Archduke Piccolo: Eckmuhl

Showing posts with label Eckmuhl. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Eckmuhl Campaign (5)

Day 8:

Napoleon and Vandamme arrive at Freising just as
Messena storms the town.

The day's delay imposed by Austrian light cavalry upon Vandamme's corps, and upon Napoleon himself bought little respite. The next day found a concentration of three French army corps around Freising. Leading the attack Massena's IV Corps stormed the town, crushed Prince Liechtenstein's garrison, and sent it reeling across the Isar. By the time Napoleon arrived, the town was already in French hands, and Massena was preparing to cross the bridge in pursuit.

Heavy losses to IV Corps and I Reserve, both, but the latter
forced to abandon the town

This defeat rather threw into disarray the Austrians around the Isar River. II Reserve Corps had just set out to march northward to help around the Teugen area. Night fell just as the head of Kienmayer's small column was clearing the Landshut bridge.

V Corps and II Reserve Corps will
have to hurry back...

In the area between Regensburg and Eckmuhl, the situation suddenly took on a more dire aspect for the Austrians. Following up their victories the day before, Gudin's half of III Corps was in full march for Regensburg, and Lefebvre's VII Corps caught up with Hohenzollern's IIIrd on the road south. The guns heard from the direction of Eckmuhl late the previous day had not after all indicated a full battle, but that Lannes had also run Rosenberg to earth near Eckmuhl.

Battles imminent along the Regensburg-Eckmuhl road

Confident of victory after the successful actions of the previous days, Lannes threw his troops into the attack. The campaign had so far tended rather to deplete the corps of both sides. Lannes's numerical superiority was only marginal, and he received an unexpectedly sharp rebuff. He fell back discomfited to Langquaid.

Lannes attempt to cut the road at Eckmuhl...

Rosenberg might have continued his retreat to Landshut, but being made aware of Lannes corps flanking the road, and the parlous situation developing east of Teugen and south of Regensburg, elected to remain where he was to ensure that the road was kept open.

... but is sharply rebuffed.

This was, however, to overlook that St-Hilaire's command, though also badly depleted, was still a force in being, and also in a position to block the road somewhere north of Eckmuhl. It was still possible for I Corps to escape through Regensburg, and for III Corps to brush by St-Hilaire. Much depended upon how events developed the following day. Who would get in the first blows?

Austrian I and III Corps in trouble

Day 9:
The French did. Before Bellegarde and Hohenzollern could get their troops on the road, Gudin and Lefebvre were upon them with horse, foot and guns. Passing by Regensburg, Gudin attacked from the north. Marshal Lefebvre opened the ball from the Teugen road. St-Hilaire completed the investment, coming up from Geisling just in time to close the road south.

The Battle of the Danube!

The surprise complete, Lefebvre's Bavarians and Gudin's veterans crushed the Austrians jammed against the Danube riverbank. Only remnants remained to surrender to the French commanders. St Hilaire had only a walk-on part, but his appearance sealed a huge victory for the Grande Armee.

Totally defeated, Bellegarde and Hohenzollern
offer their swords

Further south, Marshal Lannes, his Corps replenished overnight by the return of stragglers and lightly wounded, once again attacked Rosenberg. Victory here would bring a fine conclusion to a successful campaign. It was not to be. Even facing two to one odds, Rosenberg emphatically repulsed a second attack. He could now resume unmolested his march south.

Marshal Lannes's second attempt to sever the road

Whether he might get by the river crossing at Landshut might well have been problematic. After taking Freising for the second time, Marshal Messena was in full march in pursuit of Liechtenstein's I Reserve Corps, whilst Napoleon directed Vandamme along the north bank of the Isar, reaching Moosburg at nightfall.

Napoleon and three of his army corps, on both sides
of the Isar, in full march to Landshut

It was plain that whatever moves Archduke Charles was contemplating, the day's disasters had rendered them nugatory. Hastily recalling V Corps from Pfaffenhofen and taking II Reserve Corps back across the bridge into Landshut, the Archduke brought off the remains of his army. Soon he would be in full retreat to Vienna.

Austrians will be lucky to escape at Landshut...

The operations around Regenburg and Landshut were a fine beginning to Napoleon's 1809 campaign. Two whole Austrian army corps, I and III, had been forced to surrender. True, at least two French Corps, III and Marshal Lannes's Provisional, were left but shadows of themselves, but at least two of the Archduke's surviving corps were in no better state.

