The battle of Quatre Bras

Our club, The Border Reiver Wargames Society is putting on our usual display game at Claymore on Saturday, this years offering is the Battle of Quatre Bras, so we had a run through of the scenario last Saturday. We used General d'Armee rules. The figures on display all come from the collection of 'El Presidente' Chris Johnson.

Initial deployment with Bylands Dutch Belgian brigade holding the line.

Germioncort farm in the far centre is garrisoned by part of this brigade.

French columns advance over the stream

The farm garrison

The lads holding the ridge are militia.

Early casualties from fire from the garrison

RHA advancing to the crossroads

A nice field of fire for a Belgian battery

French foot artillery soften up their opponents

The French occupy La Bergerie

Reinforcements start to arrive for the Allies

as the French advance continues.

French cavalry charge the Belgians

while the infantry assault Germioncourt

A Nassau battalion is harassed by skirmishers.

A view from the Allied right.

A brigade of French lancers reinforce the assault.

The French cavalry charge destroys the Belgians

The cavalry threat forces the Allied infantry into square as the artillery prepare to deploy.

At the other end of the ridge the victorious French cavalry have the smell of glory in their nostrils and prepare to roll up the enemy along the ridge.

good luck with those guns lads!

Here come the Jocks!!

Marshall Ney and his staff.

A brigade command stand

The French advance up the road is stalled

Bylandts' brave lads are looking a bit stressed here

The assault on Germioncourt eventually fails.

The crossroads steadily being reinforced.

The cavalry charge home

As a new French Division arrives. The horse artillery have deployed over the bridge,

The belgian cavalry attack on the square failed 

The attack on the square failed and theFrench column was pushed back

A Dutch battery has now deployed across the road.

The Allied staff.

The weary Nassau battalion is now attacked 

Carnage on the ridge! The cavalry ride down the artillery battery while the French horse artillery decimated the square. The rest of the brigade decided enough was enough and legged it.

The gap left by the guns.

The gap left by the square

And the remaining square has disappeared leaving the French in control of the high ground overlooking the crossroads.

The Nassau battalion have repulsed the French.

however the reinforcements are advancing behind them.

The French lancers advance up the ridge.

while the Casseurs a Cheval reform.

More Allied reinforcements arrive.

A view from behind the Allied left

Just when you think things can't get any worse a brigade of French Cuirassiers hove into view!

Their brigadier trying to look cool and succeeding magnificently!

After incredible resistance the Nassau battalion finally breaks.

The Dutch artillery now have some nice columns to aim for after the square sought cover inLa Bergerie

The French brigade falls back after sustaining heavy casualties. With one turn to go the game is up for the French as daylight is rapidly turning to night.

The French cavalry launch a last gasp attempt to carry the day. The lancers smash into the 79th who fail to form square and are ridden down.

The Lancers charge on into the next battalion who are also unable to form square. The outcome is the same.

while the Chasseurs attack the Belgians with the Cuirassiers desperately attempt to get in on the action,

The reinforcements press on as their compatriots retire through them in disarray. 

The chasseurs a Cheval are halted

As nightfall approaches the crossroads are securely in the hands of the Allies

The French artillery deploy to fire on the crossroads

The Chasseurs a Cheval are dispersed 

The lancers, having ridden down a second British battalion, expose themselves to British artillery!

A couple of tweaks to the scenario giving the French a better chance of success and the game is good to go for Saturday. Anyone attending the show is welcome to come and have a chat.

Thanks for looking.

Mick