The campaign starts today and will be called ‘The Pursuit of VI Korps’.
This is based upon the new mini campaign booklet by Henry Hyde called Junction Jeopardy. Information on the booklet and the building of this campaign are covered in two previous posts and their links are shown at the foot of this page.
I have spoken to Henry about the use of images which he is okay with that, accepting that it is understood that all of his maps are copyright to him.
Henry has a ‘buy me a coffee’ button on his site. I am including the link here for anyone who wants to use that; LINK
https://henryhyde.co.uk/buy-me-a-coffee/
6 AM Monday 10th July 1809.
Weather is Fair. Table Visibility 36”
Austrian Headquarters - Klenau addresses Hohefeld and Schwarzenberg. VI Korps has barely retreated 5 miles since the fighting yesterday at Hollabrunn, yet here we are once again being brought to battle. It is essential that we give the rest of our army at least a one day head start if they are to escape the clutches of the French. To that end holding Klein Stetteldorf is crucial and if we consider that crucial, then also holding the two river crossings on the towns flanks is of equal importance.
The Göllersbach as an obstacle is significant, but if the French cross it on our flanks and then manage to get behind Klein Stetteldorf, then all will be lost. Our success is going to rely upon sacrifice, make sure your senior officers understand that. If we can still be holding the village when darkness falls, then we shall likely have had the better day.
Hohefeld, your infantry must hold the town, together with the open ground above and below it. Schwarzenberg, your hussars will harass the approaching French. Your dragoons and chevauxlegers will screen in front of the village on the valley’s open slopes.
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| My pinboard with 9 separate maps (each 6”x4”) glued down onto foam board. All Graphics copyright of Henry Hyde. |
French Headquarters - Masséna addresses Molitor (3rd Div), Bouquet (4th Div), Lasalle (Cav. Div) and Marulaz (Cav. Part Div). We met Klenau yesterday and but for our lack of numbers, we would have beaten him. Today we easily outnumber him in all arms and we must defeat this rearguard.
Speed is off the essence. Molitor, you will attack the village and the open ground to the south of it. You must control the two respective bridges. Bouquet, you will concentrate your efforts on moving directly north, bypassing the front of the village and capture the ford above the village, crossing the Göllersbach and with Marulaz’s horse in support, cut the Austrian retreat. Lasalle your cavalry will exploit the lower bridge once it is captured, with a view to moving north and getting behind the village.
Between us, we must work to cut off the Austrian retreat and destroy their corps in the field.
The opening French advance
(bottom left corner of the map) - Molitor’s infantry appear on the Hollabrunn road. Leguay’s Brigade are followed by Viviez’s Brigade. Over the next couple of hours a total of 12 infantry battalions will advance in assault column and threaten the Austrian positions. The lead infantry columns (blue flags) are flanked on their right by Marulaz’s two regiment of Chasseurs á Cheval and horse artillery (green flags). The cavalry are moving north in a determined effort to quickly reach the ford.
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| Map graphic copyright of Henry Hyde |
The forward patrols of the Austrian hussars (yellow flag above) are driven in by the overwhelming number of approaching French. The hussars send an aide racing back to the village to advise Klenau of the size and composition of the French force. The hussars pull back as quickly as they can, towards the rest of their brigade, waiting on the slopes in front of the village.
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| Austrian Hussars |
[overview - the French now fully control that 6x4 map panel. The hussars managed to withdraw back towards the slopes without loss, but they did have a moment of delay (Random Event).
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| The French advance into the campaign area |
With the campaign now fully under way, the 7 AM turn will follow shortly.
Resource Section.
The 7 AM turn can be found here - LINK
https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2026/02/7-am-pursuit-of-vi-korps.html
An introduction to the Junction Jeopardy booklet - LINK
https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2026/01/junction-jeopardy-campaign-by-henry-hyde.html
The building of the ‘Pursuit of VI Korps’ campaign - LINK
https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2026/01/junction-jeopardy-campaign-part-ii.html
My other bit of webspace is called COMMANDERS - LINK
https://commanders.simdif.com/dear_diary.html
Loving that pinboard.. :o)
ReplyDeleteSteve - me too :-). It evokes some memories of something not done in a long time. Plus, because each sector represents the 6x4 table, the pin placement in effect feeds into unit placement when setting up.
