Albion Triumphant The Peninsula Campaign
Albion Triumphant The Peninsula Campaign
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
The Peninsular Campaign
Written By:
Adrian McWalter
Black Powder Game
Designed and Written By:
Rick Priestley & Jervis Johnson
For Rory
www.warlordgames.com
binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar
condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Introduction
A
CLOSE THE FILES – CLOSE UP, DAMN YOU!
rainy day in January 2010 saw a visit to is only right that I focus on those two countries during this
Nottingham turn into a once in a lifetime remarkable period.
opportunity. I bumped into an old friend: Paul
Sawyer of Warlord Games. We talked about all We shall look at why Napoleonic armies fought differently
things Black Powder, as I had the book clutched in my hands from earlier black powder armies, as well as detailing the
at the time, and I waxed lyrical about Napoleonic army lists arms, uniforms and organisations of Great Britain, France,
and how England’s power struggle with the old enemy, Portugal and Spain.
France, could be represented. When Paul woke up he
I have selected some of the classic battles of the two
realised he had unwittingly fallen into my cunning trap – a
protagonists that we will look into in detail and I have
trap which would allow me to write a supplement to the
created some scenarios for you to try, a few of which link to
main Black Powder rules! Albion Triumphant is the fruit of my
the battles themselves.
labour and I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I
enjoyed creating it. I have explored how the Black Powder rules can be used to
reflect a Napoleonic battle, and I have built upon the
When writing Albion Triumphant, I did not want readers to
guidance provided in the original rules in regard to giving
use it as an excuse to avoid researching the wonders of the
units national characteristics through their own special rules
Napoleonic Wars, which for me is one of the greatest
and stat lines. But as ultimately your Black Powder battles are
periods of military history. (Go on, try it – you won’t regret
yours, the final decision as to how your games play out is up
it!) I will not then provide a chapter and verse account of
to you. Additionally, for the radicals amongst you all I have
that great conflict within these pages, for to do so would
identified where tweaks in the rules can be used to add a
require a mighty tome indeed. I will, however, signpost
further flavour of this period. For those of you who are
readers throughout the book to various aspects of the whole
points minded I have provided a simple way of creating
period that they may wish to research further. In this first
army lists and provided you with a sample list to get you
volume – The Peninsular War – we will look at the defeats
started. A little tip here – the more you research, the better
of the early Flanders campaigns, and the roller-coaster
your lists will be!
conflicts of the Peninsular War. A companion volume –
Albion Triumphant: The Waterloo Campaign – will focus on the So without further ado…
events of the Hundred Days campaign, leading up to that
grandest of battles, Waterloo.
Albion Triumphant, as the title suggests, focuses mainly on
Britain’s war with France during the Napoleonic period.
“A toast, gentlemen –
Other nations were involved of course and are covered
where their involvement overlaps, but as the Lion and the
today’s fox!”
Cockerel were the super-powers of the early 19th Century it
Wellington
2
Contents
Light Infantry .......................................... 42 Foot Artillery............................................ 69
An overview of
Riflemen .................................................. 43 Horse Artillery ........................................ 69
Napoleonic warfare 4
Chasseurs Britannique .............................. 44
Levèe en masse............................................ 4
Battalion of Detachments .......................... 44
Changes in warfare ......................................4 French Allies 70
British Cavalry ........................................ 45
The structure of armies .............................. 6 The Kingdom of Italy .............................. 70
Dragoon Guards and Dragoons .................. 45
The Assault Column .................................. 7 The Kingdom of Naples............................ 71
British Cavalry Special Rules .................... 45
The Line .................................................. 8 The Confederation of the Rhine ................ 71
Light Dragoons and Hussars...................... 46
The Square ................................................ 8 Vistula Legion.......................................... 71
Artillery .................................................. 46
Mixed Order .............................................. 8
Artillery Special Rules .............................. 48
Cavalry .................................................... 8 French Column versus
Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) .................... 47
Artillery .................................................... 9 British Line 72
Royal Artillery (RA) ................................ 47 The French Attack Column........................ 72
The King’s German Legion (KGL) ............ 49
The Grand Old Duke of York 10 British battle tactics and the two-deep line .. 72
The Black Brunswickers .......................... 49 Recreating French Column vs British Line
The Spanish Ulcer 12 in Black Powder ...................................... 73
Wellesley exonerated.................................. 13 The Kingdom of Frequently Asked Questions........................ 73
1810: Massena ...................................... 14 Portugal, 1808-1814 50
1812: Advance into Spain ........................ 14 Portugal – The Oldest Ally ...................... 50 Commanders of the
1814: Napoleon capitulates ...................... 14 Overview ................................................ 50 Peninsular War 74
Portugese Infantry .................................... 50 Sir Arthur Wellesley.................................. 75
The Battle of Vimeiro, 1808 16 Order of Battle ........................................ 50 Sir Thomas Picton .................................. 75
Background.............................................. 16 Line Infantry .......................................... 51 Robert Crauford ...................................... 75
The Battle .............................................. 17 Light Infantry .......................................... 52 Jean Andoche Junot .................................. 76
Aftermath ................................................ 18 Caçadores ................................................ 52 Andres Massena ...................................... 76
Order of Battle ........................................ 19 Portugese Cavalry .................................... 53 Horace Francois Bastien ............................77
Artillery .................................................. 53
The Battle of Talavera, 1809 20 Scenario Games 78
Background.............................................. 20 The Spanish –
The Battle .............................................. 21 ‘Guerra al Cuchillo’ 54 The Battle of Roliça, 1808 79
