The Battle of Wagram, After Action Report

Today, we bring you another AAR from our guest author, Alexey. This time it's focused on the War of the Fifth Coalition, and more specifically on the Battle of Wagram. So, get comfortable and read on about this latest encounter on a Napoleonic battlefield.

1. Preface from the Austrian Headquarters

This During and After Action Report covers a PBEM rematch of the historical Wagram 8H (Day 2) scenario. In this game, I command the Austrian army against an experienced NWC player commanding Napoleon’s forces.

Given the French numerical advantage, the placement of victory points and the victory conditions, this scenario is structured such that the historical outcome—an Austrian defeat—is the default. Therefore, my focus is on the process rather than the result, shifting my mindset toward a battle narrative—a journey—closer to the Japanese perspective, where the value lies in the process itself: staying disciplined, adapting to the situation and delivering the best possible response despite French superiority. That is quite different from the more victory-first instinct many of us have in a European/competitive mindset, where once the win is slipping away the whole effort starts to feel pointless and many players lose interest in continuing the PBEM match.

Therefore my focus is not on “can I win?” but more of a “can I make the Austrian defence work?” — keep cohesion, keep continuous front, shift reserves on time and see whether my army could drag the fight into a long, static ridge defence — recreating the sense of mounting pressure and reactive crisis management at my HQ - sort of like the atmosphere faced by the German High Command in 1944 and beyond. Should be fun!

To make it easier to follow the narrative it is recommended to open the scenario and review the terrain while reading this AAR. Also, PBEM files are provided (download HERE and unzip into your [...]\Campaign Wagram\Saves folder) to facilitate the storyline and to review tactical details.

Table of Contents:

1. Preface from the Austrian Headquarters
2. Scenario
3. Optional rules (4.09.03)
4. Disposition of Armies at Dawn
5. Order of Battle
6. The Bias of the Austrian HQ
7. Plan of Operations
8. Opening Moves: Turns 1–14
9. Crisis Management: Turns 14 to 21
10. The Clash at Its Height: Turns 21-24
11. Cracks in the Line: Turns 25-30
12. Operations around Aspern
13. The Right Flank is Near Collapse: Turns 30-32
14. The Struggle for the Heights: Turns 32-39
15. The Last Manoeuvre: Turns 40-48
16. Butcher’s Bill
17. After Action Assessment
18. Final Dispatch

2. Scenario

8H. The Battle of Wagram – Historical – 48 turns.

Date: July 6, 1809 - Size: Medium - Location: near Wagram, Austria

Scenario Briefing: The morning of the second day of Napoleon's return to the Marchfeld dawns with the Austrians on the march.

Charles plan of the previous day to attack from both flanks is underway with little for the Archduke to do about it as his archaic staff system is unable to change the plan due to the result of the previous day's fighting. Now he must follow through with the assault and hope that the clash of arms to follow evicts the Allied army from the Marchfeld once more.

3. Optional rules (4.09.03)

These are my standard optional rules (deviations from Default are in red) with one notable exception (in blue) to my usual rules: switching off “Column Pass-Through Fire.” Artillery firepower already dominates WDS battlefields and, in my view, there is no need to make it even deadlier—turning the game into “who can hide from enemy artillery the most.”

Also, there is a rational consideration: columns already suffer 50% more from artillery fire than line, and the fact that a stack contains additional battalions should not matter beyond the normal Target density modifier optional rule. So disabling this rule removes the absurd outcome where five battalions of 200 men each suffer materially higher from artillery fire than one battalion of 1,000.

In fact, a single 1,000-man column would generally present a better artillery target than five smaller bodies, as 200-man units would typically be deployed with gaps (within 100×100m space), reducing density per square meter in the hex and making losses less concentrated.

Fast forwarding to the conclusion made based over 48 turns played through this battle – while this optional rule favours the attacker, I think it improves battle flow: artillery becomes slightly less lethal, players have to be more cautious with placement of their guns, and they cannot assume that a battery stacked with a large infantry unit will be shredding attackers on the way in.

Only one house rule is used: No Positioning of Unlimbered Artillery in Obstructed Terrain (detailed justification for this rule can be found in Ligny AAR .

4. Disposition of Armies at Dawn

5. Order of Battle:

The first OOB comment is French superiority in cavalry. This advantage is not only numerical — with nearly double the Austrian cavalry strength — but also structural: the Grande Armée fields a dedicated reserve cavalry corps, in addition to organic cavalry divisional formations within each of its corps. While over half of the Austrian army cavalry is packed into two divisions with compromised command chain of B>D>A (lacking Corps level), while the rest are thinly spread amongst the army corps.

In total, the French army is organized into nine separate corps plus a Cavalry Reserve, providing a high degree of operational flexibility across Wagram’s wide and open battlefield.

In terms of artillery, there is no numerical difference ignoring the French artillery fixed at Danube crossings. However, the French hold a calibre edge with a higher number of heavy guns (12-lbs and 8-lbs) and with the Austrian OOB also containing a number of low fire power 3-lb batteries. Also, the French heavy artillery is organised into 8 gun batteries vs smaller number in Austrian heavy batteries containing only 6 pieces per battery – implying that the French can create local fire power superiority over narrow sections of the line. The numbers in the table exclude ~120 additional French cannons positioned near the Danube crossings and begin the battle fixed in place. Once released, these batteries are unlikely to reach the main battle line around Wagram on time to influence the outcome materially, however once released, they can certainly have an impact on the operations of the Austrian 6th AK to be arriving as reinforcements next to Essling.

The French also hold advantage in infantry – the extra 28k troops are a material factor which can turn the tide of the battle. Apart from that - most of the French battalions are much more optimal and versatile numbering 400-600 (especially after detaching a skirmish company) men as opposed to the Austrian clumsy battalions of 700-1000. Finally, there is an overwhelming French superiority in light troops, including excellent Guard infantry (including German and Italian Guards) who can break into skirmish order entirely.

Finally, the French army has vastly superior command structure and reorganizational ratings – thanks to Napoleon’s command rating A (vs Charles’ C), Massena’s and multiple divisional commanders B ratings and the Army of Italy having a Wing commander. So provided the French command and control is kept through the battle the French player can expect most of his troops to reorganise within one turn systematically.

