Scouting for Victory - Franco-Prussian War

In this scenario, the two opposing armies had to scout ahead with some light cavalry, aided by Chasseur a Pied or Jaegers in order to make the way for the main infantry bodies of the respective forces to engage the enemy.

The game swung this way and that with commanders being killed by enemy fire, artillery batteries running out of ammunition, battalions morale breaking only to leave gaps in the firing line.

In the end the Chassepot rifle enabled the French to gain a narrow victory, the Prussian Krupp artillery having been held back too far to have made their highly accurate fire make a significant impact on the game.

Prussian Guard attack at St. Privat, 1870

In this approximate refight of the Prussian Guard Corp attack on the far right of the French line at the battle of Gravelotte-St. Privat, the French managed to just about hold on for the allocated 8 game turns to secure a victory. That said, the Prussians had penetrated the French line in a number of places and would probably have taken the objective if given another couple of turns.

The casualties inflicted on the Guards by accurate Chassepot fire was horrendous, amounting to approximately half of the infantry bases being destroyed. This mirrors the ruinous one third casualties suffered by the Guard Corp in the actual battle.

Von Bredow's 'Death Ride' - Mars-La-Tour, 1870

Tonight we refought the famous "Todesritt" ("Death Ride") performed by two of the regiments from Von Bredow's cavalry brigade - The Magdeburg Cuirassier and the Altmark Uhlans - at the battle of Mars-La-Tour during the Franco Prussian War.

Von Bredow was given the order to charge the assembled French artillery batteries to ease the pressure on the outnumbered Prussian infantry. Upon receiving the order, Von Bredow calmly stated "Koste es, was es wolle" ("it will cost what it will").

In our approximated refight of this scenario, indeed, it cost Bredow his life! when his brigade came under Chassepot rifle and artillery fire. That said, the undulating terrain and the associated dead ground mostly shielded both the Cuirassier and Uhlan regiments throughout their advance. The Uhlans charged a battalion of Chasseurs a Pied but were forced to retire with horrendous casualties. The Cuirassiers, as ordered, charged the French gun line - which had already been weakened by some accurate Prussian Krupp shelling. The Magdeburgers overran the guns and proceeded to charge into a French infantry battalion, routing this in turn.

All in all this was a solid victory for the Prussians who also managed to strongly rebuff a French cavalry brigade of Cuirassiers and Chasseurs a Cheval.

Here is an excellent link to the '1866 and All That' wargames blog article on the subject:

1866 and all that: Von Bredow’s “Death Ride”