Solo Campaign - Weeks 27 & 28

A contemporary sketch of the landings at the Golf de Sant Jordi,

near Tortosa

A further two weeks have elapsed (slowly...) - the seaborne portion of the Spanish 3rd Army has landed safely at Tortosa, where Field Marshal Giron has assumed overall command, and united his army at Alcaniz. In theory, this constitutes a major threat to the French garrison at Zaragoza, but in fact he has no siege guns, so he may only ponder how to cross the Ebro in order to mask the place.

Detached, probing forces have come into contact on 30th July near Martin de Yeltes, on the River Huebra - I shall fight the battle next week and post the report here. I'll also publish a revised return and the up-to-date map at that point.

Week 27

Random Events and Strategic Notes

The Spanish Junta of Castile garrisons the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo with second-line troops, and Aigburth proposes to move towards Salamanca, to place an advance guard on the line of the River Huebra.

A force of 1800 civilian workmen is being sent in to repair the defences at Rodrigo.

On Monday 20^th, the British fleet transporting De Espana’s force was seen off the coast of Tarifa, and was fired on by French coastal batteries, but was well out of range. The French report the fleet as consisting of seven men-of-war, plus a great many merchant ships – possibly in excess of 50. Naval vessels recognised by the French included Inconsolable, Turbot and Sparta, all of which are known to be at Lisbon, and some of the ships are flying both British and Spanish flags.

[Rule amendment: The French are bringing up Garde Nationale and other auxiliary troops to man the fortresses in the North East – this is outside the scope of the original rules. A decision dice decrees that these troops may be used outside French territory, but – at present – only as garrison troops or to defend the frontier.]

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 5 and the French 4. The Allies opt to move first.

Moves

Allies (5 allowed)

1 – Sp B (España) are at sea, close to their destination port of Tortosa

2 – Picton (Force E) detaches a new force (H), consisting of the KGL dragoons and Otway’s Portuguese cavalry with three provisional battalions of light company troops and Bull’s Troop RHA...

3 – ...which force is ordered, under the temporary command of Maj.Gen Robert Long, to probe eastward to the line of the Huebra, between El Cubo and the area near Tamames.

4 – B (Graham) to continue to scout northwards into Orense

5 – New force of Spanish volunteers and militia (Sp J) to form new garrison of Ciudad Rodrigo (commander is General Hidalgo)

[Intelligence step -

• nothing new – minimal opposition to Long’s advance to the Huebra – French deserters in this area confirm that the army is dispirited and the withdrawal of Jourdan is seen as a betrayal.]

French (4 allowed)

1– D (Leberknoedel, with the Stralsund-Ruegen brigade) to march from Burgos to Valladolid.

2 – P (Martinelli’s brigade of Garde Nationale) to march from Tudela to Burgos (where Thiebault is to continue as governor). This is a difficult (brown) road, so the usual test is required:

2D3 = 5 +1 (Martinelli’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 5   - the march is completed, without problems

3 – R (Paquerette’s brigade of Garde Nationale) to march from Pamplona to Tudela (HQ of Armee du Nord remains at Pamplona)

4 – S (Normande’s brigade of Garde Nationale) to march from Bayonne to Pamplona  

[Intelligence step –

• No scouting orders, but Clauzel is aware that there are Allied units on the Huebra – his forces are not in a good enough state to take the offensive, and he is concerned for his hospitals at Salamanca and Alba de Tormes. He has written to both Marmont and the King to request support.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply – the movement of garrisons keeps the French supply route from Bayonne secure. French Force K is no longer demoralised.

A newly equipped (and painted) brigade of 4 battalions of Spanish volunteers (classed as militia in the CCN rules) is added to Morillo’s force (Sp C) at Alcaniz, but will not be available for combat for another week. The new units are Regimiento del Ribero (light infantry) and the volunteer regiments of 1er Aragon, Guadalajara and Cuenca. The brigade also has a new foot battery, manned by regulars. 

Contacts

Clauzel (Fr I) and Long (Ang-Port H) in Salamanca area – neither side wishes to attack at present.

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo (once again)

Aigburth and the Junta of Castilla have ordered the repair of the defences at Cuidad Rodrigo. A body of civilian workers is being organised (which will be equivalent to 2 bns) and will start work next week. In the meantime, the new garrison of volunteer and militia troops is put to work by the new governor, Hidalgo – they have 3 bns available. Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 3D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 2 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 6 2 2, so the Fortress Value is increased to 3. With the arrival of the labourers, 5D6 will be available from next week onwards.

Week 28

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Espana’s Portion of the Spanish 3^rd Army has now landed at Tortosa. One of the transport ships, the Bristol-owned Potentilla, ran aground outside the bay, but was refloated with no problems. The troops are in good shape – 15 horses became ill during the voyage and had to be shot, no other problems. Capt Thornycroft has been nominated for the Order of San Bernardino by the Supreme Junta.

Field Marshal Giron will now join the 3^rd Army, and will assume command on the East coast.

De Espana

Giron

Clauzel is still concerned that his army, while numerically appearing quite strong, has many men in hospital and many of the units are at low strength. He may require to re-organise his forces rapidly if Aigburth attacks him in the near future – this would have a good chance of demoralizing his troops. He is aware of Long’s force on the Huebra, and proposes to send a counter to this advance, to assess the strength of the Allies here. Again, he has written to Marmont and King Joseph for assistance.

The new Spanish volunteer brigade is now in the field with Morillo’s division at Alcaniz.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 4 and the French 4. Since they had the initiative last week, the Allies again opt to move first.

Moves

Allies (4 allowed)

1 – Sp B (España) now landed at Tortosa, are joined by MC Giron, who assues command...

2 – ...and Sp B is ordered to march from Tortosa to join Morillo at Alcaniz. This is a difficult (brown) road, and requires a test:

2D3 = 5 +2 (Giron’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 6   - the march is completed, without problems

3 – B (Graham) to march northwards into Spain, from Braga to Orense. This is another difficult road, so a test is needed:

2D3 = 4 +2 (Graham’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 5   - the march is completed, without problems

4 – H (Long, at Salamanca) to scout the area.

[Intelligence step -

• Long’s cavalry find that the French around Salamanca are dispersed among the villages, but subsequently he finds himself confronted by Pinoteau’s covering force.]

