As promised, here’s the game report from our recent Eggmühl refight. If you missed it, I posted the scenario last time.
However, I should admit that the orbat for our game was very slightly different to the one posted; firstly, I fielded the Württemberg Light Infantry and Jäger as separate units for no reason other than because I wanted to (they’ve been painted since 1999, but haven’t got onto the table once since then!). To compensate the defenders, I bumped the 9th Grenzer and Bieber’s Brigade up slightly in strength. Secondly, I also fielded the Württemberg cavalry as two 12-figure units and compensated the Austrians by adding four figures to the 3rd Hussars.
Thirdly, I allowed the Austrian Reserve-Korps grenadiers and cuirassiers to be deployed from the start. I soon realised that this would be an over-balancing addition to the orbat, so halted them in a reserve position and didn’t allow them to be used until Turn 10. I think they could happily be left out of the scenario completely unless the French capture Obersanding and/or completely destroy Dedovich.
Above: For once, I actually remembered to get an overview shot of the battlefield at the start of the game, orientated the same as the map! I’m getting good at this…
Above: The left wing of Rosenberg’s IV. Korps. On the left of the photo stands GM Stutterheim’s cavalry brigade (the 4th ‘Vincent’ Chevauxlegers and 10th ‘Stipsicz’ Hussars) atop the hill known as the Vorberg, along with the two 12pdr reserve batteries and a 6pdr cavalry battery. On the right, FML Sommariva (who commands the three infantry regiments of the left wing) has brought the 9th ‘Czartoryski’ Infantry Regiment to occupy the Bettelberg. To the rear stands FML Vukassovich’s 3rd ‘Erzherzog Ferdinand’ Hussars from III. Korps. Vukassovich also commands the 9th ‘Peterwardeiner’ Grenze Infantry Regiment, which is deployed forward, defending Eggmühl itself, supported by another 6pdr cavalry battery.
Above: On the extreme left flank, atop the steep Einsiedelberg hill, stands GM Bieber’s brigade from III. Korps. The 38th ‘Württemberg’ Infantry Regiment are deployed as the forward line, along the edge of the escarpment, along with a 6pdr position battery. To their rear, in reserve along the tree-line, is the 20th ‘Kaunitz’ Infantry Regiment.
Above: The two villages at the corner of the IV. Korps position (Oberlaiching and Unterlaiching) are occupied by Sommariva’s two remaining infantry regiments; here we see Oberlaiching, defended by the 55th ‘Reuss-Greitz’ Infantry Regiment and an attached corps reserve 6pdr cavalry battery. Out of shot to the right is Unterlaiching, defended by the 44th ‘Bellegarde’ Infantry Regiment. Also present are two regiments from FML Hohenlohe’s centre division; in the foreground is the 8th ‘Erzherzog Ludwig’ Infantry Regiment and in reserve on the Vorberg is the 46th ‘Chasteler’ Infantry Regiment.
Above: Guarding the right flank of IV. Korps are FML Dedovich’s 12th ‘Deutsch-Banát’ Grenze Infantry Regiment (just visible in the woods) and a 3pdr Grenze Battery. Also under Dedovich’s command are the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Infantry Regiment, who are occupying Obersanding in the foreground. In support to the rear of the Grenze are the 22nd ‘Koburg’ Infantry Regiment of Hohenlohe’s Division.
Above: As mentioned above, in this playtest version of the scenario, we started with the Austrian reserves on table; namely FML Hessen-Homburgs’ Cuirassier Division (Lederer’s and Schneller’s Brigades, plus two 6pdr cavalry batteries) and GM Rohan’s Grenadier Division (Melgum’s and Steyrer’s Brigades).
Above: Deploying on the high ground opposite Unterlaiching is Deroi’s 3rd Bavarian Division of Marshal Lebevre’s VII Corps. This is a very strong division, consisting of two very strong infantry brigades (Sieben’s and Vincenti’s) Seydewitz’s Cavalry Brigade, a 12pdr foot battery and two 6pdr light mounted batteries. As the two infantry brigades are so strong, I’ve massed the light battalions on the right flank as a separate unit.
