Battle of Ostrolenka 1807 (Age of Eagles)

 An Age of Eagles battle using the Ostrolenka 1807 scenario. I've also used the optional features of the scenario.

The game setup with the French in control of Ostrolenka and the Russians advancing  behind the sand hills. The Russians start the scenario with a superiority in cavalry and artillery but French reinforcements are on the way.

Turn 1

The Russians quickly advance their cavalry and artillery. The Russian infantry failed to activate and remained behind the hill. The French battery silences a Russian battery but is then itself silenced by returning Russian fire and retires through the township of Ostrolenka.

Turn 2

The Russian infantry again fails to activate but the Russian batteries roll well and score a hit against the French infantry. The Russian hussars charge the French chasseurs who countercharge. The French chasseurs are driven back with a loss and the Russians breakthrough charge and the French withdraw to behind the town. The silenced French battery recovers and, by good luck rather than good management, is now in a perfect position to support their cavalry and threaten the Russian cavalry.

Savary arrives in column with help for the French through the woods although one of his cavalry brigades fails to activate and remains off-table.

Turn 3

The Russian artillery rolls well again and scores another hit on the French infantry. The French grenadiers are also disordered by artillery fire. The Russian hussars struggle to activate from their disorder and the French battery disorders them again. The Russian dragoons fail to activate and remain back with their artillery. One of the Russian infantry brigades finally activates and deploys on the hill while the other brigade fails to move again.

Savary's French stretch out along the road as the lead units roll well but the infantry and remaining cavalry fail to move.

Russian reinforcements arrive on the road to Ostrolenka (top right).

Turn 4

The Russian dragoons charge the disordered French grenadiers driving them back and then breakthrough charge into the second infantry brigade pushing them back into the town.

The Russian hussars rally and retire to a safer distance from the French battery fire.

Unfortunately one of the Russian infantry brigaes continues to fail its activation and the Russians can't take advantage of their cavalry success.

Savary's infantry fail to move again but the second cavalry brigade now comes on. The lead French dragoon brigade has nearly reached Ostrolenka.

On the other side of the river the Russian reinforcements make steady progress along the road to Ostrolenka.

Turn 5

View from the Russian side. Suchet and Oudinot arrive with the remaining French reinforcements (top right). The Russian cavalry pull back as they can't make any headway in the town.

The lead cavalry brigade from Savary's reinforcements makes Ostrolenka but the remainign units are strung out along the road. Meanwhile the last of the Russian reinforcements arrive along the road (left) although two infantry brigades fail their reserve movement and remain off-table.

The slow activation of Russian infantry has meant they have been unable to launch an attack on Ostrolenka before the French reserves arrive. 

Turn 6

The Russians bring forward some artillery to support their cavalry as the French advance on the Russian right flank. The Russian heavy artillery and an infantry brigade arrive on the left flank.

The race is on to get the remaining French and Russian reinforcements to the battle.

Turn 7

Counter-battery fire results in a French battery damaged and Russian battery silenced. The French prepare for an assault on the Russian right flank.

French and Russian artillery open fire on the opposite flank. French and Russian reserves continue their slow march to the battle. The river can't be crossed by cavalry except at the bridge at Ostrolenka so most of the cavalry is heading for the town.

Turn 8

The French assault goes in on the Russian right flank. The French cavalry push back the Russian hussars while the French infantry capture the Russian horse battery. The infantry breakthrough into the flank of the hussars shattering them.

A fresh Russian dragoon brigade charges the French infantry driving them back and breakthrough into the supporting infantry brigade pushing them back. The Russian dragoons stemmed the French attack but they are now in a very exposed position.

The Russian infantry column fails to activate (bottom left) as do the uhlans.

Artillery exchange counter-battery fire with the Russians getting the worst of the exchange with two batteries silenced to the French one.

Turn 9

French infatry and grenadiers attack the disordered Russian dragoons pushing them. Russian artillery fire scores a hit on the French dragoons.

On the French right flank, the French are getting the better of the artillery duel, damaging a heavy battery and silencing another.

The Russian reserve column remains stationary for a second turn as it fails its reserve movement again.

Turn 10

The Russian dragoons retire still disordered and the French infantry charge again. This time the Russian dragoons win and the French infantry retreat back. French dragoon reserves cross the bridge behind Ostrolenka to lend support to the attack on the left flank.

Further counter-battery fire results in the destruction of a Russian heavy battery.

One of the reinforcing Russian columns finally activates and advances (top left).

Turn 11

The French keep pressing on the Russian right flank and shatter an already disordered dragoon brigade then fend off a charge from a second dragoon brigade.

The Russian infantry finally deploys on the left flank and advances to the river.

Turn 12

On the French left flank, the French continue to surge forward trying to turn the Russian flank.

On the opposite flank the Russians push forward to cross the river.

Turn 12 is effectively the end of the battle, but I decided to play it out for a few more turns given it had taken this long to get all the reinforcements into the battle.

Turn 13

The French grenadiers attack the hill and are forced back. The second grenadier brigae is disordered by artillery fire. The Russians hold firm for the present.

The Russians are disordered by artillery fire as they cross the river and one of the French batteries is silenced by Russian counter-battery fire.

Turn 14

The French attack on the hill is beaten back with significant losses for the French across 3 infantry brigades. A charge by two French cavalry brigades is aslo pushed back by the Russian dragoons.

On the opposite flank the French infantry attempt to charge the Russians and are driven back in disorder with losses. All the French artillery has been silenced but that may be a blessing as the batteries now get to rally with the Russians in their firing line.

Turn 15

On the far left of the flank, a French dragoon brigade charged and drove back the Russian hussars. They then break-through charged the cossacks who rolled well to counter-charge. The cossacks rolled well in the melee and destroyed the dragoons after a desparate struggle of 3 rounds of melee.

The Russians sensing the French attack was in trouble counter-attacked off the hill and destroyed a grenadier brigade.

The French infantry pulled back south of the river and deployed with their artillery facing the Russian attack. The Russians rolled poorly and barely advanced.

Turn 15

The whole battlefield from the Russian side. The two Russian infantry brigades smash through the two French brigades which have routed back to the town. The French on the far right are retreating to protect the town. The grenadier brigade in square failed to activate and then got hit by artillery fire.

The Russian dragoons charged the French hussars who promptly retreated before making contact. The French dragoons then charged the Russian dragoons and were forced to withdraw. 

On the Russian left flank the Russian infantry roll poorly and fail to move. 

It's pretty well over for the French now. although they still hold the town.

Turn 17

The Russians close in on Ostrlenka as the French retire to a defendable line.

Turn 18

On the left flank the French have soundly beaten the first Russian brigade while the second now closes into a musket duel.

Russian jagers attack the town and drive out the French infantry from half the town. There remain two worn French grenadier brigades still in the town but the Russians are still fresh and outnumber them.

Russian uhlans and dragoons battle it out with the remaining French dragoons. The French hussars rout off the table.

Turn 19

The Russian attack on Ostrolenka completely destroys 3 French brigades and they take the town. The French are holding off the Russians with a fighting withdrawal on each flank but now the town has fallen it is all over for the French.