Action Along the Danube 1809

I attended the Alder Hobby game day in Manchester, New Hampshire  last Saturday and used my buddy Rich's incredible terrain from his Green Springs AWI game for a version of my Waltzing on the Danube Game using Carnage and Glory II rules for Napoleonics.  A brigade plus of Bavarians (5 infantry battalions supported by two batteries and two units of Berg Lancers) reinforced by a brigade of French infantry (5 battalions plus a battery) try to stem the Austrian tide. 

Graf Bellegarde's 1st Corps with the Divisions of General Kleanu (Advanced Guard), Dedovich, and a brigade under General Nordmann slowly pushed back the outnumbered Franco-Bavarian forces. It was a fun afternoon and resulted in a minor Austrian victory.  We were surprised that the incredibly efficient 1st Jager Battalion did not receive honors for battle, instead that honor fell to the Uhlans.  A Bavarian infantry battalion took honors for the Franco-Bavarians for the hurt they laid on the Austrians.

First play test of Waltzing on the Danube

On November 19th I hosted 7 gamers for a run through of my Waltzing on the Danube 1809 game.  Rich (right), Adam (left) and Pierce (center and a newbie) commanded the Austrians against Steve (left), Leo (right) and Rob(center).  The following photos are from the game:

Rich and Adam looking over their commands

 

Austrian dragoons were charged by Berg lancers and sent reeling.

Austrian lancers caught a limbered artillery unit and wiped it out, while French chasseurs in line prevented the other lancer unit from reaching the second French artillery unit who deployed by the windmill.

Austrians moved first in an effort to gain some depth and not be pinned against there entry point.

The Bavarians came up just short in their charge on the guns after being ravaged by canister from the far battery.

 

 

 

 

The following pictures give a sense of the too and fro of the action.  The Bavarian line performed a save yourself maneuver and fled the scene.  They would rally later and return to the action. The Austrian horse withdrew with one unit dispersing after their encounter with the Berg lancers.  On the French right flank the horse forced the Austrians to deploy into battalion mass in order to continue to seek elbow room. They made juicy artillery targets.  In the center the Austrian line retained its line behind the cornfields and bided its time.

 

 

 

On the Austrian right, in the woods, their grenzers and landwher formed open order and slowly pushed back the Bavarian lights.  The prevalence of artillery smoke gave stark evidence of the slugfest underway.  All of the artillery was being well used.  Counter-battery fire was common as the guns often set up within canister range of each other.  (Note the cotton balls indicating artillery being fired.)

 

 

 

The Austrian center advanced through the cornfield and began a shoot out with the French Center.  After a while the combination of French artillery and infantry fire caused the center Austrian brigade to fall back.  On the Austrian right, Adam had stabilized the situation was bringing his horse back into the fray after forcing Leo to pull back a number of his cavalry.  Leo described the action between Adam and himself as Rock'em Sock'em Robots, a real slug fest.  Rich, on the Austrian left was bringing his troops forward to hit the Bavarians when we called the game because of time.  the computer called it an inconclusive action.  There were a ton of troops to push and not all of them got into play.

 

 

 

Lessons learned:  I need to scale this down a bit if I want to reach a conclusion within the standard 4 hour game format used at most conventions.  I've since pruned the Austrian and French OOBs and believe I have a more manageable game which will be a challenge for the Franco-Bavarians.  The Austrians will need to be aggressive in order to win. 

Preparing for Waltzing Along the Danube, 1809 using Carnage and Glory II

I'm preparing for a November 19th war game using Carnage and Glory II computer assisted rules.  The setting is a clash between Marshal Lefebvre and a Franco Bavarian mixed corps and  Austrian General Klenau who is leading an augmented advanced guard corps+ of Austrians in 1809. 

