San Martino Battle: Game 2 Part 2

The most recent Battle of San Martino begun in July was fought to conclusion a few weeks ago.  The first part of the battle report can be found at Battle San Martino Game 2.

At the stopping point in the first battle session, Benedek and his Austrian Corps held the central position and controlled the tempo of the battle.  By acting aggressively, the Austrians gained all of the Objectives on and around the San Martino Heights early on.  Pushing beyond these objectives, the San Martino Heights were soundly in Austrian hands.  As Sardinian reinforcements reached the battlefield in a piecemeal fashion, Benedek was able to rebuff each reinforcing column's progress one at a time.

Situation at 10:30am

When the battle resumed on the 10:30am turn, the situation finds Durando's Sardinian division pressing upon the Austrian left, threatening the objective of Madonna del Scorpeta.  Heavy with grenadiers, Durando makes headway against his Austrian counterparts.  Koller and Gaal's Austrians, detached from the 5th Corps fighting to the south, are pushed back through the woods.  Mollard's third brigade to reach the field under the command of Morozzo begins to deploy as his brigade reaches the railway line.  With Mollard's recce column practically destroyed in the early morning fighting around San Martino, wresting control of the heights falls upon Morozzo's shoulders.  Cucchiari's two-brigade division takes on a similar task.  With Benedek holding all of the objectives and switching over from offensive operations to a strong defensive mindset, would the Sardinians have the force to throw the Austrians out of their strongpoints?

Durando's Sardinians pressing the Austrian left

Austrians form a defensive line as
Sardinian reinforcements arrive

Facing a tough white wall of Austrians, the Sardinians swallow hard and step off towards the Austrians lines.  Almost immediately, Morozzo's brigade finds itself under pressure on the approaches to San Martino as the Austrians wheel in on the left of his Sardinians.  As the Austrians swing in, a few Sardinian battalions are sacrificed in an attempt to refuse the flank and establish a more defensible position.

Morozzo under pressure early

On the Sardinian right, Cucchiari's 5th Division is hit by repeated volleys from the longer-ranged Austrian rifled muskets before the smoothbore carrying Sardinians can close.  The lead battalions in Pettinengo's brigade are all shaken by the hail of lead.  Luckily, Gozani's brigade reaches the village of Centenaro, defended by Austrian jagers, almost intact. 

The Austrian reinforced line looks formidable

Sardinians suffer in the advance

At this point in the battle, the situation is mixed.  Durando's Division continues to pressure the Austrian left with Koller and Gaal giving up ground begrudgingly.  The Sardinians are well placed on the ridge but losses continue to mount as the Austrians stand back and blast the Sardinians as they emerge from the cover of the woods.  The contact point between Cucchiari and Durando is becoming tenuous.  With Austrian resistance mounting on this front, Sardinian troops must flip to a defensive posture.  

The hinge linking Cucchiari and Durando weakens

Seeing the momentum shift in the valley, the Austrians waste no time.  Collecting a force of both infantry and cavalry, the Austrians strike into the weakening Sardinian position between the intersection of the two Sardinian divisions.  Already shaken from earlier losses, the Sardinians crumble when facing the cavalry and break.  The Sardinian gun narrowly escapes as the Sardinian position collapses  

An Austrian breakthrough

Not realizing that the Austrians have affected a split between his own division and Durando, Gozani attempts a similar ploy by concentrating and attack against the hinge of the Austrian line.  His hope is for a successful breakthrough.  Still ignorant to threat to his flank, Gozani attacks.  If the successful Austrian breakthrough turns upon his flank, Gozani may find himself in serious jeopardy.

Overall situation about 11:30am

Not seeing the Austrian breakthrough off to his right, Gozani begins his assault against Centenaro.  Gozani's brigade experiences surprising success as first the jaegers are pushed from the village and then a gap appears in the Austrian line as an Austrian battalion withdraws from the fighting.

Gozani attacks the defenders of Centenaro

The Austrians take more casualties and disruption as battalions are forced back onto their supports causing more battalions to waver.  Have the Sardinians finally found and exploited a weakness?  If the Sardinians could gain the initiative before the Austrian gap is plugged, this breach could turn into a breakthrough.  Of course, Gozani, still does not recognize that his own line has similarly been breached.

Sardinians breach the Austrian defenses

Despite the breach in the line, the Austrians coolly fall back and reform.  Bringing up the reserve artillery into the second line of defense, this line looks more imposing than the original.

Austrian second line forms

Will every attack upon the Austrian positions stymied and Berger's Austrian division threatening to envelop Mollard on the Sardinian left, the King calls off the attack.  Benedek performed his job superbly on this day preventing both the Sardinians from linking up with the French to the south at Solferino and cutting off the Austrian line of retreat. 

Situation at end of battle

That was a hard-fought battle with the Sardinians coming up short throughout the day.  Having never seized the initiative made the Sardinian situation one of reaction rather than action.  Being back-footed throughout the battle was agonizing.  The larger, Austrian battalions coupled with their superior rifled-musket made for a tough day on the field of battle.  Casualties were severely lopsided.  The Sardinians suffered greatly while attempting to get within smoothbore range.  In the few situations where they did manage to get in close, close combat saw some success.  The Sardinians must realize that in these situations the bayonet is a friend.  Closing with the more powerful Austrians proved nearly impossible.  Even Austrian cavalry saw success when it attacked weakened units and drove them from the field.  In the final analysis, the Austrian infantry were likely over-rated in this contest.  The combinations of their Combat Effectiveness, size, and weapon superiority were too much to overcome.  Next time these troops take to the field, I will give the Austrian infantry a downgrade and see if that improves play balance.  

As the Sardinian commander, I was outplayed, outwitted, and outlasted...but it was fun!