Rules for Map Movement

Campaign tactical map at start of campaign

General

These rules are first thoughts only, and will be subject to change during the campaign as problems arise.

The campaign Map

This is the only map which will be used in the campaign.

There are 12 x 9 squares on the map, and each one represents a scenic square 2x2 foot which will be used to make up the wargames table to resolve any battles in the campaign.

The squares are marked A to L across the top and 1 to 9 down the sides. There are 12 named towns and villages. To order your corps around simply give a map reference. For example Magdeburg would be H5

The red lines are main supply routes for both sides. You must keep your own supply open. The yellow lines are minor roads and unimportant.

You will see that each square also has a number. This is for my use when setting up the table and is not used in the campaign.

The maps are pretty basic, and I am sure that you will recognize hills, woods, farms and rivers. The brown blobs are broken ground. Rivers can only be crossed by the bridges shown.

Map Movement

Each CinC and corps can only move one square per move..

CinC can issue orders to any corps within three squares.

Movement can be in any direction and does not have to be along a road.

In the campaign there is no movement penalty for terrain or crossing a river. On the wargames table there are such penalties.

In the campaign only one corps can occupy each square. This will not apply on the wargames table.

Map Markers

On the map you will see 5 blue and 5 red markers as follows:

Red HQ – Headquarters Prussian Army

Red 1 - 1^st Prussian corps

Red 2 – 2^nd Prussian corps

Red 3 – 3^rd Prussian corps

Red 4 – 4^th Prussian corps

Blue HQ – Headquarters Second French Army

Blue 4 – 4^th French corps

Blue 5 – 5^th French corps

Blue 6 – 6^th French corps

Blue 13 – 13^th Polish corps

Movement Orders

Orders should be sent in each day to arrive by 2200 central European time. The map will be updated and placed on the blog by 2300.

Movement orders must be kept very simple, for example “6 French corps move to B8”, or “2 Prussian corps hold H5”.

The order must always include:

The corps or CinC concerned

The square reference

Move, Hold or Attack

Getting Started

Commanders in Chief (CinC) should issue general orders to each corps commander. These must be specific and simple, for example “move to G2”. The corps commander will continue to move until he arrives at G2 (Halbeck) when he will halt and issue orders “Hold G2” until he receives new orders from his CinC.

Corps commanders will then issue orders each day.

On the first day the French must move into one square between A1 and A9.

On the first day the Prussians must move into one square between L1 and L9

CinC orders

HQ must be within three squares to change corps orders

Any Questions

If you have any questions regarding the rules please send me an email

Campaign Rules

General

These rules are first thoughts only. They will be amended as necessary as the campaign progresses and problems come to light.

Daily Orders

Each day at 2200 central European time I will update the campaign map. If I have not received new orders from a player his corps will not move.

Each player will send me an email with orders for his next move to arrive by 2200 central European time.

Campaign Battles

When two opposing corps come within three three squares of each other each player will have to decide whether he wants to fight a battle or not. If both agree Jan and I will set up a wargame to resolve the battle.

The tactical map consists of squares, each of which is a 2x2 foot scenic board. So players can see exactly what the table will look like.

If a corps is in defence the player can give us detailed instructions on how he wants them to be deployed if he wishes. If not either Jan or I will decide what we think is best.

If a corps is moving into contact they will always arrive on the table in column of march. The player may give us instructions of what order of march he prefers or not. If he does not give any instructions it will always be as follows:

Cavalry brigade

1^st infantry brigade

Artillery

2^nd infantry brigade

3^rd infantry brigade

4^th infantry brigade

We will normally play 2 or 3 moves per day. A battle report will be put on the blog each day, with photographs, so that players can see how the game is going. Players may send instructions if they wish, but they may not arrive in time for the next move.

Marching to the Sound of the Guns

To set up the wargame I use a template which covers nine squares.

All corps within the template are then put on the wargames table in the same square they occupy on the map.

Any corps within one square of the edge of the map will “march to the sound of the guns”, and will arrive on wargame move 4.

Any corps further away will not respond as they would arrive too late to take part.

Daily Movement

On the wargames table three squares represent one days fighting in 12 moves

Therefore on the campaign map three squares will represent one days movement, not one square.

In future one days battle will last 12 hours, from 0800 to 2000.

First square 0800 to 1200 Move 1 to 4

Second square 1201 to 1600 Move 5 to 8

Third square 1601 to 2000 Move 9 to 12

Army Organisation

Army Organisation

The orders of battle have been designed for use by Jan and I, so they will probably not make a lot of sense to most of you, so I thought that I had better try to explain a little. Mind this will also apply to a lot of the campaign, so I will no doubt have to explain a lot of things as I go along.

To take part in the PBEM campaign you don’t really have to know any of this, as Jan and I will be fighting the wargames to resolve the battles. However it may make it more interesting if you understand some of it. This will only be a very simple description, if you would like to know more just drop me an email.

Composition of each Army

Each army is the same size with 128 infantry, 16 cavalry and 4 guns. These are divided into four equal corps of 32 infantry, 4 cavalry and 1 gun. Each corps has four infantry brigades of 8 figures, 1 cavalry brigade of 4 figures and 1 gun with 4 crew. It may be a little hard for some of you to accept that 8 figures can represent an infantry brigade, but that is the minimum number to show the formation the brigade is in, for example line, column or square.

Wargame Rules

The rules we use for the wargames can be found at:

http://paulandjanwargamerules.blogspot.com/

It is important that you understand the rules, and I will be explaining them in the battle report for each wargame. Again if you have any questions send me a mail

Orders of Battle

Each general has a grade of Gifted, Average or Poor. This will affect how well he controls his corps. The better he is the more orders he can issue.

