2nd Game of GdB

Encounter Battle in Spain, Spring 1811

“The year is 1811. A French force and a British force are on a collision course towards the village of Pueblo Cajones. Both commanders have instructions to take possession of the strategically important hamlet. Neither is aware of the approach of the other, and both forces are strung out in a divisional march towards the settlement, so neither commander is exactly sure when his forces will arrive...”

Brett, Chris and myself played a “what if scenario” for our second game (Chris’s first) in the same manner as our first, relatively open and transparent, as we are still learning the rules (and making glaring tactical errors). As there were three of us, Brett was happy to assist Chris while effectively umpiring and rules checking, while Chris and I took main control of the British and French respectively.

Brett put this nice little scenario together, with a straightforward objective (the Village of Pueblo Cajones with troop capacity of 80) but with a high degree of uncertainty with regard to arrival and position of reserves. It also pitted a larger French force of average quality against a smaller but better quality force of British. Both forces started with an advance scout force deployed so we had something to play with (and who could re-join a parent brigade when they arrive) while we awaited our main force, which would (or should) start to show up one brigade at a time from turn 2 (on a 6+), turn 3 (5+), turn 4 onwards (4+), and in a random part of the board edge.

British Picket consists of: ADC (Poor), 14 Elite 95^th Rifles (in the village), a Hussar Squadron and 2 6pdrs from Royal Horse Artillery

French consists of: ADC, 24 Veteran Voltigeurs, a Hussar Squadron and a 6pdr Horse Artillery

The main forces were taken from the Battle of Barrosa, March 1811. We randomly rolled for commander quality, which were all average bar one poor per side (the British ADC and the Brig Gen of French large Grenadier...

The French Forces

CiC: Marshal Victor

1^st Brigade: Ruffin

9^th Legere (30 Figs, Veteran), 24^th Line (2 x 24 Figs, Line), 96^th Line (2 x 30 Figs, 2^nd Line)

2^nd Brigade: Leval

45^th Line (30 Figs, Line), 8th Line (2 x 30 Figs, Line), 54^th Line (2 x 30 Figs, 2^nd Line)

3^rd Brigade: BG (Poor), Provisional Grenadiers (30 figs, Veteran)               

4^th Brigade: Provisional Grenadiers (24 figs, Veteran)

5^th Brigade: Lamotte 1^st Dragoons (14 Figs, Line, inf mounts)

6^th Brigade: Divisional Artillery (3 x 6pdr, Line)

The British Forces

CiC: General Graham

1^st Brigade: Wheatley

28^th Gloucesters (24 figs, Line), 67^th Hamptonshire (30 fig, Line), 87^th Prince o Wales Irish (30 fig, Line)

2^nd Brigade: Dilkes

1^st Foot Guards (40 figs, Guard), 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guards (30 figs, Guard), 95^th Rifles (10 Figs, Elite)

3^rd Brigade: Barnard.  Light Battalion (40 figs, Veteran)

4^th Brigade: Browne. Light Battalion (24 figs, Veteran)

5^th Brigade: Whittingham. KGL 2^nd Hussars (10 figs, Elite)

6^th Brigade: Duncan, 9pdr RA Foot Battery (3 model guns, Line)

Turn 1: The battle began quietly, with both sides having no reserve rolls until turn two. The French won initiative, and the Voltigeurs advanced centrally to engage the 95^th Rifles in the town, the Hussar squadron escorting them on their left while the artillery moved into position on the French right. The British Hussars advanced on their right to threaten the Voltigeurs and French Hussars, with the RHA moving rapidly to support them. The 95^th waited patiently in the village.

Turn 2: The French win initiative and in rolling for reserves, both sides must have had their artillery to the van, as that was the brigades they managed to get on. Both deployed randomly against one another, the French ideally positioned to follow up the one gun picket and form a four gun battery, the British 9 pdrs on their left giving them artillery on both flanks. Both sides picket forces advanced on the village.

