Combatants: French versus Russians and Prussians
Date: 10 June 1807 - Draw really
Refought: 18 April 2010 - Draw
The battle began with the Russian Advance Guard withdrawing through the reed beds around the Spuibach stream under threat from the advancing French Infantry and Light Cavalry. General Borodzin with command of the Blocking Force reluctantly gave ground, accompanied by Prince Bagration. The Blocking Force turned to face the advancing French to buy time for the remainder of the Advanced Guard. Uncoordinated French cavalry attacks pinned the Blocking Force but were unable to shift it significantly. A charge by the some French Light Cavalry regiments failed its attempt to turn it into a feint charge as the Russian Infantry formed square, leaving the Cavalry to charge through the reed beds into the waiting guns of the Russians.
On the French left flank, the withdrawal of the French Light Cavalry to chase after the Blocking Force left the French Heavy cavalry exposed. The French Heavies were then exposed to a relentless wave of attack by massed formation of Russian Cavalry, including many Cossacks. The tide of battle in this area flowed back and forth for hours as both sides kept reinforcing to try and gain a decisive edge. Eventually the French forced the Russian cavalry back, but not without suffering significant damage to their Heavy cavalry units.
As the Cavalry duel continued on the French Left, the Right flank slowly got moving again after a protracted delay. General Borodzin had achieved a far greater period of delay than requested, but at the risk of dangerously exposing his force. Somehow he manged to extract it from its exposed position and withdraw it back to the main Russian Lines around the fredoubts before Heilsberg, with the French forces in hot pursuit. Daunted by the prospect of assaulting the Redoubts, Marshal Lannes sought confirmation from the Emperor of his orders. The response was brief. GO FOR IT. French columns raced for the Redoubt nearest the River Alle only for the lead battalions to be forced back by artillery fire. A second wave succeeded in reaching the Redoubt and achieved an initial victory that enabled them to get a single battalion into the Redoubt, only to be forced back out on the next turn. Unable to take the redoubts, and able to stand in the open in front of them being galled by fire the French reluctantly fell back to the ridgeline out of range of the Russian guns.
While the cavalry brawl continued on the French left, Prince Bragation’s Advanced Guard moved smartly out behind the Russian defence line and headed north to take up a defensive position near Grossendorf. This put them across the planned arrival area of Neyt’s flank marching Corps, massively limiting his deployment. Unable to deploy or unable to bring his forces to bear Ney was forced into a creeping forward under fire, a painfully slow process.
At the Alle, the combination of Russian guns in the Redoubt and on the south side of the river was taking its toll on the French. Even the arrival of the Guard could not enable any forward progress. As the day wore on, Napoleon decided to fall back and regroup. Von Benningsen, seeing the French withdraw, issued orders to attack and the right flank advance after the French, but when the order reached the Russian left flank, they were unwilling to leave the Redoubt to face the Imperial Guard who were covering the withdraw as the day was drew to a close.
The game was judged a draw given the casualties and positions of the armies at the end of the game.