* Note: The gray colored units in the photos are photocopied replacements for counters that have been losts
February 8th 1807 near Preussich-Eylau
At 0800 Hours
Although the sky is gray and snow is falling, General Bennigsen has the initiative and begins his attack. Russian forces close in on the French positions near Preussich-Eylau. General Tuchkov advances with his division along the Russian right flank, crossing the river obstacle. General Essen’s forces in the center advance up to the river banks and gain control of the main road and bridge about a third of a mile east of Preussich-Eylau. General Sacken’s division also advances along the front and stops about a third of a mile east of the city. Then General Osterman’s division moves in along the Russian left flank and makes contact with St. Hilaire’s cavalry. Kamenskoi advances with his division remaining in reserve behind the Russian left and center.
General Osterman’s infantry attacks the French right wing with support from artillery cannon. St. Hilaire’s cavalry retreats toward the town of Rothenen.
The French, led by Napoleon have chosen an excellent area to defend. Soult’s division advances toward the Russians to take advantage of the river defenses. The French cavalry on the left flank move to defend against Tuchkov’s advancing forces.
February 8, 1807 at 0900 Hours
The Russian right wing moves into action again and makes contact with the French cavalry to the northwest of Preussich-Eylau. General Tuchkov’s infantry manages to move Colbert’s cavalry unit back off the bridge, which comes to be held by the Russian infantry. Then Tuchkov’s cavalry on the far right attacks Bruyer’s cavalry, which is forced to give ground.
Meanwhile the Russian left wing makes contact with the French cavalry holding the main road going into Preussich-Eylau from the east. General Osterman orders an attack which forces the French troops to the western side of the main road, toward the city.
General Essen’s division moves toward the first bridge on the road to Preussich-Eylau where they meet French infantry. The Russian forces use combined arms to attack General Legrand’s division which is deployed along the river. Legrand’s infantry brigade is forced to give some ground in retreat.
Then the French reposition their line of defense to the north of the city. General Davout enters the battlefield from the eastern wing and turns Osterman’s flank. Then on the French left, Bruyer’s cavalry attacks the Russian cavalry, which is on a crest. This forces the Russians backward. Colbert’s cavalry [3-6] counterattacks the Russian infantry [4-2] which has crossed the river and holds the bridge. Colbert is forced to retreat. Meanwhile, along the center, General Augereau’s artillery opens fire on the Russian infantry.
February 8, 1807 at 1000 Hours
Upon realizing the French are near to outflanking his left wing, General Bennigsen orders Kamenskoi’s division to move in to absorb Davout’s III Corps. General Osterman and Sacken’s divisions both march into contact with the French VII Corps.
General Osterman uses combined arms against the French right. As a result, one of St. Hilaire’s cavalry units is routed. St. Hilaire’s infantry is also forced to retreat. Then, using combined arms tactics again, Sacken’s division assaults elements of VII Corps along the water east of Preussich-Eylau forcing, Desjard’s infantry back. General Tuchkov’s division has some success on the Russian Right Wing and Lasalle’s cavalry is eliminated.
The French left wing pulls back into better defensive positions using the water. On the French right, Davout’s III Corps continues to threaten Osterman’s division by outflanking it. This has given Murat enough confidence to counterattack the Russians left. Milhaud’s cavalry forces the Russian cavalry back. Klein’s cavalry manages to destroy one of Osterman’s weak cavalry units. Both Desjard and St. Hilaird are forced to retreat.
February 8, 1807 at 1100 Hours
On the Russian right wing, General Tuchkov drives his forces into the French defense. Essen hits the French IV Corps along the main road to Preussich-Eylau. To the east, General Sacken’s division attacks the VII Corps. On the Russian left, General Kamenskoi’s division moves into the town of Serpallen.
The Russian attacks commence. General Osterman’s cavalry forces Milhaud’s cavalry to pull back. The Russian infantry causes Klein’s cavalry to retreat as well. Osterman continues to attack and manages to push St. Hillaire’s infantry back.
Desjard’s infantry repulses an attack by one of Sacken’s infantry regiments. But Desjard’s left flank is compromised as his other infantry brigade is forced to retreat. Just outside of Preussich-Eylau, Sacken’s division attacks the VII Corps and pushes one of Leval’s brigades back. Legrand is also forced to retreat along the main road to Preussich-Eylau.
Next, General Tuchkov attacks the French left wing. Fighting on a frozen lake, the Russians drive one of Leval’s brigades back. Duros’ cavalry also retreats. Then Colbert’s cavalry is cut off and eliminated. Lastly, Bruyer’s cavalry is forced to retreat.
