Muskets at Montebello 1859?

[Chris Pringle]

Simple question, really: please can anyone tell me which Austrian units, if any, were still armed with muskets rather than Lorenz rifles at the battle of Montebello in 1859?

Chris

[Leman]

Mollinary and Holdfast probably your best bet on that one.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Or Camerionian or Le Manchou

[cameronian]

No not me, Holdfast is doing an 1859 tour he'll know.

[Le Manchou]

To my knowledge, the Lorenz rifle was used by all Austrian troops but some received their weapon right before the battle and didn't know how to use it well.

[Leman]

Would that make them F in BBB?

[Chris Pringle]

Not Fragile - that's a morale thing - but maybe R for "Ragged Volleys", a column shift to the left when they fire. (Which I had actually put in my draft Montebello scenario initially, then took it out, but may have to reinstate.)

Chris

[Leman]

That could make a very interesting variation within that scenario.

[cameronian]

Would that make them F in BBB?

They certainly were F'd that's for sure!

[holdfast]

I will be doing my Montebello research, incl walking the ground, in a couple of months. I do not think that tweaking the performance of the muzzle-loader would affect the outcome though.

[Chris Pringle]

Thanks, Holdfast. I agree it shouldn't make a huge difference to the game. We're planning to fight it next week so we'll see how it goes.

Chris

[holdfast]

Bruce Weigle in 1859 makes the point that there was reissuing of the new Lorenz in progress so that some units were 'unfamiliar' with the new one. But being unfamiliar with a better weapon probably equates to familiar with an inferior but essentially similar weapon.

[Leman]

Someone on the forum (sorry can't remember who, but a big thankyou) put me on to the Continental Wars Society. The stuff arrived today, including booklet No.4 Montebello. Much of it gives impressions of the battle from participants on both sides and neutral observers. It doesn't mention the Austrians having a mix of old and new weapons, which probably would have been mentioned jf it hah had a significant effect on the outcome of the battle.

[Chris Pringle]

Yes, I have the CWS booklet.

I also read some contemporary German work (by Muegge, I think?) which makes specific mention of the lethal effectiveness of the Jaegers with their Lorenz rifles defending Montebello. So evidently at least some of the Austrians were thoroughly familiar with the new weapon. But most of the battlefield was so 'cluttered' that I imagine the extra range of what was still a single-shot weapon wouldn't make a lot of difference.

Anyway, last night we managed to fight Montebello twice in two and a half hours, and a most entertaining game it was, producing one draw and one French last-gasp victory. So I don't think the Austrians need to be handicapped any further.

Chris

Bloody Big BATTLES!
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[Chad]

Chris

Don't know if it helps but the Osprey Austrian Infantry 1836-1866 contains photographs of the both the Augustin and Lorenz. There is an interesting note to the effect that the 1854 Lorenz was sighted to 900 paces for NCO's and best marksmen of the third rank, while all others were only sighted to 300 paces. If this is indeed the case, then it might suggest that the relative difference between the two weapons was not very great overall.

Chad