Dōmyōji, Can Osaka Beat the Odds?

Following my success in our last encounter playing the Tokugawa army, it would have been churlish to refuse Jonathan's invitation for a rematch with a switch of sides.  For Jonathan's background to the battle and an account of our first game see here.  My account of that first clash is here.

Photograph from the game, courtesy of J. Freitag.

For this iteration, Jonathan commanded the Tokugawa army.  I led the Osaka defence.

Anyway, enough blah blah and onto the battle!

The initial deployment.  My left wing with archers in the woods next to the tomb, and two spears including one samurai.   The right wing with a spear behind the tomb, then a teppo unit and spear on the right.  The central command consisting of a teppo unit ahead of the main line, spears behind and samurai cavalry bringing up the rear right of the centre.

As the Tokugawa troops move into position and prepare to strike, the Osaka teppo in the centre retires and the left wing pull back to create a better defensive line.  The samurai cavalry turn to the centre and swing into the main battle line.

At this point, I should lay out battle plan.  It struck me that my most potent striking force is the samurai cavalry.  Previous encounters saw them caught standing.  I figured that if I could get them into action, I might be able to disrupt the enemy and slow down their advance.  At the same time withdraw my line back.  The hope being that I can survive long enough to be able to retreat some units off the table and avoid a crushing defeat.  So... let's see how that works out!

Fortune smiled on the Osaka army!  With the initiative, the samurai cavalry charge into the Tokugawa line recently disordered by teppo shooting.

Despite Tokugawa spears blunting the samurai's impetus, the defenders were thrown back.

The samurai pursuit was brutal; making sure that no arquebus firing teppo survived.  

However, Tokugawa samurai cavalry launch a counter attack.

The enemy horse is thrown back and the, now depleted, Osaka samurai pursue.

Now facing the Tokugawa cavalry and supporting spears, the samurai's falter.  However, their leader commits Seppuku giving the horsemen the drive for one last charge.  Alas, whilst their bravery will be recounted in song, their bodies will moulder in the ground.

Whilst destroyed, the samurai cavalry threw back the Tokugawa centre and inflicted great losses.  Their job done!  Can the rest of the army play their part?

As the Tokugawa centre licks its wounds, their left seeks to break the Osaka right.  Samurai cavalry charged into and threw back an ashigaru spear unit.  Fortunately for the defenders, they were unwilling to pursue.  Meanwhile, Tokugawa spear hurl themselves at the teppo unit.

But with the defending teppo supported by a spear unit, the attacker ashigaru are put to rout.

Nonetheless, the Tokugawa are determined to crack the Osaka right.  Samurai spear fall upon the defending teppo and ashigaru spear...

... only to be met by determined and savage resistance.  Unthinkably, the Tokugawa samurai rout!

On the right, the Tokugawa troops, having suffered from galling archery fire, decide to advance out of range.
Meanwhile, on the right, the Tokugawa cavalry ride down the teppo but again fail to pursue.
On the far right, Osaka spears fall on the damaged enemy samurai foot...

At this point, I faced a difficult decision.  Either stick entirely to my plan and remain cautious by retiring the army a little closer to the base line, or strike at the two more isolated Tokugawa units in the centre and possibly commit myself more than I originally planned.  After a short paralysis in my decision making, I opted for the latter.

... the samurai on the right are annihilated!  Now the Osaka troops seem unwilling to pursue.
Seeing opportunities to disrupt the Tokugawa advance, a central foot unit charge and rout a teppo unit.

Continuing to take advantage of isolated Tokugawa units, Osaka foot charge a spear unit and drive it back but fail to pursue.

And, on the left, two charging Osaka foot units wipe out a defending unit.  Neither show a willingness to pursue!

With Osaka units now within charge range, Tokugawa units seek to punch through the centre.  First, they cause a spear unit to rout but fail to make good the advantage with a pursuit.

Then another charges the teppo unit sheltering in the woods.

However, the teppo stand with grim determination and repulse the Tokugawa assault.
Meanwhile, on the right, the Osaka ashigaru spear crash into their counterparts.

Unable to stand the attack, the Tokugawa unit is forced to retire.  The ashigaru offer a feeble pursuit before holding their position.

In the centre, the Tokugawa see that the defending spears are tiring and much depleted.  With some ferocity they charge and show no mercy.  However, their efforts exhaust them and they are unable to pursue.

With the opportunity to profoundly damage the enemy on the right, the Osaka ashigaru tear into the enemy.  Destroying one unit and setting the other to flight to the ford in rout.

The Tokugawa cavalry on the right returns the compliments and annihilates the stubborn teppo.
With time and space now available, the command goes out to the Osaka troops to withdraw towards the castle in an orderly fashion.

However, the Tokugawa have other plans!
First, their samurai cavalry charges the remnants of a spear unit only to be thrown back.

