The Battle of Kadikioi, 1855 - A Crimean War batrep

 
A couple of Sundays ago, some of the Rejects and a guest got together for a Crimean War battle. The guest was Mike Sayce, you may recall his name from the mag Miniature Wargames with Battlegames were Mike has written several articles on those hard to play Mongols!!
The game pitted Mike, Rich and myself as the French & Brits v John, Smiffy, Ian & BigLee (click here for Lee's batrep) playing the dastardly Russians!!

The Battle of Kadikioi, 6th August 1855
Newsflash.....
The French and Sardinian Armies have been quickly overrun at the battle of Tchernaya and the Russian Bear is rapidly advancing to exploit the victory. Heading towards the town of Kadikioi the Russians hope to drive a wedge between many of the forces in the area, cutting off all hope of escape for them. French reserves supported by some British are preparing a hasty defence knowing the situation is dire. If Kadikioi falls then Balaclava only a few miles further south could soon follow. Balaclava is a vital supply port through which re-enforcements and supplies arrive to support the British Army.

Order of Battle
French
C/O Pelissier HQ Guard (6 Figures) Elite
Combined Infantry Division - c/o Herbillion
1st Battalion - Guard Grenadiers, Guard Zouaves, Heavy Gun
2nd Battalion - 47th Line, 14th Chasseurs a Pal, Medium Gun
Combined Cavalry Division - c/o D'Allonville
1st Battalion - 1st Hussars (Elite), 4th Hussars (Elite)
2nd Battalion - 6th Dragoons (Elite), 7th Dragoons (Elite)

British
Light Division C/O Codmington
1st Battalion - 7th, 23rd, 33rd Line, 1st Rifle Brigade, Medium Gun
1st Heavy Cavalry Battalion - 1st Dragoons, 2nd Dragoons, 5th Dragoons, 6th Dragoons Elite, Horse Artillery Light Gun, Siege Gun

Russians
C/O Prince Gorchakov, 3rd Corp
7th Division c/o Ushakov
1st Battalion - 13th and 14th Line
2nd Battalion - 13th and 14th Jagers
12th Division c/o Martineau
2nd Battalion - 23rd and 24th Jagers, 4th Schutzen (Elite)
6th Cavalry Division c/o Khaletzksi
1st Battalion - 11th and 12th Hussars, 37th Don Cossacks, Horse Artillery Light Gun
Artillery (Arriving Turn 2) - 2x Heavy Guns, 2x Light Guns

The small French army at the start of the game. Richard was the C/O commanding the 

2nd Battalion out to the front, while I was in command of the 1st Brigade at the rear.

Postie set our troops out, we did wonder why he set the Chasseurs so far out??

This looked dodgy? Four units of Russian Dragoons facing our rather open right flank??

Mike's command were set up, just entering the tables edge. Mike's plan was to get down the road asap

And hassle the Russian right with his artillery and the Rifle Brigade.

Where are they???

The Russian Bear

Lee, Smiffy, Ian & John.

Ian and John's bellies....And the Mass of Russian infantry!!

Now this wiped the smiles from their faces, turn 1 and our Elite Dragoons turned

 up on our right flank.

My and Richard's plan was simple, set up defensively and try to hold our lines!!

...............And he marched them down again!

Now if the game had ended here, we would have won an mighty victory, the Russians

were demoralized for some reason, they thought they had no chance to win at all???

Just look at the face on that!

I turned two Hussar units, towards the small Cossack unit, hoping to engage in a bit of melee??

While the 2 Dragoons, headed along the road, to try and counter the Russian Dragoons.

Richard also sends his small unit of Spahis around the flank to help out.

The 1st/14th Chasseurs firing with their longer than average range.

We're just about setup...

The do look rather ominous?

2nd Battalion of Guard Grenadiers.

Although our army was rather small, it was made up of the cream of the French troops!

The was a hole in our lines so Richard moved the Guard Zouves over to our

 left flank.....just incase?

The Russian lines started to waver under very heavy artillery fire.

Hoorah ol' chaps!

More reinforcements for us, the 1st Heavy Cavalry Brigade containing the 

1st Dragoon Guards, 2nd Dragoons, 6th Dragoons and the 5th Dragoon Guards.

A close up  of the 6th Dragoons above and the 7th below

The 37th Don Cossacks

An overhead shot of the game so far...

I initiated a charge on the Cossacks, but they ran off, before I could make contact.

Which was a bit of a pain, to be honest!

While the Dragoons got into a position to maybe charge next turn.

There was a gaping hole in their centre, if we could get the British Horse down there

 that'd cause them no end of trouble.

We keep causing loads of casualties, but the buggers keep on coming!!

Look at that hole in the centre!!!

  

The first charge of the game, Richard's Spahis and a Dragoon hit.

Now everytime we've played these rules before the Russian cavalry are crap

At this point. we're worried!!

Its not looking good for the Russian column on the end.

Its being fired upon by the Guard Zouves and two artillery pieces.

Come on Rich, throw them 6's!!!

You know what I said about the Russian Cavalry being crap?

Forget it!

Only 1 figure remained to run away. Now we were really in trouble.

That's our right flank, behind the Dragoons!!

Now its my turn to to some damage to the Russian Horse??

Lucky we kept one unit of Grenadiers in reserve, they now moved to sort of plug the gap 

opened up  by our Spahis running off.

And the Russian infantry are in! We didn't cause enough casualties to stop any 

of them making contact.....sh!t

Ian did well to get, two units to hit our three units

fingers crossed!

Hmm? Not really what either side wanted.

We both win 1 melee each.

BUT, its a disaster for the French infantry.

Both French Grenadier Guards lose their melees, and are pushed back and both have their flags captured!!

While the 2nd/47th line are completely destroyed!!!!!

I'll not even bother to mention the other Russian Infantry Division that's just turned up as well???

 Leaving us in that seemingly all to familiar situation.

Do we carry on the fight to the last man??

Of course not..

We retreat of the table and live to fight another day

It was all too simple for them really, all they had to do was hold their nerve, which nearly

 crumpled very early on, and get the infantry in. Yes we had elite troops, but just not

 enough to hold them. They took stacks of casualties but still got in and 

won the day. 

This was a battle where Quantity won over Quality!!

 At the end of the day Postie presented Mike with a figure as a memento of his day with the Rejects

And he joins the honour roll of Honourary Rejects, Medway Division.

Pic pinched from Lee's blog!