Compounding the Austrian problems – two Austrian corps—around a quarter of the army—arrive off map and from two isolated locations, detached from the main force and out of Charles’s command.

To add to the Austrian troubles further, the scenario starts with a Draw on the victory clock with close to 2,900 VPs need to be defended along the Austrian line. This means the Austrians do not have many operational choices but must defend the VPs line.

To sum up - the scenario is heavily unbalanced following the historical narrative and it should be a tough day for the Austrians.

6. The Bias of the Austrian HQ

It is worth noting up front that I had already played this scenario before against a different opponent— but from the French side — and that game ended in a Major French victory. That prior experience shaped my planning for this rematch in a major way, with consequences I only fully understood later. I came into this battle with a strong internal model of how the French win this scenario. This prior knowledge helped me to build a plan as the Austrians — yet it also biased my expectations and ultimately blinded me to how a different French player could shift the battle much earlier and in a different place than I anticipated.

When I played the French, my plan was to make a wide flanking manoeuvre extending the Austrian front and turning their left flank. The idea was to fix the enemy along the front with supporting attack and shift a large mass to the flank, gain a solid foothold on the plateau / open ground, and then exploit French cavalry superiority. To achieve this, I allocated most of the cavalry available to this flanking force: Davout’s corps, Saxon Corps, the Guard cavalry, and two cuirassier divisions from the Reserve Cavalry (total of 16k cavalry + 47k infantry) turning the Austrian front into V-shaped deployment:

Tactically - the intent was to create a decisive mounted “hammer” once the infantry established the foothold on the ridge. Operationally —a broad turning maneuver in the spirit of Davout’s proposal to Napoleon at Borodino, but executed on terrain that actually allows it.

When playing the French, I did not commit IV Corps (positioned on the LGA left) into an early general engagement along the main line. Instead, I marched it a few hours south to hold and protect Aspern and to counter the Austrian VI Corps, which was scheduled to arrive later in the morning. In other words, while the right wing executed the turning movement with Davout’s also given Saxon IX Corps, the IV Corps was task to protect my communication lines at Aspern engaging Austrian reinforcements in this sector.

The battle then unfolded broadly as intended. The situation as of Austrian surrender on Turn 34:

The IV French corps quickly dealt with the Austrian VI Corps pushing it off map. I also avoided attacking the Austrian line early, waiting instead until the flanking force on my right had secured a firm foothold on the plateau. Only then did I launch a simultaneous assault along the entire front. Once Davout’s Corps broke onto the open ground on the French far right flank, the cavalry superiority became decisive: it completed the destruction of Austria’s late and fragmented response to the turning movement and the Austrian defence in this sector collapsed. By the time of the Austrians surrender — Davout’s flanking force (in the top right corner of the image) was effectively in position to utilise the remaining 14 turns to attack the rear and flank of the Austrian army capturing all objectives.

Losses at the time of the Austrian surrender on Turn 34:

7. Plan of Operations

7.1 Operational plan

Now back to my HQ in the Austrian army - The Austrian deployment is designed around holding the ridge with a central reserve. Given French superiority in cavalry, my primary objective is to avoid open terrain and to deny French access to terrain suitable for cavalry use—particularly the plateau behind the ridge and to guard against a wide flanking maneuver. So effectively, denying the French the opportunity to do what I did while playing the French side.

Based on terrain and the previous game precedent, the Austrian left flank was assessed as the most likely axis for a French envelopment so the entire 4 AK was allocated to be positioned behind the Austrian left and be ready to stop any French flanking manoeuvre. While the right flank, is to be anchored on Deutsch-Wagram - a critical village to allow for my 3 AK to arrive off map and join the battle line. My 3 AK, yet to arrive from the west side of the map, was assigned to hold the village of Deutsch-Wagram on the right flank of the Austrian line.

Intended Austrian deployment prior to the battle:

The other two army corps (1st and 2nd ) are to be distributed evenly along the ridge to form a continuous front.

7.2 Tactical plan

Each corps to be deployed with the following structure:

• #1 Forward screen (horse batteries, light cavalry, and light infantry) ahead of the ridge to delay contact and disrupt French deployments.
• #2 First defensive line: made of light and line infantry positioned behind the stream in line formation, ideally out of enemy artillery line of sight.
• #3 Second defensive line - fall back position initially to be occupied by artillery and reserves as the third line and serving as a fall back position.
• #4 Reserve line – last fall back position out of enemy Line of Sight (LOS) – with tight infantry formations and with cavalry behind to counter charge French infantry that dare to climb the plateau.

This depth-based defence is intended to absorb pressure and slow French momentum in a hope to turn the battle into a meat grinder denying French cavalry deployment.

Tactically, I am aiming to test whether the Austrians could establish a viable forward position along the Russbach stream (#2 position), with the main defensive line deployed on Marchfeld plateau along the ridge line (#3 position), or even further behind as the last line of defence (#4 position).

The concept is simple: hold key ground along the Victory Point locations, maintain a continuous front and deny the French any opportunity for operational envelopment.

7.3 Army-Level Reserves

Two grenadier divisions, the Advance Guard and the Cavalry Corps were assigned to army-level reserves, intended to respond along the line. In addition, 72 horse guns are to form a mobile artillery reserve, positioned to reinforce threatened sectors as required.

8. Opening Moves: Turns 1–14

The battle started with operational surprise - two operational decisions by the French HQ throwing the Austrian battle plan into the bin before a shot was fired:

1. The use of the Saxon Corps to flank the Austrian right cutting off the Austrian 3 AK.
2. The commitment of the French IV Corps to a frontal attack against the Austrian right, instead of marching it south to Aspern

[open !!AAR_Turn14_Austrian_psswrd_2689 file for situation overview]

8.1 Austrian Forced Redeployment and Loss of Operational Depth

My original plan had assigned the 3rd AK, arriving off map, the task of holding D-Wagram village on the Austrian right. With its arrival route compromised, I was forced to commit my army-level reserves—grenadiers, the artillery reserve and the Cavalry corps—into the right flank to hold Wagram village. This early commitment of elite formations sharply reduced my operational flexibility along the front. This French maneuver effectively extended my front from intended ~100 hexes to ~140-150 hexes right from the start of the battle. The extended front meant that I could no longer afford an in-depth defence along the entire front.

