Campaign Eckmuhl 1809
- Thread starter Marshal Lannes
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Marshal Lannes
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Marshal Lannes
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Marshal Lannes
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Action South-west of Siegen burg
Just before noon, Hiller orders the cessation of artillery pounding and begins a general assault along his whole line. Bavarain artillery are ripping gaping holes within the Austrian lines, who move forward relentlessly. The fighting in the great forest is still inconclusive with both sides taking moderate loss, although that said , 2 battalions of Austrians have already broken and fled. Lefevre, himself has rallied a routing battalion and is leading it back into position , in the forest. The far right of the Austrian line has seen the Bavarian skirmish line being pushed back. Colonel Zandt, seeing the bold advance of the Austrian 49th Line Regiment, made the decision to protect the forward guns by a lightning cavalry assault. The Bavarian cavalry of the Prinz Royal Chevauxlegers, (A), raced through their own gun battery and caught the 1st Battalion of the Austrian 49th head on. The Austrians suffered 214 casualties to only 83 Bavarian horemen. The remaining Austrians fell back on their 2nd Battalion for moral support. Hiller's reaction to the charging Bavarian cavalry was swift, ordering the 3rd Austrian chevauxleger to melee the Bavarians, while sending the 6th Austrian chevauxleger regiment, (B), to create havoc in the place vacated by Zandt's cavalry. Losses for both sides in these melees have been about 60-70 , so are therefore moderate.
Uploaded with ImageShack.usAdding insult to injury- accurate Bavarian gunfire knocked out 2 Austrian guns in quick succesion. (C). There were originally 6- 3Pounder guns with a range of 700 metres here, but are now down to only 3. The Austrians have made a reciprocal assault on a Bavarian battery, (D), and have taken 4 guns. The Bavarian batteries, including the notable 12pounders, behind point, (D) will no doubt. quickly limber and scurry away, which leaves the tantalizing possiblity of St. Sulpice's Curirassiers being used yet again, ( as at Pfeffenhausen ), to smash into the 6th Austrian regiment and this time both regiments can be used directly. Ha ! Ha ! - Bye- bye Austrians of the 6th. Of course , the 1st Bavarian Division must hold and it is yet unclear who exactly has the upper-hand , but that said, the superiority in numbers may be the deciding factor as equal loss is not sustainable for Lefevre.
Defensive terrain Note :
The 1st Bavarian Division, as deployed has anchored both it’s flanks on obstructed terrain, i.e. a great forest to the east and a large orchard and slight rise to the west. The Austrian cavalry have no option but to be used frontally and cannot harass a hanging flank. At the beginning of the action, Rechberg had 4 battalions stationed at the edge of the great forest. This gives them a -30% defensive value and the easy ability to sally forth and engage and most importantly cover the main road and their artillery position. The Austrians are forced to initially engage this position to uncover the Bavarian artillery line from it’s support. Usually a regiment will do for this but Rechberg decided to use 4 Bavarian battalions for the simple reason that the crossroads behind ,(D) would have been taken and the prospect of having Austrian artillery firing upon Siegenburg from the rear would have compromised that position totally. There is the argument that the village of Siegenburg should be abandoned and the Bavarian line should be positioned on the rise to the north-west, but this is a point of personal discrimination; I would rather have Hiller’s Austrians hemmed in between 900 metres of unobstructed terrain with the usage of covered flanks and also a disordering stream than the advantage of elevation bonus. Sometimes , you have to make the elegant choice over the wholly practical as it does lead to more interesting gameplay, especially when playing against a human opponent. A perfect defensive position is mostly unattainable, but that said ,it is always a good idea to hem a superior force and offer a melee engagement in woods to distract or delay a frontal assault.
Gudin defends Abensberg
Uploaded with ImageShack.usTo the north , about 6000 metres, Gudin can already see the lead elements of Hohenzollern's 3rd Corps , who will be now starting to deploy, to face him. Gudin has no cavalry support and only 2 artillery batteries to support him . the situation is unlikely to change as Davout is covering Rosenberg at Bachl.
