Game 129 : Aspern-Essling main battle

 This was a refight of Aspern-Essling. Can the Austrians force or even rout the French off table or can the French hold the ground and not need to retire?

The key to Austrian success is to attack both villages, heavily and also assault the centre with their cavalry numbers. Stop the French from rotating any combat worn battalions and if the centre can be won, it will stop the flow of French reinforcements to the villages.

Austrian massed cavalry is advancing on the flank of Essling, trying to drive past the village and interdict anf move from the French in reinforcing Essling.

The exact same tactic is being used in front of Aspern. The village is being assaulted from both sides and the cavalry are trying to command the centre ground.

This is Essling under assault from elements from 3 Austrian Divisions. The Granary is still holding out, but it is now cut off from any reinforcements. The rest of the village has to be assaulted and taken, section by section, if the attack is to succeed.

The Granary would eventually fall towards nightfall, constantly attacked from more than one side and the defender numbers slowly wilting.

A view of one of the many assaults on Aspern. The Church would manage to hold out until nightfall when the French withdrew. The French managed to keep communication with the Church, reinforcing it when in combat. The key to the Austrians winning in the centre was the unfortunate experience of a French foot battery caught, in bad morale, by a Regiment of Austrian Hussars. It was ridden down and the Austrian cavalry then launched itself into the French cavalry. The French held, but at the expense of having to yield ground in the centre.

Take 2 of assaults on Aspern from 2 sides. This attack, although pressed home, still got halted and had to regroup in order to launch fresh attacks.

Another set of furious assaults on Aspern. This time the combat was a lot closer and the result was never assured for either side. Eventually, the French would hold again and repulse the assault.

French Formations	Losses %			Austrian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
NAPOLEON				CHARLES	-	-	0
Massena				Hiller
Molitor	33	-	0	Nordmann	8	28	33
LeGrand	42	-	25	Kottulinsky	20	11	100
Boudet	28	-	100	Vincent	20	20	19
St Cyr	33	-	0
Marulaz	-	14	8	Bellegarde
Lasalle	-	30	46	Fresnel	7	1	25
				Vogelsang	7	-	0
Lannes				Ulm	10	-	19
Tharreau	6	-	38	Nostitz	14	-	0
Claparede	2	-	0
St Hilaire	1	-	3	Hohenzollern
				Brady	1	6	25
Guard				Weber	0	-	13
Curial	0	-	-
Dorsenne	4	-	-	Rosenberg
Arrighi	-	35	-	Klenau	50	28	100
				Dedovitch	8	2	6
Bessieres
Espagne	-	12	0	Hohenloe
St Sulspice	-	61	100	Rohan	10	9	-
Nansouty	-	29	0	Hohenloe	21	-	100
Guard Art	-	-	7	Liechtenstein
				Hesse-Homburg	-	14	21
				Kienmayer	-	1	13
				Lindenau	4	-	0
				Aspre	23	-	0

Casualties were heavy as the fighting was intense for most of the day. The overall result was fairly historical with the French withdrawing, intact, to the bridge back over the Danube.

Rogue's gallery. Next stop is a week long game, Eylau, in the snow! Hopefully not literally!!