"The Battle of Raab" -- 14 June, 1809

Archduke John of Habsburg commanding the Army of Inner Austria vs. Prince Eugéne de Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy commanding the French Army of Italy.

MAP:

Setup 4" x 7" board similar to map found on pp. 150-151 of "Armies on the Danube 1809", Scott Bowden.

MAP NOTES:

Buildings in Szabathegy are +2, the farmhouse of Kis-Megyer is +3, any other buildings are +1. The upper Páncza river is fordable only by infantry, downstream in the plain it is fordable by infantry or cavalry. At the extreme end of the board there is found only one ford where artillery may cross the Páncza. For much of the Páncza on the Austrian side, there is one inch of rough terrain.

RAAB ORDERS OF BATTLE:

(3) ARMEE VON INNERÖSTERREICH (Ö): John: 11" G(4)+0. [11M]
(1) LEFT WING (L): Mescery: 4"G(7)+1 [2F]
1B/L: 20 AsILC [12D] Insurrection Hussars
2B/L: 16 AsILC [10D] Insurrection Hussars
3B/L: 16 AsILC [10D] Insurrection Hussars
4B/L: 20 AsLC [10D] Hussar Rgts. #2, 5
L: As3# (1 hit)
(1) CENTER WING (C): Colleredo: 4"A(8)+1 [2F]
1B/C: 24 AsILT [14D] IR # 62, Insurrections #7, 8
2B/C: 24 AsLN [12D] IR # 61, 27
3B/C: 16 AsLW [11D] Various Landwehr Btns.
C: As6#
RIGHT WING (R): under direct command of John.
(1) RIGHT FLANK (1/R): Jellacíc: 4"A(6)+1 [2F]
1B/1/R: 16 AsLW [11D] Bde. Legisfeld, 4 landwehr btns.
2B/1/R: 24 AsILT [14D] IR #32, Insurrections #2, 5, 9
3B/1/R: 16 AsGNZ [10D] IR#45, Banal Grenz Rgt. #10
4B/1/R: 16 AsLW [11D] Salzburg and Judenburger landwehr btns.
1/R: As6#
(1) RIGHT FLANK CAVALRY (2/R): Besán: 3"A(5)+0 [1F]
1B/2/R: 20 AsLC [10D] Hussar Rgts. #2, 6; also some Chevaulegers, Insurrection
(1) FAR RIGHT FLANK (3/R): Davidovich: 3"A(7)+0
1B/3/R: 24 AsILT [14D]
2B/3/R: 12 AsILC [7D]
(1) RESERVES (RES): Frimont: 3"G(8)+0 [2F]
1B/RES: 24 AsLN [12D] IR # 19, 16
2B/RES: 16 AsGN [6D] 4 Grenadier btns.
3B/RES: 16 AsLN [8D] Various elements.
RES: As12# RES: As12#
OTHER FORCES:
1B/O: 16 AsGNZ [10D] Grenz #5, some Insurrection Hussars
O: As6# Insurrection Artillery Reserve Position Bty.

(3) L'ARMÉE D'ITALIE (I): Eugène: 13"G(7)+1
(2) CORPS GRENIER (G): Grenier: 7"G(7)+1 [3F]
(1) FIRST DIVISION (1/G): Seras: 3"G(5)+0
1B/1/G: 28 FrLN [14D]
2B/1/G: 24 FrLN [12D]
1/G: Fr6#
(1) SECOND DIVISION (2/G): Durutte: 3"A(6)+1
1B/2/G: 24 FrLN [12D]
2B/2/G: 16 FrLN [8D]
3B/2/G: 16 FrLN [8D]
2/G: Fr6#
(2) CORPS BARAGUÈY D'HILLIERS (H): Hilliers: 6"G(5)+1 [2F]
(1) SECOND DIVISION (2/H): Severoli: 3"G(4)+0
1B/2/H: 20 ItLN [12D] 1st, 2nd Italian Rgts.
2B/2/H: 20 ItLN [12D] 3rd, 7th Italian Rgts.
3B/2/H: 24 FrLN [12D] French 112th Ligne, Dalmatian Rgt.
2/H: Fr6#
CORPS MACDONALD (M):
(1) DRAGOON DIVISION (D/M): Pully: 3"A(6)+0 [1F]
1B/D/M: 20 FrLC [6D] 23rd, 28th, 29th Dragoons
CORPS GROUCHY (E): under direct control of Eugène.
(1) FIRST DIVISION (1/E): Pacthod: 3"G(5)+1 [1F]
1B/1/E: 24 FrLT [12D]
2B/1/E: 16 FrLN [8D]
1/E: Fr6#
(1) LIGHT CAVALRY DIVISION (LC/E): Sahuc: 3"G(5)+1 [1F]
1B/LC/E: 16 FrLC [8D] 8th, 25th Chasseurs à cheval
CAVALRY RESERVE (CR): under direct control of Eugène.
(1) CAVALRY DIVISION MONTBRUN (M/CR): Montbrun: 4"E(8)+2 [1F]
1B/M/CR: 16 FrLC [8D] 8th, 25th Chasseurs à cheval
(1) CAVALRY DIVISION COLBERT (C/CR): Colbert: 3"A(5)+0 [1F]
1B/C/CR: 12 FrLC [6D] 1st, 2nd Chasseurs à cheval
2B/C/CR: 12 FrLC [6D] 7th Hussars
(1) CAVALRY DIVISION GUÈDIN (G/CR): Guèdin: 4"G(7)+1 [1F]
1B/G/CR: 12 FrLC [6D] 7th, 30th Dragoons
2B/G/CR: 12 ItLC [6D] Italian Dragoons de la Reine (Queen's)
ARMY RESERVE (R): under direct control of Eugène.
(1) ROYAL ITALIAN GUARD (I/R): Pacthod: 3"G(5)+1 [1F]
1B/I/R: 16 ItGD [6D] Guard Vélites, Guard d'Honneur, and Guard Grenadiers
2B/I/R: 12 ItGCV [5D] Guards Chasseurs and Guards Dragoons
I/R: It6#
(1) DIVISION LAMARQUE (L): Lamarque: 4"G(6)+0 [2F]
1B/L: 16 FrLN [8D]
2B/L: 16 FrLN [8D]
3B/L: 20 FrLN [10D]
L: Fr6#

