The other day I had my second game of Blucher thanks to Geoff F and Steve N. I am very impressed with the”feel” of moving a whole corps, and, as always, with Sam Mustafa’s rules, and how seamless the game flowed. The use of 6mm figures added to the visual impact of a large battle.

Johann Josef Cajetan Graf von Klenau, Freiherr von Janowitz (Czech: Jan hrabě z Klenové, svobodný pán z Janovic; 13 April 1758 – 6 October 1819) was a field marshal in the Habsburg army. Klenau, the son of a Bohemian noble, joined the Habsburg military as a teenager and fought in the War of Bavarian Succession against Prussia, Austria’s wars with the Ottoman Empire, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars, in which he commanded a corps in several important battles. In the early years of the French Revolutionary Wars, Klenau distinguished himself at the Wissembourg lines, and led a battle-winning charge at Handschuhsheim in 1795.

The Austrian deployment shown after the first French move. The French need to capture the two villages on the Austrian flanks to achieve victory.

As commander of the Coalition’s left flank in the Adige campaign in northern Italy in 1799, Klenau was instrumental in isolating the French-held fortresses on the Po River by organizing and supporting a peasant uprising in the countryside. Afterward, Klenau became the youngest lieutenant field marshal in the history of the Habsburg military. As a corps commander, Klenau led key elements of the Austrian army in its victory at Aspern-Esslingen and its defeat at Wagram, where his troops covered the retreat of the main Austrian force.

The Austrian first Corps led by Klenau. From the left the Advance Guard, Foot Artillery and two Infantry brigades. You can just see the corner of one of two cavalry brigades.

He commanded the IV Corps at the 1813 Battle of Dresden and again at the Battle of Nations at Leipzig, where he prevented the French from outflanking the main Austrian force on the first day of the engagement. After the Battle of Nations, Klenau organized and implemented the successful Dresden blockade and negotiated the French capitulation there. In the 1814–15 campaign, he commanded the Corps Klenau of the Army of Italy. After the war in 1815, Klenau was appointed commanding general in Moravia and Silesia. He died in 1819. (en)

Klenau’s Corps defending the ridge line.

Austrian dragoons and Hungarian Insurrection cavalry support the infantry.

The Advance Guard and artillery threatening the French advance in the centre.

I like the way that the rules don’t allow the artillery to fire at full strength throughout the whole game representing the limited artillery supply of ammunition.

The Austrian reserve corp are deployed to hit the “hinge point” in the French centre.

You can see at the top of the picture one of the Austrian Cuirassier brigades charging a French Elite infantry brigade severely weakened by artillery fire. Two Grenadier brigades attack to their left, while horse artillery, dragoons and a second Cuirassier regiment provide support.

The Cuirassiers smash the French elite infantry brigade.

The grenadiers advance

The Austrians defending the forest are hit by French veteran troops.

The battlefield with all units now revealed.

The Austrians being pushed back from the ridge line.

You can see Klenau attached to an infantry brigade on the left. His personal bravery (and extra dice) repulsed a French attack.

French cavalry cause the victorious Austrian Cuirassiers to flee while the Austrian Grenadiers threaten the entire French line. The second Cuirassier unit is about to dispatch the French heavy artillery.

The dragoons move up to protect the Austrian flank.

The completely intact Austrian left holds firm

The Grenadiers poised to charge

Klenau rallying the Austrian right flank that has been mauled by the French cavalry and infantry.

Hungarian Insurrection cavalry about to receive cold steel.

The Austrian right just holds on (and I mean just) as the French centre is destroyed.

A close look at the above picture clearly shows the myopic nature of the French command (left) and their total reliance on artificial stimuli to cope with the rigors of command (right).

I don’t apologise for the completely biased report from the “Hapsburg Herald” journalist!

While the situation at the end of the game looks quite decisive there are 5 Austrian units just hanging on that allowed them to achieve victory. Command points for each unit are randomly determined each turn and the French had by far the worst of the “fickled finger of fate”.

A great game and I look forward to many more. This week some of my newly based British will take on my French army in a game of Lasalle.