Artig Toy Soldiers
Well-Known Member
Hi everyone!
We'd like to show you our newest figure: Napoleon Bonaparte on the Berezina.
An interesting addition to our Napoleon series, here Napoleon is presented in fur coat during the battle on the Berezina (November 1812). This battle ended with heavy losses for the French, but they still managed to cross the river and avoid being captured!
Some facts about the battle from Wikipedia:
Napoleon's plan was to cross the Berezina River and head for Poland, while his enemies wanted to trap him there and destroy him. The original plan to cross the frozen river quickly proved impossible, as the usually frozen waterway had thawed and was now impassable.
The nearby bridge at Borisov had been destroyed and most of the equipment to build a pontoon bridge had been destroyed only a few days earlier. Fortunately for the French, the commander of the bridging equipment General Jean Baptiste Eblé had kept crucial forges, charcoal and sapper tools and only needed protection from Chichagov's force on the far west bank to span the river.
Marshal Oudinot was given the task of drawing off the admiral and made a move towards the south. The plan worked and so Eblé's Dutch engineers braved ferociously cold water to construct the vital 100-metre bridge. Cavalry quickly crossed it followed by infantry to hold the bridgehead. The rearguard infantry suffered terrible losses (of the four Swiss Regiments of Oudinot's corps, only 300 soldiers survived), but managed to cover both positions and the retreat. This struggle is depicted in the Beresinalied.
A second structure opened within hours and cannons were taken across it to bolster the defensive perimeter. Their arrival was just in time as Chichagov realised his error and attacked the 11,000 French troops.
By midday of the 27th, Napoleon and the Imperial Guard were across and the strategy now swung to saving the rearguard, which was fighting against Wittgenstein's arriving army.
One of the spans broke in the late afternoon but more feats of engineering skill had it repaired by early evening. Marshal Davout and Prince Eugene got their corps across leaving Marshal Victor's IX Corps to hold off the enemy on the east bank.
Boosting his firepower with artillery from across the river, Victor held out until after midnight when his forces were able to join their colleagues and push Chichagov aside and continue the retreat to France.
What are your thoughts on this figure/this battle/ Napoleon himself? We would love to hear your questions and comments!
We'd like to show you our newest figure: Napoleon Bonaparte on the Berezina.
An interesting addition to our Napoleon series, here Napoleon is presented in fur coat during the battle on the Berezina (November 1812). This battle ended with heavy losses for the French, but they still managed to cross the river and avoid being captured!
Some facts about the battle from Wikipedia:
Napoleon's plan was to cross the Berezina River and head for Poland, while his enemies wanted to trap him there and destroy him. The original plan to cross the frozen river quickly proved impossible, as the usually frozen waterway had thawed and was now impassable.
The nearby bridge at Borisov had been destroyed and most of the equipment to build a pontoon bridge had been destroyed only a few days earlier. Fortunately for the French, the commander of the bridging equipment General Jean Baptiste Eblé had kept crucial forges, charcoal and sapper tools and only needed protection from Chichagov's force on the far west bank to span the river.
Marshal Oudinot was given the task of drawing off the admiral and made a move towards the south. The plan worked and so Eblé's Dutch engineers braved ferociously cold water to construct the vital 100-metre bridge. Cavalry quickly crossed it followed by infantry to hold the bridgehead. The rearguard infantry suffered terrible losses (of the four Swiss Regiments of Oudinot's corps, only 300 soldiers survived), but managed to cover both positions and the retreat. This struggle is depicted in the Beresinalied.
A second structure opened within hours and cannons were taken across it to bolster the defensive perimeter. Their arrival was just in time as Chichagov realised his error and attacked the 11,000 French troops.
By midday of the 27th, Napoleon and the Imperial Guard were across and the strategy now swung to saving the rearguard, which was fighting against Wittgenstein's arriving army.
One of the spans broke in the late afternoon but more feats of engineering skill had it repaired by early evening. Marshal Davout and Prince Eugene got their corps across leaving Marshal Victor's IX Corps to hold off the enemy on the east bank.
Boosting his firepower with artillery from across the river, Victor held out until after midnight when his forces were able to join their colleagues and push Chichagov aside and continue the retreat to France.
What are your thoughts on this figure/this battle/ Napoleon himself? We would love to hear your questions and comments!