Above: On the Bavarians’s left is GD Saint-Hilaire’s 4th Division of Marshal Davout’s III Corps. This consists of two strong infantry brigades; Lorencez’s and Destabenrath’s, plus a 4pdr horse battery. Destabenrath’s brigade is so strong that I’ve split off the 10e Légère as a separate unit. In the foreground is Davout’s headquarters and GB Piré’s III Corps Cavalry Brigade. Davout also initially had the services of Saint-Germain’s Cuirassier Brigade, but they rode off through Schierling during the morning, to rejoin their parent division as part of the Emperor’s approaching column.
Above: The first elements of that approaching column have just appeared to the south of Eggmühl. GM von Hügel has already reached the bridge with the Württemberg Light Infantry and is already coming under fire from Vukassovich’s 6pdr cavalry battery. Following close behind are GD Vandamme (commanding VIII Corps) and the Württemberg Jäger and 6pdr horse artillery.
Above: On the extreme right flank are the leading elements of GD Gudin’s 3rd Division of Marshal Lannes’ Provisional Corps, consisting of Petit’s Brigade (which is so large that I’ve split it into two separate units). The weir at the Stanglmühl water-mill is only passable by infantry with some difficulty and Gudin is uncharacteristically cautious about making the crossing right under the noses of Bieber’s whitecoats.
Above: Keen to capture Unterlaiching as quickly as possible, Deroy throws Sieben’s Brigade straight into the assault, while Saint-Hilaire launches a supporting assault on the left with the 10e Légère. The rest of Deroi’s division provides supporting fire in an attempt to keep Austrian heads down.
Above: However, the 44th ‘Bellegarde’ Regiment is made of sterner stuff and throws the attackers back over the stream. Austrian celebrations are short-lived however, as the French and Bavarian artillery continue their bombardment of the village.
Above: Not fancying his chances in a direct assault across the weir at Stanglmühl, Gudin decides instead to join the direct assault across the Eggmühl Bridge!
Above: Davout observes closely as the main body of Saint-Hilaire’s Division advances on Oberlaiching. Lorencez’s Brigade (3e & 57e de Ligne) moves up through the copse on the right, while Destabenrath’s Brigade (72e & 105e de Ligne) crosses the open ground on the left, supported by Piré’s cavalry. On the left, Friant’s Division advances through the woods.
Above: At Eggmühl, Hügel’s initial assault with the Light Infantry has been comprehensively beaten off by the Grenze and falls back to lick its wounds. As Hügel’s Jäger and horse artillery deploy to provide covering fire, Gudin moves forward with his leading regiment. General Vandamme arrives and demands to know why Hügel hasn’t already taken Eggmühl!
Above: In the meantime, Wöllwarth arrives with his Württemberg cavalry. While the horsemen wait for the crossing to become available, Wöllwarth intervenes in the command dispute and manages to dissuade the seething Hügel from challenging Vandamme to a duel.
Above: Saint-Hilaire’s first assault on Oberlaiching is spearheaded by Lorencez’s Brigade using the cover provided by the small wood. However, this doesn’t help very much as the French infantry are beaten off and forced to withdraw, though with only relatively light casualties.
Above: On the far northern flank, a sharp firefight has developed in the woods between the ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Regiment and Gautier’s Brigade (108e & 111e de Ligne) of Friant’s Division. Friant also inserts Gilly’s small brigade (consisting of just the 15e Légère) between Gautier’s left flank and the stream.
Above: The Emperor has arrived!
Above: Following close behind the Emperor is Saint-Sulpice’s 2nd Cuirassier Division. Seeing the chaos still ongoing at Eggmühl Bridge, Napoleon instead directs Saint-Sulpice to take his division over the river at Schierling and to place themselves on the Bavarian right flank.
Above: At Unterlaiching, Marshal Lefebvre has launched a massive general attack (after some considerable artillery preparation) against the village, this time throwing in the entirety of Deroi’s 3rd Bavarian Division and Demont’s (French) Reserve Division. The defending 44th ‘Bellegarde’ Regiment are simply overwhelmed and having already taken considerable casualties from artillery fire, completely disintegrate and flee through the woods to safety as Sieben’s Bavarians mercilessly hunt down the survivors in the village.
Above: However, Stutterheim has anticipated such a move and sweeps down off the Vorberh with his two cavalry regiments, to take Demont in the flank!
