The Last Battle of Madonna dell’Olmo

In the fourth and final refighting of the Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo, the battle sees The Rejects face-off against one another for bragging rights.  Surjit and Richard take command of the Franco-Spanish Army while Steve and Lee take the reins of the Austro-Piedmontese Army.  Having presented three battle reports, I skip the usual background formalities as regular readers may know the situation by heart.  I dive straight into battle.

Battlefield

Initial deployments

While the French wait patiently in the center behind their earthworks, a rumble is heard in the distance toward Madonna dell'Olmo (Md'O).  The sound is much more than a rumble.  An assault upon the redoubt in front of Md'O is underway!

Now, The Rejects often prefer not to read any of the preceding battle reports beforehand so as not to be influenced by what has gone before.  They even do not want to see the enemy's OB!  In this case, the Piedmontese start off the battle with an assault against the Spanish defenders in the redoubt at Md'O.  Whether this decision was influenced by prior battles or study is not known.

Whatever the inspiration, General Corbeau leads the Sardinian Grenadiers with support from one of two grenz regiments in against the redoubt.  In a bloody exchange lasting multiple rounds, the Spanish are ejected from dell'Olmo as the Sardinian grenadiers take the ground. 

French wait patiently in the center.

General Corbeau prepares an assault upon the redoubt.

Sardinian grenadiers seize the church...

while Spanish grenadiers are thrown out with high casualties.

Flush with success of quickly throwing the Spanish out of Md'O, an unsupported attack by a regiment of Swiss goes in against the defenders of Cascina Pasquale.  This time, the defenders are prepared.  The French infantry let loose a volley and the attack stops in its tracks.  The Swiss are forced to retire to regroup.   

The Swiss attack and then retreat!

Watching the battered Swiss return to their lines, the King sets d'Aix's brigade in motion.  The whole brigade steps off toward the Gallispan defenses.  To add support, Guibert joins into the advance.  Not remaining idle, la Mina brings his Spanish brigade forward to ready for the attacks he expects to fall upon his position.  

Piedmontese Center steps forward.

Spanish counter by filling the gap between Pasquale and Md'O.

Spanish move up to threaten Md'O.

Having regrouped the Swiss, d'Aix orders a second attack upon Cascina Pasquale.  This time, the Swiss receive support.  While the French are content to ready themselves for what may come, the Piedmontese attack!  In a heated exchange, the French are thrown out and their guns are overrun.  Pasquale is in Piedmontese hands but for how long?

Not long!

Chevert rides over to the two, waiting dragoon regiments and leads them in against the "new" defenders of Pasquale.  Still in the process of reforming from their exertions moments ago, the Piedmontese are sent packing back toward their own lines as the dragoons scatter the remnants.  Cascina Pasquale is back in French hands!  These efforts have broken d'Aix's Brigade. 

A second attack against Pasquale...

sees success as the French are ejected!
French guns are lost!

The French retake Cascina Pasquale!

Battle overview from Gallispan lines.

French regain Pasquale.

Back at Md'O,  Spanish infantry continue hammering away at the Sardinian grenadiers in Md'O but the grenadiers do not budge.  The movement of Spanish sent up to reinforce Madonna dell'Ripa (hex behind Md'O) prompts Corbeau to attack in attempt to relieve this building pressure.  The first attack with the grenz is repulsed.  With the Sardinian Royal Cavalry leading the second attempt, the Spanish are pushed back.  There will be no more Spanish threat from that quarter especially since la Mina's Brigade is now broken. 

Spanish throw back the first attack.

Second attack sees the Royal Cavalry drive back the Spanish.

This flank is secure.

Seeing a stalemate developing at Md'O and Cascina Pasquale back in French hands, the Piedmontese King shifts focus to the Right and Center. After some difficulty and delay, von Baden's Guarde Brigade crosses the sunken road and advances upon the enemy positions.  French General Chevert moves his brigade out of the earthworks at Picca Pietra to greet the enemy in the open ground between the two battle lines.  Chevert shifts a battery and cavalry to the right to shore up la Mina's position around Md'O.  Seeing Chevert's infantry step forward, Camposanto puts his brigade into motion to support Chevert's Left.  

As the two lines close, fighting intensifies. French Regiment de Quercy is thrown out of Lupotto Farm as von Baden's Guardsmen continue forward.  Piedmontese guns are wrestled forward to support these attacks.  While casualties mount, the French line wavers.  The persistent attacks of von Baden are too much.  In one attack, Camposanto falls and his brigade breaks.   

The attack of von Baden.

French Center stands firm as d'Aix's attack is thwarted.

Action shifts to Piedmontese Right (in distance).

Von Baden's Guarde Brigade
bears down upon the French line.

Fighting is fierce as the two lines close!

French line wavers and the breaks as Camposanto falls.

What has the Piedmontese Right been doing all of this time?  Well, Cincan's guns have been content to pound away at long range upon the enemy positions.  When von Baden crossed the sunken road and marched upon the enemy, General Cincan's infantry and de la Ville's cavalry attempted to cross in support.  Unfortunately, both brigades experience great difficulty in crossing this barrier.  Finally, as von Baden is driving upon the enemy, these two formations get underway.  De la Ville wastes no time once set into motion.

Reforming after crossing the barrier, de la Ville's four cavalry regiments ride straight for the enemy cavalry.  As the Gallispans find themselves locally outnumbered, the Piedmontese are able to deal with each enemy formation as it comes up.  Soon, the Gallispan cavalry wing is in tatters and their brigadier is dead on the field.

The Piedmontese Far Right Wing
remains motionless off in the distance.

de la Ville's cavalry brigade attacks!

Enemy cavalry fall one after the other...

as the Gallispan Left is chewed up in furious clashes.

After nearly four hours of play and the hour getting late, players stopped to assess the situation.

The Piedmontese control Madonna dell'Olmo but d'Aix's Brigade is broken.  The Gallispans count both de Courrier and la Mina's Brigades as broken and both Camposanto and de Courrier are dead on the field.  De Courrier's Brigade is nearing the breaking point and with four regiments of de la Ville's cavalry breathing down its necks, the outcome is not much in question.  When the remnants of de Courrier's Brigade scatters, the entire Gallispan Left is shredded.

Situation at end of game.

After tallying victory points and discussing several "what ifs", we agree that awarding the Austro-Piedmontese with a Minor Victory seems appropriate.

Franco-Spanish Dead Pile

Austro-Piedmontese Dead Pile

Congratulations to all players for sticking it out through the four hours of play.  I thought the game brilliant.  I could have gone on for another hour or two but then I am in Pacific time zone and the Rejects are in GMT.

Thank you all for a very enjoyable and interesting contest.  Great fun!

After some thought, I may return to these four Madonna dell'Olmo games to assess the similarities, the differences, the strategy and tactics employed, and my general impressions of both scenario and play.

Be sure to visit Richard's account of the battle at The Battle of Madonna dell'Olmo.