Snappy
Nappy: 1814 Campaign in a Day
La
Patrie en Danger!
by Russ Lockwood
As umpire of the
Snappy Nappy 1814 Campaign in a Day, you'd think I would
possess omniscient knowledge of who went where, when, and how. All
I'd need is the why.
Not so.
With 20, yes 20,
players to track on 14, yes, 14 tables, I assure you that walking out
of
The Portal -- a magnificent game store on Hilliard St. in
Manchester, CT -- I had very little idea of exactly how the campaign
played out between the 11:15am start time and the 4:45pm end time on
the 29th of April.
Oh, I knew who
'won' because I saw the final moments play out on the 'Paris' table
and I gave a short debrief of starting positions, but the commanders
regaled me and the others with feats and defeats of derring do.
Fortunately, many
sent their own After Action Reports (AARs) to me so I could compile
at least a basic understanding of maneuvers and battles. I collected
as many of the messages sent during the campaign as possible, which
helped me as well.
First:
1,814 Expressions of Appreciation
Many thanks to The
Portal's manager for allowing us to reserve the back room for the
day. Sure, it's good business and so forth, but everyone has been
nice over the years. Thanks also goes to Jake for opening up early on
Sunday morning so we could set up. Those extra two hours are
necessary so we could start around 11am and end at around 5pm.
A big thanks to Dan
for supplying most of the miniatures, labeling them, and helping
check, double-check, and triple-check my rosters. Every commander got
the right 15mm troops. If I had to guess, 20 players times an average
of eight units each would be about 160 units, with most units of two
stands each and averaging three or four figures per stand, means 320
stands * 3 figs (or 4) = 960 (or 1280) figures crisscrossing the
tabletops.
More thanks to
James, Peter, Greg, Mark, Karl, and Dan for volunteering to bring
terrain and helping set up. The campaign had 14 4x6-foot tables for
336 square feet. Some of the tables had nice Portal-supplied mousepad
mats as a base, but most were sci-fi-ish and needed a more
appropriate green base for an 1814 game. Hills, rivers, towns, and so
forth were added to make functional tabletops.
Finally, another
huge thanks to Mark for being my co-umpire. An extra set of hands,
eyes, and rulings helped speed the game along. Believe you me,
transferring one commander's troops from one table to another takes
time. When you have 20 players clamoring for attention in a delicious
sort of tabletop bedlam, er, fog of war, and with all messages
between commanders battling on different tables going through the
umpire, another umpire really helps. Thankfully, he even corrected my
own mental errors as the day wore on and fatigue shifted the fog of
war from the tabletop into my fuzzy memory. Truly an excellent
effort! And, since armies and gamers travel on their stomachs, he
even supplied the pizza. A double excellent effort!
Finally, thanks to
the gamers who battled all day. Some were local, others within an
hour or two, but one drove three plus hours and one flew in from the
San Francisco area.
The
Campaign Set Up: La Patrie en Danger!
In January of 1814,
the 300,000 troops of the Armies of Silesia and Bohemia flowed over
the frontiers and into France, chasing the battered remnants of
Napoleon's army. Outnumbered and outgunned, Napoleon yet believed his
fortunes could change.
Behind the scenes,
diplomats negotiated the fate of the Emperor and his Empire. Spain
teetered on accepting a peace that would secure France's southwestern
border and end the British offensive over the Pyrenees. Meanwhile,
the Austrians, Prussians, and Russians squabbled even as
Schwarzenberg, Blucher, and Alexander pursued their not yet
vanquished foe.
Partial Overview of the Miniatures Room at The Portal prior to the start of the game...
A
New Grand Armee
Napoleon issued new
orders to call up troops -- 936,000 conscripts to fill out decimated
units, 150,000 National Guardsmen, and recalling old veterans to the
colors. He counted on an upswell of French patriotism to help toss
the foreign troops out of France. With a battlefield victory or two,
Napoleon would once again be in a position of strength when it came
to negotiate another peace.
History, however,
would find only an estimated 120,000 conscripts who answered the
call. Even these were whittled down -- from attrition to sending them
to other parts of the threatened frontier. Meanwhile, the Allies
continued to grind forward with reinforcements of their own. Despite
attrition and garrisons, 200,000 Allied troops faced off against only
70,000 French troops at the start of the campaign.
What
If? Balance of a Sorts
A 3:1 ratio would
make for an accurate campaign game, if a lopsided one. So, I started
tinkering, beginning with a what-if supposition: Napoleon's call to
arms resulted in more troops flocking to the colors. Instead of a 3:1
ratio, the new troops brought that down to about 1.25 to 1 ratio. The
Allies fielded 12 corps, although one was only half sized, versus the
French's 10 corps, although one was one-third sized, so call it 11.5
to 9.3.
The Allied army had
more troops, but also the propensity for more traffic jams. The
French are still outnumbered, just not as badly as history, and
maintain the central position. It's still a challenge for the French,
but they have interior lines and might be able to pull off what
Napoleon did historically -- isolate and beat up individual corps.
Troop
Quality
That took care of
quantity. As for quality, here came the scenario balancing factor.
The Imperial Guard should be big and tough, so three of the nine
units were rated Guard, four of the units Elite, one Veteran, and one
Seasoned. Why the humble Seasoned unit? It's not particularly
supposed to be in there, but it represented Napoleon's reputation and
the player could use this middlin' unit as a bluff.
The Young Guard
under Ney had a little bit of punch, but with much of it being newly
raised, was less of a threat than it had once been. Of the eight
units, two Elite, three Veteran, two Seasoned, and one Conscript. It
probably should be reduced in quality, but I used the What-If stretch
to leaven it with returning-to-colors troops who would be swayed by
being in the 'Guard.'
As for the other
French corps, they were a varied mix of Veteran, Seasoned, and
Conscript for the most part, usually with one Elite unit to give it
some backbone and sometimes with a Militia-class unit that was
hurriedly pressed into service.
I admit to being
pleased when some players, confronted with an 1814 French army
instead of 1803-1809 one, seemed to gag on the troop quality. The
whole point of a Campaign in a Day is to make the players think on
their feet, weighing risks and rewards.