SPECIAL RULES:

Game Length: 1030--1800 hours (15 Turns). The French are the first side.
Arrival Times:

• Austrian:

1. Davidovich (3/R) were deployed on the extreme right and can thus be ignored for this scenario.
2. The "Other Forces" were present, but not engaged. These can be added as per referee's discrection for play balance later in the game.
3. All other forces indicated can be set up at start. These forces should be set up generally in historical positions.

• French:

1. The following are set up at start, 1030 hours: Cavalry Reserve (CR), Corps Grenier (G), Corps Hilliers (H). These forces should be set up generally in historical positions.
2. Sahuc (LC/E) arrives at 1200 hours on the French extreme left flank.
3. Pully (D/M) arrives at 1230 hours in the French rear area.
4. Corps Grouchy (E) and the Italian Guard (I/R) arrives at 1400 hours in the French rear area.
5. Lamarque's division (L) arrives at 1600 hours in the French rear area.

Austrian Insurrection Troops: This was the first major battle that the French fought the Austrian Insurecction forces. Their poor quality was unkown to the French at that time. Therefore, all Austrian unit labels should be unrevealed to the French until a unit is fought in combat. Also, some units should appear on the tabletop in non-insurrection style uniforms but rather regular Austrian line infantry to add confusion.

Options: The French start with the initiative. The French have 3 free rolls, and the Austrians have 2 free rolls.

VICTORY:

Kis-Megyer is worth 40/100, Szabathegy 60/120, board west edge (Barathy) 60/120, board north edge (Raab) 100/250 French/Austrian victory points.

HISTORICAL RAAB:

"Unable to fight Eugene,... John decided to fall back into Hungary, unite with the Archduke Palatine of Hungary who commanded over 20,000 "Insurrection" troops, and then march against Napoleon on the southern bank of the Danube. The obvious problem with this plan was that John had to first defeat Eugene's numerically, and now, qualitatively superior Army of Italy. On June 14, 1809 before the Austrian commanders could march westward, Eugene appeared and John was forced to adopt a defensive position outside the Raab fortress. The terrain occupied by John offered immense advantages for the defense. ...

"John's plan of battle was to wisely stand behind these positions and repulse all enemy attacks. The Archduke tried as best he could to intersperese his regulars among the numerous Insurrectio, deploying his infantry in the north and center with his cavalry protecting the southern flank of the army. Finally, Frimont's corps was placed in reserve about Szabathegy.

"Although the entire affair had lasted only five hours, Eugene's victory at Raab was extremely important for it shattered the Hungarian Insurrectio and all but cleared the entire south bank of the Danube of major Austrian forces. Best estimates place the Austrian losses between 6,500 to 7,000, while Eugene's army suffered about 3,000 hors de combat.

-- Scott Bowden, "Armies on the Danube", pp.125-129.

UNITS:

1/L [12D] AsILC	2/L [10] AsILC	3/L [10D] AsILC	4/L [10D] AsLC	L As3#	3/1/R [10D] AsGNZ	1/2/R [10D] AsLC
1/C [14D] AsILT	2/C [12D] AsLN	3/C [11D] AsLW	C As6#	1/1/R [11D] AsLW	2/1/R [14D] AsILT	4/1/R [11D] AsLW	1/R As6#
1/RES [12D] AsLN	2/RES [6D] AsGN	3/RES [8D] AsLN	RES As12#	RES As12#	O As6#	1/O [10D] AsGNZ
1/1/G [14D] FrLN	2/1/G [12D] FrLN	1/2/G [12D] FrLN	2/2/G [8] FrLN	3/2/G [8D] FrLN	1/D/M [6D] FrLC	1/G Fr6#	2/G Fr6#
1/2/H [12D] ItLN	2/2/H [12D] ItLN	3/2/H [12D] FrLN	2/H Fr6#	1/1/E [12D] FrLT	2/1/E [8D] FrLN	1/LC/E [8D] FrLC	1/E Fr6#
1/M/CR [8D] FrLC	1/C/CR [6D] FrLC	2/C/CR [6D] FrLC	1/G/CR [6D] FrLC	2/G/CR [6D] ItLC	1/I/R [6D] ItGD	2/I/R [5D] ItGCV	I/R It6#
I Eugène 13"G(10)+1	G Grenier 7"G(7)+1	1/G Seras 3"G(5)+0	2/G Durutte 3"A(6)+1	H Hilliers 6"G(5)+1	2/H Severoli 3"G(4)+0	D/M Pully 3"A(6)+0
1/E Pacthod 3"G(5)+1	LC/E Sahuc 3"G(5)+1	M/CR Montbrun 4"E(8)+2	C/CR Colbert 3"A(5)+0	G/CR Guédin 4"G(7)+1	I/R Pacthod 3"G(5)+1
Ö John 11"G(10)+0	L Mescery 4"G(7)+1	C Colleredo 4"A(8)+1	1/R Jellacíc 4"A(6)+1	2/R Besán 3"A(5)+0	RES Frimont 3"G(8)+0