Above: Demont’s 3rd Brigade, on the extreme right flank, fails to form square and is ridden down by the 4th ‘Vincent’ Chevauxlegers! The survivors flee past Demont for the safety of Schierling. The disciplined Austrian troopers manage to maintain control and line up their next target; Seydewitz’s Bavarian Cavalry Brigade.
Above: Demont is forced to flee as the Austrian chevauxlegers charge across the stream! However, to Stutterheim’s disappointment, the Bavarian cavalry manage to stand their ground and both sides fall back to reconsider their options.
Above: The Austrian 10th ‘Stipsicz’ Hussars meanwhile, tried to exploit their comrades’ success by launching their own charge on Demont’s remaining brigade. However, the inexperienced young Frenchmen managed to form square and the hussars were rebuffed!
Above: Saint-Hilaire meanwhile, makes a second attempt on Oberlaiching. This time he personally leads Lorencez’s Brigade forward through the woods, while Davout himself decides to re-live his glory days as a Général de Brigade, in leading Destabenrath’s Brigade forward in the assault! However, as Saint-Hilaire leads his men in with the bayonet, Davout pauses, fumbling in his pockets for his spectacles…
[In game terms, Davout needed an 8 or less to activate on a D10… and failed. Dave then deployed one of his precious stash of re-roll markers and failed again… 🙂 ]
Above: Despite Davout’s hesitancy, Saint-Hilaire’s assault is a complete success and the 55th ‘Reuss-Greitz’ Regiment abandons its positions as Lorencez’s Brigade storms into Oberlaiching! However, the best moment to counter-attack is always while the enemy is in some disorder, occupying their newly-captured position and anticipating this moment, Hohenlohe already has two regiments (22nd ‘Koburg’ and 46th ‘Chasteler’) in position to the rear of the village, ready to mount an immediate counter-attack.
Above: On the northern flank, the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Regiment is holding its ground and repulses the first assault by Gautier’s Brigade.
Above: An overhead view from the north of the battlefield.
Above: As Hohenlohe’s counter-attack goes in, the 22nd ‘Koburg’ Regiment, on the left of the attack, receive an enormous volume of fire from Destabenrath’s Brigade and French horse artillery. The regiment is unable to press home the attack and is routed, fleeing for the safety of the woods to their rear.
Above: However, the 46th ‘Chasteler’ Regiment, charging from the far side of Oberlaiching and hidden from enemy artillery, successfully manages to eject Saint-Hilaire from the village and re-occupies the position! Saint-Hilaire is forced to flee along with Lorencez’s infantry, though they eventually manage to rally at the bottom of the valley and prepare to go back up the hill.
Above: On the northern flank, the situation suddenly deteriorates rather sharply for Friant, as Kayser’s Brigade (consisting of two regiments; 7th ‘Schröder’ and 56th ‘Wenzel Colloredo’) of III. Korps suddenly appears on Gilly’s left flank!
Above: Over on the opposite flank, Morand’s Division has arrived at the Stanglmühl. Despite Gudin’s initial hesitancy in assaulting across the mill-weir, things continue to go badly at Eggmühl Bridge, so Morand will have to gird his loins and press on! However, he has to contend with Petit’s Brigade who, having been left by Gudin to guard the mill, are very much in everyone’s way (doubly so when they keep becoming disordered by Bieber’s artillery)!
Above: Gudin meanwhile, has just launched the 21e de Ligne over Eggmühl Bridge and this assault, like the Württembergers before them, ends in dismal, bloody failure.
Above: A view of the main Austrian position at the Bettelberg and Vorberg, with Hessen-Homburg’s Cuirassier Reserve in the foreground and Vukassovich with the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Ferdinand’ Hussars still in reserve on the high ground.
[As mentioned earlier, I had initially decided to bring the Austrian Reserve Korps onto table at the start of the game, but quickly realised that they would tip the balance of the scenario too far. They therefore became mere table-decoration until Turn 10 when, when they were finally released for use]
Above: With the Austrian 46th ‘Chasteler’ Regiment now disordered as it re-occupies Oberlaiching, there is the perfect opportunity for Davout, still attached to Destabenrath’s Brigade, to repay the compliment and launch his own counter-attack! However, he’s still looking for his glasses and as ADCs are dispatched to ride back to his headquarters for his spare pair, the opportunity passes.
