Bloody Hell in the Wheatfields...

[Jack ONeill]

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All,

Figured it was about time I rode in with a Battle report, so here goes. (Even remembered to take screenshots).

Did you ever start out a game just knowing the fight was going to be awesome, just by looking at where your fellow Commanders were going? This is one of those fights -

Gunships new 1809 OOB - Full but Corps vs Corps, Sandbox - Balanced forces key on.

Me - Gudins Division of Davouts 3rd. Corps d' Armee, Army of Germany.

Map - ElPine1. Objective - the Wheatfield, almost dead set in the middle of the Map.

Operational time - 0800 hours.......

General Gudin read again the dispatch in his hands, a slow smile spreading across his face. Time to advance against the Austrians at last. Of course, no-one knew exactly where they were, Montbruns Light Horse had not been able to penetrate the Austrian Cavalry screens. Oh well. Quickly he dictated his own orders to his Brigade Commanders.
No Cavalry assigned to his Division, so scouting would have to be done by Petits Legere Battalions. No problem, they'ed done it before. At least his Flanks would be secure, Morand on his left and Friant on his right. Rising in his saddle, he turned and waved his hand forward to General Petit. They were off.

Half an hour down the road the first staff problem reared its head - St. Hilaires Division had been assigned the same road as Gudins. Fabulous. Riding forward, Gudin passed through the Infantry of both Divisions, jockeying for position on the narrow road. St. Hilaires Light Infantry was out in front, So Petit had pulled his men in and were marching in column, slowly. Gudin rode forward to where he could see St. Hilaire, intent on a meeting about the traffic issues. Suddenly, a heavy burst of musketry sounded from just over a rise in the road ahead. Contact! A hurried meeting determined St. Hilaire would form to the right and Gudins Division on the left of the road.

As Gudin dispatched his couriers with orders, white uniforms and yellow gun-carridges could be seen through the woods to Gudins front, moving forward AND moving to Gudins left. Pausing to send a contact dispatch to Marachal Davout, Gudin set about forming his Division for battle...

At this point, St. Hilaire had moved his Division forward on Gudins right, and, as usual, straight into the attack, through the trees. My Division was still strung out on the road, but moving now that St. Hilaire was out of the way, sort of.

Petits 3 Battalions form the center and opened a heavy fire on the advancing Austrian Infantry. 3 Battalions of Boyers Brigade moved to Petits left, in order to counter the Austrian semi-flanking manuver. Boyers 3 other Battalions moved to Petits right, to back up some of St. Hilaire Infantry, heavily engaged right near the road. Dupellins Brigade was still on the road, coming on as quickly as they could. As always, I whipped up my guns as quickly as possible, forming a Battery line on both sides of the road. They poured a heavy fire into the advancing Austrians, as St. Hilaires battered Battalions gave way, just as Boyers Battalions arrived behind them.

While all this fancy dancing was going on, I had lost track of (1) Morands and Friants Divisions and (2) the Austrians to my left front. Bad Idea, that. When I finally looked across the battlefield, there were 6-8 fresh Austrian Battalions and 2 Batteries forming in the field opposite my left. No problem, I thought, Morands Division should be showing up any minute now (Not). Duppellins Brigade was up now, so I deployed them 3 Battalions as a central reserve behind Petits Battalions and the remaining 3 off to secure my right flank, as St. Hilaire had moved into the woods and I couldn't see his men anymore. (St. Hilaire had thrown away his Division, again, but I didn't know that at the time.)

The Austrians had maintained a steady pressure on my center the whole time, and Petits and Boyers Battalions were starting to fade. I tried to withdraw Petits men, but 2 of 3 Battalions broke right then and fled. I moved up Dupellins Central reserve to plug the gap, looking around for Morands Division as I did so. At this point the storm broke - The Austrians opposite my left advanced, crashing hard against my 3 Left Flank Battalions. Thier Guns had been firing effectively the whole time and thier fire was telling. The Austrians were beaten back time and again, but there were always more of them. My weary troops collapsed and raced to the rear, cheering Austrians close behind...

Gudin peered thru the smoke, shocked to see his men reeling back in defeat. Bloody Austrians!! Wheeling his horse, he snapped off orders for the Batteries to limber up and get moving. Any Battalions still formed were to provide a rear-guard if they could. Where the hell was Morand?? Too late for that. Gritting his teeth, Gudin drew his sword and rode forward into the smoke, dtermined to conduct the withdrawl personally......

This was an outstanding battle, with lots of manuvering and give and take, close range firing and bayonet charges. I think there was a Cavalry charge in there somewhere. One of the pics has a square formed in the corner. St. Hilaire had indeed thrown away his Division in an ill-advised attack on two Austrian Divisions supported by Cavalry. Morand had been held up on the parallel road on my left, by a well-handled Austrian Division. Friant had indeed attacked on the far right in support of St. Hilaire, but it had taken too much time to really get rolling.

Gotta love this game!!!!

"Molon Labe"

Jack B)

Note - for some reason the pics wouldn't insert in the right order but you get the idea. The collapse of the French Left Flank is pretty obvious.

[Marching Thru Georgia]

Good AAR, Jack.
Obviously those Austrians had a lot of ice cream on their hands and had to get to town quickly before it all melted.