The French plan an immediate counterattack. Davout’s III Corps pins one of Osterman’s cavalry regiments on the left flank. He also engages the Russian cavalry to the eastern side of Serpallen. The Russian cavalry is retreated. Gudin’s attack against the pinned cavalry fails and he is forced to retreat instead and Osterman’s cavalry survives, this time.
Klein’s cavalry attacks with the support of the Cavalry Corps artillery guns. This forces Osterman’s artillery to fall back in disarray. The French make spotty attacks along the center and left wing without much effect.
February 8, 1807 at 1200 Noon
General Lestocq’s Prussian division arrives as reinforcements at the town of Aithof. The Prussians are being harried by Marshal Ney’s VI Corps. Meanwhile, General Kamenskoi’s division continues to absorb the French III Corps on the left wing, while Osterman and Sacken attempt to seize the main road to Preussich-Eylau from the southeast. On the Russian right wing, General Tuchkov attacks the weakened French cavalry forces.
General Kamenskoi’s counterattacks are a wash, as Friant is forced across the river, but the Russians lose control of the town of Serpallen. Osterman’s cavalry has to give ground but the Russian infantry has a major success and pushes the French infantry into retreat. This gives the Russians control of the main road about a quarter of a mile southeast of Preussich-Eylau. Then General Sacken’s division attacks where Osterman left off. Sacken’s forces manage to take more of the main road closing in on the French held city.
General Essen’s division attacks the French along the main road from the north, just outside of Eylau. One of Legrand’s infantry brigades is forced to retreat. A down side is that one of Essen’s infantry regiments is wrecked in a diversionary attack.
In the last series of Russian attacks, Tuchkov’s division marches into the French left flank. Leval’s brigade is trapped but in a show of valor, somehow repulses the Russian infantry. Duros cavalry gives a little ground to the Russians. Then Guyot’s cavalry is driven completely from the battlefield.
General Davout orders the III Corps to counterattack the Russian left wing near the town of Serpallen. These attacks do not go well for the French and Davout’s forces give a little ground. On Davout’s left, Murat’s cavalry attacks General Osterman’s division. Murat’s cavalry loses some ground and takes heavy casualties besides.
Along the center, Marshal Augereau’s VII Corps launches a counterattack against the Sacken’s division. This has mixed results as both sides exchange losses. Soult’s Corps attacks Essen’s division after he manages to surround a cavalry unit. The Russian cavalry is eliminated and Essen’s division becomes demoralized.
February 8, 1807 at 1300
The Russian’s decide to pull Essen’s division back to the town of Schloditten in order to reorganize. General Dochturov’s division moves in to take the position of Essen’s division along the main road to Preussich-Eylau from the north. On the Russian right wing, Tuchkov’s cavalry have managed to surround Bruyer’s cavalry regiment. In a brilliant maneuver, the French cavalry manage to disperse the enemy cavalry.
Along the southern road to Preussich-Eylau, General Sacken’s division attacks the French VII Corps. Sacken clears his flanks and surrounds one of General Desjard’s brigades, but the French somehow repulse the attack.
The French forces maneuver for another counterattack. Duros cavalry is repulsed in an attack and flees as the other left wing units are also rebuffed. Along the main road to the southeast of Preussich-Eylau, the French have trapped two Russian infantry regiments from Sacken’s division. Both of the Russian infantry units are eliminated and Sacken’s division also becomes demoralized.
D’ Haut’s cavalry launches an ill-advised attack across the river southeast of Eylau. Unfortunately, it is eliminated [due to the optional weather rules]. In a nearby attack, Milhaud’s cavalry is turned back.
On the French eastern flank, Marshal Davout attacks the Russians once again. General Friant’s brigade pushes one of Kamenskoi’s infantry regiments back. The rest of Davout’s attacks have mixed results.
At this point, two Russian divisions have become demoralized, while Augereau’s VII Corps is on the brink of falling apart itself. The French have lost 25 strength points while the Russians have lost 20 Strength points.
February 8, 1807 at 1400
General Lestocq’s division continues to march toward the south from the town of Aithof, while, General Essen finally arrives in Schloditten where he will attempt to rally his troops. General Sacken’s division has also become demoralized so he begins to move it toward the town of Klein where it can recover. General Bennigsen orders Dochturov’s troops to maneuver into Sacken’s position.
The Russian forces make piecemeal attacks where they are engaged with the French troops. One of General Tuchkov’s infantry regiments and a cavalry unit attack the Bruyer’s cavalry. This French cavalry has cheated death more than once today. The Russian forces are repulsed again and Bruyer will go down in history as a French hero. On Tuchkov’s left, a powerful Russian infantry regiment attacks one of General Leval’s brigades. The French troops are driven onto the frozen lake.
