Played at our club this Sunday, this was a Franco-Austrian encounter using the Bloody Big Battles rules.
After a clash with the French army of Napoleon III at Montebello, Count Gyulai's Austrian army has fallen back behind the River Ticino and established itself on the line of the Naviglio Grande canal, there to await the French advance. There are five available bridges across the canal in the vicinity of the small town of Magenta, those at Buffalora, Ponte Vecchio and Robecco, and the two carrying the main Milan road and railway. There is another bridge at Turbigo (off table), to which Napoleon has dispatched Camou's Guard Voltigeur division and Epinasse's division from MacMahon's 2nd Corps on wide outflanking movements.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Magenta%20Map2.jpeg)
Gyulai has disposed his forces thus: Schwarzenberg's III Corps in a line, with his right on Buffalora and his left on the railway line; Clam Gallas's I Corps from there to Magenta itself and Liechtenstein's II Corps on the other side of Magenta. Stadion's V Corps and Zobel's VII Corps are still coming up from the south.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Wargames%20and%20Modelling/Magenta%201859/DSCN1557.jpg)
The Austrian right, with Buffalora in the foreground.
The French emperor now orders Mellinet's Guard Grenadier division to clear Ponte Vecchio and establish a bridgehead on the other side of the canal. at the same time Vinoy's division of Niel's 4th Corps will cross at Robecco, whilst the divisions of La Motterouge (2nd Corps) and Renault (3rd Corps) attempt to fight their way across the road and railway bridges.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Wargames%20and%20Modelling/Magenta%201859/DSCN1553.jpg)
The Imperial Guard Grenadiers throw themselves into Ponte Vecchio and clear it, holding on in spite of frenzied and somewhat disjointed counter attacks by Clam Gallas. Vinoy's division also hangs on to Robecco against Liechtenstein's entire corps.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Wargames%20and%20Modelling/Magenta%201859/DSCN1556.jpg)
The French attacks on the bridges have stalled and both divisions are taking punishing casualties. Napoleon is looking anxiously northward, hoping to see Camou's guardsmen in the distance, advancing along the canal. Gyulai is also wondering where his V and VII Corps have got to. Clam Gallas's men have shot their bolt and have fallen back on Magenta.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Wargames%20and%20Modelling/Magenta%201859/DSCN1562.jpg)
Vinoy continues to hold out gamely in Robecco.
(http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd448/Hertsblue/Wargames%20and%20Modelling/Magenta%201859/DSCN1560.jpg)
At this point Camou's division appears north of Cuggiono, whilst south of Robecco Paumgarten's brigade of Stadion's V Corps and Reischach's division of VII Corps finally turn up.
The game ended at that point as time ran out. We had played four moves (the equivalent of 8 in other rules) in two and a half hours, and there was probably another three moves left in the game-day. As for the result, well the French had successfully got across the Naviglio Grande and were menacing the Austrian right, but they had not made anything like the progress the actual forces had in 1859. The result was, as the saying goes, hotly debated.
Cool report! 8)
Like it, Ray !
Cheers - Phil
Thanks for the AAR. Great pics! Sorry you didn't have the extra hour or so you needed to complete the game.
Chris
Bloody Big BATTLES!
https://uk.groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/BBB_wargames/info
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/
Cracking looking game!
Great stuff :)
Super report. Funnily enough that is the next BBB battle planned down the Liverpool club.
And also funnily enough, last night I introduced a newbie player using the scenario for Montebello, the battle that was the prequel to Magenta. This has turned out to be one of my favourite scenarios, it's great as a "training" game for new players, while still presenting enough interest for us veterans. And it fits on 4'x4' and you will surely finish it in under 2 hours. Really good for two players; not quite so good if you have more, as there aren't that many units.
(The scenario is online in Flickr and in the Yahoo group files.)
Chris
Thanks for the reminder about that. May well introduce the new player using Montebello before moving on to Magenta.
Excellent! thanks for the report!
