The third and final gaming session of the fictitious Battle of Wustermark

The fictitious Battle of Wustermark - 31 August 1813

The climactic end of the GWC's ongoing 1813 campaign

A 25mm Napoleonic wargame fought on Saturday, May 2, 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 used The Flight of the Eagle, the newest release from Pratzen Editions.

This is part III--the bloody conclusion--of a multi-session battle.

Enjoy the photos, below.

Scroll down to read the Umpire's synopsis of the fighting.

Click here to view the first part of the Battle of Wustermark.

A view from behind the French right flank. The extra table (at right) holds Winzigerode's Russians opposed by elements of Reynier's and Bertrand's corps.

The Coalition right flank (bottom center) consists mainly of Swedish troops and many artillery batteries. Tauentzien's IV Prussian Corps of Landwehr holds the center.

Oudinot's corps (right) masses a grand battery right in the face of the enemy. Let's hope the initiative roll goes to the French next turn.

Swedish artillery in action, reinforcing the Coalition right and the center.

Davout's Danish troops move against the Prussians in the center.

Tauentzien's IV Prussian Corps (right) holds its ground against French attacks.

Danish batteries (top) engage their Russian opposites.

The Russian XIV Corps (bottom) holds the Coalition left against mixed elements of 3 French corps.

Elements of Bertrand's IV Corps move to the sound of the guns. Note Danish troops (top) facing the inevitable re-entry of von Bulow's Prussian III Corps.

Cossack cavalry make a desperate attack into the flank of a French brigade.

Oudinot's grand battery deploys just in time, and unleashes heavy fire into the attacking Swedes.

Swedish artillery redeploys forward and finds the enemy to be uncomfortably close by.

Tauentzien's Prussians continue their fighting with the dreaded French.

War is never an easy pursuit. Perhaps these generals see their own mortality in the faces of the tiny men they slaughter. Or maybe they are mulling the choice of topping for the pizza lunch.

Wargaming is a civilized pursuit which sees its share of barbarians masquerading as men of letters. Fortunately, the Gourmet Wargaming Club has few of the former.

A rare shot of the Message Boy and the Umpire in the same frame.

Reynier's French troops begin to form a cohesive line, with artillery, from which to assault the Russians.

The Swedes (top) advance on the large gap in the French center. Bertrand's corps will move up hurriedly to plug it.

Swedish artillery (top right) dashes forward.

Von Bulow's Prussian regulars return.

French cavalry deploy to face von Bulow's force.

Russian and French attacks whirl back and forth on the French right flank.

Davout presses his attacks on the Coalition center to keep the Prussians and Russians off balance.

The Swedes make a surprise attack through the woods in the French center, threatening multiple artillery batteries.

Bertrand's IV Corps in all its glory is in full march to hold the center. The presence of this fresh corps would be decisive at Wustermark.

Oudinot's position on the French left has stabilized; the French push the retreating Swedes back.

The Russian corps is thinning out as the French attack with superior artillery support.

Prussian Landwehr hold their ground in the center.

The Russian rear area is directly threatened by Danish infantry from the center.

Oudinot's troops see an opportunity to create havoc in the Swedish artillery park.

Another excursion into the realm of convenience food. This is no gourmet trek, but our bellies are full.

Gather 'round the campfire...er, pizza...and I will tell you a frightful story of the hell of war...

The Russians fight doggedly, but the French right flank slowly pushes them back into a corner.

The rampant Swedes (center right) devour one French artillery battery and move on another.

Prussians attack the Danes in the center.

Von Bulow's cavalry bravely strike at Davout's troops to give the corps a toe hold.

Fighting continues in the center, with the Swedish artillery still holding on with no support.

The French left flank still skirmishes with the Swedes.

Winzingerode's Russians are doomed. The Coalition left flank is collapsing.

Bertrand's IV Corps is now within reach of the center of the battle.

More of French troops stream onto the battlefield behind the right flank.

The Danes fight von Bulow to a standstill.

A fine day of battle; and the last one in this basement space in the hills of Kensington, California. The screams of tiny men and horses will long echo in this space--and in our hearts and minds. (Hmm...is this a good thing? Of course! We are strange men of action!)

And the source of happiness flows from the font of gourmet cooking. Desserts are the salve that heal the chafed hands of the die roller. But don't apply the medicine directly to the afflicted parts; rather, take this anodyne orally for best effect.

Our Umpire writes:

The battle of Wustermark, climax of the campaign of North Germany 1813, fought on August 31st, is over--and so is our campaign. It is an indisputable French victory.

The French army under Marshal Oudinot gathered 88,300 men, including 8740 cavalry and 40 batteries. The Coalition army under Bernadotte eventually gathered 78,380 men, including 15,000 cavalry and 25 batteries. Besides a weak French division at Rathenow and some cavalry in Berlin all the French forces available in this area are involved in the battle. On the Coalition side, Walmoden and around 22,000 men are during this day storming Rathenow, and 5,000 Prussians (part of Bulow’s corps) are also marching toward this town. Otherwise, everybody is also gathered on the battlefield. So this is a battle the size of Austerlitz or Eylau, no less.

