Action on the Coa
This was one of our weekly club games at the South East Scotland Wargames Club which needs to be set up, played and packed away in about 4 hours which limits the size of the battles we can put on in a normal evening. This battle battle took place in July 1810 just over the Portuguese border and was fought by part of the army of the Duke of Massena’s army of Portugal and the briefings for both players are below.
John Glass played Crawford and also commanded Beckwith’s Brigade while the other Allied Brigade was commanded by Ian Carter. Jack Glanville commanded the French as Marshal Ney and also took Mermet’s Division. Donald Adamson commanded Loison’s Division and fought with Simon’s Brigade while two complete R2E novices, Andrew Easson and Andy Cairns commanded the larger Ferey’s Brigade. I was overall umpire but also took charge of the troops in Almeida, just so I could throw a dice in anger, for all the good it did me.
Allied Order of Battle
Maj. Gen. Crawford, Light Division commander. Gifted +2
Beckwith, Brigade commander, Seasoned.
43rd Light Infantry, 40 figures, Veteran.
95th Rifles, (left division) 20 figures, Veteran/Elite
3rd Cacadores, 32 figures, Drilled.
1 troop RHA, 2 guns (1 model) drilled.
Barclay, Brigade commander, Seasoned.
52nd Light Infantry, 48 figures, Veteran.
95th Rifles (right division) 18 figures, Veteran/Elite.
1st Cacadores, 28 figures, Drilled.
French Order of Battle
Marshal Ney, Commander VI Corps, Gifted +2
General de Division Loison, Division commander, Competent 0
Simon, Brigade commander, Seasoned.
26th Line, 1st battalion, 30 figures, Drilled.
26th Line, 2nd battalion, 24 figures, Drilled.
26th Line, 3rd battalion, 24 figures, Recruits.
Legion du Midi (light infantry), 28 figures, Drilled.
Hanovarian Legion, 1st and 2nd battalions combined, 30 figures, Drilled.
Ferey, Brigade commander, Sluggish.
32nd Legere, 21 figures, Drilled/Elite
66th Line, 1st battalion, 32 figures, Veteran.
66th Line, 2nd battalion, 32 figures, Veteran.
66th Line, 3rd battalion, 24 figures, Drilled.
82nd Line, 1st battalion, 32 figures, Drilled.
82nd Line, 2nd battalion, 32 figures, Drilled.
82nd Line, 3rd battalion, 24 figures, Recruits.
Mermet’s Division never got into action so I haven’t listed them.
I had previously set the ratings for all the senior commanders with Ney and Crawford both being gifted and Loison and Mermet as competent then got the players to dice for Brigadier ratings. Simon ended up as seasoned commander but Ferey was sluggish whereas both allied Brigadiers were seasoned. Ney wasn’t allowed to use his rating for initiative tests or add his MP’s until he got on the table and I had set a restriction that there had to be a gap of at least 18” behind Loison’s division before Mermet and Ney could appear.
We fought the battle length ways down an 8x6 table which ended up being too narrow and ideally 8x8 or even an 8x10 would have been a better size with a pop-up for access but we didn’t have time to arrange this. Because of the restricted width I decided to ignore the Zone of Control from the built up areas, basically Almeida and the windmill on the allied left flank. The French had a flat plain to move over whilst the Allies defended a low ridge which was covered with orchards and vineyards then there was a steep hill and very rough ground behind them and their only way of retreat was one narrow bridge which crossed the river Coa which was totally impassable at this time due to torrential rain.
Allied Briefing
Maj. Gen. Crawford, you had been ordered late last night by the Duke to pull your division which has been observing the French in front of Almeida back over the river to join the rest of the army but the message arrived so late and the rain was so torrential that you decided to move back today. Before you can order a withdrawal the VI Corps of Marshal Ney has launched an attack on your position and have already pushed back all your outposts and the cavalry supporting your force. You have already won two actions against this corps already and have decided to give them another bloody nose before retiring. The cavalry have already started to pull back over the bridge on the Coa and two regiments have moved upstream to cover the ford and the rest of your division has called to arms.
Victory conditions
If you can hold your current position and beat off all French attacks then you will have won a stunning victory.
If you can beat off the first attacks then pull back without suffering more than 50% casualties you will have won a victory.
If you fall back without stopping any French attacks you will get a draw result.
