Aspern-Essling Revdux, via Bloody Big Battles

We revisited this excellent scenario, a knife-fight in a phone booth. It was popular last time, even more so this time. Hopefully next time we will have enough time to actually finish the entire game. Subway problems delayed Jay. The game got off to a late start. We ended early because my wife and I were due at a concert at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). Next game will be in the new year because we’re heading to Maine for the holidays.

 

Last time Jay had the Austrians and I the French. We agreed to switch. Bill got the left flank of the Austrians, who activate or appear on the second turn. He’s been away for a while and wanted to watch the first turn to knock off his ring rust. Red arrows below indicate attacks and yellow retreats, except for one photo where I reversed them. Yellow markers show disrupted units/silenced artillery. Empty .22 cartridges indicate low on ammo and blue markers indicate spent units. I made up skull markers for eliminated units but only remembered to use it for one artillery unit that was overrun. We put down smoke markers to show firing and a dead figure each time a base is removed by combat. All figures 15 to 18mm.

 

I started off with a poorly coordinated assault on Aspern that still managed to get a foothold in the town.

Below is the one where the yellow marker shows an attack and red the retreat. Oops.

The Austrians had the bit in their teeth at sundown on the first day, looking to finish the French in the morning. But the sun revealed Lannes’ II Corps and things looked a lot more serious. About this time Jay had to leave and he handed over the French to Andrew, who arrived a little earlier due to family obligations. Speaking of which, Carl’s been gone since the birth of his new daughter. We hope he’ll be back in a while, possibly with a new recruit in time. Little girl gamers welcome here.

The movement dice were kind to Bill and a meticulously coordinated attack on Essling was frustrated by a stout French defense.

A massed cavalry attack was disrupted on the way in by artillery fire. A bloody tie was averted because Austrian infantry in 1809 get a +1 vs. cavalry due to widespread use of the battalionmasse formation, which also gives a bonus to folks shooting at them.

The last turn saw two fights with a pair of bloody ties each, one in Aspern and the other at the berm. Andrew decided to pull the garrison of Essling out since there was a mob of Austrians in and around the town. No French infantry was near at hand, since they were all tied up in fights around Aspern, Gemende Au and the berm. Our tickets to the BAM concert beckoned and the game was called. We do play a lot more slowly than the lads of the Cambridge Wargames Society. We played 5 turns and a night phase in a little over 4 hours. We are slow on night phases because we don’t often play them, having to read that page of the rules aloud each time.

 

The French held just one objective, Lobau Island, but were in serious contention for Aspern and Gemende Au, with 4 turns left to play. A tie was certainly within reach. But Essling looked firmly in Austrian hands and the game seemed to be balanced between a tie and an Austrian victory.

 

French losses were 7 infantry, 1 artillery and 1 cavalry base with another cavalry base calling it a day. The Austrians lost 8 infantry, 1 cavalry base and another cavalry base hit the showers.

 

All concerned were quite pleased with the game. A great scenario, thanks to Mark Smith who I had the pleasure of meeting in the UK recently. Hopefully next time the subways will cooperate and I won’t have theater tickets. We made it to BAM with a few minutes to spare.

Salamanca in the UK

Got back from our trip across the pond Wednesday. It included a stop at the Oxford Wargames Society and a rollicking game of Salamanca 1812 a la Bloody Big Battles. I was pleased at having figured out how to get to the venue via the local bus.

 

I was having trouble accessing my email in the UK (a long, boring tech tale) and hadn’t had a good look at the scenario. I opted for the French left flank, with the infantry divisions of Thomieres, Brennier, Macune and accompanying cavalry on dodgy horseflesh. With decent movement rolls, Thomieres marched into Miranda de Azan and earned us a victory point. Aside from that, I was entirely too aggressive, should have fallen back towards the Greater Arapil and kept my cavalry in reserve. Instead, I sent the cavalry forward aggressively. They evaded from the advancing British infantry, becoming disrupted and in time hors de combat.

 

I did get my other two infantry divisions back in the correct place, but was overcome with battle lust late in the game. I do that from time to time. I kept charging the oncoming British. This allowed two assaults each per turn, once by me on the French phase and again on the British phase by them. I’d have been well advised to just stay put on the French phase and defend on the British phase. My hindsight is 20/20, as always.

 

Instead, both divisions dissolved before game end. My cavalry having preceded them off this mortal coil, this allowed the British to claim an objective. If only I’d had one of my cavalry units around to claim the objective, we might have snatched a dodgy French victory. We settled for a sanguine tie. A fun game. At some point I heard Chris calling for “more nepotism!” Indeed. I'd left my old point-and-shoot camera back in NYC, so no photos of the game.

 

Oh yes, Thomieres attacked out of Miranda de Azan against Portuguese and Spanish on the steep hill of Pico de Miranda. The second assault saw a dreadful die roll. The division broke off the table with heavy losses. I had one weak artillery unit on the table at game end.

This was followed by a trip to the local pub. All in all, a fine time. Thanks to the Oxford Wargames lads.