Bassignana With The Rejects

The Battle of Bassignana was back on the schedule this week after a two-week hiatus.  For details of the earlier battle and a battle briefing, please visit Return to Bassignana.  As a reminder, the battlefield and initial army deployments are as shown in the photo below: 

Initial deployments

For Monday's game, I enlisted three of Postie's Rejects to test their mettle on the fields of Bassignana.  Richard would take on the role of King Emanuele III commanding the Austro-Piedmontese armies while Lee (Maillebois) and Steve (de Gages) would split the Gallispan Army with Lee commanding the French Wing and Steve commanding the Spanish Wing.  After fielding a number of questions in pre-game correspondence, players took the field.  For Richard's battle account, see Face to Face with Better Generals.

Gallispan Center looks on at the Piedmontese
situated across the Tanaro River.

On to battle!

With the Spanish holding the initiative as the battle opens, Steve puts both de Gages and Arambou's brigades in motion.  Those two formations march toward the bridge over the Tanaro River.  The river is low so fording this obstacle is possible.  Dice behind each unit denote current combat effectiveness.  Color of the dice delineates to which brigade a unit belongs.  White cotton balls signify a first fire bonus.

The Piedmontese King reacts by calling on Liguane's Brigade of Dragoons to redeploy from the far-right wing.  This redeployment will take some time especially given Liguane's hesitation in responding.

Seeing the road to Bassignana lightly defended, Arambou sends his cavalry across the river to attack the King's cavalry positioned on the heights.  What may seem like a rash move is initiated to protect the Spanish infantry as they cross the Tanaro in column.  Not content to stand idly by, the Piedmontese cavalry counter charge hitting the Spanish cavalry.  As in the historical battle, the Spanish cavalry are caught as they emerge from the river.  The Spanish cavalry is driven off as the Piedmontese horsemen carry on.  Unfortunately, the Piedmontese cavalry is raked by canister as it moves forward toward the bridge.  The King's horsemen are crippled by this sudden blast but they press on.  

Still, into the long columns of Spaniards splashing through the river they come.  With few organized horsemen remaining, the Spaniards drive the Piedmontese off.  The Spaniards breathe a sigh of relief but success is short-lived.  From the woods to the east, Piedmontese light infantry appear and send volleys into the densely packed Spanish infantry columns.  Casualties are high as the surprise attack stops the Spanish dead in their tracks.  Maillebois orders de Montal to move up on Arambou's left while de Grammont advances upon Chiesa de San Germano under the protection of an artillery bombardment.      

de Gages' Spanish advance toward the river.

Cavalry clash!

Piedmontese cavalry pay the price in driving off the enemy.
Canister!

Surprise!
The woods are alive with Piedmontese light infantry.

de Montal covers Arambou's left
 as the French cross the river.

de Grammont advances on the left against
Chiesa de San Germano and its Piedmontese defenders.

Having seen off the King's cavalry, Arambou replaces his wavering infantry with two fresh infantry regiments to deal with the harassing light infantry.  With the Piedmontese cavalry driven off, the heights are left undefended.  Seeing opportunity, de Gages and de Montal coordinate attacks against the defenders of Rivarone.  After bitter fighting, Piedmontese militia is ejected from the village and de la Chiesa's remaining infantry regiment is compelled to fall back from Rivarone.  The entire Piedmontese center is compromised unless d'Aix's Brigade can shift to the east to relief this quickly building pressure.

Spanish driving off enemy light infantry!

Defenders ejected from Rivarone.

Piedmontese Center gives away.

The Piedmontese Guard from d'Aix's Brigade heeds the call for help and moves out from the relative safety of Montecastelle.  Immediately, they are pressed into action.  Attacking into the French near Rivarone, the guards are repulsed.  The guards rally and go in again.  Again, the hardened Frenchmen drive the guard back a second time having suffered heavy casualties.  Can the guard muster enough strength to attack a third time?  No!  Continued French artillery fire finally causes the guards to break for the rear.    

D'Aix sends a second regiment east to plug the hole.  It moves up alongside de la Chiesa's remaining infantry regiment and together they make a stand on the high ground overlooking Rivarone.  Fighting is vicious as the Gallispans try to take control of the heights.  The Piedmontese fight on but their numbers are thinning as de la Chiesa's Brigade breaks.

Heavy fighting in the center...

ending in de la Chiesa's Brigade breaking.

In front of Bassignana, the Spanish begin to form up for an assault against the town.  To prevent interruption from Liguane's cavalry moving quickly to the front, de Gage launches spoiling cavalry attacks against Liguane's cavalry as they move up to Bassignana.  In a series of charges and counter charges, Liguane's Piedmontese cavalry are driven off.  The King and Bassignana are isolated!

Spanish form up for the assault on Bassignana...

while Spanish cavalry drive off the enemy.

With Liguane's cavalry scattered, Spanish cavalry drive toward the pontoon bridge spanning the Po River.  The Spanish reach the bridge before Schulenburg's Austrians can cross.  The King and the defenders of Bassignana find themselves nearly surrounded and cut off from the pontoon bridge.  The King chooses to defend the town.  Arambou leads the assault into Bassignana.  The King is driven out!  Not giving up just yet, the King leads a counterattack back into the town.  Unfortunately, his attack is repulsed.  

Assault on Bassignana.

Seeing his army in tatters and little hope of Schulenburg crossing the Po to rescue his beleaguered army, the King escapes to the west to fight another day.

Well done to Lee and Steve for their decisive and relentless attacks against the King's positions.  While several formations saw heavy damage in the fighting, none of the Gallispan brigades ended the contest broken.  The King saw two of his brigades broken in the fighting and salvation from the Austrians on the north bank of the Po dashed.

Richard put up a good fight but it was not enough on this day.  While the outcome may look dismal for the King and his Piedmontese, this result mirrored the historical result quite closely.  No need to lament a loss when you manage to replicate the historical result.  Richard is up for the challenge and willing to give the battle another try.  In a couple of weeks' time, the Rejects can reconvene on my field of battle.

Thanks fellas or another very entertaining game.  As always, much appreciated!

Be sure to check out Richard's observations on the battle.

Game lasted about three hours.