DeleteThis is developing nicely, the use of the maps on a pin board is inspired. It would be great to see this in the setting of Piggy Longton in the future at some point.
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil. The Piggy Longton idea is something that really appeals to me, thank you.
ReplyDeleteComments are back…hooray. Classy looking set up. Very neat. Following with great interest.
ReplyDeleteGood Afternoon Sir. Jolly nice to be chatting again (and thank you for your contacts via the Commanders page). Mark, some good buttons are being pressed here and I am enjoying the things that fall out of campaigns. I am playing this solo but already a few things have been unexpected. More to come
ReplyDeleteComments are back??Nice ! :D
ReplyDeleteHi Michal …. It’s like I have never been away :-)
DeleteLooks good, I like the use of the pinboard, quicker and easier than trying to make magnetic pieces for a notice board.
ReplyDeleteHenery is probably doing well from this as I have just bought (and received) the printed book from Amazon. Looks like an interesting campaign and I think I might try an early 1940s WW2 game with the setup.
Looking forward to seeing how yours develops.
Hi Mike, I think the campaign book in the first instance is ideally suited to WWII. I have got a 7 AM contact on the table now and muskets are firing and orders being shouted out to the ranks :-)
ReplyDeleteGlad your comments are back on, nice set up and splendid Austrian hussars!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Hi Iain, thanks. The Hussars are indeed lovely, bringing a nice bit of joy to the table.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very colorfully handsome map. Are your figure photos for atmosphere or are you fighting this out on your table as the campaign moves along?
ReplyDeleteHi Jon that lovely map really does add an extra dimension to play. It is a pleasure to use. For each situation created on the map, I am transferring the action to the tabletop and playing it out with figures. It will mean at times that I may have to use the odd proxy to make things work with the collection.
DeleteThe maps look lovely! I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.
ReplyDeleteHi Martin I agree, the maps just work to really capture attention. At the moment the actions from 7 AM are being played out on the table, so just like buses, the next diary report should be along shortly :-)
ReplyDeleteAs the campaign intensifies, I will keep the narrative tight by doing campaign reporting rather than relating each action in detail.
This is excellent Norm!
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to watching it play out.
Hi Ben, I think by using the pinboard this sits at a perfect crossroads for me between boardgame and figures game interests.
ReplyDeleteAlways interesting to see what you are up to Norm! The figures look really very fine!
ReplyDeleteHi David, thanks, always nice to get them to the table.
ReplyDeleteGreat start there Norm and nice to be able to follow the action with the scenario book to hand:). I'm trying to finish off some outstanding bits of terrain, before embarking on my own AVBCW campaign. More thought needed but nice to have a simple set of 'rules' to guide me with the map movement etc.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, yes having the campaign book is indeed handy and you will see some things that I am doing that you will recognise from the book …. and also some things that are not :-)
ReplyDeleteI have changed the movement rates to a more generic and easily remembered configuration and after a battle, exact unit positions on the table are then taken back to the pinboard, so when the next round of movement starts, the units move from what was that on table position - so even though an area is won by default because the enemy retreated, units it may not be able to move beyond the boundaries of that area in the next hour.
Norm -
ReplyDeleteThis has got me thinking of reviving my own Old School 'Corsican Ogre' rule set for a small operation like this!
I do like the way the narrative is developing. The manner in which the French try, off the march, to bounce the Austrians off their position, but without success reads very plausibly. No doubt the good Marshal Duke of Rivoli thought it worth a try, risk a little for a potentially large return... No doubt a stronger attack is already under preparation...
What I've seen of the Henry Hyde campaign book looks very enticing. ..
Cheers,
Ion
Hi Ion, even though I am playing this solo, everything is fine and the things that as individuals we ‘think’ happened do seem to end up being in the campaign outcomes ….. which might actually be different for each of us, but never-the-less makes our campaigns feel real as they meet our expectations.
DeleteIt is certainly true that having some sort of linkage between games and outcomes driving the next game is very satisfying.
Good old Henry Hyde - he is making my start to 2026 wargaming very much enriched.
Most splendid, the investment is paying out dividends by the bucket full. A joy to follow!
ReplyDelete