French (4 allowed)

1 – New Garde Nationale force T (Momper) raised at Bayonne – 4000 men.

2 – New observing force H split from I (Clauzel) at Salamanca, to take position on the Huebra – cavalry plus 2 bns of (relatively undamaged) 59e Ligne plus a horse battery from the artillery reserve – this force commanded by Gen de Bde Pierre Pinoteau

3 – N (Marmont) to scout from Zamora towards Orense.

[Intelligence step –

• Marmont’s scouts report Graham’s force is in Orense, as expected – Marmont does not realise they have only just arrived.
• Reports of the Spanish disembarkation at Tortosa have reached Madrid – much alarm, since strength of the force is much exaggerated. King Joseph’s first reaction is to withdraw Marmont and Clauzel to Vittoria and Lodosa to avoid having their communications with France severed – Jourdan rolls a dice to talk him out of this, but there is a lot of concern that so many French regular troops are tied up in garrisons on the North coast. The French are always worried about the threat of the British navy.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply, and no-one is demoralised.

Contacts

Maj.Gen Robert Ballard Long

Gen de Bde Pierre Armand Pinoteau - he

didn't have a pointed head - this is

a photo of a portrait hanging on a wall

Pinoteau, with 2475 men, identifies that Long is detached from Aigburth’s and Picton’s main forces, and manages to turn the Allied right by crossing the Huebra at a ford near Cabrillas. The forces come into contact at Martin de Yeltes, around mid-morning on 30^th July. [The action will be reported once the battle has been fought.]

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

The civilian working party is now in operation and, in addition to the garrison troops, this gives a total of 5D6 for the repair work. Each 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 3 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 6 6 5 4 1, so the Fortress Value is increased to 5. General Hidalgo is delighted with progress (as he should be). 

Solo Campaign - Weeks 25 & 26

Two more weeks of the campaign. The Spanish troops from Vigo are now on their way by ship via Gibraltar to Tortosa, and, while the French armies delayed doing anything about a relief, the Second Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo was over almost before it started.

Encouraged by the poorly-repaired walls, by the good results achieved by his own siege artillery and by word from the Alcalde that the townspeople would rise against the garrison if the place were assaulted, Tarleton made as much use as possible of the vacated earthworks from the French siege, carried out a week of effective bombardment, and then forced the French breeches in a daylight raid, using the men of the Seventh and Light Divisions. It was all over very quickly - the garrison troops showed little enthusiasm for the task, though they fought bravely enough during the assault. The town was taken at the cost of a little over 300 casualties to the Allies.

Someone is going to be really cross about this...

More trouble at Ciudad Rodrigo

Week 25

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Advice from his engineers has convinced Tarleton to press on with attacking Ciudad Rodrigo, since the repairs to the walls are incomplete, and since the French did not have time to finish removing the trench system for their own siege – in particular, the battery positions might still be useable with relatively little work. For the first time this year, the Allied siege train is now present with the main field army.

Tarleton has decided to detach part of his force to cover the siege. Clauzel’s army, facing him, is not in good shape – a lot may depend on the number of reinforcements and returns from hospitals in the next week or so.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 5 and the French 5. Since they had the choice last week, the  French opt to move second.

Moves

Allies (5 allowed)

1 – Sp B (España) are now at sea, somewhere off the coast of Portugal, heading for Tortosa

2 – New force E is detached, under Picton – Third Division plus most of the cavalry plus the Portuguese howitzer battery. They take station facing Clauzel’s force, to screen Ciudad Rodrigo and its siege-works

3 – D (Framlingham, with the Allied siege train) commences siege operations against Rodrigo – the surviving portions of the French battery positions, commanding the part-repaired breeches, allow the siege artillery to commence bombarding the walls in the first week of action.

4 – A (the remainder of Aigburth’s force) lay siege to Rodrigo

5 – B (Graham) to scout northwards into Orense

[Intelligence step -

• only French scouts seen in Orense.]

French (5 allowed)

1 – K (Jourdan) march from Avila to Madrid. This is a difficult (brown) road, so a test is required:

2D3 = 2 +2 (Jourdans rating) -1 (brown road) = 3   - the march is completed, but the force is both Tired and Demoralised (and therefore excluded from the replacement routine)

2 – I (Clauzel) to scout from Salamanca towards Ciudad Rodrigo.

3 – N (Marmont) to scout from Zamora towards Orense.

[Intelligence step –

• No new information – Clauzel’s patrols capture a trooper of the KGL 2^nd Dragoons near Vitigudino, but he does not know anything.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. French Force K is demoralised, so get no replacements this month. Since 12^th July is the nearest weekend to the middle of the month, reinforcements, replacements and returns from hospital are diced for.

Detailed additions:

French – 2. Rugeois, 4/28 Leg, 4 Vist, Tirailleurs of Abbe’s Bde, 1/25 Leg, 2/25 Leg, 1/27, 2/27, Tir of De Conchy, 1/50, 2/15, 3/15, 4/82, 1/86, 2/86, 10/3 Art a Pied, Vist Lancs, 2/6 Leg, 1/69, 1/39, 2/39, 1/76, 3/2 Art a Chev each +1 block; Tir of Arnauld, 2/69, Spanish Guard Fus each +2 blocks. Total increase is 5200 infantry, 125 cavalry and 2 guns.

Anglo-Portuguese – 51^st Ft, E Troop RHA, 1/95^th, 1 Cac, 1 Huss KGL, 1/Cold FG, 2/24^th, 1/45^th, 1/88^th, 2/5^th, 1^st Ptgse Cav, A Troop RHA each +1 block; 5/60^th, 2 Drgns KGL, 11 Ptgse Cav each +2. Total increase is 1900 infantry, 750 cavalry and 4 guns.

Spanish – 1^st Foot battery and 1. Lanc de Castilla each +1 block . Total increase 125 cavalry, 2 guns.  

Contacts

None, apart from scouts.

Second Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (Week 1)

The French have 5 fresh line units in Rodrigo, of which 1 is required to suppress the hostile population. Thus the Garrison Value (GV) is 4, without bonus since Col. D’Orsay (the acting garrison commander) is rated as average. The Fortress Value (FV), which should be 6, is only 4 since the repairs to the damage caused during the French siege are not completed.

