Solo Campaign - Weeks 33 & 34

French soldiers in the main square at Burgos, astonished by the futuristic
architecture and apparently oblivious to a Spanish presence on the
right of the picture

The Earl of Aigburth is severely compromised by the failure of the brave new Spanish Third Army at Vinuesa - the planned attack on the French communications is now impossible, and the main Anglo-Portuguese and French armies are squared up in the region of the Duero, too evenly matched for either side to risk going on the offensive.

Aigburth is also concerned that the Summer is almost over, and the marching season is drawing to an end - the roads in the mountains and on the Portuguese border are a serious problem in bad weather, as a number of the generals present have learned to their cost this year.

Week 33

Random Events and Strategic Notes

The Allied strategy has taken a severe knock with Giron’s defeat at Vinuesa. The Spanish main army is in a very poor state, and since Giron wishes to retreat to Madrid while the army is both Tired and Demoralised, he will suffer further losses on the march.

Aigburth’s intention was to have Giron occupy, or at least threaten, the areas around Tudela, Lodosa and Vitoria, which would effectively sever the French supply roads from Bayonne and force Marmont’s and Clauzel’s French forces to leave Castilla and retreat into Vizcaya. To support a possible attack on Burgos (now no longer an option), Aigburth had ordered forward the Allied siege train.

As things stand now, Marmont and Clauzel are not strong enough to take the offensive against the Allied armies of Graham (at Zamora) and Aigburth himself (at Salamanca) and, with the end of the Summer approaching, Aigburth does not consider that he has sufficient numerical advantage to advance to drive the French back, so the situation is something of a stalemate.

The Principal Junta have replied (at some length) to Aigburth’s note conveying his disappointment over Giron’s performance at Vinuesa. The following extract is significant:

“Your Excellency will be aware that the armies of King Ferdinand have had unsuccessful days before, and have always risen again to fight the invaders. The courage of our soldiers has never been in doubt, and the battlefield experience gained by this young army will be valuable – we have no reason to question the suitability of Captain General Giron to continue in command. With rest and reinforcements (of which we have an ever-increasing supply), the army will be ready to take the field again by the beginning of November. Perhaps Your Excellency and your staff would be better engaged in offering a more active threat to our enemies, rather than concerning yourself with issues which are solely Spanish matters.”

Aigburth has observed privately to members of his staff that Giron is indeed a lucky man to be the nephew of Castaños, the victor of Bailen, but also accepts that Giron and his limitations are at least familiar to him, where a replacement might be a complete unknown.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 6 and the French 5. The Allies opt to move first.

Moves

Allies (6 allowed)

1 – Sp B (Giron, at Guadalajara) retreats to Madrid. Since his troops are already Tired and Demoralised, this will involve further loss through desertion and men falling out on the march [Dice for every base/block making the retreat – regulars are lost on a throw of 1, irregular/militia on a throw of 1 or 2]

2 – Sp I (Irregulars of the Junta de Navarra) is placed back on the map at Caltayud, since they are pretty much ready to operate again in this area.

[Intelligence step -

• No new information.] 

French (5 allowed)

1 – K (Jourdan/Joseph, at Soria) marches into Aranda, to provide the left wing of the front line which the French propose to hold

2 – Q (Dujour, with a force of Garde Nationale forming the garrison at Jaca) advance into Huesca to attack Sp H (Cruchaga, with a small partida force)

3 – King Joseph’s personal HQ is now at Burgos, and forms part of Force U there

[Intelligence step –

• No new information.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. Giron’s army suffers further losses on the retreat to Madrid: Regulars lose 200 infantry, Volunteers and Militia lose 600 infantry and 250 cavalry.

Contacts

French Force Q (Dujour, with 3500 Garde Nationale from the garrison of Jaca) enter the area of Huesca to attack Spanish Force H (Cruchaga, with approx. 750 guerrilas). Employing the special rule for guerrilleros, Cruchaga’s force disappears into the hills and travels across country, reappearing on the map at Alcaniz. No contact, no action.

Week 34

Random Events and Strategic Notes

Nothing new in the campaign area, but again there is concern that at least part of the French army will be recalled to France to replace losses in Russia.

General Guye has returned to active service, and resumes command of his Division of the Armée du Centre, attached to Marmont at Leon.

Housekeeping

The 3D3 activation throws give the Allies 7 and the French 7. Since they had the initiative last week, the Allies again opt to move first.