[Once again, all he needs is an 8 or less on a D10 to get moving, but rolls a 9… Dave then throws in ANOTHER re-roll marker… and rolls a 10… 😀 ]
Above: General Piré however, suffers from no such indecision and, seeing the 8th ‘Erzherzog Ludwig’ Regiment looking vulnerable, decides to launch his cavalry up the hill! The Austrians fail to form square, but by some miracle manage to deliver a devastating volley into the French cavalry which disorders them as they charge up the slope. The resultant impact is therefore negligible and the French horsemen are forced to withdraw with heavy losses. A lucky hit from the Grenze 3pdr battery then sees Piré’s men flee the field completely!
Above: With his first assault across Eggmühl Bridge having failed, Gudin now brings up the 85e de Ligne and this time leads the assault himself. However, despite initial promise, this charge also fails and the French infantry flee back across the bridge in front of their furious Emperor.
[In game terms, the combat had actually gone catastrophically for the Austrians, as can be seen on the dice in the photo above! However, Rosenberg deployed one of his precious stash of re-roll markers and the result was reversed.]
Above: With Unterlaiching secured, Deroi pushes his Bavarian infantry up through the wood, aiming to silence or at least force back the two Austrian 12pdr position batteries atop the Vorberg.
Above: On the Vorberg, Sommariva has returned to rally his 55th ‘Reuss-Greitz’ Regiment, who had earlier been ejected from Oberlaiching. However, he can’t stay for long, as his 9th ‘Czartoryski’ Regiment is the tactical reserve for the Eggmühl garrison and he daren’t stay away from that critical sector for too long.
Above: At Schierling, Saint-Sulpice’s 2nd Cuirassier Division crosses over the Grosse-Laaber and passes through the town.
Above: South of Eggmühl, a truly monumental traffic jam is building up as Nansouty’s colossal 1st Cuirassier Division arrives.
Above: On the far northern flank, the battle has stagnated as Kayser seems remarkably reluctant to exploit his advantageous position on the left flank of Gilly’s Brigade. Gilly is therefore able to fall back, thus refusing the left flank and engaging in a firefight across the stream. Friant meanwhile, has managed to rally Gautier’s Brigade in his centre and is at last pushing forward with Grandeau’s Brigade on his right, against the 12th ‘2nd Deutsch-Banát’ Grenze in the woods.
Above: Morand meanwhile, is slowly making progress in establishing a bridgehead across the Grosse-Laaber, despite some disorder caused by Bieber’s artillery. Morand’s own 4pdr horse artillery simply lacks the range to reply effectively from beyond the marsh.
Above: “If you want a job doing properly, do it yourself…” Vandamme, frustrated at Hügel and Gudin’s lack of progress in securing Eggmühl, personally leads the Württemberg Light Infantry forward in their second charge of the day! However, the Württembergers are badly shot up by the Grenze and their supporting cavalry battery and the charge ends in yet another disaster. Vandamme’s horse is shot from under him, but after a tot of brandy to steady his nerves, the grizzled veteran general acquires a remount and carries on.
Above: With Vandamme’s assault having failed, Hügel orders the Württemberg Jäger to prepare themselves to make the next assault. However, the unthinkable then happens! The supporting Württemberg artillery first manage to silence the extremely destructive Austrian cavalry battery covering the bridge and with their next shot, manage to demoralise the Grenze so much that their nerve finally breaks and they run for the hills, leaving Eggmühl completely unoccupied! The Austrian 9th ‘Czartoryski’ Regiment is already in position for just such an eventually, but with Sommariva presently absent, they dither in indecision…
Above: Marshal Lannes, watching from the opposite bank, immediately identifies the astonishing opportunity that has suddenly presented itself. “Now, Hügel! Now is your time! Up, Jäger and at them!” Sure enough, General von Hügel and his Jäger storm across the bridge and quickly secure their prize before the whitecoats can react. Now at last, the Emperor’s heavy cavalry can cross over to take the fight to the Kaiserlicks!
Above: Things are also proceeding well at Stanglmühl, as Morand successfully crosses over with the third regiment of Lacour’s Brigade (13e Légère, 17e de Ligne & 30e de Ligne). Bieber isn’t inclined to come down off the Einsidelberg, so satisfies himself with bombarding them as the infantry wait nervously along the crest.