Aftermath ................................................ 23 Infantry .................................................. 54
Order of Battle ........................................ 24 The Guard .............................................. 55 The Battle of Granja de la
Line Infantry .......................................... 55 Abundancia, 1810 86
The Battle of Guerilla .................................................. 57
Fuentes de Oñoro, 1811 26 Cavalry .................................................. 57 The Defence of
Background.............................................. 26 Artillery .................................................. 58 Cuidad Espanola, 1810 90
The Battle .............................................. 27
Aftermath ................................................ 30 Imperial France, 1807-1814 60 The Battle of Salamanca, 1812 94
Order of Battle ........................................ 31 “Vive L’Empereur!”.................................. 60
The French Army in the Peninsula ............ 61 Army Lists and
The Battle of Infantry .................................................. 61 Pointed Games 98
Salamanca, 1812 32 French Infantry Special Rules .................... 63 The Peninsula British,
Background.............................................. 32 Guard Infantry ........................................ 64 1806-1814 .............................. 99
The Battle .............................................. 34 Line Infantry .......................................... 64 The Peninsula French,
1807-1814..............................106
Aftermath ................................................ 34 Light Infantry .......................................... 65
The Spanish,
Order of Battle ........................................ 35 Combined Grenadiers ................................ 66 1807-1814..............................110
French Cavalry ........................................ 66
The Armies of the French Cavalry Special Rule...................... 66
Peninsular War 36 Cavalry of the Guard................................ 67
Chasseurs-a-Cheval de la Garde Imperiale
Great Britain, 1807-1815 38 and Mamelukes........................................ 67
Overview ................................................ 38 Chevau-Legers-Lanciers de la
Garde Imperiale........................................ 67
British Infantry ........................................ 38
The Carabiniers ...................................... 68
British Infantry Special Rules .................... 38
Dragoons ................................................ 68
Foot Guards ............................................ 40
French Light Cavalry ................................ 68
Line Infantry (The Foot Regiments) .......... 41
French Artillery ........................................ 69
Highland Infantry .................................... 42
3
An Overview of Napoleonic Warfare
The French revolution of 1789 was the catalyst for enormous Levèe en masse
changes in the way military conflict was conducted, leading France in the early 1790s found itself under pressure from
to over twenty years of warfare that is now known as the the First Coalition of England, Austria, Prussia, Spain and
Napoleonic Wars. This is a special period of historical drama Sardinia. To find the soldiers needed to fight all these
that we can but try to recreate in our table top battles. opponents, the French government, known as the
Convention, through the Committee for Public Safety,
During the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) and decreed the Levèe en masse in 1793. This decree saw the
Seven Years War (1756-1763), nations were constrained by total mobilisation of civilian and military resources,
limited manpower and logistics, which was reflected meaning that the whole population could be utilised to
through warfare becoming an elaborate game in which create a huge, yet largely unprofessional armed force. The
armies attempted to outmanoeuvre each other. Armies were Levèe en masse stated:
slow moving, and commanders’ strategic intentions were, in
the main, to acquire towns, cities and fortresses as ‘… All Frenchmen are in permanent requisition for the services of the
negotiating chips to be used to barter with at the conference army. The young men shall fight; the married men shall forge arms and
table. For this reason siege warfare predominated, as great transport provisions; the women shall make tents and clothes and serve in
fortress cities were steadily worn down by bombardment the hospitals; the children shall turn linen into lint; the old shall betake
and starvation. Decisive battles were to be avoided if themselves to the public squares to arouse the courage of the warriors and
possible, as the sudden loss of a kingdom’s standing army preach hatred of kings and the enemies of the republic…’
would leave it completely defenceless.
It certainly worked; by 1794 France could count on 800,000
So why was Napoleonic warfare so different? The population men to service its field armies.
of Europe massively increased during the 18th Century, in
no small part due to changes in farming methods and the The increased size of armies made logistical issues impossible
impact of the early industrial revolution, which made it to manage when those armies were concentrated for long.
possible to mass-produce arms and equipment. As well as What was required then was a quick military victory. Wars
that, the financial capacity of European states improved fought in the manner of the Spanish Succession or the Seven
through industrial expansion, trade improvements and Years War could and would not continue.
efficient tax systems. For example, the national income of
England doubled.
Changes in Warfare
This transformation allowed nations the capability and Napoleon Bonaparte was the first to recognise the need for
capacity to fight wars on a grand scale. The size of the strategic change. Bonaparte’s approach centred on the
armies fielded increased considerably; in 1706 at the battle destruction of an enemy’s field army rather than out-
of Ramillies the total combination of the combatants that manoeuvring it; and the largely indecisive battles of the early
fought for the Duke of Marlborough or the Duc de Villeroi 1700s were replaced with decisive, war-winning victories. In
did not exceed 123,000 men. A hundred and three years 1761, at the battle of Vellinghausen during the Seven Years
later, at the battle of Wagram, the French army alone could War, 65,000 British and Germans defeated 91,000 French;
boast 175,000 men. casualties for both sides were just under 6,500 in total. At
4
LED BY THEIR LIGHT COMPANY, A FRENCH BATTALION BURSTS INTO A PORTUGESE TOWN SQUARE
Austerlitz in 1805 the Allies alone suffered 25,000 casualties system was born. A corps comprised of two or more
at the hands of the French. Although troops and equipment infantry divisions, with a division or brigade of light cavalry
remained largely the same as those fighting in the War of the and supporting artillery attached. The corps was assigned a
Spanish Succession and the Seven Years War, in order to permanent command. Corps’ commanders worked
achieve decisive victory and deal with the massive increase in together regularly and grew to understand each other’s
manpower army command and control, organisation and capabilities.