Great stuff, I appreciate you posting the batrep. BBB is looking more and more interesting...
V/R,
Jack
Thanks for the comments, fellas. The Franco-Austrian War is probably my favourite of the late nineteenth century conflicts, not least because the infantry weaponry is equivalent on both sides.
One thing we did discover; bases for the various BUAs are critical (I ran out of suitable bases at Buffalora) if you want to avoid arguments over who is entitled to fire out.
Liked the report. In 15mm? Also like the fact that you don't appear to need a lot of miniatures / bases to run a big battle. How many players?
Also found the layout very attractive. I'm looking for decent roads that are flexible enough to drape over terrain features and long enough to minimise separation during the game. Bought or home=made? Like the bridges and railway lines also. One day this era methinks.
:-bd
Just posted a blog report of my Montebello game.
http://bloodybigbattles.blogspot.co.uk/
Made a bit of an effort with the scenery this time. A bunch of pics here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/127771552@N03/sets/72157650298765074
Chris
Good reports, lovely photos, luck Neph!
:-bd :-bd :-bd =D>
Flexible roads - try Total Battle Miniatures, Timecast or Fat Frank.
Quote from: Westmarcher on 12 May 2015, 10:36:37 AM
Liked the report. In 15mm? Also like the fact that you don't appear to need a lot of miniatures / bases to run a big battle. How many players?
Also found the layout very attractive. I'm looking for decent roads that are flexible enough to drape over terrain features and long enough to minimise separation during the game. Bought or home=made? Like the bridges and railway lines also. One day this era methinks.
:-bd
No, they're 10mm Pendraken, Westmarcher. We were playing 1 base = 1,000 men, which produced brigades of between three and five bases. In retrospect, I would have gone for 1 base = 750 men, which would have given us slightly bigger brigades. There were two players per side, with me umpiring.
The roads were Total Battle Miniatures (I believe, not mine) whilst the bridges and buildings came from various sources I've collected over the years.
Westmarcher, the BBB Magenta scenario requires 70 Austrian 1" bases (59 inf, 4 cav, 6 guns, 1 rocket) and up to 65 French & Italian (58 inf, 2 cav, 5 guns). Even scaled up to 1 base per 750 men as Hertsblue is suggesting, you are still talking under 100 bases a side. This is exactly the point of Bloody Big Battles - to make big battles feasible with reasonable amounts of troops, table space, time and players.
Chris
Great looking game Ray, thanks for sharing
Take care
Andy
Funnily enough, I was in Magenta over the weekend. Lots to see, many significant sites from the battle are still recognisable. The most notable thing, however, was not what you could see, but what you could not. The lines of sight are terrible, and there is no chance whatever of seeing what is going on at any of the crossings of the canal from any of the others. The only open terrain is on the eastern side of the canal coming in from the North ie where the French and Italians who crossed at Turbigo eventually came down. There really is no natural defensive position for the Austrians north of Magenta, so it is no surprise that much of the real fighting took place there. It is a great battlefield, and highly recommended for a visit. We also took in Palestro and Montebello, and they also have much that is unchanged. At Montebello the railway is a key feature, as its embankment cuts the field east west and allows no visibility across it north South. The ditches still form the only sort of defences on the low ground.
Mollinary
Westmarcher, try www.6mmacw.com where you will find a tutorial on how to make flexible roads from caulk.
Seconding Mollinary's comments - I have been to Magenta and you really can't see very far at all. Hence the LOS limitation rule in my BBB scenarios for Magenta and Montebello, and the railway embankment blocking LOS.
Chris
Quote from: Leman on 15 May 2015, 08:50:47 AM
Westmarcher, try www.6mmacw.com where you will find a tutorial on how to make flexible roads from caulk.
Thanks, Bob (and also thanks to Chris and Hertsblue).
