A Napoleonic 25mm wargame

The Battle of Wustermark - 31 August 1813

From the GWC's ongoing 1813 Napoleonic campaign

A 25mm wargame fought on Saturday, March 14, 2009

This fictitious battle pitted advancing French and their allies against Coalition forces protecting Berlin. Our Gourmet Wargaming Club fought with 25mm miniatures using Age of Eagles rules. To fight the campaign we are using The Flight of the Eagle, the newest release from Pratzen Editions.

This is part I of a multi-session battle. Wustermark proved to be a very large and costly battle for both sides.

Enjoy the photos, below.

Click here to see the conclusion of the battle, fought in a later gaming session.

The battle begins. The French march on from the left: Oudinot's corps is at top, Davout's at bottom. Swedish Coalition troops take up positions on a hill at right.	Davout's corps. Note the Danes in their dashing red uniforms.	Oudinot's corps, with its contingent of Polish infantry and cavalry.	The Swedes hold their ground with a strong, but compact, mixed force.	Coalition players prepare for the French onslaught.
The French players seem perturbed that the enemy has not fled the field at the first sight of the blue-clad masses.	Our Umpire--aka Mars, God of War. Note the blue shirt; he has his priorities right.	French forces close on the lonely Swedes on their lonely hill. Where is the rest of the Coalition?	Davout's Danish troops (on the French far right) are suddenly met by Prussian cavalry, heralding the arrival of Taunzien's Landwehr units.	Swedish cavalry (foreground) clashes with a smaller French mounted unit.
The Danes move up to the small hill on the French right flank.	The mass of Davout's troops in the center make quite a spectacle.	Swedes occupy a small village, while wary enemy cavalry look on. The horsemen are loath to close with infantry in buildings.	After sweeping aside the small Danish cavalry contingent, Prussian cavalry rush to flank the French right.	Polish cavalry (lower right) of Oudinot's corps anchor the French left flank.
The Danes are in an uproar! Infantry brigades abruptly change direction and march to cut off the Prussian cavalry behind their lines. The enemy has no choice but to charge: sabers flash!	Davout's corps drives off the Prussian cavalry, but at the cost of chaos in the ranks. The Danes begin to find their bearings and drive towards the enemy once more.	The plucky Prussians trot back to their lines with less men and mounts than they started with. Note the Landwehr infantry coming to meet them.	The advance guard of Reynier's corps enter behind the far French right flank.	And the Coalition left flank is suddenly swarming with Russian cossacks and regular cavalry.
A view from Taunzien's Prussian corps, looking across to Davout (left) and Oudinot (right).	The Swedes are putting pressure on the French right. Polish infantry occupies a village (bottom right).	The Coalition holds the left; the French lines stretch all the way up the right.	Half time: we must have sustenance. No gourmet lunch today, but no one is complaining as long as bellies are full of pizza.	More of Reynier's corps enters behind the French right.
Winzigerode's Russian corps bolsters the Coalition left flank with plenty of cavalry and the dreaded Russian artillery.	The Swedes take the village from the Poles and keep up the pressure on Oudinot.	A massed cavalry charge by the Russians against Reynier's cavalry.	The Swedes continue their advance, crashing into Oudinot's exposed Polish infantry (far right).	Reynier and Davout's cavalry counter-attack the Russians, revealing the artillery batteries behind. As the gaming session draws to a close, we wonder about the fate of those exposed horsemen.
Davout sends infantry forward to take back the small hill. Russian artillery opposite them blast away with some effect.	Swedes hold the center of the Coalition line, with masses of Prussians behind them.	A view of the battlefield as the gaming session ends. (Coalition at left, French to the right.)	If only some miniatures company made these characters in 25mm. They'd be part of the "Homocidal Armchair Dice Chuckers" set.	This is what the 200-foot generals live for--and what the tiny lead men die for: a hill of chocolate frosting with a dash of delicious cake beneath.