tactical deployment changed dramatically. Nowhere in Europe
were these changes driven forward more than in France. The corps system enabled co-operation between all arms on
an unprecedented scale. Prior to the revolution any
General Berthier, Napoleon’s Chief of Staff, wrote the formation above brigade level was temporary. Divisions
definitive manual on staff procedures which was within the same corps trained together and practiced
disseminated throughout the French Army and resulted in manoeuvres with each other and their associated cavalry.
an officer corps and staff system that was second to none. This co-operation improved manoeuvrability, which
The officer corps itself grew, with men being chosen for increased further with French forces foraging from the land
ideological strengths as well as their ability to command. for the best part of a march. The according reduction of
La gloire at any price propelled energetic commanders to baggage gave them a significant advantage over their
senior command positions. French field armies were to be opponents; although the cost of living off the land was
moulded into self-contained all-arms forces as the corps usually the enmity of the local populace.
5
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
French General Antoine-Henri Jomini Infantry in the main were designated Line or Light. A
significant tactical development of the Age of Napoleon
6
AN OVERVIEW OF NAPOLEONIC WARFARE
Arms and equipment were to all intents and purposes the Arthur Wellesley learnt a great deal from the
same in the Napoleonic period as they were throughout the debacle, stating “At least I learned what not to do, and
previous hundred years. Yet the commanders who took the that is always a valuable lesson.”
field during the War of the Spanish Succession or the Seven
Years War didn’t rely on assault columns to launch attacks
or form square to repel cavalry, tactics which were used
extensively on the Napoleonic battlefield. This leads to one
conclusion: that if weapons were the same then the soldiers battlefield rapidly and provided the main infantry shock
that used them were not. tactic. In the Revolutionary Wars and early years of the
Napoleonic Wars, French attack columns screened by
Most European armies of the Napoleonic period relied on massed skirmishers would, at the pas de charge, make short
semi-trained conscripts, and these soldiers were not the work of enemy infantry deployed in the old, slow, moving
well-drilled veterans of previous wars. They were unable to linear formations. The enemy would first be demoralised by
deliver effective musketry volleys that could make a fire fight skirmish fire and once sufficiently demoralised and
decisive, but still the stalemate had to be broken. disordered the columns would advance to sweep the enemy
away. The column did have a down side though;
infantrymen packed close together several ranks deep
The Assault Column presented excellent artillery targets compared with troops
Fighting in column allowed infantry to move around the in linear formations.
7
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
8
AN OVERVIEW OF NAPOLEONIC WARFARE
Medium (sometimes known as line) cavalry had a similar “This murderous contest of musketry lasted long. We were the
role to that of their heavier cousins. They also provided whole time progressively advancing and shaking the enemy.
tactical flexibility, being capable of the pursuit of a defeated
enemy or providing rearguard support during a retreat. “At a distance of about twenty yards from
Dragoons, in the main, fitted this role and were more them we received orders to charge; we had
numerous than the truly heavy cavalry. ceased firing, cheered, and had our bayonets
in the charging position… the French
The term light cavalry covers many different types of unit; infantry, alarmed by our preparatory cheers,
light dragoons, hussars and Chasseurs à cheval for example. which always indicate the charge, broke
Light cavalry were used to protect the flanks of an army as and fled.”
well as in reconnaissance and pursuit roles, but had little Captain Moyle
shock effect on the battlefield. Sherer of the
34th Cumberland
Lancers provided the shock effect of heavy cavalry with the Regiment at the
manoeuvrability of true light cavalry. They were used to battle of Albuera
provide heavy cavalry support as well as attacking infantry,
even when they were in square. The Hungarian and Polish
light cavalry were much admired, their hussar or lancer
styling being copied by many nations. Like the infantry,
cavalry could be deployed in line or column on the
battlefield and preferred to fight in line against mounted
opponents and in columns against infantry.
the other hand, were the queens of the battlefield. They were
normally grouped together, opposite the enemy line where the
Artillery main attack would be put in. Great concentrations of guns, to
Artillery was split into two categories, foot and horse, with provide a massed preliminary bombardment, were another
both seeing a great deal of improvement in the 18th Century new battlefield feature of the Napoleonic period.
to make guns much more manoeuvrable. However, all artillery
was inaccurate and had to be re-laid after every shot. The In between those two extremes there were numerous other
smallest guns put in the field were three and four pounders types, the six to nine pounders. In most armies, six
and the heaviest were the twelve pounders; the guns graded by pounders were used as horse artillery to good effect.
the weight of their cannon balls. The three and four pounders
were usually used as regimental pieces, providing direct Artillery, whatever the weight, delivered death on an
support to the infantry and cavalry. The twelve pounders, on unprecedented scale during the Napoleonic wars.