Wife has booked a last minute holiday to Garda on Lake Garda. What's on the other side of the hill? Rivoli (Ok, Napoleon I). What's south of the lake? Solferino. Will I get to visit them? Probably not! :'( Still, Osprey Solferino book suggests a bus may be possible to San Marino where the Sardinians fought. Annoying thing is, we've previously holidayed at Desenzano and Sirmione which are a lot closer - but that was before I read theOsprey title. D'oh! ~X(
There is a pretty reasonable cycle route. Barrie from Timecast has done it before, 18miles all round as I recall?
Quote from: Westmarcher on 27 May 2015, 10:54:56 AM
Thanks, Bob (and also thanks to Chris and Hertsblue).
Wife has booked a last minute holiday to Garda on Lake Garda. What's on the other side of the hill? Rivoli (Ok, Napoleon I). What's south of the lake? Solferino. Will I get to visit them? Probably not! :'( Still, Osprey Solferino book suggests a bus may be possible to San Marino where the Sardinians fought. Annoying thing is, we've previously holidayed at Desenzano and Sirmione which are a lot closer - but that was before I read theOsprey title. D'oh! ~X(
I seem to recall a pretty nice restaurant at San Martino, just outside the entrance to the tower and Museum. Perhaps you could lunch there - pretty nice views!
Mollinary
Just found it on Trip Advisor. It's the Osteria alla Torre at San Martino delta Battaglia. Have a look at the reviews, it sounds as if my impressions from last October are borne out by a lot of other reviewers. Have a great break!
Mollinary
I'll book the flights immediately!
Whose card are we using?
;)
I holidayed up at Lake Garda many years (1st Gulf War!), sadly was too young to be very concerned about the '59, but I was quite excited that our "Cold War Gone Hot" games might be about to have some real evidence based trials :S
Further up the lake on Monte Baldo are some WWI trenches.
If you get a chance, check out the Vittoriale, Gabriele d'Annunzio's estate on the west side of the lake. Amazing place.
Chris
Thanks for the ideas and recommendations, guys. Have been trying to do some swift research on the feasibility of visiting San Martino Della Battaglia but looking increasingly problematical for a variety of reasons (e.g., my location, transport, selling idea to Mrs W.). As I indicated earlier, it would have been better if I had been aware of the proximity of the battlefield when on a previous visit to Lake Garda when we stayed at Desenzano. Even so (as my research also confirmed), it would not have been straightforward from there either as the US wargamer, Jonathan Freitag confirms in the attached link to his blog, Palouse Wargaming Journal.
http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/battle-of-san-martino-battlefield-walk.html (http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/battle-of-san-martino-battlefield-walk.html)
For me, this might turn out to be the next best thing. I also thought it might be of interest to all 19th Century fans. The blog not only includes a good report on the battlefield as seen today (well, 2009) but also 4 or 5 reports on his war-game of the battle also (please see the the following links - these should help you navigate to the all of the relevant reports) plus there are numerous other reports on the Risorgimento.
http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/battle-of-san-martino-1859-batrep-1000.html (http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/battle-of-san-martino-1859-batrep-1000.html)
http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/battle-of-san-martino-1859-batrep-1200.html (http://palousewargamingjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/battle-of-san-martino-1859-batrep-1200.html)
Leman) - I've also visited Monte Baldo on a previous visit and 'yes' was unaware of the possibility of finding WW1 trenches (d'oh!). Had it in my head at the time that the frontline was much further north so it never crossed my mind. But had noticed signs of the front line on the way to an earlier trip to the Dolomites. Liked your Magenta in 15mm report btw.
Moll - navigated some of the area using google maps and google maps street view. Also looked at the website of the Osteria all Torre. Building looks the part for the era (although possibly built after 1859?) and very enticing (good Trip Advisor reviews as you say).
Chris - again, visited Gardone in the past and unaware of the Vittoriale! (note the recurring theme here?). We'll see how things pan out on this visit.
Toxi - A Pendraken Forum Convention at Lake Garda sounds like the bees-knees (in the meantime, be sure and e-mail me your card details).
:)
You might to use someone else's card, you'll be lucky to get a bus ticket on mine!