Quistello with the Rejects II

When we last checked in on the Rejects' Quistello game (see Quistello with Rejects Part I), Konigsegg's command in the south was blocked from crossing the Secchia River by the remnants of de Contades' broken brigade and de Bonas' cavalry. In the center, Quistello had been taken and the Austrians were driving out of their bridgehead established of the Secchia.  Elements of von Waldeck's column had reached the canal and were challenging the Piedmontese at that barrier and along the road to San Benedetto.  In the north cavalry were continuing to exchange blows.  The Allies had only de Contades' brigade broken while the Austrians saw Suchow and Wallsegg's broken.  A Sudden Death victory requires three broken Allied brigades and four broken Austrian brigades.  Each army needed to break two more enemy brigades to end the contest immediately.  If you have not yet read Part I, I recommend it. 

Frontline when play resumed.

View looking southeast from San Benedetto.

Konigesegg stuck at the Secchia.

Piedmontese defending canal and road to San Benedetto.

Wurttemberg bringing his boys up.

Czungenberger coming up in support of Lantieri's cavalry.

In the second session, the Austrians returned all three players (Dan, Lee, Ray).  Only Colin, for the Allies, could take the field for the second session.  He would fight alone.  Perhaps this was a fitting assignment since Colin saw very little action in the first session commanding the Piedmontese.

Let's dive in and see how the battle concluded.

Leading off the recommencement of hostilities, Coigny wastes no time in bringing the enemy under the sword.  Having regrouped from his earlier repulse, two French cavalry regiments pitch into one of Lantieri's two cavalry units.  In a decisive vengeance, the Austrians are cut down.  Lantieri's brigade breaks.  With the first attack in the session, the Austrians, with now three broken brigades, are only one broken brigade from defeat! 

Supported French cavalry charge in... 

destroying one of Lantieri's two regiments.

Oh, this could be over quickly if the Allies can pick apart one more Austrian brigade.  Where could they find that?

Realizing their precarious predicament with both flanks compromised, the Austrian Army goes on the attack in the center.  As Austrian infantry prepare to attack the defenders of Gaidellina, Neipperg sends one of his three grenadiers battalions up to lead the attack.  Attacking from the northeast, the supported grenadiers go in.  Even though one of the French regiments in on reserve, it can not muster a response.  With the grenadiers leading the attack, the French are driven out of Gaidellina and another of de Contades' units scatters.  The grenadiers occupy the garden outside of the farm.

Neipperg moves up for an attack on Gaidellina. 

The Austrian attack goes in...

and the French defenders go out!

Along the main road to San Benedetto, von Waldeck and Neipperg continue expanding their bridgehead while volleys are exchanged at the canal.  Suffering greatly from musketry, one Piedmontese regiment falls back from the canal.  The King's Piedmontese are coming under increasing pressure as the Austrians push on toward the canal.  The Allied Army is split!  To help mitigate the risk of having his army irretrievably cleaved in two and the southern part isolated, de Bonas sends one of his cavalry regiments to the north in an attempt to bridge this gap.  He cannot quite close off the Austrian penetration.

Austrians moving out from bridgehead.

A general advance toward the canal...

with the Piedmontese taking up the defense.

One Piedmontese regiment falls back from the canal.

Having seen off the Piedmontese in the wedge formed between the canal and road, the Austrians realign their objective to push on toward the bridge over the canal and the road to San Benedetto.

Serried ranks of Austrians advance!

Back in the north, along the river, Coigny attacks Lantieri in hopes of finishing off this brigade.  Unfortunately, the French cavalry called upon to attack has already suffered heavy losses.  The French attack is repulsed and the French cavalry scatters.  Coigny's cavalry brigade breaks.  Now the score is even with each army needing to break one more brigade for a Sudden Death victory. 

Coigny attacks!

Turning back to the south around Gaidellina, Sachsen-Gotha's cavalry brigade crosses the river and readies for action.  With two bodies of enemy cavalry to his front, and two more Austrian cavalry regiments coming across the river to his left, Konigsegg attacks.  Konigsegg must must be careful, though, this cavalry brigade has suffered casualties in earlier fights.  He could wind up breaking his own brigade in aggressive attacks.  In the clash, one of the French regiments is destroyed but the Austrians are forced back to behind Gaidellina.  Luckily for the Austrians, they lose no units in the fight. 

Austrian cavalry attack...

and are repulsed!

Sensing that the battle hangs in the balance, von Waldeck pushes on and into the enemy!  First at the canal, one of his three grenadier battalions storms out of the canal and into an already wavering enemy.  The enemy is dispatched with the grenadiers not much worse for their efforts.  Near the bridge, his remaining two grenadiers attack the Savoy Grenadiers.  With their King offering encouragement, the enemy grenadiers are repulsed! 

Grenadiers v Grenadiers!

This really is crunch time for the Allied Army.  Pushed back on their heels, both the Piedmontese infantry brigade and de Bonas' French cavalry brigade cannot sustain one more loss without breaking.

Since the Austrian center came up short in breaking the Piedmontese, the honor for putting away the Allied Army once and for all falls upon Konigsegg and Sachsen-Gotha's cavalry brigade.  Having crossed the river above Gaidellina and regrouped, the Austrian heavy cavalry find themselves upon the flank of a body of French cavalry.  Supported, the cuirassiers attack into the flank of the enemy horsemen.  The outcome really was not in doubt.  The Austrian heavies rip through the files and scatter the Frenchmen everywhere.  De Bonas' brigade is done for and so is the Allied Army.

The French offer a flank...

and Austrian cuirassiers accept!

Sudden Death victory to the Austrians!

Wow!  That turned out to be a much closer battle than expected.  In the final throes of battle, the deciding factor would be which army could break one more enemy brigade.  The Austrians managed to accomplish that task but the outcome was undecided until the end.

Congratulations to Dan, Lee, and Ray as victors but I tip my hat to the Franco-Piedmontese of Steve, Richard, and Colin.  The Allies put up a spirited fight given a difficult situation.  While Colin had little to do in the first session, he was thrown into the deep end of the pool in the second session as commander of the entire Allied Army.  With few dice to roll in the first session, he had plenty of opportunity to affect the outcome in the second half of the game.  Too bad that Richard and Steve could not be present to watch the second half of battle unfold.

Losing two, small infantry brigades early on set the Austrian timetable back.  Losing the third brigade early in the second session really put the pressure upon the Austrian commanders to take care of their forces.  This was a close one, really close.

And now for the Butcher's Bill (thanks, Stephen for the reminder to dig up these photos!)...

Thanks gentlemen for a spectacular game!