In response, the Austrian 1st AK and the Advance Guard, originally intended to reposition toward the centre-left, were instead recalled to the centre-right to hold Wagram and relieve grenadiers and to let them march against the Saxons.

Furthermore, as a result of these redeployments, several divisions were now required to hold excessively wide sectors and many units falling out of command. Large Austrian divisions of 10,000–12,000 men, with battalions deployed in extended lines, could no longer be controlled by brigade commanders with a command range of four hexes and about a third of my troops holding the line ended up being detached.

Finally, the newly arrived 3rd AK had no time to deploy for battle properly and to form its clumsy battalions of 800-1000 men into extended line. It had to proceed engaging Saxons right from the march.

Finally, my army level reserve had to deploy on the open ground ahead of Wagram – exactly the type of battle I was planning to avoid due to French cavalry superiority.

In conclusion, the French move against the Austrian right flank had cascading operational consequences across the entire Austrian line.

9. Crisis Management: Turns 14 to 21

[open !!AAR_Turn19_French_psswrd_Dino file for Austrian actions overview]

9.1. Austrian Right Flank (Turns 14 to 21)

While the Advance Guard cavalry and 1st AK were ordered to reposition to Wagram , the heavy cavalry from the Reserve Corps —supported by one grenadier division—had little choice but to advance against the Saxon corps in an attempt to drive it back and to link with my 3rd AK arriving off map. The 3rd Corps, upon arriving on Turn 13, was ordered to advance against the Saxon left flank and attack towards Wagram to join the main army.

To reinforce the French perception of an aggressive Austrian response, my intelligence deliberately allowed a messenger sent from my main HQ to my right flank, be intercepted by French outposts (the email accompanying the turn):

Not sure about any psychological impact of this however the Saxon corps withdrew about a kilometre south and established a defensive line with numerous batteries, from which they could bombard the Austrian III Corps in the flank should it attempt to march towards Wagram passing the Saxon’s position.

One grenadier division of the Reserve Corps remained at Wagram facing mounting pressure from the French IV Corps.

Another grenadier division was rushed to face the Saxons. It advanced under sustained fire from enemy batteries, arrived piecemeal and with its command chain largely broken. It attempted to threaten the Saxon position, but was eventually halted by heavy artillery fire and forced to give up its attempts to establish a link with the 3rd AK. Some Austrian cavalry along with a few horse batteries managed to establish a single front reaching the positions of the 3rd AK which was already heavily engaged with Saxons.

The 3rd AK attacked the Saxons and achieved some initial tactical success, defeating several infantry battalions, pushing them back by approximately 500 meters, taking some 350 prisoners (via isolation and routing) and even capturing two divisional commanders.

Meanwhile, south of Wagram village, the Reserve Cavalry and one grenadier division achieved mixed results engaging the French IV Corps - as the enemy pressure increased and the risk of a breakthrough grew, the elite Austrian cavalry was compelled to take desperate measures and charge directly into dense masses of undisordered French infantry. Wave after wave Austrian heavy cavalry charged, causing disruption and confusion within the French ranks. One infantry brigade of the Austrian 1st AK was also rushed to this sector and joined the effort, launching bayonet attacks against the French IV Corps.

A brutal and chaotic struggle ensued, additional French reserves—possibly elements of the Army of Italy, along with French cavalry were called in to maintain pressure at Deutch-Wagram —and the battle resembled a chaotic frontal struggle over the narrow front.

9.2. The Austrian Centre and Left (Turns 12–21)

Meanwhile, the Austrian problems became evident along the centre and the left flank as well.

At the centre and Austrian left flank, the French light infantry of the II and III corps, advanced to contact pushing back the Austrian forward screen reaching the stream. Then, the French proceeded to engage Austrian skirmish line along the stream, routing thinly spaced Austrian skirmishers and engaging Austrian line battalions positioned behind.

The Austrian light troops, were thinly stretched and had compromised command and control. They were mostly put out of action relatively quickly so #1 forward positions were quickly defeated and swarms of French light infantry occupied the obstructed terrain along the stream and engaged the Austrian #2 defensive position held by my Austrian line infantry. A few turns after a few regiments of the Austrian left flank got disordered or routed.

On the Austrian side, giving up #2 defensive position and retreating towards the #3 defensive line appeared to be a difficult maneuver. As my line infantry holding the line at #2 position was formed in line to counter the french skirmishes, the retreat to the ridge [position #3] would be resulting either in disorder (marching lines of infantry across the obstructed terrain) or forming columns and forcing battalions to turn their backs to the enemy—this means inviting deadly bayonet attacks. Unfortunately, I had no light infantry available to screen my orderly fall back to the next position.

In the center - I opted for a more decisive move to hijack the initiative from the enemy, at least for some time. On Turn 18, instead of passively observing the mounting disorder and routing of my line – the Austrian centre and was ordered to form attacking columns and to attack along the entire front, joining the Austrian right flank in its counterattacks at D-Wagram. While the attrition did not favour the Austrians, this attempt at least could disorganise the French lines and to introduce some chaos in the perfectly layered French lines, disrupting their formations

The Austrian attack faced a mix of French formed and light infantry and brutal melees ensued. The French II Corps, counterattacked in return. Oudinot’s line infantry managed to break thought the Austrian centre twice, reaching as far as the plateau, just to be swept away back by Austrian reinforcements called up to plug the holes.

I kept shuffling reserves along the crumbling front. Unfortunately, the situation demanded that divisional commands to be split into battle groups losing C&C cohesion. The Advance Guard division was acting as a fire brigade: its cavalry had to be rushed to support the struggle on the right flank, while the infantry had to be committed at the centre to counterattack the French infantry climbing Russbach Heights wave after wave.

9.3 Losses as of Turn 18:

The Austrian cavalry losses are mounting from the charges at D-Wagram sector but leading in VPs slightly overrunning a few French batteries, capturing 4 divisional commanders and causing material losses to the French infantry of the IV Corps:

10. The Clash at Its Height: Turns 21-24

[open !!AAR_Turn24_French_psswrd_Dino file for Austrian actions overview]

10.1. The struggle on the Austrian right flank (Turns 21–24)

At this stage, the Austrian heavy cavalry of the Cavalry corps on my right flank suffered severe losses but received (~2,500 horsemen) reinforcements from cavalry elements of the Advance Guard Division. By this stage, I had no uncommitted infantry reserves left on my right flank. I had only one relatively fresh grenadier division + a moderately fatigued and depleted brigade of the 1stAK and one heavily damaged grenadier division. I was facing most of the IV French corps and now believed to be Army of Italy, with total estimated to be around 30-35,000 troops with corps cavalry in support and one division of French cuirassiers.

