Struggle for Hougoumont AR (2)

Well the battle continues, sorry for the delay in the post, the blizzard in the Northeast US messed up my morning yesterday and I had to work in the afternoon. I got a few turns in on Boxing Day and few more this morning, have to work again this afternoon, so a quick post.

Rafa made me realise in my last post that I was making an error describing the number of turns. I was undercounting by one half (I was counting 1 turn as 1 French and 1 Allied move). Thus, I had completed 14 turns in my last post rather then 7. This was the equivalent of almost 2 hours of real time, so I should of brought my reinforcements in later then I have done. This is a trial run though, so it is good to discover errors now. I had been trying to schedule the reinforcement entries in an historical accurate way using Adkin's book.

So anyway, I have completed 22 turns now and the battle is raging. All of Baudin's brigade has now entered the killing ground in front of the orchard. They are taking casualties, as are the Nassau. An engineer from the 3/2e legere set a demolition charge and was successful in causing a breech in the previously impassable wall. It is now possible for the French to charge!

The Hanoverians are taking significant casualties and although they are irregular they continually fail DISC tests to change formation and are having difficulty withdrawing. The light companies of the Guards appear to have no such problem and are withdrawing in orderly fashion north being covered by the Coldstreamers.

The 3/2e legere charge through the breech, the Nassau fire in reaction and the large battalion destroys the already decimated French battalion. Other French battalions move into to continue the attack. The Hanoverians take fire from Soye's brigade and are destroyed. 

Jamin's briagde starts their advance, the engineering company attached to the 1/4e legere is moving forward.

 

The 2/3rd Guards advance to the southern wall to support the Nassau, who now have suffered 50% casualities. Lets hope McDonnell can throw some 6's.

The light companies enter through the north gate with Col Saltoun.

Well I believe things are going better then expected and the Lasalle ruleset is holding up nicely with very minimal modification. It is a challenge to handle all the traffic from 3 French brigades around Hougoumont, although the ZOC rule is certainly useful. We will have to see how the French handle their attack: Will they continue to add reinforcements to the assault on the south wall, or will they hold back and use some of their 6 attacking battalions in a separate attack on the north gate. We will have to watch the 1/4e legere.................

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