LFS Friedland

Our refight of Friedland was staged at the International Napoleonic Fair, 12th May 2008. Only a year late! The game itself was to cover only the morning of the battle, as the Russians seek to destroy Lannes' isolated force, whilst the French desperately hang on and trickle through reinforcements. For all the attractiveness of re-enactiing Senarmont's artillery charge in the afternoon, it seems to me that once the Russians fail to beat Lannes, they are doomed. So that was the task for the Russian commanders- win, and win quickly! Orders of battle, player and umpire briefings can be found on the Scenarios page.

The Russian plan was simple. Concentrate a hammer blow (Bagration with Markov, Betchuchev, Sacken, Gallitzin and Kolobrigov) against Posthenen, whilst using their large cavalry forces to flood the plain on the other side of the river. Sedmoratzki's infantry division was felt strong enough to walk into Heinrichsdorf, given that the French would be needing all avaialble troops to fend off Bagration.
For the French part, although with fewer troops, they probably had the harder decisions to make. Garrison Heinrichsdorf or not, and if so, with how many troops (in the end, a single battalion of combined Light infantry elites was sent). Keep the heavy cavalry in reserve, or use it to destroy easy targets, and thus disrupt the Russian command and control? Indeed, what to do with so much cavalry and so few infantry! In the end, Oudinot was tasked with defending Posthenen, with von Besser's Saxons in direct support. Grouchy took the Dragoon division to cover Heinrichsdorf, whilst Nansouty's heavies were kept in reserve.

The early moves went well for the Russians, with few command and control problems, as Markov closed in on Posthenen. Somewhat surprised by the speed of the Russian attack, Oudinot's troops scrambled to meet them, defeating the outclassed Russian infantry. However, in doing so they exposed themselves to an opportunity charge by the elite Pavolgrad Hussars, who routed two precious battalions of infantry, before von Besser's cavalry could intervene to throw them back.