As for the Allies,
most corps were as mixed and varied as the French corps. The
Austrians generally had a little better cavalry quality. One
exception was the Russian Grenadier Corps, which was close to being
on par with the French Imperial Guard, but only with half as many
units. It'd be a shame not to include the Allied version of a Guard
force.
Fog
of War: Tables and Terrain
I divided the area
of the 1814 campaign into 14 tables. I originally had 12, but added
two more in case a force wanted to swing wide to the north or to the
south. All wargames sport an 'edge of the world' syndrome, but given
space and time, the extra two tables were appropriate.
Multiple tables
enhance fog of war. The geographically adjacent locations get
scattered among the tables such that marching off one table edge does
NOT move you to an adjacent table. It might be across the room. Sure,
players will eventually figure it out and know at a glance who is on
another table, but it is difficult sometimes to see through the other
gamers on intervening tables.
Furthermore, the
'North' orientation of each table is spun, such that one table's
'north' faces the back wall of the room, while another table's north
faces the window and another table's north faces the door.
Also, each player
receives a map, but without the tables etched into it. This forces
players to think about where they are going on the map, say, from
town to town, instead of table to table. Again, they can and do
figure it out, but it takes time. Besides, when they battle with
enemy on a table, all other considerations fall by the wayside.
Additionally, and
this was important to throw off the grognards that know every nook
and cranny of 1814 France, I rotated the tables 45 degrees off north
from the player map. This adds just that little extra confusion to
boost fog of war and encourage players to consider positions on the
map, not on a table. Successful Snappy Nappy commanders learn
to maneuver from town to town, not table to table.
I also purposely
placed primary roads on one table that exited to non-roads on another
table, or visa-versa. Good commanders could find a way around traffic
jams.
That said, in an
error on my part, I forgot to put a road that was on one tabletop
into the map. I would like to think I was quite clever to do so and
increase the fog of war, but to 'fess up, it was an error. Sure
enough, the Austrian commander who found the error labeled it The
Yellow Brick Road and kept referring to Paris as The Emerald City.
I also had a road
on the map that did not appear on the tabletop. That was my bad, too,
for each table had a small inset map and I forgot to put the road on
that. My bad.
As for player
interaction, if the gamers' command figures were on the same table,
they could speak to one another without restriction. If not, they
would send messages through the umpire. As I noted in the pre-game
briefing, my watch was the official time piece. Ideally, I held the
messages for 10 minutes, then delivered them. During the chaos of the
campaign, this could stretch out to 15 minutes, although I often
handed them over after nine minutes if I was delivering other
messages.
In one gaffe, a
message was stuck inside my pocket and was not delivered for 31
minutes. When I handed the message over to Blucher, I told him the
courier had been delayed by rivers filled with crocodiles.
"French
crocodiles?" he scoffed.
"The worst
type!"
Finally, I included
some commanders not in the historical 1814 campaign to provide
grognards a whiff of uncertainty about the forces involved.
Basically, the more
I can do to obscure player perceptions and grognard preconceived
perceptions, the better the 'simulation' of commanding 19th century
troops becomes.
Here are all the table maps
Here's how they all fit together... more or less
Set
Up: France
The Emperor arrived
at Chateau Thierry last night to rejoin his Imperial Guard. His army,
outnumbered three to one by the end of 1813, now stood upon more even
odds. His own army was augmented by recalled veterans to the colors,
new conscripts, his last reserve of National Guard troops, and an
Italian corps sent by Murat, the King of Naples. The Grand Armee may
not be as grand as it once was, but it remained a potent force, and
generally deployed in an arc to protect Paris.
Napoleon gained a
little breathing room by disengaging from the Allied forces, which
allowed the reinforcements to be integrated, but also gave the enemy
time to reorganize. Napoleon could only guess where the Allied corps
are located, but reports put Blucher in the general vicinity of
Verdun and Schwarzenberg in the general vicinity of Chaumont.
As for his own
forces, he needed to ensure the safety of Paris – Allied troops
marching down the boulevards would be his downfall. He also needed to
maintain control over as large a swath of French countryside as he
could. Finally, he had to somehow eviscerate the enemy force and
convince them to negotiate for a political treaty that kept him in
power and maintained French frontiers ... and maybe a little extra.
French corps:
Imperial Guard – Mortier and Napoleon (Chateau Thierry); Young
Guard – Ney (Troyes); II Corps – Durette (Arcis Aube); VI Corp –
LaMarque (Chalons); IX Corps – MacDonald (Leon); XI Corp –
Fontanelli (Fontainbleu), VII Corps - Oudinot (Reims), XVI Corps -
Pully (Nangis), and Pacthod (Paris). Rusca (Sens) was a tiny
'garrison' corps of three units.
Set
Up: Allies
Blucher and
Schwarzenberg could sense the end of the chase that had started after
Leipzig. Sheer Allied numerical advantage bundled the French across
the Rhine. The two were little inclined to grant peace terms, even if
rumblings were heard about that Corsican ogre rebuilding his army yet
again and attrition nipped at their own armies as they advanced into
France -- Blucher in the general vicinity of Verdun and Schwarzenberg
in the general vicinity of Chaumont.
Napoleon, last
heard of in Paris, finally managed to retreat his armies fast enough
and far enough to break contact with the Prussian, Russian, and
Austrian troops. The good news about this lull was that
reinforcements could be brought up. The bad news was that the French
could be anywhere between the Allies and Paris. Best guess was a
protective arc of French around Paris.
Five days of heavy
rain turned the generally flat ground into muddy fields and turned
the secondary roads into quagmires. The main roads were in passable
shape, some more so than others and the sun was drying out the land.
So far, the French civilians seemed unmoved to offer any resistance.
How long that would last was anyone’s guess, but probably dependent
on the depredations of the troops and the fate of combat.
As for the Allies,
the ultimate goal was Paris. March down the main boulevards and
Napoleon would be finished. Otherwise, keep squeezing the French,
capturing more and more ground to deny the ogre the men, taxes, food,
and anything else needed to support his armies.