The Order of Battle is as follows:
Franco-Bavarians

107         Lefebvre              1400 paces

                157         1/3^rd guard horse battery  6pdr light

                158         2/3^rd guard horse battery  “  “

106         St Hilaire              950 paces

                161         Horse battery                    6pdr light

                162         Division Foot battery      6pdr medium

                163         Division Foot battery      6pdr medium

108         Marion                 350 paces

                124         1/10^th    Legere  600

                125         2/10       Legere  “

                126         3/10^th    Legere “

                127         1/105^th Line “

                128         2/105^th Line “

                129         3/105^th Line “

109         Lorencez              500 paces

                130         1/3^rd Line             825

                131         2/3^rd Line             825

                132         3/3^rd Line             850

                133         1/57^th Line           650

                134         2/57^th Line           650

                135         3/57^th Line           650

111         Kronprinz Ludwig             650 paces

                153         1/2^nd Foot Artillery   6pdr medium

                154         2/2^nd Foot Artillery           “

                155         3/2^nd Foot Artillery           “

                156         1/2^nd Horse Artillery  6pdr light

                159         Lancers of Berg    450

                160         Lancer of Berg bis 400

112         Baron Rechberg                                450 paces

                142         1 Lieb    600

                143         2/Lieb   602

                144         1/Kronprinz 600

                145         2/Kronprinz        615

                146         1^st Light Infantry               613

105         Pully     450 paces

                120         12eme Chasseurs A  360

                121         12eme Chasseurs B  360

                122         1^st Hussars                           450

                123         28^th Dragoons                    450

               

Austrians:

502         Klenau                  800 paces

503         Hardegg               400 paces

                501         1^st Jager                770 men

                502         1/IR 3                    1120

                503         2/IR 3                    1120

                504         3/IR 3                    1120

                505         10^th Hussars bis 400

                506         10^th Hussars        461

                507         2 Uhlan bis          400

                508         2 Uhlan                 56

                509         1 Cavalerie battery          160 6pdr light

549         Von Clary  400 paces

                672         Baron Knesevich Dragoons Bis   300

                673         Baron Knesevich Dragoons          344

                674         11 Cavalerie Battery                        150 6pdr light

504         Graf Bellegarde                                1200 paces

                538         Battery # 1          150   12 pounder

                539         Battery #2           150         12 pdr

505         Baron Dedovich                800 paces

506         Hennenberg      400 paces

                510         1/IR 17  1120

                511         2/IR 17  1120

                512         3/IR 17 1120

                513         1/IR 36  1062

                514         2/IR 36  1062

                515         3/IR 36  1062

                516         1 brigade battery             300  6pdr medium

507         Wacquant           400 paces

                517         1/ IR 11 1101

                518         2/IR 11  1101

                519         3/IR 11  1101

                520         1/IR 47  1079

                521         2/IR 47  1079

                522         3/IR 47  1079

                523         #2 Brigade Battery           200  6pdr medium

526         Bruck                     400 paces

                600         1/13 Grenz          651

                601         2/13 Grenz          651

                602         2 Mahr Frewingler           993

                603         Carneville Freicorps        208

                604         Carneville Freicorps cav 115

                605         Vincent Chevalegers #4                                746

                606         Erzog Ferdinand Hussars #4         821

                607         #4 Cavalarie Battery        150  6 pdr light

533         Nordman             400 paces

                630         Warasdiner Grenz           544

                631         1^st Vienna Frewillinger   544

                632         2^nd Vienna Frewillinger  610

                633         #16 Brigade Battery        150  3 pdr

509         Clary      400 paces

                524         1/IR 10                  1092

                525         2/IR 10                  1092

                526         1/IR 42                  1157

                527         2/IR 42                  1157

                528         #3 Brigade Battery           200  6 pdr medium

536         D’Aspre                                400 paces

537         Marville                400 paces

                639         Gren Bn Scharbol             706

                640         Gren Bn Scouand             605

                641         Gren Bn Putenai               682

                642         Gren Bn Brezecinsky      610

               

Aiken Bottom Ranch question

In response to the question about the battle of Aiken Bottom Ranch, yes, the Yankees did get a bad case of the runs.