9
The Grand Old Duke of York
We shall now take a look at the early campaigns of Prince the borders of the Republic. The conference of Antwerp in
Frederick Augustus, Duke of York and Albany – ‘The early April 1793 further developed the Coalition’s strategy, a
Grand Old Duke of York’. decision was reached to besiege the main French border
fortifications, starting with Condé-sur-l’Escaut and
The defeat suffered at the end of the American War of Valenciennes; before moving on to Dunkirk - the main aim
Independence (1775-1783) damaged the prestige of both of the British government.
the Georgian political elite and the British Army. England’s
pride had been injured, not to mention its overseas trade. The brave British, Austrian and Hanoverian troops fighting
Across the Channel the meddling French had by 1789 for the Duke of York had initial success at the battle of
overthrown their monarch as republican ideas spread from Famars (23 May 1793) in Northern France, though
the New World back to the Old. The forces of outnumbering the enemy almost two to one, the French
Revolutionary France soon invaded the Austrian being driven from the field with 3,000 losses. This victory
Netherlands, a situation that threatened British commerce sealed the fate of the fortress of Condé; that fell in July
as Flanders was England’s trade gateway to Europe. In 1793, followed by the fortresses of Mainz and Valenciennes
January 1793, Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger in the same month.
gave a speech in the House of Commons where he
announced that England was at war with the French and The victorious allied army now split with Saxe-Coburg
that it would be “a war of extermination.” Fighting talk indeed! taking an Austrian army to threaten Cambrai, while the
Duke of York took just over 35,000 Austrians, Hanoverians,
England joined Austria, Prussia, Spain, Holland and Hessians and British to Dunkirk. On 28 August 1793 the
Sardinia in the First Coalition against the new French siege began, the Duke covering his rear with 14,500 men
Republic. A British expeditionary force would be sent to deployed around Hondschoote. Regrettably, the Duke had
Flanders to eject the French and eventually strike at Paris.
The coalition was in broad agreement over war aims, but
Early Signs
Austria complained of being unable to finance its war
effort. Albion agreed to pay a subsidy of one million pounds
to put an Austrian army into the field, the first of many
such grants to continental allies. In February King George’s
second son, Prince Frederick Augustus, Duke of York, was
placed in command of the expedition.
The allied battle plan for the battle of Tourcoing was
When the English landed, it seemed that those stout fellows designed by General Karl Freiherr Mack von
from Austria under Prince Josias of Saxe Coburg were Leiberich (1752 - 1828), an Austrian soldier born at
winning the war: they had defeated the French at both the Nenslingen in Bavaria. General Mack was infamous
battles of Aldenhoven (1 March 1793) and Neerwinden (18 for his actions at Ulm where he surrendered himself
March 1793). These Austrian successes pushed the focus of and the best part of 72,000 Austrians.
the war from Flanders as the French were driven back to
10
Tommy Atkins
completely failed to plan for the protracted siege that now
ensued, having no heavy guns. The promised Royal Navy
supporting bombardment never materialised, and guns only
became available when a frigate was stripped of its cannon
for land service.
Tommy Atkins - the British Tommy.
Unfortunately for the Duke, the French decided to swing
the weight of numbers of the Levèe en masse against him, as A common belief is that the name was chosen by
General Jean Nicolas Houchard’sv 40,000 men the Duke of Wellington, having been inspired by the
overwhelmed the Duke’s covering forces at the battle of bravery of a soldier at the Battle of Boxtel in 1794
Hondschoote (6-8 September 1793). The siege had to be during the Flanders Campaign. After a fierce
abandoned (together with the precious guns) and the Allies engagement the Duke, in command of the 33rd
had to retreat away from the massing French formations. Regiment of Foot, spotted that Private Thomas
Luckily for the Duke, Houchard did not pursue the Atkins - the best man-at-arms in the regiment - was
retreating coalition forces, and the situation was restored terribly wounded. The Private said “It’s all right, sir.
after an Austrian victory at the battle of Menin (15 It’s all in a day’s work!” and died shortly after.
September 1793). The unfortunate Houchard was relieved
of his command and cruelly guillotined; a reflection on the
callous nature of the Revolutionary Convention!
11
The Spanish Ulcer
War Renewed crushing defeat of a combined Russian and Austrian army at
In 1803 the troubled peace between France and England Austerlitz. That defeat brought about Austrian capitulation;
collapsed. Napoleon became Emperor of the French in the treaty of Pressburg that followed resulting in the
December 1804 and made preparations to invade England. redistribution of Austrian-held territory. A French-controlled
On the continent, Napoleon had stabilised France and Kingdom of Italy was created, while the Confederation of
stretched its influence; Hanover had been occupied and the Rhine planted a great buffer zone of client states in
several other German states had become clients of France. Germany that shielded France. In 1806, fearing further
French control in Italy had also been extended with the French expansion of the Confederation of the Rhine,
creation of the Italian republic in 1802. Prussia joined the Fourth Coalition of Russia, Prussia,
Sweden, Naples and Britain. This Coalition was defeated in
In Britain, Prime Minister Pitt galvanised the Army and the 1807 following French victories at Jena, Eylau and Friedland.
Royal Navy, fearing a French invasion; volunteer units to
defend the coast were hastily formed, the Royal Navy
blockaded French ports and the Martello tower system was The Spanish Ulcer
built along the south coast. While England was awash with While Britannia could not stop Napoleon on land, he
rumour and fear, the government created another alliance to was equally unable to reach across the waves and invade
challenge France. Through clever negotiation and the her, but now he turned to attack Britain where ‘the
promise of gold, Austria, Russia, Sweden and Naples joined nation of shop keepers’ would feel it the most – trade.