Further along the right flank, despite its earlier success against the Saxons, the Austrian 3rd Corps was eventually outflanked by Saxon cavalry. The 3rd AK was now pressed from three directions, by now recovered Saxon infantry and at least a division of French heavy cavalry from the Reserve Corps. The Corps was forced to form squares along its entire front losing its ability to march towards Wagram and passing the initiative to the French side. The squares immediately took fire from the enemy artillery. Large Austrian battalions, typically numbering 800–1,000 men, rapidly accumulated fatigue before they could deploy into extended line formations.

Tactical note:

10.2. Austrian Centre (Turns 21–24)

The French pressure continued almost through the entire line - Austrian reserves were called in, allowing to hold the line and mount a few bloody counterattacks causing massive losses on both sides. At some point it seemed that the French are about to break through and I had to take my chances shifting reserves along the line, leaving some sections severely weakened, with no second line in reserve. Luckily this could not be spotted by the French as my reserves were positioned on the plateau out of enemy sight. I made a decision to abandon defensive position #2 and the line is now held mostly along the line of the position #3.

10.3 Austrian Left Flank (Turns 21–24)

After breaking through the Austrian forward positions in the village of Markgrafneusiedl, Davout’s Corps reached the ridge line and maintained steady frontal pressure while simultaneously executing a limited flanking manoeuvre against the Austrian left along the ridge:

The Austrian 4th AK was deployed on the plateau outside enemy line of sight and moved forward to occupy its defensive positions along the ridge as the French line began advancing, in preparation for an assault. Nearly ten Austrian batteries were moved into position to meet the French advance with canister fire:

Davout’s cavalry led the first assault, followed by infantry in the second wave with close artillery support. The French cavalry broke through the Austrians line and made it to the plateau briefly just to be fired at point blank and then to be counterattacked by the Austrian cavalry. The French infantry now followed the cavalry but were also pushed back. Ultimately, both attacks were beaten back with losses, although a few Austrian batteries were overrun in the process.

Following the failed assaults, Davout deployed his artillery—around 60 guns—at close range (roughly 200–300 meters from the ridge) and blasted the Austrian infantry holding the ridge line. Several infantry assaults followed. The Austrians launched a few damaging counterattacks overrunning some of the French batteries. Eventually, the Austrians had to give up the ridge line due to enemy artillery fire, deploying on the plateau two to three hexes from the ridge, leaving only a thin skirmish screen on the ridge itself.

At this stage, the Austrian left held as Davout’s lacked the infantry numbers to push forward while frontal cavalry charges proved to be costly.

10.4 Losses as of Turn 24:

Both sides suffer similar losses so far with Austrians suffering disproportionately more losses in cavalry.

11. Cracks in the Line: Turns 25-30

[open !!AAR_Turn30_French_psswrd_Dino file for situation overview]

By Turn 28, the Austrians had begun to run out of combat-ready forces for sustained counterattacks along the entire line and were forced into a more passive defence: absorbing French fire, watching gaps open in the line as units routed under sustained skirmisher and artillery fire and trying to plug gaps with whatever remained. Situation as of Turn 28:

11.1 Austrian Right Flank (Turns 25-30)

By Turn 28, the Austrian right flank had largely exhausted its ability to hold in Wagram sector. Roughly half of the grenadier battalions were either wiped out or put out of action with maximum fatigue and the flank no longer had enough infantry to man the front. Only two to three combat-ready cavalry stacks remaining in this sector as most cavalry units were either disordered, fatigued or simply destroyed.

On the opposite side, the French received reinforcement including Old Guard artillery. The French had deployed two divisions of cuirassiers, Saxon cavalry and a few brigades of light cavalry constantly threatening my line with charges and forcing Austrians to form squares, exposing them to powerful artillery bombardment. Close to 150 French guns along with Old Guard heavy batteries were deployed in this sector complementing the cavalry threat. The French infantry advanced in line formation supplementing the well-executed combined arms effort. The Austrian right flank begun to fall back to Wagram itself, under the hail of enemy artillery and musket fire, throwing a few desperate cavalry charges to cover the retreat. A few squares were also left behind to cover the retreat.

The Austrian 3rd Corps had lost most of its cohesion in the process. It was effectively threatened from three directions, while still trying to cover an overly wide frontage. As a direct consequence of the early Saxon flanking maneuver, the 3rd Corps entered combat before it had time to deploy properly into extended lines. Many of its 700+ battalions ended up forming large squares to cover the frontage against enemy cavalry threat, which meant the corps could spare almost no infantry to support the crumbling Reserve Army Corps at Deutsch-Wagram. By Turn 30, the 3rd AK Corps began to collapse due to gaps in the line and with no reserves to plug the holes.

11.2 Austrian Centre (Turns 25-30)

The Austrian centre was in a much better shape, although disorder, routs, and fatigue were affecting most formations. That said, it appeared that French II Corps was also in poor condition due to previous bloody assaults and French pressure in the centre eased around Turns 25–30.

Nevertheless, once the direct assault pressure on the ridge decreased, the French skirmisher problem became obvious again. Their ranged fire taking a steady toll on fatigued Austrian line battalions. They also began infiltrating between Austrian units in several places. Again, this traced back to the grand operational picture: the Austrians simply did not have the manpower to maintain an unbroken line and lacked light troops to cover their line against enemy skirmishes.

By Turn 28, the centre began a controlled withdrawal from the ridge—unlimbering batteries and stepping back a few hexes to the last #4 defensive line further to the rear, outside of enemy artillery line of sight. The French skirmishes attempted to follow but a number of light companies who reached the plateau were cut down by my light cavalry of the Advanced Guard who were recalled to this sector earlier.

