Home Forums Horse and Musket Napoleonic Polemos GdD AAR – Battle of Gunzburg

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  • #105381
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant

    Please see here for a refight of the Battle of Gunzburg, from a scenario in Michael Hopper’s book Rise of Eagles: 1805.

     

    #105552
    Avatar photoBandit
    Participant

    Did you implement any house rules for the swamp? The scenario in Rise of Eagles doesn’t provide any – and it is a difficult thing to address in a wargame. Historically the French element sent to the SW bridge gets lost in the marsh.

    Cheers,

    The Bandit

    #105558
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant

    No, I didn’t.  Did you have a stab at some scenario-specific rules for it?

    #105610
    Avatar photoBandit
    Participant

    No, I didn’t.  Did you have a stab at some scenario-specific rules for it?

    Our ESR Campaign Guide, Roll up that Map, 1805 in Germany, provided special rules that caused random movement – both speed and potentially direction – for any Units that entered the marshes. Because Mahler was quite unaware of the Austrian disposition, we also allowed for the Austrians to be placed on the tabletop, only once the French had come within artillery range. The fourth bridge opposite Reisensburg was not contested in the historical engagement. It is unclear if Mahler knew it was there or not but also curiously, d’Aspre assigned no troops to cover it. The historical battle turned on the French getting a foothold between Günzburg and Reisensburg with Labassée’s command: the 59eme Ligne. The engagement is a good one to demonstrate that most actions end when someone’s position becomes untenable, not when the last soldier falls. Once the French were across east of Günzburg, the Austrians attempted to throw them back with cavalry but the poor quality of the Kaunitz Infantry (leading them to break in advance of the French), meant that when their cavalry charge failed there was really nothing to reallocate right and the Austrians began to withdraw.

    How’d you like the game?

    Cheers,

    The Bandit

    #105646
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant

    Yes I enjoyed it, it worked out pretty well.  I am not convinced I have the balance right yet in terms of troop quality though!

    #105689
    Avatar photoJust Jack
    Participant

    Wow, that had a lot going on! Plenty o’troops, plenty of urban areas, plenty of rivers, and plenty of bridges!

    I understand the French were much better quality, but I still didn’t figure there was any way they were forcing a crossing (much less two!) against three bridges that were already defended.  Must’ve felt pretty good to pull that off! ;(

    V/R,

    Jack

    #105690
    Avatar photoWhirlwind
    Participant

    Thanks Jack.  Quirkily, the rules do not disadvantage attacks over bridges so the French successes aren’t that surprising.  Where they do disadvantage the attacker is that only one unit can traverse a bridge per turn.  This is why the game didn’t turn so much upon the French attacks over the bridge, but the success or failure of the Austrian counter-attacks on the isolated assaulting battalion before supports can get over to help them.

    #105694
    Avatar photoBandit
    Participant

    Historically Günzburg is a bit of a mess for the French. The main assault column to hit the central bridge to Günzburg fails outright, they get bogged down by the Austrian defenders and it goes nowhere. The assault against the Leipheim bridge doesn’t happen because the elite detachment sent to it becomes lost in the marshes and eventually turns around. Had the 59eme Ligne not shot across the bridge between Günzburg and Reisensburg, *and* the Austrian Kaunitz Infantry not broken and run, it is very possible the engagement is effectively a tie going to the Austrians for a successful rebuff of Mahler’s division.

    So, consider that in the historical engagement, two of three French assaults fail and the third falls on extremely good luck.

    Cheers,

    The Bandit

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