(AAR) A Lodi Austrian campaign

[Adraeth]

May 1796 - Austrian defending Milan

(this is a small AAR just to share with customers the adventures of an austrian beta tester HeadQuarter [;)])

Our unrelaible alliance with Piedmont has been destroied by the Truce of Cherasco. The armies of the Republic of France are advancing towards Milan. All the Padania Valley is in danger. Austrian are on the retreat but Milan can't fall. The city is in turmoil and the Emperor will not tolerate a massive fall back to Mantua.

(every city has victory points, while small ones counts only 10, in this scenario Milan counts 500)

The situation is this:

The French army threatens our left flank, we know thos slayer of kings have taken Pavia and Lodi, our Line of Operation is really in danger and we must decide to strike towards Piedmont or to retreat near Milan.

We decide to hold the French in Pavia detaching Liptay and Rosselmini (8000 infantry, 300 cavalry, 30 art) to threat Pavia by south; in the meantime all the army will go to Milan while Colli Marchi and Vukassovich will screen our retreat moving from Novara to Mortara because we fear that a body of French army should march from West to Mortara to help the outflanking force.

The plan is simple, while the "south division" holds the enemy in Pavia, we will strike every enemy unit near Milan, in the hope to wheel the units in Milan towards Stradella so making a trap for the French.

[aitorful]

Very interesting begin, continue please.[:)]

[Adraeth]

As Marshall of the Habsburgs Empire i am really concerned with the quality of our generals. Most of austrian leaders seem not to be prepared to the strenght and willpower of this new "citizens armies" lead by this general Bonaparte, a poor man only worth to have slept in the right bed at the right moment...

I make a decision! Two of our generals are replaced, Reuss-Plauen will replace Rosselimini in the south and l'Amy in Milan will leave the leadership of the city to Pot and Colli Marchi will be our Commander in Chief.

(this will cost me influence points, so i prefer to replace leaders instead of spending influence in reinforcements, here i enclose a pic of Reuss-Plauen)

[Adraeth]

May 1796 - Turn 2

Bad news for Reuss-Plauen in the south, a gelaous Rosselmini leave some ammunitions depots out of the city and some French Hussars detachement capture them (event - ammunition depleted for Reuss-plauen brigade). Rosselmini take the road to Vienna whit a strange smile on his face.

The orders are given for the week:

Vukassovitch will make some redoubts to Mortara.

The South-Division will face Pavia without giving battle not even if the enemy will be clearly outnumbered.

The Main body (Milan) will hold the position.

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The French moves by now are to moving some cavalry from Fombio to Lodi, words reach Milan that the General Bonaparte is in Lodi, but others say he is Lannes and not Bonaparte.

[Adraeth]

May 1796 Turn 3

Milan: the Hussars from Schubritz brigade are locating movements by Kellerman cavalry, it seems the French are leaving the Adda not pressing to Milan.

South: as expected, some French troops are advancing from the West to Mortara. The Vukassovitch brigade has just started the redoubt construction, so they are unready for a pitched battle. Reuss-Plauen detaches the Liptay brigade to Mortara giving reinforcements against the Menard brigade; in the meantime french troops leave Pavia and Reuss-Plauen frees the city without fighting.

[Adraeth]

May 1796 - the Pavia Struggle

News in the south. The Reuss-Plauen brigade is assaulted by a strong brigade lead by Augereau. The french general marches from Lodi with an average of 7000 men, Reuss-Plauen has an average of 3000 men. The battle is decided in short time and the Austrians leave Pavia, suffering heavy losses on morale but not on men.

At Mortara, Lipthay hears the guns at Pavia, seeing that Menard retreats, so he decides to close to Pavia helping Reuss-Plauen to screen Augereau and lock that way.

Words of Pavia reach Milan; the Headquarter of Ott and Colli Marchi is barely shaken and divided on two ways of action. The Austrian know that at Lodi the french have an average o 1000 inf. and 2000 cav.; Austrians can face them in equal number only if the Schubritz cavalry brigade is committed in battle, but this cavalry is an important screen between Pavia and Milan.

At Milan two parties in the headquarter discuss the strategy:

1- To move on Lodi with all the force (cavalry included) ad strike the French once and for all
2- To stay in Milan waiting for Mortara redoubts to be finished
3- To move on Lodi without the cavalry

The decision by Colli Marchi is a strong advance on Lodi but without the cavalry, while a small garrison will hold Milan. The Austrian move with an average of 11000 men against the equal number of french (but the french have a majority of cavalry).....

[WallysWorld]

I like! [:)] More please.

[Adraeth]

The battle for Lodi

Here i enclose a picture for the battle of Lodi (i regret the quality of the picture but is to show the large area)

The next moves of the battles will be divided in sections, north and south of the battle to let you see better and understand better the struggle.

The Strategy of Colli Marchi is to give a strong blow with his left wing, while the right wing holds helped by cavalry.

