THE SITUATIONI was the CinC, Taff command the Guards division, Asid a corps where he controlled an infantry and a cavalry division; the second infantry division of Asid's corps was under Skoop command. I also command a second cavalry division and heavy artillery battery.
We started from SW. French from north, but due to HITS we don't know this. Objective was Troisieme Carrefour, in the east
THE PLANThe plan was to send Asid's corps between the two woods of Bois Une and Bois a Trois as a pinning force while me and Taff move from north to take the objective.
THE BATTLE 1 partAs Asid and Skoop approached Bois Une they found the enemy deploying in face of them. I galloped towards them to see with my eyes and it seemed that a french division was moving south. My first order was to keep marching east with cavalry on the right flank to cut off that division from its LOC but immediatly the light cavalry division showed up followed by a second infantry division near Bois a Trois.
I detached my heavy batteries to support Asid while Skoop engaged from south. Taff and my cavalry were still moving north following our plan.
The french push very hard in the center well supported by light cavalry. The battle here quickly turned bad for us. And as another bad news we saw the Old Guard moving between the two french divisions already engaged.
To me was enough. I ordered to fallback to Asid close to the new heavy battery position, some yards back. My hope was that the objective was free now that also the french guards were moving forward but the fear was that we couldn't disengage properly to avoid to be destroyed in the center-south.
I left the position in the middle and galloped north to join Taff and drive our men to the east. In the meantime Asid and Skoop reported very high pressure on them.
What to do? Ignore their request of help and move to take the objective or turn back and came in their rescue?
THE BATTLE 2 partI was thinking that if the French completeley broke Asid and Skoop, they could turn on me and Taff and quickly destroy us. So my decision was to hit the french in the northern flank with our best troops trying to relieve pressure from Asid and Skoop.
Was not so easy because while we try to turn around the Bois a Trois from east the french started to move forward. So we had to stop and change our direction because otherwise we simply followed the french advancing without having a possibilty to hit them.
I moved fist my cavalry, Somerset division. The attack on a brigade held in reserve didn't surprise the french which calmly stopped and formed squares. Taff moved against this brigade and engaged them. He also had to form squares because some french squadrons came in help of the infantry.
The second wave of my cavalry attack took from the rear all the divisional battery of the northern french division. For some moments I joined Asid in the middle, I asked him if he could push to his left to close the gap between Taff and himself but he couldn't because he had suffered a lot from first french assault.
Attacked by their cavalry, I had to fall back near Taff.
Apart the artillery and a couple of french battalions I had not so much luck with my attack but this was enough for the french to move back their guards and dragoons from Skoop and Asid position to reinforce their northern flank.
Near the end of the battle they tried to attack Taff' battalions formed in squares but he resisted and repulsed every attack they made.
END OF BATTLEAs Asid said, we held and turn the battle in our favour near the end, at least looking at the points. Asid and Skoop played very well, it's always difficult to disengage from an enemy which is attacking you so strong. Taff was the second reason of our victory. He held against every french attack routing some enemy unit.
Needless to say, we don't know what could happened if the battle lasts another half an hour. They were coming north with Guards and heavy cavalry.