Britain in the Third Coalition against France in 1805. He believed an invasion would be possible once
England’s salvation came in the form of Britannia’s ‘God of economic isolation had drained the blood from the
War’, Horatio Nelson, and the Royal Navy’s stunning victory ‘vampire of the north’ and caused economic collapse.
at Trafalgar which effectively ended any French naval threat. Napoleon issued the Berlin Decree forbidding
continental trade with Britain, but Portugal, Albion’s
While underlining Britain’s dominance at sea, it could do oldest ally, openly refused to comply.
little to stop Bonaparte on land. Napoleon’s military genius
rose to new meteoric heights with the combination of mass Sweetened by the promise of Portuguese territory, Spain
and manoeuvre seen during the Ulm campaign and the agreed to support a French invasion of Portugal. In
THESE SPANISH LADS ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE GROUND EASILY – EVEN IF THEIR GENERALS ARE HOPELESS!
12
“But it was easy to perceive how astonished they were (the Spaniards)
at the sight of our young infantry soldiers. The morale effect was
wholly to our disadvantage, and as I compared the broad chests and
powerful limbs of the Spaniards who surrounded us, with those of our
weak and weedy privates my national pride was humbled.”
Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcellin Marbot on the French entry into Spain in 1808
October 1807, General Junot – at the head of 25,000 the shameful truce at the Convention of Cintra saw
men – moved through Spain and invaded Portugal, Junot’s army, with all its weapons and loot, repatriated
capturing Lisbon with ease and sending the Portuguese to France in British ships. Dalrymple and astoundingly
royal family into exile in Brazil. In early 1808, under the Wellesley were recalled to Britain to answer a court of
cover of supporting Junot’s invasion, Napoleon inquiry about the conduct of the war, leaving Lieutenant
positioned over 80,000 men in Spain, commanded by General Sir John Moore in command of British forces.
the most flamboyant character of the period, his
brother-in-law Joachim Murat. Murat’s forces quickly “The war can be finished in a single operation but it
occupied key strong points and took Madrid. Napoleon must be properly coordinated and I must be there,”
then coerced the Spanish Royal family to abdicate, Napoleon exclaimed at the events in Spain. But he did
replacing them with his brother Joseph. Initially, Spanish not go to Spain alone, he took along the Imperial
resistance was limited, but French atrocities fanned the Guard, three army corps, the cavalry reserve and one
flames of resistance, although a rebellion in Madrid was Polish, one German and two Italian divisions. Napoleon
brutally crushed by Murat. now hurled these 200,000 combatants against the
Spanish in the north, smashing their forces aside and
Spanish forces marched out of Portugal and by the end of taking Madrid. Moore, manoeuvring to prevent the
July had met and held their own against the French on French entering southern Spain, was forced to retreat
several occasions. One victory was in southern Spain on towards Corunna due to serious French pressure. The
23rd July 1808, when General Castaños surrounded and retreat ended with the evacuation of the Army by the
forced 18,000 Frenchmen under General Dupont to Royal Navy during the 16th and 17th of January 1809,
surrender at Baylen. This victory sent tremors through and the fighting at Corunna before the evacuation sadly
Europe, the French were not invincible on the battlefield and cost Moore his life. With the British sent packing,
it was the unlikely Spanish who had demonstrated it. Napoleon, concerned by rumours of a conspiracy in
Appeals for British assistance were answered on 1st August Paris and the threat of Austrian mobilisation, returned
1808 when a force of 14,000 men under Lieutenant General to his capital.
Sir Arthur Wellesley landed at Mondego Bay, just north of
the Portuguese capital. Striking out for Lisbon, Wellesley met
and defeated a small harassing French force under Wellesley Exonerated
Delaborde at Roliça on the 17th August. He then turned In April 1809, an exonerated Wellesley returned to Portugal
towards the coast to protect the landing of further and resumed command of all British and Portuguese forces.
reinforcements. On the 21st August, Junot attacked On the 12th of May, he defeated Marshal Soult at Oporto,
Wellesley’s position, centred on Vimeiro Hill. The Battle of a victory that allowed Wellesley to enter Spain and combine
Vimeiro saw the first clash of true French Napoleonic tactics with the Spanish army under General Cuesta. The battle of
against the British defensive line. French columns were Talavera on the 27th and 28th of July saw Wellesley contain
thrown back by the devastating firepower and steadiness of a French army – under King Joseph Bonaparte and
the British infantry. The battle also saw something that was Marshal Victor – then force it from the battlefield. Yet
also to be a theme of the battles between the British and Talavera was a costly victory, and with Soult threatening to
French: in pursuit, the British cavalry went out of control, cut Wellesley off from Portugal, he was forced to retreat.
and were thrown into confusion. Wellesley, now Viscount Wellington of Talavera, was not
followed and in the winter of 1809/1810 he concentrated
The tactical victory at Vimeiro was thrown away on preparing a robust defensive network to protect Lisbon.
strategically when Wellington was prevented from Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Richard Fletcher, Royal Engineers
following up the enemy by his superior officer, the sixty was the overseeing expert of the construction of what
year old Sir Hew Dalyrymple. To add insult to injury, became known as the Lines of Torres Vedras.
