Austrian 0500 As we continue the exercise of capturing these two towns for more than a single turn, the Austrians launch a massive assault along the line in and around Aspern. VI Corps attack the Church earning a DR2. 1Reserve attacks also forcing a retreat which has no retreat path. Rottermund also attacks at 1:4 and is AE, failing his ‘save’ roll. Rosenburg must attack Curial as he is adjacent Attacker Retreat: AR. Eliminated units.

  The French counter heavily in 0500. Massena counters to no effect. In Essling the Guard takes back the lost Essling hex. In the image above Roder and Reynaud are adjacent to the enemy they must not be, or they must attack across the stream. We adjust that move. 0600   From the Church, Hillers regiments muster and he sweeps cavalry around from Gemeinde to take on Massena. At the same time 1st corps attacks the next hex of town, and so on down the line as II Corps and Kolowrat largest Brigades enter the fray in a full on frontal assault.   Massena’s forces must retreat but cannot so they go to the awaiting recovery, essentially out of the battle in one fell swoop. So we go from no losses to eliminated (effectively) because a ZOC was in the flank. 2 Brigades of Infantry, a Brigade of Heavy Cav and 2 small arty units…which I think should not be there (Terrain effect). If there was no Zoc the chaps retreat and we carry on, but due to the influence on a flanking unit in the open across a stream the forces die. Due to the fact that this was a SK result (supplemental combat result), the forces in the town which would not normally retreat, do so due to ‘disparity’ of effectiveness or morale. I may be indeed playing this wrong, that units in towns do not retreat regardless of result, but that is how the rules read for the Skirmish table.

Ok… next combat. Defender retreat, they do so into the Marsh.  The last two attacks in this sector are against the Austrians as they are replused from their attacks across the stream. AR@ and AR respectively. In and around Essling the Guard are pushed out of town! This displaces the Cav behind them.

French 0600

For the French to contend in this battle they either have to kill a lot of Austrians or hold the towns. Once a town is lost the effort to recover it is highly risky. In Essling the Guard attacks at 1:2. with a DR as a result. But infantry in towns dont retreat. So the Austrians hold. Lannes advances with a few units – St Germain and Marulaz to knock off a smaller lone LC unit. It succeeds. The  forces in Aspern cling to the edge of town and conduct a 1:1 attack once again a DR with a no movement by the Austrians. If a SK result had occured we would have knocked them out of the town.