Battle of Vockabruck – 6th September 1813

Tactical Map at start of battle

Left – 9^th French corps have orders to hold Vockabruck

Right – 3^rd Austrian corps have orders to attack Vockabruck

Table at start of battle

Top left is an unnamed village

Centre left is the town of Vockabruck

Centre is an unnamed farm

The road north leads to Raab

The road west leads to Frankenburg

The road east leads to Wels

Both corps are full strength, each has

6400 infantry

800 cavalry

800 gunners

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Left – French

Second line retire 4” to avoid artillery overshoots

Corps commander changes 4^th division orders from Hold to Engage

12 pdr artillery open fire on Austrian gunners, no casualties

Right – Austrian

Artillery advance to long range

Cavalry form line on the flanks

Corps commander changed 5^th division orders from Attack to Engage

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

Left – French

All artillery fire on Austrian gunners, no casualties

Infantry redeploy to meet Austrian advance

4^th division cavalry move forward behind cover of farm

Corps commander changes 12^th division orders from Hold to Engage

Right – Austrian

Artillery unlimber within long range of enemy infantry

Infantry form column of attack

Corps commander changes 6^th division orders from Attack to Engage

 

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

Left – French

Baden cavalry (top) move forward on flank

French artillery fire on Austrian gunners, no casualties

Infantry brigade (bottom) moves towards farm

Right – Austrian

Artillery fire on infantry, 80 casualties on Baden infantry near artillery

Jager brigade moves towards farm

Infantry form line in column of attack

Cavalry melee

Baden cavalry charge, and rout, Austrian dragoons.

Austrian infantry form square, except Grenadier brigade

Grenadiers advance and skirmish shaken Baden cavalry

Due to high dice (6!) Grenadiers route enemy cavalry with 10% casualties

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

Left – French

Baden division (top) have lost their cavalry brigade

Corps commander changes their orders from Engage to Hold

French division (bottom) still on Engage orders

Infantry brigade enters farm

Cuirassiers move forward on right flank

Artillery continue to fire on enemy gunners, all others out of range

Right – Austrian

6^th division (top) have lost their cavalry

Infantry have formed square prior to rout of Baden cavalry

Artillery continue to fire on enemy infantry, now 20% casualties on Baden brigade

Jager brigade enters farm to engage French infantry

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Left - French

Artillery fire on approaching infantry, causing light casualties

Baden division (top) rally their cavalry

French division (bottom) are losing the skirmish for the farm

Right - Austrian

Artillery concentrating on enemy infantry, and causing moderate casualties

Gunners continue to manhandle their guns towards the enemy line

6^th division cavalry brigade (top) have failed to rally, and routed from the field

6^th division infantry advance towards Baden position

5^th division jager brigade (bottom) are winning the fight for the farm.

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

Left – French

The centre of the line has broken

Artillery casualties caused one Baden brigade to break and run

Nearby French brigade failed their morale and joined them

French gunners in turn failed their morale and joined the rout

Attack on farm cancelled and light brigade withdrawn

General Vandamme orders a general retreat

Right – Austrian

6^th division (top) continue to advance towards the Baden position

5^th division (bottom) have taken the farm, and are ready to advance

Summary

With most of 4^th French division in rout, General Vandamme has no option but to order a general retreat.   He does so before the enemy have closed with his position.  Despite the heavier infantry casualties, he still have his two cavalry brigades, against the single Austrian brigade, who can cover the withdrawal.

Austrians have lost 160 infantry and 40 cavalry, with one cavalry brigade in rout

French have lost 480 infantry and 40 cavalry, and have two infantry brigades in rout

Casualties on both sides were light

The French have suffered a major setback.

Campaign Move 15

2000 6^th September 1813

The battle of Vockabruck opened with 9^th French corps in a defensive position just east of the town.   The French had heavier artillery, and could afford to wait for the Austrian attack.

General Lederer deployed his 3^rd Austrian corps just out of artillery range.  He then ordered his gunners to manhandle their guns into range.   This allowed them to open fire on the enemy infantry, whilst their own were out of range of the French gunners.

General Legrange countered by ordering his two divisions to advance towards the Austrian line.   On the left the Baden light cavalry charged, and routed the Austrian heavy dragoons.   This could have had a significant effect on the Austrian attack, but they countered by sending a grenadier brigade forward to engage the disordered Baden cavalry.    The infantry routed the cavalry before they could rally and charge them.

Legrange cancelled his advance and once more ordered his corps to hold their ground.

Lederer sent a jager brigade to take the farm to the south of the battlefield.   A French light brigade was sent to counter this move, and skirmish developed for possession of the farm.   The Austrians gained the upper hand, and the French withdrew.

Now followed a prolonged artillery barrage, in which both sides concentrated on the enemy infantry.   The Austrian gunners won the exchange, and routed an infantry brigade in the centre, which spread to two other brigades and even the French gunners.

With one third of his corps in rout Legrange was forced to order a general retreat.  He had rallied his Baden cavalry, and outnumbered the Austrian horse.   With this superiority he was not only able to cover the retreat, but also to remove his abandoned artillery before the Austrians could reach them.

The French suffered 520 casualties against 200 Austrian.   In addition 1400 infantry and gunners routed from the field.

Campaign Move 14

1600 6^th September 1813

Throughout the morning General Wrede, commander of 7^th Bavarian corps, had received reports of movement to the east indicating that 1^st  Austrian corps were retreating.

At midday he ordered 10^th division to send a cavalry patrol towards Obernzell to determine what was happening.

General Lichtenstein was indeed retiring his corps from Obernzell to Rohrbach, but only one division at a time.   The movement spotted by the Bavarian commander was the withdrawal of 2^nd division.   1^st division was still deployed to hold the town.

As the Bavarian light horse approached Obernzell they came under fire from a well placed Austrian battery.   The cavalry suffered 10% casualties and hastily withdrew out of range to report and await further orders.

Campaign Move 13

1200 6^th September 1813

At first light General Lederer, the newly appointed commander of 3^rd Austrian corps, ordered the attack on Vockabruck.

General Vandamme commanded the isolated 9^th French corps which held the town.   He had hoped that he might receive the support promised by Marshal Oudinot before he came under attack, but it was not to be.

Vockabruck was the most easterly of the French corps, and the only one east of the river Inn.   The nearest friendly troops was the French reserve at Frankenburg, a full days march to the west.