BBB – Battle of Bourny/Colombey, August 1870.

We continued our Franco-Prussian theme by playing the Battle of Bourny/Colombey (14 August 1870).  This was a fighting withdrawal action that turned into a general engagement.  The French were trying to withdraw over the Moselle River, leaving a rear guard to protect their retreat.  We used the rules and scenario from Bloody Big Battles.

With six players to keep amused, we used the Alternative Victory Conditions for the scenario, which made control of the central hill the sole victory condition.  Thus all of the French players could use their forces to fight, rather than run away.  Under the alternate conditions, if no German units in good order occupied the central hill at the end of the game, the French would win.

This battle report is a year old (I am way behind on my reporting!) so the details of the game will be brief.

The French deployed according to the scenario.  To delay the German advance, the French opted to deploy one brigade as a forlorn hope in a forward position, occupying the Chateau d’Aubigny on the German side of the stream that separated the two armies.  As soon as the game started, the French advanced a second brigade across the stream to occupy the village of Montoy.

The German forces staggered onto the table between turns 1 and 5.  With only eight turns in the scenario, the German commanders could not afford to waste any time, and ordered their forces to make a direct attack on the objective hill.

The first task of the advancing Germans was to clear the French out of the Chateau, which they accomplished with Teutonic efficiency.  The defenders of Montoy held on for much longer, until they were outflanked on their left, and they bought the French some valuable time..

The main struggle for the hill then commenced.  The initial German attack was focused on the woods between Mercy and Ars-Laquenexey, held by the French 1st Division of the Third Corps.  Despite being outnumbered, the French repelled the assault.  

Under brisk rifle and cannon fire from the French defenders on the hill, the German advance toward Colombey was pinned down with heavy losses. 

On the French left, the 2nd Division of the Fourth Corps, supported by two batteries and a cavalry division, advanced along the ridge overlooking Nouilly.  These troops would stymie the German advance on this flank.

The action heated up as German forces arrived from the south and attacked the French right flank near Mercy.  This assault was also repulsed.  The French committed a Guard brigade to shore up the defense on this flank.

The last fresh German forces finally reached the front and the Germans made one last push.  A final assault on the central woods was barely repulsed.  In the center, the French advanced a sacrificial brigade to physically block the Germans from reaching the hill above Colombey, which secured a French victory!

Another great scenario from Bloody Big Battles.

• TJ