After much maneuvering on the Gneisnau campaign maps as described earlier, and with the help of the Anglo-Irish brain trust (Messrs Kinch and Cribbs), the French army of Marshal LeGros caught the Austrians strung out at Karlseck. Battle began at first light, and the situation is now, at 11am, as follows.
The French III Corps, on high ground, faces the Austrian I Korps which holds Karlseck. At bottom left and right respectively, the French II and I Corps advance on the far side of the Schlurpen, a minor river. Opposing them, three brigades of Austrian light cavalry. On the far right, the Austrian II Korps has just begun to arrive on the battlefield.
A series of vicious melees as the Austrians throw themselves at the French to buy time for the reinforcements. Austrian hussars and French chevaux legeres clash.
While a second brigade of hussars catches French line not in square. Both sides take some casualties but the French hold.
As the morning drags on, a French light horse brigade is wrecked and withdrawing, but an Austrian hussar brigade is mostly blown. The French infantry seems determined to press forward. Von Klenau, commanding I Korps, is moving his grenadier brigade to help his cavalary by time.
Von Smettana, the Austrian CinC, greets his reinforcements with relief. The Austrians got a very fortunate reinforcement roll. II Korps was outside the battle area when it was drawn on the Gneisnau campaign map, but had a chance to arrive, and it did!
Meanwhile, on the high ground facing Karlseck, III Corps is effectively pinned by two brigades of Austrian cuirassiers. The left most French infantry have gone into square and the supporting light cavalry have scrambled up the hill and are hoping to turn and face in time to get the height advantage. III Corps' grenadier brigade have crossed the bridge on the right and are hoping to attack with support from II Corps.
Von Klenau, holding Karlseck, is mightily tempted to cross the Schlurpen and attack while the French are pinned by the heavy horse, and may yet do so. For now, his orders are to hold.
It appears that the French have their work cut out for them!
Cheers and blessings to your die rolls.
MP+
Looks great Padre!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to look at the table and think that I painted and or scratch built all the scenery, so thank you.
DeleteAbsolutely!
DeleteGood looking game, and it's interesting to see how it develops.
ReplyDeleteBill.
Could be a near run thing.
DeleteGood stuff! Are you using a Roster to track fatigue losses?
ReplyDeleteI am indeed, I'm using the roster that Sam includes in the Blucher downloads part of his site. It's quite helpful.
DeleteThe Austrians so far are giving a good account of themselves. The odds seem to be against them, but if they keep this up, they might yet pull off a fine defensive victory!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Ion
Blucher is one of those games that uses a variable number of momentum points on a 2d6 die roll per turn. It really pays to keep corps close together because it costs less to move them than it does to move isolated units. The French have had a run of very low MP rolls which hasn't helped but if they can bring up their two corps of infantry on the far side of the Schlurpen, they have a chance. Good use of pinning cavalry by the Austrians thus far
DeleteEchoing what the Archduke P has said. So far not bad going for the Austrians who are surprising me thus far
ReplyDeleteNever count the Kaiserlicks out! :)
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