Dünzling - 1809

 So - I decided not to refight Teugn Hausen again but instead to expand the area covered and take in Dünzling which is to the north of the previous action and was the target of a half hearted offensive by the Austrian IV Korps on the same day. I left III Korps in play as there was further fighting around Hausen in the afternoon of 19 April 1809. The original idea of fighting this using the Horse Foot & Guns rules did not last beyond the opening turn as I just couldn't get to grips with them so it was back to the usual. The game was fun but the result was marred by a misremembering of the rules which was perhaps caused by messing about with lots of versions...

Turn 1:

Having forced the Austrians to retreat in the previous game Lorencez's Brigade advances over the Hausnerberg in pursuit.

At Saladorf the Austrians turn at bay to meet them. With a number of heavy batteries emplaced on a hill next to Hausen and with reserves to call upon, the Austrians are now in a strong position to fight back - in fact once the reserves come up they will out number their pursuers significantly especially as the rest of Davout's force is sucked into the fighting at Dunzling and will not assist.

Across the front French units emerge from the trees.

At Dunzling a tiny French force under Gudin hopes to stem the Austrian tide. It is already apparent that they are rather outnumbered.

The terrible 57e advances!

In fact the French advance across the front - concentrating on that weak point between III & IV Korps where communications are maintained by a single battery and two squadrons of Chevaux legers.

It is here that the Austrians fight back and the Vincent C/L (who were a bit reticent in the last game) crash into the 1/48e and send them bolting for the rear. The attack by the 57e is also driven off.

Turn 2: 

The French advance again from the Hausnerberg against the Austrian left which appears to outflank them. Certainly the Austrians have the advantage in numbers. For this game most French units have higher morale - it remains to be seen how much difference that will make.

The French again attacked across the line but only here did they succeed, 1/3e penetrated the Austrian line.

Elsewhere the attack degenerated into a desultory exchange of volleys (the 1/10e Legere seem to be suffering somewhat as they are down  to 1 hit point). 

Whilst Vincent's troopers once again saw off the attacking French in the centre the battery to their right was overrun owing to a misremembering of the rules that would cause the majority of the Austrian casualties throughout the game (I thought that having survived a round of short-range fire infantry only had to contact a battery to over-run them as artillery can't melee but I was wrong the artillery just fire again as their melee turn).

Turn 3:

The French have acted with aggression, perhaps hoping to follow up their success in the previous game. This is the best plan really - hope to maul those big Austrian battalions and throw them back before it becomes a battle of attrition that the French can't win. However- it isn't working. Despite my rule mistake luck isn't with Davout's command and every attack is thrown back.

So - they try again!

And again they fail - across the front...

The all-out attack at Saladorf - Surely this will succeed? ... It didn't!

Hoping to capitalise on their previous success, Vincent's C/L attack again - but this time they ae driven off and the French finally drive a wedge between the Austrian Korps.

Bieber's division moves up from Hausen.

Meanwhile at Dunzling - Pajol's Light Cavalry and the 7e Legere move up to bolster the position.

..And do their best to slow the Austrian advance.

Austrian Jaeger move to outflank Dunzling.

A hole is punched between the two Austrian Korps and the French begin to roll up the flanks.

Turn 4:

The French receive reinforcements and carry on trying to bludgeon Austrian III Korps into submission.

 Guiton's Cuirassiers join the fray at Dunzling but the French are short of infantry really...

French attack on III Korps - not going well - look at all those yellow flags - they denote disorder after failed morale or tactical disadvantage but the French have to keep up the momentum.

Reinforcements move up behind regrouping units - ready to keep up the offensive.

 The business of rolling up the flank of IV Korps also continues but this regiment are largely unsupported...

Apart from their inexorable advance on Dunzling the Austrians have been fairly passive so far but their reinforcements are also moving up and they launch an aggressive counter- attack.

While at Dunzling all attempts to slow their advance have failed. The French infantry have been driven off, the artillery overrun and the cavalry threatened.

Turn 5:

Things are looking bad for Davout (maybe I should have put his personality figure on the table - in its absence the French have been unlucky) - his attempts to pry III Korps from the Hausen bridgehead have hit a brick wall. Even with the rules mistake about artillery the French have made little headway(in fact the only Austrian units in the casualty box are artillery!). It only takes a few unlucky rolls to put you on the back foot in this game and when you are short of numbers you can't afford that.

Using all their reserves, the French make another effort - can't fault them for persistence!

They meet determined resistance.

There are still large numbers of Austrians holding the line.

And they counter attack...

 

And in a reversal of fortune, Austrian light troops emerge from the woods to the rear of the French position on the Hausnerberg. 

Turn 6:

This is all the French have left but they use it to attack again! Really this is a hopeless gesture and their attack is repelled once again. Dunzling is lost, there only cavalry holds off the pursuit.

Austrian grenadiers from the army's central reserve heal the rift between the two Korps.

Spearheaded by their cavalry the Austrians launch a final all out attack to crush the remains of Davout's battered command but the French hold their own and may withdraw in good order - night falls and the game ends.

So - I was back to my usual rules and the game was OK - I will tweak further next time maybe but all in all this was a better game - a bit predictable - attack and counter attack but I guess that is realistic? Historically the Austrians acted with much more caution and failed to take Dunzling or recover from their rebuff at Teugn but they had the numbers and although Austrian commanders felt that their troops lacked teh elan and tactical flexibility of the French they fought bravely throughout the campaign; they could have easily won here.

In terms of the game the Austrians were hampered by the misremembering of the artillery rule which was in fact responsible for most of their casualties. Had those guns stayed in action (as they should) I think the French would have got an even sounder drubbing.

Want to do something different next but not sure what...