LINDENAU (1813) Battle Report
After playing the Lindenau scenario, you will probably ask yourself how the Austrians failed to successfully cut off Napoleon's route of retreat from Leipzig. Gyulai's III Korps converges on the Lindenau bridge from multiple directions, and Bertrand's weak corps faces a tall order to hold the line at all costs. Historically, Gyulai did not press his advantage as aggressively as he could have. In this scenario, it will take a capable French commander to turn back a determined Austrian effort. Here's how the battle unfolded for us:
10:00am: Gyulai's Austrian III Korps arrives on the field, approaching Lindenau from two directions. Three divisions advance down the Schonau road, while Crenneville's division arrives on the Austrian far right. 10:30am: The arrival of three divisions around Schonau creates a major traffic jam, so the Austrian infantry struggles to deploy for their attack on Lindenau. Austrian cavalry press forward on both flanks. [Right: Klenau's cavalry advances on the Austrian right flank, opposed by a brigade of French conscripts.] |
11:00am: Klenau's chevauxlegers charge the French conscripts guarding the south-western approach to Lindenau. The French give ground slowly, but do not break. On the opposite flank--the French right--two Austrian cavalry brigades sluggishly refuse to press forward as quickly as ordered. Back in the center, the Austrians mount an infantry advance on a broad front with Czollich's brigade leading the attack. On the horizon behind Lindenau, Bertrand's corps begins to appear on the far side of the river!
11:30am: French and Austrian cavalry clash on the French right flank, north of Lindenau. Heavily outnumbered, the French are driven back toward the river. This opening clears the way for Austrian infantry to assault the French defenders barricaded in Lindenau. In a sharp engagement Czollich's brigade clears the streets and carries the town. But the Austrian triumph may be short-lived, as French reinforcements begin to surge across the bridge.
12:00pm: Bertrand begins siting his artillery on the far river bank, shelling the masses of Austrian cavalry. The Austrian horse must break off their pursuit to avoid further fire. On the right and center both the Austrian and French infantry rushing toward Lindenau collide. Heavy fighting ensues in which the French are slowly pushed back. [Below: Waves of Austrian infantry follow up the steady advance of their cavalry support.]
11:30am: French and Austrian cavalry clash on the French right flank, north of Lindenau. Heavily outnumbered, the French are driven back toward the river. This opening clears the way for Austrian infantry to assault the French defenders barricaded in Lindenau. In a sharp engagement Czollich's brigade clears the streets and carries the town. But the Austrian triumph may be short-lived, as French reinforcements begin to surge across the bridge.
12:00pm: Bertrand begins siting his artillery on the far river bank, shelling the masses of Austrian cavalry. The Austrian horse must break off their pursuit to avoid further fire. On the right and center both the Austrian and French infantry rushing toward Lindenau collide. Heavy fighting ensues in which the French are slowly pushed back. [Below: Waves of Austrian infantry follow up the steady advance of their cavalry support.]
12:30pm: Liechtenstein's infantry begins encircling Lindenau from the Austrian left flank, occupying the ground vacated by the retreating cavalry. In the town of Lindenau, neither side can feed fresh troops into the meat-grinder fast enough. The bridge is a source of special frustration for Bertrand's corps--retreating French infantry collide with advancing reinforcements, creating a swirling mass of confusion. Finally, just before 1:00pm, a ferocious French counter-attack defeats Czollich's brigade and recaptures Lindenau.
1:00pm: Unable to throw the French garrison out of central Lindenau, the Austrians find success around the edges of the town. The French fall back, but are immediately replaced by an eager wave of fresh reinforcments. The Austrians have nearly fought their way to the foot of the bridge, hoping to plug the bridge and stem the French bridgehead. But it is at this crucial juncture that Gyulai and Bertrand are forced to halt the battle and accept a tenuous ceasefire. [Also known as the local comic store closing for the evening.]
1:00pm: Unable to throw the French garrison out of central Lindenau, the Austrians find success around the edges of the town. The French fall back, but are immediately replaced by an eager wave of fresh reinforcments. The Austrians have nearly fought their way to the foot of the bridge, hoping to plug the bridge and stem the French bridgehead. But it is at this crucial juncture that Gyulai and Bertrand are forced to halt the battle and accept a tenuous ceasefire. [Also known as the local comic store closing for the evening.]
Victory Objectives:The Austrians held firm control over the towns of Schonau and Leutzsch. Although the French technically occupied Lindenau at the end of the game, the town was fiercely contested by the presence of many Austrian brigades. No points were awarded for Lindenau. The French earned their only victory points for holding the vital bridge. Casualties were light--fewer than 1,000 Austrians and 2,500 French. With more time to finish the scenario, the Austrians would likely have extended their margin of victory, capturing Lindenau and contesting the bridge.
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General Gyulai's Report
Our plan was simply to make a rapid advance and assault Lindenau before the bulk of the French could deploy, driving to the bridge to bottle up the enemy on the far side. One of our divisions arrived on the Austrian far right while the remainder arrived on the center road, the shortest route to the enemy. A traffic jam of epic proportions ensued as we tried to get our forces deployed to assault the French. I brought my cavalry into action on both the right and center, driving the French cavalry back in the center and pushing their infantry back towards the town on our right. This allowed Dieter to get his infantry brigades in position to assault the French troops holding the town.
Control of the town see-sawed back and forth as French & Austrian troops pushed each other back repeatedly. Meanwhile, the French faced their own traffic problems as an entire corps tried to get into the fight via the single road over the river. The French commander began to deploy his artillery along the far bank of the river on our left. A wise deployment! The increasingly heavy fire from those batteries forced me to give up pursuing the French cavalry to the water's edge as my mounted troops began taking losses. Meantime in the center the log-jam at the bridge began to ease and French infantry began to deploy into the town. A fierce series of charges followed as each side tried to force the other from Lindenau. On our flanks we drove the French back to the river's edge but in the center we could not dislodge their infantry. At one point a lone French battery withstood the assault of an entire Austrian brigade.
In hindsight I believe that given time to finish, we would have won this fight more decisively. Our plan, to make a rapid assault on the town and "cork" the bridge, was sound and feasible. Our artillery would then have had room to deploy and with our skirmish-capable infantry, maintaining fire on French units too close to the river bank. Meantime they would be forced to attack in march column across the bridge to gain a foothold in the town.
Control of the town see-sawed back and forth as French & Austrian troops pushed each other back repeatedly. Meanwhile, the French faced their own traffic problems as an entire corps tried to get into the fight via the single road over the river. The French commander began to deploy his artillery along the far bank of the river on our left. A wise deployment! The increasingly heavy fire from those batteries forced me to give up pursuing the French cavalry to the water's edge as my mounted troops began taking losses. Meantime in the center the log-jam at the bridge began to ease and French infantry began to deploy into the town. A fierce series of charges followed as each side tried to force the other from Lindenau. On our flanks we drove the French back to the river's edge but in the center we could not dislodge their infantry. At one point a lone French battery withstood the assault of an entire Austrian brigade.
In hindsight I believe that given time to finish, we would have won this fight more decisively. Our plan, to make a rapid assault on the town and "cork" the bridge, was sound and feasible. Our artillery would then have had room to deploy and with our skirmish-capable infantry, maintaining fire on French units too close to the river bank. Meantime they would be forced to attack in march column across the bridge to gain a foothold in the town.