General Somov’s division begins its attack along the main road into Preussich-Eylau. Leval’s other brigade stands in the way. The French infantry is eliminated in a combined assault. On Somov’s left flank, General Dochturov’s division attacks the French. Legrand’s infantry retreats. On the Russian left wing, General Kamenskoi’s division conducts one attack with artillery support. As a result, one of General Morand’s brigades is driven back.
Marshal Ney has arrived after chasing Lestocq’s division through Aithof. Despite the heavy casualties, Napoleon orders his men to fight to the finish. Davout’s III Corps on the French right flank renews its attack against the Russian troops led by General Kamenskoi. A major counterattack is lodged just to the east of Serpallen. A Russian infantry regiment is thrown back.
Murat has cornered a Russian infantry regiment from Osterman’s division along the river east of Preussich-Eylau. The infantry is eliminated, weakening Osterman’s morale. Another of Osterman’s regiments is pushed back in a diversionary attack by Murat’s cavalrymen.
In the center, General Soult’s Corps attacks the Russian line east of the main road to Eylau. General Legrand’s division is repulsed and forced to retreat. On the French left, Napoleon’s Guard attacks one of Tuchkov’s cavalry units near the western bridge at Preussich-Eylau. The Russian cavalry retreat toward the west along the main road.
February 8, 1807 at 1500
General Bennigsen decides to make another attack against the French with his fresh troops even as the demoralized divisions attempt to rally. General Dochturov uses combined tactics to strike the VII Corps east of the Eylau road. This force Heud’s brigade to retreat. General Somov’s division also uses combined tactics to attack infantry elements from the IV Corps on the eastern side of the Eylau road. General Legrand’s brigade is forced to give ground.
On the Russian right wing, Tuchkov’s division attacks the French cavalry with an infantry regiment and a cavalry unit. But the Russians are repulsed by Bruyer’s cavalry brigade. General Essen, who has arrived in Schloditten, fails to rally his troops. In fact, as it turns out, both of his demoralized units are permanently eliminated from this battle.
Marshal Ney’s forces close in on Lestocq’s division north of Aithof. The French IV Corps and the VII Corps join forces to counterattack the Russian troops in the center, just to the east of Preussich-Eylau. First General Heud attacks Dochturov’s cavalry in order to surround his infantry regiment. Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well for Augereau’s forces which are repulsed. Nonetheless, Marshal Soult’s troops attack the Russian infantry. The Russian’s are forced to retreat.
Just to the southeast of this battle, Murat’s cavalry has joined with Augereau’s infantry and has surrounded a Russian infantry regiment. The Russian infantry is strong enough to repel the attackers. Farther east, Murat’s cavalry are repulsed in another attack against Russian troops.
As the battle stands, the French strongly hold the key city of Preussich-Eylau. The Russians have two divisions that have become demoralized (Essen’s is done for the day), while the French remain largely intact. The French have lost 29 strength points in casualties, while the Russians have lost 26 strength points.
February 8, 1807 at 1600
General Lestocq’s Prussians continue to march toward the east keeping Ney’s VI Corps at bay. General Sacken arrives in the town Klein-Sausgarten where he will attempt to rally some of his troops.
General Dochturov continues to press his attack on the French center just to the north east of Preussich-Eylau. Using cavalry, infantry and artillery, Somov’s troops push the French infantry back and manages to surround one of General Legrand’s brigades. Then Dochturov attacks, also using combined arms and destroys the French infantry brigade., which nearly breaks the IV Corps’ morale. General Somov’s continues with his attack and pushes Leval’s brigade back toward Eylau. One of Dochturov’s infantry regiments skirmishes with Heud’s brigade and forces it to retreat.
General Sacken attempts to rally his troops. One regiment is permanently lost, while the second is returned at half strength.
Marshal Ney’s forces close on Lestocq’s division but both remain out of contact. Meanwhile, General Soult, moves toward Lake Tenknitten, enroute to the village where he can rally some of his troops. Napoleon’s guard has stepped in to defend Preussich-Eylau.
February 8, 1807 at 1700
General Lestocq’s division anchors its defensive line from the town of Schloditten and then west toward the river. Bennigsen hopes that Lestocq’s Prussians can keep the VI Corps from hitting the Russian rear. General Sacken’s division, recovered from demoralization, returns to the Russian center and waits as a reserve force.
The main action occurs on the Russian center north of Preussich-Eylau where Dochturov and Somov’s troops renew their attack on the French line. General Somov launches a combined arms assault against the French Guard Cavalry. Napoleon’s cavalry are forced to retreat across the river into the city. In a diversionary attack, Heud’s infantry is pushed back toward the south. On Somov’s left, General Dochturov’s division is repulsed by the French defenders.
