WRG Scenario #2: Positional Defence

Yesterday I played through a quick game using my 6mm napoleonic armies. The game was based on scenario #2 from the venerable WRG scenario book written by CS Grant. My battlefield featured less high-ground than the scenario map, however I figured this would be balanced as the defending French forces had the benefit of higher quality commanders and infantry than the attacking Austrians.

Here is the set-up with the French defending on the left (north) and the Austrians advancing from the right (south). 

The Austrian mission is to capture the town and road junction and to open up the road leading north-west. Their forces consist of a mixed division of infantry, landwehr and hussars, an infantry division of four regiments and two positional batteries, and a Cuirassier divsion of two regiments.

The French need to stop the Austrians from achieving their mission and to do so have a division of three infantry regiments and a reserve battery, and a division of one infantry regiment and a regiment of dragoons.

I used my "napoleonic squares" rules (available on this blog) with the following ratings:

Austrian generals: d8

Austrian infantry:                           skirmish d8, quality d8, morale/stamina d10

Austrian landwehr/line brigade:     skirmish d10, quality d8, morale/stamina d8

Austrian hussars:                            quality d10, morale/stamina d10

Austrian cuirassiers:                       quality d10 (heavy cavalry), morale/stamina d10

French generals: d10

French infantry:                            skirmish d10, quality d10, morale/stamina d10

French dragoons:                          quality d10, morale/stamina d10

I gave the Austrians 8 hours to achieve victory. Under the rules a game turn takes 30-75 minutes determined by the roll of an average die (15 minutes per pip)

French infantry atop the Kleine Berg and garrisoning the town

French infantry defending the Grosse Berg

French dragoons in reserve

Austrian hussars

A mixed brigade of landwehr and line infantry

The main body of the Austrian attack, heading for the town

Turns 1 and 2

The Austrians advanced ponderously across the entire front, with the cuirassier brigade moving to flank the French forces on the Kleine Berg. French artillery began to eat into the white-coated infantry in the centre.

Turns 3 and 4

The French dragoons sucker-punched the hussars but this was not enough to distract the Austrian infantry from seizing the Grosse Berg to the east of town. In the centre and west the Austrians struggled to get enough command points to do anything interesting so artillery exchange had to suffice:

Turns 5 and 6

Again the Austrians could not gain sufficient initiative to get their main mass moving. The impatient cuirassiers launched an unsupported charge on the Kleine Berg but were fought off by the brave legere regiment and one curiassier regiment routed. The artillery continued to build the attrition on both sides.

Turns 7 and 8

Finally the Austrians were able to launch their infantry forwards and capture the Kleine Berg and drive the French dragoons further back from the Grosse Berg. The high ground seemed secure but the road was far from open and the town was still held by the enemy. To add to the pressure the dice had by now decided that seven hours had already been taken to reach this stage. The Austrians could have as many as three turns left...or as few as one...

Turn 9

In a stunning move the Austrians gained the initiative and grabbed a full three command points for their central division. An assault was launched on the town by troops advancing up the road, supported by infantry and artillery on the Kleine Berg. The dice fell in their favour and the town, junction and victory were gained with just 15 minutes of daylight left.

The battle had been hard fought with the central Austrian division and the cuirassiers in sore need of rest and consolidation, but the ground had been taken!

The French rearguard fall back to the north-east