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!!

 

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.