Each brigade has a class, for example CB. There are three grades A, B and C. The higher the grade the better the morale of the brigade.

Each infantry brigade also has a firing class, for example FC. Again three grades, and again the higher the better they volley fire. Class A will add plus 1, class C will deduct minus 1, for firing.

Each infantry brigade also has a skirmish class, for example SA. Exactly the same as for volley firing, but applies to skirmish fire only.

Prussian Order of Battle

Prussian Army - Marshal Blucher - Gifted +3

Generals Class Average

Infantry Class Average

Infantry Firing Average

Infantry Skirmish Average

Cavalry Class Average

Artillery Average

Prussian Army - Commander in Chief Prince Blucher

There are six commanders: 1 CinC, 4 Corps and 1 Reserve

First Prussian Corps

1 Corps - Average +2

1 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

2 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

3 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

4 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

1 Cavalry Brigade - CB Light

Corps Artillery - CB 12 pounder

Second Prussian Corps

2 Corps - Poor +1

5 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

6 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

7 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

8 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

2 Cavalry Brigade - CB Heavy

Corps Artillery - CB 9 pounder

Third Prussian Corps

3 Corps - Average +2

9 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

10 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

11 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

12 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

3 Cavalry Brigade - CB Light

Corps Artillery - CB 9 pounder

Fourth Prussian Corps

4 Corps - Poor +1

13 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

14 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

15 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

16 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

4 Cavalry Brigade - CB Heavy

Corps Artillery - CB 9 pounder

Reserve Average +0

French Order of Battle

Second French Army - Marshal Davout - Gifted +3

Generals Class Good

Infantry Class Average

Infantry Firing Poor

Infantry Skirmish Average

Cavalry Class Average

Artillery Average

Second French Army

there are six commanders: 1 CinC, 4 Corps and 1 Reserve

4^th French Corps

4 French Corps - Average +2

13 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

14 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

15 Infantry Brigade - CB FC SB

16 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

11 Cavalry Brigade - CB Light

4 Foot Artillery - CB 9 pounder

5th French Corps

5 French Corps - Average +2

17 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

18 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

19 Infantry Brigade - CB FC SB

20 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

3 Cavalry Brigade - CB Medium

5 Corps Artillery - CB 12 pounder

6th French Corps

6 French Corps - Gifted +3

21 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

22 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

23 Infantry Brigade - CB FC SB

24 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

5 Cavalry Brigade - CB Heavy

6 Corps Artillery - CB 9 pounder

13th Polish Corps

13 Polish Corps - Poor +1

1 Infantry Brigade - CA FB SB

2 Infantry Brigade - CB FB SB

3 Infantry Brigade - CB FC SB

4 Infantry Brigade - CC FC SC

13 Cavalry Brigade- CB Light

3 Corps Artillery - CB 9 pounder

Reserve Average - +0

Campaign Background

Magdeburg Campaign Area 1 May 1813 - Start of Campaign

Northern Germany is the setting for the Magdeburg Campaign.

Start positions as follows:

4 French corps - Brunswick

5 French corps - Wolfenbuttel

6 French corps - Goslar

13 Polish - Hannover

1 Prussian - Genthin

2 Prussian - Drewitz

3 Prussian - Goswig

4 Prussian - Brandenburg

THE FRENCH ARMY

Second French Army

At first light on the morning of 24 April 1813 Marshal Davout, commander in chief of Second French Army, met with his corps commanders in the north German city of Hannover. The previous night he had received a despatch from Napoleon confirming that Prussia had declared war on France.

Davout was responsible for holding the line of the river Elbe from Hamburg to Madgeburg as part of Napoleons overall strategic plan for 1813. This plan envisaged that Napoleon would lead the First French Army against the Russians at Dresden, whilst Davout held the Prussians in check at the river Elbe. When the Russian army was destroyed both French armies would advance on Berlin and finish the war. However it would be at least two weeks before First French Army was ready to move.

Napoleon was well aware that the greatest threat came from Prussia. He therefore allocated his best troops to Davout, who was tasked to hold the Prussians in check. Davout had deployed his two best corps to the defence of the river line.

The Second French Army had spent three months being reorganized and reinforced following their retreat from Russia of the previous year. The army was now ready to take the field, and Davout issued orders for his four corps to advance to Magdeburg.

Davout was confident that he had done all that he could. If the Prussians moved quickly he could not stop them crossing the river Elbe, but with luck he could contain them between Magdeburg and Hannover. He was fully aware that if he failed to do so, there was nothing else to stop them reaching Paris.

THE PRUSSIAN ARMY

Prussian Army

110 miles east of Hannover, Prince Blucher reviewed the Prussian army at Potsdam just outside the city of Berlin. Although nominal allies of Napoleon during the Russian campaign, the Prussian army had taken care not to get involved in any serious fighting. The four corps which formed the army were therefore in excellent shape and ready to fight.

For the past month Blucher had urged the King to declare war on France. He was well aware that the French army had ceased to exist during the terrible retreat. Had Prussia immediately marched on France he was confident they would have had an easy victory. However the King had hesitated, and wanted reassurance that the Russian army would join them. Both knew it would still be weeks before that could happen, as the Russians had suffered almost as much as the French during the retreat.

Blucher was therefore delighted to be told that war would be declared on 24 April 1813. He was ready. His army was ready. He finished his review and gave the order to march on Madgeburg and destroy the French.