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Marshal Lannes
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Uploaded with ImageShack.usLetter sent to General De Wrede. Schonbrunn. October 8th, 1809.
RE: Bavarian troops defending the Tyrol passes and aiding Hofer's rebellion.
I am displeased with the Bavarian troops. Instead of fighting; they get up charges and plots against their commanders. I have just brought General Stengel before a court of enquiry for evacuating Golling. Why did he not die there ? No one has any right to evacuate a position without orders from the Commander- In – Chief. The Bavarian troops have become demoralised. Show my letter to Deroy, and tell me whether the Bavarians want to win my good or my bad opinion. When troops are demoralised, it is for their commander and officers to restore their morale, or to die in the attempt. There have been instances of cowardice, such as allowing oneself to be taken prisoner in the passes, rather than securing the retreat, which for the honour of the Bavarian army, ought to be denounced and punished.
At the front, there is no such person as a Prince, possibly the Prince Royal has good cause to complain of the Duke of Dantzig, but that is not a question of military honour. His duty was to march on the enemy, who had insulted the Bavarian flag, and attack him outside Salzburg. I had thought of addressing an order to your army, but it would have remained on record against you, and I prefer to write privately to you, for I have a regard for your abilityand courage. Speak to your comrades, see that they are not disgraced. I wil have no one objecting to me with “if”, or “but”, or “because”. I have been a soldier all my life. You must either conquer or die. I could wish that, at the first sight of attack,the Prince had visited his outposts, and restored the moraleof his division. Make such use of this letter as you think fit. I know that you are as fond of the Prince (Karl Augustus Ludwig), as I am.
Hofer's rebellion and the Battles of Bergisel.
1809: war with Austria and insurrection in the Tyrol
In 1809, Napoleon and France dominated continental Europe. Eugène de Beauharnais was installed as viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy, Murat was ruling the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Napoleon's brothers and sisters had been crowned as rulers throughout Western Europe. Prussia had been defeated in 1806 and 1807 and Russia was now allied with the French Empire following the Treaty of Tilsit in July 1807. Spain had also been invaded in 1808; Austria was isolated, supported only by Britain. The pro-war camp in the Austrian court, under the guidance of Johann Philipp Stadion, Austrian foreign minister, was strong, and seizing on Hormayr's Austrian ideals, pushed Francis towards war. Andreas Hofer had political experience, having served in the Tyrolean Landtag in 1791, had been a captain in the Tyrolean irregulars in 1796 during Napoleon's Italian Campaign, and as an innkeeper was perfectly placed in terms of communicating news of the insurrection. As a local leader, he had also come into contact with Archduke Johann when the latter was forced to abandon the Tyrol after the Austrian defeat in 1805. Secret talks took place between Hofer, Archduke Johann and Stadion in January 1809, and an insurrection in the Tyrol was mooted as a possible diversion to the main military operations in the Germanic states.6 The area was also important in protecting Austria's flank during the war with France, particularly from troops coming up from Italy. Whilst troops departed towards Bavaria and Warsaw, 7,000 troops entered the Tyrol as messengers signalled the outbreak of the insurrection. On 9th April 1809, Archduke Charles crossed the Austrian border into Bavaria and war had begun.
