28th March 1814 – Battle of Cirey

Cirey Campaign area

French are resting and resupplying

Austrian launch surprise attack

Austrian          51,600 infantry           3900 cavalry               120 guns

French             55,200 infantry           4000 cavalry               120 guns

Austrian HQ    move to G04 with 3 corps

1 corps             move to G06, support 2 corps 

2 corps             move to F06 on hold    

3 corps             move to G04, support 4 corps

4 corps             move to F04 on engage

French HQ        halt        

3 corps              halt on hold

9 corps              halt on hold

15 corps            halt on hold

21 corps            halt on hold

Table at start of wargame

Austrian Brigades       13 infantry      4 cavalry         4 artillery

French Brigades          14 infantry      4 cavalry         4 artillery

Austrian HQ                 start on table           

1 corps                         arrive move 1

2 corps                        start on table

3 corps                         start on table

4 corps                        start on table

French HQ                     start on table

3 corps                          start on table

9 corps                          arrive move 2

15 corps                        start on table

21 corps                        start on table

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Cavalry deploy to recce

Figures for spotted corps placed on table and cards removed

CinC move to reserve to issue orders for joining the battle

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

French 3-5 infantry receive artillery casualties, fail morale and are shaken

Austrian 3 hussars charge and rout Polish lancers with 10% casualties

Cavalry withdraw out of artillery range

21 French advance towards farm

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

Artillery on both sides fire, but no casualties

French 21-30 infantry enter farm

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

French 21-2 infantry shaken by 10% artillery casualties

Infantry from 21 French and 4 Austrian skirmish in farm

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Austrian 2-8 infantry receive 10% artillery casualties, pass morale

21 French and 4 Austrian continue to skirmish in farm, no casualties

French and Austrian artillery continue to fire, but no other casualties

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French 15-1 infantry receive 10% artillery casualties, pass morale

21 French and 4 Austrian continue to skirmish in farm, no casualties

French and Austrian artillery continue to fire, but no other casualties

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

Austrian army advances on engage orders

Skirmish continues over possession of farm

French 15-1 infantry receive 20% artillery casualties and are shaken

 

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

2 Austrian dragoons charge guard cavalry, lose melee and rout

3 Austrian dragoons charge artillery, gunners retreat to square

3 Austrian grenadiers lose firefight on hill and rout with 30% casualties

French 15-1 infantry fail morale and rout into town

Austrian 4-14 infantry suffer 10% artillery casualties and are shaken

Austrian grenadier orders to attack farm, rout enemy with 50% casualties

The Austrians have suffered heavy casualties but continue to attack

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

2 Austrian gunners receive 10% casualties but pass morale test

1 Austrian cavalry receive 10% casualties fail morale and are shaken

4 Austrian dragoons charge and rout French centre (see below)

4 Austrian 16 infantry lose morale and rout, nearby brigades are shaken

French CinC orders a general retreat

Austrian dragoons break French centre

At the start of move 9 both armies have suffered set backs, but either could still win.

4 Austrian dragoons (bottom right) charge French lancers (bottom left).

Lancers lose melee, suffer 20% casualties and rout

Nearby French infantry fail morale check and are shaken

Dragoons fail morale test to rally and charge nearest enemy

Nearest enemy are the shaken infantry, who lose 30% casualties and rout

This forces nearby shaken infantry square (with gunners inside) to test morale

They also fail and rout, as do the gunners sheltering in the square

This forces nearby infantry on the hill to test  their morale

They also fail and are shaken

The dragoons are disordered, but have lost no casualties

The French centre is broken and the CinC orders a general retreat

Game Casualties

French lose 6,000 infantry and 300 cavalry

Austrian lose 3,200 infantry, 200 cavalry and 100 gunners

Game Summary

This was a very hard fought wargame

The French held the town and waited in defence

2 Austrian corps attack failed when the French rolled two sixes in a firefight

3 Austrian corps attack failed when their cavalry rolled two ones in a melee

4 Austrian corps captured the farm, but had to halt with three brigades shaken

3 Austrian brigade won the battle

The French had suffered heavy casualties when 3 Austrian dragoons charged

The result was the loss of all 6 brigades of 15 Vistula corps

The French CinC ordered an orderly retreat

The Austrian CinC ordered a halt to allow his shaken and routed brigades to rally

Total casualties, including from earlier battles,  at the end of the battle

Austrian 7,100 casualties, 2 brigades in rout and 3 shaken

French 6,300 casualties, 7 brigades in rout, 1 shaken and a battery 30 guns abandoned