The civilian population of the town, only recently subjected to a siege which caused much loss and hardship, are openly hostile – acts of sabotage, theft of stores and violence against the garrison soldiers are common, and any assault will qualify for an additional “Agustina” dice because of the pro-Allied sympathies of the townspeople – there are many who would act in support of an assault.

After Aigburth has divided his troops, he has 18 combat units in his besieging force. Dividing by 4 gives an Assault Value (AV) of 5, plus 1 extra point since Aigburth himself is rated as Good. AV = 6.

The siege train consists of 3 x 24pdr batteries (2 iron, 1 brass – commanded by Capts. Glubb, Thompson and Rittberg (KGA)), a 10” howitzer battery (Capt. Tonkiss), 2 mortar batteries and Capt. Lane’s rocket troop – total Battering Value (BV) is thus 7.

Bombardment phase: French have a Garrison Value (GV) of 4, thus roll 4D6 - they come up 4 4 3 1 – no 6s means no hits on the Allied Battering Value (BV), and no 5s means no loss to the besiegers’ Assault Value (AV).

Simultaneously, the Allied battering guns (BV = 7) roll 7D6 – 6 5 5 3 3 1 1 – the 6 causes 1 pt of damage to the Fortress Value (FV), the 5s each deducts 1 pt from the Garrison Value (GV).

The French garrison have lost ½ of their GV, which is calculated as 1/10 x ½ of the 3500 men engaged, which is about 175 men. The Allied loss is negligible.

Removing the losses, the figures become FV = 3, GV = 2 (total = 5) for the French defenders, and AV = 5, BV = 7 for the Allies, which will be the starting position next week. Even with the potential Agustina bonus dice, Aigburth does not wish to commit to a storm this week, and his request for the garrison to surrender is ignored – the officer carrying the petition was not permitted to speak to Col. D’Orsay.

Week 26

Random Events and Strategic Notes

The Second Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo proceeds apace.

King Joseph is now concerned at the exposure of Rodrigo and of Clauzel’s force around Salamanca (which is of his making). Jourdan’s force in Madrid is tired and disorganised from its march from Avila (which went surprisingly badly considering the mild weather), so is unable to send anyone back to support. Marmont, as ever, is worried about his line of communication with France and – since he is not sure where Graham’s force is (they are at Braga) – he is reluctant to move towards Salamanca in case Graham gets between him and Burgos.

The seaborne Spanish force of España was sighted off Cadiz on Thursday 16^th, en route to Tortosa.

Gen de Division Ferey has joined the Armée de Portugal to take command of Maucune’s Division – Gen de Bde Lamartiniere returns to his duties as Marmont’s Chief of Staff.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 6 and the French 7. The French opt to move first.

Moves

French (7 allowed)

1 – K (Jourdan) rests at Madrid to recover from Tiredness and Demoralisation.

2 – P (Martinelli’s brigade of Garde Nationale) march from Pamplona to Tudela.

3 – R (Paquerette’s brigade of Garde Nationale) march from Bayonne to Pamplona.

4 – S, a new brigade of Garde Nationale, becomes garrison of Bayonne, under Gen de Bde Normande.

5 – N (Marmont) to scout from Zamora towards Orense.

[Intelligence step –

• Ciudad Rodrigo is known to be under siege. Marmont’s patrols are looking for Graham’s force around Orense.]

Allies (6 allowed)

1 – Sp B (España) at sea aboard Capt. Thornycroft’s squadron of the Royal Navy – sighted off Cadiz on Thurs 16^th July – heading for Tortosa.

2 – E (Picton, screening Rodrigo) to send patrols to keep Clauzel’s movements in sight.

3 – B (Graham) to scout northwards into Orense

4 – Sp D (Maceta) to march from Toledo to Talavera

5 – Sp F (Ximenez, with irregulars) to march from Ocana to Toledo

6 – Sp E (Mira, with provincial troops and irregulars) to march from Alarcon to Ocana.

[Intelligence step -

• the French seem to be dithering...]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. French Force K is demoralised, so suffer losses to desertion: the following units all lose 1 block – 2/2 Nassau, 2/4 Baden, 1/2 Ita Leg, 1/3 Ita – Total loss 800 men.

Contacts

None, apart from scouts.

Second Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (Week 2)

Bombardment phase: French have a Garrison Value (GV) of 2, thus roll 2D6 - they come up 5 3 – no 6s means no hits on the Allied Battering Value (BV), and the 5 means a loss of 1 pt to the besiegers’ Assault Value (AV).

Simultaneously, the Allied battering guns (BV = 7) roll 7D6 – 6 5 4 3 3 1 1 – the 6 causes 1 pt of damage to the Fortress Value (FV), the 5 deducts 1 pt from the Garrison Value (GV).

Removing the losses, the figures become FV = 2, GV = 1 (total = 3) for the French defenders, and AV = 4, BV = 7 for the Allies. Since he has received word from the Mayor of Rodrigo that the citizens will act in support of an assault (thus gaining the attackers a bonus “Agustina” dice), Aigburth decides to storm the half-repaired French breeches.

The Storm:

During the week leading up to the storm, the French have again lost ½ of GV, which represents

1/10 x ½  of the 3325 men involved = 165 men, leaving 3160. The Allies have lost 1/6  of their remaining AV, and thus have lost 1/10 x 1/6 of the 5500 men employed = 90 men, leaving 5410.

Aigburth uses the full force at his disposal for the attack (he has the choice to use only part of his AV, to keep losses down). The numbers work out thus:

the Defenders’ Storm Strength, DSS =  FV + GV + 1D6 = 2 + 1 + 3 = 6

the Attackers’ Storm Strength, ASS = AV + 1D6 + the Agustina Dice = 5 + 4 + 2 = 11

Since ASS > DSS, the fortress falls. In the storm itself, the Allies lose 0.25 x DSS (= 2) from AV, so their final AV is 3. Thus they have lost 2/5 of their available AV, representing losses of 1/10 x 2/5 of the available 5410 men = 215 killed and wounded. Remaining strength is thus 5195.

The French defenders lose 0.5 x ASS (= 6) from GV, so their final GV is -5. Thus they have lost 600% of their GV, and loss in killed in wounded in the storm is 1/10 x 600% of the 3160 men available = 1895. The surviving 1265 are taken prisoner.