Moves

Allies (7 allowed)

1 – Sp B (Giron) rests at Madrid

[Intelligence step -

• No new information]

French (7 allowed)

1 – R (Paquerette) returns from Soria to Tudela, to resume garrison duties

2 – Q (Dujour) returns from Huesca to Jaca, to resume garrison duties

[Intelligence step –

• No new information.]

Supplies and Demoralisation

This is the weekend closest to the middle of the month, which is when reinforcements, replacements and returns from hospital are diced for – since Giron’s army is Demoralised they should not be entitled to any reinforcements, but in fact their return to Madrid had resulted in a massive rush of volunteers – there is a big rise in patriotic fervour since the capital was abandoned by the French – therefore Giron will get reinforcements like everyone else.

Detailed additions:

French – 4/28L, 1/Drag Prov, Lacharrue’s Tirailleurs, 1/25L, 2/25L. 3/25L, 1/27, 2/27, 2/50, 3/50, 1/59, 15/3 Art a Pied, 5/66, 2/86, 11 Dgns, Lanc de la Vistule, 2/2 Nassau, 2/4 Baden, Neuenstein’s Tirailleurs, 1/4 Hesse, 25 Dgns, 3 Huss, 2/2 Spanish Line, 1/Royal Etranger – each +1 block; 10/3 Art a Pied, 1/Sp Gd Grenadiers, 1/Sp Gd Fusiliers, 1/2 Spanish Line – each +2 blocks; 5/82 +3 blocks. Total increase from these additions is approx. 5400 infantry, 500 cavalry and 7 guns.

Anglo-Portuguese – 2/21^st Port, 1^st Lt Bn KGL, 68^th, 1/95^th, 1^st Cac – each +1 block; Br-Oels Jaegers +2 blocks. Total increase is approx. 1400 infantry.

Spanish – Caz de Castilla, 1^st Ft Battery, 2 Lanc de Castilla, Vols de Valencia,  Ligero del Reino, Leon, 2^nd Ft Battery, Coraceros, Vols de Espana, Hus de Extremadura – each +1 black; Tir de Castilla, Loyales de Zamora, La Union, Vols Aragon, Vols Guadalajara – each +2 blocks; 2 Princesa, Def de Fern VII, Leg Extremena, Regt del Ribeiro – each +3 blocks. Total increase from these additions is approx. 5200 infantry, 500 cavalry and 4 guns.

Contacts

None.

Solo Campaign - Week 32

Vernet's portrait of Pablo Morillo

Well, after last week's misfortunes for the Spanish army, there's a lot of trouble, as you might expect. Poor old Giron had to retreat to Guadalajara in the most trying of circumstances, and lost a whole lot more of his troops on the way. Tarleton has put in his customary, tactful tuppenceworth and it is all really very difficult.

Giron has blamed the poor performance of Espana's Division for his defeat, and Espana has claimed that the positioning of the army made defeat inevitable - there is mention of a major rift between these gentlemen - Espana was talked out of challenging Giron to a duel, but they are currently refusing to answer each other's communications. The only individuals in the Spanish Third Army who have come out of this with any credit are Espeleta, who did an unexpectedly good job standing in for Morillo, and Morillo himself, who had the good fortune to be absent through ill health and thus has managed to avoid any share of the blame. 

Morillo is tipped as the Third Army's next commander, though it is unlikely to be able to take the field for the foreseeable future. Once again, there are mutterings about the Supreme Junta requesting Wellington's secondment to Spanish service, but it seems very unlikely. 

Morillo's portrait of Horace Vernet

Week 32

Random Events and Strategic Notes

The two defeated Spanish armies have retreated, each in its own way. Since there is nowhere they can move to without leaving Vizcaya (which is not permitted under the campaign rules), the irregular army commanded by “El Banquero” is subject to the special guerrilla rules, and is removed from the map. This represents dispersal of the troops and loss of equipment, but the Junta de Vizcaya may mobilise this force again if required.

Giron’s Third Army, following its defeat at Vinuesa, is both Tired and Demoralised, and – since there is no alternative – must retreat into either Calatayud or Guadalajara. In both cases, the roads are rough, and the retreat is subject to harassment from French cavalry (this is not classified as Severe Harrassment since Jourdan does not have much of a superiority in fresh cavalry after Vinuesa.) The prospects for Giron are not good in the short term, however this works out.