Prussian corps: 6th
Russian Corp – Jellacic and Blucher (Verdun); Russian 9th Corp --
Olssuliev (St Mihiel); 10th Russian Corp – Tuchkov (Clarmont);
11th Russian Corp – Lieven (Dun); Prussian 1st Corp – Yorck
(Mezieres); 2nd Prussian Corp – Kleist (Stenay).
Austrian corps:
Grenadier Corp – Uvarov and Schwarzenberg (Chaumont); 1st Austrian
Corp – Colleredo (Musey); 5th Bavarian Corp – Wolfskeel
(Joinville); 3rd Austrian Corp – Gyulai (Chaumont); 4th
Wurttenberg Corp – Davidovitch (Bar sur Aube); 6th Combined Corp –
Wittgenstein (SE of Musey).
All players had to
set up within 12 inches of the town listed. The troops could be in
any formation.
So the battle was
set. Paring down the historical 3:1 superiority to 1.25 to 1 proved
to be a good compromise that still gave the Allies the numerical
advantage, but not overwhelmingly so as to spoil a good Campaign in a
Day game.
Coordinated
First and Second Turns
One key component
of Snappy Nappy is that EACH table runs its own sequence of
play. There is no attempt to coordinate turns across all those tables
EXCEPT for the first two turns.
Why the first two?
Because when I say
"Start Turn One," half the players scream they want to go
onto another table. Fair enough, but I can't sprint fast enough to do
so in real time. So, the first two turns are coordinated to a single
game-wide turn sequence so I can move forces around the tables
without any player feeling gypped of a move.
This also allows
new players to employ the turn sequence and figure out how to move.
Yes, I know, people should know how to read a movement chart and
measure inches with a ruler, but it makes them look and offers time
to react to forces coming onto their table or seeing their forces
appear on a new table.
Deployment
Zones
This rule, created
by James, is a rule I wish I had thought up. When a force exits a
table, it enters a different table and the troop stands are placed in
a Deployment Zone in any formation and facing desired.
Here, they are
safe: they cannot attack out nor be attacked. The newly arriving
units join the table’s current turn sequence, BUT only move after
the opponent has had a full normal move phase. Once that happens, the
safety factor is gone, the arriving units either enter the table OR
return to the table they came from.
And no ping-ponging
back and forth. A force gets one shot at bouncing back to the
original table. If it was fleeing the enemy, it must face the music
on one table or another.
If one force exits
a table and collides 'off table' with an enemy force that exited the
other table, the larger force pushes back the smaller force and pops
into the Deployment Zone. The smaller force gets to set up a defense
and its one move before the larger force can exit the Deployment
Zone. Ties are decided by die roll.
Anything else would
be adjudicated on a case by case basis.
As for the
campaign, here is the recap of corps movement as best as I can
discern from the messages and various AARs. Any errors are my own.
More
Info About Snappy Nappy
You can find a full
recap of the
Snappy Nappy 1814 Campaign in a Day, as well as
previous Snappy Nappy Campaigns in a Day, [
here] at Peter's Blunders on the
Danube blog.
You can find a full
10+ years of
Snappy Nappy discussions, modifications, errata,
and more at Alan's
Snappy Nappy Yahoo group.
The
Campaign: Umpire Recap
The Allied plan
envisioned Blucher's forces to wheel from Verdun through Laon and
onto Paris, with secondary thrusts to pin the French in their central
position. Meanwhile, Schwarzenberg's forces would head along the
Seine River to Paris, also with secondary thrusts to pin the French
into their central position. On paper, it looked like a double
envelopment.
Napoleon
re-organized the command structure of his army from the start. He
formed a right wing grand division under Ney at Troyes in the SE, and
a left wing under Oudinot at Rheims in the NE. He sent them each a
second corps under another player to act as their subordinate. La
Marque went forward to find, and most importantly, fix the allies in
the center. Napoleon kept command of the other corps, presumably to
reinforce success and avert failure.
Northern
Battles
Yorck and Kleist
advanced generally westward until meeting Oudinot advancing into
Rethel and MacDonald advancing into Vervines. Lieven joined the
Battle of Rethel. A running battle eventually forced the French back,
MacDonald withdrawing to Laon and Oudinot to Reims.
MacDonald held Laon
for a while, but was forced to fall back across the river to
Soissons, which fell to the Allies. MacDonald tried to escape, but
was caught and destroyed in between Soissons and Villiers.
Oudinot joined the
Battle of Chalons, withdrew back to Reims, and then withdrew back for
the defense of Paris.
Central
Battles
Meanwhile, the
French sent just enough troops under La Marque into the Deployment
Zone to push Tuchkov's forces back to their starting spot around St.
Menhould. There the two battled with a ferocity over the bridge at
St. Menhould, with the Russians first losing, then retaking the
village. French and Allied cannon thundered across the River Aisne,
causing casualties and routs in hot action.
Blucher led
Jellacic's Corps to support Tuchkov while Olussiev's Corps swung
eastwards and used Blucher's pontoon bridge to outflank La Marque.
However, instead of diving for La Marque, Olussiev exited the table
and swung to Vitry, ultimately joining in the Battle of Chalons.
In the extended
Battle of St. Menhould, La Marque fell wounded and was taken from the
battlefield. Then, his troops faltered, failing morale rolls with
abandon. The French corps retreated, hotly pursued by Jellacic.
What of Tuchkov?
Alas, he too fell and was buried at St. Menhould. His troops, under a
hastily promoted leader, headed west in the wake of successful Allied
attacks until he joined in the Battle of Reims. Success propelled
what was left towards Paris, but the remnants of the corps fell
within sight of the French capital.
Still, a wide
variety of Allied and French corps converged on the hub of Chalons
for a large battle in and around the village. A portion of the French
Imperial Guard, left behind as a covering force and under command of
Ney, fell as the Allies pushed towards Paris.
Southern
Battles
Ney started at
Troyes and tried to push eastward, only to be checked by Colleredo,
who was in turn checked by Ney. Rusca formed a reserve at Nogent,
then looped around to Arcis Aube. Ney, figuring the coast is clear,
abandoned Troyes and headed directly to Arcis Aube.