Total losses during the siege are thus

Week	French	Allied
1	175	0
2	165	90
Storm	1895	215
Captured	1265	0
Total	3500	305

The French force (Combat Group C on the map) is destroyed. The Allied attackers (Combat Group A) have suffered a loss of 2 blocks/bases, which are deducted (at random) from the following infantry units in the Light Divn: 1/52^nd & 1/95^th.

The Fortress Value of Ciudad Rodrigo had a final value of 2, which will require to be made back up to 6 by engineering and repairs. 

Solo Campaign - Weeks 23 & 24

After something of an extended intermission, the Solo Campaign gets going again. No dramatic action, but the French are worried about having left Madrid pretty much exposed (and thus are proposing to leave Salamanca exposed as well), the wall-repairers at Ciudad Rodrigo have made very poor progress (which is worrying the commandant), and I’m a bit worried myself about the logistics of putting into operation a cunning plan to use a British fleet to convey part of the Spanish Army round the coast to the other side of Spain. So it’s all a bit worrying.

Anyway, here is the summary of Weeks 23 and 24, and it’s a comfort to have things moving again...

Seems like a nice boy? – Gen de Divn Claude-François

Ferey, shortly to arrive to take over the Division of the

unfortunate Maucune. A suitably prestigious Art

Miniaturen figure is being commissioned to play the

part of Ferey on the tabletop – watch this space

Week 23

Random Events and Strategic Notes

No progress has been made with the Central Junta’s request that Wellington be seconded to the Spanish service. A further request has been made, for the British Navy to transport España’s force from Vigo, round the coast through Gibraltar, to Tortosa, to join up with the rest of the Spanish 3^rd Army to act against the French (and, potentially, their supply routes) in Aragon and Navarra. It is expected that General Giron would have a more active role with this enlarged field army.

It will take 2 weeks to assemble enough ships, and the actual passage is estimated at 2-3 weeks.

Outbreak of fever at Zaragoza badly affects French forces E & G (which are to combine). Estimated 1500 men in hospital, which is about 30% of French force present. Sickness not prevalent among civilian population.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 7 and the French 4. The Allies opt to move first.

Following losses sustained to staff at the Battle of Carpio de Azaba, the following changes to the French command are announced:

* General de Divn Claude-François Ferey, Baron de Rosengath, has been appointed to take over command of the 5^th Divn of the Armée de Portugal (formerly Maucune’s). Ferey is currently on long-term recuperation leave in France (following wounds received at the Battle of Fuentes d’Onoro) and will not arrive to join his new command until mid July. In the interim, the division will be commanded by Gen de Bde Baron Lamartinière, Marmont’s Chief of Staff.

* While General Berlier is absent from duty, his brigade of Clauzel’s Divn will be commanded by Col de Conchy of 25e Léger

Moves

Allies (7 allowed)

1 – A (Aigburth, with the Allied 3^rd, 7^th and Light Divns, plus cavalry) rests at Ciudad Rodrigo, allowing recovery following the previous week’s battle.

2 – D (Framlingham, with the Allied siege train) marches from Abrantes to Almeida, being ordered to join up with Aigburth’s main army.

3 – Sp B (España) is ordered to march from Orense to Vigo, to prepare his army for embarkation. This is a difficult (brown) road, so a test is required:

2D3 = 5 +2 (España’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 6   - march is completed with no problems

4 – B (Graham, at Braga) to send scouting patrols into Orense

5 – A (Aigburth) to send scouting patrols into the area around Salamanca, to monitor the state and position of the French field armies.

6 – British ships at Gibraltar, Lisbon and Porto ordered to make ready and sail for Vigo within 1 week.

[Intelligence step -

• no French forces detected in Orense – assume Marmont is still at Leon.
• patrols from KGL and Brunswick Hussars report that Clauzel’s defeated force has stopped at Salamanca, and is not in good shape. Jourdan’s force also in this area, giving the French an estimated total of 25000 in this area [this is an over-estimate]]

French (4 allowed)

1 – I (Clauzel) rests at Salamanca.

2 – E (Rabbe’s bde of Abbé’s Division of the Armée du Nord) and G (Lacharrue’s bde of the same Divn) are to combine as E, under Abbé, at Zaragoza.

3 – K (Jourdan, at Salamanca) to send scouting patrols towards Ciudad Rodrigo.

4 – N (Marmont, at Leon), to send patrols into Zamora and Lugo.

[Intelligence step –

• Troopers from Maupoint’s cavalry brigade (in force K) detect no general movement of Allied units from Ciudad Rodrigo – Allied scouts reported around Salamanca area – presence of 1^st Hussars KGL confirms that Allied main army is still at Ciudad – no details known
• Cavalry attached to Marmont, at Leon, have found no Allied movements around Lugo, and have little definite information – hostility of civilian population in this area makes scouting very difficult. One party of 30 troopers  from 22e Chasseurs disappeared without trace near Sarria, presumed captured.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. French Force E at Zaragoza is Demoralized by serious outbreak of fever – this week’s losses to the hospital are:

4/28e Leg  -3 blocks; Chass des Montagnes, Gren Prov, 1/Dgns Prov, 4e Vistule & Tirailleur bn each -1 block = 1500 men in total.

Contacts

None, apart from scouts.

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 4D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 4 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 5 3 3 1, so no progress with the Fortress Value, which remains at 4.

HMS Inconsolable, 74 guns, Captain James Thornycroft,

which will be the command ship for the little fleet

transporting España’s troops from Vigo to Tortosa

Week 24

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Outbreak of fever at Zaragoza seems to have been related to troops being supplied with drinking water obtained from the River Ebro. No new cases reported this week.

Concerned about the safety of Madrid, King Joseph has ordered Jourdan to return there with his force, leaving Marmont and Clauzel with responsibility for Leon and Castille.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 4 and the French 5. The French opt to move first.

Moves

French (5 allowed)

1 – E (Abbé’s Division of the Armée du Nord) rest at Zaragoza, to recover from fever outbreak.

2 – K (Jourdan) to march from Salamanca to Avila, en route to Madrid.

3 – N (Marmont) to march from Leon to Zamora, to communicate with Clauzel.

4 – I (Clauzel) to scout from Salamanca towards Ciudad Rodrigo.