Altogether, the Emperor Napoleon found the dictating of event to Le Bulletin a rather more than usually enjoyable task - hardly a chore at all, really.

Concluding comments:To readers barracking for an Austrian victory - sorry to disappoint. After some fine successes in the middle of the campaign, the sudden turn into disaster was quite unexpected, although I think I was feeling some misgivings as the sun set upon Day 7. One sensed then that Napoleon's forces becoming in the ascendant, but Austria seemed yet to be in a position to hand out a few hard knocks. Indeed they were: Rosenberg redeemed his defeat at Langquaid by twice repelling Lannes's attacks near Eckmuhl.

Issues:
A number of issues emerged with this project, enough to resolve me to revisiting the thing some time.

(1) The first is the map. The hex-map I created and posted here (Eckmuhl Hex Map) I simply could not reproduce on the table, and was probably too detailed anyway. I had quickly to extemporise a practical map that seemed more or less recognisable. I have already begun a new hex map, orienting the thing such that the top of the map represents northwest, rather than north. That should broaden the space between the Danube and the Isar rivers, and create a bit more space for operations around Freising.

The operations around Freising in this hastily extemporised incarnation really were hampered by the 'edge of the world' effect and too little room to move.

(2) I think I have the OOB's scale and movement rates about right, now, though one has to remind oneself that enemy forces in adjacent hexes does not imply a battle. One side or the other must attempt to move in to the other - costing 1 hex of movement - to bring on the battle. I forgot this when looking at the pic of Lannes and Rosenberg at the end of Day 7. In deferring the account of the Day 7 afternoon action to the posting for Day 8, I forgot that in fact Lannes had only just caught up with Rosenberg with his whole command. The battle could not begin until the 8th. I think my narrative skirts around and recovers from that slight mistake.

(3) Much to my surprise and gratification, this campaign once again showed the potential effectiveness of small, independent cavalry corps using this system. It's a chancy business, of course, the probability of a two-horse 'cavcorps' being swatted out of the campaign reasonably significant.

(4) Flags, etc. They are really there to help identify who's who - French or Austrian in the pictures. Having no Wurttembergers or Bavarians, their role was taken by the French. The actual command is in the form of a mounted general officer, and the troops are what they are. The fighting power of the guns are represented by the gun crews. If they are lost, the formation keeps its guns whilst half the lost gunners may be returned. If upon overnight renewal the formation still has no gunners, then its artillery is lost for good. That no formation actually did lose its artillery outright until the end of the campaign was probably due to my manner of reconciling - renewing - losses.

(5) My method of renewal of losses was fairly liberal, pretty much prioritising upon who needed what most. The overall losses for the day were totted up, and, for each arm, halved. I rounded odd halves up for infantry, and down for cavalry and gunners. Any formation commanders lost - the French III Corps was unlucky in that regard - counted towards losses, and were automatically replaced 'overnight'. Davout's early exit from the campaign lost the formation under his command his +2 combat modifier, reducing to the standard +1 for commanders when St-Hilaire took over. When the commander was lost, the formation had no commander for the rest of the 'day' (1 IGoUGo turn in this campaign). That does not stop it moving and fighting, but it does mean there is no +1 in combat for the commander in the meantime.

Later on, this method of returning losses kept St-Hilaire in action, even though at the end of the campaign it had been reduced to 1 infantry, 1 light cavalry and 1 gunner!

Overall, the attritional effects weren't really noticeable until well into the campaign, yet decisive results were still obtainable.

(6) Built up areas. I've been making several BUA 'footprints' to use when troops occupy or pass through the same. Much as I admire the '2.5D' towns and villages others have made, I have far too many of the 3D variety now to build a whole new collection. My 'footprints' are the compromise.

Monday, January 1, 2024

Eckmuhl Campaign (4)

Large scale actions at Teugen and Langquaid, morning, Day 7

Day 7:

In readiness for an overwhelming concentric attack upon the Hohenzollern's isolated corps at Teugen, the French were once again anticipated by the Austrians seizing an early morning initiative. Rosenberg (I Corps) sortied from Regensburg to strike in flank Davout's formation - now commanded by General St-Hilaire - before their attack against Teugen could get fairly under way.

