Due to the earthquake in Vanuatu in December, friend PaulW returned home to NZ early so I quickly organized a game for him as he had been starved of such fun for some time.

So on Saturday January 4th 2025 we played another scenario from the wonderful ‘Lets Fight Leipzig’ book by Steve Shann. The venue again being our local club venue at the Johnsonville Club(hoping this time my wee car won’t get backed into in the carpark…previous visit a supplier truck decided to do so… gggrrrr).

For this game there are 4 Allied players and 3 French/Saxon players. Map and orbats are below.

The Objective of the game was the Allies MUST capture the whole of Schonefeld, including the gardens and Paunsdorf. If they also capture Sellerhausen it is a decisive victory. Any other result is a French defensive success.

The villages of Alt Naundorf and Sellerhausen are single module built up areas. Paunsdorf has 3 and Schonefeld 4 modules. The gardens are impassable to cavalry and artillery but no effect on infantry. The stream was impassable except at the bridge.

The Allied players were PaulW, SteveT, StephenC and Alan.

The French players are Rob, Robert and Russell.

French set up with Rob on the right at Paunsdorf, Robert at Sellerhausen with the Saxons and Russ in Schonefeld. The French cavalry was split amongst the 3 players.

The Allied set up with the Prussians not yet on table opposite Paunsdorf, StehenC has the Russians opposite Sellerhausen, SteveT the Russians around Alt Naundorf while PaulW has command of the artillery and the 9th Corps which arrives next turn.

Schonefeld with Russell’s troops in wait.

French in gardens watching Russians advance.

Russian gunline supported by 10th Corps and Dragoons.

Bulow arrives to the battle. The Prussians would take 3 turns to fully deploy.

The Saxons had a special rule where the first time they charge, or are charged, they must make a test. On a roll of 1-2 they are removed from the battle. 2 attacks went in with one failing…that’s the gap in from of the right side Russian unit.

The Saxons had held the Russian attack, and Russell was able to get an attack into the open flank. FLANKS…guard your FLANKS!!

By a miracle the Russians did not break but retired from the combat. French cavalry had forced the other Russian unit to form square.

SteveT advances on Schonefeld.

Saxons hit the Russian square on 2 sides! With amazing die rolls.. they hold for several turns!

Meanwhile, the Russians manage to get an attack into the open Saxon flank, plus Dragoons into the French light cavalry.

Some space now cleared!

SteveT attempting to take a Schonefeld module.

Alan’s Prussian grinding down the defenders of Paunsdorf.

The Russian light cavalry brigade had been advanced…..but was in an open space where French Dragoons could reach them….

Sadly the Dragoons did not win the combat and the Russian Chasseurs followed up into them.

The cavalry combats cleared more space!

End of game and Rob still holds Paunsdorf….just.

Robert still holds Sellerhausen….just!

And Russell holds 3 of the 4 modules of Schonefeld.

So game was a French defensive Victory.

The game was fun but did have some issues. The Buildings I used are just to big so I have commissioned Alan to find some C18th French building of smaller size he can print which would be suitable for our Napoleonic and FrancoPrussian games. This morning he has sent me pictures of some which I will get him to print and be used for a garage resource. Also the players mistook the fields in front of Paundsdorf and Sellerhausen as woods…they were fields with only the gardens at Schonefeld being treated as terrain.

This is another game worthy of a refight in the near future…..I am looking forward to it!!

Until next time… Terry out.