The British Commons echoed to cries of treason, and demands for an inquiry, as news reached London of a disastrous engagement in the Iberian Peninsular. Despatches from General Wellesley outlined how General Belvedere Mainstreet Smythe, best know for his book 'Up the Impopo without a paddle', took his newly formed Corps to the aid of Spanish General Miguel Immanuel Ballesteros as he advanced on the French after the recent fight at Saint Miquel. General Smythe's Corps, including two brigades of Guards only recently despatch to support the defence of Portugal, was brought to a halt, many British lads left lying with empty eyes staring skywards as French cavalry caught them unawares in the open. Cries across the Commons demanded the immediate recall of General Wellesley himself, but little has been forthcoming from the Peninsula as General Wellesley, true to form, kept his own counsel. An addendum to the General's despatch noted that General Smythe was found a hundred yards from his command tent, a pistol bullet lodged in his brain.
Friday night saw the 25mm forces arrayed once more for some Volley and Bayonet action on the Iberian Peninsular. Keith and Jon commanded the French while Andy and I commanded the Anglo Spanish forces. Each force totalled 3000 points, and was developed using the Volley and Bayonet Road To Glory scenario system.
The battlefield from the Spanish left flank, the French advancing form the left, the Spanish form the right. The British Corps was deployed on the right flank, at the top of the photo
The Spanish centre
The British Corp advances on the right
The Spanish reserve cavalry deployed to support the British on the right, anticipating the weight of the Spanish attack
The French right wing pushed forward to attack the Spanish left. This required that they cross the partly dried up stream. The Spanish wing commander decided to attack while the French infantry were in some disarray in the midst of the crossing.
The Spanish left wing attack. Unfortunately only three regiments were able to make the charge, reducing the weight of the attack.
An overview of the battle field after the first few turns.. the centre and right of the Anglo Spanish army. The British attack has stalled around the village of Constantia at the top of the photo
The Spanisha ttack on the left
Spanish troops occupy the town of Messiata, securing a key point in their position allowing them some freedom to manoeuvre
The Spanish Centre Division pushes forward
The outcome fo the initial Spanish attack saw one Spanish regiment route back towards its rear, while one French Brigade was also routed.
The routed Spanish regiment on the left
Spanish Provincial cavalry support the Spanish left
The French counter atttack against the Spanish left
One of the Spanish centre divisions advanced further to put pressure on the French centre
The British Corp advances
French cavalry attack the British flank, British casualties were severe
French dragoons attack the 4th Provincial cavalry
... and the 5th Provincial cavalry
Both Spanish cavalry were eliminated.
With a gap opening on the Spanish left, the commander withdrew his forces behind the rest of the hill that he was occupying,
The extent of the gap on the Spanish flank is evident here, although casualties were such that much of the French offensive capability had been degraded.
The remnants of the British Corps, the Guards at the bottom left of the photo where they had sat for much of the battle.. The supporting Spanish cavalry had been largely dispersed, and three British brigades had been forced from the field.
The Spanish centre
Fremnch right trying to dislodge the extreme left of the Spanish positions. Accurate Spanish musketry had however degraded the French offensive capability
French dragoons commanding the field on the Spanish left.
The outcome looked bad for the Anglo Spanish. However the prompt Spanish attack on their left, taking advantage of the French disorganisation as they crossed the river, had meant that the sting was taken out of the French right wing attack. The British Corps had suffered severely, but the French left wing forces would struggle to push them from their positions before nightfall.
The Times, page 37: "We acknowledge today the Gazetting of the former Sergeant Richard Sharpe to the rank of Lieutenant in the 95th Rifles."
