Defending the Mount St. Jean ridge in BGW
The line of high ground running from north of Hougoumont, west of La Haye Sainte to the Chaussee de Bruxelles (from hexes 36,25 to 47,20) is one of the key pieces of ground in Battleground Waterloo - considering the pivotal role this section of the British line played in the historical battle, an argument could be made that it is THE key piece of ground.
It's roughly 11 hexes long, between two and five hexes wide and is the heart of the British-Allied line, protecting one of the three 500-point victory hexes in the game at 38,19) and providing the key to one of the others (the Mt. St-Jean farm at 47,14). It also draws the French like flies - massed infantry assaults, artillery barrages and heavy cavalry charges á la Ney. It's no accident that Wellington put his best troops there. Even the idée fixe that many French commanders I've faced seem to have with wiping out the 3rd Dutch-Belgian division and turning the Allied right is an indirect attack on Mt. St-Jean ridge: an attempt to outflank this British stronghold.
So how to defend such a magnet for the unkind attentions of La Grande Armee? First consider the terrain: You have a commanding view of the approaches to your line (with some notable exceptions I'll deal with later), the +1 advantage of height in melee attacks, the chateau and orchard of Hougoumont anchoring your right flank along with easily defended terrain - the sunken roads, woods and hedges making any attack a difficult and time-consuming process. All of which makes me wonder why so many French players like to attack the Allied right... but that's another topic.
The terrain also poses some problems for the defender. Although the Hougoumont complex channels any attack so that it is much more naturally to come from the southeast of the Mt. St-Jean ridge there are a couple of features that lend themselves to the attacker's devices. Specifically, the small ridge running northeast from 40,31 and the 'dead ground' extending northeast and southeast from 43,27. These features allow enemy units to come alarmingly close to your position without exposing themselves to much or any of your artillery fire. This is particularly a threat from enemy cavalry, which can move within charging distance of your cannons, charge the ridge en masse to clear the artillery and skirmishers in preparation for the infantry assault.
Because of the nature of the ground, this poses something of a dilemma in regards to placement of the artillery. Put it forward with the infantry of 1st and 3rd Divisions and it is in danger of being overrun by a well-timed mass cavalry charge. Put it behind the infantry and it cannot command a field of fire that would wreak maximum havoc on approaching French infantry. One could of course, move the infantry line up so it stands at the foot of the slope, allowing the cannon to fire over their heads. But that would, I argue, move the infantry too far forward and still leave a one-hex 'shadow' in front of the infantry line - a blind spot into which the cannon could not fire. The infantry would also lose the benefit of defending from higher ground and also one of the best features of the ridge as a defensive position: use of the reverse slope to shelter from artillery (as happened during the historical battle).
The solution to this conundrum is the counter-charge. By backing up your line with a few well-placed squadrons of cavalry (I prefer to use 'disposable' cavalry, such as the Cumberland Hussars or the Brunswick contingent horse) and - most important - leaving open 'lanes' clear of infantry and skirmishers you can neutralize most any cavalry threat.
I have found that the ridge spur, which extends to the northwest from the center of the main ridge, is an ideal position for the British reserve artillery. From here, your guns are hidden from most of the French batteries and can sweep the top of the ridge from Hougoumont all the way to the left center towards the sunken road. Any charging cavalry or advancing infantry which manage to ascend the forward slopes can quickly be sent down by the batteries of guns posted on this ridge. The height of the position also permits these guns to fire over those friendly infantry that are using the reverse slope for shelter.
[Written by Chris Wattie. Courtesy of the
Napoleonic Wargaming Club Newsletter.]