Although, the withdrawal from the ridge gave temporary relief from the enemy skirmishes and artillery fire it also had consequences. I estimated that the French still had Guard cavalry in reserve in this sector and their deployment on the open would be fatal to the exhausted and depleted Austrian centre. By Turn 30 the Guard cavalry was spotted crossing the Russbach stream and moving towards the ridge, likely reorganising for an attack on my centre.

11.3 Austrian Left Flank (Turns 25-30)

Following the previous French assaults in this sector, the 2nd and 4th Austrian Corps retreated to the last defensive line [#4] with infantry stacked on the plateau 2-3 hexes behind the ridge in tight formations to withstand any possible French cavalry charges. A dozen of combat ready Austrian battalions were held in columns behind, with about a dozen of cavalry squadrons further to the rear.

After a few failed frontal assaults on the crest line, the French sent most of Davout’s corps cavalry—about 3,000—on a wide cavalry raid aimed at bypassing the Austrian left flank. To counter this, the 4th AK had to allocate around 5,000 infantry (in extended line formation) along with 4 batteries to march to the far left and establish a defensive perimeter. This had immediate second-order effects: the front was extended for another 30–40 hexes, and the Austrian left became thinly spaced. I was now expecting for Davout to renew his pressure in this sector.

11.4 Losses as of Turn 30:

12. Operations around Aspern

12.1 Austrian plan of operations in this sector

The Austrian 6th Corps arrived off map on the south-eastern edge of the battlefield several hours into the engagement, fielding approximately 12,400 infantry, 1,250 cavalry and 66 guns. By the time of its arrival, and due to events taking place near Wagram, the march towards the main army was found to be unviable. Such a move would have required hours of advance across open ground dominated by French cavalry and would almost certainly have resulted in isolation and destruction of the Corps.

VI Corps lacked the cavalry strength to operate on the open ground north of Aspern and was ill-suited for offensive action in the obstructed terrain to the south, with only a handful of low-quality light infantry and a large proportion of militia. Although the corps fielded a strong artillery park, suitable deployment positions were lacking, and deeper advances would have required dispersing infantry to protect the guns.

Timing also worked against any further offensive. By the time Aspern was taken, French reserves would already be forming a strong defensive line south-west of Essling. Once captured, Aspern itself would become an exposed salient, vulnerable to envelopment from elevated terrain outside Austrian line of sight, demanding substantial forces merely to hold it.

Any advance toward Essling would have progressively weakened the corps: holding Aspern, securing flanks, protecting artillery, and maintaining a line of retreat, all under Fog of War and against increasing concentrations of French reserve artillery. With the Danube to its rear, the corps was already stretched covering a broad front; pushing beyond Aspern would have risked isolation and destruction rather than meaningful operational gain. Finally, the French Artillery Reserve is a material factor - with 100+ mostly heavy guns, which eventually would be available to bombard the Austrian corps for hours should it be reckless enough to emerge from the woods around Aspern and march on Essling

For the above reasons the operational objective for the corps was limited to capturing Aspern (Phase 1) and if the situation allows, to demonstrate aggressive push towards Essling to provoke French overreaction (Phase 2).

12.2 Turns 18-30

On its arrival, the corps acted without delay. As soon as the leading elements made of militia arrived on map, they were ordered to advance aggressively and capture Aspern ignoring the heavy fire from the garrison who retreated from the village after a brief firefight leaving a skirmish screen behind. While advancing on Aspern, the Corps left flank was probed by a sizable French light cavalry force (~1,000) but this probe was repulsed by Austrian cavalry counterattack and infantry support, which also disrupted enemy horse artillery accompanying the French cavalry.

However, the Austrians could not exploit this minor tactical success as French cuirassier division and additional allied infantry forces (believed to be Bavarian division) were spotted arriving just two turns away marching to counter the Austrian advance.

The following turn, my militia captured Aspern by direct assault taking two French companies prisoner within the village. However, this is where Austrian fortunes had stopped.

With only about 1,000 combat ready light cavalry, the 6th Corps lacked the mounted screen needed to operate on the open ground against roughly 3,000 French cavalry, including ~2,000 cuirassiers. It also lacked sufficient light troops and time to deploy to counter French skirmishers in the obstructed terrain south of Aspern. Nor, there was a suitable artillery position to deploy its powerful artillery as the French side of the open ground had an elevation advantage limiting my artillery line of sight.

Facing what was believed to be a comparable infantry force to the front (assumed to be Bavarians plus Aspern garrison), superior French cavalry strength exceeding 3,000, and dozens of heavy French guns about to enter sector in the coming hours, I concluded that the 6th Corps had achieved its minimum operational objective: drawing some French forces into the area.

I therefore ordered the evacuation of Aspern.

By Turn 28, the Corps was forced to give up Aspern with minor losses after a brief fight. Keeping the Corps on map any further would be very risky as the French established a strong artillery battery (~30 guns) on the high ground and began bombarding the tightly packed corps. Furthermore, I suspected that the powerful French artillery reserve was on the way to establish overwhelming FP advantage.

By turn 30 I pulled back off map, sustaining close to 1,500 losses (11%) and closing operations in this sector. Overall, the Austrian 6th Corps made little impact and was skilfully neutralised by a comparable and optimally selected French force whose arrival was also well timed.

13. The Right Flank is Near Collapse: Turns 30-32

[open !!AAR_Turn32_Austrian_psswrd_2689 file for situation overview]

13.1 Austrian right (Turns 30-32)

By Turn 32, the 3rd AK was broken and surrounded from three sides. As the line broke, thousands of the French cavalry charged and the corps eventually collapsed with close to 6,000 lost as prisoners, and with remaining less than 4,000 survivors running off map. Only two battalions and a few artillery batteries along with the unfortunate corps commander made it to Wagram joining the main army’s new position on the right flank.

By this time, the Grenadiers and my Cavalry corps suffered tremendous losses of 50-70% and had only a few combat ready units remaining. These remnants of the Grenadiers and Cavalry corps launched a few desperate attacks to screen the retreat. The attempt was made to withdraw most of my artillery and to established a new defensive position along the ridge behind the village of D-Wagram. This objective was achieved by Turn 32, although with heavy losses to my right flank. An Austrian grand battery of around 50 guns was set up along the crest line behind D-Wagram and braced for what was believed to be the final French assault. Some reserves from the 1st AK were repositioned into this sector.