5 – N (Marmont) to scout from Zamora towards Orense.

[Intelligence step –

• No new information – the French are unaware that España has marched to Vigo]

Allies (4 allowed)

1 – British flotilla at Vigo take on supplies, and embark Spanish troops...

2 – Sp B (España) embark themselves and their equipment at the port of Vigo.

3 – D (Framlingham, with the Allied siege train) marches from Almeida to Ciudad Rodrigo.

4 – B (Graham, at Braga) to send scouting patrols into Orense

[Intelligence step -

• no significant French forces detected in Orense, though some contact with unidentified French cavalry in this area.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. French Force E at Zaragoza is no longer Demoralized by fever, since it has been contained.

Contacts

None, apart from scouts.

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 4D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 4 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 5 4 3 2, so no progress with the Fortress Value, which remains at 4. Col D’Orsay, temporary commandant at Ciudad Rodrigo, is said to be very disappointed by lack of progress, since the withdrawal of Jourdan’s troops to Madrid leaves him exposed to attack.

Solo Campaign – where is it?

Back in February I got a nice email from Francis, which prompted a time-out discussion of how my solo Peninsular War campaign worked. I was a bit shaken at the time to learn that Francis was sufficiently excited about my efforts to think about having a go himself.

This week Francis was in touch again, asking what has happened to the solo campaign – have I abandoned it?

It’s a good question, but the answer is no – the campaign continues, but has been delayed for a number of reasons, some of which are not really very good reasons at all.

(1) Recent bad attack of Real Life – I have been involved with banks and lawyers and an accountant and all sorts of people, trying to make sense of my mother’s finances (which are not in trouble – merely obscure) and also to do some work on a trust fund of which I am the managing trustee. Boring but necessary. In truth, the impact on hobby time has been less to do with the actual time spent on these tasks than with the dispiriting effect that they have. Spending an hour trying to have a sensible discussion with my “personal account manager” at RBS, for example, is a depressing experience for both of us.

(2) The English Civil War – my reading and the arrival of the first real troops have absorbed a lot of the available enthusiasm. Much of the hobby time I have had has been spent on this. That’s all fine – there’s no rush, after all.

(3) The amount of joy I get from the campaign has been dimmed a bit by a couple of early decisions I made which I now regret. This is not a terminal problem, and I intend to carry on anyway, but I wouldn’t do this campaign the same way again. The particular issues are:

(a) The intelligence rules don’t really work very well – more seriously, they are tedious enough to prompt me to take shortcuts or marginalise them. They would work well for two players with an umpire – this is a comment which is of general application to a number of the problems I’ve come up against, and is maybe a reflection of the inherent difficulty of making sense of a solo campaign – or at least of my failure to understand these difficulties fully in advance.

(b) The theatre of operations is hugely complex, and I thought I was being clever by adopting the game map from Omega Games’ “War to the Death”, which represents the peninsula as an array of “Area” boxes connected by notional roads. This greatly simplified the movement and supply rules. I also declared some parts of Spain off-limits for the game, to concentrate activity into the area around the Portuguese border and the roads back towards France and Madrid. In reality, this has forced the campaign into too few areas – the tendency is for big clumpy armies to march around the same parts of the map. I would have been happier with a more detailed map, and more detailed distribution of the forces, but the workload would have been impossible. Again, this is an area where the campaign would have worked better with two players and an umpire...

(c) This one is a real pain – I originally intended to write a little computer program to handle attrition, recruitment and battle losses and recovery for all the units. I didn’t, since I was not confident that the rules were firm enough, and since the dice-throwing rules I had drawn up looked simple in operation. This paper-based book-keeping is proving to be a lot of work – even with a battery of spreadsheets, it is a problem. I wish I had written that program – it would have reduced the workload of running the campaign by about 40%. The campaign will not work without the numbers, but I would rather spend my time on map movement, battles and writing up the account. An umpire would have had a problem with this too. I could still write the program, but it’s a bit late now.

Not another letter from my mother's lawyer?

So? So I’ll get back to the campaign very soon, with due apologies to anyone who has missed it, and with thanks to Francis for giving me a prod. The arrival of November and the greater emphasis on indoor activities will be a help.

I have been thinking of uniting the two separate parts of the Spanish “4^th Army” by sailing one part around the Spanish coast on British ships, but need to add a few rules to make this work. I must read up on how fast ships sailed in 1812, and maybe introduce a random event which can sink the lot in a storm!

The campaign was still a good idea. I just needed more time and a new brain. 

Solo Campaign - Battle of Carpio de Azaba

Troops from D'Arnauld's brigade in Carpio Village

The Battle of Carpio de Azaba, 18^th June 1812

With a letter from the Minister for War in his saddlebags, urging him to press on, the new Allied C-in-C, The Earl of Aigburth (better known as General Banestre Tarleton), advanced very rapidly from Almeida, over the border into Spain, along the road towards Ciudad Rodrigo. His intention was to attempt to surprise Clauzel, with the portion of the Armée de Portugal which had been ordered to protect Ciudad Rodrigo, defeat him, and move on to attack the fortress before the French had time to make good the defences damaged during their own successful siege a month earlier.

Aigburth’s force comprised the Anglo-Portuguese Third, Seventh and Light Divisions of infantry, the cavalry brigades of Long, Viktor Von Alten and De Jonquieres, a single battery of foot artillery and no less than three troops of horse artillery, a force of 16,600 men with 22 guns. Some regiments in the Seventh Divn were severely reduced in numbers by their efforts in the campaign to date. The few remaining fit men of the Brunswick-Oels Jaeger battalion, the 51^st Foot, the 68^th Foot and the 2^nd Light Bn of the KGL were attached to other regiments. The army made good time on the march, the spirit of the troops was excellent, considering what they had been through in past months. On the night of Monday 15^th June the column bivouacked near to the old battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro, which was seen as a positive omen by the men. Always wakeful and urging more speed, the Earl impressed his staff by his energy and the clarity of his orders.

