Retreat No More

As the last of the rear guard trot past Wellington,

 

 

a defensive line is revealed broadly following the course of a stream interspersed with low hills

 

With the French hot on his heels

 

further retreat is out of the question. The French mass for the attack

 

 

As Napoleon spies a friendly inn

 

Why does that inn keeper look so familiar ?

 

This is all set for our Christmas battle on 27th December ...



The retreat from Quatre Bras

 

Wellington decides his army needs to pull back from Quatre Bras and instructs his officers to send out the orders

 

 

Engineers prepare to blow a small bridge 

 

Covered by a Horse Battery

 

and Heavy Dragoons further back

 

and to their left, another RHA troop

 

French lancers are in hot pursuit

followed by Hussars of the same division

 

with a battery of horse artillery trying to keep up

 

Napoleon and the Guard infantry on the march

 

Yes chaps, this is how my Saturday afternoon is being spent !



Plattdorf : the last chapter

 

Both sides cavalry have reformed and charge each other again

 

The Lorraine centre holds steady

 

and forces the VFS in between the hills into line to try and stem their losses

 

The VFS artillery continue to pound the white coated infantry opposite them

 

but receive a long range volley in return and some gunners are down

 

Over on the Lorraine right, the infantry continue to trade volleys but the VFS are getting much the better of it

 

and their flank support on the hill is being badly mauled before it can get into position

 

The pressure on the Lorraine right proves too much and the two white coated regiments there fall back with over 50% casualties

 

The Arquebusier de Grassin try to cover their retreat

 

The one crumb of comfort for the Lorraine geenral is to see the VFS centre regiment fall back

 

The cavalry clash sways to and fro

 

but the Lorraine hussars cannot hold off the VFS lancers

and break from the field

 

As the VFS infantry threaten the left too

 

The Lorraine general has seen enough and orders the exposed infantry in front of Plattdorf back

 

With both flanks gone, he orders a general retreat - the VFS have won the day !

 

and the VFS troops advance across the stream.



Plattdorf (continued)

DAY 2

 

The cavalry melee over on the Lorrraine left flank with the VFS Uhlans edging it over two bounds but both sides have to retire and regroup. 

 

Over on the Lorraine right, their infantry trade fire with the VFS blue coats

 

As other white coated infantry line the centre hills

 

Some watch the VFS troops emerge from between the hills

 

Then a crashing volley emits and the VFS Colonel in the lead with another officer are casualties for foolishly leading the attack

 

A second volley causes more damage and the VFS troops recoil

 

Both sides artillery now join the action

 

And infantry casualites start to mount

 

A white coat Colonel is the unlucky first casualty in his regiment

 

Promptly followed by more men as they are enfiladed form the hills opposite

 

Supports arrive besides the infantry lines facing each other across the wooden bridge

As Lorraine infantry form line in front of Plattdorf village

 

The newly arrived VFS infantry's first volley has devastating effect on the white coats opposite

 

As the head of another VFS column receives artillery fire

 

The battle will continue during the course of this week as and when I get the odd hour - so far, it hangs in the balance with neither side getting a breakthrough.