Battle of Grosse Fortresstadt

[Blathergut]

For the upcoming demo battle at HotLead here in Stratford, Ontario, the glorious French forces (French 1809 Corps)(with an Italian division attached for flavour):

1e Corps d'Armee
CC2 Ch (Skilled) (Charismatic) Eugene de Beauharnais
Division Guardia Reale d'Italie
CC1 (Competent) GB Teodoro Lecchi (only speaks French)
Line Infantry (reformed) Guardia Reale d'Italie [large ave veteran guards][+arty]
Horse Artillery Primo Reggimento di Artillerie [ave drilled]
Line Infantry (reformed) Primo Reggimento di Fanteria di Linea [Colonnello Carlo Zucchi (only speaks Italian..hates the divisional commander)] [ave drilled]
Line Infantry (reformed) 23 Dragons (dismounted) [ave conscript]
Shock Heavy Cavalry Guardes d'Honneur [ave drilled guards][+ officer]

1er Division
DC1 Ch (Competent) (Charism.) GD Jean Mathieu Seras
Light Infantry 3e et 13e Regiments d'Infanterie Legere (Col. Jean Baptiste Isidore Lamarque d'Arrouzat et Col. Pierre Jules Cesar Guyardet) [large ave drilled][+arty]
Horse Artillery 1e/4e Regiment d'Artillerie-à-Cheval (Col. Chretian Francois Antoine Faure de Gier) [ave drilled]
Line Infantry (reformed) 61e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne (Col. Charles Bouge) [ave drilled]

2e Division
DC1 (Competent) GD Jean Baptiste Broussier
Line Infantry (reformed) 4e et 92e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [ave drilled]
Line Infantry (reformed) 25e Regiment d'Infanterie de Ligne [ave conscript]
Medium Foot Artillery 2e/5e Regiment d'Artillerie-a-Pied (Col. Nicolas Francois Therese Gondallier de Tugny) [ave drilled]

French Cavalry Reserve
DC1 (Competent) GD Louis Michel Antoine Sahuc
Light Cavalry 10e Regiment du Hussards [ave drilled][+arty]
Light Cavalry 8e Regiment du Hussards [ave drilled]
Light Cavalry 4e Regiment du Hussards [ave drilled][+officer]

[Blathergut]

Well, the demo game was a great success. We had 8 people sign up to play, so one for each division on the table. All seemed to enjoy and the bonus gift cards were handed out to the winning side by dice roll. Hopefully will post some photos and comments soon!

[deadtorius]

Austrian army, loosely based on 1805 and 1809 list as it had to be made up of figures I have finished painted only.

Corps commander Skilled Charismatic. (first time I have run a charismatic commander, he got to use his special ability once but the troops failed and ended up rolling 2's, 3's and 4's...)

1st Division
Competent commander GM Nordmann
Large infantry (Hungarian) Superior drilled med artillery
Large Infantry (16 Erzerzog Rudolph) Veteran officer and rifle skirmish
Large Infantry (54 Froon) Veteran medium artillery

2nd Division
Competent commander FML Hoehenloe
Small infantry Grenadiers Superior Veteran officer and med artillery
Small infantry Grenadiers Superior Veteran medium artillery

3rd Division Mixed
Competent commander FML Kienmayer
Large infantry (8 Erzherzog Ludwig) veteran Medium artillery
small Light Infantry with rifles (Jaegers) cavalry
small Light Cavalry (Chevaux Leger)

4th Division Cavalry
Skilled Commander FML Klenau
Small Light Cavalry Lancers
Small Light Cavalry Hussars Superior
Small Heavy Cavalry Dragoons Veteran officer
Small Light Cavalry Light Dragoons

[Blathergut]

The Battlefield:

From the Austrian Right, they've formed up along the river (ankle-depth here), most of the infantry in large units and of very good quality. Most also have artillery attached. From the village and the bridge further down, the river is waist-depth. The French Left is a division of hussars, then a French infantry division (with a large light infantry regiment), then the Italian division (Guards infantry in march column along the road, aiming for the bridge)(and Guard cuirassiers in behind. Finally, a small French infantry division on the far French Right. The tags were to help the newbies have some idea of what troops they were commanding.



and

[Blathergut]

First Blood!

The French cavalry commander wasted no time! On the second turn he charges across the stream, drawing the Austrian horse up into counter-charges. The nearest French hussars waver and retire back, but the superior veteran unit up there surrounded by Austrians begins a glorious surge through the Austrian lines and into the rear! It will soon end up way back there where the Austrian commanders are huddled and the Austrian lancers are resting.

[Blathergut]

A bit later on the Austrian Right:

At the top of the photo, a unit of Austrian horse (that wavered that first French hussar unit) is about to be hit by two French cavalry units. The two large Austrian infantry units have been knocked back from the river by shooting (truly horrid luck on their part!). That unit of superior French hussars has started to carve its way through the rear, destroying the original target by catching the routers at the table edge. The French large light infantry is crossing the stream, ready to charge the disordered Austrian infantry closest to it. (The Austrians further back to their rear are wavering and soon to break when they see some of their friends breaking.) Where the village and bridge are, the deeper part of the river, the Italians move up a bit cautiously, choosing to close up and shoot rather than charge across that bridge!

[Blathergut]

Austrian fire from the village and beside manage to halt every French unit!

[Blathergut]

The French begin to pour across the upper portion of the battlefield. It really was a case of terrible rolls for the Austrians. That unit of French hussars in between two Austrian squares ends up taking only one hit (halted)(in the enemy turn)! That unit of superior hussars is still back there! The Austrian infantry behind it actually rallied from broken! The main problem for the French was the fact that the cavalry commander was fighting and there was no way to get command points to that glorious unit way in behind the Austrian lines. It couldn't charge, counter-charge (since it was disrupted), and couldn't rally.

[Blathergut]

The Italians finally begin to move across the river (Guardes d'Honneur leading the way). But the Austrian Right had all but disintegrated. Dead. and I will refight this I think and we'll see how it goes. I think making the upper portion of the river waist deep would be too much. We might give the Austrians a hill in behind their Right.

[deadtorius]

For the record it was the Austrians that charged two French Hussars units for first blood. A superior Austrian Hussar with a unit of Dragoons for rear support hit and wavered an average French Hussar unit. The Superior French Hussars drove back a unit of Austrian Chevaux leger and wavered them.

This was probably the luckiest batch of die rolls Austria had for the entire game, aside from nice shooting that halted almost all the french infantry later on.

An example of lack of Austrian luck, a steady unit of Jaegers in square are charged by a unit of French light foot and a unit of French Hussars, who have to pass within 2 Mu of another Austrian infantry unit in square. The Jaegers opt to split their dice putting more into the French infantry, both dice need to hit to halt them, they hit with one. The other die shoots at the Hussars and misses. The other Square that gets to load all its dice into the flank of the Hussars, fails to score a hit..... Square took 8 hits combined and was destroyed. Need we say more

[edb1815]

Great AAR. I'd replay it without changes to ensure it was not bad dice, and/or inexperienced players effecting the results.

Interesting Austrian army design with no artillery units!

[Blathergut]

It was due to what was painted up in time for the convention; but interesting too!

[deadtorius]

I almost wish I had a single battery to pound the Froggies further out, but as a rear guard having the artillery park back with the retreating army was partial justification for the lack of arty.

In a few weeks we will try again.
Austria deployed in full first, so French have an advantage when they deploy, once again rear guard would likely be deployed as the pursuers appear over the horizon.