The Battle of Arcis
Aube pitted a determined Gyulai and Uvarov forcing a crossing against
Ney over the Marne River. Despite an initial bloody repulse, Gyulai
persevered, aided by the timely arrival of Colleredo, who used the
Austrian pontoon bridge to cross the Aube. Ney, retreated back to
Troyes.
Right at this
moment, Durette arrived in a pincer movement at Summersous, but
seeing additional Allied forces arrive, fell back towards Chalons.
The Allies pressed towards Troyes.
Back
Door to Paris
Enter Wittgenstein,
who, directed by Schwarzenberg, fortuitously timed his movements to
sidestep the enemy along a southern route. Apparently, just as Ney
and Rusca left the Troyes area, Wittgenstein arrived and exited to
Fontainbleu before any French returned to Troyes area. From
Fontainbleu, also empty of French units, it was a short march to
another empty area and then a quick march to Paris! Try doing that
with players grouped around one table. Ah, the fog of war.
Although Pacthod
started in Paris, he headed via Meaux to Vauchamps and then Chalons.
He withdrew back to Laon to aid MacDonald and battle the Prussian and
Russian tide coming through Laon.
Cleverly for the
French, Fontanelli was at Vauchamps when ordered back to Paris and he
battled Wittgenstein.
Battle
of Paris
At this point, it
seemed half the corps converged on Paris by various routes and began
the final battle. Wittgenstein initially battled Fontanelli. Rusca's
tiny corps raced to help Fontanelli. Napoleon and the Guard arrived.
Pacthod arrived. Oudinot arrived. More French came to the capital's
defense. Then Russian and Prussian corps arrived.
And yet it was
first come, first served. Wittgenstein stormed the fortress
protecting the city, captured it, and no French were around to do
anything about it. Only some cavalry were shoved in to defend the
city proper (albeit cavalry cannot melee in cities).
The scene late in the day, shortly before the Armistice is declared..,.
The
Armistice
Independently of
the Paris battle, the marshals of France at Chalons called for a halt
to the Battle of Chalons. Napoleon saw the Allied troops on the
battlements, heard about the truce at Chalons, and decided to call
for an armistice.
The
Debrief
As I noted, the
game started at 11:15am. Indeed, the first message was sent off at
11:16! The Chalons truce was at 4:33pm, and Napoleon called for an
armistice at 4:45. I had set a 5:00 end time, so the Campaign in a
Day ended on time -- and with a complete resolution with the fall of
Paris (technically, the fortress outside it, but rather close
enough).
With fatigue
gnawing at me, my debrief was rather brief. I let the players explain
enthusiastically about their movements and battles.
Also, let me praise
Mark for stepping in as Napoleon. He was supposed to be Ney, but our
original Napoleon fell ill (he's much better now), and Mark stepped
up. Sure, he got to run the Imperial Guard, but he also had to enact
and conduct a strategy designed not only to keep the Allies out of
Paris, but to keep as much of French territory as possible.
Actually, I had 19
players sign up in advance, but three (including Napoleon) sadly
bowed out, leaving 16. Fortuitously, four players arrived on game day
as walk-ins, providing me with 20.
I'm biased, but for
me, this 20-player campaign in a day across 14 tables with all the
chaos, fog of war, and die rolls of fate made for a great day of
gaming. I noticed some problems, notably a road on a map that should
have been on table but wasn't and a road that wasn't marked on the
map but was on the table. As the day progressed and I got my steps in
transferring players and troops from table to table and processing
messages, I probably screwed up a ruling or two -- and I know my
co-umpire Mark caught one of my mental lapses. My apologies for such
errors. He did a great job as co-umpire and the campaign flowed
smoothly all day because of his efforts.
Well done, all!
Corps
Movements
by Russ Lockwood
The movement of
corps, including major battles involved in, as best I can recreate
from messages and after action reports.
FRENCH
PULLY start
Nangis. To Vauchamps to Chalons, pinned towards Reims side, engaged
and holding (although reported destroyed by Oudinot). Battle of
Chalons.
NEY start
Troyes. Probes to Arcis Aube. Austrians arrive at Troyes table, but
withdraw. Heads to Musey holding off Wittgenstein in Troyes-Musey
area, but switches roads and arrives at Chalons. Retreats back to
Arcis Aube. Takes heavy losses and withdraws to Troyes. Battle of
Arcis Aube.
OUDINOT start
Reims. Arrives at Rethel, battles, withdraws to Reims. heads to
Chalons, battles, and withdraws back to Reims. Heads to Paris. Battle
of Reims.
MACDONALD
start Laon. Went to Vervines, and withdraws to Laon, battles against
Prussians. Falls back to Soissons. Battle of Laon.
PACTHOD Start
Paris. Through Meaux to Vauchamps. To Chalons, then withdraws back to
Laon to battle Prussians with MacDonald. Battle of Laon.
LAMARQUE
Start Chalons. To St. Manhould with long battle with Russians and
Prussians. LaMarque wounded and removed from campaign. Troops falter
and retreat to Chalons. Chased to Vitry. Battle of St. Manhould and
Battle of Chalons.
DURETTE Start
Arcis Aube. Loops around to Chalons and then to Summersous, engages
Austrians, and then withdraws to Chalons. Battle of Chalons.
FONTINELLI
Start Fontainbleu. Advances to Vauchamps. Withdraws to Paris to meet
Austrians. Defends Paris area, slowly falling back while slowly being
whittled down. Battle of Paris.
NAPOLEON AND
MORTIER Start Chateau Thierry. Marches to Chalons and battles
Austrians. Heads back to Paris and tries to defend capital. Battle of
Paris.
RUSCA start
Sens. Moves to Nogent. On way to Brienne. Shows up at Arcis sur Aube.
Heads back to Paris to defend capital. Battle of Paris.
ALLIES
KLEIST Start
Stenay. Heads to Rethel and battles. Withdraws to Meziers. Advances
to Rethel. Probes to Reims. Heads west to Soissons and battles.
Battle of Laon.
COLLEREDO
Start Musey. To Troyes and skirmishes. Withdraws and loops back
through Bar sur Aube and Brienne to arrive at Lesmont and Arcis Aube.
Battle of Arcis Aube.