Above: At long last, Saint-Sulpice’s leading cuirassier brigade (Clément’s) emerges from Schierling and passes the Bavarian cavalry, aiming directly for Stutterhim’s Austrian horsemen.
Above: At Eggmühl, Nansouty wastes no time in following up Hügel’s success and throws Defrance’s Carabinier Brigade across the bridge. Vukassovich’s cavalry battery, which has previously done so much damage to enemy units crossing the bridge, is this time unable to reply, thanks to Württemberg counter-battery efforts. On the left, Sommariva has finally returned, but is too late to prevent the enemy capture of Eggmühl. The Austrians now have only one chance to recapture the village with its bridge…
Above: West of Eggmühl, another surprising event has taken place. Wöllwarth’s cavalry, scouting along the river bank, have discovered a mill-weir at Schnitzlmühl. Having opened the sluice-gate, the water-level behind the weir has dropped sufficiently that cavalry are now able to cross the river with some difficulty. Wöllwarth wastes no time in ordering his brigades to cross over and deploy onto the water-meadows along the north bank.
Above: Stutterheim, realising that he is about to be crushed between three massive cavalry formations, pulls his cavalry back onto the high ground, hoping against hope that the scant advantage of the slope will save them.
Above: As Clément’s Cuirassier Brigade shakes out into line near Unterlaiching, Guiton’s Brigade forms up close behind him, while their divisional horse artillery struggles through the traffic-jam at the rear.
Above: Vincenti’s Bavarian Brigade finally emerges from the wood to capture an isolated position battery of Austrian 12pdrs atop the Vorberg! However, the assault quickly grinds to a bloody halt as the Bavarians are subjected to a colossal storm of shot from the 55th ‘Reuss-Greitz’ Regiment, their supporting 6pdr cavalry battery and the surviving 12pdr position battery.
Above: To the rear of Saint-Hilare’s Division, Crown Prince Ludwig’s 1st Bavarian Division has now arrived. Consisting of two large infantry brigades (Rechberg’s and Stengel’s) and a 12pdr position battery (his cavalry brigade and light mounted battery are both absent), he marches to fill the vulnerable gap that has opened up between Saint-Hilaire and Friant.
Above: Realising that there will never be a better opportunity to meet the French heavy cavalry than when they are still massed in column while crossing the bridge, Vukassovich reluctantly launches the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Ferdinand’ Hussars down the hill to meet Defrance’s Carabiniers. By some miracle, the hussars manage to rout the Carabiniers, who flee back over the bridge to the jeers of the infantry watching on both sides!
Above: However, Vukassovich’s luck doesn’t hold, as his hussars immediately go berserk and throw themselves at the Jäger lurking among the houses and gardens of Eggmühl. The hussars are easily beaten off and retire to reform behind the Bettelberg.
Above: In the meantime, Sommariva has launched his own assault on Eggmühl with the 9th ‘Czartosyski’ Regiment, which immediately gets off to a bad start as the expert marksmen of the Jäger inflict heavy casualties on the attackers, disrupting the cohesion of their assault. Things then go from bad to worse for the Austrians as they are comprehensively defeated. Sommariva himself is mortally wounded. His men carry him back with them as they flee and inspired by his sacrifice they manage to rally, though Sommariva later dies on the surgeon’s table.
Above: The Emperor, now joined by his escort from the Baden Light Dragoons, looks on with increasing disgruntlement at the situation before him. The day is now starting to come to a close and while progress has been made, he had hoped to be already attacking Archduke Charles’ main body by now, but here he is, still struggling to deal with the flank-guard!
Above: With his right flank now secured by Saint-Sulpice’s cuirassers, Lefebvre throws Deroi’s 3rd Bavarian Division and Demont’s Reserve Division up the slope of the Vorberg, to clear away the Austrian artillery once and for all! However, the Austrians aren’t willing to give up their guns, or possession of the high ground, without a fight!
Above: Having found a replacement horse, Vandamme joins Stettner’s Cavalry Brigade as they deploy beyond the Grosse-Laaber and at last prepare to take on the Austrian cavalry.
Above: With his last brigade (l’Huillier’s, consisting of just the 60e de Ligne) finally across the Grosse-Laaber, Morand launches two regiments of Lacour’s Brigade (13e Légère and 30e de Ligne) up the steep Einsiedelberg, where they are met by a storm of fire from Bieber’s 38th ‘Württemberg’ Regiment.
