Quatre Bras 16 June 1815

This was a game I'd been wanting to do for some years but never had enough figures to create the desired spectacle. I was finally able to set it up at the beginning of 2024 but several units still had to masquerade as regiments that actually took part and some recycling of casualties was planned (these are noted on my Order of Battle).

 A 1990s refight featured in one of the well known wargame magazines gave me some ideas of how to set up my own version. I also read through "The Battle of Quatre Bras" by Mike Robinson plus various other sources which got me in the zone. Due to space limitations I decided to feature the action around the Farm of Gemioncourt, Bossu Wood and the village of Quatre Bras itself.

 I spent a lot of winter hours making up strips of crops to represent the high rye fields as these featured a lot during the battle where they hampered both movement and visibility. For the terrain I fashioned a new crossroads section using the reverse of my Hex terrain tiles. A hot wire foam cutter and pots of acrylic mud (a new medium for me) recreated the rutted roads. Although the hex terrain has some really good hilly sections they did not represent the undulating landscape I wanted and which was typical of the battlefield. I settled on some low hills made from packaging offcuts (not as pretty but functional). 

I did not make any move by move notes for this game as it was entirely for my own gratification so hopefully the photos and notes over the next few posts will suffice. 

Quatre Bras Order of Battle

FRENCH C in C Ney Second Corps – Reille 5th Div -Bachelu 4 line battalions represented by: Young Guard voltigeurs portraying line regt Young Guard tirailleurs ditto 21st Line 25th line 28th line 6th Div – Jerome Bonaparte 13 line battalions represented by:  45th Line 46th line 54th line 55th 105th 17th 19th 51st Lt infantry 85th 8th 29th 95th 9th Div – Foy Represented by: Line fusiliers Swiss 2nd Saxon Lt inf Voltigeurs 2nd Cav Div – Pire Guard Chasseurs a cheval - portraying line 3rd Chasseurs a cheval 3rd cheval leger lanciers 4th cheval leger lanciers 2nd corps artillery: 5 foot batteries 1 line horse battery 3rd Cavalry Corps - Kellerman 1st Cuirassiers 4th Cuirassiers 7th Cuirassiers Grenadiers a cheval (portraying Cuirassiers) 1st Carabiniers 4th Hussars portraying carabiniers 2nd Dragoons Empress Dragoons portraying 7th dragoons Horse Artillery of the Guard Foot battery ( portraying horse)

ALLIED C in C Wellington 1st Corp Prince of Orange 2nd Netherland Div – Perponcher 1st Nassau 2nd Nassau 35th Belgian Jagers 12th Dutch Line 7th Belgian line 27th Dutch Jagers 5th Dutch Militia Prussian Landwehr Elbe – as militia Prussian Landwehr Silesia- as militia Artillery: Netherlands Foot Battery Prussian foot battery – as Netherlands 2nd Netherlands lt Cav Brigade – Van Merlen Dutch Carabiniers as Belgian light dragoons 7th Hussars as 6th Dutch Hussars 5th Anglo Hanoverian Div – Picton 1st Royal Scots 28th N. Glos 32nd Cornwall 27th as 44th 42nd Black Watch 79th Cameron 92nd Gordon 95th rifles Hanoverian Landwehr 21st Portuguese as Hanoverian Landwehr Spanish Line as Hanoverian Landwehr Prussian volunteer Jagers as Hanoverian Landwehr British foot battery: Spanish as Hanoverian Battery Brunswick Div – Duke of Brunswick Prussian line as 1st Line 2nd Line Prussian line as 3rd Line 1st Light Avant Gd as 2nd Light Tyrolean Jagers as 3rd Light Leib Btn Oels Jagers RHA as horse battery Foot artillery Brunswick Hussars Prussian Uhlans as Brunswick 3rd Anglo Hanoverian Div – Alten 52nd as 30th 71st as 33rd 69th S Lincs Belgian Jagers as 73rd Highlanders 60th rifles as Hanoverian landwehr Prussian Gd Grenadiers as Hanoverian Landwehr 27th Jagers as Hanoverian Landwehr 12th Dutch as Hanoverian Landwehr Prussian 2/18th as Hanoverian Landwehr Artillery: British battery British Battery as KGL 1st British Div - Cooke 1st Gds (2 btns one as any removed casualties) 2nd 1 btn ditto 3rd ditto Artillery: Brit foot battery (use any removed casualties) KGL foot battery (ditto)

For this game the French aim was to capture the strategic crossroads at Quatre Bras. All French were committed at turn one except: Kellerman's two dragoon regiments (turn14); two cuirassier regts, and two horse batteries (turn 16). The Allies, initially in the form of the 2nd Netherland Divison, had to hold them back until reinforced by Van Merlen's cavalry (turn7), Picton's Anglo Hanoverian (turn 8) Duke of Brunswick (turn 9) Alten's Angl-Hanoverian (turn 10) and Cooke's British (turn 14)  

The starting positions to the South of Quatre Bras. Gemioncourt Farm in the centre ground. Massed French troops prepare to advance against the thin line of Dutch Belgians. 

The view from the West.

French forces move forward. Artillery move forwards to higher ground and begin to bombard the defenders of Gemioncourt. 

The farm model comprises elements of Airfix La Haye Sainte and their country Inn (a 70s survivor heavily modified)  

French are taking some casualties from Netherland batteries

French Line move into Bossu Wood in the distance. This will prove to be hotly contested. 

Nassau & Dutch contingents prepare to slow the advance.

Hinton Hunt Netherlands artillery defend the stream crossing 

The battery on the hill comprises Hinton Hunt crew and Newline guns.

Dutch Belgian reserves begin to move forward through Quatre Bras

A view of the entire field of battle. At the far left Kellerman's cavalry. At the top Jerome Bonaparte's Div move steadily through Bossu Wood and take the stream bridge. In the middle ground the 35th Belgian Jagers hold out in the farm of Gemioncourt while the the rest of Perponcher's Division retreat over the stream faced with the overwhelming French forces.  

  

Hinton Hunt Young Guard Voltigeurs portraying one of Bachelu's Line Regiments. 

A Hinton Hunt French General leads the 5th Infantry Division

Hinton Hunt 27th Dutch Jagers have taken casualties but stand firm behind the stream and await the first of Bachelu's infantry.

Hinton Hunt Light Infantry Voltigueur's portraying 4th Light of Foy's Division move past Gemioncourt.

In the next post: The French advance continues and the first of the Allied reinforcements arrive.