Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

When it comes to maneuver on the battlefield many interpret flank attacks as well marching around the flank of the enemy. This is not what Napoleon intended when he stressed the importance of the attack to the flank. Napoleon was seeking to create a song sheet from which his enemies were forced to sing. What is meant by this? Well the flank attack itself was not the key to the victory. Many players interpret the flank attack too literally and march staunchly towards their opponent’s rear often disconnecting their flank from the left or right centre. This is a mistake. The Emperors intent was always integration, he would describe such a maneuver as an over extended flank. The key was the relationship between the left or right centre and the flank. That is by maneuvering to the flank the decisive blow is able to be delivered at the joint or hinge created by the flank attack and this was done by the right or left centre. Such is the song sheet that Napoleon sort to make his opponents sing from, for the flank attack was intended as a means to create a reactionary position in his opponents not an ends in its own right.

We have all read the campaigns of Napoleon but have we understood it?

Merry Christmas to all, this post should cause our 'experts' to serve me I am sure [:D]


Capitaine Colin Knox,
4e Comp / 2e Artillerie a Cheval
2e Brigade
3e Division Cavalerie Legere
IIIe Corps
Armee du Nord

What rubbish! But from the froggy side this is their best [8D]

Here You have the formula Capitaine :

" The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is.
Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and
keep movin on " Ulysses S. Grant


Merry Christmas to all in the club!!!

Hauptmann
Ola Berli
IR 18 d'Aspre
The Imperial Austrian Army

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ola Berli</i>
<br />
" The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is.
Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and
keep movin on " Ulysses S. Grant
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Sound advice if you have the larger army and can replace your casualties easily. Not so good if the opposite is true (as it was for Lee). And definitely proof of the fact that the art of maneuovre was somewhat less advanced in the 1860s in American than it was in the 1800s in Europe. But then what else is new. [8D]

<center>
D.S. "Green Horse" Walter, Maréchal d'Empire
Duc des Pyramides, Comte de Normandie
Commandant la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3e Division Bavaroise[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/EdM_start.htm"]L'Ecole de Mars[/url], L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant les Grenadiers à Pied de la Vieille Garde, "les Grognards"
</center>

So Colin, in what game has your opponent gone completely around your flank and captured Napoleon? [:D][:D][:D]

Ok, just kidding with you. I know where you are coming from. Napoleon was against Davout's wide flank concept at Borodino. However, I am not so sure that his concept of going around the enemy's flank operationally cannot be discounted. Time after time he did this. Ulm, the Po Valley (well the Austrians did slip away on more than one occaision), Marengo, etc.

I am not so sure that Napoleon's total view on warfare on the battlefield discounted such a move. After all he was counting on Grouchy to arrive on the flank of the Allies at Waterloo.

Anyway, interesting discussion.

Bill Peters
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

[url="http://www.fireandmelee.net"]Fire and Melee Wargame site[/url]

Bill,

in the last weeks I have got my hands on alot of great mods. I was
therefore thinking of not purchasing HPS Jena-Auerstadt. But I have
now decided to purchase it. Not least to support your great work
for our society.

Merry Christmas too You Sir!!!

Hauptmann
Ola Berli
IR 18 d'Aspre
The Imperial Austrian Army.

Thanks for your comments just making some interesting xmas debate really. And yes Bill I agree with you comments on the wider move I was really talking about a grand tactical or on the battlefield level (meaning manuevering from being in front to the flank).

But of course if one is able to make a fully operational corps appears in one's enemies rear or flank that is a superb position. Bautzen and the campaign of 1813 may have turned out different had Ney understood this properly.[:(!]

Merry xmas
Colin

Colin,

do we have here a frog who want to fight[:D]

Jena full campaign when I get the game in 2 weeks... maybe before.
I take contact at once when I have it.
Then You can test out your Phd. in military theory in practic
on me [8D]

What You say?

Kind Regards
Hauptmann
Ola Berli
IR 18 d'Aspre
The Imperial Austrian Army.

Hi Orla from New Zealand
unfortunately my phd was aquired from a breakfest cereal packet.
I am keen for a game but not for a while as I have 4 on at the moment. Also I only play manual defensive fire which may put you of [:D]. Not so good for campaigns really I am a battle fighter[}:)]

Anyhow I shall email you next year for more discussion

Regards
Colin Knox

Colin,

he, he yes indeed Australia had been fine. Icebears in the streets
where I live [:D]
Yes, always aut. def fire and on map results.

Hmmm strange how these frogs use every trick..... is it my
white blood splattered uniform with frog blood who get them
on run. But big in the mouth them are these frog cowards [8D]

Hauptmann
Ola Berli
IR 18 d'Aspre
The Imperial Austrian Army

See Colin,
I was just qouting Gen Grant to you so there you have it.

I think that Napoleon was if nothing else the master of the moment. At Bautzen, his costly attrition attacks were to fix the enemy and overwhelm the flank with superior numbers. The French had so many more troops they could match the allied front and send almost as many men on the flank. In other battles, Austerlitz perhaps-my memory is slipping but perhaps in Italy as well, the purpose of manuever was to create a weak point in the line for the reserves to hit.

So, your flank force weakend the line and then wham! the reserves hit that soft spot. Think Chickamagua.

so Bill, can we have 1813 for Christmas next year?
thanks,
Baron Jim Pfluecke


Austrian Kavalry Reserve

I agree Jim although I would add all of Napoleons manuevers on the battlefield (when he was at his best) were designed to get his opponent reacting as oppossed to proactively attacking. And once the reaction came in whatever form then as you say wammo.

cheers
Colin

Ola

Stop to speak of frog [:(!] or I shall use the famous austrian nickname that I used a year ago [V]

Of course I'm joking.

Merry Christmast to you and all members of NWC.

Regards

General Lamezec
Prince et Comte de Davout
French CIC

Yann,
please don't call us waiters again. Or you will get served


Austrian Kavalry Reserve

<b>And definitely proof of the fact that the art of maneuovre was somewhat less advanced in the 1860s in American than it was in the 1800s in Europe. But then what else is new</b>

Then again, Nappy wasn't operating on North American terrain either. The topography had a very large part to play in that war...as you know Dierk.




Herr FeldMarschall Philip 'Freiherr' Roubaud
Kommandant
Vienna Militärakademie
Imperial Armee of Austria

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Jim Pfleck</i>
<br />Yann,
please don't call us waiters again. Or you will get served


Austrian Kavalry Reserve
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][;)]
Merry Christmast

Regards

Yann