Turn 3: The French win initiative and managed to get a brigade on, five infantry battalions in mass column forming Leval’s 2^nd Brigade, who arrived centrally and were assigned orders to assault enemy forces in the village and then hold it. For the British, Gilkes arrives with the 2nd Brigade consisting of Guards and the remaining 95^th Rifles, arriving on the British left. They were duly ordered to move and hold the village. The Voltigeurs advance into musket range and open up on the 95^th, picking off one of England’s finest, while the flanking Hussars squadron move up to counter-charge the British Hussars should they charge the skirmishing French. The 95^th return fire, ineffectually.

The view from the French left: Infantry reinforcements arrive for both sides on turn 2

Turn 4: The British gain initiative for the first time. However, Ruffin’s 1^st Brigade arrives for the French, another 5 battalion strong column, on the French right with orders to engage the British guards division that had just came into view.

The British Hussar squadron (with attached poor ADC) declared a charge against the Voltigeurs. The French Hussar squadron declared a counter-charge (but couldn’t as they weren’t in charge range...I thought they charged and intercepted at half-way but that’s not the case and they weren’t in charge range to begin with) The Voltigeurs elected to stand and shoot, and picked off a charging Hussar. The British Hussars pressed home and swept through the skirmishers, taking out six and bursting through straight, ending in front of the mass column of Leval’s 2^nd Brigade.  The French mass their artillery and change order to engage the British 2^nd Brigade

Turn 5: The British maintain initiative and get reinforcements in the form of the KGL 2^nd Hussars arriving on the British left, quickly being despatched to assault and delay Ruffin’s Brigade. The French don’t get any. The remnants of the Hussar squadron try to go out in style, but fail to press home on the column, retreating in disarray. The 95^th Rifles of Dilkes Brigade reach the edge of the village, ready to reinforce their comrades, with the 2^nd/3^rd Foot following close behind. The 2 6pdrs of the RHA limber up to advance and enfilade the  French columns. However, as the Voltigeurs move around the village, three columns from Leval’s French Brigade move up and into charge range of the village, attracting sporadic fire from the 95^th within.

View from French right, as the French columns approach to musketry/rifle range of Pueblo Cajones (The 2^nd KGL Hussars are just off camera top right)

Turn 6: The French win initiative and get Lamotte’s 5^th Dragoons from reserve, on their left, ideally placed to threaten the British Royal Horse artillery. The British get Browne’s 4^th Brigade, again down on their left with order to move to the village. The French artillery change orders to engage the 2^nd KGL Hussars, and Leval’s Brigade, with CinC close by, charge 3 battalions, in mass column, into the British 95^th Rifles in the village…until two disastrous charge home results and a failed formation test.

The 95^th Rifles can’t believe their luck, as the French columns become entangled and fail to charge home, while the rest of the lads arrive to reinforce them. The picket squadron of Hussars swing round to threaten the faltering French 2^nd Battalion of the 8^th Line. The French respond by bringing their 1^st Dragoons up to threaten the Hussar squadron.

Turn 7: The French gain initiative and gets the 4^th Brigade for reserves on their right, following on the heels of the 1^st Brigade. The British don’t receive any. The French Dragoons get the charge on the Hussar squadron who boldly counter charge and get wiped out. The Dragoons get superb discipline and will be in charge range of the RHA next turn. One battalion of the 54^th Line assault the village, and despite what befell the majority of the Brigade earlier, push home their charge. However, the 2^nd KGL Hussars are just in reach of two French battalions and gallop forward. The 24^th Line successfully form a regimental square but that doesn’t deter the KGL cavalry pressing home.

The French column of 54^th Line not engaged move up to enflank the village on the left, while the remainder of the brigade reform. The British 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guard move into the village, while the1^st Battalion are lining up in position with the 9pdrs to prevent the French 1^st Brigade attacking the village on the British left. In melee, the 54^th Line battalion valiantly push back the 95^th Rifles in the fight for the village (though we weren’t sure we resolved it correctly, as we didn’t involve the British 2^nd/3^rd Guard who had just moved in but hadn’t occupied it). The cavalry charge of the 2^nd KGL Hussars was soundly beaten by the 24^th Line in square!