Against such odds, the outcome was inevitable. St-Hilaire was driven southeastwards, away from Teugen, and even from the Eckmuhl road, almost as far as Geisling.

I Corps defeats what remains of Davout's command.

At the same time, as part of Archduke Charles's early dawning initiative, Ludwig's V Corps had marched up into the rear of Lannes's army corps at Langquaid. Faced with IV Corps in front and V Corps behind, Lannes's position was beginning to look desperate.

(An aside here: All that remained of Davout's command at this point was the commander, St-Hilaire, the flag - a formation signifier only, and not a fighting element - and the gun - without gunners. About to remove the formation from the table, I bethought myself that something - not a lot - would remain of the corps after the returns at the end of the day. So I kept the remnants on the table. The upshot will be related in due course.)

Teugen and Langquaid fall to the French.
St-Hilaire's exiguous remnant stands cut off
and isolated.

Following up the success of I Corps attack from Regensburg, III Corps was able to break out from Teugen and reach the road junction that offered an escape route to Eckmuhl and south to Landshut.

I and III Corps join forces south of Regensburg

All looking encouraging for the Austrian army, but for the actions about Langquaid. Assailed front and rear, Lannes fought a brilliant defensive action, throwing back both V Corps and IV Corps in turn. The former fell back to Pfaffenhausen, whilst IV Corps retreated to the Eckmuhl-Landshut road.

At this point, though it seemed that the Austrians could scarcely achieve more than they had done in the theatre south of Regensburg, at least the road south to Landshut remained open, just the remnants of Davout's command presenting the possibility of any kind of hindrance.

Freising

Upon the Isar river, the Austrians had not yet given up hopes of recovering Freising, and hence control of the river crossings there. Prince Liechtenstein's Reserve Corps returning for a second attempt to retake the town, Feldmarschallleutnant Kienmayer was on the road from Landshut. to join the action. For their part, the French seemed to be undergoing a reshuffle, Massena pulling back west of the town, whilst Oudinot re-entered the place.

(Another aside: I confess, I'm a little puzzled myself what was happening at Freising - at a complete loss as to the reasons for the reshuffling of the French forces there. Possibly they wanted to make room for Napoleon and General Vandamme's Wurttemberg Corps. If so, that scheme hit a snag...)

Some mysterious shuffling about by French forces
at Freising, whilst VI Corps cavalry block the road from Au.

The situation at Freising looking dangerous for the Austrians, the isolated Cavalry Division from VI Corps suddenly appeared on the road in front of the Wurttembergers just as they were about to exit from Au. In a brilliant little operation, the unsupported light horse held the road closed all day from dawn until dusk, finally being driven off and scattered the following morning.

(Yet another aside: These little cavalry formations can sometime effect more than their scant numbers might suggest. The two figures, added to their arm of service, gave them 3 dice. Even with only half his corps present at Au - the rest of the column, and Napoleon, not yet up and back along the road - Vandamme had double the dice, and a fair chance of clearing the road at once. At the first clash, the horsemen bounced from the infantry squares (presumably). At the attempt to clear the road, Napoleon having brought up the rear half of the column, the Austrians lost half their cavalry, but as the Wurttembergers also lost a figure, the march south remained stalled for the afternoon.)

For the whole day, VI Corps cavalry fight a gallant
rearguard action in front of Au village.

The success of this operation went far to assist Prince Liechtenstein's second attempt to storm Freising. Surging across the river Ammen, I Reserve Corps broke into the town, surged through the streets, and threw Oudinot's Corps back down the river road. The second time Freising had changed hands was not to be the last. Napoleon had gathered too much strength in the locality for the town to be held indefinitely. However, on this day, he had cleared the road south from Au too late to affect the immediate situation.

Battle of Freising: Prince Liechtenstein and I Reserve Corps
live up to their elite status and carry the town.

Realising that to continue his westward march from Landshut would simply be to block the retreat I Reserve Corps, Kienmayer retraced the steps of II Reserve Corps to cross the river bridge at Landshut, leaving VI Corps to garrison the place. The remnants of V Corps had meanwhile arrived at Pfaffenhausen, guarding against a possible French push from the Arnhofen or Langquaid area.

