FPW - Battle of Jarny Part 2

So Thursday, we dove straight back into the game, getting the final 5 moves completed. The first move of the night saw the French IV Corps push into Jarny with one division as they tried to evict the Bavarian cavalry. The second division supported by the two Cavalry divisions looked to push elements of the Bavarian 1st Division from the heights to the right of Jarny.

IV Corps push into Jarny

The Hessians move up to support the Bavarian cavalry

Meanwhile to the left of Jarny the Bavarian 2nd Division began to move down their hill to begin an assault on the French XII Corps. Meanwhile the French artillery poured in as much fire as they could manage to slow the advance and try and disrupt the Bavarian artillery from forming a gun line. This proved effective most of the night, limiting the effectiveness of the German artillery. 

Bavarian 2nd Division

Elements of Bavarian 1st division await the advancing french

The French try to drive out the Bavarians from Jarny

Bavarians try to form up their gun line on the hill while the 2nd division advances down the slope.

Bavarian 2nd division hammers into VII Corps

To the left of Jarny the French XII Corps and Bavarian 2nd division poured heavy fire into each other. The French 2nd division made up of the Garde mobile, suffered some heavy casualties in the face of determined Bavarian pressure. 

On the right flank the French IV Corps began to put the Bavarian 1st division under heavy pressure, slowly forcing the Bavarians back despite some stubborn resistance. In Jarny itself the two Bavarian cavalry regiments were eventually destroyed from accurate french Chassepotte fire. It was only the timely arrival of the lead elements of the Hessian division that allowed the Germans to hang on to Jarny, checking the French advance.

Hessian and Bavarian infantry heading towards Jarny

French IV Corps driving back the Bavarian 1st division

The pressure continues to build on the 1st division

The fighting in and a round Jarny intensifies

As the battle was drawing to a close a number of close assaults went in. Both sides got their share of success and disaster. With repeated assaults the French IV Corps finally repulsed the Bavarian 1st Division, securing the heights to the right flank of Jarny. To the left of Jarny the Bavarian 2nd division was slowly driving XII Corps back, but were beginning to run out of steam due to their own casualties. In Jarny, 2 french regiments assaulted the Hessian defenders only to be repulsed as the game drew to a close.

Bavarian 2nd division assaulting the french XII Corps

French IV Corps driving back the Bavarians

So we actually ended up with a draw after 10 turns of heavy fighting. The French still held the heights to the north of Jarny and had managed to drive the Bavarian's back on the left flank, securing both of their objectives. The Bavarians also secured both of their objectives, occupying the crossroads at Jarny and managing to shatter a french division by reducing it to under half strength.

After 3 battles, Marcellin, Bitche and Jarny, The Prussian 3rd army holds an advantage of 13 victory points to the French 2nd army's 7 points, these will need to be factored in for the final battle of the campaign which I will need to spend some time planning. It will be a large battle with the Prussians bringing VI Corps, XIV Corps, XX Corps and Bavarian I Corps. The French will have I Corps, III Corps, IV Corps and XII Corps. Both sides will also have a couple of reserve cavalry divisions.

Overall the players seemed to have enjoyed the 3 games. Each side being unaware of their opponents objectives added to the suspense. Changing the games from just the standard line them up and try and destroy each other, giving them tactical challenges to achieve.