Rosenheim Campaign – Day 3

Campaign Map on 5 October 1813

Oudinot has established two bridgeheads over the river Isar.   In the north at Wassenburg and in the centre at Rosenheim.

                        

Schwartzenberg was surprised by the occupation of Rosenheim.  However he immediately orders 1^st and 3^rd corps to concentrate at Traunstein in order to push the Bavarians back over the river.

                         

Battle of Rosenheim

End of Move 3

Schwartzenberg was at a particular disadvantage in fighting this battle.   The city divided the battlefield into two, with a wide gap between them.   Rosenheim is much too strong to attack with the troops available, so the Austrians must attack with one corps either side of the city.

The battle went badly for the Austrians.   They needed to gain an initial advantage, and the only way was to do this with artillery or cavalry.   The artillery proved ineffective, so the cavalry were ordered forward.

1^st hussars (on the left) were defeated and routed.   Worst still the Bavarian hussars failed their morale, pursued and inflicted even more casualties on the fleeing horsemen.  To add insult to injury the Bavarian cavalry returned to their own line without a single casualty   This was the end of 1^st corps attack.

3^rd corps were luckier.   They greatly outnumbered the small force deployed between the city and the river.   They also won the initial cavalry melee.  But their horsemen also failed to rally and charged the nearest enemy – a full strength Bavarian square.   They suffered 30% casualties and routed.

By nightfall the Austrians had failed to make much impression.   The Bavarians still held the city, and had suffered no casualties at all in 11^th corps.   Schwartzenberg accepted defeat and withdrew.

Campaign Notes

Each side started the battle with seven infantry brigades, two cavalry brigades and two batteries of artillery.   So evenly balanced the Austrians could not hope to attack the city itself.   They would have to defeat the large number of Bavarian troops deployed either side of the city.

On the left 11^th Bavarian corps was full strength, that is to say they has four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery.   1^st Austrian corps had only three infantry brigades, plus one cavalry brigade and corps artillery.   The Austrians would have to cause damage to the defenders, either with artillery or cavalry, before they could hope to attack.   The artillery failed and the cavalry were defeated and routed.   That was the end of the attack on the left.

On the right 3^rd Austrian corps had four infantry brigades, a cavalry brigade and corps artillery.   Deployed between the city and the river was a small Bavarian force of one infantry brigade, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery.   However there was very limited space for the larger Austrian corps to attack.

The Austrians defeated and routed both the infantry and cavalry.   The Bavarian gunners were forced to retreat into the city.   But the Austrians were unable to redeploy to attack the city.   And with the loss of 1^st corps it was always possible that 11^th Bavarian corps would move against them.

Marshal Oudinot took command of this small force on the Bavarian left early in the battle.   By doing so he effectively gave up control of the rest of his army.  But they were on Hold orders, so that did not appear a problem.

However at the height of the battle his cavalry were shaken in the first phase of a cavalry melee.   He took personal command of them to rally them.  But they lost the second phase of the melee and routed, taking him with them.

So at the critical moment when 11^th corps desperately needed orders to either pursue the retreating 1^st Austrian corps, or move against the disordered 3^rd Austrian corps, there was no one to give them orders.  By the time Oudinot disengaged himself from the fleeing mass of cavalry it was too late to reach 11^th corps and give them fresh orders.

It is always satisfying when a small and unexpected outcome like this happens.  It supports the strength of the wargame rules that misuse of a commander can have dire consequences.

Another interesting wargame, even if it was another defeat for my Austrians at the hands of Jan’s Bavarians.