Tuesday 17 April 2012

Teugen-Hausen Scenario OOB

Some people have asked for the OOB from my battle report.
After rereading John Gill's account in "Thunder on the Danube" and the play through of the scenario from "Battles for Empire", Arnold & Reinersten, Napoleon Books, and not to forget my own errors I am posting a different, but I believe better, OOB than the one used for my battle report. 
Map changes: Reorientate the map so that Teugen is considered north and Hausen south. You can double the amount of western woods.

Austrian OOB

CinC III Corps FML Hohenzollern
Set Up:
Brigade: Kayser
IR#56 x 3 Line Battalions, IR#7 x 3 Line Battalions, one 6pndr Battery, one 2nd Rate Small Skirmisher group, one Hussar Sqdn x 1 Tiny Elite light cavalry.
Turn 4
Brigade: Pfanzelter
Grenz#9 x 2 Light Battalions, Erzherzog Karl Legion Jager x 2 Rifle armed small skirmisher groups, one 3pndr Battery
Turn 9
Brigade: Liechtenstein.
IR#12 x 3 Line Battalions
Turn 10
(part of Brigade Liechtenstein)
IR#23 x 2 Line Battalions, one 6 pndr Battery 
Turn 12
Brigade: Von Bieber
IR#20 x 3 Line battalions, 6pndr Battery, one 2nd Rate Small Skirmisher group
Turn 13
(Part of Brigade Von Bieber)
IR#38 x 3 Line Battalions
All appear from south. Pfanzelter south west.

French OOB

CinC III Corps Marshal Davout
Set Up
Brigade: Lorencez
3rd Ligne x 3 Line Battalions, one small skirmisher group
Turn 3
57th Ligne x 3 veteran Line Battalions,one small skirmisher group ( east )
Turn 6
10th Leger x 3 Veteran Light Battalions,one small skirmisher group, one 4pndr Horse battery (north)
Turn 8
Brigade: Destabenrath
72nd Ligne x 3 Line Battalions, one small skirmisher group( east )
Turn 9
105th Ligne x 3 Line Battalions,one small skirmisher group( east )
Turn 10
Brigade: Petit
2 x line Battalions, 3 x small skirmisher groups( east )
Turn 11
2 x 8 pndr Batteries and one 4 pndr Horse battery ( east )
Turn 12
Brigade: Grandeau
48th Ligne x 3 Line Battalions ( east )
Troops arriving (north) appear next to Teugen. Those ( east ) appear on road from north east of table.




Tuegen-Hausen, 19th April, 1809

Historical background.
Davouts III Corps is isolated and attempting to rejoin the rest of the French army. His troops are intercepted on the march by the Corps of FML Hohenzollern of the Main Austrian army. Nearby was the Austrian Army Commander Archduke Charles. Unfortunately he didn't seem to take any action to reinforce Hohenzollern until after the battle was lost.
Overview with the French held Teugen at the top and Hausen held by Austria at the bottom. The table is running west to east with woods on the southern and northern flanks.

The French 3rd Ligne with 3 battalions and Marshall Davout commanding.
GM Kayser and his 6 battalion Brigade has the French at a disadvantage!
The Austrian Skirmishers spot light French voltigeurs in the distance.

The Austrians manage to seize the hill on the French side of the table and inflict casualties with close range musketry

The French counter attack routing the poorly trained Austrian Skirmishers.
The Elite 57th Ligne Regiment (Le Terrible ) arrives.

The battalions on the ridge continue to exchange fire while the Austrian Brigade commander desperately tries to bring the rest of his command up in support.

GM Pfanzelter with his Grenz and rifle armed Jagers arrives.

The 57ths Voltigeurs move quickly through the woods and pin the 1st battalion IR#56 before it can out flank the ridge. Most of the other Austrian Battalions have found themselves in Column and finding it difficult to form line so close to the enemy.
The Veteran 10th Legre arrives.
The musketry duals breakout all up and down the line. In the distance the Austrian 6 pdr gun opens up.
Most battalions are now so worn they are incapable of advancing.

Prince Liechtenstein brings three battalions of the IR#12 as reinforcement.
One Battalion of the IR#56 finally withdraws from the fight. The three markers say its Demoralised, Shaken and Disordered.

The mounting casualties become too much for the 3rd Ligne's Voltigeurs and 3rd battalion. Both of them break and run.

GM Pfanzelter throws a blunder taking his Grenz North when they were desperately needed in the southern forest.
Isolated on the hill, the 3rd Battalion IR#56 regiment finally breaks after being charged front and flank.

Both sides have brought in fresh troops and continue to exchange volleys. But unfortunately neither can gain enough local ascendancy any where to break their opponents line. Though the Austrians have found themselves pushed back now to the centre of the field.
The 3rd Battalion 10th Legere attempts to cross the plowed field and assault the Austrian 6pndr.


The 1st Battalion IR#56 is charged and breaks after substaining many casualties.

The battle hangs in the balance with Austrians having a slight numerical advantage.