Turn 8 No reserves, and French initiative again. The 1^st Dragoons charge the RHA who evade. The 8^th Line Regiment in two columns assault the village (Not in mass column as the 45^th Lin decide not to get in the way!) adding their numbers to the melee which has been further increased by the British in the 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guards. The French 24^th Line reform to column as the are overtaken by the 9^th Legere and the rest of the 1^st Brigade pull alongside. The Voltiguers don’t fancy being to close to the British 9pdrs but have no orders to move away from the village. The British 4^th Brigade rushes to try and reinforce the battle in the village.

In the battle for Pueblo Cajones, the French numerical superiority meant that although they were pushed back as the quality of the Guard and Rifles showed, the French casualties weren’t felt as acutely as the British. The 95^th Rifles were nearing half strength, and the Guards battalion was greatly reduced, and the French had two columns to reinforce the battle next turn.

Turn 9 The British get initiative and get reserves in Barnard 3^rd Brigade. The French get their last brigade, Grenadiers of the 3^rd Brigade on the left flank. They are ordered to move and engage enemy forces behind the village. The French Dragoons successfully changed orders to assault the British behind the village and swung round to threaten the British 4^th Brigade who had moved up ready to enter next turn. The Dragoons were letting the RHA battery enfilade them, but felt the risk worth it. The 2^nd KGL, despite having lost 50% of their force swept round to charge the 9^th Legere, who formed square. The 2^nd KGL Hussars failed to press home, faltering in front of the formation…but the square was in effective 9pdr range. Three French columns assaulted the village again (not in mass column having learned how badly that failed), vastly outnumbering the defending British, pressing home into melee. The 9pdrs of the British targeted a column of the French 1^st Brigade, trying to stall its advance on the town but did limited damage.

A view from the French centre as they close in on 3 sides of the beleaguered British forces…

The only melee saw yet another valiant display by those “stubborn fellows” of the 2^nd/3^rd Guards and 95^th Rifles, preventing the French winning outright but allowing them a foothold in the village.

Turn 10 The French win initiative and the British finally get their final reserve on, as the 1^st Brigade to arrive. The 1^st Dragoons charge Brown’s Light Battalion at the village rear, who successfully reform to square. The 24^th Line first battalion successfully assault the 1^st Foot Guards in line, to occupy them

In melee, the 1^st Dragoons are repulsed by the British 4^th Brigade in square, the 24^th Line 1^st Battalion are totally outclassed and routed by the 1^st Foot Guards, causing the 96^th battalion to falter

But the French finally force out the valiant 95^th Rifles and British Guards (down to 21% strength and 50% respectively but still not dispersing) and storm into the village

Turn 11 The British forces won initiative. The 1^st Battalion Foot Guards charge the 24^th Line 2^nd Battalion who hold to give the faltering 96^th battalion behind a chance to regroup. The British bring up their reserves towards the village, while the French consolidate their grip on it, preparing to engage with their superior numbers. The Foot Guards surprisingly only push back the 24^th Line, leaving themselves exposed in the face of a 4 gun battery and superior French numbers

Turn 12 The British win initiative again but have no units available to charge. They decide to mount a defensive line just outside the village, with their fresh reserves supporting the retreat of the shattered remnants of the 95^th and 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guards, which the French, with their superior numbers, troops safely ensconced in the village and grenadiers advancing down both village flanks, are happy to let them do, engaging with musketry.

We called it a day there after another great day of gaming. We deemed victory went to the French. The British had been forced out of the village and would have struggled to retake it although both forces still had a several undamaged units. However, the French had firm control of the village and had secured a tactical victory. We all agreed they won it due to better luck with reserve rolls, reserve timing and positioning (The 1^st Dragoons in particular) and sheer weight of numbers. Had the British 1^st Brigade been less shoddy in their march, their numbers would have been able to get in and around the village and make it far more of an even contest. That being said, it was an impressive performance by the 95^th Rifles and 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guard repeatedly fending off French assaults on the village. These two British battalions (combining less than 50 figures when they were both in) held off five French battalions, containing three times the number of figures for five turns. 

The 95^th Rifles and 2^nd/3^rd Foot Guards held the Pueblo Cajones valiantly for 5 turns