13
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
14
THE SPANISH ULCER
15
The Battle of Vimeiro 1808
Background John Moore in the order of precedence. Burrard arrived in
The Spanish insurrection and guerrilla action had left theatre on the 20th of August; he remained offshore and was
General Junot and his 25,000 men tactically isolated in joined by Wellesley aboard ship to discuss strategy. Wellesley
Portugal. Seizing their chance to strike a blow on land favoured a flanking manoeuvre against the French who were
against the French, Sir Arthur Wellesley at the head of assumed to be approaching, but Sir Harry was having none
approximately 14,000 men landed at Mondego Bay, north of it and, ever cautious, ordered that Wellesley remain in
of Lisbon on the 1st of August. The Peninsular war for the position until Moore arrived. Luckily for Wellesley and
British had begun. Britain, Sir Harry remained aboard ship. Wellesley made for
shore and remained in command for an extra day. That
Wellesley’s strategic task dictated by the British government extra day could have been uneventful, but Wellesley’s luck
was the defence of Portugal. After organising his forces, took a favourable turn as the French under Junot had left
Wellesley marched south nine days later on the 10th. He first Lisbon on the 15th of August, with the intent of bringing the
met the French on the 17th of August, at Roliça, where the British to battle. By the 20th they had combined with the
British forced a heavily outnumbered French army to wisely remnants of the forces defeated at Roliça and troops under
abandon a strong defensive position. From Roliça, Wellesley General Loison. Junot was within ten miles of the British
moved the army back to the coast to Porto Novo, where position, and on the night of the 20th he marched to the
further reinforcements were to land. Wellesley’s army took attack. He would drive the British into the sea.
up a position on the heights around the village of Vimeiro to
support and protect the landings. These fresh drafts included Wellesley placed two brigades, Anstruther’s and Fane’s, in
several senior officers who officially outranked Wellesley in front of the village of Vimeiro, with Acland’s brigade in
the field. In overall command was Sir Hew Dalrymple, with support. His five remaining brigades held a western ridge,
Sir Harry Burrard as second in command, followed by Sir defending against a possible French approach from the South.
16
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tta Thomieres
“Most Glorious
6th
News from
ck
7th
2nd French
Portugal.”
hA
1st
Attack
nc
lot Fr
e
ar t
Morning Post, C h
1 s
2nd September 1808
Junot approached from the east, and planned to send three the brigade columns, which were now vulnerable. This
infantry brigades to take Vimeiro; Thomieres, Solignac’s and exposure was horrifically highlighted when the French
Charlot’s Brigades being assigned this duty. Meanwhile, columns that were now only a hundred yards from the
Brenier’s brigade, supported by dragoons, was detailed to British, received a volley from the 50th (West Kent) formed
complete a flanking manoeuvre to seize an empty ridge to in a two-deep line. The flank companies of the 50th then
the northeast of Vimeiro. When dust was seen from wheeled inward threatening both flanks of the shaken
Brenier’s approach from the east, Wellesley quickly French column. The French, having been denied the space
redeployed, leaving only Hill facing to the south. The to deploy into line to return fire, were now blasted by deadly
brigades of Fergusson, Nightingall and Bowes were now enfilading volleys. They broke and ran, leaving their cannon
placed on a ridge to the north east of Vimeiro stretching for the British. Charlot’s Brigade, moving against
through to a village by the name of Ventosa. Junot Anstruthers’ Brigade and Vimeiro, suffered a similar fate;
countered by sending Solignac’s Brigade to support Brenier’s being surprised by both flank and frontal volleys from the
attack. Junot had a very poor opinion of British forces and British battalions hidden behind a crest.
decided not to wait for his flanking move to develop and
launched a frontal assault against Vimeiro, believing that the In an attempt to bolster the attack on Vimeiro, an incredulous
British lines would not hold. How wrong he was. Junot sent in the reserve, four battalions of combined
grenadiers, his crack troops. The first two battalions’ attacks
melted away in the same fashion as before, being thrown
The Battle back by the 43rd Monmouthshire. Searching for an answer,
The initial moves and countermoves led to a series of Kellerman manoeuvred the remaining two grenadier
uncoordinated attacks by the French. Thomieres’ Brigade battalions to the right and was successful in storming
was the first to approach the British positions in front of Vimeiro. Counter attacks launched by battalions from Acland
Vimeiro directly threatening Fanes’ Brigade. This attack and Anstruther soon forced the grenadiers out of the village,
was screened by skirmishers and supported by three the luckless grenadiers being then annihilated by the
cannon. Thomieres’ infantry came on in columns. ferocious charge delivered by the 240 men of the 20th Light
Dragoons. Maddened by their initial success and bloodlust,
To counter the French skirmisher screen, Fane sent forward the British cavalry careered out of control. Margaron’s
four companies of riflemen. The riflemen proved their French cavalry division caught them with their horses blown
worth and outshot the French, who fell back to the sides of and in disarray, and the 20th were soon scattered.
17
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
EN AVANT, MES AMIS! A FRENCH COMMANDER EXHORTS HIS TROOPS ON THE DUSTY SPANISH ROADS
The actions to the north followed the same pattern as those known as the Convention of Cintra. The terms that the
in front of Vimeiro. Solignac’s attack comprised three French received were met with an outcry in Britain: the
battalion columns abreast. The French marched forward French were to be transported back to France in Royal
and were again smashed by the two-deep line volley fire. Navy ships, along with their weapons, equipment and
Brenier’s Brigade, which had initially got lost in the hills, spoils. French forces would not return to Portugal until
finally marched to the ‘sound of the guns’ and came on in a March of the following year when Marshal Soult invaded
four battalion column frontage. northern Portugal.
