The 2nd Battle of Zengo

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job
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The 2nd Battle of Zengo

Post by job » Sun Oct 04, 2015 5:13 pm

The 2nd Battle of Zengo

Austrian Order of Battle

CIC GdD Komura, FML Rating 8

Vanguard Brigade (8)
1st Jaeger battalion, Regular, Skirmisher, Sharpshooter
Erzherzog Karl Infantry regiment No.3, Regular
Stain Infantry regiment No.50 (3rd Battalion)
One 6Pdr artillery batteries

Center Brigade (8)
Anton Mittrowsky Infantry regiment No.10, Large
Erbach Infantry regiment No.42, Large
Stain Infantry regiment No.50, Large
Stain Infantry regiment No.50, Large
Three 6Pdr artillery batteries

Rear brigade (8)
Stark grenadier battalion, Large, Reliable
Nissel grenadier battalion, Large, Reliable
Nissel grenadier battalion, Regular, Reliable
Hohenlohe grenadier battalion, Regular, Reliable
Two 6Pdr artillery batteries

*All Austrian units had the "Crack" rule.


French Order of Battle

46th Division Order of Battle
CiC Division de General Hercule Lafayette (8)

Brigade de Hubert (8)
9th Legere
33rd Ligne
111th Ligne
Line Foot Artillery battery 6-pounders

Brigade de Friant (8)
7th Legere [Skirmisher, Sharpshooters]
15th Ligne
48th Ligne
1st Suisse [Elite 5+]
Line Foot Artillery battery 6-pounders
Line Foot Artillery battery Howitzers

Brigade de Feraud (8)
1er Cuirassier [Reliable, HC D3]
Lancers de Vistule [Reliable, Lancers, Marauders] AT1
7e Hussards [Marauders]
Horse Artillery 6-pounders [Marauders]
Horse Artillery 6-pounders [Marauders]

Brigade de Coignet, Guards Brigade (8)
3rd Battalion de Regiment de Fusilier-Grenadiers [Reliable, Elite 4+] AT2
3rd Battalion de Regiment de Fusilier-Chasseurs [Reliable, Elite 4+] AT2
1st Ligne de Vistule Legion [Tough Fighters, Elite 5+, large] AT1
Line Foot Heavy Artillery battery 12-pounders

*All units have Pas de Charge rule [reliable Attack Column] and are regular sized units unless otherwise noted.

A month had passed since what had become known as the 1st Battle of Zengo, and the contestants were ready to resume action. The French broke camp and marched on the Austrians on a warm, early Autumn day. GdD Komura had spent the last month assembling and reorganizing his battalions, reinforcing the formations with fresh conscripts and drilling his battalions for the coming battle.

The Austrians had massed about a small plateau overlooking a plain. The position marked the far left of the Austrian army of Bavaria and GdD Lafayette marched his battalions hoping to break the Austrian line and drive into the enemy's rear.

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The French officers rode out ahead and inspected the Austrian positions. The Vanguard Brigade deployed across the front slope of a tall plateau dominating the field. On the reverse slope the Center Brigade amassed in compact, serried ranks of attack columns. Upon the crest the artillery was gathered into a 'grande battery'. Komura, upon sighting the first patrols of the French vanguard, sent orders for his Grenadiers to march to his position and link up with the main divisional troops. GdD Lafayette, across the field from the Komura's Austrians sent word to the Guards Brigade to reinforce his force and fall on the flank of the Austrians.
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The infantry of the 46th Division arrive. GdB Herbert leads his battalions at the Austrian right and Brigade de Friant march hard to the far right to turn the Austrian flank. But the calvary fail to arrive. In the first sporadic exchanges the Austrian Stain battalion is disordered.

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Komura orders his Central battalion to move against the flanking French. The jagers from his Vanguard move to screen the attack. They lay down accurate fire upon the 7th Legere who suffer.

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The fierce Austrian cannonade pelts the French foot, but causes little damage.

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The French calvary appear on the left. The cuirassier bear down on the flank of the Erzherzog Karl regiment. The Visutla Lancers force the 1st Jaguar into square and ride to support the cuirassier. GdB Fraud orders the horse artillery into close proximity to the Austrian squares. They rake the close packed Austrians with grapeshot. GdB Friant switches his attack to support the calvary and a combined arms attack begins to form on the Austrian center. On the French right, GdB Hubert orders his infantry into a line and has the Suisse flank his enemies columns.

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And the Guard appear closing on the Austrian rear!

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But Komura's Austrians are not to be intimidated. The attack columns shrug off volleys at close range and enfilading fire cutting across their flanks. The Vanguard brigade fairs worse, as the battalions get attention of the French cannon and chasseurs. The 1st Jaguars and the 3rd Stain battalion are shaken, but to Austrian glory, the brave Germans of the Erzherzog Karl regiment beat off the charge from the 1st Cuirassier. The beaten French heavy calvary flee and are shaken.

In victory, The Erzherzog Karl regiment is ordered into square, anchoring the Austrian center.
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The Austrian Center Brigade is ordered into combat. The Anton Mittrowsky and Stain regiments pour into the French. 33rd and 15th Fight back tenaciously, the officers and sergeants of the regiments urging the men to stand their ground. They barely hold the line against the tidal wave of Austrians.

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Lafayatte's French wheel their batteries into close proximity of the Austrian square and the 111th Ligne and 9th Legere form into line ready to deliver volleys into the tightly packed jaegers.
Behind the plateau the Guard charge into the Stain and Erbach infantry.
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3 Batteries rake the Austrians with grapeshot. Another French battery pounds the square with solid shot. Volleys of musketry devastate the ranks. Not a man is left standing when the clouds of gunpowder billow away. (14 hits!)

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But, in astonishment the Guard Fusilier-Chasseurs break before the Erbach men!

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Then the 33rd broke before the on-coming Stain infantry of the 1st Battalion. Seeing their flank cave in, the 9th Legere retire.

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The French force begin to break contact and retire the field. Astonished at the word the Guard Brigade had broken and with the center held by Herbert's brigade in disorder, the Frenchmen lost courage. The arrival of the Austrian Grenadiers sealed the contest and the French began the affair of disentangling their force from the counterattacking Austrians. All along the line the Austrian columns swelled with courage and élan and drove the French brigades back down the roads they had come. GdD Komura, understanding the critical nature of his position to Austrian high command, broke off the pursuit at 2 in the afternoon and let the French lick their wounds for the next contest.

Overall, it was an excellent fight. There were times things could have easily swayed either way. Some luck played a role as the Erzerhog Karl Regiment took a charge to their flank and instead broke the assaulting cuirassier. There was also the very critical victory and glorious breaking of the Guard Grenadier-Chasseurs despite the Guard assaulting and being supported. Of course, Komura also clearly identified how powerful it is to ally the Austrian crack rule with the Assault column. Then he used it to devastating effect assaulting the French right. Komura-san also critically ordered the Erchbach brigade into square after defeating cuirassier which kept two battalions of his Vanguard Brigade holding his center while his Center Brigade attacked and hammered the French right. The Austrians had one battalion break, 2 more shaken with one brigade broken. The Center Brigade took many hits, but the large formations hadn't reached shaken. The French, on the other hand, faired worse, with 2 battalions broken and 4 others shaken. Two brigades were broken (The Guards and D'Herbert). It was a close contest, and the Austrians had clearly come out the victors, but most of all, it was a great deal of fun. :)
Models Painted, 2020
70 28mm miniatureS

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