Fig 1. Overview the three battles
This is another in my continuing series on strategies for the Campaign Eckmuhl game. This one concentrates on some basic principles of warfare that when violated nearly assure one of a major defeat, even in a game. Never being one to do anything halfway, when I've lost a battle it has been big and usually very quick. Actually I've become quite the expert, so for your enjoyment these are some of the crucial principles I used recently in a Hunting Davout scenario and how they helped me to lose so perfectly.
If I had stuck to the five simple principles above I could and
should have won this scenario. I broke all 5 and paid the piper for it.
My opponent here, Major Rick Martin of the Anglo-Allied Army, had
previously defeated me through a series of scenarios in the campaign
game until I was forced to yield the victory to him, as I was able to
muster only 2-300 man battalions due to losses and stragglers. This was
a stand-alone scenario, and I felt that with equal forces I would be
able to inflict a serious defeat on him. As my forces began the battle
on opposite ends of a very large map the strategy I decided on was to
join my forces as soon as possible, or at least get them within
supporting distance of each other. Overly excited by my dreams of
surprising his forces and inflicting a massive defeat on the enemy, I
did not take into account what actions he
might take, and this led me to make some faulty dispositions. So,
rather than fight two battles, I split my forces even further and then
sent them out of supporting distance of each other (one large force
chasing a mere squadron of cavalry across the countryside), bringing on
three separate and distinct actions. Friant's, St. Hilaire's and
Morand's divisions of infantry I sent along the inland main road
through Teugen, Hausen, Mitterfecking and west to the rear of the
village of Saal, which was also the northernmost objective hex. The
Bavarians, I figured, could form a line south of Abensberg to hold the
highway while simultaneously stepping to the east to outflank the
heights behind the town. I sent the remainder of the III Corps south
down the river road as sort of pinning and delaying force. This
consisted of Marshal Davout along with Gudin's infantry and St.
Sulpice's heavy cavalry division with the trains and artillery. This
force turned out to be too weak for the task assigned to it, which was
merely to protect the artillery and supply wagons.
Fig 2.
Bavarians at Abensberg
Fig 3.
Bavarains in the woods
Let's begin with the Bavarians under Lefebvre, far to the south of
the main front. As they approached Abensberg and received some serious
fire from a line of guns the enemy had formed, I instantly pulled
everyone back to the woods instead of pressing their lines for a
weakness, which is what was called for. This adapting tactics to the
situation was fine in itself, but I lost track of the strategy of
combining my forces. I should have kept to the east on the most direct
route to my other forces without having to fight. Of course, that would
have made it hard to lose, so I slowly worked my way around under cover
carefully observing his forces.
#2 Stick to your overall strategy.
I totally abandoned my strategy when only three battalions routed,
failing to march to the guns north of me.
#3 Attack, attack, especially against a divided
enemy force.
I did observe this one very well.
Fig 6.
Overview: The Battle of Saal
Fig 7. Gudin
hard-pressed at Saal
Next, let's deal with the crucial northern sector around Saal. Here
is where I ensured my defeat would be total. I figured that these
forces, though small, could slowly march along the river road until the
inland force joined them in 4-5 turns. His
infantry marched fast and seized the town of Saal, which is the only
exit from the defile, and forced me to deploy Gudin's infantry and
Montbrun's light cavalry to form some sort of line until help could
come.
Fig 8. St.
Hilair goes in to save what can be saved
Fig 9. St
Hiaire's counterattack progresses
This force and the gun line I attempted to form were assaulted by
10-12 battalions, with some 8 or 9 batteries deployed to support them.
My forces were caught in open ground with enemy artillery having
oversight of their positions, and no help within reach. Some 3,000
infantry and 1,200 cavalry were lost, along with some 35 guns. This was
the consequence of that bit of foolishness, achieved in less than 4
turns. But, St. Hilaire's division recovered part of the position by
attacking along the woods.
#1 Concentration of Force and effort.
St. Hilaire should have marched with Gudin's division. The three turns
it took him to catch up wouldn't have saved the battle, but could have
reduced my losses, especially in guns.
#5. Protect your guns and supplies and an escape
route.
I committed my cavalry across the creek with no escape route. Once he
deployed his guns, I was trapped.
#4 Save your cavalry to win the battle and pursue.
Nothing more to be said about that...
Fig 12. Morand
and Friant at Teugn
Fig 13. Morand
pushes into the woods
Finally, the only portion of the battle that was going right was the
battle near Teugen. Here I had more forces than I originally needed. I
realized I should have kept my whole force in hand, so that the fear
and panic I felt when I ran into his advanced forces could have been
avoided. I sent Friant's division to the woods to the west of the ridge
and Morand's division straight toward the enemy position.
Fig 14. Morand
overwhelms and envelops the Austrians
Fig 15. The
pursuit toward Hausen
With Morand's battalions pinning the enemy in place, Friant smashed
in their flank and began to encircle the enemy a battalion or two a
time. As they were deployed in line formation, as they began to
disorder their speed of movement dropped quickly in the woods, and even
more were enveloped and captured. Eventually some 9 battalions were
captured in this manner, but as I was distracted by reports of events
around the Saal defile I began to disengage most of Friant's division
and send them to support our position to the west.
Fig 16. A few
scattered Austrians
Fig 17. The
Austrian support line: Pursuit over
When he exposed a support line of 10-12 battalions to the
rear, I was left with an equal number of fatigued and disordered units,
and so was unable to exploit the success. I was able to cause some
4-5000 casualties at a cost of 2500 men but found myself no closer to
overall victory. All I accomplished was prolonging my defeat from turn
15 to turn 34. #1 Concentration of Force and effort.
Fig 18. Tally,
Turn 18
Fig 19. Tally,
Turn 34
Now I have suffered some 13,000 infantry losses and 2700 cavalry with 47 guns and his losses are around 15,000 infantry and 200 horse and only 12 guns. This is a major defeat; not much chance of making that up in the 11 turns left, and I dont anticipate him making any big mistake this late in the day.
