Battle of Montebello, 1859

We took a break from our Franco-Prussian campaign.

Thursday evening the Corlears Hook Fencibles played Montebello 1859 again using the Bloody Big Battles (BBB) rules. It’s a short scenario between two very different armies. The Austrians are numerous, of variable quality and sluggish. The outnumbered French are nimble, tough and well supplied with leaders. The game plays quickly enough that we can usually get two played in an evening.  Every turn that the French do not assault the Austrians, the Habsburg player receives a variable reinforcement unit, giving the French reason to be very aggressive. Enough chatter, on to the games.

The game always starts with a charge by the Sardinian cavalry. The question is, will they survive? 

The 74^th Line was a trifle tardy coming up. So the French on the spot resorted to cold steel.

In the excitement I neglected to take an unguarded objective.

I had a shot at Foliarina!

The game (7 turns) took two hours. French losses were 1 cavalry base (the other ran off), 6 infantry bases (2 ran away). The Austrians lost 7 infantry bases, 1 ran away. It was carnage.

We broke for dinner. Ken had observed the first game and decided to take the French for the second game. I prepared to umpire but Rick declined a second game. So I got to command the clumsy white-coated hordes. The game began as usual.

I moved up and got some variable reinforcements.

Ken got ensnared in the fight on my right (his left).

I’ve got him now – or do I?

After the guys went home, I realized that my artillery had silenced Ken’s guns at 12” range. The scenario says due to the area being heavily cultivated visibility is reduced to 9”. So my artillery could not have silenced his guns. An artillery battalion deployed would have made taking Genestrello a much tougher proposition. So I believe we have yet another tie. This game also took 2 hours. French losses were 5 infantry bases, 1 ran off. The Austrians lost 2 infantry bases, both in the abortive attack on 2^nd Brigade’s flank.

Next week we will return to our Franco-Prussian War campaign (unless Real Life intrudes). We are in the final stretch, with Bourbaki’s desperate attempt to relieve the siege of Belfort. Once that has been done, we will have the final game of the campaign, the battle of St. Quentin where the French Army of the North tried to break the siege of Paris.

After that I think we’ll try the draft BBB Gettysburg scenario. Hurrah, or Yeehaw depending on your sympathies.