12 March 1813 – Battle of Donauworth

Tactical map of battle area

Background to battle

Surprise Bavarian attack on Donauworth

9^th Bavarian corps cavalry are in rout and they have abandoned their guns

12^th Baden corps has one brigade in rout and two shaken

1^st Austrian corps cavalry brigade is in rout and one brigade has 30% casualties

2^nd Austrian corps has one brigade with 30% casualties.

Routed brigades will not be available for the battle

Shaken brigades will be present, but will have to rally before they can take part

Brigades with 30% casualties will not take part in the battle

Austrian – 14,400 infantry, 1000 cavalry, 60 guns

Bavarian – 26000 infantry, 900 cavalry, 30 guns

Table at start of wargame

 All corps start on the table

One Austrian and two Bavarian brigades start the game shaken

They will have to pass morale test before they can join the battl

0800-1200

9^th Bavarian is sent to attack the right flank.   All four brigades advance in a tight column, so that they can support each other against enemy cavalry.  However this formation makes them very good artillery targets

12^th Baden is to attack the left flank.   Their advance is delayed as they try to rally the two shaken brigades.   One rallies, the other is left behind.   There is no Austrian cavalry on this flank, so the artillery and cavalry are sent ahead to pin the Austrians

1200-1600  

On the right 2 Austrian dragoons (charge and rout the leading Bavarian brigade.   They fail to rally and charge the nearest infantry brigade, who have two more brigades in supporting distance.  The cavalry lose the second melee and retire shaken.   However 9^th Bavarian corps is now too weak to continue to attack.

On the left disaster for the Austrians.   Baden artillery rout one brigade, and another is shaken.   Baden cavalry charge the shaken brigade, who rout into the nearby artillery.  The gunners now fail their morale and join the rout.   The nearby garrison of Donauworth have to check their morale.  They also fail, but are only shaken.

Conclusion

The total rout of 1^st Austrian corps results in the loss of Donauworth.  

Although 2^nd Austrian corps have defeated the enemy column, they can not hold the city on their own against two Bavarian corps

At nightfall they retreat and abandon Donauworth

Outcome

The battle is a Bavarian victory

The Austrians will abandon Donauworth and retreat

The Bavarians have lost 2000 infantry

The Austrians have lost 1600 infantry, 100 cavalry and 200 gunners

Battle Summary

The Bavarian attack on Donauworth was a complete surprise

All four corps had casualties, including routed and shaken brigades

9 Bavarian brigade has neither cavalry nor artillery support

They advanced in four close columns to support each other

As they neared 2 Austrian artillery they had to open the gap

The Austrian dragoons charged and routed one column.

They failed to rally and charged a second brigade, who forced them to retire shaken

However the Bavarian attack had been broken

12 Baden started the battle with two shaken brigades

They rallied one, but had to leave the second behind

Two infantry brigades had 20% casualties, and had to remain in reserve

1 Austrian had no cavalry, and were soon pinned by the Baden horse

The supporting artillery caused havoc amongst the already brittle Austrian infantry

The artillery broke the nearest square, and the second was shaken

The Baden cavalry broke and routed them into the nearby artillery

The gunners also failed their morale and routed

Even the nearby garrison of Donauworth were shaken

All of 1 Austrian corps was broken and in rout

2 Austrian corps withdrew under cover of darkness

The Bavarian gamble had paid off and they had taken Donauworth

The Bavarians have lost 2000 infantry

The Austrians have lost 1600 infantry, 100 cavalry and 200 gunners