Steve C and I managed to fit in another game today - a combined Russian/Austrian & Bavarian force attacking the French on the defensive. Steve won the toss and chose to be the French.
The Allies are attacking right to left, the French trying to hold the river line. The French have two infantry brigades and a large light cavalry brigade, three guns.
There are three Allied infantry brigades backed up by three small cavalry brigades, four guns.
A French infantry brigade defends a village and bridge.
With skirmishers deployed outside the village.
An Austrian brigade, grenadiers to the front, is heading straight for them.
To the left of the village, another battalion has lined out facing across the river
They are soon troubled by enemy artillery on high ground facing them
The Austrians are quick to charge the village and drive back the French skirmishers
They have retreated onto the bridge
No wonder with three Austrian battalions coming at them !
In the Allied centre, Russian infantry keep behind the cover of high ground as their cavalry move in front of the woods
The French have deployed a gun close to the ford
The Allied heavy cavalry is now formed up in the centre
but opposite them are six French regiments of light cavalry
Right of centre of the Allied lines, a Bavarian brigade advances
They receive fire from a French brigade which has taken the left hand village and deployed a gun.
Extreme left of the French positions, Austrian Lancers and Hussars sweep around the woods which are occupied by French skirmishers
The Austrian attack across the bridge can be seen here - and the Russian infantry brigade is now advancing over the high ground
They are in attack columns
The French light cavalry advance towards the Russian cavalry
They have picked up one casualty marker from enemy artillery fire
The Bavarians have put one battalion in line beside their artillery on the crest, facing the French cavalry
Prepare to charge !
The French in the left hand village have beaten off attacks by the Bavarians - in the process, the Bavarian brigade has lost one unit and a second is shaken and disordered meaning the brigade is broken.
Here we see the advance of the French, supported by a horse gun.
The charge of the French dragoons forces the remaining Bavarian battalion into square
They will be unable to break this and to make matters worse, the cavalry receive fire from the Bavarian gun at close range
The Austrian grenadiers are across the bridge and charging a French line
the French lose the melee and have to retreat
The Russian infantry have now charged the ford - the French gun fails to cause them any damage.
Cavalry melee ! Four French light cavalry regiments take on the Russian Cuirassiers and Dragoons
Meanwhile, the French dragoons have become disordered by the Bavarian fire and the Chasseurs next to them also receive fire
The sweeping flank move by the Austrian light cavalry continues
The French feel they have secured the left hand village now the Bavarians have been driven off
All but the square have now withdrawn
The French line which retreated from the Austrian grenadiers is about to be charged again
The cavalry melee has not gone well for the French - one unit has been destroyed, others shaken, resulting in the whole brigade being broken
The Russian cuirassiers have followed up and chased off another regiment as the dragoons continue their melee with the French Chasseurs a Cheval.
The Austrian infantry attack succeeds again and now this French brigade is broken from a combination of fire and melee.
Two out of the three regiments are shaken and disordered.
and the Russians have now destroyed the French gun guarding the ford
so the Allies are across the river at two points
with the French cavalry in full flight
and the right hand French infantry brigade broken too, the remaining French forces must retire from the field - an Allied victory.
The Russian commander can feel mighty pleased with himself
Russian High Command plan the next phase of the campaign.
Last word goes to the Austrian Grenadiers - Huzzah !!!
An enjoyable afternoon's gaming punctuated by a trip to the pub for lunch, of course !