The battle lasted from 6 am to 3 pm. By battle's end, the French lost 18,000 men, including two-thirds of their cavalry and 4.5 batteries. The Coalition lost exactly half of their army--39,240 men including 8,600 cavalry and 10 batteries--and they are in no shape to hold their ground. The Swedes lost half of their numbers, the Russians 17,000 out of 21,000, and the only corps left is the Landwehr Prussian corps, ready to run away. As the French IV corps has not been heavily engaged yet, and is fresh to boot, the outcome of the battle is not in doubt: the Coalition must retreat.

The campaign is over; but remember that Napoleon did not win the Russian campaign when he entered Moscow. We can guess that Benningsen’s Russian army of Poland will be redirected to Berlin and retake it with his 60,000 men and the rest of the North army, probably another 60,000 men. Politically, Berlin is taken and held in September, at the same time Napoleon wins the battle of Dresden. This might have been a good opportunity to end the campaign with a general peace. If not, the absence of the North army and Benningsen’s army at Leipzig would have given a different battle and a possible French victory there. These are of course speculations, but this is so much fun, and this is what wargaming is….

A view from behind the French right flank. The extra table (at right) holds Winzigerode's Russians opposed by elements of Reynier's and Bertrand's corps.	The Coalition right flank (bottom center) consists mainly of Swedish troops and many artillery batteries. Tauentzien's IV Prussian Corps of Landwehr holds the center.	Oudinot's corps (right) masses a grand battery right in the face of the enemy. Let's hope the initiative roll goes to the French next turn.	Swedish artillery in action, reinforcing the Coalition right and the center.	Davout's Danish troops move against the Prussians in the center.
Tauentzien's IV Prussian Corps (right) holds its ground against French attacks.	Danish batteries (top) engage their Russian opposites.	The Russian XIV Corps (bottom) holds the Coalition left against mixed elements of 3 French corps.	Elements of Bertrand's IV Corps move to the sound of the guns. Note Danish troops (top) facing the inevitable re-entry of von Bulow's Prussian III Corps.	Cossack cavalry make a desperate attack into the flank of a French brigade.
Oudinot's grand battery deploys just in time, and unleashes heavy fire into the attacking Swedes.	Swedish artillery redeploys forward and finds the enemy to be uncomfortably close by.	Tauentzien's Prussians continue their fighting with the dreaded French.	War is never an easy pursuit. Perhaps these generals see their own mortality in the faces of the tiny men they slaughter. Or maybe they are mulling the choice of topping for the pizza lunch.	Wargaming is a civilized pursuit which sees its share of barbarians masquerading as men of letters. Fortunately, the Gourmet Wargaming Club has few of the former.
A rare shot of the Message Boy and the Umpire in the same frame.	Reynier's French troops begin to form a cohesive line, with artillery, from which to assault the Russians.	The Swedes (top) advance on the large gap in the French center. Bertrand's corps will move up hurriedly to plug it.	Swedish artillery (top right) dashes forward.	Von Bulow's Prussian regulars return.
French cavalry deploy to face von Bulow's force.	Russian and French attacks whirl back and forth on the French right flank.	Davout presses his attacks on the Coalition center to keep the Prussians and Russians off balance.	The Swedes make a surprise attack through the woods in the French center, threatening multiple artillery batteries.	Bertrand's IV Corps in all its glory is in full march to hold the center. The presence of this fresh corps would be decisive at Wustermark.
Oudinot's position on the French left has stabilized; the French push the retreating Swedes back.	The Russian corps is thinning out as the French attack with superior artillery support.	Prussian Landwehr hold their ground in the center.	The Russian rear area is directly threatened by Danish infantry from the center.	Oudinot's troops see an opportunity to create havoc in the Swedish artillery park.
Another excursion into the realm of convenience food. This is no gourmet trek, but our bellies are full.	Gather 'round the campfire...er, pizza...and I will tell you a frightful story of the hell of war...	The Russians fight doggedly, but the French right flank slowly pushes them back into a corner.	The rampant Swedes (center right) devour one French artillery battery and move on another.	Prussians attack the Danes in the center.
Von Bulow's cavalry bravely strike at Davout's troops to give the corps a toe hold.	Fighting continues in the center, with the Swedish artillery still holding on with no support.	The French left flank still skirmishes with the Swedes.	Winzingerode's Russians are doomed. The Coalition left flank is collapsing.	Bertrand's IV Corps is now within reach of the center of the battle.
More of French troops stream onto the battlefield behind the right flank.	The Danes fight von Bulow to a standstill.	A fine day of battle; and the last one in this basement space in the hills of Kensington, California. The screams of tiny men and horses will long echo in this space--and in our hearts and minds. (Hmm...is this a good thing? Of course! We are strange men of action!)	And the source of happiness flows from the font of gourmet cooking. Desserts are the salve that heal the chafed hands of the die roller. But don't apply the medicine directly to the afflicted parts; rather, take this anodyne orally for best effect.