Between 9th and 13th April, the Bavarian troops stationed in the region were massacred or driven out. On 12th April, Innsbruck was captured by Tyrolean tirailleurs. The entire region was in rebellion. By 12th April, 3,000 Bavarian troops had been killed, injured or taken prisoner.7 In particular, the French and Bavarian troops that fought in the Tyrol, used to battlefield combat, found the guerrilla nature of warfare difficult to cope with. The mountainous region limited the possibility for pitched battles. The Tyroleans, fighting as skirmishing sharpshooters, were highly mobile and able to pick off the advancing enemy from high up in the mountains. Alongside this they developed another highly successful tactic: artificial avalanches. A French general serving in the Armée d'Italie in December 1809 noted dispiritedly:
"The enemy can scale the highest of mountains, which are completely inaccessible to us, even for our most nimble voltigeurs [light skirmish troops]. I could not understand how they managed to walk on the snow, whilst we found ourselves up to our necks in it the moment we stepped off the cleared path. I finally discovered their secret. They have round boards, roughly fourteen pouces in diameter [35cm] that they attach to their feet, preventing them from sinking [in the snow]. I immediately had them tested, and they are currently being made for my voltigeurs, but they will not be anything like as skilled with them as the [Tyroleans] are, who are used to them.
The French and Bavarian defeats continued to mount up. On 13th April, General Bisson and his troops arrived near Innsbruck, low on ammunition and supplies, only to find themselves completely surrounded by Tyrolean irregulars. They were forced to surrender. By 16th April, Austrian troops had arrived in Innsbruck and the region was declared liberated. In the city, Hofer assumed the title of commander on behalf of the House of Hapsburg.9 Napoleon seemed content to leave the Tyrol to the Austrians, concerned more with events that were to take place further north.10 The French emperor, particularly early on in the insurrection, seems to have been unaware of the severity of events going on in the Tyrol. On 26th April, following Eugène de Beauharnais' retreat before Archduke Johann at Sacile (16th April), he told the viceroy that he need not fear much trouble in the area.11 However the insurrection had already been raging for two weeks, during which time Napoleon had arrived at the Bavarian front, defeating the Austrian army over five days, between 19th and 23rd April.12 Following Bavarian loss of control of the area, Napoleon took the problem seriously, dispatching Lefebvre to bring the Tyrol into line. Schwaz soon fell to Bavarian troops under the command of Karl Philipp Josef Wrede and Lefebvre seized Innsbruck on 19th May. Peace appeared to have returned to the area. Innsbruck changes handson the 8th.
However, upon capturing a French messenger, the Tyrolean command learned of Lefebvre's planned withdrawal from Innsbruck to Salzburg. Seizing the opportunity, hostilities were relaunched on 29th May, driven in part by news of the defeat of French troops at Aspern-Essling on 21st and 22nd May. Tyrolean tirailleurs captured the Berg Isel, a large hill and important strategic point to the south of Innsbruck. On 30th May, Hofer retook Innsbruck as Bavarian troops fled. As celebrations broke out across the region, tension began to mount between Hormayr and Hofer, Hormayr becoming jealous of Hofer's popularity.13 With Hormayr busy with the administrative, financial and defensive reorganisation of the Tyrol, Hofer returned home on 9th June. Austria abandons the Tyrol.
Between 5th and 6th July, French troops defeated their Austrian counterparts at Wagram. On 12th July, Austrian Archduke Charles signed the armistice at Znaim, which explicitly stipulated that Austrian troops should be evacuated from the Tyrol and the Vorarlberg. By 21st July, the Tyrolean rebels had received confirmation of the armistice, and the fact that Austria had abandoned them. Napoleon commented in his letter to Lefebvre that the armistice was merely to buy him some time to deal with the insurrection. "When I agreed the armistice, it was principally to subdue the Tyrol."14 No longer prepared to ignore the insurrection, the French emperor wasted no time in instructing the Duc de Dantzig: "I want you to be in Innsbruck by 1st August. No remonstrating, be harsh. Disarm the country, take a large number of hostages, and make examples."15 20,000 French, Bavarian and Saxon troops invaded the Tyrol from the north; 10,000 Italian troops came up from the south. Lefebvre seized control of the northern