As had been the case just three weeks earlier, his army was opposed by Clauzel, with his own and Maucune’s Divisions of the Armée de Portugal, plus the cavalry brigades of Col. Picquet and Treillard and 4 foot batteries – a total 13,550 men with 32 guns. Having recently retreated from Almeida after being defeated there by Wellington (with a very similar OOB for both sides), Clauzel had assembled his force with considerable haste from its wide-spread billets. At 9:30 in the morning of 18^th June, with his infantry still shivering from fording the Rivera de Azaba during the night, Aigburth advanced to attack the French position – Clauzel had placed his line with its centre in the village of Carpio de Azaba.

[This game was played using CCN rules but, because the forces were rather too large for the Command Card system, an additional rule was added whereby the “Probe” Section cards could be played, instead, as a single move of all units and leaders in the named section – this movement could not result in contact, and the moved units could not carry out any combat. This option was exercised twice during the action. Being the attackers, the Allies had first move throughout, 6 cards each, and 10 Victory Banners for outright victory.]

The field is part of a plateau adjacent to the Spanish border. There are a number of small hillocks and some wooded areas, but the field is generally open. The village of Carpio was roughly triangular in 1812, with a population of approximately 250.

Aigburth positioned Picton’s Third Divn on his right, with the Light Divn, supported by all the horse artillery and with the Seventh Divn in reserve behind them, on the left and opposite the village. Clauzel had Berlier (with Clauzel’s Divn) on his left, and Maucune’s Divn in the village and extending to his right. Both generals placed most of their cavalry on the flanks – aware that the open ground would make cavalry a threat.

The Allied attack began on the left – riflemen and horse artillery to the fore, in a style which must have been very different from Tarleton’s experience in America 30 years before. The Rifles came into their own, using their extra range to harass the French gunners and cause loss to the French infantry. This stage of the attack was mainly an exchange of artillery fire, while some rifle units on the Allied left flank cleared a wooded area of French infantry, but progress was halted abruptly when the French, led in person by Baron Maucune, rallied strongly and pushed the Allies back again. This counter-attack was so vigorous, and for a while so successful, that at one stage it was difficult to see which army was the attacker, but – once again – the unsung heroes of Eustace’s Chasseurs Britanniques held things together, established themselves in one of the disputed woods and allowed time for the reserves to come up. There was some frenzied cavalry action on this flank at this point – the Duke of Brunswick-Oels’ Hussars performing in outstanding fashion, defeating both the 14e Chasseurs a Cheval and the Lanciers de la Vistule, who were routed very quickly – admittedly General Cotton was present in person, [and he brought a fine Cavalry Charge card with him].

Once again, the cavalry conflicts did little but wipe out most of the cavalry [mental note: I really must try to have a solo wargame some time which does not involve so much pointless slaughter in the cavalry]. However, the combined Portuguese cavalry unit did well to force one of the battalions of the 82e Ligne into square, a situation from which they were chased by the combined fire of Ross’ Troop of the RHA and a battalion of the 95^th Rifles.

At this point, as a result of artillery fire on the advancing British, and of the cavalry actions on the flanks, the French held a 7:2 lead in Victory Banners, a situation which did not really reflect the balance of advantage. The French were defending stoutly, and Clauzel was generally successful in pulling tired units out of the firing line and bringing in fresh ones, but – despite his apparent advantage in Victory Banners – he now had many units which were reduced to a single base/block, and were no longer able to contribute to the battle. If the Allies could avoid suffering the critical 10^th Banner, they had enough troops to win the day.

In the end, the result was (in boxing terms) a points win. The Allies never did roll over the French line, nor break into Carpio village – as the attack developed, the Victory Banners score came to 8-all, then 9:8 to the Allies as a battery was put out of action, then 9-all as the French replied in kind, and silenced MacDonald’s RHA troop. Then the last of Montfort’s battalions on the right were broken by the Allied fire, and it was 10:9 to Aigburth. Rather closer than he would have hoped for, but a clear enough win in the end.

Clauzel withdrew in good order, the 3 battalions of the 15e Ligne determinedly holding the village to cover the retreat, but his lack of cavalry meant that most of the wounded had to be left on the field, and there was an element of panic among the troops as they fell back – leaving the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo exposed and heading to join with Jourdan’s forces at Salamanca.

General de Brigade Berlier, commanding Clauzel’s Divn on the day, was seriously wounded late in the day, and  General de Division Maucune was struck by a canister ball while at the head of the 86e Ligne, and he died within minutes.

The Earl of Aigburth was clearly elated at the end of the action, but was shaking with fatigue. The Portuguese cavalry, the KGL heavy dragoons and the heroic Brunswick Hussars were dispatched to keep the retiring French moving, and to assess the situation at Ciudad Rodrigo.

    

OOBs

French Force – Gen de Divn Bertrand, Baron Clauzel

2^nd Divn, Armée de Portugal (Gen de Bde Berlier, acting)

Bde Berlier (Col. De Conchy) – 25e Leger & 27e Ligne [3 bns]

Bde Pinoteau – 50e & 59e Ligne [4]

15/3e Art a Pied (Capt. Pajot)

5^th Divn, Armée de Portugal (Gen de Divn Antoine-Louis Popon, Baron Maucune)

Bde Arnauld – 15e & 66e Ligne [4 Bns]

Bde Montfort – 82e & 86e Ligne [3]

11/8e Art a Pied (Capt. Genta)

Cavalry

Bde Col. Picquet – 6e Dragons & 1er Dragons Provisoirs (4e & 11e) [6 Sqns]

Bde Treillard – 14e Chasseurs, 7e Chev-Lanc (Vistule), Dragoni Napoleone [9 Sqns]

Reserve Artillery

10/3e & 19/3e Art a Pied (Capts. Dyvincourt & Gariel)

Total force engaged approx 13550 men with 32 guns. Loss approx 3200 infantry, 875 cavalry and 10 guns. Gen. Berlier was severely wounded, though he is expected to recover. General Maucune was killed leading his Division.

