The battle is named for the bridge in box 57 of the campaign map in Peter's 'One Week Campaign' Napoleonic clash with Craig taking the French, while allies KevinA takes my Prusssians and I control the Russians (combined as the "Ussians"). This was the first and so far largest of the clashes which had high hopes for the Russian commander to pincer and destroy the bridgehead over the border river made by the French Guard and Ney's French Corps.
While very familiar with these rules (as I helped to create them...), I have no command success with them, having a combination of, let us say, no subtlety in my tactics and bad rolling with the dice. "If I didn't have bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all!" Needless to say, with the good management of his forces, including having Poniatowski's Polish Corps come to flank my left hook by Tuchov, and having all my artillery eliminated by the accurate French counter battery fire, the Russian heavy horse broken apart and my infantry thrust to the bridge halted, essentially the Russian army was destroyed on the first day.
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| Poniatowski's Polish made from Muraski Miniatures and Victrix greatcoat plastics with 'campaign' caps from their Guard Lancers pack. I also created a French uniformed Polish brigade with brown trousers and white cap covers as the 4th, 7th, and 9th Polish infantry regiments were recalled from Spain to form a brigade in the 1812 Russian invasion. The leader himself is a partial creation by me, as are the hussars in the back. |
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| Peter uses coloured discs to denote losses either permanent (reds) or temporary for Campaign purposes (blues) which can be recovered thereby allowing forces to be available albeit weakened for later engagements. |
However, I still had my 'end-around' attack in which I send Borozdin's Corps on a roundabout two day journey to attack the French capital from the north. Strategically I was hoping to either a) take his capital by surprise, b) capture and hold a town for campaign points or c) and, more likely, have some of Craig's reserve formations move away from the Prussians there by allowing Prussian success in the main theatre of action. This plan worked too well as the French moved Milhaud's Heavy Cavalry Corps and the Imperial Guard Horse (!) against me. While holding off directly attacking me during the latter part of day two at the important French crossroads town, his horse artillery was active while all I could do is form a defensive perimeter maneuvering slowly as my die rolling (of course!) was always low to prevent too much activity - blame it on bad Russian staff work?
Craig also cleverly moved the Italian Corps onto my rear in the morning of the 'next day', cutting off supplies (thus my important ability to recoup attrition losses) thereby completely destroying the surrounded Russians. While the strategic goal was only partially achieved having some of the Italians hurt, so ended the Battle of Quartre Jambre.
The campaign continues with the Prussians engaging the French