Campaign For France - 3. French and Austrians clash in Battle 2

At the same time the French and English fight out Battle 1, another French force and the invading Austrian force come together near the eastern border with Piedmont.

The French outclass their attackers with a heavy Young Guard Corps attached Guard Cavalry while the Austrian force is their main Corps comprising a number of Line Infantry Divisions, elite Advance and Light Brigades and a strong division of Grenadiers as well a small contingent of Wurttemburg troops.

Battlefield map:

French deployed along the bottom and Austrians deloyed along the top of this map

0900hrs

As a meeting engagement both sides deploy in medium rain. The rain reduced the visibility and so the forces deployed onto the field of battle without being able to see each other and losing a lot of their movement speed.

French forces deploy on the left and Austrians deploy on the right

Austrian Grenzers deploy in line

French Infantry

French artillery massed for effect

1000hrs

Almost all formations continued forward through the rain. In the centre and on the Austrian right, contact was made.

In the centre Austrian Hussars engaged French infantry in columns and on the right Austrian Landwehr engaged French infantry in columns.

Austrian Hussars decided to take the opportunity heavy rainfall gives and they charge forward moving to line formation before they did. Their target was 4 battalions of French Young Guard Infantry who immediately formed closed columns. The change of formation triggered an opportunity charge but the unit failed to capitalise on that moment. Minutes later though, they successfully charged and while taking a small amount of artillery fire on the way in, they met their target with no loss. All 4 French battalions were routed and the Hussars continued to penetrate into the French lines. Another 2 battalions in the line of charge failed to form square and were also contacted. This time however the fatigue of the horsemen was too much and they failed to cause any damage and withdraw.

A good start to the battle.

On the Austrian right, French Infantry in columns and Austrian Landwehr marched to close the gap between them. Rain forced them both to decide this engagement by the bayonet and the 1st line of Landwehr were routed. The 2nd line of Landwehr fared better and were pushed back but in disorder only and not routed.

Austrian centre closes the gap between them and the enemy with Austrian Hussars on the left excited about the juicy formations ahead of them.

Austrian centre left and left with elite infantry leading their formations forward

Austrian Hussars clear 4 enemy battalions from the force opposing the Austrians

French infantry on the Austrian right push away a line of Austrian Landwehr

French cavalry on the French extreme right

1100hrs

The commander of the Austrians, Field Marshal Guylai personally delivered a order to a portion of the reserve made up of a brigade of Austrian cavalry and a brigade of Austrian Grenadiers to deploy with haste to cover the extreme left of the Austrian line where a French cavalry division was threatening to outflank the Austrian position. 

The remainder of the Austrian reserve, another brigade of Grenadiers, was ordered to move to the same position on the extreme right but the order failed to arrive in time.

The situation at 1100hrs with French cavalry at the bottom of the picture threatening to come around the woods and the Austrian left. In the centre can be seen the 2 Austrian line divisions attacking in perfect unison with a small wood in between them.

Austrian light brigades support the line division attacking in the centre left

Austrian attack on centre left

The Austrian attack in the centre left was now engaging the enemy troops before it. The lines made for slow progress but it also kept casualties lighter from the French artillery.

The light brigades on the left here held their position in order to deploy artillery and ready cavalry to attack through the gaps while the line division on the right pushed forward and engaged the enemy infantry in firefights on the hill.

Austrian light brigades on the left and line infantry division on the right

In the Austrian centre right, another line infantry division supported by a light brigade attacked forward as well. With 4 Young Guard battalions on the run from previous cavalry attacks, the Austrians were keen to send in the fresh Hussar regiment to cause more damage that the infantry could exploit.

Another 2 battalions were scattered in a short time later.

A fresh Austrian Hussar regiment in the centre move off the hill to line up a charge on 2 battalions of French Young Guard.

Victorious Austrian Hussars sitting in amongst the French lines

Austrian Grenadiers screened by Grenz deploy in their columns on the Austrian extreme left

Austrian Cavalry on the Austrian extreme left

Artillery and cavalry move to deny the left flank to the approaching French cavalry

On the Austrian right flank, the Austrian Landwehr are charged and pushed back en mass with some routing and some withdrawing. Soon the whole formation was forced to withdraw and began breaking contact with the French infantry.

