Our next game of ESR Napoleonics at AdeptiCon 2024 has Dokhturov crossing the river with expectation that Bennigsen will support his left. Unfortunately, while both Bennigsen and Macdonald get slow starts, it is the Russian general who can’t seem to get his troops across the stream in time and Macdonald will successfully contain the threat.
Meanwhile, Oudinot and Dokhturov race at each other: Oudinot seeking to contain Dokhturov’s river crossing and Dokhturov hoping to fight Oudinot’s corps d’armée peicemeal. The Russians attempt to screen their crossing with cossacks and it is enough to give the French general momentary pause, drawing up his own light cavalry brigade to face them. Unfortunately, as Oudinot’s lead division approached the Russians he allowed it to halt, wishing to concentrate and waiting for his right flank to catch up. This timing proves ill-fated as it stalls the French advance.
The French light cavalry and Russian cossacks taunt each other before the French throw the cossacks back across the stream, but horses are fragile and the French cavalry must regroup. Dokhturov – seeing that Bennigsen is just now starting to cross the stream opposite another French corps, and from his vantage point seeing the French are rapidly deploying to prevent the crossing – decides he must solve his own problems. He commits two batteries of guns, then after a short bombardment, his right division arrives and slams into Oudinot’s lead division. The flank-most battalion routs as Oudinot sees his second division just beginning to deploy. Macdonald has contained Bennigsen, but is too far forward and committed to provide aid. The Russians have secured their crossing.
The French light cavalry and Russian cossacks taunt each other before the French throw the cossacks back across the stream, but horses are fragile and the French cavalry must regroup. Dokhturov – seeing that Bennigsen is just now starting to cross the stream opposite another French corps, and from his vantage point seeing the French are rapidly deploying to prevent the crossing – decides he must solve his own problems. He commits two batteries of guns, then after a short bombardment, his right division arrives and slams into Oudinot’s lead division. The flank-most battalion routs as Oudinot sees his second division just beginning to deploy. Macdonald has contained Bennigsen, but is too far forward and committed to provide aid. The Russians have secured their crossing.
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