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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

25 March 1813 – Battle of Ulm



Tactical map of battle area

Background to battle
 All four French corps have orders to attack
Three Austrian corps have orders to hold

9 Bavarian corps will pin 1 Austrian corps
They will not take part in the battle of Ulm
If the battle at Ulm is undecided this battle will be fought to decide the outcome

Austrian– 40000 infantry, 3000 cavalry, 90 guns
French – 44000 infantry, 3000 cavalry, 90 guns

Table at start of wargame

The location of the five corps on the table are indicated by a blue or red strip of card
This is to hide their identity and order of battle from the enemy
The Austrians are deployed in line
The Bavarians are advancing in column of march

French HQ and 12 Baden will arrive the start of move 1
Where they will arrive is shown by a  poker chip at the left of the table

It may be necessary to fight two wargames to decide the outcome
There is not sufficient space on the table to include 9 Bavarian and 1 Austrian corps
Depending on the outcome of the main battle it may be necessary to fight a second wargame to decide the outcome between 9 Bavarian and 1 Austrian.
0800-0900 
 
12 Bavarian arrive top left
All three Bavarian corps advance
Austrians redeploy to meet attack
0900-1000 

11 Bavarian ordered to support 10 Bavarian
The main attack will be between the woods and the enclosed farm
12 Baden ordered to deploy between hill and village
Austrians unlimber artillery and wait for attack to develop

1000-1100

Bavarians start to deploy
10 and 11 corps artillery concentrate against 3 Austrian
Austrians wait for Bavarian attack


1100-1200 

Austrian artillery open fire
10 Bavarian gunners receive 10% casualties as they unlimber
Pass morale test, but will have reduced fire ability

1200-1300  

Bavarian artillery open fire, no casualties
3 Austrian infantry in square receive 10% casualties
Pass morale and continue to support gunners
 


1300-1400  
Bavarian artillery fire, no casualties
12 Baden (top left) ordered to Hold

 1400-1500  
 Bavarian artillery fire 3 Austrian infantry in square receive 20% casualties, pass morale 11 Bavarian ordered to Engage

 
1500-1600 
Bavarian artillery fire
3 Austrian infantry in square receive 30% casualties, pass morale
10 Bavarian ordered to Engage
10 and 11 Bavarian advance to attack between woods and bottom farm
1600-1700  
10 Bavarian cavalry charge gunners, receive 10% casualties and retire shaken
10 Bavarian infantry advance, screening their artillery
11 Bavarian unable to advance because of shaken cavalry
1700-1800  
10 Bavarian massed infantry column suffer 20% casualties to artillery fire
Austrian infantry advance and fire on infantry columns
Leading Bavarian brigade rout with 30% casualties
Supporting brigade joins rout with 10% casualties


Conclusion
Oudinot orders 11 corps to cover the rout of 10 corps
The shambles prevents 11 corps from advancing
It is now too late to organise a second attack
The Austrians have lost 1200 infantry
The Bavarians have lost 1600 infantry, 100 cavalry and 100 gunners


Outcome
The battle is a clear Austrian victory
10 Bavarian corps is non operational
They have lost 1800 casualties, have two brigades in rout and one shaken
Rout of 10th Bavarian corps



Battle Summary

The Bavarians started the battle with a small advantage in numbers of infantry
But the Austrians held a very strong defensive position
They only had to hold the city of Ulm to win the battle

Oudinot could see that the strongest Austrian corps opposed his left wing
He ordered them to hold the hill

He could also see that the Austrians had massed their artillery to cover Ulm
An approach against the city must fail

So he ordered 10th and 11th corps to attack the Austrian left wing.
He massed his artillery between the woods and the farm
But this left insufficient space to deploy the two corps
10th would lead the attack, supported by 11th corps

The artillery concentrated on the grenadier brigade supporting the artillery
The elite Austrian brigade held their ground despite 30% casualties

Then 10 Bavarian cavalry were ordered to charge the gunners
They suffered 10% casualties and retreated shaken
In doing so they blocked the advance of 11th corps


Meanwhile the infantry advanced and screened their own artillery
They suffered casualties from the enemy artillery
Two Austrian brigades now came forward and engaged the massed column
The leading Bavarian brigade routed with 30% casualties
They routed into the supporting brigade, who also routed with 10% casualties
The wide spread rout prevented 11th corps from advancing

It was now 6pm and too late for Oudinot to organise a second attack.

With the loss of one of his three corps he accepted defeat and ordered a general retreat.

The Bavarians lost 1800 casualties and two brigades in rout
The Austrians lost 1200 casualties


 





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