13.2 Austrian centre (Turns 30-32)

The centre was under a heavy pressure north of Baumersdolf and Macdonald’s fresh corps along with French Guard were spotted and were now expected to enter the battle.

At least the front had been shortened now following the retreat to behind D-Wagram and Command and Control across the Austrian army had largely been restored, but fatigue took its toll with a constantly growing number of routed units. Furthermore, in some sector the Austrian infantry had begun to run out of ammunition as many wagons were used up by this point in full.

By turn 32, the French reserves from the Imperial Guard , the Guard Cavalry and what believed to be Macdonald’s XI Corps were spotted advancing on the Austrian centre. In preparation for the assault, I scrambled more cavalry reserves into my centre (~1,000) weakening my both flanks further.

13.3 Austrian left (Turns 30-32)

The left flank was in order holding its line behind the ridge and still having reasonable ammo supply, although wagons were stretched along the line and sectors had to be prioritised to critical positions. All cavalry stationed here, apart from 5 squadrons (1 stack of ~500), were now recalled to the centre.

The enemy cavalry flanking attempted earlier has been checked on the Austrian far left by some 5,000 Austrian infantry and 3 batteries. However, this weakened the main Austrian position on the French left and I was now expecting Davout to renew his offensive here.

14. The Struggle for the Heights: Turns 32-39

[open !!AAR_Turn39_French_psswrd_Dino file for situation overview]

14.1 Austrian right (Turns 32-39)

The remnants of the Grenadier Corps and the heavily depleted division of the I AK (approximately 40% of its original strength remaining) established a new defensive line behind Wagram and formed a grand battery of ~80 guns. The survivors of the Cavalry Corps, together with elements of the Advance Guard cavalry, deployed to the rear - ready to charge any enemy units attempting to reach the Russbach heights. The fresh XI French Corps began its assaults, supported by IV Corps.

I made another attempt to feed false information to the enemy, exaggerating my numbers to undermine their morale by sending a messenger designed to be intercepted:

Over the next hour, the French attacks followed the familiar pattern: repeated bayonet assaults against the ridge line, only to be met with canister fire from the Austrian batteries positioned behind it and then driven back by Austrian reserves.

Nevertheless, by Turn 40 the Saxon Corps had outflanked the Austrian position, while IV French Corps stormed several batteries behind Wagram in a frontal assault, pushing back a weakened Austrian grenadier screen. With no reserves left, on Turn 40, the Austrian right flank collapsed in multiple sectors :

14.2 Austrian centre (Turns 32-39)

Multiple French attacks of varying intensity were launched against the Austrians over these two hours, with all but the last failing to secure a foothold on the heights. The following assault, however, finally found a weak spot in the Austrian line as most of the reserves available were sent to support the right flank. This one was spearheaded by the Old Guard Cavalry, who regrouped after crossing the Russbach stream and then charged the Austrian position in the vicinity of Baumersdorf village, with infantry columns following closely behind.

The image below shows the French combined arms assault on the weakened spot of the Austrian centre with the OG cavalry leading the way:

Austrian reserves were urgently recalled to this sector, arriving at the last moment to seal the breach and engage the Guard cavalry but unable to push them back. With the French Guard cavalry establishing a foothold on the heights, French artillery began to climb the slopes in an attempt to deploy for a devastating firing position. The Austrian reserves were thrown into desperate counterattacks to prevent the French guns from deploying and managed to disrupt the French formations. However, the Guard cavalry charge had already driven a wedge into the Austrian line and for the first time the French foothold was firmly established on the plateau.

14.3 Austrian left (Turns 32-39)

Only minor skirmishing continued in this sector and no follow-up attack by Davout despite that nearly 5,000 Austrian infantry had to be redeployed to the far left flank to guard against Davout’s cavalry outflanking manoeuvre.

14.4 Losses as of Turn 39

15. The Last Manoeuvre: Turns 40-48

15.1 The last operational decision for the Austrians.

By Turn 40, the Austrian right flank had effectively collapsed. French forces had secured the plateau and were beginning to roll up what remained of the Austrian force in this sector. The surviving fragments—perhaps 3,000 in size —were about to be isolated in the next few turns.

At this stage, the only meaningful objective left was no longer to defend the ridge attempting to avoid a Major Defeat and aiming to secure a Minor Defeat instead. With 9 turns left, the French had to gain 2,000 VPs to achieve a major victory.

The decision was therefore taken to conduct a gradual fighting withdrawal towards the left flank. The remnants of the right flank (mostly 1st AK), together with the centre (approximately 30,000–35,000 men), were ordered to disengage gradually and pivot toward the Austrian left. The aim was to concentrate what remained of the army around the last viable Victory Point cluster (200-300 VPs) and establish a shortened defensive front anchored on the still cohesive left flank.

I had a bad a feeling about this maneuver as by this time the Austrians were outnumbered roughly 2:1 (68k vs estimated ~135k), with one flank enveloped, fighting across an open frontage stretching around 8-9 kilometres. The French cavalry were now operating freely on the plateau on my right and applying pressure both frontally and from the exposed right.

The withdrawal required constantly deploying undisordered infantry rearguard in squares across the entire front to form a continuous ZOC line to delay the French advance, while the main body along with artillery attempted to shift westward.

15.2 Turns 40-45.

Devastating French assaults commenced along almost the entire front. The Austrian army no longer had reserves to counterattack - the last few weak cavalry charges on turns 41-42 achieved little and largely failed.

With thousands of French cavalry dominating the field, the Austrian retreat had to be covered by infantry formed in squares. French infantry assaulted these with the bayonet, while French cavalry poured through any gaps that opened. Turn after turn, much of the Austrian line of square line was destroyed, with units cut off, routed, or wiped out entirely. Most of the remnants of I AK were routed and isolated by Turn 45 cut off from the main army. Disorder spread rapidly as formations became congested while attempting to withdraw westward.

The French cavalry was now rapidly enveloping the Austrian army from the north and applying the relentless pressure in the centre in an attempt to encircle what remained of the I AK, the Advance Guard and to trap some of the artillery.

2nd Austrian Corps, still relatively intact, was forced to dispatch reinforcements to support the Advance Guard division in the center, further weakening the left flank. Immediately after I dispatched a brigade to support my collapsing centre, Davout commenced a combined-arms assault against my left.