If you fall back without stopping any French attacks
and suffer more then 25% casualties you will suffer a defeat.
A worse result than this then you had better get yourself killed.
French Briefing
Marshal Ney, you have been ordered by the Duke of Massena to push the enemy division back over the river so the rest of the army can lay siege to Almeida. You have already lost two actions against this division already and have decided to give them a bloody nose before they can retire. The cavalry have already started to push back the enemy outposts and moved upstream to try crossing the ford to cut off the enemy and now is the chance for your infantry to show their metal. Unfortunately the area you have had to advance over has not allowed you to expand your formation so you are having to attack one division at a time.
You place yourself with Mermet’s 2nd division and send in Loison’s 3rd Division first.
Victory conditions
If you can get at least one regiment (of 3 battalions of 50% or stronger) over the bridge then you will have won a stunning victory.
If you can push back the enemy over the river causing more than 50% casualties you will have won a victory.
If you fail to inflict at least 25% casualties you will get a draw result.
If you fail to inflict at least 25% casualties and suffer 50% or more you will suffer a defeat.
Any worse result than this then you had better get yourself killed.
If you have to attack with Mermet’s division then any victory conditions will be reduced by one level.
This was the general situation at the start of the battle and not a lot happened for the first couple of moves mainly with the lack of MP’s for the French who just moved normal moves forward and the Allies just defending and having a pop with their rifles and the two guns from the Royal Horse Artillery and the guns from Almeida which I had classed as recruits as I didn’t want them to influence the battle too much as happened historically. The French had set up with Ferey’s Brigade on their right flank and Simon on the left and despite them being the larger and better trained brigade they had given Ferey Advance orders and told to demonstrate in front of the allies to pin them in place to allow Simon to attack the Allied right flank. Simon had set up all his battalions in attack columns while Ferey used an orde mixte formation with battalions in line in front and columns behind but the trouble they had was that their lines kept failing morale checks for artillery fire and wavering which meant they couldn’t advance and halted the ones behind because they kept them too close to the ones in front.
This delay started to open up a wide gap between the two French Brigades and even more serious was that they were delaying Mermet and Ney getting on the table. Eventually Donald managed to roll some decent dice for MP’s and managed to exploit with Simon’s brigade and managed to get the 1st battalion of the 26th line to charge the British 52nd light infantry supported by the 2nd battalion of the 26th. All sides managed to pass all morale and fight or flight tests which resulted in a combat which lasted three bounds before the French finally routed with over 50% casualties. Amazingly not a single French unit wavered at the sight of their friends running and the next move saw further battalions attempting to charge but Donald’s dice rolling wasn’t as good this time round.
Having now fought off the first French attacks John decided now would be a good time to order a withdrawal so he ordered Barclay to hold the right flank with his Brigade while Beckwith started to withdraw with his. Because of the disordering nature of the orchards and vineyards the Allies were defending and the steep hill and rough terrain behind his position John ordered all his troops into skirmish formation to ease movement and they were quickly moving back towards the bridge which was the only way over the rive Coa. This left Barclay in a difficult position to get away with the French still close in front of him and even worse, Ney and Mermet had now arrived on the field so extra MP’s would now be available to the French. Fortunately for Barclay Donald failed a few more charge attempts which gave him time to start to fall back also in skirmish order but Beckwith’s units still weren’t over the bridge yet so Ian had to reform the 52nd to cover the retreat but it all went wrong on the very last move of the night.
Donald again got a good number of MP’s and more importantly for the fist time he got the initiative and sent the Legion du Midi and the Hanovarian Legion forward in skirmish formation to harass the retiring Allies whilst the 2nd battalion 26th line charged the 52nd who promptly rolled a one for morale and having no support and now over 50% casualties promptly routed as did the 1st Cacadores who were beside them. The right wing division of the 95th rifles were made of sterner stuff and ignored the routs and in John’s turn moved over the bridge to form up beside the rest of the Allied troops.
This is where we had to finish for the night and using the victory conditions above the result ended up a win for both sides which left everyone very happy. We fought for eight turns and the French had managed to move for about seven feet over the table and broke two allied units while the Allies had managed to beat off the first French attacks destroying one unit in the process and causing a number of casualties to others.
The two new players who had never played with the rules before managed to pick them up quite easily after the first couple of moves especially command and control, command distance and how shooting works which refutes comments by some people that the rules are complicated.
Cheers
Dave
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