[Samara]

Very good AAR, I want this game[&o]

[Adraeth]

Battle of Lodi - turn 5/30 - The North Wing Crisis

After an overture cannonade the North Wing under Sebbotendorf advances against two regiments of french foots, the Artillery in the north is Limbered to make an enfilade for support fire. Our units make a good volley and frenchs gave ground in partial disorder.

But, while our lines are recharging muskets, one yell arise from the French "Vive la France - Vive la Republique", like a storm on a small tree the two regiments of infantry clash our lines that flee in great disorder.. threating the Sebbotendorf HQ itself.

Sebbotendorf sends a courier to Colli Marchi (who is holding the right wing not attacking the main body of french army) for new orders....

[aitorful]

Austrian troops aren´t very brave, I think

[Adraeth]

ORIGINAL: pailleterie

Austrian troops aren´t very brave, I think

this is a reason, the other is that the general is not active (i am playing with Realistic rules), as you can see the circle is black and not yellow, this means that the general can move but he can't give any bonus to near units (sebottendorf gives a bonus on fire for infantry and some others bonuses), the initiative rule given with realistic rulesets is really amusing.

[Adraeth]

The Battle of Lodi - turn 9/30 - Austrians press on

Colli Marchi sends orders to Sebottendorf to continue pressing the left french wing, not considering losses. Colli Marchi is confident that the routed units should be replaced by new units that are marching from Milan to Lodi.

(the battle in the game often starts without every units on the field, they usually arrive on some -random- turns, this give a really napoleonic feeling to the battle)

Sebottendorf repulses the two french regiments while a courier arrives with good news, the reinforcements are coming; so the Austrian general gives orders to envelop the left french flank.

In the meantime the French army launches a probe with some cavalry regiment in the south-centre and we lost a piece of artillery, but the infantry in squares oblige the french hussars to give ground....

...and the battle continues...

[Adraeth]

the south-centre fight

[Samara]

The graphism seems as Gettysburg. Is very good.

[Adraeth]

Battle of Lodi - Turn 13/30 - We know our REAL enemy!

In the north side austrians advance slowly, the battle there seem indecisive, our infantry gain ground but some isolated batteries are routed by french dragoons.

In the south side the french army presses, combined attacks by infantry and cavalry force us to cede some ground near the swamps; even there we lost some artillery but our cavalry charge the french routing most of them...

...Colli Marchi gazes the situation meditating a final blow to the routing left flank attack of the enemy, when a new yell arise from French "Vive Le General, Vive Le General".

Colli-Marchi speaks to his entourage:"So now we know our enemy, Sirs we are facing General Bonaparte. It is going to be a relevant day for our army"

...and the battle rages on...

[Adraeth]

Battle of Lodi - Turn 15/30 - An Hard decision

The battle continues all over the front, in the north some french cavalry prevents us to envelop in a massive way the Bonaparte right flank.

In the south we launch a cavalry charge against the right flank of french flank for it has less cavalry than available (for the detachments on the north), the cavalry melee is indecisive and we have to retreat (we have less cavalry in this campaign and we can't lose all the mounted army in one single fight).

In the middle of the day, bad news are coming... we see reinforcements for the french army marching to our left (north) flank.... we are at the offensive now with all our army engaged.... does this mean the turining of the tide in battle...

[Adraeth]

The Battle of Lodi - Outcome

Austrians try to destroy the french north flank, but the morale collapses and Colli Marchi is obliged to call the withdraw...

a bloody day in Italy.

We lose the battle but Bonaparte lost a lot of cavalry indeed....

[Adraeth]

Lodi Campaign - French breaking defenses

3 Weeks of Marches and countermarches force us to leave the screen in Pavia and to Defend with strong numbers Mortara (where the redoubts are ready).

Augereau storms Mortara and his superior number wins the day, anyway the Vukassovitch and Reuss-Plauen army is able to withdraw in order.

Near the walls of Milan Augereau (united with Lannes) tries a coup de grace to the withdrawing armies from Mortara, but is strongly beaten.

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In the meantime we give ground from Lodi to Milan to help Vukassovitch and Plauen, also fearing Bonaparte himself.

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Augereau tries a more coordinated attack in the road from Mortara to Milan and his victory is overwhelming... Vukassovitch army is ROUTED!!!!

We reorganize all the front just around Milan.... is this the End???

[Adraeth]

Lodi Campaign - A ray of light

We are walled in Milan, french armies are bigger in number but our marches and probe battles (which we lost except of one cavalry struggle in the countryside) did a good job in delaying the citizens-army.

Colli Marchi send a courier to the Emperor in Wien asking reinforcements or the permission to leave Milan with an army quite good to give a match to Bonaparte in the near future.

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The following day Victor launches a storming assault to the redounts of Milan, the Austrians are hardly beaten but French can not hold the town.

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In the late evening of the 3rd day the courier come back to Colli Marchi with this message:

"Dear Feldmarschall Colli Marchi,

while you are reading this message the troops of FeldMarschall Wurmser are marching from Bozen and Udine to force the lines of Lodi and relieve your army from this situation.

You should leave a small force in Milan and march to Lodi or Cremona to meet Wurmser and to give battle to those French.

We are happy of your hard efforts in this hard time"

THE END