There'll be a wargame here during this week - to keep myself entertained I set up the battlefield yesterday. Looks OK - I am using a slightly expanded version of the official Commands & Colors: Napoleonics scenario, the table is 17 hexes by 9, so there are a few extra units, and the terrain is corrected very slightly.
I may produce a write-up sometime - a lot depends on whether or not I remember to take photos!
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General view, from the French left flank - yes, the Spaniards will be defending with an unfordable river behind their right - it's OK - that's how they like it
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And from the other flank - the Spanish position on the ridge in the right foreground looks promising, but there are a lot of Provinciales up there (and we are talking triple retreats...)
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Marshal Victor, the French commander, gets some reports - we should always remember that Victor's real name was Claude Perrin, so leaves on the line may be a hazard to be watched out for. Those dreadful chairs will be tidied away before any action
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Well, even without a battle report, looking at your table with troops arrayed for battle is pleasure enough.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jon! [The Freitag battalion is in the woods on the French left...]
DeleteExcellent!
DeleteA wonderful stage set for the drama to come!
ReplyDeleteGood day, young sir. The scenario looks pretty good, admittedly. I'm worrying a bit that the game may be stacked too heavily against the Spaniards - there may be some improvement in the Spanish activation dice allocation as today goes on!
DeleteHaving had the typical Anglo-centric introduction to the Peninsular War I’d never heard of this battle before. Interesting battle and campaign. Naturally I got side-tracked into reading a bit about Blake. Fascinating stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat was just the same for me, for many years. I cut my teeth on Michael Glover, Jac Weller, Featherstone, Quarrie. Most of the entire war was left out in case it bored the reader. I think it's always worth remembering that in the end it was the Spanish army which broke Napoleon's heart, which did him in, and which set the model and the spirit for the Russians in 1812 and the German Befreiungskriege - though, of course, the Spaniards would have been struggling very badly without Wellington's military contribution and British money and supplies!
DeleteI'm always intrigued that Napoleon, the legendary innovator and destroyer of monarchies, could not cope with an enemy who did not stick with the Old School principles of taking a defeat, suing for peace, contributing soldiers and money to the efforts of the French Empire on some other front. An enemy which lost battles, regrouped and came back and fought you again the next week was inconceivable. Not cricket at all.
Another great looking wargame setup Tony - I look forward to seeing the action!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ian - sorry for slow response - New Blogger wouldn't allow me to comment on my own blog yesterday, so we're back to Legacy! Time permitting, should get something up here in a day or so.
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