Snappy Nappy Campaign-in-a-Day 2022; Pregame Turn 2

 Results for the Snappy Nappy 2022 Pre-Game Reconnaissance Turns, Part 2 of 4.

This post includes the mechanical results for each Turn 2 movement  point and the corresponding story piece results with the latter being titled in blue for what the French received, in green for what the Russians received, and in red for what both sides received.

Also, their are associated maps, and these have been coded with colored arrows, 2 Blues and Purple for the French with Red for their spy, 2 Greens and Yellow for the Russians with Orange for their spy.  The following is a list of the units with their corresponding colors on the maps.

For the French ... 

Castex's Chasseurs ... Dark Blue

Corbineaux's Chasseurs ... Medium Blue

Doumerc's/Oudinot's Light Cavalry ... Purple

The French Spy ... Red

For the Russians ...

Kulnieff's Hussars ... Medium Green

Balk's Dragoons ... Light Green

Wittgenstein's Light Cavalry ... Yellow

The Russian Spy ... Orange

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PRE-GAME RECON, TURN TWO

Movement Point 1 ...

French ...

1.  Castex's Chasseur Scouts in Golovichitsa move to Sokolitchi, without incident

2.  Corbineau's Chasseur Scouts in Disna attempt to move to Danowiczy except they bounce back to Disna after meeting Russian light cavalry coming from Lozovka.

3.  Dourmerc's/Oudinot's Light Cav in Dvoretz move to Biloe without incident.

4.  The Spy in Baravucha makes it to Lozovka without other incident, although does find the Russian Light Cavalry that got bumped back to that location.

Russian ...

1.  Kulnieff's Hussars from Antonova to Danowiczy arrive without incident.

2.  Balk's Dragoon Scouts from Drissa to Pokajewsky arrive without incident, but Repnin's cavalry offer up a toast to their travels.

3.  Wittgenstein's Light Cav Scouts from Lozovka to Baravucha and after encountering French 20th Chasseurs, they bounce back to Lozovka.

4.  Spy moves from Drissa to Bezdedlovitchi, and arrives without incident.

Story Piece Results ...

Almost a Clash Between Disna & Lozovka ...

Light grey clouds had moved in from the northwest and quickly, a light breeze blowing over the various cavalry forces moving throughout the region.  It seemed to be a relief from the heat that the French and Russian forces had been experiencing as Napoleon's invasion had proceeded through July, yet what the change would forecast was anyone's guess. 

On the North Flank of the offensive, most of the various cavalry scouting units were all moving shortly after they had stopped for a rest, a bite to eat, and a drink.  Most of the forces had encountered nothing of significance during the first half of the afternoon maneuvers, although such was not the case near the crossroads between Disna and Lozovka.

The elements of the two enemy cavalry forces traveling along the roads located there first saw each other from a very long distance off, only the wide wheat fields separating them from one to the other.  Fingers pointed and faces turned, while both the captain of the 20th Chasseurs, and that of the Wittgenstein's Light Cavalry, slowed their trotting troopers well before either group reached the crossing of the two roads that the forces were using to search destinations somewhere beyond.

The Russian light cavalry who were slightly closer to the intersection of the two roads, were ordered into a skirmish line.  Soon swords flashed from their scabbards, and were held at attention.  The Chasseurs received a similar order, and it didn't take the two sides long before they were facing each other at such a distance that either one could respond if the other charged.

And so the Captains both stayed in silence for awhile, neither anxious for a clash, troopers waiting, eyes watching.  And then a very light rain began to fall.

The Russian captain twirled his sword and his horse, while at the same time giving a voice command in leading all his men rapidly back towards Lozovka, although into another skirmish line further back.  The French Captain copied with similar, although not exactly the same, and back in the direction of Disna.

The rain continued to fall, while the two forces stood even further away from each other.  Neither had decided to charge this time, and no advantage seemed to be gained.

- - - - - -

Between Disna & Lozovka ... Part 2 ...

The rain didn't seem to completely let up, drifting back and forth between light to steady, and back and forth again.

Both the 20th Chasseurs and Wittgenstein's Light Cavalry had moved far enough back from the crossroads where they could no longer see each other, while at the same time find shelter in large stands of trees in eye shot of the road, and easy access to it when needed.  And both captains sent messengers to bring to their superiors the current news.

And it wasn't long before the French captain received word to continue with their orders.  With a quick look to the sky and only a slight break in rain's intensity, he managed to get the not so thrilled scouts under his command to get back on the road, and heading towards their next objective.  

