AAR 12

From: Prince Bagration (Ralph Gero)

I want to thank all of the staff and volunteers associated with JodieCon. You guys did a great job and we, the players, benefited greatly from all your hard work.

This was my third JodieCon. After Waterloo and Gettysburg, guys from my club expressed that JodieCons provide the best wargaming they have ever experienced. I wish more of our guys had been able to attend Borodino `02. It was the best ever!

I would also like to thank all of the other players that made this game so much fun. Reflecting on Borodino `02 it occurs to me that the event attracted a very sophisticated group of gamers. On the Russian side, players were encouraged to hold their positions for long stretches of time. Yet, the players did not get anxious and launch foolish attacks merely for the opportunity to "do something". My role as a wing commander was a lot of fun because the Corps and Division commanders really played the game and didn't just do what they felt like doing at any given moment.

I also appreciate of the opportunity to share in the Miss Congeniality Award. (I wouldn't have a chance in the swimsuit competition.)

-Ralph

From: Prince Bagration, 2nd Army of the West, Commanding

Subject: After Action Report: Battle of Borodino, Second Army of the West

Background

Generals Kutusov and Benningsen devised a plan of battle to oppose the French invasion in the area of the town of Borodino. For this purpose our forces were aligned into three parts:

1. The First Army of the West under General Barclay de Tolly was charged with defending our southern sector.
2. The Second Army of the West commanded by myself was tasked to defend our northern sector, and
3. A strategic reserve wing was held under the direct command of the Commander in Chief and the Chief of Staff.

Second Army of the West

This report will deal exclusively with the activity of the northern wing of the Russian army i.e. the Second Army of the West.

Constituent elements assigned to the Second Army of the West (from south to north):

1. General Tuchkov's corps was assigned to form the junction with Barclay de Tolly's southern wing and defend the area of the Great Redoubt. This area was the linchpin of our defense.
2. General Raevsky's corps was tasked with defending the area of the road to Moscow. This responsibility cannot be overstated. If we lost here, our lines of communications would be cut and any opportunity to conduct an orderly retreat obviated.
3. General Borozdin's corps took up the line from Raevsky's northern flank providing our army's northern-most infantry force. This was quite a lot of acreage to cover with the few forces available. Fortunately, Borozdin chose to employ a river to help establish his line of defense. One small grenadier division under General Borozdin was the Second Army of the North's only infantry reserve.
4. General Platov with his Cossack division was charged with the defense of our northern flank.
5. General Pahlen provided our only cavalry reserve. We also had six batteries of artillery in reserve. They were to play an important role in the battle to come.

Initially, I established my headquarters just north of the town of Gorki. This allowed me to visit either General Raevsky, Borozdin, Pahlen or Platov. Later, when the Great Redoubt came under serious attack, I moved my headquarters to a small town just behind the Great Redoubt. This allowed me to visit either General Tuchkov, General Raevsky or General Pahlen. It also gave me quicker though not immediate access to Generals Kutusov and Benningsen at Army Headquarters. Nevertheless, my perspective was limited and I will rely on the other members of the Second Army of the West to provide details and correct my misstatements.

The Battle

At first light the French advanced to oppose our line in its entirety. The French of General Junot's corps were content to merely observe the Great Redoubt but, we were engaged all along the remainder of our line. General Raevsky decided to conduct a forward defense and dispatched Jaegers to occupy the town of Borodino. The French opposed them with elements drawn from two infantry corps.

Further north, General Borozdin ordered villages on the far side of the river to be garrisoned. The French attacked these outposts with a full infantry corps but they held out for several hours.

Even further to the north, on our far northern flank, the French mounted a serious attack very early. The enemy force included multiple divisions of light and heavy cavalry including highly regarded Carbiniers. Anticipating that this heavy thrust would quickly blow through our light cavalry screen of Cossacks I ordered General Pahlen to prepare a defense at the enemy's intended target; a river ford leading to our rear areas. I also ordered General Borozdin to deploy our reserve infantry to protect our supply train and artillery reserve. However, these preparations were unnecessary. General Platov used his Cossacks and horse artillery with uncanny skill and after a protracted struggle sent the French heavy horsemen reeling back to their rear areas.

As the cavalry fight died down on the far northern flank, the action picked up at Borodino. After several hours of cannonading and house to house fighting the town was set ablaze and our jaegers were forced to fall back across the river. At this time I conferred with General Kutaisov and we decided to release half of the Second Army of the West's artillery reserve to General Raevsky. General Raevsky employed it to contest the Moscow road and support the northern flank of the Great Redoubt. Later in the battle, the enemy attacked across the bridge at Borodino and down the road to Moscow. However, the attack was immediately abandoned when they encountered General Raevsky's formidable gun line.

Army Headquarters informed me that the situation was critical on our southern flank and I ordered General Borozdin to move our only reserve infantry to the south and support General Barclay de Tolly's southern wing.

At this time General Platov informed me that his Cossacks were sufficiently rested to reenter the fray. He closed his troops up with General Pahlen's regular cavalry and prepared to attack.

After capturing Borodino the French turned their attention to the Great Redoubt. They bolstered General Junot's corps with General Poniatowski's infantry corps and a strong cavalry corps. I decided to commit the other half of my artillery reserve to support the Great Redoubt. I requested that General Kutaisov coordinate this move with General Tuchkov.

General Poniatowski conducted a well executed and supported attack on General Tuchkov's positions. Within an hour both batteries in the Great Redoubt had been driven off. Nevertheless, the Pole's toe hold was too tenuous to endure. General Tuchkov recaptured the redoubt and repopulated the works with the guns brought up from the reserve. With that the French threat to our troops in and around the Great Redoubt ended. French and Polish troops alike were streaming to the rear where Napoleon himself was forced to try to rally them and stop the rout.

After conferring with the Commander in Chief and the Chief of Staff I issued orders for Platov's Cossacks to attack on our far northern flank. General Bennigsen added impetus to the attack by releasing the Cossack corps from his army reserve. His confidence in General Platov was amply rewarded. After 30 minutes of maneuvering, the Cossacks encountered a large division of enemy light cavalry and drove them back into their rear area. The French threw several more cavalry units against Platov and Pahlen but the Russian cavalry prevailed.

Although General Barclay de Tolly's southern wing was nearing collapse at this time it was expected that the French in that area were too worn out to continue attacking. Consequently, Generals Kutusov and Benningsen ordered the cavalry from their army reserve to attack the disorganized French opposite the Great Redoubt. It took 45 minutes to clear the way for the cavalry but when they came they were an irresistible force. The struggling French were unable to contain the advance.

Further north, opposite General Borozdin and General Raevsky the French infantry began to falter. Worn down by their duel with our Jaegers, outflanked and whipped by artillery fire, the French infantry in the north lost heart and started streaming to the rear only to find a swirling cavalry battle involving their dispirited light cavalry and our brave Cossacks. Napoleon was forced to release his Guard Cavalry to this sector to try and stabilize a rapidly deteriorating situation for the French.

At this time I ordered a general advance along the entire line of the Second Army of the North. A pocket of resistance remained at Borodino and the foot regiments of the Imperial Guard were available to Napoleon but elsewhere the French were unable to effectively oppose us.