NICON June 2010
The scenario was based in the Peninsula in 1812, timed a few weeks after Badajoz. The OOBs of some of the divisions present at Salamanca were used but the unit strengths rounded up on a 1:20 scale. The reason for this was to keep things reasonably simple but also to give the game a good visual impact by using lots of figures whilst not fielding too many units.
This meant the French battalions were 36 figures strong, the Spanish 32figs, Portuguese 30 and the British either 30 or 40 figures strong, with cavalry units generally at 24figures/ unit.
We took the liberty of replacing one French infantry brigade with Italians just to break the sea of blue.
Ants worked on the unit quality but we really wanted the Spanish to be of poor quality and tried to tailor this to a scenario where the French would have the greater numbers and the Allies insufficient troops to cover the 12 x6 table.
We did prepare a reserve division for both sides that could be used in the event should the game not have been big enough for 2 days gaming (we needn’t have worried though). We also had a curve ball to throw at Craig the Allied C in C on turn 1, but more of that later.
I took command of the bulk of the Spanish and 1 British infantry division, Craig Watterson took Picton’s division, the British cavalry and 1 independent Spanish Brigade.
On the French side Anthony (Captain Chook) and Von Peter Himself (Peter Hazeldos) took command of a Cavalry Division and 2 Infantry divisions each. Craig and Peter drove the 7 odd hours up from Wellington to play their first game of RTE.
Essentially the French were meant to secure the road/town on the left of the table: -
The on table forces turned out to be: -
British: C in C General Rowland Hill + 4MP (no transfer of MPs possible to the Spanish)
Picton’s division – 4 battalions 30 figs, 2 x40, 18 rifles & 4 x 30 figs Portuguese & 18 Cacadores
Campbell’s division – 4 x40 2x30 & Skirmishers
British cavalry 2x24 dragoons: 3x24 Light Dragoons/Hussars
4 batteries
Spanish – 1 mixed Division of 8x32 infantry, 2x24 heavy cavalry, 1x16 Light cavalry and 1 battery
Spanish independent Brigade – 4 Battalions infantry, 1 x 16 Lancer 1 battery
French: C in C Marshal Soult +6 MP
33 infantry battalions of 36 figs in 4 divisions each with a battery
Light cavalry division: 6 x24 hussars/chasseurs, 1 x3 gun horse artillery battery
Heavy cavalry division: 3 x 24 dragoons, 1 x24 Lancers (just for variety!), 1 x3 gun horse artillery battery
The figures used were quite a mix of AB, Battle Honours, Fantassin, Minifigs mainly 2nd generation, 1 battalion of Old Glory, Gladiator games (now Black hat) and Museum Miniatures. Buildings were either Hovels, JT Miniatures or Mayhem (Now from Eureka).
We used TSS boards, some sculpted hills and made a few items of scenery including the vineyards and rocky outcrops.
Battery footprints were made from pieces of neoprene coated with sand/gravel and cut to size for 3 or 4 guns. Ants ingeniously made the battery ammo markers from ball bearings and some magnetic unit markers by using thin magnetic sheet and what he calls “iron paint”.
The Spanish were deployed in the large BUA on the British right flank, the Portuguese in the BUA on the left flank with Picton’s and Campbell’s brigade on the centre left, 2 horse batteries on the right centre hill and the cavalry on the right centre.
The independent Spanish brigade was in the tiny BUA forward of the British position (the windmill) and General Hill hoped that they would act as a speed bump for the initial French attack
The French were deployed more or less according to the divisions they were allocated with the French light cavalry on the right flank and the dragoons more or less in the centre. Anthony took the French Right flank and Peter the left. The table was set up with the river Guadiana securing the Spanish right or French left.
The game begins and starts with a curve ball
The British allowed the French the initiative and so they came forward in the same old way.
When it was the British turn to move Craig received the following message: -
General –‘Sir I regret to inform you that General Jimenez is marching his troops from the field. He claims they are exhausted and so are unable to fight’.
(And therein gentlemen, is the tale of Craig’s intended speed bump – it was no more!
The intention of this umpire act was to give the British commander some added difficulties from turn 1 by perhaps maybe creating a - in the line. He’d not been given any choice in their initial placement and playing Spanish I’d kept it quiet and been deliberately obtuse and unhelpful when he’d asked my advice in the initial deployment. A bit risky as I’d only met him for the first time around 30 minutes earlier but he took it in good part. Admittedly though he kept on enquiring as to whether he could shoot them as they marched through his divisional lines and I think only decided not to do this when advised that it might make the rest of the Spanish disappear)
Now mind you, it wasn’t only Craig that was upset by this, the Highlanders weren’t too pleased I can tell you and showed the Spanish what they thought of them as they were running back
Other British infantry just stood there looking solid
And so the French came on in the same old way
But Gentlemen, General Hill wasn’t having any of that-so it was out with the cavalry
(Now at this point I should probably that I have never seen such aggressive use of cavalry and that leads me to conclude that Craig would probably be a good man to have on your side if you were ever in a fist fight
)
We’d decided to threaten a few of the Peter’s advancing infantry battalions and to slow him down so out sallied the Spanish dragoons.
French squares were duly formed and there was some cannon fire – The Spanish played with their cannons and sent a battalion backwards, hurrah
Problem was, the French played with their cannons as well and so sallied back the dragoons! (
err to be honest more of a rout than a sally and pinned the other Spanish cavalry behind it
The next move or so saw the British Heavy Dragoons come forward and hook left catching battalions of the French right wing unprepared and unable to react
However Ants’ wobbly knees were bolstered when Craig I think threw a less than murderous 5 hits on 19 dice and the combat ended in a draw
By this time some of the French cavalry were thrown forward to counter the threat
What is left of the dragoon regiment from its heroic charge can be seen in the above picture
By this time the French advance had gained momentum and was pressing ahead on the left
And also pressing ahead on the right
The French light cavalry charged the British and Portuguese in line (I think – it was on the other flank and I had my hands - trying to stop the Spanish running!)
They bounced off the lines I’m told
But not the artillery
Yes Gentlemen, for the first time in the history of Napoleonic wargaming a newly painted unit did what it was painted for and rode to glory (AB Hussars). Yes remember Folks, history was made at Nicon and you read it here first
A French 12ib battery (yes 12ib – where did they get that from and where did it come from?) poured murderous fire into the British line (3 pictures ago bottom right)
The 24th Warwickshire broke under the onslaught but Craig pushed forward the men in miniskirts with the funny accents
A whole (without the w - swear filter again) seemed to be appearing in the British right
However consensus was that both sides were still evenly matched
Meanwhile on the other flank it was looking grim for the Spanish and they were being pushed back
They weren’t too happy in the vineyards
Then there was a surfeit of brown trousers to be seen in the town as 5 French battalions came knocking on the door, they were met by a lukewarm fire reducing a possible 36 combat groups to 30 vs. the few that the Spanish could get together with all their negative modifiers
They didn’t get in the first time so the Grenadiers de Leon prepared to add their weight in the next round when............................
A man from the stage said it was time to pack up and head home for the after match function but that’s another story folks!
My thanks to Ants, Peter & Craig for a good days gaming and lovely company
We bit off more than we could chew and were slow because of our unfamiliarity with the rules and probably made a few errors with them here and there but I really did enjoy myself