Goin' Down for the Last Time

Yes, today's report is likely the last replay of Quistello before I move along to another new period and another new battle.  In this replay, I take on Peter (Grid-based wargaming) in a one-on-one match.  Peter has already provided an excellent account of our contest with a series of marvelously hand-drawn maps.  If only I had Peter's artistic talent!  Be sure to visit Peter's blog and read his battle account.

As a refresher for the situation, the Allies (Franco-Piedmontese) begin the battle encamped with a possibility of being caught off guard when the Austrians launch their surprise attack in the early morning.  Army and troop dispositions are shown in the table photos below: 

Battlefield with original Austrian attack plan.

Army dispositions.

While Peter's account is a tough act to follow, I provide my recollections from battle in a series of captioned battle photos.

View of battlefield looking SE from San Benedetto.

In the early morning hours, the Austrian Army successfully approaches the Secchia River without sounding an alarm in the camps of the sleeping Frenchmen.  The battle is about to begin!

Austrians poised along the eastern bank of the Secchia.

All three Austrian columns begin crossing the Secchia.
Quistello is completely bypassed! 
The French are surprised about this development!

After running off de Broglie,
 Suchow's brigade attacks the defenders of Gaidellina.
Despite being surprised,
 the defenders throw back Suchow's attack.

Crossing the river, Neipperg attacks a second body of French.
Similarly caught by surprise,
 the Frenchmen fall back as the Austrian grenadiers come on.

In minutes, the center of de Contades' line is pierced.

Rather than clearing out Quistello,
 Sachsen-Hildburghausen right faces and marches to the Secchia.
Another surprise by the Austrians!

Lantieri swings his Austrian dragoons around
 to cover the right flank of the army.

A second attack from the east into Gaidellina.
Austrian grenadiers scatter the defenders!
Gaidellina is theirs!

With Gaidellina secure, Konigsegg pushes his columns forward

along the main road to San Benedetto,

Neipperg urges his men forward on the attack.

After suffering artillery fire from Quistello,
Sachsen-Gotha attacks the town with his cavalry. 

The French defenders of Quistello are expelled
and French guns are overrun.

Prince Wurttemberg leads an attack
 into the French positioned astride the main road.
Not surprised, the French get a chance to fire
 as the Austrians bear down.
In close combat, the French are sent reeling back,
and a second battery is overrun! 
De Contades' Brigade breaks!

In the center, the Prince presses on
as Konigsegg advances from Gaidellina.

Lantieri crosses the Secchia and engages a body of
French cavalry forming up in front of Mirasole.
The French are driven back!
Austrian infantry reach the canal.

With Quistello cleared out, Austrian heavy cavalry move
through the town and along the road toward San Benedetto.
The Allies begin to respond.
De Bonas' cavalry moves forward to pin the enemy at Gaidellina
 while shifting two regiments to the center.
One isolated Austrian infantry unit is scattered
 when one of de Bonas' French cavalry attacks.

The center is quite thin on troops!

As more of Waldeck's infantry reach the canal,
the Piedmontese attack with grenadiers leading the charge!
The Austrian brigade breaks!

Piedmontese grenadiers move up to defend the canal.
The Austrians attack across the canal with grenadiers
 leading the way and Sachsen-Hild at the head.
Sachsen-Hild. goes down but the Piedmontese are destroyed.
Savoya's Piedmontese brigade breaks.

Austrians are across the canal and Austrian cavalry
 are working around the French left at Mirasole.

Needing only to destroy one of de Coigny's French
cavalry regiments to break the Allied Army,
 Lantieri brings up his dragoons.  
This may be a high-risk venture.
If successful, the Allied Army breaks.
If not, Lantieri will likely be broken in his efforts.

Lantieri succeeds and the Allied Army retires.
This battle is over!

Butcher's Bill

Congratulations to Peter on a fine victory!

Well, the Allied Army took another beating but fared better than they saw in their last outing.  The Allies almost held out for long enough but not quite.  Game ended on Turn 7 of 8.  The Dead Pile may be a little deceiving since several Austrian units were hanging onto life by the skin of their teeth. 

As in the historical battle, the French were caught by the early surprise attacks and de Contades was barely able to put together any sort of defensive line at all.  Like in the other games, de Contades was overrun and broken before he really got his footing.

We witnessed an historical result with the Allies battered and retiring from the field.  For the Austrians, von Waldeck's large infantry brigade was broken and his cavalry nearly so.  Each army saw two of its generals go down in the fighting.  Losing the fight at the canal and allowing the Austrians to turn the French left was really my undoing.  De Coigny's cavalry should have reacted much sooner and more aggressively.

Still, this battle iteration's result reinforces that the historical outcome can be replicated and probable.  Game #2 saw a similar historical result but on a grander scale.  In Game #1, without the sudden collapse of two Austrian brigades at the start of battle, we may have a seen similar outcome to the second two games.  In the final accounting, the Allies came up short in all three games.  For now, the Franco-Piedmontese Army at Quistello has gone down for the last time. 

Nice job, Peter!  Maybe I will get you next time? 

As for next time, I pack away the War of Polish Succession armies, clear the table, and plan for the next series of games.  I have a hankering for seeing my Reconquista armies back out on table so that may be next.

Thanks for looking!