Marengo, 14th June 1800 - AAR Part 3

Turn 7: 1300

Turn 7 begins with great danger for the French. Ott is threatening to sever the French lines of communication, leaving Bonaparte’s forces around Marengo dependent on a single supply wagon unit.

Morzin's grenadiers advance

After a slight delay (half-move result in the command step), Morzin advances his grenadiers to increase the pressure. South of Marengo, Hadik leads his cavalry against the French heavy cavalry opposite. Note the...ah...deliberate...error - there should be only two (i.e. 4 JTS) French heavy cavalry bases for its 8-figure strength.

Hadik's charge

The French manage to see the Austrians off, but are left one figure away from their dispersal number, so they stay put after rolling successfully for recall. Meanwhile, Kaim and St Julien start getting their forces across the Fontanone in some numbers.

Austrian moves

For their part, the French continue to fall back. 

The French fall back from Marengo

Not much firing from the Austrians, and what there was didn’t have any effect. French return fire by Chambarlhac’s light infantry brigade inflicted a hit on Morzin’s grenadiers closest to Marengo. That brigade is in danger of being nibble to death by French fire. But with the FrLT unit forced to change to column in order to retreat, this could be an opportunity from some payback for the Austrians

The situation at the end of Turn 7

Turn 8: 1330

The Austrians continue to advance in the area of Marengo village, and Ott’s column continues to (slowly) deploy.

Turn 8 Austrian moves

Turn 8 Ott's moves

Elsnitz’s cavalry takes on Murat’s light cavalry, which is in big trouble even if it wins, being one figure away from dispersal. Will we see some Murat magic?

Elsnitz vs Murat

Non-phasing French fire fails to take another nibble from Morzin’s grenadiers, but one of Gardanne’s brigades inflicts a hit on an advancing (limbered) Austrian artillery battery.

In the combat phase, Elsnitz’s cavalry inflicts two hits on Murat’s LC, Murat fails to prevent dispersal and is killed in the process. The cavalry fails its recall move and attacked the FrLN brigade that is now directly ahead. The infantry fails to form emergency square but beats the cavalry off anyway, thanks to the cavalry’s disordered status. The cavalry bounces back to near where it started move 8, mission accomplished.

During the French turn, the forces around Marengo continue to retire, Monnier’s column starts to deploy, a little earlier than might be ideal but there is nothing between them and the Austrian forces arriving from the north.

Monnier starts to deploy

The battlefield goes quiet as no Austrian units are in a position to fire at the retiring French.

Situation at the end of Turn 8

Turn 9: 1400

On the Austrian right, Hadik rallies his cavalry. The Austrian infantry in the southern sector advances even without the support of Hadik’s cavalry – the French heavy cavalry being one hit away from its dispersal number makes it worth the risk. Hadik’s newly-rallied cavalry advances too, without waiting to regain good order.

The Austrians keep pushing forward

 A little to the northeast, Morzin’s grenadiers change to column formation in order to give themselves a chance to catch up with the French.

Morzin goes up a gear

 Another uneventful fire phase, with both sides too far apart and too busy manoeuvring.

The French heavy cavalry turn about to face the threat posed by the newly-re-ordered Austrian light cavalry that had failed its recall roll a few turns ago. Victor and Bonaparte attach themselves to Chambarlhac’s 2B/2/V for the same reason; those Austrians are too close for comfort and the French have lost enough senior commanders today. With Austrian infantry closing to the front, and Austrian cavalry roaming to the rear, Gardanne’s remaining brigade moves into the village of La Spinetta with the intention of holding on there until help arrives.

Gardanne occupies La Spinetta

Meanwhile, Monnier’s column moves off in Ott’s direction, who is moving in Monnier’s direction. Both have yet to complete their deployment out of march column, but Monnier only has the Consular Guard still undeployed, whereas Ott has still to deploy Vogelslang’s division. The stage is set for a “battle within a battle” - if the French can keep their army on the field long enough to fight it…

A mini-battle in the making.

At long last, Marmont’s guns arrive and attach themselves to Chambarlhac’s 3B/2/V for protection. Because of the Austrian cavalry wandering about close by, Chambarlhac’s division has formed square.

Marmont arrives

Situation at the end of Turn 9