News of Giron’s defeat has reached Aigburth (Tarleton), who has sent a strongly worded communication to the Spanish Principal Junta, from which is taken the following extract:

"Despite every advantage of ground, superiority of numbers and weight of ordnance, and despite the very evident courage and stubbornness displayed by the soldiery, there is no escaping the fact that Captain General Giron’s army has been badly beaten by the weakest of the three French field armies -  and it is to be noted that this French army consisted primarily of Allied auxiliaries who are not regarded as being of the highest calibre or having the highest levels of motivation. It is important that General Giron should rest and re-organise his army, and I shall offer him any assistance he requires for this, but I have no further confidence in the ability of large Spanish armies to engage the enemy in set-piece actions of this type. Whatever may have been the agreement with my predecessor, I shall assume that the initiative in the field for this campaign lies chiefly with my own forces. By any standards, my esteemed colleague’s performance has been a great disappointment.

Housekeeping

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

Moves

Allies (4 allowed)

1 – Sp B (Giron, at Soria) retreats his defeated army over the hilly roads into Guadalajara. This requires a test, for all sorts of reasons

2D3 = 4 +2 (Giron’s rating) -1 (brown road) -1 (Demoralised) -1 (Tired) -1 (Harrassment) = 2   - the army arrives in Guadalajara, but there is extensive further loss through desertion and troops being cut off from their units [Dice for every base/block making the retreat – regulars are lost on a throw of 1 or 2, irregular/militia on a throw of 1, 2 or 3]

2 – Sp G (El Banquero’s irregular troops at Soria) disperses and is removed from the map, though the Junta de Vizcaya may raise this force again…

 [Intelligence step -

• No new information.] 

French (4 allowed)

1 – R (Paquerette, with Garde Nationale force at Soria), rests

2 – K (Jourdan/Joseph, at Soria) rests

3 – U (Siege Train and King Joseph’s baggage train) marches from Valladolid to Burgos

4 – I (Clauzel, at Valladolid) sends scouting patrols into Salamanca, to watch Aigburth’s army

 [Intelligence step –

• No new information.] 

Supplies and Demoralisation

All units are in supply. Giron’s army suffers further losses on the retreat to Guadalajara: Regulars lose 1600 infantry and 3 guns, Volunteers and Militia lose 2800 infantry, 130 cavalry and 4 guns.

Contacts

None.

Solo Campaign - Battle of Vinuesa, Saturday 22nd August 1812

General view at the start, from behind the French right

Battle of Vinuesa, 22^nd Aug 1812

Spanish Third Army (General Pedro Agostin Giron) - 13200 inf, 1800 cavalry, 18 guns

First Division (España)

            Zaldibar’s Brigade

                        1/2^o Princesa + Tiradores de Castilla

            Parker Carroll’s Brigade

                        1/Sevilla + 1/2^o Jaen + Cazadores de Castilla

            Pardo’s Brigade*

Vols de Valencia + Ligero del Reino de Valencia + 2^o Loyales de Zamora + Defensores de Fernando VII

            Cavalry Brigade* (Sanchez)

                        1^er & 2^o Lanceros de Castilla

Foot battery (Capt Herrera)

Avila volunteer battery* (Capt Arguellas)

Second Division (Morillo) – Morillo was absent, ill, and Espeleta commanded the Division

            Bausa y Ortiz’s Brigade

                        1/Leon + 1/Bailen + Vols de la Victoria  

            Cordoba’s Brigade

                        1/La Union + 1/2^o Mallorca + Legion Extremena

            Espeleta’s Brigade*

                        Vols de Guadalajara + Aragon + Cuenca + Regto del Ribeiro

            Cavalry Brigade (Penne)

Coraceros Espanoles + Hus de Extemadura + Vols de España

Foot battery (Capt Hidalgo)

Foot battery (Capt Estrabismo)

* - formations marked with an asterisk are classified as militia for C&CN rules

Since the Spanish artillery batteries have only 4 guns each, they are classed as “Reduced” in the CCN rules

French Army (Marshal Jourdan) - 9950 inf, 1750 cavalry, 14 guns

Division D’Armagnac [from Army of Centre]

            Brigade Neuenstein

                        2e Nassau (2 Bns) + Regt de Francfort (1) + 4e Bade (2)

            Brigade Chassé

                        4e Hesse-Darmstadt (2) + 3e Berg (1)

            Brigade St Paul (Italian)

                        2e Léger (1) + 3e (2) & 5e Ligne (2)

Italian Foot battery (Capt Ferrarese)

