toward the Cossacks on the hill to get back in command.!

The lead Polish Uhlan unit on the left flank charges the center Hussar unit!

The Solitary Polish Uhlan on the right is charged and will have to fight disordered as it is still blown!

Melee Phase

The Uhlans actually killed the Kamlyks outright!

The Tartars are also routed

The Polish also have success against the Hussars causing 3 K and a fallback

And again another successful melee for the Poles. 1 K and a Fallback.

Command phase:

Russian Hussars failed and routed. Russians were close to a Divisional Morale test.

End of Turn 2 Situation

The Polish were rallied at the rear of Simakovo

As were the Cossacks on the heights

The Polish left had blown units needing to reform. Not good as the Russian reserves arrive turn 3

5 minutes ago

Quote Edit

Post by philportway on 5 minutes ago

TURN 3: Artillery causes another kill!

Initiative and now another Russian dice is added as the reinforcements arrive at the yellow dice. The Russian dice was higher on the re-roll, so had to come on before the Poles move.

Russians Cossack brigade move on table.

On the Polish right, both sides advancing back to their start positions.

A Cossack unit on the far right did a support charge ( this means you move up to half max move, if the enemy then advance into the area that would have been your charge reach earlier). 2K and are a fallback for the Polish Uhlan.

The Cossack performs a Breakthrough charge into the unit behind, Melee ensued and the first melee result was a draw, 1K each and re-roll

The next roll sees the Polish victorious, inflicting 3K onto the Cossacks, bringing their kills to 4 and routing them. They only had an FMR of 3 to start with. This will be a Divisional Morale test.

Trying to recover from fallback a polish unit fails and routs. This is the first Polish unit to break on the right.

Russians Cossack brigade move on table.

Command phase: The loss of the Cossack unit took the Division over it's 1/3rd% losses and 50% losses in one turn. 1st roll was a 3 but with the plus 1= 4, passed. The50% needed a 5 or 6, a 3 was rolled +1=4, failed, Division is now demoralised. This result means that all the units in this Division have their MR reduced by 1, and any unit that loses melee is automatically broken.

Demoralised marker with Div Officer

TURN 4: Artillery, another 1K and a stagger.

Initiative dice

The Polish unit on the left of pic (with stagger in front) could not reach the Cossack and would only needed to take 1K to rout.

On the Polish left, the Uhlans charged the Cossacks that had arrived earlier that turn.

Russian right have a bad dice at the office!

Polish breakthrough charges

breakthrough melee results.

Cossack breakthrough charges and results. Incidentally, the fallback arrow should be facing away from charge/melee point, so 90 degrees from it's pointing. I moved the unit correctly.

See!!!

Command phase:

Polish unit from left, Routs

One of the Cossack reinforcements, Routs

The other units on the Russian right, pass

The Demoralised div rolls a 4 (plus 1) 5 is a pass.

The Cossack Reinforcement Division were over it's 1/3rd% losses and 50% losses in one turn. 1st roll was a 4 but with the plus 1= 5, passed. The50% needed a 5 or 6, rolled a natural 6, Passed

The Polish left Division were also on two tests, Passed both.

End of turn situation:

TURN 5: Artillery, another 6 sees the Uhlan take 2K and rout from casualties, and would cause a Div morale check.

Initiative: The Polish right and Cossack both re-rolled their 2s and the cossack rolled high so went first

All units on the Russian had been in melee last turn all had to Reform, so all stayed in situ. The Main cossack force advanced down the hill (could not reach to charge), so the Uhlans could try and rally their demoralised command and reform.

Divisional morale to take/ rally from. The Polish right flank rolled a 3 with plus 1

TURN 6: Artillery, another hit and 2 K and a Stagger on the Poles

Initiative: Both Polish unit rolled, right flank 6, left flank 1, Russians, right (Regulars) 5, Russian Reinforcements 4, left rolled a 3. One 6 (can remove stagger or kill). Removed a stagger and charged

melee on Polish right: Poles won two combats lost one, which was in took 2K and in Fallback rear of Simakovo (the dice (3) was their demoralised roll!

On the Polish left: The two Russian Regulars charge a Uhlan and a cossack charges into the flank reducing the Uhlans to dissorder MR of 1. But the another Uhlan counter charge the Cossacks

The image of the result was very blurred But the Uhlans won both combats and all three attackers went Fallback, losing 1K on the regular and the Cossacks took 4K and routed and the other Cossack unit which had just reformed was charged in the Breakthrough phase.

The Breakthrough melee: The Cossack unit took 3K, added to the1 it already had, it routed.

The Russian left Fallback tests, one fails and routs, one passes.

Polish Uhlans fails to reform from Fallback, and routs.

The main Cossack force rolled to lose their demoralised and passed. Note: they have taken 13 points of damage (in FMRs) up to now, and will break at 15 (one unit)

The Polish right are at 50%, Roll to test and fail. Now Demoralised

TURN 7: This was a turn of reforms as every unit had been in melee in previous turn.

Command Phase:

The Polish right luckily rolled a pass on their Demoralised Command

TURN 8: Artillery, once again 1K and a stagger on two units (as the canister template is the width of the artillery base and can target more than one target)

Initiative: Back to four dice, as all the reinforcements had now routed.

The cossack left moved first and could not reach the Poles with maximum movement and can only turn to a max of 45

The Russian regulars on the right charge a single uhlan again! The other polish unit could only change formation as it would take about three turn moving normally.