So, leave it to the poor bloody infantry to level their weapons and wipe out the Osaka troops.

Back to the right flank, the Osaka ashigaru fall on the routing troops at the ford.  The result is carnage as the river runs red with Tokugawa blood.
On the left, two spear and one teppo unit race for home.  However, the teppo see that they are likely to be caught and try to withdraw with haste.  Alas, as their formation breaks apart so does their morale and they rout and disperse.

Unable to stop their exit, the Tokugawa watch helplessly as two units make it back to Osaka Castle.

The Tokugawa troops now move to eliminate the archers protecting the leftmost tomb and the right most spear unit.

However, the Tokugawa recognises that victory is now impossible.

The army clock show the Osaka with 6 and Tokugawa with 3.  

A minor victory for the Osaka is declared.  At last the Tokugawa are frustrated in their designs!

Afterthoughts

That was a superb contest.  Great fun.  The battle was fraught with tension; packed with action; and demanding on the brain.  The sort of game that I love.

Whilst my battle plan ultimately worked, there were a number of factors to take into account:

• My dice rolling in melee was far above my usually very mediocre performance.
• The number of pursuits both sides were able to execute was much lower than usual.  This stopped any one melee being a catastrophe for one side or the other, especially for the Osaka army.  This let them survive intact longer, maintain a good line longer, and ultimately withdraw in good order.
• The ability to get the Osaka cavalry into position and charge was a fundamental and critical moment.  This disrupted the Tokugawa advance and won at least two turns for the Tokugawa - valuable time and space.  This result was worth their sacrifice.

Jonathan, as the Tokugawa, did not make it easy for me.  When he tried to crack my right, I was really worried.  Again, later in the game in the centre he was one pursuit away from being positioned to cut off my withdrawal when the time came.  In this game, fine decisions and fine moments of chance played their part.

A measure of the amount of action was that I took 57 screen shots.  Usually a remote game takes about 20!  For this report, I managed to reduce the number shown to 29 (I think).

I'll let Jonathan's report reveal the final butcher's bill.

This was an exhausting and incredibly entertaining encounter.  A superb challenge.  Great job with this scenario, Jonathan.

Battle of Caldiero, 12 Nov 1796 - AAR

This French Revolutionary Wars game, based on the battle from Napoleon's Italian Campaign of 1796-97, saw a number of Rejects gather in Stuart's shed to play it out.  By the way, get a cup of tea, this is a long post.

The game was played out with my 28mm French Revolutionary Wars collection made up mostly of Elite Miniatures, Wargames Foundry and a spattering of Eureka (thank you Jonathan), Perry and Connoiseur figures.

The rules are my own.

Inspiration for the scenario comes from a number of sources.  However, most of the detail is thanks to the article on this battle by Rob Harper in Wargames Soldiers and Strategy magazine issue number 128.

Background

By November 1796, Napoleon and the French Republic’s Army of Italy had defeated the Piedmontese and chased the Austrians across Northern Italy.  They had trapped an Austrian army in the fortress city of Mantua and defeated one attempt by a relief army to lift the siege.

However, the Austrians were not going to give up just yet.  At the beginning of November, Napoleon faced a difficult situation.  Whilst trying to continue his blockade of Mantua, he found himself faced with two large columns approaching from the north.  The Austrian plan was to unite in the vicinity of Verona (held by the French) and then march onto Mantua.

Napoleon saw Alvinczy’s approach from the east of Verona as the greater and more imminent threat.  Napoleon sent Vaubois to hold the Austrian army marching from the north while he concentrated troops around Verona.

Alvinczy’s advance guard had halted east of Verona; deploying in a position between Caldiero and Colognola.  The rest of the Austrian army was further to the west at Villanuova.

Napoleon’s aim in attacking at Caldiero was to defeat the Austrian advance guard before they could be reinforced.  His preferred plan was for Augereau to pin the enemy at Caldiero whilst Massena found the Austrian right flank and rolled them up from Colognola.

Scenario Specifics
Before Battle

The French may nominate one unit as elite.

The Austrians may nominate one unit as elite.

 
During the Game
The French are the attackers and theirs is the initiative to lose.
At the start of each Action Phase, the French must activate a brigade.  Thereafter, the initiative rolls decide control.
This applies until Austrian reinforcements start arriving - dice rolls conducted from Turn 5 onwards.  Thereafter, control of initiative is decided by opposed d6 rolls with the French receiving a plus 1 modifier.
 
Victory Conditions
The French must force at least half of the advance guard to retreat, rout or be destroyed.  Alternatively, inflict more casualties on the Austrians than they take.
The Austrians must hold both Caldiero and Colognola by the time the game ends.

