Broken Ground (Age of Eagles AAR)

Battle report for another Programmed Wargame Scenarios battle using the Broken Ground scenario and modified Age of Eagles rules.

The map is made up of the following rolled sections.

The period is 1813/14 with the Austrians (Red) attacking the French (Blue). Both sides have Columnar infantry apart from French Elite infantry which are Impulse.

Austrian forces are from list 27:

1st Corps

    1st Division
        1st Brigade (4 infantry 6/5/3 - columnar)
        2nd Brigade (3 infantry 6/5/3 - columnar)

        3rd Brigade (3 infantry 6/5/3 - columnar)

        Cavalry Brigade (2 Hussar E4/3/2)
        Artillery (4 Light)

    Reserve Brigade (4 Grenadier E6/4/2 Sk - columnar, Artillery (2 Light))

    Cavalry Division

        1st Brigade (2 Cuirassier E4/3/2)
        2nd Brigade (2 Dragoon E4/3/2)

French forces are from list 12:

1st Corps

    1st Division

        1st Brigade (3 Infantry 6/5/3 Sk - columnar)

        2nd Brigade (2 Infantry 6/5/3 Sk - columnar)

        3rd Brigade (2 Infantry 6/5/3 Sk - columnar)

        Artillery (1 Heavy, 3 Light)

    Reserve Brigade (3 Guard E6/4/2 Sk - impulse)

    Cavalry Division

        1st Brigade (2 Cuirassier E4/3/2)

        2nd Brigade (2 Hussar E4/3/2)

The French must hold the broken ground to the north of the table while the Austrians must seize the borken ground opening the roads to the north.

Game Setup

The French deploy 30% in the centre and 35% on each flank. 15% are maintained as a reserve.

Right flank: 1st Brigade Infantry, Hussar Brigade, 2 Light batteries

Centre: 2nd Brigade Infantry, 1 Heavy battery

Left flank: 3rd Brigade Infantry, Cuirassier Brigade, 1 Light battery

Reserve (centre): Guard Brigade

The Austrians fail to reconnoitre prior to entering by march column along the road from the south.

Turn 1

The French win the initiative but pass to the Austrians. The Austrian 1st Brigade enters in march column along the road. 

Turn 2

The Austrian 1st Brigade deploys after spotting the French defensive line confronting them. The 2nd Brigade enters behind them.

Turn 3

The Austrians now issue their orders, a feint attack to the French right flank before an attack in the centre. The subsequent French orders are to hold the entire front. 

The Austrians deploy their artillery ready for the left flank feint attack on the hill. The French artillery returns fire and one of the Austrian guns is silenced. An Austrian dragoon regiment skirts to the far left as the 3 infantry units form attack columns.

The 2nd Brigade moves up onto the hill with their artillery to deploy for the main attack in the centre.

The 3rd Austrian Brigade enters this turn and sets off in march column for the right flank. The Austrians still have a cuirassier Brigade and the Grenadier Reserve to arrive along the road.

Turn 4

The Austrian left slowly brings its attack to bear as the build up in the centre continues. Reserves continue to feed in along the road.

The French artillery pepper the Austrians at long range and luckily score a hit and a disorder.

Turn 5

The Austrians continue to advance their feint attack against the French right flank as they move up their infantry and artillery. 

In the centre, French heavy artillery fire scores multiple hits on the advancing infantry. The Austrian artillery have set up on the hill but fail to score any hits on the defending French.

The reserve grenadiers move up to support the main attack as an infantry Brigade and the cuirassiers move around the right of the hill.

Turn 6

The Austrians pull back on the left flank in the face of heavy artillery fire with one unit already worn.

But the Austrian artillery silence one of the French batteries.

Devastating French artillery fire has knocked two stands off one of the Austrian infantry units. The Austrians pause awaiting the reserves and the right flank forces to commence their assault in the centre.

Turn 7

On the French left flank the Austrian dragoon win a melee against the French hussars as the French and Austrian artillery trade shots scoring hits and silencing batteries on each side. The Austrians have pulled their infantry back as the main attack commences in the centre.

Austrian columns advance en masse against the French centre on the ridge and in the woods. The French heavy artillery has rolled horribly several times in a row and have failed to impede the Austrian advance. Austrian hussars advance to the left against their French counterparts and the reserve artillery moves up to support the attack.

On the Austrian right flank, the Austrian infantry and cavalry stop just out of artillery range awaiting the outcome of the main attack in the centre.

Turn 8

The respective cavalry regiments on the far left French flank both rally after their initial melee.

To the right of the woods the Austrian hussars score a decisive win against their French counterparts and then breakthrough charge against an infantry regiment sending it retreating into the woods. The French defense of the hill realigns to this new cavalry threat.

The first French Division hits the French line in the centre destroying the heavy artillery and pushing the infantry on the hill back. The French in the woods hold firm. A counter-attack by the French guards regains the hill and sends two Austrian regiments back through the supporting Austrian grenadiers. Both sides now have their elite reserves committed.

Turn 9

The Austrian dragoons clean up the French hussars then breakthrough charge into the French infantry and artillery sending them scattering. The French form square and tighten their line with cavalry threats on two flanks.

In the centre the French guard and Austrian grenadiers engage in a fire fight and Austrian infantry push into the woods.

The Austrians advance on the right flank to support the attack on the centre.

Turn 10

From the French side on their right flank, the French are holding the Austrians at bay.

In the centre, the Austrian infantry clear the woods as the French guards and Austrian grenadiers continue their fire fight.

On the French left flank, the respective sides trade artillery fire as the Austrian infantry slowly advances.

Turn 11

On the Austrian left flank the Austrian dragoons wipe out the French hussars and then breakthrough charge into the French square resulting in them retreating back. The Austrian hussars (middle-left of photo) are now worn from repeated hits from the French artillery.

One of the Austrian grenadier regiments charges the flanking French guard regiment and forces its' way onto the hill. The two Austrian regiments moving through the woods also win another melee and push forward up the hill. It's starting to look like the Austrian numbers are beginning to tell.

On the Austrian right the French artillery disorder the leading Austrian infantry regiment.

Turn 12

On the Austrian left flank the Austrians advance up onto the hill. The Austrian dragoons have swept around behind the French position (top left).

Things are really heating up in the centre. The French guard regiments are surrounded and the remaining French infantry are being hounded off the back of the hill by Austrian columns.

Turn 13

On the Austrian left flank the Austrian dragoons obliterate the French infantry and gunsfrom the rear as the Austrian artillery hit them from the front. There is a lone French square which surrenders meekly.

In the centre the Austrians have won a resounding victory, pushing the French off the hill. Only 3 French regiments remain at the edge of the board as the French capitulate.

On the Austrian right, the French cuirassiers try a last ditched charge against their Austrian counterparts. But heavy Austrian artillery fire on the way in disrupts them and they lose the resulting melee.

It's all over for the French as the Austrians win a major victory. There is no doubt that repeatedly good melee dice rolls helped the Austrians and the weight of numbers told in the centre. The regimental version of Age of Eagles rules also worked very well.