They enjoyed initial success, surprising and routing the 71st Dalrymple, Burrard and Wellesley were recalled to Britain
Highland and 82nd Prince of Wales Volunteers. Brenier to face a court of inquiry. The first two generals, being the
urged his victorious columns on, but they were soon most senior, took the blame. Wellesley was exonerated.
checked by the fire of the 29th Worcestershire Regiment.
The 71st and 82nd soon rallied and rejoined the fray, Vimeiro was the first battle of the war that saw French
assisting the 29th in putting Brenier’s Brigade to flight. The columns defeated by the British two-deep line and was also
unfortunate Brenier was wounded and captured. the first time that reverse slopes were used by the British to
hide forces from an attacking French army. British cavalry
By midday the French were in full flight, the battle for also revealed a trait that would trouble British commanders
Vimeiro was at an end. Wellesley urged Burrard, who had for the rest of the Napoleonic Wars, their weakness in
arrived late to the battle but outranked him, to pursue the charging out of control with little chance of being recalled.
French. The ever cautious Burrard refused. The French The battle also saw the first extensive use of the shrapnel
escaped without further molestation, leaving Wellesley shell named after its inventor, Henry Shrapnel.
furious at Burrard’s incompetence.
Aftermath
From a total force of approximately 19,000 men, the British
and Portuguese casualties numbered around 720. It is
believed that the French lost in the region of 2,000 men out
of a force of over 13,000. The French also lost 13 of their
23 guns.
Junot, having been defeated in detail, sent Kellerman to
Cintra, the town where Dalrymple lodged, to negotiate
terms for an armistice. The resulting agreement became
18
THE BATTLE OF VIMEIRO 1808
Division Delaborde
1st Brigade
• General of Division Henri Francois Delaborde
• Major General Rowland Hill
1st Brigade
2nd Brigade • General of Brigade Antoine Francois Brenier de Montmorand
• Major General Ronald Craufurd Fergusson
2nd Brigade
3rd Brigade • General of Brigade Jean Guillaume Thomieres
• Major General Miles Nightingall
Division Loison
4th Brigade • General of Division Louis Henri Loison
• Major General Barnard Foord Bowes
1st Brigade
5th Brigade • General of Brigade Jean Baptiste Solignac
• Brigadier General Catlin Craufurd
2nd Brigade
6th Brigade • General of Brigade Hugues Charlot
• Brigadier General Henry Fane
Cavalry Division
7th Brigade • General of Brigade Pierre Margaron
• Brigadier General Robert Anstruther
Reserve
8th Brigade • General of Division François Etienne de Kellerman
• Brigadier General Wroth Palmer Acland Total French 15,656
The Dowager
Cavalry
• Lieutenant Colonel C. D. Taylor
Royal Artillery
• Lieutenant Colonel William Robe
19
The Battle of Talavera 1809
Background the 33,000 strong Spanish army under Cuesta by the 20th;
In October 1808 Sir John Moore took command of the both armies then manoeuvred to force Marshal Claude
Anglo-Portuguese Army. He boldly led his 23,000 men into Victor’s 1st Corps away from menacing the Portuguese
Spain, but a month later had to retreat rapidly, pursued by border. Victor duly fell back and retreated first to Almaraz
the enemy. His strategic position was not good, his Spanish and then to Talavera. Wellington now believed that he had
allies had been defeated and had proved to be a real chance of capturing the Spanish capital, Madrid,
untrustworthy, and he faced a French force of before the French armies could converge on him.
approximately 200,000 men commanded by Napoleon
himself. An intelligence intercept allowed him to threaten The Allies made contact with Marshal Victor near the city
an isolated French force at Saldana; but learning that of Talavera on the 23rd of July, but missed a chance to
Napoleon was aware of his intentions, he began the epic maul him when the Spanish refused to fight, as it was
retreat to the port of Corunna. In January 1809 Moore Sunday, allowing Victor to withdraw. Cuesta chose to
turned and engaged the chasing French, extricating his pursue, whilst Wellesley remained at Talavera de la Reina,
army, but at the cost of his own life. Sir John was a real approximately 75 miles south west of the Spanish capital.
warrior of Albion, so this was a great loss to both the British Cuesta’s pursuit stumbled to a halt when he caught up with
Army and the Allied cause. Victor, who was now reinforced by General Sebastiani’s 4th
Corps and by King Joseph’s Royal reserve at Torrijos.
With the British ejected, the French overwhelmed Portugal, Outnumbered, the Spanish turned and rejoined the British,
their grip on the country only hampered by logistical now pursued in turn by the French. The allied chance to
difficulties. On the 22nd of April 1809, the British returned capture Madrid had gone.
with Wellesley landing in command of an Anglo-Portuguese
army. During May, the allies executed a brilliant campaign On arrival at Talavera, the Spanish were offered the right
forcing the French under Marshal Soult to abandon Oporto wing position (around Talavera itself) by Wellesley, who was
with the loss of their artillery and baggage. By the start of dubious as to whether the Spanish would stand in the open.