towns, encountering no resistance. Hormayr and his administrative staff fled Innsbruck, leaving the region without any leader. By 1st August, Lefebvre was installed in the city, and had published a decree ordering the inhabitants to disarm and the surrender of the insurrection's leaders. And yet, retaking the area was not to be a simple task. Firstly, Bavarian troops searched the local population, and then French and Bavarian troops under General Rouyer headed south to secure the remaining unpacified regions. But at the Eisack valley they faced resistance, coming up against Tyrolean tirailleurs and artificial avalanches. As Lefebvre followed with 7,000 men, he too was ambushed en route and forced to negotiate. And after days of negotiation, on his return to Innsbruck, he was harassed by Tyrolean irregulars the entire way. Canons, men and horses lined the route, abandoned, injured or dead. Too conspicuous in his own uniform, the French general was forced to wear that of a simple dragoon. The Berg Isel fell to the Tyroleans on 13th August. Faced with diminishing supplies and munitions, Lefebvre retreated with the remaining troops. Once again, Innsbruck belonged to Hofer and his men. On 15th August, Hofer became regent of the Tyrol, in the name of the emperor. Beset by problems, the regime would last two months. Hofer struggled to re-establish any administrative system in the city, the vast majority of the workers having fled with the Austrians or otherwise unwilling to work under a simple paysan. The treasury was also nearly empty and trade was almost non-existent. With the farmers away from their homes, crops began to fail and food became scarce. Many returned home.
As negotiations between France and Austria continued following the armistice, Metternich, Austrian Minister of State, pushed for a peace treaty, realising that Austria could no longer support a war. Napoleon refused point blank any agreement which would allow Austrian control of the Tyrol: "The Tyrol will never again belong to the House of Austria, for this country separates Germany from Italy and touches Switzerland. I will never allow this country to be outside my influence."16 With the Treaty of Schönbrunn signed on 14th October 1809, Austria was hit with war indemnities of 85 million Francs and the loss of a huge amount of territory, including Carinthia, Croatia and Galacia, which all went to France. The Tyrol became a Bavarian territory again. On the same day, Eugène de Beauharnais was given the mission of conquering the Tyrol. Following his retreat from Innsbruck, Lefebvre had been replaced by the Duke Drouet d'Erlon as head of the Bavarian forces. On 21st October, with Bavarian, French and Italian troops pouring into the region, the Tyroleans abandoned Innsbruck for the Berg Isel. Winter was closing in and with food shortages growing, Hofer's support declined and many of his men dispersed back into the mountains. On 28th/29th October, Hofer learnt of the peace treaty that had been signed by Austria. Abandoned by his beloved emperor, he took refuge in alcohol.17 The Tyrolean morale had been broken. By the evening of 1st November, Drouet d'Erlon had recaptured Innsbruck and the Berg Isel. Over the next few weeks, Hofer surrendered to the French, only to break his word shortly after and call for the resumption of hostilities. By 11th November, 1809, the Tyrol was entirely occupied. As reprisals were being carried out across the region, Hofer fled into the mountains with a large bounty on his head. On 5th January 1810, he was betrayed and denounced to the authorities, yet it was another three weeks before he was captured. On 28th January, he, his wife and his son were taken to Bozen, before eventually his family was released on 30th January. Napoleon learnt of the capture at the start of February and ordered Hofer to be tried immediately and executed.
Despite Hofer's devotion to the Hapsburg family, Francis I made little effort to intervene. Metternich was keen to treat with France, and neither was prepared to disrupt relations by raising the rather difficult subject of the innkeeper who had defied Napoleon for months. Austria needed breathing space to recover from the 1805 and 1809 wars and with Napoleon's "divorce" from Josephine finalised on 16th December 1809 and Marie-Louise Hapsburg lined up as a replacement, neither country looked to upset matters. On 20th February 1810, Hofer was executed by firing squad. Eight days later, the Tyrol region was divided up between Bavaria and the newly-created Illyrian Provinces. By March, conscription had been re-introduced. Indeed, a Tyrolean contingent would serve alongside Napoleon during the Russian campaign of 1812.