But there was to be no push south towards Pfaffenhausen. Instead, three Army Corps marched eastwards along a broad front in pursuit of III and IV Austrian Corps. Lannes pushed eastwards from Langquaid to catch up with IV Corps just south of Eckmuhl. Lefebvre led VII Corps through Teugen - the fourth time this village changed hands - ending the day not far short of the Regensburg-Eckmuhl road. Marching along the Danube river road, General Gudin's command had almost reached the Regensburg town walls when nightfall drew a halt to operations.

As daylight faded with the going down of the sun, the only sound of battle could be discerned coming from the direction of Eckmuhl. They could hear the guns, the sounds of a late afternoon action. Marshal Lannes had caught up once again with Rosenburg's IV Corps.

In summary, then, the Austrians had achieved a morning victory over St-Hilaire and recaptured Freising in a brilliant forenoon assault. A small cavalry force had fought a gallant and successful rearguard action at Au, and III Corps had escaped the trap at Teugen. Against those Austrian successes could be counted Lannes's brilliant victory that defeated IV and V Corps, and the French pursuit through Teugen. But one action remained to be decided before the Day Seven's end. Would Marshal Lannes cut the Eckmuhl-Landshut road - or could IV Corps hold open the way?

To be continued...

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Eckmuhl Campaign (3)

The previous instalment of this narrative ended with the tremendous clashes east of the Abens river and about Teugen. The Army Corps of Marshals Lannes and Lefebvre, were pushing eastwards from Arnhofen, along the along with half of Marshal Davout's III Corps under General Gudin. Immediately opposing this large force were the Corps of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (III) and Archduke Ludwig (V), keeping safe Rosenberg's IV Corps holding at Teugen. Marshal Davout himself was directing the counterattacks with the half of his corps that remained under his command. Though tenuous, his contact with the rest of Grande Armee was being kept open by his garrison at Regensburg - then under assault from Bellegarde's I Corps.

Day 5:
As the battles raged about Arnhofen and Teugen, Napoleon himself was accompanying General Vandamme's Wurttembergers. Having reached the banks of the Abens River, the question was weather to cross it at Siegenburg, or turn southwards towards Au and Freising to join the action to force the Isar.

Napoleon to self: 'Continue east or head south?'

Battle of Teugen: three army corps the side, though the French
III Corps is the equivalent of two.

Perhaps the battles to the east decided him. Between them, Lannes and Lebebvre drove Ludwig with heavy loss back down the Pfaffenhausen road, but Hohenzollern held. From the east, Davout stormed into Teugen, retook the place, and shovelled Rosenberg's corps south towards Lanquaid. This left Hohenzollern's corps perilously placed - almost surrounded by three times their numbers. How was their escape to be effected?

Teugen changes hands a second time

Far to the south at Freising, Hiller's VI Corps was in full retreat towards Landshut, whilst General Oudinot made good his hold upon Freising and the western end of the river bridge. Marshal Massena's Corps was behind him on the Pfaffenhofen road. Coming down the Moosburg road, Prince Liechtenstein was marching along the north bank of the Isar. His objective: to retake Freising and secure the river crossing there. In view of what was facing him: a tall order, indeed.

VI Corps retreat from Freising

Day 6:
In view of their successes at the end of the day, the French high command became too complacent. For in the morning that followed, the Austrians seized the initiative and bade fair to reverse the results of the day before. Bellegarde finally burst through the Regensburg garrison, and surged across the river. Now Marshal Davout was in real peril, practically surrounded by enemies, and his communication with the rest of his command and the Grand Armee as a whole completely cut off.

Bellegarde's I Corps carries Regensburg, and cuts
off Marshal Davout from the main French Army.

Austrian III Corps's breakout battle at Teugen

The Austrian's early attacks by III and IV Corps proved more than the Iron Marshal could withstand. Although IV Corps was repulsed, and drew off southward, III Corps broke into Teugen village and decisively drove the French eastwards, and away from their friends. Much reduced in numbers, the French retired eastwards, across the front of the none too distant Austrian I Corps. They were also reduced by Marshal Davout, seriously wounded and out of the campaign.

A third time, Teugen changes hands. Marshal Davout seriously
wounded in the battle.

