Game 128 : Aspern-Essling, the early action.

 This game is set around Aspern-Essling. There were 2 of us so we wanted a simpler game. We played the initial actions around the villages which was somewhat confused and uncoordinated. To reflect this, once the French were sighted in the villages, the Austrians were restricted on movement. This was done by rolling 1 average dice per Division and that was then how many units could move/charge/reinforce that turn. It led to quite a few odd situations but worked well to reflect the fog of war. The troops involved were 2 Austrian Korps and 2 French infantry Divisions with 2 cavalry Divisions in support.

The above shows a frontal assault on Aspern. The Church is just seen at the top  of the picture.

This is another picture of the above assault demonstrating that the whole of Aspern is being attacked.

This is the assault on Essling. The Granary, nearly impossible to seize quickly without protracted action, is just of pic to the left.

The height of the action at Aspern. Although the Austrians were able to launch multiple assault, the movement limitations effectively stopped co-ordination between Divisions. Although tough for the French, the piecemeal attacks were all successfully driven off.

There was a cavalry action in the middle of the battlefield linking the 2 villages. It was a case of bish,bash, bosh and then return to where we started. Each side nearly won the combat, but in the end it really was "as we were" looking at each other!

 

I put this in just to show the Granary. It is behind the walled garden in the centre of the pic. The result of the battle was the French successfully holding both villages. We actually completed 24 turns. The movement restrictions worked well and "spoiled" most Austrian attacks. The French were never strong enough to launch a counter-attack. It was "hold until relieved!!

The next game will be Aspern-Essling proper. Loads of troops!

Game 127 : Battle near Kursk 1943

 This was an imaginary battle set in the spring/summer of 1943. Both forces were mobile. The Germans were based on GrossDeutschland plus add ons. The Russians were based on 2 Tank Corps plus add ons.

There were only 4 little villages on the table. One, essentially in Russian lines, found a German security Btn surrounded by ever expanding numbers of Russian mobile/armoured forces. They held out for most of the battle, losing most of their numbers to combat and not breaking.

German armour is deployed to try and force a way through to the entrapped security Btn above. This was also the main flanking attack by the Germans. It was based on 3 Btns, A Stug Btn, a Pz Btn based on PzIVs and a Gepanzert PzGr Btn.

In the centre were the most significant German add ons. A full Tiger Btn along with a Brumbar coy are attacking the village. The main German problem, it affected both sides, was a lack of infantry.  

A JU 87G finds Russian armour in the open. Both sides had significant air assets that required planning. Missions were ground attack, escort or interceptor.

Standard Stukas, with escorts, attack the central village. These attacks had to be careful as the bombs do have a tendency to not fall on target. On this occasion, friendly fire was avoided.

Not to be outdone, the VVS attack with numbers against German armour in the open. The FW 190s managed to drive off part of the attack but significant numbers of aircraft got through. The German armour survived the encounter.

Russian T34s deploy, with support to try and stop the German left flank assault (first seen above).

The result of the combat. German armour rolls through the ground that the Russians tried to hold but were driven back with heavy loss.

Usual faces from the engagement. Lots of dice thrown and lots of things blown up. Just as it should be!

Game 126 : First Bull Run 1861

 The 15mm ACW were back out for this battle. First Bull Run was selected as it fits well with 4 players. Both sides knew about the campaign/battle and so there were not too may surprises. We use F & F with house rules and it is at regimental level.

The action took place primarily on the Union right. It wasn't the flank attack appearing that lead to this, it was the Confederates attacking across the bridge!

The above shows the progress the Confederates have made across the bridge. It was preceded with what turned out to be a one sided fire fight that favoured the Confederates. The Union right was struggling and neither reinforcements from the centre, nor the flank attack had yet appeared.

Looking down to the Confederate right, with Manassas junction off the table at the far end, it was a case of look at each other. Union forces had found 2 fords, the confederate attempt at ford location resulted in a bloody nose for a cavalry regiment. 

Reinforcements from the centre have arrived to bolster the Union right which has now stabilised the front and it attempting to counter-attack. The Confederates are also welcoming timely reinforcements from troops arrived at the rail head near Manassas.

Both side renew attempted advance with fresh troops. It doesn't take long before the crisis appears.

The Union line is in danger of cracking. It needs a turn to shore up the line and behold! The 2 advancing Confederate Brigades have their advance stall. It was a very big straw that the Union forces had managed to grab!

On the Union left, an attack was launched to deflect attention from the right flank and also to attempt to drive the Confederates away from Manassas junction. After a promising start it became a slaughterhouse! Scratch 4 regiments of Union infantry. 

Despite this set back, the whole line was now stable for both sides and the game finished. A bit like "what just happened folks, anything?"

Rogue's gallery. Next up will be a WWII game, around the time of the Kursk offensive.

Game 125 : Campaign Action culminating in a battle at Khartoum

 This was another game of Sands of Sudan with Dave Doc bringing down all his Sudan kit. The Imperial columns had to fight through Sudan to quash or squash rebellions by all sorts of nasty people. Needless to say, we had a great time. 

The mechanics were fine and we also learnt as we played. We played 2 campaign battles and finished with the relief of Khartoum, which is always fun.