Andreas Hofer and the history of the insurrection
Napoleon never fully understood the insurrection or the reasons for which Hofer was fighting. Despite the mantra by which Hofer lived, "for God, the Emperor and the fatherland", Napoleon never appeared to grasp that it was an ideological war against the French revolution and everything that it sought to eradicate, including conservative, traditional social hierarchy and the Catholic religion, as much as a war of liberation in reaction to the reforms implemented by Bavaria. Hofer's devoted loyalty to the Hapsburgs, although with hindsight misguided, remained incomprehensible for the pragmatist Napoleon, who never hesitated to dethrone a king or lock up the pope if it suited his needs.
However, the history of the insurrection and Hofer's role has become caught up in the historical debate and the legendary retellings that followed his death. The first issue up for debate was the role that Hofer played in the insurrection. His strongly held ideological views and devotion to the Austrian crown made him a perfect figurehead in the rebellion against the Bavarian forces. Equally, he rarely intervened in tactical discussions of a military nature. His leadership and his worth in battle came from his presence, the strength of his belief, and the moral and symbolic authority that he brought.18 Jean Sévillia notes that "Hofer's legitimacy was neither purely of a military nature, nor purely political. It was based on feudal order […] founded on a moral pact which linked [him] and the Archduke Johann and, above that, the Emperor Francis I."19 He embodied the Tyrol region: a paysan, deeply religious, profoundly loyal and reservedly modest. His regency was characterised by the emphasis he placed on hospitality, piety and tradition. Even his thick, dark beard, modest attire and large hat contributed to his image as the embodiment of the Tyrol. Debate over his involvement was not long in coming; on 4th March, 1810, just two weeks after his death, the Gazette de France, reporting on Hofer's execution, remarked that he was "not a bad man, nor dangerous in himself, but his was caught up in his enthusiasm, and many terrible things were committed in his name. This man had absolutely no knowledge of military tactics, administration or politics; he was simple and ignorant. The Tyroleans venerate him, in sorts…"20 Already at this point, Hofer had become a Tyrolean symbol.
Then, in 1817, Hormayr published anonymously his Geschichte Hofers, his history of the insurrection and Hofer's actual involvement in it. Highly critical of the innkeeper, he also sought to claim the credit for the creation of the Hofer myth and emphasise his role in the events. Despite the politics involved in such an attempt, it does serve to illustrate the uncertainty around Hofer and the 'legend' of Hofer. His story greatly appealed to the Romantics of the time and those that came later. William Wordsworth dedicated a poem to him. In 1830, James Robinson Planché adapted the story of William Tell for an opera based on Hofer and the insurrection. Numerous histories appeared during the middle period of the 19th century, in French, Italian, German and English, many almost fictional in their retelling of the insurrection and Hofer's role. The image of Hofer was also embraced in the name of various different causes: German unification and Pan-Germanism during the 19th century (despite the fact that he was in fact fighting Bavarian occupation21), an anti-Nazi, anti-fascist resistance movement in the south Tyrol named the Andreas Hofer Allianz in 1939…
Yet during the 20th century, very little was written in France.22 In Austria, Hofer remained in the collective memory. A statue of the rebel was erected at the Berg Isel in 1893 and in 1909, the centenary celebrations of the insurrection saw 33,000 tirailleurs parade in Innsbruck. 1959 was celebrated with a parade of 26,000 tirailleurs. The Austrian monarchy of Hofer's triumvirate may be no more, but in the Tyrol, Hofer was not forgotten. Yet the exploitation of Hofer's image, indeed the 'idea' of Andreas Hofer, remains paradoxical, to the extent that many have lost sight of what he did and what he was actually fighting for. Hofer was fighting for his Catholicism, his Emperor and his homeland. It was not individual liberty that he was fighting for, but freedom from Bavarian domination. He wanted a return to Habsburg rule, despite being used and then abandoned by the Austrian Emperor to whom he was so devoted.