In response, I split my last cavalry reserve (around ten squadrons) into two groups: one was sent to reinforce the struggling left flank, while the other rode north to delay the French cavalry enveloping me from the right. Simultaneously, I deployed a number of my batteries now relocated from the centre-right to provide some fire power support to my collapsing lines.

15.3 A Sudden Reversal

[open !!AAR_Turn39_French_psswrd_Dino file for Austrian action overview]

Then, on Turn 45, unexpectedly, a major accident happened in the French rear! Marshal Masséna, riding without escort amidst the smoke of battle, rode into the path of a retreating company of Austrian stragglers moving behind the enemy lines. In the confusion, he apparently mistook their white uniforms for Saxons. His horse was immediately shot, and the marshal, pinned beneath it and unable to escape, was captured by the grenadiers – a sharp reminder to WDS players always to use escorts, especially for senior leaders.

Simultaneously, on the Austrian left, Davout’s assault faltered under heavy musket volleys of the 4th AK and the fire of around 25 guns firing canister on the advancing French infantry. Several French battalions were routed, while the rest fell back in disorder. My 5 cavalry squadrons dispatched here earlier had no opportunity to charge and were immediately recalled to the centre, as I judged that the French would not be able to reorganise for another large-scale assault in this sector.

The French loss was worth 160 Victory Points from Massena’s capture — combined with the successful defence of the Austrian left flank, which ensured the retention of three on-map objectives (300 VPs) and the continued maintenance of a defensive ZOC line by the retreating centre, now supported by nearly 80 batteries, proved decisive. The battle concluded on Turn 47 as a Minor Austrian Defeat, with the French falling roughly 500 Victory Points short of a Major Victory.

[open !!AAR_Turn48_Austrian_psswrd_2689 file for end of game overview]

16. Butcher’s Bill

16.1 Victory report

Losses by each Austrian Corps in order of their deployment from the Austrian right flank to the left flank with the 6th engaged at Essling at the bottom: \

• The Austrian right flank suffered the most being forced to fight on the open ground against a superior French force. 3rd AK, 1 RK and the Cavalry Corps held for about 4.5 hours before collapsing on Turn 32 with remains of the 3rd AK evacuating off map.
• The fighting along the ridge proved costly for both sides with the Austrian right and centre eventually broken and with the 1st AK losing half of its headcount during the fighting withdrawal over the last phase of the battle. The 2nd AK proved to be decisive at the end of the battle shuffling reserves to support the collapsing Advance Guard division.
• The Austrian left flank (4th AK) remained relatively in a good order managing to hold its ground over the course of the battle beating back multiple French attacks
• The 6th AK was evacuated off map after a brief action at Aspern.

French Corps losses in order of their deployment from the French left flank to the right flank:

• The IV corps and the Army of Italy are the two heavily damaged formations bearing the brunt of losses for the heavy fighting at Wagram.
• The II and III Corps also sustained heavy losses through multiple assaults on the heights.

16.2 Losses dynamics

The chart shows the Victory Point losses sustained by both sides as the battle progressed:

Total Austrian losses: 66,000 and 135 guns

Total French losses: 47,500 and 98 guns

17. After Action Assessment

17.1 Concentration of forces at the decisive sector

The French player made two decisive operational decisions which the Austrian HQ completely missed in its planning phase, being blinded by its previous experience: deploying the Saxon Corps and the IV Corps against the Austrian right flank right at the start of the battle. This forced the battle on the open ground, overstretching the Austrian front, disrupting reinforcement arrivals and premature commitment of Austrian army-level reserves.

This also had great tactical implications as Austrian divisional commanders failed to maintain C&C over the extended front of their large 10,000-12,000 divisions. Even ammo supply was overstretched for the Austrians and some Austrian units also found themselves short on ammo especially in the middle phase of the battle fighting along the over extended front.

The Austrian HQ was also too slow to react to the threat on the right flank – underestimating the presence of Saxon corps + IV French corps. After, realising the severity of the situation, it was operationally difficult to reshuffle the Austrian army as a number of Austrian divisions were already pinned by the French frontal attacks and some of the cohesion was lost in the process of shifting reserves.

Most importantly, as a result of the initial French manoeuvre, the battle shifted into open terrain where the French could deploy their numerous cavalry decisively. The Austrian cavalry—while mainly concentrated on the right flank—delivered several impactful charges over roughly four hours of fighting in this sector but it was eventually drawn into a battle of attrition that favoured the numerically superior French.

At the end of the battle, when the French secured a foothold on the plateau, the Austrian cavalry had largely exhausted its combat effectiveness and was no longer available in significant strength in the sectors where it had originally been intended to operate—namely, as a counter-attacking force on the plateau to repel any French infantry breaking into the open ground beyond the ridge. After the gradual commitment of most Austrian cavalry to the collapsing right flank, the Austrian centre was left thinly spread across the line and with compromised command chain.

Through the battle, the French commander skilfully created local superiority in the decisive sector at D-Wagram while fixing the Austrian forces along the ridge through a combination of flanking manoeuvres and pinning attacks along the entire front.

At the decisive sector on the Austrian right, the French achieved a dominant local force ratio of approximately 1.55:1 (~70,000 French against ~45,000 Austrians), supported by well-executed combined-arms tactics.

This main French effort was reinforced by sustained pressure along the entire Austrian line. Although initially costly, the continuous frontal assaults proved decisive over time. The Austrians were forced to shuffle reserves repeatedly, further degrading command and control, while suffering from a chronic shortage of light troops and the limitations imposed by large battalions deployed in extended line formations under three-hex constraints.

17.2 Extending the front

The French player also executed skilful manoeuvres on both flanks of the Austrian army, committing up to a full cavalry division on each flank and effectively extending the Austrian front to over 150 hexes. This effort deserves recognition, with only a minor observation: the cavalry was not supported by horse artillery, which resulted in a few missed opportunities for the French — particularly on the Austrian left flank, where the Austrian 4th AK successfully blocked the French cavalry using infantry squares. Lacking artillery support, the French cavalry was unable to advance and create another crisis sector for the Austrian HQ.

