COUNTERSTRIKE DISPATCHES
SHIPPING
We got the nearly 500 pre-orders out the door in 2–1/2 weeks (a record). This publication marks the completion of the 1813 tetralogy, covering 18 battles from the Spring and Autumn of 1813.
DRESDEN ROADBLOCKS
Historian John H. Gill —in setting up the Dresden battle — suggested allowing for three roadblocks for the French at start. From Jack Gill:
• The "second line" consisted of fortifying the suburbs with palisades, loopholing walls, barricading streets and walled gardens, constructing firing platforms, blocking up windows with sandbags, wood, furniture, etc.
• This was largely accomplished in hexes 1113–1212 and part 1411 in game map terms.
TOWN WALLS
The Town Walls special rule used in Napoleon Against Russia (Smolensk) and elsewhere does not apply to Counterstrike. The red enceinte lines shows the walls but in this campaign they were not formidable. The Dresden walls had been partially demolished in 1811. Nafziger says they were in "rather poor condition." So we didn't introduce the "Walled Towns" rule.
Treat each hex of the Dresden Altstadt (1210, 1310, 1311) as regular chateaux hexes.
All places within a red enceinte line are treated as plain Chateaux in Counterstrike. When it comes to Liegnitz, "the much-heralded fortifications" had not progressed beyond a "few earthworks and palisades. ... weak enough to take with cavalry alone." (Leggiere, p. 129).
As for Dresden, in no playtest did the fighting get into the heart of the city. In the actual event, neither did Schwarzenberg. The Redouts in 1314 and 1115 are the main reason that prevented any Austrian gains on this side. These Redoubts were playing the same outpost role as Hougoumont and La Haye Sainte played at Waterloo.
The enceinte line can be crossed anywhere. The gates have no special significance in play. There is no rule requiring their use; the walls had many gaps and were in "rather poor condition" and not comparable with the walls of Smolensk. "The works were still incomplete and defective, as is shown by Napoleon's letter of the 25th to Rogniat (his engineer officer), saying he would feel reassured about Dresden if he knew that 'the three entrenchments already marked out were ready, if the barricades in the town were finished, and if the Pirna (suburb) ditch were properly excavated.'" (Petre, p. 195) But Napoleon wasn’t ultimately reassured, and that is why he had to hump back into town.
DRESDEN DEFENSES
Dresden itself is ringed with redoubts. To reduce counter clutter they all have their combat value and initiative printed on the map.
Only during the armistice, with the prospect of a new threat from Bohemia, had much attention been paid to the defenses on the left bank. The Altstadt was safe against a coup de main (2:1) but not 3:1. It had 3 lines of defense:
(1) The ring of lunettes (redoubts)
(2) Barricades, palisades, and garden walls of the suburbs.
(3) The old enceinte.
There were no redoubts beyond the Weisseritz and the existing ones were poorly situated.
SCENARIOS (HOBLEY)
The meat of any game are the scenarios so what do we have here?
First, the August campaign against the Army of Silesia, with Blücher obeying the Trachenberg Plan and falling back before Napoleon. We have three battles. Löwenberg and Goldberg are basically delaying actions by the Coalition as they fall back. The third is Katzbach. ‘Hang on’ you say, ‘but this is already in Four Lost Battles’. Indeed it is. I have not yet looked to see if there is any change to the deployments from there, but this time we get a larger map, including Liegnitz. And the three maps for these battles combine to give us a 34” by 64” run from the Bober River to the Katzbach River.
Using these we can then play the August campaign. How long will Napoleon stick around before heading back to Dresden, and (an in-house variation) with what? Can the Army of Silesia withdraw without being caught and mauled? And once Napoleon leaves will Blücher launch an offensive; if so where? There is no guarantee of a helpful thunderstorm at the right moment.
Any units the French keep in play on the Bober/Katzbach maps after 22 August won’t appear at Dresden; it will take too long to get there in time.
STUDY FOLDER
Historical Notes
At "22-Aug. Katzbach," it says, "The Emperor returned to Löwenberg to find a letter from St. Cyr, reporting the advance of the Austrians through the Erzgebirge ... The Imperial Guard, the I Cavalry Corps, and the I and VI Corps pulled out en-route to Dresden." This paragraph is repeated word for word under the next day, "23-Aug. Battle of Goldberg." Delete the paragraph from the 22nd. Now I had the date right, but the location was still wrong.
Actually, the Emperor had made the decision to pull back to Görlitz without seeing the dispatch from St. Cyr, which only reached him the 23rd. Napoleon had reached Gorlitz before deciding to go to Dresden.