Below are a few pics, in no particular order. The games never cease to be fun!

The above shows "Khartoum" being assaulted. The nasties launched about 17 assaults all told, each one thrown back, not without a modicum of luck

At the other end of the table in the same battle, a large Mahdi cavalry force gets whittle down and then finally surrounded. It certainly was death or nothing, or something like that!

Taken from the 2nd campaign battle. Two Brigades of Imperial Infantry march unstoppably along the table to effect another siege raise of a besieged town. I took the hump, momentarily, when I was refused the air support that you can just see in the top right corner!!! 

I think this was the same battle, an Egyptian sortie from the town has been beaten back, but the Imperial Brigade is about to intervene.

This is also from the same game showing the adjoining table. Imperial columns are converging to relieve this town on the Nile. Out of shot there is a Nile river gunboat supporting the Imperial forces.

I don't know how many figures we had deployed, but Dave had very little left in his boxes.

Rogue's gallery

Game 124 : Battle of Caldiero, take II

 Having learnt quite a bit from the first game we played of this battle, this was a repeat. There was a lot more fighting and far heavier attrition of both armies.

This time we were two a side, so a lot more happened more quickly. Below is the Austrian right flank. Although the Austrians have mostly light cavalry, they are large regiments and so we decided to use them offensively across the front. Austrian infantry is also advancing, but the terrain, orchards, would heavily compromise the advance.

At the top of the pic, a French Grenadier Division is assaulting Caldiero. The Austrians would hold off four separate assaults, having luck with morale throws, before voluntarily yielding the village when the army began a controlled withdrawal.

The Austrian left flank saw massed Hussars attacking to their front and succeeding in stopping any useful French advance in this sector.

This is the second French assault on Caldiero. The Austrians holding the village comprised mainly Grenadiers, including one elite battalion actually holding the village.

The fourth, and last, French assault. The Austrians were in a position to have their own reinforcements. Losses on both sides were heavy. 

French Formations	Losses %			Austrian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
Massena	3	10	-	Archduke Charkes	-	-	0
Gardenne	23	0	16	Bellegarde	-	-	10
Molitor	0	0	0	Left Wing	-	-	0
Partonneaux	11	-	22	Lindenau	14	-	-
Verdier	0	0	0	Reuss-Plauen	1	0	31
Durutte	0	0	0	Simbschen	3	0	13
Moulin	16	-	-	Davidovich	0	0	-
Duhesme	0	8	0	Argentau	0	0	0
D’Espagne	-	15	38	Vogelsang	35	7	-
Mermet	-	13	25	Ballinlough	-	21	29
Palombine	-	0	0	Nordmann	2	6	0
				Somariva	0	0	-

The artillery suffered rather badly. I claim the luckiest shot, nearly knocking out a French battery in a single shot. Counter battery fire at artillery effective range is rather bloody! 

Rogues gallery. Graham designed this game and it worked very well. Next stop is back to the Sudan!!

Game 123 : Battle of Caldiero 1805

 This battle was fought in Northern Italy. I was a battlefield that had more than one engagement over the wars. Both sides are evenly matched. The French have a slightly higher average morale, the Austrians have numbers. We are also using variable morale.

The above is a shot from the French Left. It shows vineyards in front of a protected position of earthworks. Turn 1 saw the French (me) lose a full Light Btn in open order to the dreaded bad dice! Making progress here, for either side, was difficult.

Nearer the centre, Caldiero is in shot, The French secured the fron part of the village relatively easily. Dragoons are advancing to try and pin down Austrian forces being fed into the village area

On the other side of Caldiero, French heavy cavalry, including Cuirassiers, made good progress. Some Austrians were caught out of square and suffered appropriately from the Cuirassiers. This also led to the French being able to assault the second part of Caldiero (there were 3 village sections).

Further to the right, the French Light cavalry also advanced to engage the enemy cavalry. I was lucky in that the lead unit was Elite, it ensured that the Austrian cavalry was driven back..

This is Caldiero seen from the Austrian lines. French Cuirassiers have broken through. I recalled them as they would otherwise get embroiled with squares and they had done their job by allowing my infantry to engage the second part of Caldiero.

At this point, the Austrian centre retired, there was a danger they would get beaten piecemeal if they remained in place. A very interesting battle, it was designed by Graham. We will be playing it again with more players and likely we will reverse sides.

French Formations	Losses %			Austrian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
Massena	3	10	-	Archduke Charkes	-	-	0
Gardenne	23	0	16	Bellegarde	-	10	-
Molitor	0	0	0	Left Wing	-	-	0
Partonneaux	11	-	22	Lindenau	14	46	0
Verdier	0	0	0	Reuss-Plauen	1	0	31
Durutte	0	0	0	Simbschen	3	0	13
Moulin	16	-	-	Davidovich	0	0	-
Duhesme	0	8	0	Argentau	0	0	0
D’Espagne	-	15	38	Vogelsang	35	7	-
Mermet	-	13	25	Ballinlough	-	21	29
Palombine	-	0	0	Nordmann	2	6	0
				Somariva	0	0	-

Overall, it was quite a bloody affair. We'll see what the second engagement brings.