M15-108. The Battle of Guttstadt - WDS Campaign Eylau-Friedland

5 June 1807 - Historical - Intended to be played Head to Head - NOTE: This scenario uses the 15 minute turn format - This scenario covers the first day of Ney and the VI Corps performing a rearguard action against the advance of the Russian army in the initial stages of the Spring campaign of 1807. Narrative: Bennigsen's plan was to encircle Ney's VI Corps, which had moved forward into the area between the Passarge and Alle Rivers, using several columns. While two columns in the north attacked the bridgeheads over the Passarge the central columns would attack Ney and Platov and his cossacks would cross the Alle River and attack the French right flank. Gorchakov would cross the Alle at Guttstadt and assist Bagration in attacking Ney directly. Almost immediately Platov made good on his part of the plan and captured almost 1000 prisoners. Bagration's advance went mostly unchecked but Gorchakov, after having crossed the Alle, held up his advance to build a pontoon bridge. To the north the largest of the columns under Osten-Sacken was tardy in making an appearance. It was plain that the commander was not going to aggressively discharge his orders. Bennigsen sent numerous couriers to urge him forward but to no avail. Finally he set off to personally talk to Osten-Sacken to get him to advance to turn Ney's left flank. It was not until much later in the day that the Second Column finally made an appearance and by then Ney had withdrawn to the southwest after holding off Bagration for most of the day. Gorchakov was lax and remained in Guttstadt apparently happy to have made an appearance. All in all it was one of the worst showings by the Russian army in the Napoleonic Wars. Gone was a great opportunity to destroy one of Napoleon's corps. It is said that Ney allowed a courier to fall into the hands of the Russians. The message they found said that Davout's III Corps was moving forward. The truth of the matter remains that two of the Russian columns failed to act. A golden opportunity had been missed. Ney's men lived to fight another day at Friedland.