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Marshal Lannes
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Uploaded with ImageShack.usAs predicted, the 5th Cuirrassiers of St.Sulpice attacked; (B), they, however, for all their elan, achieved a comparative failure. the initial premise was to disrupt and throw back at least 2 Austrian battalions. in that they definitely failed and with the austrians consolidating and continuosly poring a withering fire into the Bavarian lines, this failure may prove fatal.
The reason for the failure of the cavalry charge are obvious.
1. No leader present - so,no combat bonus.
2. Charging upon level ground, so no elevation, downhill bonus.
3. The target unit was a fresh, unfatigued, undisordered good quality unit.
4.The combat results parameter was at the low edge of the spectrum.
5. Opportunity fire was very effective before the charge hit home.
Glory at Pfeffenhausen but shame at Siegenburg.......too much elan !
Fortunately the Austrian cavalry did not fare better in their assaults. The 6th chevauxleger, (A), charge looked impressive but gave and sustained minimal loss, only pushing back the Bavarian infantry, who retaliated with a withering fire from 2 directions. the austrian cavallry were then hit by 2 floating regiments of Bavarian cavalry who meleed,(disordered) in fewer numbers ,giving and sustaining a 22 to 18 loss. This impact was finally felt at the end of the turn, wherein the 6th Chevauxlegers routed towards the village of Siegenburg. the 5th cuirassiers meanwhile, attempted a flanking charge in a disordered state after turning, (C), and so managed to push back a single Austrian battalion. they will of course suffer nasty opportunity fire in their withdrawal so only adding to the wasted opportunity.
Louis' 5th |corps have finished deploying and should commence their attack at 1.30pm. the time now is 1.15pm., ( game turn 124).The 1st Bavarian division must hold for at least another 4-5 hours, but it is looking doubtful.......
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Marshal Lannes
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Congratulations to the developers of these games- Congratulations to the modders and lastly, Congratulations to Napoleon for creating such enigmatic history. Unfortunately, the bourbons , if left to their own devices, would have only given the pages of history, a neverending genius and greatness in personal flatulence.....
Marshal Lannes
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Uploaded with ImageShack.us[Hiller glances at his pocketwatch, which displays the hour of 2 O' clock. He turns to an aide and remarks," Gott im Himmel , am I to fight this battle alone. Where are Loius' divisions. I hear no sound from Siegenburg." Hiller has every right to be agitated. His lines are starting to baulk under relentless Bavarian musketry and close quarter canister shot. He remarks with dismay over the breaching of Bavarian battalions, who suddenly turn and flee, only to just as quickly reform and rush back into line. Their stubborness is proving their saving grace. Austrian resolve is diminishing because of it. The Austrians under Provencheres have almost cleard the great forest and another Bavarian gun battery of 6 guns has been overrun, even though protected by a infantry battalion.
The bad news is that the Austrian 6th Chevauxleger, after having routed behind enemy lines to the very edge of Siegenburg itself has had to face the full impact of infantry fire from 3 of Wrede's infantry battalions and has been forced into the streets of the village by relentless Bavarian cavalry melee assaults , leaving it with no choice but to break and flee. It has lost well over two-thirds of it's troopers who litter the ground approaching Siegenburg and of course, the streets of the south-western suburb. The Austrian 49th line Regiment has broken and fled, allowing the Bavarians to turn 2 of their gun batteries against Hohenfeld at close range. Lefevre, at last seeing the imminent danger posed by the 6tth Grenz Regiment , has ordered the hero of Pfeffenhausen, "Minuzzi", to move forward with one battalion of the 2nd Division to bolster the line, and make sure that the remaining 2 Bavarian gun batteries are protected. These two batteries are inflicting a murderous fire on the Austrian Battalions before them who can only respond by exchange musketry fire with Bavarian troops close-by. Already a battalion of the 6th Grenz has fled, giving the Bavarians cause for cheer. What seemed to be a overwhelming weight of Austrians, has ground to a halt. The Austrian main gun lines are now offerring lesssupport in this area,and so have switched their facing slightly to support the Austrian right.