GYULAI Start
Chaumont. Heads through La Rothiere and Brienne to Lesmont and
grinding battle around Arcis Aube. Battle of Arcis Aube.
UVAROV Start
Chaumont. Follows Gyulai through La Rothiere and Brienne to Lesmont
and grinding battle around Arcis Aube. Battle of Arcis Aube.
YORCK Start
Meziers. Chases enemy through Vervines and heads to Laon. Battles
enemy and goes through Soissons. Heads to Paris. Battle of Laon.
LIEVEN Start
Dun. Marches through Stenay and Meziers. Engages at Rethel.
Disengages and moves to Vervines and then to Laon. Battle of Rethel
and Battle of Laon.
WOLFSKEEL
Start Joinville. Marches and captures Bar le Duc. Advances to Vitry.
Battles, then chases enemy to arrive at Lesmont and then Arcis sur
Aube. Withdraws to Chalons. Advances to Reims. Battle of Chalons.
OLSSULIEV
Start St. Mihiel. Advances through Verdun to Clarmont, then bypasses
contested St. Menhould and uses pontoon bridge to cross Aisne River.
Advances to Vitry. Pushes on to Chalons and then Reims. Battle of
Chalons.
JELLACIC
Start Verdun. Advances to support defense at St. Menhould, presses
attack forward towards Chalons. Battle of St. Menhould and Battle of
Chalons.
TUCHKOV Start
Clarmont and immediately battles enemy at St. Menhould, holding river
crossing. With enemy defeated and pushed backwards, remnants of corps
advance to Reims and then joins battle for Paris. Battle of St.
Menhould and Battle of Paris.
DAVIDOVITCH
Start Bar sur Aube. Advances to Vitry and Chalons, engaging enemy.
Battle of Chalons.
WITTGENSTEIN
Start Musey area. To Troyes. Advances through Sens to Fontainbleu and
up through Montetreu and then arrives at Paris and battles way to
capital. Battle of Paris. Captures Paris!
Snappy
Nappy 1814
Campaign in a Day Messages
by Russ Lockwood
First of all, I am
grinning from ear to ear while typing up this compilation of
handwritten messages passed between commanders, usually C-in-C
to/from a sub commander. The swirl of combat mixed with confusion
with time-delayed information is far different from the norm of
everyone standing around the same table.
I retrieved all the
messages I could, but I also suspect others may have been discarded
or kept. Note these are in chronological order in which it was SENT.
The messages were usually delivered 10 minutes later. Also note that
my watch was the official timekeeper for the campaign, although many
helpful commanders included their own time (which I didn't include to
avoid confusion).
Remember that the
campaign plays out in real time. Other than the first two turns,
there is no coordination of the turn sequence between tables -- each
table keeps its own. Sometimes, turns slow down due to intense
battles. Sometimes, turns fly by with hardly anyone on a table.
Second, these
messages help clear up who went where when. You'll find that players
switch between naming a town or table (and sometimes both) when
referring to positions. As for referring to a table, the C-in-Cs
generally did not know (at first) which table held which towns. You
can start to understand the confusion that swirls around a campaign
just by reading the 'reports' contained in the messages. From my
perspective as umpire, quite understandable when everything is being
played out in real time.
Third, you can also
begin to comprehend the confusion on the C-in-C side when messages
come at all times and with all sorts of differing attention to
detail. Whose units are killed -- allies or enemy? Who is this
message from? Holding or moving? And so on.
It may help to
consult one of the maps if you want to follow the action.
Schwarzenberg's
Verbal Orders
Austrian C-in-C
Schwarzenberg was kind enough to jot down orders he gave verbally to
subcommanders at the same table. In Snappy Nappy, I allow
players to talk freely as long as their command figures are on the
same table. Alas, he did not note the time, so I placed the messages
as best I could figure out.
My overall
commentary after the messages...
MESSAGES
edited by Russ
Lockwood
11:16 Schwarzenberg
to Colleredo: From Musey, take road west. It may lead to Troyes as a
short-cut. Report any enemy present. Otherwise, proceed to Paris as
per original orders.
11:16 Kleist to
Blucher: French corps has shown up on road to Rethel.
? Pully to Napoleon:
Going to Table P. Objective Vauchamps.
11:18 Pully to
Napoleon: Holding at Vauchamps. Orders?
11:20 Napoleon to
Ney. Probe from Troyes to Arcis Aube. Emperor is moving to Chalons.
11:20? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Colleredo to Schwarzenberg: Contacted Ney at
Troyes. Unmarked road is indeed a short-cut from Musey to Toryes.
Will move command to engage but may not have room to attack out of
Troyes deployment zone.
11:20 Colleredo to
Gyulai: French at Troyes. Go to La Rothiere - Brienne and go north to
Table A. Then go west unless in contact. Engage unless outnumbered.
11:20 Napoleon to
Oudinot: The Emperor is moving to Chalons.
11:20 Napoleon to
Pacthod: Emperor is moving to Chalons.
11:20 MacDonald to
Oudinot: No forces at Vervines -- all forces leaving. One unit of
light cavalry leaving. I am alone. Do you want me to return or to
continue to advance?
11:20 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel (Table R). Yorck exiting to Table V with
two cavalry, two artillery and four infantry. XI Russian Corps
(Lieven) from south approaching Stenay on Table R with five infantry
and one artillery. II Prussian Corps (Kleist) with two cavalry, one
artillery, and five infantry heading through Meziers to either Rethel
or following Yorck.
11:20 Pacthod to
Napoleon: Can I travel through Nangis rather than Meaux?
11:20 Napoleon to
Pacthod: Where are you? Are you in Paris? Any enemy nearby? If not,
send some light cavalry to scout to south and southeast.
11:20 (Unknown.
Ney?) to Napoleon: Austrians appeared at Troyes. Two cavalry, three
infantry, one artillery.
11:20 Yorck to
Blucher: Have seen two cavalry and one infantry unit on entering
other side of Vercines.
11:20 Lieven to
Blucher: Enemies (French), expected to be 7th or 8th Corps, coming
near Rethel towards Meziers. Expected to approach Stenay. Moving to
aid engagement.
