Campaign of Nations AAR Austrian Heavy Cavalry meet French Light Cavalry

This AAR is part of the Campaign of Nations Game.

Austrian Cuirassier advance

August 31, 1813 (fictional) : In an effort to cut off Oudinot's retreat path, a division on Austrian Cuirassier and attached artillery are dispatched to 'get onto' the path that the French must take in order to rendezvous with nearby forces.

Not to be so easily cut off, Oudinot dispatches his own Light Cavalry Divisions to blunt the Austrians and keep the path open for his infantry and artillery to reach Luckau and the I Cavalry Corps, VI and VII Infantry Corps already digging in at the town.  If these light cavalrymen cannot open the road, then Oudiot and XII Corps will have to fight in a strung out march position against strong Austrian Infantry formations coming from the south.  If they can open the way, then the safety of numbers will keep XII Corps from elimination.

These two forces, one on massive mounts with armored men, the other on smaller mounts without armor, both armed with artillery then met, south of Luckau ...

Table at deployment, a French flank force was still not seen

here are seen 1/2 of the Austrian Heavy Horse

Rules used were SHAKO version I, the Austrians had a keen, though relatively new commander.

We used the random terrain chart from the rules and came up with 1 forest section and 5 open ground!
It was fated to be a wide open free-for-all type of terrain, perfect for cavalry.

Turn 2 saw death pour out from French Horse Gunenrs

Turn 3 was some maneuver and recovery by the Austrians, who nearly failed a critical Division morale roll

the morale roll brought on by such losses - we simply 'tip over' the dead in our games, no need for counters or casualty rings here

Bu turn 4 the French began rolling for the flank force arrival, while the Austrians attempted a flank action of their own

By turn 6 the French flank force had still not arrived, it was time to have the other light cavalry start taking action ... orders were issued!

on turn 7 the dashing French Light Cavalry flank force arrived

Hussars and Lancers surged into the field from the south

Like a classic painting some photos turn out

Now the Austrian command was being directly threatened

Turn 8 was telling, with more Austrian Casualties

The new arrivals were going to have a head-long rush to meet Heavy Cavalry

Supported in their charge!

By turn 9 the Austrian HQ had moved again!  They were running out of messenger horses.

some photos just are so nice, they need no editing at all

Austrian Horse Guns score some late hits

while the French Horse Guns are masked by the new arrivals in their charge at the enemy

Last Turn, Austrians just run out of men on horseback, they could not muster to counter-charge the fast moving Light Horsemen

Thus on August 31, 1813 (fictional - for our Campaign of Nations game) the XII Corps and attached Cavalry arrived in Luckau, some 6 hours ahead of the pursuing Austrian columns.

While the Cuirassier were driven back, they were by no means out of the campaign.