1 PM. The weather is fine. Visibility is 152”
Austrian Headquarters - The battle is reaching a crisis point. Our ability to concentrate a final blocking force at the Kis-Magyer farm on the road to Thaya is slipping away. The fatigued infantry at the church are unlikely to withstand a serious assault, but if they can delay the French long enough for Schwarzenberg’s 2nd Cavalry Division to join Klenau at Kis-Magyer Farm, then the rearguard action may yet continue to block the French pursuit.
Klenau notes that 2nd Cavalry Division has disengaged from the slopes and is moving towards the ford ….. everything depends upon the depleted IR 59 and IR 14 at the church - can they hold out!
Orders - None.
French Headquarters - From his position at the top of the slopes, Masséna can see everything unfolding and he is eager for the assault to begin at the church as soon as possible. Ledru’s Brigade is ready to assault and Lasalle’s cavalry is approaching from the south. The plan is to overwhelm the Austrians at the church as quickly as possible and to then immediately move up to capture the Kis-Megyer Farm.
3rd Infantry Division are now on the march, moving north from the lower bridge, but it is doubtful that they will arrive at Kis-Megyer Farm in time to make a useful contribution today … the assault will have to start without them!
Masséna also notes that Schwarzenberg is disengaging and moving towards the ford, which confirms in his mind that Klenau is preparing to pull the rearguard further back.
Orders - Marulaz, maintain a cautious pursuit of Schwarzenberg towards the ford and beyond.
[of note - Froon and his retreating units from the lower bridge have still not shown up. If they can arrive at the Church or Farm in the next hour or so, they might tip the balance to the Austrian favour].
[of note - when this turns campaign map moves were done (above), the initial order of activation became important. The yellow flag to the top centre is 3rd Foot Artillery about to skirt the woods, they are a fresh gun battery that have been retreating from the action at lower bridge. The green flags to the far right are Lasalle’s cavalry. Will they catch the gun battery before it reaches the church! The top playing card is drawn …. It is a black suit (red for French) and the guns get to move first. This is potentially a fairly important moment in the campaign, as it is the difference between the guns being involved in a prepared defence at the church or not!].
The Church.
After their rough handling earlier at the village, the two Austrian infantry regiments now defending the church are ‘unsteady’ and so the arrival of the fresh gun battery is a most welcome addition to the defence. The French for their part, might easily brush the Austrians to one side if they were fresh …. but they are not and there is a real risk that Austrian muskets can do some serious harm. The situation and numbers look favourable to the French …. but if it goes the Austrian way, this will be a significant moment.
The saving grace for the French is that most of Lasalle’s cavalry division (above) has arrived and they are positioned to assail the Austrian flank.
Ladru, forms his infantry brigade into assault columns in front of the church, he plans to push IR 14, on the front slopes, aside and then assault the walled church.
The fighting is intense and both sides see battalions stream to the rear. 3rd Foot artillery turn to face the French cavalry threat on the flank and cause both 13th and 24th Chasseurs á Cheval to stall, while inflicting grievous harm on Lasalle’s horse artillery, but in the end the inevitable collapse of the Austrian position begins.
1st Battalion of IR 14 manages to disengage and fall back towards Kis-Megyer Farm, but 2nd Battalion is lost. As for IR 59 behind the church walls, 1st Battalion is sent reeling back behind the church and 2nd Battalion flee. 3rd Foot Artillery is forced to limber up and pull out. The problem for these last vestiges of the Austrian defence is that they are being pressed on three sides …. surrender is an increasing possibility at this point!
Summary - The French assault has resumed and the church has become the main focus of the battle. Both sides have taken heavy losses, but the Austrians are less able to absorb them and their defence starts to crumble. This is not a surprise, but with some infantry and the guns still operating behind the church, the Austrians are managing to delay French progress for longer than could have been hoped for.
2 PM. The weather is fine. Visibility is 138”
Austrian Headquarters - (now at Kis-Megyer Farm) The situation is desperate. Positions at the church are collapsing and there aren’t any fresh troops to feed into this fight. If the church falls, then it is likely that the French will reach Kis-Megyer Farm before Schwarzenberg does. The farm was to be our key final defensive position to hold back the French pursuit, but without infantry here, we cannot take advantage of this position. Our hopes that somehow Froon might arrive, bringing the remnants of his regiment from the lower bridge, are fading and in all likelihood, he is has got caught up in a retreat eastwards.
Orders - none
French Headquarters - The fighting at the church continues. Molitor and Lasalle must press hard. We cannot afford to be distracted here and allow the enemy to build up any strength at Kis-Megyer Farm, as that is the last defensible terrain available to the rearguard.
Orders - none
Fighting continues at the church - remnants of 2nd battalion (IR 59) together with 3rd Foot Battery are trying to escape northwards towards Kis-Megyer Farm. Ledrum’s 1st battalion (37th Line Infantry Regiment) have managed to get to the northern tip of the church in an effort to prevent the Austrians escaping. The Austrian gun battery deploy a pair of guns and deliver canister at short range, driving 1st Battalion back and clearing the way for the gun battery to continue in its bid to escape, which it does, but Austrian 2nd Battalion (IR 59) are not so fortunate and continue to fight in place, until eventually they are forced to surrender.
The church is now fully in French hands and both infantry and cavalry re-order in preparation of the advance on the farm.
Action at the upper ford - Schwarzenberg has already managed to cross Göllersbach with his cavalry, but the infantry, which are lagging behind, are still to cross and Marulaz has caught up with them at the ford. The initial action is sharp and brief, with both sides making use of their artillery. 14th Chasseurs á Cheval break and flee, as do the Austrian 2nd Battalion from Kollowrat’s IR 36.
The French cavalry back off and are content to allow the Austrian infantry to scuttle back across the ford, while keeping them under cannon fire.
Summary - Without fresh reserves on hand, the brittleness of both sides is becoming increasingly apparent, making each contact a painful process of some units inevitably reaching their level of tolerance and losing heart for this fight. At the church, a hard fought two hour fight now has the French in control and their forces are concentrating there, ready to move against Kis-Megyer Farm.
At the Ford, Schwarzenberg has crossed the Göllersbach, but it is now becoming increasingly clear that he is still too far away from Kis-Megyer Farm, to be able to fortify it before the French reach it.
Resources;
My other piece of webspace is called COMMANDERS, it has a variety of snippet based type pieces there. LINK
https://commanders.simdif.com/dear_diary.html
The previous campaign turns (12 noon) can be found here - LINK.
https://battlefieldswarriors.blogspot.com/2026/02/pursuit-of-vi-corps-12-noon.html
Tremendous work Norm 👍
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