Weather
The weather played a big part in this battle.  It was cold with snow, sleet and mud all playing their part.  Each turn there will be a dice roll to see if there is a sudden snow squall.  On a roll of 5-6 on 1d6 a squall appears.  This will:
·       halt artillery movement;
·       reduce the movement of infantry on high ground, and cavalry wherever to half;
·       stop cavalry from charging;
·       prevents infantry fire unless from buildings and woods – targets are counted as obscured;
·       infantry may still charge.
·       No roll the turn after a squall.

Terrain
Caldiero and Colognola are considered as prepared and loopholed. Treat as towns for melee and shooting.  Can hold one unit each.
 - Stra and Lorgan are hamlets which offer minimal cover for one unit each. 
 - For shooting at Stra and Lorgan: no modifiers to the number of dice, but roll on woods, obstacles and buildings column.
 - For melee: target is unit is counted as in woods, behind obstacle – so, -1 not -2.
 - The vineyards prevent cavalry from charging and cause the loss of an action.
 - Scattered woods prevent artillery and cavalry from moving through them and reduce formed infantry to half movement.

The Armies
Whilst I have tried to represent the relative strengths of the combattants, the regiments listed correspond to my collection and not to those actually at the battle.

Austrian Army of Italy (Ray and Steve)
Commander in Chief – Prince Hohenzollern – C Grade

1st Brigade around Stra and Caldiero

IR4 Deutschmeister (v) at Stra

IR13 Reisky (v) at Caldiero

IR24 Preiss (v) just east of Stra

Light Artillery 1 by Stra

2nd Brigade deployed on La Rocca and Lorgan

IR51 Splenyi (v) at La Rocca

IR25 Brechainville (v) at Lorgan

Light Artillery 2 on La Rocca

3rd Brigade at Colognola and heights to south of it

Illyrischer Grenzers (v) in Colognola

Szluiner Grenzers (v) on heights

Medium Artillery 3

Medium Artillery 4

1st Cavalry Brigade east of La Rocca

2nd Hussars (v)

11th Hussars (v)

2nd Cavalry Brigade at Lorgan

Wurmser Dragoons (v)

Stabsdragoner (v)

Uhlans (v)

Austrian Reinforcements

Brabecks Brigade

IR26 Schroeder

IR14 Klebek(c)

IR8 Huff (c)

Provera’s Brigade

IR16 Terzi

IR49 Pellegrini (c)

Stabsdragoner 2

Schuberz Brigade

IR27 Strassoldo (c)

IR43 Thurn (c)

Carlstadter S/Shooters

French Army of Italy  (Lee and Stuart)

Commander in Chief – General Bonaparte - A Grade

Massena’s Division

1st Brigade

4th Demi Brigade (v)

5th Demi Brigade (v)

12th Demi Brigade (v)

Medium Artillery 1 – can attach to any brigade and respawn once.

2nd Brigade

51st Demi Brigade (v)

69th Demi Brigade (v)

3rd Brigade

14th Demi Brigade (v)

19th Demi Brigade (v)

Cavalry Brigade

10th Chasseurs (v)

22nd Chasseurs (v)

Augereau’s Division

1st Brigade

Legion d’Allobroges (v)

85th Demi Brigade (v)

57th Demi Brigade(v)

Medium Artillery 2

2nd Brigade

Grenadiers (v)

6th Demi Brigade (v)

75th Demi Brigade (v)

Dumas’ Cavalry Division

1st Brigade

5th Dragoons (v)

8th Dragoons (v)

2nd Brigade

20th Dragoons (v)

18th Dragoons (v)

v = classed as veteran

c = classed as conscript

others are line class

Deployment
The following sketch map was sent to the players in the week leading up to the game

And this is how the table looked with troops deployed.

The Austrian deployment saw them scattered from Caldiero and La Rocca in the south down the ridge to Colognola, and with cavalry supporting in the rear around Lorgan and west of La Rocca.

The Battle
Apologies in advance for the number of sub-standard photos.  I think that my camera skills were melting in the 30 plus degrees heat.

Massena's division start emerging from the vineyards.

The Austrian artillery open their account.

The French advance all along the line.  Augereau's division concentrating on Stra and Caldiero, while Augereau moves toward the ridge and Colognola.  Dumas' cavalry division begins to swing south onto the French right flank.
Meanwhile, the Austrian cavalry under Prince Hohenzollern start redeploying toward the flanks.  Keeping one regiment in reserve.

While Lannes' brigade advanced towards Caldiero in the background, Guyeux formed his brigade into column and assaulted Stra.  The defenders made sure that they took down some of the attackers with their musketry.

However, weight of numbers ejected the defenders.  Their supporting gun would quickly withdraw to safety.

Austrian units on the ridge were now able to rain lead from muskets and canister fire down on the grenadiers around Stra.