As for the emperor, he first thought of going to Prague and expressed this intention to Ney at 11:00 AM on the 23rd, wanting the marshal to accompany him. One hour later he changed his mind, telling Macdonald that he would retunt Görlitz that same day but "that his further operations would depend on those of the enemy: If the enemy, on the 23rd or 24th, positively takes the offensive on Dresden, my intention is to leave the initiative to him and immediately go to the fortified camp of Dresden and fight a great battle." Commenting on the refusal of the Allied army in Silesia to accept battle, he informed Maret that northing would be more fortunate than "an enemy march on Dresden, since then there would be a battle." After reaching Görlitz late in the afternoon of the 23rd, Napoleon received a report from St.-Cyr. Writng at 11:00 PM on the 22nd, the marshal explained that a Russian corps (Wittgenstein) had debouched through the Peterswald pass with what appeared to be the entire Austrian army following. Napoleon assured him that he would soon arrive at Dresden with 200,000 men. (Leggiere, p. 191)
Historical Notes errata:
p. 14 "22-Aug." Delete the 7 lines after the words, "The Emperor returned to Löwenberg...
Same page, under "23-Aug." Change "The Emperor returned to Löwenberg," to "The Emperor returned to Görlitz..."
Location of Marshal Mortier
August 18th- Mortier stood with three YG Divisions (15,000) at Lauban (French supply depot). The 2nd, 3rd, and one other YG Div. (Leggiere p. 137.)
August 20th- Mortier departed from Lauban, with Napoleon, toward Silesia (with the 2nd and 3rd Divs.) (Leggiere, p. 217)
August 23rd- Mortier marched back to Görlitz. (Leggiere, p. 217)
As far as the remaining Young Guard Div., Leggiere's map on page 190 shows one Guard division half-way between Bautzen and Dresden.
Initial Setups
Mark Merritt writes:
Our group here in Jacksonville is preparing to play the Dresden full battle game starting tomorrow and I’m going over all the counters, maps and charts as I set up the game.
I am particularly impressed by the amount of information provided on the set up cards. I know you provide these charts for all the games but this set is especially interesting, to me at least. These seem to be the most detailed set yet in the series. I can see the research detail that goes into these games with these charts.
As an aside, I see that you listed the ending strengths of the Allied forces from the battles in the box, then provided the starting strengths for those units that subsequently fight at Leipzig in October, but, you don’t have that for the French. Why not the French? (This is just a question, no complaint.) Many of the French units had been combined or eliminated by the time Leipzig happens.
In any case, I’m enjoying studying the charts! Thanks for your hard work in making these works of art. And, they truly are works of art. A book in a box indeed!
KZ Replies:
There are actually more details available in Special Study Nr. 1 in the Appendices. These setups are based on those Appendices, which also show how we got from the Aug-15 strength to the Aug-23 strength (broken down into attrition and combat loss). The only reason we included the Leipzig strengths was it allowed us to double check our calculated strength and work backward from the Leipzig strength if needed. In that regard, we did include the Leipzig strength for the French IV Corps
Bertrand's IV Corps at Wartenburg
For units in this corps, the counter strength is based upon the unit's Sept-26 strength. At Wartenburg the combat loss was estimated as equal to the after-battle attrition. Digby Smith says the French lost 900 k&w, 1,000 captured, 13 guns, 80 ammo wagons. The full story isn’t recorded for Bertrand’s IV Corps but the details follow:
Nafziger gives the French losses as 500 k&w and 150 prisoners, 11 cannon and 70 caissons, not including the 38th Division (below). Our set up shows a total of 261 k&w and 271 attrition, pretty close to Nafziger's total.
We don't show any losses for the Westphalian 29th LC, but should add 200 more combat losses here. Nafziger tells us that Beaumont’s troopers came from the disbanded XII Corps, operating with the 29th (Bavarian) Division that missed the fight at Grossbeeren. The 29th LC Bde on 15-Aug had 777 men. We estimated they lost 277 men to attrition between the end of the armistice and the battle of Wartenburg. When attempting to charge the Prussians near Globig, the 500 remaining troopers were driven from the field, with a loss of at least 200 men, including their general, Beaumont (k). The 29th LC had practically dissolved after Wartenburg. The set up for Counterstrike shows the unit still with 500 men at Leipzig, but we know the unit lost at least 200 men at October 3rd, and suffered about 80 more in attrition prior to the great battle, as the unit (according to Digby Smith) had only 221 men at Leipzig in two squadrons: the Westphalian and Hessian Chevau-léger gardes. The unit does not appear in our Leipzig game.
Westphalia was formerly part of Prussia, growing increasingly restive under French rule. A few days before Wartenburg the capital of Westphalia was occupied by Russian cavalry under Czernicheff in a raid that spread panic throughout the French administration. King Jerome fled. The Westphalian army melted away and were allowed to return to their homes.
Digby gives the strength of IV Corps at Leipzig as 9,824 and 26 guns, about 1 SP less than our setup shows (9,335); while our setup doesn't show any losses for the 38th Division, it should show the Prussian-claimed 500 battle casualties and 500 prisoners or attrition, capturing 5 of 6 guns.
Total Troop Losses at Wartenburg
UNIT killed & wounded prisoners & attrition combined total
French & Italians: 261 271 532
The 29th LC Brigade: 200 79 279
The 38th Division: 500 500 1000
French: 961 850 1811
Prussians: 1900 200 2100