Lefevre has little to comfort him as losses are mounting. St.Sulpice's 2 Cuirrasssiers regiments have been ordered to retire and rest their blown horses. the 5th Cuirassiers Regiment has lost a lot of men from their intermingling with the Austrian infantry lines and even sustained a added loss to Austrian guns, firing at distance. Only the quick intervention of St. Sulpice with the second regiment, saved the 5th from near annihilation. The 5th, however in their desparate efforts to flee, by misfortune, created fortune, by effectively blocking and containing the largest Austrian infantry assault for 45 minutes, allowing time for the Bavarians to fire extra volleys into their ranks and allowing the safe retirement of their gun batteries. The Bavarian 2nd Battalion Lieb Regt has been ordered back to Abensberg as it is no longer combat worthy ,having lost 80% of it's initial strength; it follows the mass of walking wounded who already line both sides of the main highway to Abensberg.
2.00pm. Losses
Austrian Inf - 3262. Cav - 669. Guns - 3. Total -3931.
Bavarian Inf- 2067 Cav- 1463 Guns - 10. Total - 3530. Rechberg, Zandt, Stengel.
I am a bit surprised that the Austrians have greater loss, but on average the Bavariann infantry firepower was a bit more destructive and whereas the Austrian cannon have been shelling at long-range , the advance of the Austrian line to contact has mostly met with minimum range artillery fire, hence the loss of 2 Bavarian batteries. The Bavarian leader loss is also telling as they were heavily involved in melee attacks. That said, the Bavarian Prinz Royal Chevauxleger cavalry regiment has been wiped out and the 5th Cuirrassiers are down to 52% effective strength, so relative damage has been about equal. Lefevre has held his line and hopefully, the Austrians , under Hiller ,are very fatigued, so the likelihood of a withdrawal is high. The momentum passes to Louis' 5th Corps , who having taken an age to deploy, have less than 4 hours of daylight to have a measurable impact. The Bavarians may be saved by darkness.
Action at Teugen- hausen.
Uploaded with ImageShack.usRosenberg's 4th Corps has deployed in front of the southern Schneidhart woods. He can see before him a line of French infantry in Hausen and to the left and right of it. He estimates Divisional strength. He was intending to attack early, but was anxious over the appearance of French cavalry from the north-east, followed by a infantry column. He can only make the assumption that this is another French Division; whereas, it is in fact, the 3rd Brigade of St.Hilaire's 4th Division. By the good fortune of a dice-roll, Davout's position has assumed superiority, as Morand's 1st Division has made good speed and is approaching from the north-west fast. Rosenberg is about to be outnumbered, and he has no cavalry. Obviously, he does not know about Morand so there is a 50-50 chance that he will accept an engagement, although because he is waiting for Somariva's Division to come up, the likelihood of an engagement becomes less likely, so on a dice roll of 5or 6 , he will attack and probe modestly.
Historically, the Archduke Charles was stationed at the post-house in Rohr on the 19th-20th April, but in this game he is with Louis before Siegenburg; so I will make the assumption that Rosenberg will send an aide to tell Charles of the enemy's- French positions, just before nightfall and wait for more direct orders. He will no doubt ask for cavalry support.
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Marshal Lannes
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Marshal Lannes
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Austrian light infantry - circa 2123- metallised, but still recognisable. Girls always go for a guy in "metallic" uniform. :laugh:
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Marshal Lannes
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Napoleon at the taking of Ratisbon/Regensberg 23rd April 1809..
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Ratisbon at Twilight today - doubt it has changed much- very impressive............
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Ratisbon at Twilight today - doubt it has changed much- very impressive............