Allied Force – General the Earl of Aigburth

Third Divn (Maj.Gen Sir Thomas Picton)

Col. Wallace’s Bde – 1/45^th, 74^th & 1/88^th Ft + 3 coys 5/60^th

Col. J Campbell’s Bde – 2/5^th, 2/83^rd & 94^th Ft

Palmeirim’s Bde – 9^th & 21^st Ptgse + 11^th Cacadores [5 Bns total]

10/9^th Bn Royal Artillery (Maj. Douglas)

Seventh Divn (Maj.Gen JHK Von Bernewitz, acting)

Col. Halkett’s Bde – combined Lt Bn (1^st & 2^nd Lt Bns KGL & 68^th Ft)

Von Bernewitz’ Bde (Col. Eustace) – Chasseurs Britanniques & Tomar Militia Bn (attached)

Troop E, RHA (Capt. MacDonald)

Light Divn (Maj.Gen Karl, Baron Von Alten)

Col. Beckwith’s Bde – 1/43^rd, 1/95^th & 3/95^th + 3^rd Cacadores

Vandeleur’s Bde – 1/52^nd & 2/95^th + 1^st Cacadores

Troop I, RHA (Maj. Ross)

Cavalry (Lt.Gen Sir Stapleton Cotton)

                Long’s Bde – 3^rd Dgns, 5^th Dgn Gds [6 Sqns]

                Viktor Von Alten’s Bde – 1^st Hussars KGL, Brunswick-Oels Hussars [6]

                Provisional Bde (Col. De Jonquières) – 1^st Dgns KGL, Prov Ptgse Cav (dets 1^st & 11^th) [6]

Troop A, RHA (Maj. Bull)

Total force engaged, approx 16600 men with 22 guns. Total loss approx 1100 infantry, 725 cavalry and 4 guns disabled.

Detail losses:

French – 1/27 (-3 blocks), 2/27 (-1), 2/50, 3/50, 4/66 (-2 each), 15/3 Art a Pied (-1), Arnauld’s tirailleur bn, 5/82 (-2 each), 1/86, 2/86 (-1 each), 6e Dragons (-2), 11e Dragons (-1), 10/3 Art a Pied (-3), 4e Dragons, 14e Ch-a-Ch (-1 each), Lanciers de la Vistule (-2)

Anglo-Portuguese – Wallace’s combined lt.coys (-2), 5/60^th (-1), Troop ‘E’ RHA (-2), 1/95^th (-1), 1^st Cac (-2), 1/52^nd, 2/95^th (-1 each), 3^rd Dgns (-3), 5^th Dgn Gds (-1), KGL Hussars (-1)

General view at the start, from the South-East (behind the French left)

Clauzel's position, from his left - Picquet's dragoons in the foreground

Treillard's light cavalry, on the other flank, with the Vistula Legion

Lancers in evidence - they did not have a good day  

Hanging about - some of Picton's troops

First time in action since the previous century - the Earl of

Aigburth watches anxiously

State of the Art - rifles and horse artillery - slow going, though

95th Rifles - the Qualiticast Battalion

Cotton supervising the Riflemen clearing the woods...

...with the odd setback

Fine fellows all - the Chasseurs Britanniques, who have done very well

throughout the campaign

Assault Center - and about time too

The Brunswick Hussars upset some elite opposition.

Bearing in mind his fondness for a bet, we can only hope

the Earl had some money on this one

With everything updated for the battle, here are the returns and the map for 21st June 1812 (Week 22)

Solo Campaign - Week 22

Iglesia Parroquial de la Asuncion, at Carpio, which was used as

a French field hospital during the battle on 18th June 1812

Well, it's possibly going to end in tears, but General Tarleton is going for it in style. He has entered Spain, and is attacking Clauzel's force near the village of Carpio, not far from Fuentes de Onoro. I hope to fight the actual battle next weekend, so will produce the necessary map and returns after that, along with the batrep, of course.

Week 22

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Completely coincidentally, but appropriately, the Earl of Aigburth (Tarleton) has been given official orders to adopt a much more aggressive strategy [than his predecessor].

The Central Junta has now made a formal request that Wellington might be seconded to the Spanish service. The exact nature of the role he could play is unclear. There is a theory that aid for the Spanish army in the form of money and equipment would be more readily available if Wellington were actively involved.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give both the Allies and the French 3 – a remarkable thing to witness! Since they moved first last week, the French take the option to do so again.

Moves

French (3 allowed)

1 – N (Marmont) marches from Zamora to Leon

2 – E (Abbé, with Rabbe’s bde of his own Division of the Armée du Nord) marches from Tudela to Zaragoza...

3 – ...and G (Lacharrue’s bde of the same Divn) marches from Sadaba to Zaragoza, thus threatening Morillo’s Spanish force

[Intelligence step –

• no scouting orders]

Allies (3 allowed)

1 – Sp C (Morillo) retreats from Zaragoza back to Alcaniz. Since the advancing French force has no cavalry, his retreat is not hindered.

2 – D (Framlingham, with the Allied siege train) marches from Elvas, across the Tajo to Abrantes. This is a difficult (brown) road, so a test is required:

2D3 = 4 +2 (Framlingham’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 5   - march is completed with no problems

3 – A (Aigburth, with the Anglo-Portuguese 3^rd, 7^th and Light Divns) advances over the border into Spain, from Almeida to the Ciudad Rodrigo area, where he attacks Clauzel’s portion of the Armée de Portugal

[Intelligence step -

• no scouting orders]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. No-one is Demoralised.

Contacts

The Earl of Aigburth, directed to take the offensive, and wishing to set up an attack on Ciudad Rodrigo before the French could complete their repairs to the badly damaged defences, led his force which was at Almeida over the border into Spain, towards Ciudad Rodrigo. This force consisted of The Allied Third, Seventh and Light Divns, with three attached cavalry brigades – a total of approx 16600 men. On the night of Tuesday 16^th June the army halted near the old battlefield of Fuentes de Onoro, which was hailed as an omen of coming victory by the troops.

Clauzel

The area ahead was occupied by Bertrand Clauzel, who had his own and Maucune’s Divisions of the Armée de Portugal, plus cavalry, and could field approx 13500, with something of a superiority in artillery. Clauzel was surprised by the advance – largely because a lack of orders [as a result of the dreadful Activation dice roll!] had not allowed for any scouting patrols to check the border – and he was further handicapped in that his troops were spread over a wide area to secure adequate quartering in the poor countryside. By the time the presence of the Allied troops was reported, there was a further delay while Clauzel collected together his force, which allowed Aigburth to effect a daring crossing of the little Rivera de Azaba (a tributary of the Agueda) during the night of Wednesday 17^th.

