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| Rating: |
0 (0) |
| Games Played: |
1 |
| SM: |
5 |
| Turns: |
54 |
| Type: |
Custom |
| First Side: |
French (Nap) |
| Second Side: |
Allies (Nap) |
3 October 1813 - Historical - Intended to be played Heat to Head - The Army of Silesia under Marechal Blücher seeked to cross the Elbe and begin the advance on Leipzig. To do this Elster, just east of Wittenberg, was chosen as the crossing site. Two pontoon bridges were thrown across the river with several small fortified positions set up to secure the bridgehead. The remnants of the French IV Corps were entrenched in and around the town of Wartenburg to the southwest behind a dike and in prepared positions. To Bertrand their leader the position seemed impregnable due to the previous time he had been there when he had witnessed the total flooding of the fields in the bend of the river where low lying fields were often turned to marsh. Unfortunately for the French the fields were not flooded, though their condition did force the Prussians to use the road for their attack. By the morning of 3 October the Prussians began moving more troops over the bridges to begin the assault. Russian forces would be arriving as well to reinforce the action though the main assault would be borne by the Prussians. The advance did not go well as the main French position was well placed and in crossing the open ground the Prussians soon found their ranks depleted by the withering cannon fire. They fell back in some panic and Blücher rallied them back to a position by a dam which sheltered them to some extent. Another way had been noted along the Elbe towards Bleddin and by noon they were moving by way of the dike towards the village. While the Württemberger troops did put up a good fight their ranks were depleted and they were forced to fall back. Bertrand never reinforced this sector because v. Horn's brigade had kept up pressure against the area to the south of Wartenburg and no more troops could be spared. By 3pm the entire Prussian left swung around and was threatening to cut Morand's 12th Division off completely. Bertrand ordered the withdrawl and another French defeat was recorded into the annals of the War of German Liberation!
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