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Marshal Lannes
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What a difference 22 and a half minutes make- the relentless Austrian pressure is paying off, at last. Hohenfeld's first attempt to melee assault 2 Bavarian batteries with a Bavarian infantry unit in line, failed with a loss of 77 Austrian to 76 defenders. The second melee assault wiped out both batteries and routed what was left of the Bavarian infantry. The Austrian 49th line Regt have reformed , so now the Bavarian position is perilous on the right, especially as Louis' 5th Corps have started to press forward. Only a lone Bavarian battalion stands between the Austrians and Siegenburg. The Prinz Royal has been pushed back in the great forest and it is clear now that if the 1st Bavarian division does not pull back and form a new defensive line, linked to Wrede's Infantry- then they will be flanked and more importantly, uncover Wrede's right flank. There is no logical option but to withdraw- the loss of the crossroads will make a swift retreat by the Bavarians more difficult, but disaster only waits, without a withdrawal.
Lefevre is about to order a withdrawal to a new defensive line, and maybe the Bavarians can hold until nightfall and slip away under cover of darkness, back to Abensberg. The uncovering of the road west of Siegenburg would have been more decisive, if it was still morning, but with 3 and a half hours to darkfall, is now of no consequence, especially as the Austrians are fatigued and Friant's 2nd French division is almost at the Kelheim Bridge and will be in a position to defend Abensberg in about 5 hours.
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Marshal Lannes
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It is 3.30pm. The village of Siegenburg is ablaze.. The Austrians are shelling it's timber-framed houses from two sides now. The Bavarian defenders of Wrede's Division watch anxiously as lines of white infantry begin to emerge from the southern orchard, intent on pushing them out. Deroi's 3rd Bavarian Division are engaged in musketry fire with Louis' Austrian lines and so are pinned in place. Lefevre , now knows that any breach in his lines will be fatal as there are no reserves to make a plug. The order for a full retreat has yet to be given .The Prinz Royal Brigade in the great forest has some brief respite as they do not have to suffer cannon fire and the Austrians under Provencheres here seem to be too fatigued, to be rash enough to continue fighting. Hiller has moved up his gun line ,not only to blast away at any attempt by the Bavarians to hold , but also to harass any withdrawal which is becoming more likely as time passes. The link up between Louis and Hiller has breathed fresh impetus in the Austrians to finish this affair, as both sides are aware that darkness will end it prematurely, anyhow . The 1st Bavarian Division has but 2 batteries left to face Hiller's 11. The differential in firepower will now be decisive. Wrede's men are stretched to the north-east and can give no support to Siegenburg's defence. Preysing's Bavarian Cavalry to the north are relatively fresh and are already discouraging Austrian infantry from moving beyond the safe confines of the woods they are in. Lefevre is counting on them and of course night ,to manage at least a orderly withdrawal and not a rout. The next 2 hours will decide which.
Louis' V Corps is now fully engaged with Wrede and Deroi's men. The Bavarian guns on the Steinberg heights have knocked out 3 opposing Austrian field-pieces for the loss of only 1 gun.
Deroi seems to be holding quite well but losses in musketry fire favour the austrians at the moment as they use the cover of the woods to their full advantage.
Berthier has just received word that Friant's 2nd Division is crossing the Kelheim Bridge and so has no hesitation in ordering them south to Abensberg and then to present a defensive line in the Rappersdorf region. The Bavarians will need time to rest and recoup.
Some light skirmishing has occured between Davout and Rosenberg's men. Both sides seem to be waiting for their reinforcements to deploy. Rosenberg has seen the arrival of a French formation from the north-east and another column of French infantry approaching from the north-west. It would be a foolish general to commit his forces without knowing the full enemy's strength before him. As it will be dark in just under 3 hours- commitment is unlikely. Rosenberg's defensive deployment would under normal circumstances be perilous with a wood to his back, but with the onset of nightfall and the relative weakness, at the moment of the French left- any attempt to cut his retreat route is not a possibility, especially as Somariva is fast approaching.
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Marshal Lannes
Member
French attacking Ratisbon.
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