AGAINST THE ODDS 2013 ANNUAL - La Bataille de Vauchamps

1-ATO2013

Vauchamps is one of those interesting battles mostly lost in the blur of the 1814 Campaign, where Napoleon kept giving bloody noses to the advancing allied armies but never quite had the strength for a decisive victory. Few Allied noses were as far out in front as that of Marshall Blucher where, during the Six Days Campaign, Napoleon dealt the Army of Silesia defeat after defeat. Reeling from this, Blucher tried to disengage from Napoleon's personal attention and attack an isolated corps under Marmont, with a mostly infantry force that included the names Zeiten, Pirch, and Kleist that we would see in 1815.

But Napoleon anticipated that move and turned the tables on Blucher's Prussians and Russians, who were advancing with little cavalry. For one time in 1814, Napoleon had more horses engaged and used them well.

The Battle of Vauchamps can be seen in three phases: Blucher advancing while Marmont falls back toward reinforcement, Marmont's counterattack, and Blucher's shock at discovering the Ogre again confronting him and falling back. Phase 3 is a long pursuit action - French cavalry hounding Allied squares (and breaking several!) Had the ground been less muddy (allowing the French horse artillery to stay closer), things would have been even worse for the Allies. As it was, in the final count, Allied losses may have been greater than 10-1 over the French, and Blucher (once again) was very nearly captured.

* Maps - One full color 17x44-inch mapsheet
* Counters - 288 full color die-cut 1/2-inch pieces
* Rules length - 28 pages
* Charts and tables - 8 pages
* Complexity - Medium
* Solitaire suitability - Average
* Playing time - Up to 4 to 6 hours