Solferino: Setting the Stage

French march toward battle

After hosting the Rejects for a remote Franco-Austrian War wargame featuring the Battle of San Martino (see: San Martino I, San Martino II) back in May, a second battle was discussed and planned for the fall after the summer holiday season passed.

With requests to maintain the same rules and the same war for the September game, the Battle of Solferino was chosen.  Since Solferino is a large battle, I decided to break the battle into three parts.  The September battle would focus on the fighting in the center between MacMahon's 2nd French Corp and Clam-Gallas' Austrian I Corps.

while the Austrians await.

This post sets the stage for the battle fought recently over three long sessions.

When developing the scenario, six players were confirmed to begin play.  During scenario finalization, a seventh player was added.  The game saw four French players to three Austrian players.  With seven players and a table full of troops, this offers up a large game especially for remote play.

In post-game discussions following the San Martino remote game, the players unanimously agreed that they would prefer more fog of war in their next outing.  I replied that I was happy to oblige.  Two teams were formed, and a general briefing was sent to all players.  Close on the heels of the General Briefing were army specific briefings destined only to the appropriate players on each team.  Teams would have little hard information on their opponent or his dispositions.  Each would need to study their own army's attributes to formulate a viable plan for accomplishing the task laid out without knowing exactly what they faced.  With the French on the attack, the French would be on the move with reinforcements streaming toward the battlefield.  Would the French conduct probes to feel out the enemy or strike headlong into the enemy-held heights?

General Briefing
The Battle of Solferino Center Sector, 24 June 1859

The Battle of Solferino is a large battle.  It was the largest European battle since the Battle of Leipzig in 1813.  With the battle’s size and scope, fighting at the battalion level requires breaking the battle down into sectors.  Today’s action will focus on the Center Sector.

The Austrians, having planned to advance against the French and Sardinians to the west were surprised when the Allies jumped into action and stole a march on the Austrian Army.  Having been caught off-balance, the Austrian 2nd Army primarily took up a defensive attitude around Solferino and San Cassiano.  The Austrian 1st Army, with more maneuver room on the Medole Plain attempted to take the offensive.  Even though the French were initially outnumbered on the plain, uncoordinated attacks by the Austrians allowed the French to fight the enemy to a standstill.

The primary avenue of attack for the French was along the spine of the Solferino Heights.  As the French 1st Corps attacked along the spline to the north (North Sector) and the French 4th Corp battled the Austrian 1st Army in the south (South Sector), MacMahon’s 2nd Corps remained idle, sandwiched between these two battles (Center Sector).  If he turned north to aid in the attack against Solferino, he risked being flanked by the Austrian 1st Army in the South Sector.  If he turned against the Austrian 1st Army to the south, he risked being attacked in the flank by the Austrian I Corps.

Finally, about noon, with reinforcements arriving on the battlefield, MacMahon and the French 2nd Corps began moving off to engage the enemy at San Cassiano and Cavriana.  MacMahon needed to engage the Austrians in the Center Sector so that I Corps could neither reinforce the battles raging on the Solferino Heights in the north nor the battles on the Medole Plain around Guidizzolo in the south.

The French goal in the Center Sector is to pin the Austrian I Corps and prevent it from reinforcing either North or South Sectors.  Defeating this Corps in detail will strengthen the odds of taking the difficult heights to the north. Speed is of the essence!

The Austrian goal in the Center Sector is to hold the center while pinning the French 2nd Corps allowing the 1st Army in the south to overpower the French forces opposing it.  If successful, the French can be defeated in detail as the 1st Army defeats each weaker French Corps in sequence as it fights its way north.

The map included in the General Briefing showed only notional army dispositions.  No Orders of Battle or Victory Conditions are presented in the General Briefing.  Those details are left for inclusion into the Army Specific Briefings. 

General troop dispositions

French Battle Briefing
After a long morning filled with indecision, you are ready to attack! Your Corps is positioned, ready to assault the heights to the south of Solferino as shown in the photo below.  French 1st Corps is pushing Austrian V Corps back to the east along the Solferino Heights (to the left of your position). You protect 1st Corps’ right. If you can take San Cassiano and Cavriana then V Corps could be isolated from the rest of the Austrian army.  Attack with vigor without wrecking your Corps.  If San Cassiano and Cavriana can be taken before Turn 8, you have bettered history.  You may declare victory unless your Corps is broken. If you wreck the Austrian I Corps, victory is yours!

French dispositions

Austrian Battle Briefing
Your Corps is spread out along the heights to the south of Solferino as shown in the photo below.  V Corps is being pushed back to the east along the Solferino Heights (to the right of your position).  You protect V Corps’ left.  If the enemy can take San Cassiano and Cavriana then V Corps could be isolated from the rest of the army.  You expect the French to launch an attack upon your positions soon.  Hold your ground as long as feasible without wrecking your Corps.  If San Cassiano and Cavriana can be held until Turn 8, you have bettered history.  You may declare victory unless your Corps is broken.  If you wreck the French 2nd Corps, victory is yours! 

Austrian dispositions

Each team only had the OBs and unit statistics for forces in their army.  No knowledge of the enemy dispositions were known until contact outside of the general deployment positions shown on the briefing maps.  Neither side knew the quality or firepower of the enemy to their front.  Hopefully, these attempts at introducing fog of war into the game were successful.

Battlefield from above

There!  The stage is set for battle.  Next time I visit Solferino, we look in on the opening battle maneuvers.