Battle Report - Quatre Bras

Over the weekend we refought the 'Command and Colors' scenario of Quatre Bras using our modified rule set. I chose to be the Prince of Orange (error), William, my nephew played Picton and the British, while my brother Phil played the French:

I forgot to take pictures of the initial setup so we join the action after the first couple of turns:

The battle kicked off with a French artillery attack against the Allies forward positions on the ridge while the French light supported by cavalry moved against Nassau and Brunswick troops in Bossau Wood on their right. Initially the Allies did well as Nassau and Brunswickers supported  by light cavalry (Hussars) drove the French infantry back, although an artillery battery on the edge of the wood was quickly lost.

Meanwhile on the higher ground in the centre the Dutch and Brunswick infantry were quickly thrown back with heavy losses from French artillery fire:

The French assault in the centre began as the British and Allies scrambled to restore the line.  Both the Nassau and Brunswick infantry had been severely mauled. The remnants of the battered Brunswick and Nassau battalions regroup around Quatre Bras village.

Over in the wood the battled ebbed and flowed as infantry battle it out amongst the trees, however, the first regiment of Kellerman's Cuirassiers crosses the stream and attacks the Allied light cavalry

The Cuirassiers crash into the Hussars and close in on Quatre Bras itself.  

The Hussars run and for a moment the French control the high ground in front of the village.

The Cuirassiers however are exposed and take further casualties and are seen off by the Brunswick Lancers.

The area on the Allied right continues to be the French main effort with more french cavalry poring over the stream.  A battalion of Dutch Militia bravely stand in the way of the French, but failing to form square they are ridden down by French Lancers

In the woods the Skirmishers continue to battle away with no side making any real progress.

The charge of the Brunswick Lancers checks the French advance in the centre forcing some infantry into a square:

And the arrival of fresh British infantry gives the allies hope of restoring the situation:

Over on the allied right the battle continues with both sides taking casualties, the plucky Brunswick Jaegers are forced back leaving just the Nassau Grenadiers holding the wood.

The British advance successfully regains the high ground, destroying  the French battalion that had formed a square, but they began to suffer a similar fate as the Dutch and Brunswickers with the high ground being swept by the French artillery.

Then a devastating event occurred as Kellerman's second Cuirassier regiment sweeps in and catch a British battalion in the open, who fail to form square.  The battalion is destroyed and the Allied counter attack begins to fail as the second British battalion suffers heavily from artillery and musketry.

The Cuirassiers move along the ridge and destroy the remaining Brunswick Lancers and the Prince of Orange is unhorsed. 

The Allies reach their exhaustion point and they crumble.  It is a devastating French victory with a score of  9- 4. Overall a most enjoyable game, although the Allies were on the back foot from the outset and never really regained control of the situation, firefighting relentless French assaults.