A lone cockerel emerged from the lengthening shadows and strutted across the street. Its head bobbed up and down as it pecked at the dust that lay in the street in its search for bugs and grains. Its feet left impressions in a pool of blood and dust that had formed where the blood of Spaniards and Frenchmen had mingled and flowed like a stream from the pile of bodies. A brown and black dog, ribs sticking out along its belly, appeared from behind the bodies and began to sniff about one of the bodies. Alfredo del Marchand, went to stand in an attempt to clear the dog from the remains of his compatriots. His knees went weak, and he slumped back to the ground, the sword slipping from his hand as the muscles in his arm spasmed with the fatigue. His breath began to come in gasps, sobs emerged from his throat, and he began to tremble. A distorted face slashed from brow to chin with a savage sword cut stared at him from the top of the pile. Four times the French columns had hurled themselves at the town of Sant Miquel. Four times they had been hurled back. And now, as the sun offered its evening salute to the world, a sense of calm and exhaustion settled across the town. Wisps of smoke curled lazily from buildings across the town, belying the human fury that had filled the air not so long ago. Moans and cries for mothers sounded the same whether in French of Spanish. Del Marchand knew that this was not over, and the French columns would be back tomorrow.
Such was the ferocity of the action in this battle set in the Peninsular in 1809, an action fought between two 3000 point armies using Frank Chadwick's Volley and Bayonet rules, and the Road To Glory scenario generation system. This was a long anticipated return to the table top for my two 25mm Napoleonic armies, with Keith commanding the French while I commanded the Spanish.
Here's a little ditty to establish the atmosphere, albeit a British song.
First moves ..
The Spanish anchored their line between the villages of Sant Miquel on their left and Cardeiro on their right.
The Spanish reserve cavalry were first deployed in the centre, but in accordance with the specific scenario card, were removed at the end of turn 1, to be sent on a trek to attack from the right flank against the French line.
French columns advance 'Vive l'emperor'
French cavalry.advancing around the Spanish left
The columns advance 'on y vas'
Spanish infantry secure the right flank awaiting the arrival of their cavalry attack
The village of Cardeiro anchors the Spanish right
Sant Miquel seen in the centre of the photograph, Keith about to launch the first attack
The first attack goes in against Sant Miquel, while the French cavalry sweep around to threaten the Spanish left
French cavalry on the advance
Sant Miquel, the first attack
Keith also put in an attack against Cardeiro
The French cavalry launch an attack against the Spanish infantry on the heights
Another attack goes in against Sant Miquel, and the infantry defending in support
The first cavalry attack against the infantry is repulsed, but a second is launched against the supporting Provincial cavalry
The Spanish shift reserves to their left which is the focal point of the French attack
Meanwhile the Spanish cavalry reserve arrives deep on the French left flank
The Spanish left flank having repulsed the French cavalry attacks
The French infantry columns advance to support their cavalry on their right flank, Sant Miquel clearly seen here. One of the two defending regiments has been dispersed at this stage
The French cavalry commander launches another attack against the Provincial cavalry, this time with two regiments of dragoons.
Waves of Spanish reinforcements (three divisions of infantry) shift towards their left
While the Spanish cavalry advance rapidly against the French, the Spanish right flank infantry divisions advance across the stream in order to be able to support their cavalry. The terrain is very restricting on movement
The fourth French attack across the Spanish left.. the fury and intensity clear to see
The fourth and final French attack against Sant Miquel from the French perspective
Meanwhile the French commander has reorganised his centre and left to form a defensive line along the river as the Spanish right wing attack manoeuvres into position
The Spanish cavalry having repulsed the last French cavalry attack
Sant Miquel .. still in Spanish hands
French cavalry retire
Sant Miquel ... reinforced again by the Spanish
The Spanish right wing counter attack, coming too late in the day to avid darkness
The Spanish centre around Cardeiro, still sitting here it had from the beginning of the action
We enjoyed the spectacle of the 25mm armies, albeit that it felt as if the table may have needed some reinforcing struts with the weight of the figures. The outcome was something of a surprise for me, and certainly Keith was unlucky not to unlock Sant Miquel, or even to destroy the Provincial Cavalry. The die rolls just went against him at every turn, when you consider the number of attacks that he put in, all stacked as carefully as seemed possible at the time. Such is 'lady luck', and such is life in the Peninsular.
