Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Gentlemen,

I've just started a Waterloo 'wide' campaign and I've found myself trying to delay the French advance at Chatelet. It has occured to me that the game engine allows for the destruction of bridges and to do so might be to my advantage. Two questions:

1. Were the two bridges here easily destroyable, or were they too srong, without the pre-planned preparation of explosives? From a scenario design perspective, if they were too strong then each bridge could have been given a much higher defence value to denote this. As it is I can probably destroy at least one of them fairly quickly if the French don't attack straight away.

2. Did any of the local commanders in the campaign actually have orders, or the necessary equipment at hand to blow bridges to slow the French advance? Was the option available to them (Zeiten in this case)?

If the answer to the above questions is no then I should probably not attempt to destroy the bridges. Part of me would prefer to only employ such an option if historically it was available or possible. Any thoughts[?]

<center>Major Antony Barlow
~ 2nd British (Union) Brigade, Anglo-Allied Cavalry Corps ~
~ 4th (Royal Irish) Dragoon Guards ~
</center>

Destroying a bridge in this era did not, as a rule, involve blowing it up with explosives. A wooden bridge--certainly the predominant variant at the time, especially over small rivers and creeks--would probably just be burned. Destroying an actual stone bridge over a major river appeared on many occassion to be beyond the means of the troops on the spot (Ratisbon), so often "destroying" it came down to taking up or burning the planking; at best a temporary expedient unless in an area were timber was scarce (which is not true anywhere in Europe north of the Alps).

Destroying and repairing bridges in the HPS games is so far an unsatisfactory feature. Bridges take too long to destroy and are rebuilt way too quickly. One strength point, and a whole army can pass over a bridge.

<center>Général de Division D.S. "Green Horse" Walter
Baron d'Empire, Duc des Pyramides
Commandant de la [url="http://home.arcor.de/dierk_Walter/NWC/3_VI_AdR_Home.htm"]3ème Division[/url], VIème Corps Bavarois, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant l'Ecole de Mars, L'Armée du Rhin
Commandant de la Brigade de Tirailleurs de la Jeune Garde
</center>

With the game engine as it is, bridges can take a long time to destroy, but can easily be repaired by a handful of pioneers. So feel free to destroy the bridges ... but don't imagine they'll remain destroyed for long!


Capt Rich White
4th Cavalry Brigade
Cavalry Corps
Anglo-Allied Army

Gentlemen
I don`t see the need of this discussion, please if you could read "The War and the Peace" of Tolstoi exist a scene in where a bridge is destroyed very easy
Regards