This success, and the retreats of IV and V Corps had brought the Austrians out of a parlous strategic situation, and threw Marshal Davout's demi-Corps, now under the command of General St-Hilaire, into one that might have seemed well-nigh hopeless. But there were powerful French forces not too far away on the other side of the enemies in between. The complication was the addition of Bellegarde's corps to the foes arrayed against them. Now there were four Austrian facing three French army corps.

Austrians have taken Teugen and extricated
themselves from a dangerous situation.

At least, there ought to have been four Austrian corps. But Ludwig's V Corps had taken very heavy casualties, and had retreated a far south as Pfaffenhausen. The Austrians around Teugen would have to do without V Corps for at least a day.

Events were not going in French favour to the south, either. Prince Liechtenstein was preparing to ttack across the river from Moosburg, just as Hiller was pulling back along the Landshut road. There Hiller ran into Feldmarschallleutnant Kienmayer's II Reserve Corps coming the other way.

The traffic jam that ensued - a real 'edge of the world' problem the way I set up the table - meant that both formations fetched up back around Landshut, in order to resolve the tangle. Prince Liechtenstein was on his own.

Recovering their aplomb, and before Bellegarde was in a position to prevent it, III and VII Corps surrounded Hohenzollern's Corps at Teugen, the main attacks coming in from the west side. However, the approach marches taking most of the day to keep the corps closed up, the initial attacks were probes only. The main attacks had to wait upon the morrow.

At the same time, Marshal Lannes moved up his command, seized Langquaid, and readied himself to attack Rosenberg also the following morning.

Big battles imminent around Teugen and Langquaid, matters were reaching a head at Freising.

Before Liechtenstein could launch his attack upon the town, Marshal Massena had brought his corps alongside Oudinot's into Freising, whilst the latter brought his own command north of the town alongside the Ammen river bank. The Emperor Napoleon was with Vandamme's command at Au, barely a day's march distant, although the orphaned cavalry of VI Corps determined to have some say in whether, or how quickly, Napoleon could bring the Wurttembergers forward.

The battles between Massena and Oudinot against Prince Liechtenstein were soon decided. Defeated by double their numbers, the Austrian grenadiers and cuirassiers fell back upon Moosburg. But both French corps knew from their losses they had been in a deadly fight.

So matters stand at the end of Day 6 (24 April), the issue still very much in doubt around Teugen and Langquaid, further large scale battles imminent. Nor is the French hold upon Freising yet fully secure, leaving aside the matter of advancing further upon the vital town of Landshut. Oh, yes, and there's that little isolated Division of cavalry from VI Corps, hanging about Au: they too will have their own contribution to make to the history of this campaign.

To be continued...

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Eckmuhl Campaign (2)

The action in the campaign was so convoluted and complicated, that I'm not sure my memory is altogether able, despite so many pictures, to recall the events with 100% accuracy. Which just goes to show that the narrative of the Duke of Wellington's proverbial ball is a complex undertaking. Having said that, no doubt the histories of Baron Jomini and Major-general Marbot will follow much the same storyline as here inscribed. Note that in the following, Austrian commanders and formations are given in italics.

Day One - 19 April 1809
Napoleon's arrival at Ingolstadt late 18th April came not a moment too soon. Early the following morning, the Austrians seized the initiative, the III Corps, followed by Archduke Charles accompanying the V Corps, moved upon Feking, at that moment occupied by part of General Morand's wing of the French III Corps.

At the same time, I Corps arrived upon the north bank of the Danube opposite Regensburg. There, Marshal Davout had had the foresight to place about a brigade of infantry (2 figures) into the fortified city. If Bellegarde wanted to cross into the place, he would have to fight for it.

As the three Austrian army corps pushed northward, French columns to the west were marching upon the line of the Abens River. By quick marching, Marshal Lefebvre's VIIth had almost reached the river brdge, but were unable to effect the crossing before Hohenzollern-Hechingen had passed and were assailing Morand's command at Feking.

To the south, meanwhile, Oudinot's II and Massena's IV Corps were in full march towards the vital point, Freising, the nearest crossing of the Isar river. This was a race, for Freising had been left with no garrison. Originally earmarked for the march north from Pfaffenhausen, Hiller's VI Corps had turned about at Moosburg, and were making all haste to reach the place first.