Cavalry (Maupoint) [combined from Armies of Centre & North]

            Brigade Maupoint

                        13e Cuirassiers + 15e Chass a Chev + 5e Chev-Leg

Brigade Kleinwinkel

1er & 2e Chev-Leg Rugeois

11/3e Art a Cheval (Capt Demilune)

The positions and the development of the action should be clear from the pictures. Giron placed his right on a loop of low but quite rugged hills. His overriding concern throughout was that a large proportion of his troops were volunteers (who rank as militia in the game rules). Spanish line troops are subject to double retreats, and militia to treble retreats, and this did prove to be a major problem throughout the day. He placed Morillo’s line division on these hills, with the majority of the voluntarios in reserve, behind them. Morillo himself was absent, suffering from malaria, and his division was commanded on the day by General Espeleta.

The Spanish left was in more open terrain, and Giron stood Espana’s veterans in this area, making best use of wooded areas. He placed his cavalry on both flanks, expecting them to play little part in the action.

Jourdan had St Paul’s Italian brigade on his left, entering the field through more woods. The German brigades which formed the remainder of D’Armagnac’s Division occupied the middle and right of the French position.

The Italians made little progress against Espeleta on the French left, but a regular pattern began to emerge. As Spanish units were driven back, the multiple retreats had a big effect – apart from the loss of ground, there were numerous occasions when retiring units did not have room to make a full retreat, and the rules force a loss of blocks when this happens. For the first hour of the action the impression was that the movement and the weight of fire appeared to be about even, but the Spanish problem with retreats meant that the eliminated units were all Spanish. The “Victory Banners” score very quickly rose to 6-0, 10 being the target required for an overall win.

The French had every advantage they could have hoped for – apart from the assymetrical rules, they also had marvellous cards and dice throws throughout. Jourdan would do well to retire from the army at this moment, for he will never have such a lucky day again.

One such card – La Grande Manoeuvre – resulted in a sudden advance, as the French centre moved to their right and a heavy attack developed against Espana’s troops, who crumbled disappointingly, and a fairly humble brigade of Confederation light cavalry, with no particular reputation but with Maupoint leading them in person, swept away the Spanish cavalry and clinched a convincing and surprisingly one-sided win (10-2 in banners) to the French. Giron’s right remained doggedly where it started, but his left was destroyed.

This result is a major setback to the Allies’ progress, and the appointments of a number of the Spanish generals are under close examination. Espana in particular has been heavily criticised, but there is a great deal of mutual accusation as to who is to take the blame for the disaster.

The Spanish lost 4200 infantry, 1125 cavalry and 4 guns, the French lost 1600 infantry and 125 cavalry. The fact that Giron had the advantage of defence, greater numbers and more artillery is not lost on his political opponents.

Legio Extremena in the woods

The Spanish left - where it all went wrong

Spanish position, from their left flank

General Giron's big day out - he may not get another...

Spanish Line troops, 1812 style - 2nd Mallorca

Italians - the woods were full of them

Genl Von Neuenstein with the 2nd Nassau - the spyglass was a useful precaution,
since he managed to stay a long way from the action

Stoical Germans - the Confederation troops did a great job - just got on with it

Gunner's view - that Spanish battery opposite didn't stay there long

The Spanish left wing again - hmmm...   Espana with the white base border

  

In comparison, the right wing did well, but with heavy losses

The Spanish right, from another viewpoint

Here is the crux of the matter - the Regimiento del Ribeiro, being voluntarios, have
to take triple retreats - one hit, plus a retreat they didn't have space for, did for them.
There was a lot of this.

The combined light companies from St Paul's Italian brigade performed real
heroics, but were battered in the end

Spanish volunteer artillery. On the day, they couldn't hit the proverbial
 whatsit in the thingummy with a how's-your-father

Great card - started the French swing to the right

Here they go...

The briefest of appearances by my posh new Spanish hussars ended with their
being soundly beaten by the brigade of Rugeois light horse, led by Maupoint

That would do it - the sort of dice which the French turned up all day

Espeleta brings forward the Bailen regiment, possibly wishing he'd gone
for a less conspicuous uniform

The French attack, from behind their right

Maupoint, with the unstoppable Rugeois, finishes the game

Position at the finish - the Spanish left, at this end, has gone

Whichever way you look at it...

Some friends of Lee's! - some of the voluntarios - they look great, but they didn't do
so well today!

I'll include the revised maps and army returns with Week 32's report, in a few days.