Battle of Aiken Bottom Ranch

I commanded a Georgia Brigade under BG Paul Semmes under MG McClaws Division in this ACW clash using Carnage and Glory II Computer Aided Rules, run by Rich Wallace at his New Hampshire home last Sunday.  My brigade and the rebel artillery started on the board.  Our objective was to seize the bridge to our front right and exit our supply wagons over said bridge.  Max Sewell, aka BG William Barksdale and his Mississippi Brigade, and Scott Monteith, aka BG Woffard and his Georgia Brigade were the other rebel commanders.  Leo Walsh and Mike Paine commanded the Union forces. The picture below shows the first turn arrival of Barksdale's Mississippi boys and on the far side of the road, Woffard's Georgians.  Rich would not allow the guns to limber, so I have prolonged one over the wall.

 

The Union troops prepare for the Rebel advance as the farm burns.

 

The guns have set the Union occupied house on fire as my troops advance, on the left we move into the cornfield while in the center we advance on the burning farmstead while the right fires on the union troops behind the fence.

 Another shot of the opening moves.  Wonderful terrain and detail typical of a Rich Wallace game.

 

Union reserves arrive near the bridge.

The red cotton ball denotes the serious condition of General Willard's Union Brigade after having two of its four units thrown back by the rebels.

 

Using an Indian Rush to draw fire from a further distance, my Georgians have thrown the Yanks out of the burning farm and the next turn followed up with an assault on the troops at the fence line from both the victors of the farm clash and their supporting unit. 

The rebels finally come to grips with Union Zouaves in the Cornfield.  The troops had to be within 75 paces to see and shoot at each other.  Barksdale's Mississippians advance at the rear of the photo in support of my Georgians.

The supply train and Barksdale's Mississippi boys move forward as the guns continue to prolong and try to get into the action.

 The congestion at the bridge as Mike Paine brings BG Carroll's Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia boys forward past BG Willard's retreating New Yorkers. We must hold the bridge!

 Beautiful vignette of union troops around the campfire. 

 Another of Rich's excellent touches, adding depth and beauty to the field of battle.

Carroll's Union troops charge over the bridge in assault column, hitting the 50th Georgia, who had defeated two separate union regiments. The Zouaves have been sent packing from the cornfield as Scott and Woffard's Georgians advance in the distance.

The clash at the fence lines.

Another view of the actions as my Georgians hit the retiring New Yorkers on the far right and are assaulted by the Ohio boys in the center.

The 50th Georgia defeats the Ohio boys and countercharges.  Three Yankee regiments sent reeling. 

 The Union boys prepare to assault from the bridge while a Gattlin gun moves onto the contested structure.

A wider view of the action

A Close up of Barksdale's boys preparing to advance.

 

 

 

 

 

A view from the other side of the river as the Ohio boys hit the 50th Georgia and the West Virginias hit the left most Georgia regiment.

 

 

 

 

 

The Georgians are finally sent off, only to unmask the prolonging rebel artillery and Barksdale's fresh troops.

 

 

 

Woffard's Georgians advance through the cornfield along with the Mississippi boys.

 

 

 

 

Barksdale's charge on the Gattlin gun falls short. The gun misfires. The rest of the two union brigades on this flank are routing off the board.

 

 

 

 

 

A final shot at game end.  The Rebel left flank had charged forward on the last turn only to run into fresh Union troops who turned a Major Confederate Victory in to a Pyrrhic  one.  My (Semme's) Georgians had cleared the way.  Great Game Rich.  Good fun all around and a wonderful terrain board with well painted and based troops made this a real pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Projects for Carnage and Glory

The Battle of Neerwinden, 1793 and the Battle of Kaiserlauten 1793 are being researched.  I may just concentrate on the northern sector of Neerwinden where Charles and his Austrians defeated the French.

War of 1812, I'm working on Plattsburg (a hypothetical involving the crossing of the Sarinac River West of the Town) and North Point which I'm planning on running with Steve Keyer at Huzzah in 2017. 

I'm also beginning to put together a campaign of the Swedish-Russian War of 1808, as there are a two excellent campaign books available on this little heard of aspect of the Napoleonic Wars.