A week of careful maneuver led to this--our very own Battle of Eggmuhl! You read that correctly. At nearly the same moment in the historical campaign as the original Battle of Eggmuhl, we've managed to wind up fighting at the same place, on almost the same day. Historically, Napoleon secured a victory over the Austrians, but the circumstances surrounding our version of this battle were quite different. Read on for a full report of the final maneuvers leading to the battle, as well as a photo-filled report of what would become an epic engagement, involving well over 150,000 troops!
APRIL 20th, Turn 6
WEATHER REPORT: Overcast, mud
JOURNAL: The day dawned with three Austrian corps marching down the road toward Landshut, aiming to unite with the rest of their army. But in the forests just west of Eggmuhl, a corps of Bavarians lay in wait. Heavily outnumbered, the Bavarians initiated the battle, confident in their orders from Napoleon that three-quarters of the entire Grande Armee was already en route to join the fray. Napoleon had indeed spent the last two days consolidating his army east of Abensburg, hoping for an opportunity to strike at the Austrians before they could unite. Could Charles hold Eggmuhl until nightfall, buying himself time to fall back under the cover of darkness? Or would the French overwhelm the Austrians and achieve their decisive victory?
JOURNAL: The day dawned with three Austrian corps marching down the road toward Landshut, aiming to unite with the rest of their army. But in the forests just west of Eggmuhl, a corps of Bavarians lay in wait. Heavily outnumbered, the Bavarians initiated the battle, confident in their orders from Napoleon that three-quarters of the entire Grande Armee was already en route to join the fray. Napoleon had indeed spent the last two days consolidating his army east of Abensburg, hoping for an opportunity to strike at the Austrians before they could unite. Could Charles hold Eggmuhl until nightfall, buying himself time to fall back under the cover of darkness? Or would the French overwhelm the Austrians and achieve their decisive victory?
The Battle of Eggmuhl
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Final Positions on April 20th...
The Battle of Eggmuhl ended with a convincing French victory, but Charles and Bellegarde used the cover of darkness to mask an orderly retreat from the field. One Austrian corps remained isolated above Hagelstadt and was required to retreat north, away from the main Austrian host. Both sides reorganized their columns for the next morning. Any French celebrations would be short-lived because most of the Austrian army was clearly massing south of Eggmuhl.
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