11:20 Tuchkov to
Kleist: Asked for reinforcement from Blucher. Told him Reims was
clear. French have a facing corps. Will "harze" (engage?)
and do what I can.
11:20 Yorck to
Kleist: Have seen two cavalry and one infantry entering on the other
side of Vervines.
11:26 Napoleon to
LaMarque: The Emperor is marching to Chalons.
11:26 (LaMarque) to
Napoleon: There are two Corps headed towards Chalons at Verdun table
S. (Actually, this is unsigned, but LaMarque was the only commander
to use thin red ink. Fontanelli used a thicker red marker)
11:26 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel. Kleist is headed to Rethel. I will delay
at Rethel and check on my front wing commander.
11:26 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: Bar le Duc unoccupied.
11:32 MacDonald to
Oudinot: Forces have arrived north. Advancing in Vervines. A lot of
them. I am going to return to Laon.
11:33 Durette to
Napoleon: Three Corps of Austrians on next map J.
11:36 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: No troops visible.
11:37 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: Both Vitry and Chalons are unoccupied.
11:38 Ney to
Napoleon: Austrian withdrew from Troyes. Three infantry, two cavalry,
one artillery.
11:40 LaMarque to
Napoleon: Engage at "Bride" (Brienne? Bar le Duc?). Troops
behind me from Austria on Table C.
11:40 Napoleon to
Ney: Four Austrian Corps at Brienne near Rothiere (Table J).
11:40 Ossuliev to
Blucher: Will you support Tuchkov?
11:40 Napoleon to
Oudinot: Four Austrian corps at Brienne and La Rothiere.
11:40 Yorck to
Blucher: Enemy force has left Vervines area. I am entering Vervines.
11:43 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel. Met MacDonald at Vervines (Table V) and he
is withdrawing to Laon and will delay there (Table L). Yorck is
approaching from Vervines and heading to Laon.
11:43 (LaMarque thin
red ink) to Napoleon: There are now three corps on Table S Verdun.
11:43 (?) to
Napoleon: Roughly two Austrian Corps on J.
11:43 Ney to Rusca.
Hold at Nogent.
11:43 Ney to
Durette: Two Austrian Corps at J.
11:43 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: Napoleon at Chalons.
11:45 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: No troops visible in St. Dizier. On to Vitry.
11:49 Blucher to
Yorck: Engage if Napoleon is not present. We are engaged at St.
Menhould with one French Corps so far.
11:50 Fontanelli to
Napoleon: L'Empereur. Fontanelli has reached Vauchamps as ordered. Do
we hold here or move to Chalons?
11:52 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel. Am holding Kleist and Russian Lieven (XI
Corps) at Rethel. They are being cautious and have no pontoon train.
Allies appear to only have one pontoon amongst themselves.
11:53 Kleist to
Blucher: At Meziers. French VII Corps on table. Infantry and
artillery facing me. Cavalry looks like it's going to leave back to
where they came from. Yorck sent me message he saw two cavalry and
one infantry, but they left. Will engage. Russian XI Corps on board.
11:53 Yorck to
Blucher: One French corps present at Laon. Will engage as directed.
11:58 Pacthod to
Napoleon: At Vauchamps with Fontaneli and Pully. Will move to Chalons
and Hold and wait for orders.
12:00? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Schwarzenberg to Wittgenstein: You are the new
reserve. Gyulai will go to Arcis sur Aube. You will cordon off Troyes
to prevent Ney from entering. Probe Troyes from Musey and threaten to
tie Ney down.
12:00? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Schwarzenberg to Colleredo: March back through
Musey to Bar sur Aube to Arcis Aube to reinforce Gyulai.
12:00 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Enemy spotted near Chalons.
12:03 Kleist to
Blucher: At Meziers. French VII Corps is blocking force. Russian XI
Corps should move off to Vervines and follow Prussian I Corps. Please
instruct him to do so.
12:04 Ney to
Napoleon: Advancing to J to pin remaining Austrian corps.
12:04 Colleredo to
Davidovitch: Do you have any help? If not, read initial orders. I
believe you should "demonstrate" but not engage. Attempt to
leave if feasible unless you can get help. If supported, you may
attack Napoleon.
12:05 Napoleon to
Pacthod: March to Chalons (Table C) by most direct route.
12:05 Napoleon to
Pacthod: Meet me at Chalons (Table C).
12:05 Ney to
Napoleon: Am holding river line at Chalons. Two Austrian corps came
from west.
12:05 Napoleon to
LaMarque: Fighting two corps of Austrians at Chalons. Keep the enemy
off my back or come to me.
12:05 Napoleon to
Oudinot: Am holding river line at Chalons versus two Austrian corps.
Shadow Yorck so he does not get behind me.
12:08 Napoleon to
Fontanelli. Am fighting at Chalons (Table C). March to the sound of
my guns.
12:10 LaMarque to
Napoleon: Two units dismayed. Do not let them close from behind me.
12:10 Blucher to
Yorck: Probe Laon. We have two corps at Mezieres and two other corps
are engaged at St. Menhould.
12:10 Blucher to
Kleist: We probe Leon and Bar le Duc. Two of our corps engaged at St.
Menhould.
12:10 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Engaging Mortier and Napoleon's troops.
12:11 Napoleon to
Pully: Come to Chalons and kill some Austrians with me.
12:15 Napoleon to
Ney: Shadow the Austrians. Keep them from getting behind me.
12:15 Blucher to
Schwarzenberg: FYI: Prussian/Russian engaged at Meziers and at Laon.
We probe now Bar le Duc. Tuchkov/Reserve engaged at St. Menhould.
12:19 Blucher to
Lieven: Move to Vervines and follow and support Prussian I Corps to
Laon.
12:19 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: Napoleon and Pacthod now at Chalons, but must fight me
over a bridge to pass me.
12:21 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: On Table C. Exchanging artillery fire. Working with
Wolfskeel at bridge crossing. Good chokepoint to slow Napoleon.
12:22 Gyulai to
Schwarzenberg: At Lesmont. Three French corps encountered. One moving
off through Planey and west. One moving east through Summersous. One
moving on enroute southeast.