GM Pfanzelter blunders again taking one of his Grenz battalions east when they are needed to support their comrades in the forest. It has just been noted GM Pfanzelter was the commander of the Austrian light cavalry Brigade that was so badly handled last game as well!

The guns manage to chase off lurking Voltigeurs in the north woods.

Unfortunately musket fire forces the crew to abandon the gun and retreat.
Down south the Grenz are able to clear the Voltigeurs from the woods.

Terrible close range fire fights were the order of the day.

After taking casualties on every part of the field the 1st of IR#7 suddenly breaks from harassing fire.

The 3rd of IR#7 also breaks and the 2nd of IR#7 withdraws shaken and disordered.

Suddenly Kaysers whole brigade gives way and flees the field. They had taken on the brunt of the fighting for the Austrians since the first turn. Failure to relieve them has resulted in them reaching break point.

FML Saint-Julien moves up in support with the IR#23 Regiment. But it may be too little too late.

Now one of the Grenz Battalions breaks in the south woods. Things are looking bad for the White Peril!

But still the French can't break through in the south woods. Their right flank Battalion halted by massed fire.

Revenge in the north flank as the newly arrived IR#23rd disperse the Voligeurs that broke the 1st of IR#7.



The second rate Grenz and their Jager companions have routed one of the Veteran 57th Regiment Battalions this leaves them in command of the southern woods for the moment.
The two fresh battalions of the IR#23 claim another French victim. In two turns the French have gone from having control of the Northern flank to  having it taken from them by the Austrians.

Unfortunately recent success on both flanks has been neutralised by a sudden set of breaks in the Austrian center.

And another central battalion breaks leaving Prince Liechtenstein facing the French horde alone.
The situation at 2:30 with the Austrian center now only being held by two batteries and the French 72 ligne regiment arriving as reinforcements. There is only time now for one more gambit by the Austrians.

Attacking with their two battalions from IR#23 on their right flank (north) they manage to break the Veteran 10th Leger Regiment!

The plucky but badly outnumbered Grenz and their Jagers are finally forced out of the southern woods.
The 1st battalion 3rd Ligne charge up the hill and take the battery. With this loss the Austrians concede.
Final situation with the defiant 2nd battalion IR#23 charged in the flank but still refusing to give ground!
Mention in dispatches for the 1st 3rd Ligne (normally 1st/6th Ligne). Only unit from the original set up still functioning at the end of the game. Also victorious in the last action of the game.

Saturday 7 April 2012

Trouble on Ibernia III: 2575 Campaign Parts 1 and 2


Ibernia III: Terraformed midsized planet with marginal crop land and Ore export. Low population density.
Following a wide eyed report of a a massacre at Leon North mining camp by a returning relief crew, Sgt Plod, of the Leon Police force, hitches a ride over to investigate.
These are the first scenarios of the 2575 campaign using 5150 rules. Starting with a Recon mission.

                              The sky crane drops off the Police hover craft and its four occupants.
The police drive across the open plain to the distant small mine site. Each building needs to be searched for a successful mission.


            The Police park at the Mine office without (against all the dice odds) incident.


                                            The office checked. No survivors. Plenty of gore.  
The first garage is also empty but suddenly the dice wake up and four bugs come scrambling out of the mine shaft it self.

        Accurate pistol fire by the closest officer brings down the first bug. The cops then leg it back to the office at double speed!

Making a stand the police are able to keep the bugs at bay. The Shotgun cop proving to be a handy man in a crisis!


Surprising even themselves our heroes finish off the last bug. They then complete their search without incident. The decision is then made to call in the militia to blow and seal the mine shaft. This will be an attack mission with the need to place a explosive package on the mine shaft.

                            Police Sgt Plod and Militia Lieutenant Brians consult at the landing pad.
With too many Militia showing up to ride in the vehicles the Police drive back while the Militia form up and march up the road. 
Unfortunately recent success has resulted in over confidence. Racing ahead has proven to be a big mistake!
No sooner have they left the vehicle than a huge group of bugs pour out of the mine shaft.
Even worse, any conflicting thoughts on whether to head back to the office or attempt to run in the hovercraft becomes irrelevant when the bugs take initiative and charge the Police. Two panic and run away. This leaves Sgt Plod and the Shotgun guy to fight it out. Sadly the fight is over very quickly.
Seeing the Police go down under a sea of bugs Lieutenant Brians forms his squad into a firing line and slowly backs towards the landing pad.

But after repeated success gunning down the bugs on the open ground the Lieutenant reverses the withdrawal and begins to advance back towards the mine. 


Another group of bugs emerge form the shaft. But they have no chance in the open against the now very confident militia.



  Eventually Lt Brians and his team reach the opening to the mine shaft. This is the most dangerous moment a sudden appearance of bugs could be on them before they could react effectively.
The militia manage to plant the explosives and seal the mine shaft. Two victories for the colonists. Although with the sad loss of Sgt Plod and his three colleagues.