Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Most of the time you will see either one of two labels used in the Description for the scenarios I design. The first is "Historical" which means I had a good amount of data at hand to build the OB and map and then the scenario.

The next label is "Variant" which really is nothing more than a change of forces, approach route or a combination of both.

I am adding in a new category (label) for the game I am working on. I call it "Based on History." What this means is that I had enough data to put the battle together but I do not claim that it is totally accurate.

Because these battles of the First and Second Wars of Coalition lack enough information there are serious gaps sometimes in the data. What is missing is:

1. Organizational structure
2. Names of leaders or units
3. Hard and fast data on location of troops - when and where.
4. Map data can be contradictory

A good example is the Batle of Tournay. I am currently working on this battle. The book on the Flanders campaigns I found on the internet had very little information on the battle. It did provide me with some names for British brigades.

Here is a good example of contradictory information:

1. A map I found of the battle lists Austrian, Dutch, British and Hessian troops. Their precise location is listed on the map. There is a list of troops by number. The number is on the map - thus you can see exactly where they were located.

However ....

2. Most accounts say that the Hanoverians were present.

So ....

I plan on building two battle scenarios. One will use Digby Smith for the Allies. The Hanoverians will replace the Dutch.

Thus the term "Based on History." I will not claim that the scenarios are totally accurate but this allows me to include the battle(s) in the game.

Another example is Biberach 1796 and 1800. Both battles are not well documented. I have yet to find a good OB for either. So what I can do is just formations from previous days with battle losses from the previous engagement and thus provide two battles for the customer to play. Again "Based on History" will be listed.

If I can get accurate data for the battles I can eventually change that label to "Historical."

Just thought you guys would like to know this. There are a lot of battles and actions during this period that are difficult to research.

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Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Prinz Peters von Dennewitz

3. Husaren-Regiment, Reserve-Kavallerie, Preußischen Armee-Korps

Honarary CO of Garde-Ulanen Regiment, Garde-Grenadier Kavallerie

NWC Founding Member

For Club Games: I prefer the Single Phase mode of play. I prefer to play with the following options OFF:

MDF, VP4LC, NRO, MTD, CMR, PR, MIM, NDM, OMR (ver 4.07)

Why is it more difficult to research this area compared to the later Napoleonic wars?

Regarding Battle of Tournay:
As Hanover was ruled ruled in personal union with Great Britain, could the sources mix up or simply not differ between British an Hanoverian forces?

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I really dont know. I dont pretend to have a history degree on this era but from what I am finding there seems to be a misconception about the battle.

The Hanoverians were involved in the early part of the campaign in Holland and the Austrian Netherlands but by 1794-95 they and the British had retreated. However, Tournay falls within this period so there is something to be said of what the English accounts are saying. I just have no solid OB info to go on as Digby Smith's Nap Wars Data Book is suspect as a source.

I finished up the OB for Tournay today, laid out the units in an "OB View" scenario and its on to adding in the fortifications tonight on the map. Wont take me long and then I may just lay out the scenario and get it off to the guys to test.



I learned a bit about the French Hussars today. Seems that the Mirleton was eventually replaced by the shako. As is usual with uniform changes it took some time.

The Mirleton was used from 1792 up to as late as 1801 but they were phasing them out as early as 1798. Elting had an image of a hussar with a very small peak on the shako that was dated 1798. Funny enough a Volunteer infantry unit wore the shako as early as 1794. The shako didnt come into full use for a lot of the armies until after the Consular period and for the French infantry 1806 when the transition was taking place.

There also is some difference of opinion on the plume color ... many images show the French hussars of the Rev. Wars period with a multi-colored plume while one image in a Histroire book on the Hussars (the #1 book in their Hussars series) shows them ALL with white plumes in 1796. If anyone has any info on the Hussar plumes of this era please let me know. As usual I hunt down as many of the images as I can for the graphics team and I like to get it right the first time.

Here are some sample images:

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Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Prinz Peters von Dennewitz

3. Husaren-Regiment, Reserve-Kavallerie, Preußischen Armee-Korps

Honarary CO of Garde-Ulanen Regiment, Garde-Grenadier Kavallerie

NWC Founding Member

For Club Games: I prefer the Single Phase mode of play. I prefer to play with the following options OFF:

MDF, VP4LC, NRO, MTD, CMR, PR, MIM, NDM, OMR (ver 4.07)