12:24 Ney to
Napoleon: Should I continue stand off with Wittgenstein at J? Witt
has two artillery, five infantry, and three cavalry.
12:25 Napoleon to
Rusca: March to join Ney. He is at Brienne (Table J).
12:25 Napoleon to
Ney: Have told Rusca Corps to join you. Keep them at bay!
12:25 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Pacthod of Paris Corps briefly appeared near Chalons
and left, headed toward (Table) A.
12:25 LaMarque to
Napoleon: Holding on Verdun board. Three units killed.
12:25 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Laon. MacDonald continues to hold at Laon against
Yorck.
12:28 Durette to
Napleon: Think Austrian pushing through A to Paris.
12:33 Ney to
Napoleon: Moving Troyes - Arc sur Aube to cover your flank at
Chalons.
12:33? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Wittgenstein to Schwarzenberg: French have left
Troyes. What do I do?
12:33? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Schwarzenberg to Wittgenstein: Move command to
Troyes.
12:33? [Verbal order
-- on same table] Schwarzenberg to Wittgenstein: Take road south from
Troyes. I will lead you to Paris.
12:33 Yorck to
Blucher: At Laon. Engaged at Laon by equal forces (one corps).
12:36 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: At Arcis sur Aube and Lesmont. Rusca reappeared on
road to Planey. French corps entered from west on road to Arcis sur
Aube.
12:37 Napoleon to
Ney: Keep them busy as long as prudent, but do not sacrifice
yourself.
12:39 Rusca to
Napoleon: Move Table A to J is blocked by two Austrian Corps. Ney is
with Rusca on A.
12:57 LaMarque to
Napoleon: Facing Blucher NOW. One Corps leaving table to go to Table
D. Can't break out, but holding up lots of cavalry.
1:05 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Napoleon withdrawing towards A.
1:02 Blucher to
Yorck: Lieven ordered to support you. Reserve. Replace battered
Tuchkov at St. Menhould. 1x Russian probes Bar le Duc.
1:17 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel. Am withdrawing from Rethel and will block
Russian XI Corps and Kleist II Prussian Corps at Reims.
1:18 Rusca to Ney:
Rusca disregarding to help defend Austrian attack on Paris.
1:22 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Napoleon withdrew to A. Pully arrived on our flank and
Wolfskeel can engage. Should Davidovitch pursue Napoleon?
1:26 Fontanelli to
Napoleon: L'Empereur -- Austrians are marching on Paris! Am holding
river crossings.
1:27 LaMarque to
Napoleon: My troops are starting to break down. Please reinforce. I
can hold 1 hour at Verdun.
1:30 Fontanelli to
Napoleon: Need Assistance at Paris!
1:30 Napoleon to
Oudinot: Ney is fighting at Arcis sur Aube (Table A). Left a corps at
Chalons to block. Guard is in motion. Can you hold? Delay them but
DON'T DIE! If need be, retire slowly towards Paris.
1:31 Ossuliev to
Blucher: I have arrived at Vitry. Napoleon was seen leaving for Map
A. French Advance Corps is here, engaged by two Austrian Corps. I
will attack with them.
1:38 LaMarque to
Napoleon: Killed another unit (6 total). Holding Blucher. Still here.
1:38 Colleredo to
Davidovitch: Pursue Napoleon. Tie him up and/or defeat him.
1:39 Kleist to
Blucher: At Rethel. Force French off table. Pro/Rus force. Russian
force obeying new orders. I need new orders. French retreat to Bar le
Duc table.
1:40 Napoleon to
Oudinot: I am moving to Paris. Where are you? If you are free, go to
Chalons and take command.
1:49 Tuchkov to
Schwarzenberg: I have remnants of my corps. All Light cavalry. On the
move, but where to go?
1:52 Lieven to
Blucher: Vincienes (Vervines) has been captured, blocking presence of
7th Corps smashed afetr hard fight. Proceeding onto Laon as per
orders.
1:53 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Rethel. Rethel has fallen. Lieven (Russian) Corps
has moved to Vervines (Table V). Kleist is not headed to Reims and
holding at Rethel. I can hold Reims and send most of my force
elsewhere.
1:54 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: At Table C. Pully pinned on (Table) F side. Pushing
forward. Ossuliev on Table C. Direct him to pursue Napoleon?
1:55 Blucher to
Kleist: Proceed to Reims. Probe.
1:59 Colleredo to
Davidovitch: Yes. Ossuliev can pursue Napoleon. Run him down.
2:03 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Oudinot arrived at (Table) F near Chalons.
2:06 Napoleon to
Oudinot: If you have some troops free, go to Chalons -- Table C --
and take command. I am going to Paris.
2:07 Kleist to
Blucher: At Rethel. Have probed Reims three times. French waiting in
positions. Cannot advance without "(At? A+?)" of loss. New
orders?
2:07 Ossuliev to
Blucher: I am in a good position to flank of the French outside
Chalons. Should I pursue Napoleon or help the Austrians at Chalons?
2:17 Pacthod to
Napoleon: On Map L fighting Yorck.
2:18 Pacthod to
Napoleon: On Board L. Helping MacDonald defend.
2:24 Kleist to
Blucher: Bypassed Reims and went to Soissons. Saw I Corps, XI Corps,
Paris corps and one French corps. I will engage.
2:25 Ossuliev to
Blucher: French are retreating from Chalons. I will not be able to
attack them. Shall I pursue Napoleon?
2:26 Blucher to
Kleist: Understand Reims heavily held, so take a blocking position if
you wish or move towards Laon and onto Paris.
2:26 Blucher to
Ossuliev: Reims held by three French corps to your north, so help the
Austrians. We have two-three corps moving Laon to Paris?
2:32 LaMarque to
Napoleon: LaMarque is WOUNDED. Corps in retreat to Chalons. My leader
is now +0.
2:39 Napoleon to
MacDonald: Hold the line. Kill them if you can. I am in Paris chasing
enemy away.
2:40 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Chalons. Chalons has FALLEN. Pully is destroyed.
Russian IX Corps (Olussiev) to Table A. Austrian V Corps and Austrian
IV Corps control the road between Chalons and Reims. I will hold
Reims.