General Osterman launches a series of attacks to Dochturov’s left, that are aimed at capturing the main road into Preussich-Eylau from the southeast. Most of these attacks are successful, but one of his cavalry units is eliminated in the confusion of inclement weather. [Another loss from the optional weather rules] This causes Osterman’s division to demoralize.
On the Russian right wing, General Tuchkov’s division attacks Bruyer’s cavalry, which is forced to retreat. At this point both sides have taken heavy losses. The weather rules make diversionary attacks especially dangerous as retreats have a 1-6 chance of causing elimination.
Marshal Ney’s VI Corps makes contact with General Lestocq’s division along the river banks. Davout’s III Corps finally makes a move to outflank Kamenskoi’s division on the French right. Kamenskoi’s cavalry regiment is surrounded and then eliminated in the attack.
Along the main road to the southeast of the city, Augereau’s infantry attacks Osterman’s infantry regiment. The Russian infantry is pushed back. At the outskirts of Preussich-Eylau, the Guards and infantry from Augereau’s Corps attack a strong Russian infantry regiment. The attack goes rather poorly for the French and they are forced to retreat into the city. The Russian infantry advances into the eastern section of the town. [10 VP’s]
February 8, 1807 at 1800
The Prussian General, Lestocq, moves his forces toward the town of Schloditten. General Osterman’s division is pulled off line since it has become demoralized. Additionally, Sacken’s division is moved in to replace Osterman’s position. In danger of being outflanked by Davout’s III Corps, General Kamenskoi’s division pulls back and anchors itself on the town of Klein-Sausgarten.
One of Somov’s infantry brigades is embroiled in battle in Eylau, so two cavalry on his left flank are sent in to relieve him. The cavalry manage to push General Desjard’s infantry back, but the Russian infantry’s main attack is repulsed.
Marshal Ney’s forces again make limited contact with the Prussians who are moving toward the east. On the French right wing, Davout continues to turn the Russian flank. Morand’s division along with Marultz’s cavalry surround a Russian infantry regiment. In an outstanding display of bravery, the Russian infantry repulses the attack. In the Russian rear, Marshal Ney’s infantry attacks one of the Prussian cavalry and it is destroyed in the terrible weather conditions. Marshal Soult arrives in Tenknitten and reorganizes his troops and gathers some of Leval’s men and Legrand’s troops.
February 8, 1807 at 1900
Worried about his left wing, General Bennigsen begins to pull his army back, thinking that he has an opportunity to extricate himself from the French. The Russians do not launch any attacks.
Murat orders his cavalry to charge Sacken’s cavalry unit on the Russian left-center. General Sacken’s cavalrymen are eliminated and Sacken’s division becomes demoralized again. In the rear, Marshal Ney surrounds one of Lestocq’s Prussian infantry regiments. Both sides exchange losses.
February 8, 1807 at 2000
The Russians continue to retreat and to disengage from the French Army. General Sacken and General Osterman’s divisions are both demoralized and they attempt pull away from the main battlefield. General Kamenskoi anchors the Russian Left wing along the river to the west of Klein-Sausgarten. Generals Dochturov and Somov hold the center to the north of Preussich-Eylau and Tuchkov has joined the Prussians to form a right wing. Bennigsen is hoping that there will be enough time to evacuate the demoralized forces and to withdraw the center before the two wings collapse.
The French take advantage of the Russian retreat and attack along the Russian left wing. Davout’s troops are repulsed by the stalwart defenses of Kamenskoi’s infantry. Murat’s cavalry also attacks Kamenskoi’s infantry along the hinge of their defense line and forces them to retreat. In the confusion of the snow storm the Russian infantry regiment is eliminated. This causes Kamenskoi’s division to become demoralized. The French have no further attacks and things are winding down as night falls.
General Bennigsen realizes that he has four demoralized divisions on his hands. [Sacken, Osterman, Essen, and Kamenskoi.] They have lost 43 SP’s [which represents over 20,000 men]. The French have lost 33 SP’s [at least 16,000 men]. Due to the fact that the Russians entered Preussich-Eylau, for a short time, they also have 10 additional points, which places the totals at VP 43-43. There is little way either side can push the victory conditions enough to move this out of a draw, by nightfall so Napoleon, let’s Bennigsen’s army slip away.
Posted Sat Nov 8, 2008 9:33 pm
. It was quite a while ago when I played it. I liked the Triumph and Glory games and I played a number of them around the same time. I may have been comparing it to other games in the T&G series. I don't think that I used Bey's updated rules, though.