Wurttemburg light infantry await the oncoming French infantry

The commander of the Landwehr orders the withdrawal of his units

The Austrian Reserve division commander encourages his Grenadiers

1200hrs

The battle ends (2 x night maximum as per Campaign Rules) with the French in command of 3 points of strategic value on the table and the Austrians achieving only 1.

Click here for Part 4 of the Campaign

Campaign For France - 2. French and English clash in Battle 1

As the English army moved into the initial French provinces along the border with Spain, it got intelligence of a French army moving nearby and it quickly moved to contact it. The English general was keen to pit his troops against the French and prove these veteran soldiers of Europe could be beaten.

Here is a quick map of the terrain where the battle took place, the French deploying from the road on the southern edge with the English deploying along the northern edge:

0900hrs

Both armies deployed for battle at first light. Although the weather so far has been quite rainy, there was little affect it was having on the terrain at this stage.

The English deployed wide with a strong British and Portuguese Infantry division on the right, a cavalry force next, Spanish allies on the hill and in the village in the allied centre and another British and Portuguese Infantry division far off on the left.

The Spanish were ordered to hold their positions, especially the village which was given particular strategic significance seeing as it overlooked the road north.

Both English allied divisions were ordered to attach the hills on either side of the French positions.

Both armies deploy into view of each other

The strong British and Portuguese division deployed on the allied right. Rifles formed a strong skirmish screen covering the entire formation.

Some of the British infantry columns deploying on the allied left

The French decided to defend 2 hills around a village using the usually English tactic of hiding behind the ridge of those hills. A mixed Task Force of infantry, cavalry and artillery was assigned the defence of the hill on the French right and the village behind it, while an infantry division supported by cavalry deployed on and behind the hill on the French left, with the cavalry deployed in line on the extreme left.

Another French cavalry formation deployed on the road behind the French position as a reserve.

French deployment in and around the village and the 2 hills.

Behind the French deployment

French infantry columns hiding safe behind the hill on the French left

French columns with skirmisher screens

French cavalry defending the left of the French lines

Rifles officers encourage the move forward to contact

Spanish troops defending the village in the centre of the allied lines

1000hrs

English formations swarm forward in columns with skirmishers clouding their front. French artillery open up and begin making their mark. English skirmishers feel the pain.

In the centre a Spanish gun line erupts in fire but has limited targets other than deployed French artillery.

View of the 2 forces coming to grips - the English right and French left

British light infantry deploy to line close in preparation to engage French forces

1100hrs

As the infantry locked horns on the 2 hills, the French cavalry covering the left of its army, leaped forward to wreck havoc on the British and Portuguese infantry. Squares quickly formed without concern but were met with focused fire from French artillery nearby.

A Portuguese column behind the woods fires into the flank of a regiment of French cavalry forcing it to flee while it's sister unit is unable to exact revenge on the extreme left of the French position

The balancing point for the allied attack. The French cavalry were pushed away on the left and French infantry were behind the hill. This is the point the English should have spewed forward in massed numbers.

On the allied left, the French right, British and Portuguese troops had managed to meet the French on the top of the hill and in line, there were decimating the defenders, eventually gaining the hill and positioning themselves to move down into the village held by the French.

1200hrs

At midday both commanders called the battle undecided (ED-> 2 x night limit on battles unless both parties agree to a 3rd night).

View from behind the French left showing the British line almost cresting the hill and Portuguese in the woods on the left

British lines on the French hill on the right

OUTCOME:

As per the Campaign Rules, each tabletop commander at the beginning of the battle assigned 3 x  terrain features or strategic tasks a number of points to the value of 4, 2 and 1. 

The English kept all their 7 points while the French lost 2 from the hill on their right they lost to the British for a total of 5. We now apply the comparison ratio of total army ACE ratings for final calculation of scores. The victor keeps the province while the loser must withdraw back where he came.

Click here for Part 3