The armies met in the early morning of Thursday 18^th June, in an area of poor but fairly level farmland. Clauzel, obliged to stand his ground to protect Ciudad Rodrigo, placed the centre of his line in the village of Carpio de Azaba, which was to give its name to the battle fought on that day.

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 4D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 3 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 6 4 4 3, so the Fortress Value regains a further 1, becoming 4.

Solo Campaign - Weeks 20 & 21

The Earl of Aigburth - a portrait painted by his wife, showing him in

the ancient regalia appropriate to his position as Governor of

Berwick on Tweed

There's been a bit of a delay, with holidays and a computer problem and a few other distractions, but here are the next two weeks of the Peninsular War campaign. Wellington has now been notified of the change of command, and his successor, the Earl of Aigburth (that's Tarleton to you and me) is at Porto, and  will arrive at Almeida to review his army in a week or so.

Following on from the hectic activity of the end of May, these two weeks have been spent resting and re-shuffling the armies. The French have now withdrawn from Portugal, though they now hold the fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, which they are repairing.

There is a possibility that the Spanish Supreme Junta may request that the British Army second Wellington to the Spanish service - but this may just be a mischievous rumour.

Week 20

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Wellington is still not aware that he is to be replaced by the Earl of Aigburth, and so continues to command in the field.

After the fighting at the end of May, both armies require rest and some re-organisation.

Housekeeping

Following General de Divn Nicolas Guye’s wound at Balsa, General Casapalacios commands Guye’s Divn of the Armée du Centre, and Casapalacios’ own brigade of Bonapartist Spanish line troops is temporarily commanded by Col. Hugo of the Regt Royal-Etranger.

Following the death of the Earl of Dalhousie at Almeida, Maj-Gen Von Bernewitz has temporary command of the Anglo-Portuguese Seventh Divn, and Von Bernewitz’s own brigade is temporarily commanded by Lt.Col Eustace of the Chasseurs Britanniques.

The 3D3 activation throws give Allies 4, French 5 – French elect to move first.

Moves

French (5 allowed)

1 – 3 Bns of H (Chassé) leave Ciudad Rodrigo garrison and join up with Jourdan’s Group K...

2 – ...leaving behind the battalion of the Regt de Prusse, to be joined by Col D’Orsay (3 bns of 122e Ligne – Group C), who marches from Salamanca to become new garrison

3 – O (Clausel) and I (Maucune) join at Ciudad Rodrigo to become new Group I, under command of Clauzel...

4 – ...and they rest for a week

5 – N (Marmont, at Orense) rests for a week

 [Intelligence step –

• no scouting orders]

Allies (4 allowed)

1 – A (Wellington, at Almeida) rests

2 – B (Graham, at Braga) rests

3 – C (Von Alten, at Almeida) rests

4 – Sp B (España, at Braga) rests

 [Intelligence step -

• no scouting orders]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. No-one is Demoralised.

Contacts

None

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 4D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 2 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 5 4 3 2, so the Fortress Value remains 2. Not good enough...

Week 21

Random Events and Strategic Notes

The Earl of Aigburth has arrived at Porto, and will join the Allied HQ at Almeida next week.

The main priority for both armies is re-organisation – Jourdan’s Armée du Centre, for example, currently has no cavalry at all.

It is extremely unsatisfactory for the Spanish Central Junta to have España’s part of their 3^rd Army serving in Portugal, so it is a priority for the Allies to move him back into Spain as soon as is practicable.

The Central Junta is also debating whether to request that Wellington be seconded to the Spanish service, if he is not required for the British...

Housekeeping

This is the week ending closest to the 15^th of the month, so replacements, reinforcements and returns from hospital are added to the returns for all armies.

Details of additions (in CCN "blocks"):

French – 2/25L (+2 blocks), 3/25L (+3), 2/59, 5/82, 6 Dr, 11 Dr, Regt de Francfort, Neuenstein’s Tirailleur Bn, 1/It 2L, 2/3 It, 2/5 It, 1/69, 2/76 (all +1), 3 Huss (+2), 1/Gd Gren, 1/Gd Fus, 2/Gd Fus, 13 Cuir (all +1) – total additions approx 3400 infantry, 600 cavalry

Allies – 1/21 Ptgse, 68^th (each +1), Chass Brit, 1 Dr KGL (each +2), 1 Ptgse Cav, 11 Ptgse Cav, Bull’s Troop RHA (all +1), 1/Coldstreams (+2), 2/24 (+1), 2/KGL (+2), Gardner’s Bty RA, 1/43^rd, 3/95^th (all +1), 1 Cac, 2/95^th (each +2), Ross’ Troop RHA, 1/36^th, 1^st Sevilla (all +1), 1.Lanc de Castilla (+2), 2.Lanc de Castilla (+1) – total additions approx 3400 infantry, 840 cavalry, 6 guns.

The 3D3 activation throws give Allies 4, French 8 – French elect to move first.

Moves

French (8 allowed)

1 – K (Jourdan) marches from Ciudad Rodrigo to Salamanca

2 – N (Marmont) marches from Orense over the hills to Zamora. Since this is a difficult road, a test is required:

2D3 = 4 +3 (Marmont’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 6   - march is completed with no problems

3 – Marmont detaches Maupoint, with the cavalry of the Armée du Nord...

4 – ...who march to Salamanca...

5 – ...and join Jourdan (K)

[Intelligence step –

• no scouting orders]

Allies (4 allowed)

1 – A (Aigburth, at Almeida) absorbs C (Von Alten, at Almeida)

2 – Sp B (España) marches from Braga to Orense. Since this is a difficult road, a test is required:

2D3 = 5 +2 (España’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 6   - march is completed with no problems

3 – E (Clinton) marches from Porto to Braga. Since this is a difficult road, a test is required:

2D3 = 4 +2 (Clinton’s rating) -1 (brown road) = 5   - march is completed with no problems

4 – E (Clinton) merges into B (Graham) at Braga

 [Intelligence step -

• no scouting orders]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. No-one is Demoralised.

Contacts

None

Engineering at Ciudad Rodrigo

Each battalion present with the garrison rolls 1D6 each week, giving 4D6 – every 6 rolled adds 1 to the Fortress Value, which is currently 2 – aiming to be repaired to a full value of 6.  This week, the dice come up 6 5 5 3, so the Fortress Value regains a further 1, becoming 3.