Except when the Chasseurs got close to the crossroads again between Disna and Lozovka, the Russians evidently had been sent forwards a second time as well, and they weren't any less soaked than the French.  There was a moment or two taken by each of the forces to slow their horses to a very slow walk, but this time it was the French captain who decide to act first, and order his troopers into a skirmish line that diagonally cut across the south east field to screen both the roads that came up from the southerly corners of the area.

The distance between both groups was too far for immediate contact, if charging were to be chosen, and the Russians decided to again conduct the same action as they had earlier in the afternoon.  And also again they halted far enough back, while showing no interest in engagement, especially since it was an equally contested situation, fraught with the disagreeable weather at the same time.

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A Difficult Situation At Danowiczy ...

The already bad roads near Danowiczy were only getting worse as the rain continued to fall.

The grizzled Captain had seen service with the Grodno Hussars since they had first been raised in 1806.  There'd been the square breaking at Mishinitzy, the rescue of a battalion of Pavlovsk grenadiers at Friedland, and the crossing of a frozen Baltic Sea to take the Aland islands during the Finnish War versus the Swedes.

But now it was 1812, the French army had invaded deeply into Russia, and Napoleon was pushing for Moscow.  With the Grodno Hussars under Wittgenstein's command, the cavalry men had orders to find the enemy, so that the powers that be could then determine how to protect the Russian land north of the Dwina River, and defeat the French.

As the rain continued it's ongoing fall from the gray clouds above, the Captain of the Hussars hoped that if he waited long enough, perhaps his group of scouts could make further progress in searching for the enemy.  However, the rain remained consistent in it's cycling between small and medium amounts, and so he finally got the Hussars and their horses moving across the bridge just southeast of town to comply with their orders.

Just over the river, the line of Hussars began turning to the northeast, and then the Captain saw in the far off distance ahead of him that there were French Chasseurs from the 23rd regiment, Castex's brigade, approaching at what seemed to be a slow pace through the rain.  As he raised his hand for a halt to the column, a shout was then heard from behind him.

As the Captain turned his head to look back over his right shoulder to see what the noise was all about, his head never made it to look at the rear of his column.  Instead, the turn of his head stopped to see that coming up the other road from the southeast was another group of Light cavalrymen.

The Captain moved his head back and forth, and in between quickly wiped the water from his beard on one shoulder of his already wet coat.  Then an order was immediately issued to reverse direction, and move back towards the bridge.  As his men did this, he kept his horse still while he continued to look back and forth between the two enemy units, and saw that the troopers of the 23rd Chasseurs were already changing into a combat formation.

With his next look back to the southeast, the other scouting unit of light cavalry had halted for just a moment, and the Captain sensed an opportunity.  The next order was yelled loudly, and the rush was on to reach the bridge as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the French Chasseurs were ordered into motion, lifting the speed of their horses as rapidly as they might get away with while the rain continued to fall.  It wasn't long until the other group of light cavalry scouts were ordered into a trotting, yet controlled pursuit too.

But the Russian Hussars had a good enough jump, and upon reaching the firm footing of the bridge, they had an extra boost to launch themselves across, through the town, and then beyond.  There was a bit of organized chaos as they fled northwest, but the escape was successful.

The French Chasseurs made it to the bridge before the other group of light cavalry scouts, and then into the town accordingly.  The captain of the other scouting unit foresaw the possibility of both groups crowding each other into disorganization if an immediate attempt to cross the bridge occurred, and so he called them up short of an unwanted mixing.

- - - - - -

Movement Point 2 ...

French ...

1.  Castex's Chasseur Scouts in Sokolitchi, and after encountering Grodno Hussars just outside of Danowiczy, succeed in taking the town.

2.  Corbineau's Chasseur Scouts in Disna attempt to move to Danowiczy again, and bounce back to Disna again after meeting Russian Light Cav coming from Lozovka.

3.  Dourmerc's/Oudinot's Light Cav in Biloe, and after encountering Grodno Hussars just outside of Danowiczy, they join Castex's scouts in the town.

4.  The Spy in Lozovka makes it to Phillippovo without incident.

Russian ...

1.  Kulnieff's Hussars from Antonova to Danowiczy, but then encounter 2 French scouting units, and get pushed back out of Danowiczy, and return to Antonova.

2.  Balk's Dragoon Scouts from Drissa to Pokajewsky, and then to Balin without incident.

3.  Woittgenstein's Light Cav Scouts attempt Lozovka to Baravucha again, but after encountering elements of the French 20th Chasseurs again, they return to Lozovka.

4.  Spy moves from Bezdedlovitchi to Bononia without incident.