bahdahbum wrote:I received a few days ago Digby Smith book on Leipzig . We might have some interesting information about the russians at Mockern or more precisely at Wiederitzsch . The Xth corps did indeed assault the poles with the support of Rusewitch's cavalry division . The poles being repulsed , the IXth corps advances to Wiederitzsch with Korff's cavalry while the Xth corps pursues the poles with the help of more cavalry ( some dragoons and Jaegers ) . The timely arrival of Delmas division stops the pursuit and the IXth corps is redirected towards the new threat but in a defensive posture as Langeron believes it to be Napoleon and the main french army .
The autor cites the memoirs of a Major Ernst Moritz Arndt who, in the morning , was sent to Langeron and from langeron towards Lindeneau where St Priest , in command of the russian advanced guards , is - Arndt cites Langeron when he states that St Priest is in command - If we are to believe Arndt memoirs, the fight with the poles lasteted about 2 hours . At that time, an order from Blucher arrived , ordering the russian reserve artillery or 36 heavy guns, to deploy in order to help York's corps . So the russian heavy artillery was there and did engage the ennemy , or so it seems .
St Priest ordered Arndt to transmit the order which he did . Afterwards, the prussian cavalry did charge with some russian cavalry reserve ( from St Priest corps ? )
The author also cites a Graf Henkel von Donnemark who, speaking of the artillery fire before and during the charge , writes that " for even the russians under Langeron, who had previously deployed to our left, were happily firing into us . this error was quickly corrected" .
So St Priest was involved .
Now how to represent all this and the FOG of war that caused the russians to check their advance . Perhaps very simply by have all the russians infantry corps generals rolling a mandatory CMT if they want any part of their command to assault the french once the 9th division is on table . The sole exceptions would be Wiederitzsch and an area of 6 MU around the town + the entry roads of the russian reinforcements and an area of 6 MU near the roads + the deployement of the heavy artillery which should be used only to support the prussians or assaulting Wiederitzsch .
There are Russian heavy guns in the scenario - 3 bases. I didn't include the the remaining 4 bases since I found a reference (the link is above) to Langeron using 80 guns in the final attack even though he had 110 guns with IX and X corps.
As for St. Priest (and his corps - keep in mind that St. Priest could be present while much of his corps is on the march), the original Napoleon's Battles scenario has St. Priest's corps arriving at 17:00 but it doesn't include that corps in the "table" (i.e., just Mockern) scenario. They are there, just not in the scenario....just like the imaginary Napoleon that Langeron thought was personally leading an attack against him.
Anyway, if you feel it necessary go ahead and add the extra 4 bases of artillery (X Corps) plus St. Priest's Corps (16 bases of infantry, 14 bases of cavalry and 6 bases of artillery) to your scenario.
The quote from the on-line reference:
http://napoleonistyka.atspace.com/Leipz ... ey_marmont
Disregarding the massive advantage of the Allies, Dabrowski's 2nd and 4th Infantry Regiment marched out of Wiederitzsch and assaulted one of Langeron's divisions. Langeron immediately sent word to Blücher exaggerating Dabrowski's strength. In his memoirs the Russian general wrote that he had "believed Napoleon himself was attacking him". The Polish 4th Regiment was a tough unit, in Spain its 300 men held Fuengirola against 2.500 British and Spanish infantry supported by a British squadron "and finished the affair by chasing the landing force into the sea and bagging the British general and 5 guns."
Langeron pressed forward but it was a nervy situation and his artillery by mistake fired on Prussian battery. Langeron's infantry led by officers with drawn sabers entered Klein-Wiederitzsch but the Poles fought back with a grim determination. The 4th Regiment, outnumbered three to one, contested every inch of the ground that the Russians advanced. The attackers however pushed them out of the village. Five Russian cavalry regiments (Emmanuel's 3 dragoon and Witt's 2 Cossack) routed one Polish cavalry regiment, captured horse battery and took 500 prisoners. The remaining Polish regiment and some French cavalry counterattacked and drove the Russians across the Rietchke Stream. Dabrowski then rallied his 4 btns. and threw the Russians out of Wiederitzsch.
The fields between the two villages were heavy trafficked with attacking, fleeing and counter-attacking infantry. Langeron saw with his fieldglass some French troops marching from Duben to Leipzig. (these were 4.235 men of Delmas' 9th Division). Before Langeron reacted, Delmas and some cavalry struck the rear and flank of the Russians. This bold action was a great relief for the hard pressed Poles. Langeron awoke from the shock and sent Korf's cavalry corps and Olsufiev's infantry corps against Delmas.
Delmas and Dabrowski went on attack; Delmas stormed a small wood occupied by Russian 9th Division and took it, while Dabrowski entered Gross-Wiederitzsch at bayonet point and recaptured the village.
Dabrowski's 4 btns. marched out of Wiederitzsch, attacked Rudsevich's 6 btns., and threw them into confusion. The Russians reeled back to their positions near stream. In the fighting they lost commander of Staroskol Infantry Regiment (killed), GM Schenschin, Mjr. Yussofovich and many others. French batteries opened fire on them and inflicted more casualties.
GL Olsufiev and GM Udom decided to recapture the Birkenholz wood occupied by Delmas' infantry. There was Russian 9th Division against French 9th Division. Or 8 Russian against 12 French btns. The French 145th Line Infantry Regiment boldly marched out of the wood but was smashed by the Russians, lost many killed and wounded and its regimental eagle. The Russians pursued them and captured the wood. Following this failure GdD Delmas withdrew his division towards Plosen. Delmas' infantry was closely followed by GL Korff's dragoons and Cossacks. They monitored Delmas' movements for a while and then the Cossacks attacked and took "500 prisoners, 100 wagons and 6 guns."
Langeron rode to the Schusselburg Infantry Regiment (2 btns.), spoke few words to the soldiers and personally led them against the Poles. GL Rudsevich with regiment of horse jagers (2 sq.) marched nearby as a protection against any attack from Polish or French cavalry. Behind these troops marched a massive force of 16 btns. and rolled more than 80 guns. The decimated and exhausted Dabrowski's 4 btns. counter-attacked. This time however they were badly beaten back and pursued.
Nearby stood a small detachment of French infantry and this troop was broken by Russian artillery and pursued by infantry. Klein-Wiederitzsch was captured and Langeron informed Blucher about his success.
Note that IX and X Corps have 32 battalions of infantry. St. Priest's corps would add another 20 battalions.
Clearly if the Allies had put the full weight of their forces into the battle there would have been no or little contest as you'd be looking at a battle of 50,000 vs 30,000 (36,000 vs 24,000 infantry, 9,000 vs 5,000 cavalry and 250 vs 117 guns).
....transcription error on my part. The Russian cavalry do have their horse artillery battery. I've edited the list.
Then you would have seen that the Russians were short 48 points. 
