KS Napoleon Battle Wednesday, Dec 2nd, 20:00GMT, 15:00EST

Feldmarschall Gyulai was just sitting down to a luncheon of schnitzels and beer when his ADC ran into the room and announced he had received several reports from local militia bands of approaching French forces.  The Feldmarschall held up his hand and called for silence.  It was his opinion that nothing was so important that it should interfere with a hot meal.  The French would just have to wait.

Two hours later as the Feldmarschall was into his third serving of strudel, he asked his ADC for his report.  The slightly annoyed oberst repeated the news he had received from the militia.  Two large columns of enemy infantry, preceeded by cavalry had been seen SW of Esslingen.  One column was marching north up the Windingen Strasse while a second was approaching Eschterdingen from the SW.  During the course of schweinsbraten, General Wolfskehl reported that civilians entering Hoch Gehren from the south reported seeing several squadrons of of French cavalry entering the town Reutelspach.  These may have been from the cavalry screening the Windingen Strasse column.

With the last of the strudel consumed, Feldmarschall Gyulai gave the order to inform his division commanders of the presence of French troops and prepare to defend their positions.  Above all the defense of Esslingen is vital as the Feldmarschall had yet to sample the kase and brandy.

Objective: Repel any French attack.  Under no circumstance allow the enemy to capture and hold Esslingen.

1st Corps: Feldmarschalleutnant Ignaz Gyulai (22105 Inf.  2720 Cav.  36 Guns))

 Division Gyulai: Generalleutnant Gyulai (9000 Inf.  944 Cav.  12 Guns)
   Brigade Gadji: Generalmajor Gadji (4500 Inf. 7 battalions  Avg. Exp. 5.7)
   Brigade Marziani: Generalmajor Marziani (4500 Inf. 7 battalions  Avg. Exp. 5.6)
   Frimont Husaren (Regt No 9): Oberst Count Von Gilsen (944 Cav. 4 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 5.0)
   5. Coy 6. Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Schwere Position Batterie No. 5 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 5.0)
   5th Coy 8th Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Brigade Batterie 5/8 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 5.0)

 Division Kuesevich: Generalleutnant Kuesevich (5875 Inf.  832 Cav.  12 Guns)
   Brigade Colloredo: Generalmajor Colloredo (4500 Inf. 7 battalions  Avg. Exp. 5.3)
   Brigade Sebottendorf: Generalmajor Ignaz Sebottendorf (1375 Inf. 3 battalions  Avg. Exp. 3.0)
   Hohenzollern Chevaulegers (Regt No 2): Oberst Baron Gottfried (832 Cav. 4 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 5.0)
   5. Coy 3. Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Brigade Batterie 5/3 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   8. Coy 3. Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Brigade Batterie 8/3 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 5.0)

 Division Wolfskehl: Generalleutnant Wolfskehl (7230 Inf.  944 Cav.  12 Guns)
   Brigade Kleinmayer: Generalmajor Kleinmayer (4500 Inf. 7 battalions  Avg. Exp. 5.7)
   Brigade Wetzel: Generalmajor Wetzel (2730 Inf. 4 battalions  Avg. Exp. 3.4)
   Archduke Joseph Husaren (Regt No 2): Oberst Count Von Sedgewick (944 Cav. 4 squadrons  Avg.Exp. 5.0)
   7. Coy 6. Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Brigade Batterie 7/6 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 4.0)
   2. Coy 6. Artillerie Regt: Hauptmann Schwere Position Batterie 2/6 (6 Guns   Avg. Exp. 6.0)

Oooh, nice shiny new minimap. I shall miss those lovely period accurate NSD place names.

I won't be able to play today. Hope you enjoy the game.

We had a really good game (well I did anyway, I assume Kevin and Steve did as well). Kevin threw us a curveball in that the report of French "cavalry" that were to the SE was over an hour old due to the long lunch the Feldmarshall was taking, so when the battle opened the French had a division behind our left flank. Steve playing Wolfskehl had some fun trying to extricate his division from their exposed position while I screamed at him via couriers to ...ahem... extricate his division from their exposed position. Sorry Steve!

I was in the centre and just clung onto the objective town for all I was worth, only just managing to survive a pretty solid combined arms attack by the French. I ordered Kevin (Guylai) who had no enemy at all opposite him to march east and pas behind me to form his division on Steve's left (Steve was by now facing east with his right flank butted up against my left at a 90deg angle). I then let Kevin loose to counter attack the right flank of the enemy who was attacking Steve. End result - we rolled the French up pretty comprehensively with their last remnants facing me as I wasn't happy risking exposing the objective by doing anything too rash.

Once again following the patch we saw enemy artillery sent way too far in advance of their division. In my sector the AI sent no less than 4 batteries forwards in a big clump which proceeded to mill about in confusion, hardly shooting at all. I charged them with a single squadron and routed 24 guns in seconds.

There is something not right with the AI use of artillery now

Climax of the French attack on my position when I thought, "Oh. I really might not hold this."

http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/EsslingenClimax.jpg

Four screens stuck together of a short while later when the French tide was ebbing. My line has a square at each end and a fusilier battalion in line in the centre. Steve (Wolfskehl) is the general at the left watching his dark blue coated hussars do a lot of damage and Kevin (Guylai) is the general above Steve on the skyline. His troops can be seen advancing from left to right in the far left distance.


http://www.atomic-album.com/showPic.php/22426/Esslingen.jpg