Meanwhile, Massena's division continued to advance towards the ridge, and Dumas' cavalry swept round to the French flank to face the redeploying Austrian hussars.

Having taken significant casualties in their efforts to take Stra, Guyeux's brigade faltered and retired from the Austrian defensive fire to regroup.

As Guyeux reorganised troops reoccupied Stra, Dumas first brigade of dragoons respond aggressively to the Austrian hussars charging on the French right.  Further down the line, Massena launched two columns up the ridge, and another two against Colognola.

With Rampon's brigade having taken limited casualties from the defenders' musketry, they crashed into the outskirts and barricades of Colognola.

The assault is met by determined grenzers unwilling to give up the town lightly.  Surprised by the feriocity of the defence, the French are repulsed in what was a bloody and bruising melee.

On the ridge, Gardanne's two regiments ignore the effects of casualties accumulated during their approach and crash into the defending grenzers.

The Austrians find themselves unable to resist the assault and retreat off the ridge.

However, the French take advantage of the opportunity to pursue.  With one unit showing slightly more enthusiasm, they descend on the stricken grenzers once more and... 

... hurl the Austrian troops back in disarray; routing around the cavalry held in reserve.  The Austrian centre seems to be collapsing!

On the French right flank, two Austrian hussar regiments and two French dragoons collide in a frenzy of sabre and horse flesh.

However, the Austrian desire to win and determination in the charge unnerve the French.

In a long, swirling melee where no quarter was given it was the French that routed.

As the dust settled on the recent dramatic events, the generals surveyed the field and readied their forces for the next stage.

With casualties running high on parts of the battlefield, the troops reflected on their willingness to continue.
For the Austrian brigade defending Colognola and the ridge, their morale temporarily failed them.  The artillery limbered up and retired from the ridge, and the defenders of Colognola withdrew to make way for fresh defenders.
The French soldiers also contemplated their losses and position.  So, without recourse to their commanders Rampon's brigade that had just taken the ridge (having taken considerable casualties to gain their victory) retired in search of safety and to regroup.
Meanwhile, Massena's Chasseurs a Cheval positioned themselves on the French left to threaten and counter the approaching Austrian uhlans.

With cavalry effectively neutralising the flanks, the battle concentrated around Caldiero and the ridge.  The Austrians launched a counterattack throwing cavalry up the ridge against the damaged French regiment, and an infantry charge against French skirmishers standing in front of Stra.
Meanwhile, Lannes' brigade, now in column of attack, is launched against the defences of Caldiero.

With few and tired soldiers, the French on the ridge are wiped out.

Carried on by their victory, the Austrian cavalry fall on Rampon's remaining regiment and...

... show no pity in their revenge.

Rather quietly, Massena sends a regiment to occupy the now empty Colognola before the Austrians can react.

But around Stra, the Austrian infantry come off the ridge and, with bayonets levelled, fall on the French skirmishers.

The melee is uneven and the French run!
However, the Austrians feel unable to assault Stra.

At Caldiero, two regiments in attack column beat against the defences.

Despite admirable resistance, the Austrians are forced out of Caldiero.  Lannes moves in to occupy the town.

With Caldiero and Colognola in French hands, and Austrian reinforcements due to start arriving, the game has run its course.

Whilst the French have captured the two towns, they have suffered significant casualties.  Meanwhile, the Austrians have managed to keep their losses to more manageable proportions.  With the prospect of reinforcements arriving the result is a minor Austrian victory.

Afterthoughts

A tight and enjoyable game.  The result was largely one that reflected history.  The French were unable to inflict the sort of losses that would convince the Austrian army to withdraw from their intention to relieve Mantua.  In the next few days, the decision would have to be made around Arcole.

The Austrian victory has to take into account that they have reinforcements arriving.  The French losses amounted to c.32% of their effectives.  The Austrian lost c.26%.  Augereau's division, whilst holding both Stra and Caldiero, had lost 51% of the men.  This French "victory" would have been untenable and they would be required to withdraw from the field when the Austrian reinforcements arrived.  Which is essentially what happened historically.

I gave all the units on the table veteran status.  I was worried that this would make it too hard for the French.  My decision to do this was in the hope that troops would hang around longer and counter the nearly 2 to 1 advantage that the French had.  Pleasingly, it did make for a very tight and, in my view, an exciting game.  Austrian reinforcements consisted of a large number of conscripts.

The weather was kind to the French.  Only one turn was affected by a squall.  It gave the opportunity for the French to sustain their attacks.

What would I change if I played this again?  I considered that the Austrian units in Caldiero and Colognola need not be veterans, but on reflection the French could've approached in a way to reduce their losses.  So, the game could be played with a different outcome.  In short, victory is available to both sides.

Well done to the players.  They put in a great performance.