[Thank goodness the Württembergers decided not to attack this position, or it would have got confusing…]
Above: Despite some light casualties from the defensive fire, the assault is completely successful and the 38th ‘Württemberg’ Regiment are routed, along with the supporting gunners.
Above: At Eggmühl, Nansouty throws another brigade across the bridge; this time it’s Doumerc’s Cuirassier Brigade who have the honour of sabering the depleted cavalry battery. Bravely standing their ground (they could have limbered up and evaded the charge), the brave Austrian gunners manage to empty a few saddles, but are soon overwhelmed by the cuirassiers and are destroyed.
Above: However, Doumerc’s blood-crazed troopers now lose control and launch a ragged charge up the slopes of the Bettelberg, where the 10th ‘Stipsicz’ Hussars are waiting. The Austrian hussars, having the advantages of the slope and good order, contemptuously throw the cuirassiers back down the slope, whereupon the rout back over Eggmühl Bridge, causing yet more traffic problems!
Above: However, like the cuirassiers before them, the 10th ‘Stipsicz’ Hussars now go berserk and launch a disordered charge at the first enemy unit they see, which is Clément’s Cuirassier Brigade… This is highly unlikely to end well… However, by some miracle, the hussars, having got themselves into trouble, actually manage to fight their way back out of it and both brigades fall back to lick their wounds. The Austrian hussars really do seem to have the luck of the Gods today.
Above: Saint-Hilaire meanwhile, is leading his third assault of the day on Oberlaiching. To recap, he started the day by being beaten off, but then succeeded in capturing the village with his second assault, only to be thrown out again by an Austrian counter-attack. However, he has rallied Lorencez’s Brigade and once again leads them up the hill, using the cover of the woods to reduce the effectiveness of any defensive fire.
Above: However, it’s all for naught, as the defending 46th ‘Chasteler’ Regiment throw the Frenchmen back down the hill yet again. Saint-Hilaire once again rallies his men at the bottom of the valley and prepares for the next assault. This time however, Crown Prince Ludwig, having observed Saint-Hilaire’s dilemma, orders Major Leiningen to deploy his 12pdr battery to support the next French assault.
Above: With the 38th ‘Württemberg’ Regiment having broken and fled in the face of Morand’s assault, Bieber held out hope that the 20th ‘Kaunitz’ Regiment, holding the second line along the tree-line, would be able to hold the Einsiedelberg, but alas it was not to be. Overwhelmed by firepower, the 20th Regiment too, broke and fled through the woods. With all positions along the Grosse-Laaber now firmly in French hands, Austrian defeat is now guaranteed. All that remains is to decide the severity of that defeat.
[NB We completely forgot that the weir at Stanglmühl was impassable to artillery, so a naughty horse battery has sneaked across while nobody was looking.]
Above: As Crown Prince Ludwig’s 1st Bavarian Division attempts to break through north of Oberlaiching, Leiningen’s 12pdr battery softens up the village in preparation for Saint-Hilaire’s next assault.
Above: At Unterlaiching, Deroi’s and Saint-Hilaire’s artillery falls silence as the enemy is masked by friendlies or is pushed out of range. However, beyond the woods, Deroi’s Bavarian infantry, shredded by close-range Austrian fire as they clear the treeline, have finally had enough and flee the field en masse!
Above: Having recovered from their earlier clash, Saint-Sulpice’s cuirassiers re-order their lines and prepare to charge. The Bavarians might be breaking and running on their left, but Demont’s youngsters are still in the fight as they successfully overrun another Austrian battery.
Above: On the Bettelberg, the Austrian horse are as ready as they’ll ever be.
Above: While Nansouty rallies his two routed brigades in the marsh, Gudin causes absolute traffic-havoc as he marches his division back to Stanglmühl, leaving Eggmühl Bridge open for the cavalry.
Above: At last, the tidal wave of cuirassiers breaks over the Vorberg as Clément’s Brigade leads Saint-Sulpice’s Division over the crest to clash with the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Ferdinand’ Hussars and the 4th ‘Vincent’ Chevauxlegers. Guiton’s Brigade follows very close behind, leaving no margin for error, should it all go wrong for Clément. “Are you sure that’s wise, Sir…?”