Nevertheless, Archduke Charles could not effectively cover the entire extended line with his command radius and was forced to prioritise sectors. I chose to support the Austrian centre and right, but with limited effect, as the command chain at divisional and brigade level had already begun to degrade - largely due to earlier reserve shuffling and the excessive width of assigned sectors. Assigning divisional sectors at the beginning of the battle and then pulling divisions back in full, while rotating them with other divisions, proved to be an extremely difficult task. Although the command chain was later restored, the loss of cohesion during the critical early phase proved costly.

17.3 The missed opportunity for the French

Meanwhile, Davout’s repeated assaults on the far Austrian left were carried out against a roughly equal Austrian force deployed on a strong defensive position and hence - resulted in a costly tactical stalemate. In my view, this sector represented a missed opportunity for the French to secure a Major Victory.

The French player arguably underutilised his most powerful asset: the Imperial Guard. The Guard infantry had only limited impact on the battle’s outcome. The Young Guard participated only in a few bayonet assaults in the final phase, while the Old Guard largely remained at range, contributing only through a few musket volleys.

A more decisive option would have been to deploy the Guard in support of Davout’s assaults on the Austrian left instead of keeping them in reserve deployed against the Austrian centre. Two divisions of these unroutable elite troops would have broken through the Austrian flank, capturing the remaining objectives and preventing the redeployment of a few Austrian regiments to the centre leading to its collapse as well.

A clear illustration of the Guard’s potential came during the near-breakthrough of the Austrian centre around Turns 38–40. That assault was spearheaded by a regiment of Old Guard Chasseurs (~900 sabres), who refused to rout despite the best efforts of the Austrian reserves rushed into this sector. The Old Guard cavalry established a bridgehead on the plateau—the first time in the battle when the French secured ground on the plateau firmly - demonstrating how decisive a larger Guard commitment might have been.

For the Austrians, it was fortunate that most of the Guard infantry never fully entered the fight. The situation draws an interesting historical parallel with the battle of Borodino , where Napoleon famously refused to commit the Guard—a decision perhaps costing him a decisive victory. In this battle, a similar decision likely cost the French player a Major victory.

17.4 Tactical Assessment

French skirmishers were a constant nuisance to the Austrians, steadily engaging and wearing down the line infantry. They occasionally routed or disordered battalions, forced costly Austrian counter attacks and cavalry charges and inflicted losses that spread fatigue across full-strength formations of 400–500+ men.

The OOB specifics of the Austrian army also had a notable impact. Austrian infantry battalions were deployed and fought throughout the day in extended line formation, which helped in creating more tactical units and spare fatigue but the downside that it created significant tactical problems. Once battalions are split, their half-battalions cannot move more than three hexes apart. As a result, on many occasions I struggled to maintain cohesive front or form counterattacking battle groups as some half-battalions were routed making the others half-battalions restricted in their manoeuvring.

One of the notable tactical development was the French use of artillery concentration. The French player skilfully massed his guns on a narrow, decisive frontage, largely ignoring other sections of the line in exchange for overwhelming firepower at the point of decision. The Austrians, by contrast, faced a classic information asymmetry. Not knowing where the main French blow would fall, Austrian artillery had to be spread thinly across the entire front, supported only by limited local reserves. This dispersion proved insufficient once the French guns were concentrated, as Austrian batteries could not concentrate on time to generate comparable fire power in the decisive sector.

Below is an example of Davout’s artillery massing against the Austrian left flank on Turn 24, creating a local fire superiority over the Austrian artillery and forcing the Austrians to abandon the position in the following turn:

18. Final Dispatch

The flow of this battle has led me to reconsider how the Austrians can approach this scenario. Provided the Austrian player does not do serious mistakes along the way, the Austrian side can avoid an Austrian Major Defeat scoring Austrian Minor Defeat confidently. NWC Coalition Arms officers are welcome to review a follow-up post on this subject in the Coalition Arms section of the NWC forum (you need to be NWC Coalition army member to access the post).

While Austrian players have little prospect of altering the historical outcome of the battle, they can still test themselves against a meaningful objective: whether the Austrian army can maintain a continuous front across the line by shuffling reserves, absorbing pressure by falling back to multiple defensive line and turning the battle into a prolonged frontal struggle—one in which French numerical superiority would eventually prevail, much as it did historically, but only after sustained effort and material losses.

Most importantly, the Austrian spirit has to be maintained through the battle. Seeing your defences crumble and gaps appearing in the line - requires nerves and a clear head to call up the right mixed of reserves, to the right sectors and in the right time, while also taking chances weakening other parts of the battle line. My mistake in this sense was that I approached this scenario as a pre determined outcome of the Austrian major defeat right from the beginning. Once I realised my mistake on my right flank, I acted recklessly having not much to lose and carried away with my counterattacking – it made a fun game for both sides but led to much quicker attrition of the Austrian army leaving limited combat ready forces on my right flank to defend the ridge at the later phase of the battle (turns 30-40).

Nevertheless, the battle developed in a manner consistent with the historical flow: the decisive struggle around Deutsch-Wagram, the french pressure in the centre, and Davout’s attempt to break the Austrian left—all testament to how effectively the WDS engine portrays grand-tactical Napoleonic warfare.

The battle ended with materially higher historical casualties (accounting for historical losses of the second day only), reinforcing the view that 15-minute WDS turns are more historically justified than 10-minute turns. The 15-min turns certainly capture more realistic grand tactical tempo —though still accelerated vs historical realities [one more reason to absolutely stop using ZOC kills and use No Melee Elimination optional rule as a default choice aligning the tempo closer to the historical realities].

Despite the outcome, I enjoyed the scenario by focusing on the process vs outcome, finding satisfaction each time I managed to scrape together reserves and blunt French attacks. Overall, the Austrians may still find moments of glory in this battle but for the Austrian player, this scenario is a real test of nerve: holding together a constantly collapsing line, plugging gaps, taking risks in shifting reserves, not panicking and keeping cohesion.

The scenario is strongly recommended as a manoeuvre exercise: players with little experience can sharpen their offensive skills playing the French and certainly have a room to make mistakes, while experienced players can take the Austrian side finding a demanding challenge to hold their ground.

That concludes today's post about the Battle of Wagram. If you would like to discuss it with others head on over to the Napoleonic Battles section of our forum.