Post by bruce on Apr 5, 2018 1:58:30 GMT
In the fall of 1805, our hero Archduke Charles commanded Austria’s forces in northern Italy. Charles was well aware of the fate of that dummkopf Mack at Ulm at the hands of Napoleon and did not want to lose Austria’s last intact force. He began a withdrawl toward Vienna. But he was facing a large French army under Massena, who was out to prevent this.
As Massena began to engage the Austrians in sharp clashes at Verona, Charles withdrew to Caldiero, which he had previously fortified. His right wing under Simsbchen held the Colognola heights to the east of the town, the center under Bellgarde held the town itself and the left wing under Reuss held the line out to the Adige River. Charles also kept back some significant reserves under Nordmann. The Austrians outnumbered the French 48,000 to 33,000 but as we all know this might not help them - except when I command as Super Charles!
Massena came after Charles with a center force and two wings as well, plus a flanking force. The left wing under Molitor advanced on the Colognola heights and the village of San Reno, where Charles had concentrated some cavalry. In the center Gardanne and Duhesme led the assault on the town and fortified line. Verdier crossed the Adagio to the north with the flanking force, but was to encounter Nordmann and get into trouble.
In setting up I used the above info and a couple of scenario maps I found online with my 4x4 revolving table. Unfortunately, I did not initially realize that these maps did not allow much room for the French flank march to the west of the Adige, where Verdier was in constant danger of falling off the edge of the world on one side and pinned by the river on the other. But the rest of the field looked okay.
Rules were heavily modified (by me) Neil Thomas Napoleonic. These included some new skirmisher rules, figure removal from magnetic bases, hit markers rather than rosters , casualties on the field and troops running away, simultaneous combat results, chance factors. Neil would not be happy.
As in real life, Simbschen’s men came down from the heights to attack Molitor. Simbschen observes above. I had the Austrian cavalry in San Zeno uncharacteristically attack Molitor’s unanchored left as well as seen in the first photo. These two forces spent the game battering each other without breaking - after the French were forced to commit some of their cavalry reserves to stabilize the line.
In the center, the French attacked the town and fortified line, but here they suffered from an almost unbelievable run of bad dice rolls, while the Austrians had some cover and delivered a punch that broke up the French attack. Verdier tried to cross the river here to the left but there was too little room to deploy effectively and Nordmann was ready as seen above.
Near the town, French casualties and loss of morale led to a gap between Gardanne and Molitor which Super Charles exploited and began to turn the French line from the middle. Massena was forced to commit his remaining cavalry reserves to plug this gap.
By turn number ten, both armies began to roll for exhaustion each turn, which led to some units becoming inactive on each side. Casualties were nearly even but becoming extensive, which would lead to extra morale rolls. Night fell without a decision. Thus the game turned out much like the actual battle.
In real life, Charles appeared to have won a slight tactical victory, but began his withdrawal during the night. Massena would follow him and pick off some of his forces in the coming weeks. The Austrians maintained their championship form as the slowest moving army in Europe, a title they never relinquished – they were a month late for Waterloo. Eventually, Charles cleverly withdrew so far east that Massena ended his pursuit. Charles made camp on the River Mur for a few days, perhaps enjoying some fishing and leisure activities, before crossing into Hungary. Somewhere around this time he learned that he had missed Austerlitz. Just as well, he likely thought. And he began making his cunning plans for 1809. Bruce