The Battle continues
1630 Hours Marshal Ney joins 1st Brigade of the 5th Division to encourage them in their firefight with the Highlanders and is promptly shot of his horse and retires from the field wounded. Reille joins the 2nd Brigade of the 5th Division and rallies them up another level. Kellerman Leads the 1st Cuirassier in a flank attack on the retiring Dutch Belgian artillery and routs them. The 4th Line of the French 6th Division charges and rout the panicking 1st Nassau Line defending Boose Wood and in doing so gains control of the second section of the wood. The 3 brigades of the British 3rd Division arrive and are given orders by Wellington to retake Boose Wood. British 150 Victory points, France 191 Victory Points
1700 Hours Reille struggles to gain control of the French Army as Ney retires from the field wounded and the 5th and 6th Infantry Divisions, Light Cavalry Brigade and Kellermans III Cav Corp hesitate and will not move forwards. Wellington encourages the Highlanders in their firefight with the 1st Brigade of the 5th French Division who retire in panic back to Gemioncourt Bridge. Having seen this French infantry Brigade off the Highlanders form square as they are wary of the French Cuirassiers. Wellington moves to join the leading light Brigade of the British 3rd Division as they advance into Boose wood and exchange fire with the French 4th Line Infantry Brigade 6th Division defending the wood. The Brunswick Artillery deploy to the left of Quatre Bras with their left flank covered by a Hanoverian Landwehr Brigade in square British 150 Victory points, France 191 Victory Points
1730 Hours Kellerman and Cuirassier Brigade fall back onto the Hill whilst his Corp Horse Artillery deploy and open effective fire on the Hanoverian Landwehr in square who stand their ground. Wellington leads the Light Brigade of the 3rd Division in an attack on the French 4th Line Infantry Brigade in Boose wood who fail their morale and fall back in a nervous state in front of the attacking British light Infantry. A Brunswick Infantry Brigade moves into Quatre Bras to defend it whilst a Brunswick Cavalry brigade moves to protect the British Left Flank. British 150 Victory points, France 191 Victory Points
1800 Hours Reille joins the 4th French Line Brigade In Boose Wood to try and bolters its morale in its fight with the advancing British Light brigade in the ensuing firefight Reille is shot dead and Wellington suffers a glancing hit and falls back out of the wood leaving the Light Brigade which in his absence presses home its attack causing the French Brigade to fall back disrupted in front of them. The British 1st Division (2 Brigades of Guards and Horse artillery) arrives and forms into columns with orders to help clear Boose wood. The Brunswick artillery opened fire on the Cuirassiers on the hill whilst the French Horse Artillery continues to target the Hanoverian square British 155 Victory points, France 191 Victory Points
1830 Hours Jerome a Divisional General struggles to assert his authority over the French army after the demise of his Corp Commander Reille. The 6th and 9th Infantry Divisions and the Corp Cavalry Division hesitate and will not move. Jerome joins the disrupted 4th French Line Brigade in Boose Wood but cannot prevent the Brigade routing under fire from the British Light Brigade, losing control of a section of Boose wood which is now disputed with each side controlling one section of the wood. The light Brigade advances towards the French controlled section of the wood. To the right of Boose wood Wellington leads the 1st British Line Brigade of the 3rd Division in its firefight with the 3rd French line Brigade of the 6th Division, The French are deployed in line and open fire causing the British brigade to rout whilst Wellington can only watch them run away. Picton joins the Hanoverian Landwehr part of his 5th Division who are in square under fire from French horse artillery the Brigade routs and Picton is wounded. The Brunswick Foot Artillery continues to fire on the Cuirassier Brigade causing it to rout and Kellerman retires from the field wounded. British 187 Victory points, France 158 Victory Points
1900 Hours Heritier takes command of the French III Cav Corp and joins the Corps Horse Artillery. The two Brigades of French 5th Division and the French Light Cavalry Brigade holding the hill fall back. The 5th French Infantry Brigade of the 9th Division wheels and moves into the British controlled section of Boose wood. The French III Corps Foot artillery behind the stream by Gemioncourt bridge have sight of the British light Brigade in Boose wood and fire upon them causing them to retire disrupted deeper into the wood. The Hanoverian Brigade of the British 3rd Division advances in line on the 3rd French Line Brigade exchanges fire with the French unit causing it to fall back disrupted towards the French Controlled section of Boose Wood. Wellington joins the British Light Brigade of the 3rd Division in Boose wood and rallies them up a level British 187 Victory points, France 158 Victory Points
1930 Hours final turn The Light Brigade of the British 3rd Division led by Wellington attacks and routs the French 5th Infantry Brigade clearing the British controlled section of the wood. British 199 Victory points, France 158 Victory Points
The British Player chooses not to use the two extra turns and the Battle ends in a British victory
The turning point of the Battle was 1830 hours. The French player intended to unleash his Light Cavalry and Cuirassiers upon the British left flank as soon as the Hanoverian Landwehr Brigade in square had been routed by his horse artillery ( if this happened the British left flank would have been vulnerable with only the Brunswick Artillery and inferior Brunswick cavalry to oppose them) However although the Hanoverians were routed and Picton wounded Kellerman was also wounded and the Cuirassier Brigade routed under artillery fire from the Brunswick artillery(A series of bad morale rolls) . The French also lost control of Boose wood which was now disputed with each side controlling one section.
British Victory Points
Holding Road end A2 and Quatre Bras 140 points + Routing 1 French Veteran Line Infantry Unit, 1 French Veteran Cuirassier Unit and 1 French Elite Infantry unit 39 points + Killing/Wounding Ney, Reille and Kellerman 20 points - for a grand total of 199 points
French Victory Points
Holding Gemioncourt, Thyle and G Pierrepont 105 points + Routing 1 Hanoverian LW Militia Infantry unit, 1 Nassau Line Seasoned Infantry unit , 1 Db seasoned Artillery unit, 1 Db Seasoned Light Cavalry unit and 1 British Line Veteran Unit 48 points + wounding Picton 5 points- for a grand total of 158 points
Ownership Boose Wood was disputed neither side got any points for it
The British won the Battle by 199 points to 158 points
Unit of the Match for the British 2nd Br Lt Brigade from the 3rd Division it Killed Reille with musket fire 1800 hours , routed 4th Fr Ln 1830 hours and routed 5th Fr Ln 1930 hours . Honourable mention to 1st Bw Foot Artillery 9# who with one round of fire wounded Kellerman and routed the 1st Cuirassier Brigade
Unit of the match for the French 1st Cuirassier Brigade from III Cav Corp - they routed 1st Db Light Cavalry 1600 hours and routed 1st Db Foot Artillery 1630 hours. Honourable mention French 3rd Ln from 6th Division who panics 1st Ns Ln securing part of Boose Wood 1430 hours and routed 1st Br Ln with musket fire 1830 hours
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