Above: Once again, the Austrian hussars prove that the Gods [or at least Dear Departed Deutchmeister Doug’s Dreaded Dastardly Purple Dice of Doom…] are definitely on their side this day, as Clément’s charge fails to break them. As Clément’s cuirassiers fall back, they inevitably disorder Guiton’s Brigade, created an irresistible target for the Austrian cavalry.
Above: Whittled down by the Bavarian artillery, the 46th ‘Chasteler’ Regiment in Oberlaiching is starting to waver. At that moment, Saint-Hilaire leads Lorencez’s Brigade in yet another charge through the woods!
Above: The 46th ‘Chasteler’ Regiment can finally take no more and breaks and runs as Lorencez’s Brigade captures Oberlaiching for the second and final time! However, just beyond the village is Steyrer’s Austrian Grenadier Brigade, ideally positioned to mount an immediate counter-attack. However, their divisional commander Rohan is elsewhere and the Grenadiers remain in place as the opportunity passes.
Above: A short distance to the north, Crown Prince Ludwig’s 1st Bavarian Division launches its assault on the ridge.
Above: Stengel’s Bavarian Brigade [comprising veteran Battle Honours Bavarians] makes short work of the Austrian 8th ‘Erzherzog Ludwig’ Regiment, which disintegrates and flees the field. The supporting Grenze gunners meanwhile, make good their escape up the road to Regensburg. The Bavarians break through into the ‘green fields beyond’!
Above: At last, Hessen-Homburg’s Kürassier Reserve strikes! Schneller’s Brigade on the right, charges over the Bettelberg to contact Guiton’s disordered Cuirassiers, while Lederer’s Brigade on the left charges directly across the low ground to hit Stettner’s Württemberg Cavalry Brigade (with Vandamme attached).
Above: The view from the top of the hill as Stutterheim also leads the 4th ‘Vincent’ Chevauxlegers forward to join the counter-attack against Guiton’s Cuirassiers.
Above: The outcome is a disaster for the French, as Guiton’s Brigade is crushed and routs through both Demont’s 3rd Brigade and Clément’s Cuirassier Brigade, disordering both! Worse is to come as Saint-Sulpice is mortally wounded by the rampaging kürassiere. He survives long enough to ride back and rally Guiton’s men, but soon succumbs to his wounds. Lederer’s charge is nowhere near as decisive however, and following an inconclusive clash, both sides fall back to rally.
Above: With Guiton routed, Schneller unforunately loses control of his men, who launch a ragged charge into Demont’s 3rd Brigade. The inexperienced French infantry, already disordered by the rout of the cuirassiers, fail to form square and are immediately ridden down, with the survivors fleeing to the relative safety of Unterlaiching. With the Austrian kürassiere now milling about in disorder, Vandamme is quick to take advantage of the situation and leads Röder’s Württemberg Cavalry Brigade in yet another charge.
Above: However, the combat is again indecisive and while the Württembergers hurt Schneller’s kürassiere, they are unable to break them and both sides withdraw to redress their ranks and reconsider their next move.
Above: At Oberlaiching, Hohenlohe demonstrates that he still has some fight left, as he orders the 22nd ‘Koburg’ Regiment to charge Rechberg’s disordered Bavarian Brigade. The attack is successful and Rechberg’s men are routed, fleeing back to the stream!
Above: However, before Hohenlohe has a chance to exploit his success, Saint-Hilaire strikes back with Destabenrath’s Brigade, who completely shatter the 22nd ‘Koburg’ Regiment.
Above: As Crown Prince Ludwig rallies Rechberg’s Brigade, he can now see that with the destruction of Hohenlohe, there is now a yawning hole in the heart of the Austrian position.
Above: On the northern flank, near Obersanding, the fight in the woods between the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Regiment and Gautier’s Brigade continues to go back and forth, with attack followed by counter-attack and neither side gaining a particular advantage over the other. The Austrians could easily tip the balance if only Kayser could be persuaded to attack, but he seems content to remain on the bank of the stream and engage in a desultory firefight with Gilly’s 15e Légère.
Above: Deep in the woods, Friant has finally managed to destroy the 12th ‘Deutsch-Banát’ Grenze Regiment, though Rohan mounts a spirited counter-attack at the head of Melgum’s Grenadier Brigade!