2:42 Blucher to
Olussiev: I assume Napoleon will joing three French Corps in Reims to
north? Hold Chalons. We move on Soissons to north.
2:52 Yorck to
Blucher: We have taken Laon and Soissons across Aisne River.
2:52 Napoleon to
LaMarque: At Chalons. We have one corps holding the road to Paris.
Come to Chalons and do what you can to help there.
2:53 LaMarque to
Napoleon: My general. The road to Chalons (Table C) is blocked. The
French under Oudinot are returning to Board F. I am moving to Vitry
and await orders.
2:55 Tuchkov to
Blucher: Large French corps at Reims.
2:56 Ney to
Napoleon: Heavy losses to artillery. Withdrawing to Troyes.
2:58 Oudinot to
Napoleon: Location Reims. IX Russian Corps, V Austrian Corps, and
Kleist heading to Laon. Also, three Cossack regiments heading to
Laon. Do you want me to hold Reims?
2:58 Napoleon to
Oudinot: Big battle brewing at Paris. If you can keep the enemy on
Chalons table, do so. If not, come to Paris.
3:04 Ossoliev to
Blucher: Defending Chalons. LaMarque just arrived from Verdun.
3:06 Pully to
Napoleon: Russian IXth Corps arrived at Chalons. Holding Prussians
and Russians.
3:06 Tuchkov to
Blucher: Path from Reims to Paris is clear. Two more corps on the
way.
3:07 MacDonald to
Napoleon: In combat on Table L Soissons. Retreating.
3:09 LaMarque to
Napoleon: I have Blucher on my table at Chalons. NOT GOING TO HOLD.
Moving to Vitry to await orders. French Corps at Chalons are IN ROUT.
NEED HELP.
3:09 Napoleon to
LaMarque: Battle is at Paris, so fight the enemy at Chalons to slow
them down. Dance with them. If they leave, come to Paris.
3:09 Napoleon to
Ney: Leave someone to slow them. The rest should come to Paris. Big
battle HERE.
3:11 Blucher to
Yorck: Great. I move on Chalons. Can you move towards Villars and
(looks like "Cotteries") and on to Paris?
3:14 Napoleon to
Oudinot: Where better to be than Paris in the Springtime? Come to
Paris.
3:19 Oudinot to
Napoleon: I am in Reims. We are returning to Paris. We delay
Austrians at Reims.
3:26 Ney to
Napoleon: Corps shattered. Mortier dead. Probably command dispersed.
3:28 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: At Chalons. Can I follow Davidovitch to support him
ASAP?
3:29 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Location Table C. Peeked onto (Table) F and see two
French corps. Oudinot. Back to Chalons? Or hold?
3:29 LaMarque to
Napoleon: I am only corps on Chalons table. I will hold bridge at
Vitry. I have Blucher with three corps moving against me. HELP!
3:48 Gyulai to
Schwarzenberg: Ney and Young Guard retreating from Arc sur Aube
towards Troyes. Durette retreating slowly from Summersous towards
Chalon. Colleredo, Uverov, Gyulai around Arcis sur Aube.
3:48 Colleredo to
Wolfskeel: Yes. You can follow-up Davidovitch and help him defeat
Napoleon or any other enemies.
3:52 Yorck to
Blucher: Already going to Paris area. Yes.
3:55 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: OK, I'll hold on (Table) F. French withdrawing to
(Table) E.
3:56 Tuchkov to
Blucher: Already engaged at Paris for the glory of the Russian
empire. Busy killing your treacherous cousin.
3:57 Tuchkov to
Blucher: Defeated the honor guard in battle. The rest of my corps was
holding me back. Send order to Attack.
3:58 Blucher to
Tuchkov: Glory be. First in Paris gains Russians pride.
4:02 Tuchkov to
Blucher: The X Corps is surrounded and likely gone. Wittgenstein is
at the gates of Paris.
4:05 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: Holding on (Table) F. Send Rally order to clean up.
4:10 Blucher to
Yorck: On to glory! First in Paris wins the prize.
4:14 Wolfskeel to
Schwarzenberg: I am at Reims. Can I attack towards Paris? Please.
4:14 Davidovitch to
Schwarzenberg: French vacated (Table) F.
4:18 Schwarzenberg
to Wolfskeel: Rally, then go to Paris. Engage French if friends need
any help.
Umpire
Commentary
Most of the
messages are what I would call routine information reports. Veteran
Snappy Nappy gamers played the C-in-Cs, so you get the idea
that communications is not only important, but vital, in figuring out
where the enemy -- not to mention your own corps -- are located.
Indeed, you read
the occasional "Where are you?" message and feel for the
C-in-C. This confusion exists in a single room with messages
delivered between tables more or less like clockwork. Imagine trying
to coordinate this over tens of miles!
I cleaned up and
edited the messages. Some handwriting was difficult to discern. Other
challenges include players using a variety of spellings for towns.
Still, this is a
great record of movements and the player uncertainties of what's over
on the next table. You have to praise and give considerable credit to
the C-in-Cs (Mark [Napoleon], Greg [Blucher] and Dan [Schwarzenberg])
for pulling double duty as C-in-Cs and front-line commands.
In Snappy Nappy,
you may be fighting on one table, but you have little or no idea
what's happening on other tables, including the one that might just
lead into the back of your force. Indeed, you can see some of the
messages refer to commands keeping rear areas free of enemy.
The other aspect
that appears is commanders so focused on their own battle, they call
for reinforcements because they believe themselves being overwhelmed.
The C-in-C, however, has the 'big picture' in mind and often ignores
such pleas for more troops.
Finally, some
messages contained suggestions for the C-in-C on what order to give
-- including those for other commands!
For the record, the
shortest distance between the Allies and Paris is three tables (about
16 feet). Infantry in road march formation move 12 inches per turn,
so unopposed marching takes about 16 turns. On average, a Snappy
Nappy game of five hours generates about 30 to 40 turns.
As you read from
other commentaries, the Allies fought their way to and into Paris in
about four and a half hours (11:15am start and 4:45pm end) for a
definite conclusion to the campaign.
