May 1809 Snappy Nappy Campaign in Inner Austria: Donner und Blitzen!

We pick up the narrative of the campaign in a Day fought at The portal in Manchester, CT a week ago with a review of the situation across the theater...

On the Tarvis table, Frimont (Russ) is getting swarmed by Pacthod (Russ), Durutte (Mauren), and Sahuc (Caleb). However, no French troops are moving on to Villach and beyond.

At Salzburg, MacDonald (James) and Coloredo (Brian) continue to battle, with Coloredo gradually getting the worst of it.

The battle of Laibach continues as well between Marmont (Richard Hammer) and GM Stowchewich (Mike Carlin). Marmont is also in search of his Marshal's Baton. Both Richard and Mike were walk ons, and thus not familiar with the rules. Their participation added a lot to the game! Thanks for coming and playing, guys!

Back at the Isonzo crossings, FML Hadik (Kaz, teal shirt) is pulling back in the face of the advance of three French Divisions... GD Rusca (Vic Grigoire, next to Kaz), GD Fontanelli's Italians (Jim Carmody, white jacket), and Pully's Dragoon Division (Herb Soderberg).

I understand that the battle of Tarvis was notable for charmed dice on the part of Russ, and cursed dice by Maureen, Mark, and Caleb (preparing to throw another "1" here).

Fighting at Laibach...

It seemed to me that Marmont was gradually gaining the upper hand here, but I could be wrong, as I was basically taking pictures on the fly. 

Stowchewich's troops seem spread out...

but he is actually preparing a flank attack by his elite Hussars, supported (?) by some Landwehr infantry.

Pully's (Jim) Dragoon Division on the  march on the Isonzo table. 

Still MORE French are crossing the Isonzo. Holy Hapsburgs, Hadik!  

The cloth square is the Deployment Zone to the Villach table, and perhaps some degree of safety for the remnants of Frimont... but it isn't looking likely that they will be getting there any time soon, does it?

The rest of the French army at Tarvis. There was in fact a historical battle of Tarvis in May 1809, which I actually ran (using the Field of Battle rules by Brent Oman) at Historicon 2010. The real Battle of Tarvis was just as desperate - the victory conditions for the Austrians at my game were not to collapse. They eked out a (technical) win by having one cavalry battery left and passing a couple of Army Morale rolls!

At Salzburg, Coloredo is gradually crumbling before the onslaught of MacDonalds men. Each ring represents a lost Morale level. I know ERuss and Dan prefer the added "fog of war" of the Rosters, but James and  I prefer the much faster play (an quick overview of the situation) using the rings. 

Situation on the Isonzo. This action seemed to move very slowly, perhaps because of the four players, only Jim had played Snappy nappy before.

Mac Donald makes even more progress against Coloredo, but his losses are starting to pile up as well. 

Mike and Richard discuss a fine point of the rules at Laibach. Karl, Dan, and I assisted them as able (Karl and I were basically cooling our heels at Klagenfurt for about 2 hours... whichwas OK as it allowed me to take a lot of pictures, and also peruse the great stock of games for sale at The Portal!)

Overview of the Battle of Laibach.

FML Mescery's (Marty Fenelon) Austrian strategic reserve Division at ? Marburg.

Languid evolution of the situation on the Isonzo table. After a while I encouraged the players to pick the pace up; in a Campaign in a Day, one truly learns the meaning of Napoleon's maxim “Strategy is the art of making use of time and space. I am less concerned about the latter than the former. Space we can recover, lost time never.”

At Salzburg, Coloredo's forces are severely battered, and he begins trying to break off contact with MacDonald... whose men have been hard hit as well, but have lost almost no units completely.

Austrian garrison behind the walls of a Fortress on a quiet table... somewhere!

Amazingly, Frimont is still hanging on at Tarvis, but with the French infantry finally closing in as well, the end cannot be far off!

A lone Austrian Landwehr unit garrisons Kranj, to the rear of our position at Klagenfurt.

Speaking of Klagenfurt, everything remains quite there. Jellacic and Albert Gyulai continue to enjoy the wine, women. The longer it takes the enemy to arrive, the more reinforcements the Austyians are likely to receive, albeit low quality Landwehr and Hungarian Insurrectio units.

Speaking of the Insurrectio...

it is none other than Erzherzog Josef, Palatione of Hungary, arriving in the theater at the head of the first draft of of the Ban of Hungary!

A quite Austrian fortress, with token garrison; I believe this is Zagreb.

They are anything but laid back at Laibach - Marmont appears to be pushing back Stowechevich progressively.

All is still quiet back at Laibach, a lone Austrian regiment deposited in the town by Frimont at the start of the game being the only forces present... so far!

A mass of French infantry storming forward along the Tarvis - Villach road... the jig is nearly up for Frimont!

Another lonely Austrian garrison. But what is Erzherzog Johann doing here?  Maybe he is organizing the local Landwehr to bring more badly needed, if still bad, troops to bolster the Hapsburg cause?

The grim situation at Tarvis is clear in this "period lithograph"...

Colotredo's command is near complete disintegration at Salzburg... with MacDoanld starting to feel the Baton in his knapsack already! 

But wait... Is that thunder I hear in the Carinthian Alps, or... do I hear hoofbeats?

Cue The Light Cavalry Overture, Maestro!

Erzherzog Josef arrives at Salzburg at the head of the Hungarian Insurrectio! 

And not a moment too soon (in fact, darn near a moment too late, but you must cut up quite a few apples to make a fine Apfelstrudel, no?).

Where has Viceroy Eugene been in all of this... we have hardly heard a peep from him. Well, here he is with GD Seras at the head of the Italian Royal Guard, headed... somewhere!

The ride of the Insurrectio! Remember those uniforms, for their like will not be seen again in Europe after this Spring.

No such Deus ex equo  for Frimont, though - he has all the horses he can handle already!

The ebb and flow continues around Laibach.

Sacre nom de Dieu! Has it taken 3 hours to chase Hadik away from the Isonzo? Must have been the pizza!

It looks like some reinforcements have arrived for Mescery at Marburg as well!

Farewell Isonzo, we knew ye well!  but where are they off TO??

Rusca's Division will move much faster once the last Austrians are off the table!

To Laibach, it seems. A manuevere sure les Derrieres of Marmont. A Dalmatian Sandwich, as it were. Not clear who's gonna get laid here!

Back at the Isonzo, GM Daniel clarifies some points about the rules. 

The Hungarian Insurrectio infantry joins the party at Salzburg!

Ça suffit! says Macdonald, as he begins his retreat back to Inssbruck. Go team Austria!