Above: Grandeau’s Brigade suffer the worst of the combat and are routed, though are quickly rallied by Friant.
Above: On Friant’s left, Gautier’s Brigade finally manage to rout the persistent 3rd ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Regiment. Gautier however, has suffered heavy losses and could easily be destroyed if Kayser attacks, but true to form, Kayser remains where he is on the far side of the stream.
[In game terms, Kayser needed a roll of 4 or less on a D10 to activate and never managed to achieve it even once during the course of the game. Rosenberg meanwhile, had far more pressing crises to worry about elsewhere, so was never able to ride over and get Kayser moving.]
Above: Having participated in the rout of Guiton’s cuirassiers, Stutterheim managed to halt the 4th ‘Vincent’ Chevauxlegers and then waited to see what developed. Seeing Demont’s 1st Brigade isolated and in line amid the wreckage of the Austrian batteries, he orders his troopers to charge once again! However, Demont’s raw recruits have defeated Stutterheim once before and once again, they manage to form square like veterans.
Above: Stutterheim’s troopers fall back once again to the rear slope of the Bettelberg, where the wreckage of several infantry regiments are also rallying. The two hussar regiments and Schneller’s Kürassier Brigade however, are still in pretty good shape and ready to fend off another French charge. Lederer’s Kürassier Brigade though, is suffering casualties from Morand’s French infantry lurking along the edge of the woods and is forced to fall back.
Above: Crown Prince Ludwig and Saint-Hilaire push forward into the massive gap now opened in the Austrian lines between Oberlaiching and the northern woods.
Above: Despite his brief success against Friant, Rohan realises that with the Austrian infantry regiments collapsing on either side, his grenadier brigades are in serious danger of being surrounded and overrun. He orders the grenadiers to pull back and to assist the cavalry in covering the retreat of the army.
Above: Dedovich attempts to rally the wreckage of the 3rd ‘Erzherzog Karl’ Regiment, though without success.
Above: As his voltigeurs snipe at the massed Austrian cavalry, Morand pushes forward from the Einsiedelberg.
Above: His cuirassiers and carabiniers having rallied, Nansouty pushes forward once again over Eggmühl Bridge, along with Hügel and his rallied Light Infantry.
Above: As night draws in, the Austrians are able to cleanly disengage, as the nearest French and Württemberg cavalry are busy rallying and in the cuirassiers’ case are temporarily without leadership, following the death of Saint-Sulpice.
Above: As the Austrians make good their escape, both sides take stock of their respective situation. The Austrians have lost five of their eleven infantry regiments outright, as well as both of the Grenze regiments, almost all of their artillery, including all of the 12pdr position guns and FML Sommariva has been killed. The remaining infantry regiments have mostly suffered heavy losses, though one of Kayser’s regiments has only suffered moderate losses, while Kayser’s other regiment and Rohan’s Grenadier Brigades are still intact, having only suffered light losses. The cavalry have suffered surprisingly light losses, considering their heavy engagement. However, all the key positions have been lost and Rosenberg’s force is now in full retreat. Nevertheless, the cavalry and reserves retain sufficient strength with which to mount a reasonably potent rearguard.
On the French side, Deroi’s 3rd Bavarian Division is completely hors de combat except for Seydewitz’s cavalry brigade and the large artillery component, which remain intact. Piré’s cavalry were driven from the field. All of Davout’s and Demont’s infantry brigades have suffered heavy losses, though none are broken. Hügel’s Württemberg Advance Guard Brigade, Crown Prince Ludwig’s 1st Bavarian Division, Lannes’ Corps and the three cavalry divisions have suffered fairly light casualties, with many sub-units still being perfectly fresh and combat-ready.
So on balance, while this has been an overwhelming defeat for the Austrians, they did manage to inflict considerable delay upon Napoleon’s attack, holding him until nightfall, giving ample opportunity for the rest of Archduke Charles’ army to escape across the Danube. However, Rosenberg’s IV. Korps and a sizeable chunk of III. Korps is now a shadow of its former self and will be of limited combat value until after a significant period of rest, reinforcement and reorganisation.
My thanks to Dave and the lads at W.A.S.P. for a truly excellent game!
As you’ve probably noticed, I painted a load of new Bavarian and Württemberg troops for this game, so those units will be profiled soon, and there’s still more Seven Years War stuff to come.