Hiller barely made it (a fortuitous initiative dice 'win' for Austria - the initiative was to continue switching from one side to the other during the course of the whole campaign). On the march, the light cavalry had to be left on the north bank of the Isar tributary, the Ammer stream. This circumstance was to leave them out of the subsequent action, and to have further consequence later on. Hurrying up, Oudinot declined to launch a quick attack 'off the march', preparing a full scale attack for the following day. Wresting the initiative following day, Oudinot's attack found Hiller without his light horse.

Having detached a small garrison at Regenburg, Marshal Davout might have marched to join the other wing of his army corps at Feking. Reckoning, however, that Morand could probably hold open the lines of communication westwards, he instead directed his troops immediately to hand to the village of Teugen, reaching the place at the end of the 20th April.

He was just in time. Rosenburg's IV Corps, up from Lanquaid and already close by, was preparing an attack. It was going to be a busy day for the whole of III Corps, attacked by two enemy corps (III and IV) with a third (V) in support.

This was not to mention Bellegarde's command, just then commencing its first trans-riverine assault upon Regensburg. The first probes received a quick rebuff, but it could be only a matter of time before the garrison would be overcome.

For its attack upon Feking, Hohenzollern had split his corps in two, one attacking up the road, the horse taking a flanking route (I'll be honest; I have no recollection why I did this. Maybe it was to tie up the trailing half of Morand's command).

The following pics tell the tale of Hohenzollern's first attack. Totting up the figures and arms engaged, both sides rolled ten dice. Matching pairs eliminated - the crossed dice in the photo - the remainder indicated the losses.

Blue first: the French eliminated 2 Austrian foot, and both gunners. The third '1' is redundant.

Orange next: three French infantry eliminated, and two horse. The three '6's also indicate that General Morand is at hazard....

... and here were the rolls for his fate. The '6' renders him hors de combat - dead, seriously wounded or taken prisoner.

Overall, this was a defeat for Morand, but if the following picture doesn't lie, it seems that a quick counterattack during the French half of the turn recovered the village.

Bellegarde continued to batter away at Regensburg, but by evening of the 20th, half the garrison was still grimly hanging on.

Day three, 21st April, was a successful one for the Austrians. Rosenburg's powerful attack drove Marshal Davout out of Teugen - the first of many changes of hands throughout this campaign - and a renewed Austrian attack again took Feking. Following III Corps, the archdukes, Charles and Ludwig, brought V Corps up to Arnhofen before Lefebvre could bring his men across the Abens. Davout's whole III Corps was now cut off from the rest of La Grande Armée.

For the whole three days, Davout's Corps, split into three parts counting the Regensburg garrison, had been in battle with three Austrian corps (I, III, and IV, with a fourth (V) in the offing. But six French and Allied corps were making the best speed they could to redress the balance. General Oudinot was about to attack VI Corps at Freising, and Massena was not far distant on the other side of the Ammen River with IV Corps. Lefebvre was also ready to force the River Abens in the face of V Corps, and Marshal Lannes was not far behindhand, approaching Siegenburg.

All the same, as evening drew in on 21 April, the strategic situation was looking rather more rosy for Archduke Charles, than it was for Napoleon.

Day 4: 22 April
This day, it was the French who opened the ball. Before Hiller could call in his light cavalry, still on the road from Moosburg on the far side of the Ammen, Oudinot threw his entire II Corps into the attack at Freising. It was at once successful, the French broke into the town, and Hiller beat a hasty retreat across the Isar, towards Landshut. Realising too late the threat to that vital point, Prince Liechtenstein directed his I Reserve Corps - made up of elite grenadiers and cuirassiers - thereto. They were still over a day's march distant when Freising fell to Oudinot's corps.

Matters were drawing to a head, too, throughout the day around Teugen. Recapturing Feking for the second time, General Gudin, having replaced the unlucky Morand, followed up III Corps as it withdrew. Lefebvre forced V Corps were forced back to the southeast out of Arnhofen. The three Austrian army corps formed a compact triangle in and west of Teugen.

They were facing a lot of pressure from the French. Marshal Lefebvre had at last forced the crossing at Arnhofen, and Marshal Lannes, with his Provisional corps, also crossed the river at Siegenburg. Altogether, Lannes, VII Corps and elements of III Corps were facing III and V Corps. To the east of Teugen, Marshal Davout was preparing his own counterattack against IV Corps...

To be continued...