Battle of the Santon  2^nd December 1805

Introduction

The French and Allied armies are facing eachother near the town of Austerlitz. The Allied high command has produced a battle plan calling for a massive blow against the weak French southern flank.

Bagration, on the north flank, has been ordered to remain of the defensive, guarding the army’s baggage and lines of communication along the road to Olmutz, but the orders go on say “as soon as Prince Bagration observes the advance of our left wing, he must attack on his own account and throw back the extreme left of the enemy, which by then will be giving way. He must also strive to unite with the remaining columns of our army”. For an aggressive commander like Bagration, this in effect gives freedom to do what liked best, that is, to attack the enemy! Therefore, Bagration will start with his troops deployed between he height to the north of the Post House, and the hamlet of Krug. He will have Attack orders for the Santon, the centre of the French position.

Leichtenstein’s Cavalry column has orders to face off the French cavalry on the plain around Blasowitz (obvious, and ideal, Cavalry country), and cover the flank of the main Allied assault further to the south. The column is late arriving on the battlefield, and so Leichtenstein and Essen arrive on the first turn in march column on the southern edge of the battlefield, on a line drawn through the hamlet of Krug. His orders are to Attack the French. Simple!

Hohenloe will arrive on move 2, in the same place, but with Hold orders.

The Russian Guard Jagers are in possession of Blasowitz. They cannot be moved from their position.

Bagration may form a “task force” of infantry and cavalry, under a Detached brigadier, in order to effect a flank march via Siwitz. Should he wish to do so, he should consult the Umpire.

The Battlefield

The battle was fought at the extreme north of the Austerlitz battlefield, neatly bounded by the village of Blasowitz, and the stream which runs alongside it.

The terrain was mostly rolling countryside, bounded to the north by wooded high ground. There were several villages, though none afforded any great defensive positions. One feature of note was the Santon, a small, high, flat topped, steep sided hill.

 

2. The Allied Army

ADVANCE GUARD OF THE ARMY—Major-General Prince Bagration (Bold/Solid)

1st Brigade: Major-General Dolgoruky                                                        

5th Jaeger Regiment                                                           3 btns      C class SK1

6th Jaeger Regiment                                                                1 btn         C class SK1

2nd Brigade: Major-General Kamensky II

Arkhangelgorod Musketeer Regiment*                                  3 btns       C class SK0

3rd Brigade: Major-General Engelhardt

Old Ingermanland Musketeer Regiment*                               3 btns       C class SK0

Pskov Musketeer Regiment*                                             3 btns       C class SK0

4th Brigade: Major-General Wittgenstein

Pavlograd Hussar Regiment #2                                             2 units      C class Light cavalry

Mariupol Hussar Regiment #3                                               2 units      C class Light cavalry

5th Brigade: Major-General Voropaitzki

Leib-Cuirassier "Tsar's" (Kaiser)                                           2 units      B class Heavy cavalry

      Tver Dragoon Regiment #4                                                  2 units      C class Line Cavalry

    Saint Petersburg Dragoon Regiment #13                                                     C class Line Cavalry

Attached: Major-General Chaplits

Khaznenkov Cossack Regiment                                                               D class Cossack

Kiselev/ Malakhov Cossack Regiment                                                   D class Cossack

 

Artillery

Russian Horse Battery                                     12 medium guns               C class Horse Artillery

Austrian Horse Battery**                               6 medium guns                  C class

Austrian Horse Battery**                               6 medium guns                   C class

 

Infantry regiments marked * have 2 artillery pieces attached per Battalion

<> ** These batteries are not present at the start of the battle

 

V. COLUMN Feldmarschall-Leutnant(FML) Prince Johann von Liechtenstein (Bold/Solid)

Austrian Cavalry—Feldmarschall-Leutnant(FML) Prince Hohenlohe (Poor)

1st Brigade: GM Caramelli

Cuirassier-Regiment Nassau-Usingen #5                                                          C class Heavy Cavalry

Cuirassier-Regiment Lothringen #7                                                                    C class Heavy Cavalry

2nd Brigade: GM Weber

Cuirassier-Regiment Kaiser #1*                                                                        B class Heavy Cavalry

Austrian Horse Artillery battery                    6 medium guns                                C class

* Not present. Left behind by Leichtenstein to guard the flank of the column and link to the Russian Imperial Guard

 

Russian Cavalry—Lieutenant-Generals von Essen II and Skepelov (Solid)

 

1st Brigade: Major-General Penitzki

Grand Duke Constantine Uhlan Regiment #3                                   2 units   C class Lancers

2nd Brigade: General-Adjutant Uvarov

Elisabetgrad Hussar Regiment #5                                                      2 units     C class Light Cavalry

Kharkov Dragoon Regiment #2                                                                        C class Line Cavalry

Chernigov Dragoon Regiment #3                                                                      C class Line Cavalry

Attached:

Denisov/Isayev Cossack Regiments                                                                   D class Cossacks

Gordeev Cossack Regiment                                                                           D class Cossacks

Russian Artillery:

Russian horse artillery company                              12 medium guns               C class Horse artillery

One-half Russian horse artillery company                6 medium guns                C class Horse artillery

 

Attached

Russian Imperial Guard Jagers                               1 btn                      B class SK2