July, Wellesley had moved into Spain and made contact with Talavera was surrounded by olive groves and stone walls,
FRENCH TROOPS STORM A SPANISH TOWN HELD BY BRITISH REGULARS AND SPANISH GUERILLAS
20
48th Northamptoneshire
which made it into a formidable defensive position. The
Regiment of foot
Spanish that were not deployed in Talavera also took up
strong positions along a sunken road protected by more
stone walls. The British took the Allied left, and deployed
along a low ridge and a hill known as the Cerro de
Medellin. To reinforce the centre of the line they built a
redoubt at Pajar de Vergara.
“Now from the summit, at his call,
Wellesley intended to do what he and is soldiers did best,
A gallant legion firm and slow
fight a defensive battle. He was satisfied with his own forces’
Advances on victorious Gaul;
situation, defending high ground where he could protect
Undaunted, tho’ their leader’s low!
them from the worst of the French fire. He also hoped his
Fixed, as the high and buttressed mound,
Spanish allies would stand in their shielded positions. On
That guards some leaguered city round,
the British front, the 1st Division held the Medellin, with
They stand unmoved–”
the 2nd Division to its left; the 4th Division supported the
redoubt. In the second line, Fane’s and Cotton’s cavalry An ode written by J W Croker for the
were in reserve whilst the Spanish crossing points at the 48th after their heroism at Talavera
Alberche River were protected by the 3rd Division.
The French, recognising the strength of the Spanish horsemen faced almost the entire Spanish army. Opposite
positions, deployed the majority of their 46,000 troops the Medellin, 30 French cannon were situated on the Cerro
against Wellesley, intending to defeat the British first and de Cascajal, while Latour-Maubourg and the Madrid
then move against the Spanish. Victor’s I Corps deployed garrison remained in reserve. Formidable!
on the French right facing the British and Portuguese, while
Sebastiani’s Corps held the centre. On the left, Milhaud’s
The Battle
The battle of Talavera began on the afternoon of the 27th
July and started badly for the Allies with the initial action
taking place at the Casa de Salinas, a ruined house about a
mile west of the Alberche River. Prior to the arrival of the
Spanish, Sherbrooke’s and Mackenzie’s Divisions had been
posted on the east bank of the river to protect the river
crossing for the Spanish. Cuesta’s army arrived on the evening
of the 26th, but did not cross the river until the 27th. The
British then withdrew once the Spanish were safe across the
Alberche. Mackenzie was ordered to act as a rearguard during
these manoeuvres, whilst Wellesley used the Casa de Salinas to
keep an eye on proceedings. Despite pickets having been
posted, Lapisse’s division of Victor’s 1st Corps was able to
cross the Alberche undetected and surprise Mackenzie. Three
battalions were routed, 500 men lost and Wellesley nearly
captured. The situation was steadied by the actions of the 45th
Nottinghamshire and riflemen of the 60th Royal Americans,
allowing Wellesley to rally the fugitives. The British were able
to extricate themselves without further interference, despite
the harassing fire of French horse artillery.
21
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
On the same evening, French dragoons were sent to probe The defeat of Ruffin’s Division heralded a meeting of the
the Spanish lines. Well before the French were in range, the French command: Victor, Sebastiani, Joseph and his chief
entire Spanish line fired a volley at the horsemen. This of staff, Jourdan. The latter two favoured a defensive
event precipitated four Spanish battalions to throw down action; they knew that Marshal Soult was marching with
their arms and flee in panic, seemingly frightened by the 30,000 men to threaten the Allied rear which would force
sound of their own weapons. Just less than 2,000 Spanish their retreat. Meanwhile, Victor argued for an all out
fled the field, looting the British baggage train on the way. attack on the Allied left and centre. The argument was
ended when news reached the French that a Spanish force
The following morning saw no change in Victor’s plan. under General Venegas was moving to take Madrid; at
He was convinced that he could capture the Cerro de the same time the generals discovered that Soult was
Medellin without support from the rest of the army. This delayed and would not now be able to threaten the Allied
was the first time Victor had fought against the British rear. The French could not allow the politically symbolic
and he did not expect them to stand against his columns. capital to fall to the Spanish, and would need to free
Once again, Ruffin’s 5,000 men were selected for the formations from this encounter to fend them off. A full-
Medellin assault following an artillery bombardment. The scale assault was ordered against the British line.
French came on in attack columns covered by skirmishers,
each regiment’s’ three battalions advancing side-by-side. The Divisions of Lapisse and Sebastiani and Leval’s
When Ruffin’s Brigade got within effective musket range, Germans were selected for the task of driving Cuesta’s and
Tilson’s and Stewart’s Brigades, supported by Wellesley’s combined armies away. Lapisse’s Division was to
Sherbrooke’s Brigade, emerged from cover in the now attack the Cerro de Meddelin, followed by Leval’s Division,
standard British two-deep line. Their volley fire halted the which was to attack the point in the line where the British
rattled French columns, which attempted to form line and and Spanish forces met. Finally Sebastiani was to attack the
return fire. To the cheers of the British, the French soon Guard’s Brigade and part of Cameron’s Brigade in the allied
broke and fled as Sherbrooke proceeded to enfilade them. centre. Leval was to send his troops forward after Lapisse’s
The fleeing French were pursued from the Cerro de attack was delivered; but as Leval’s forces moved to their
Medellin by Stewart’s Brigade, the British ending their starting positions through rough terrain, they soon lost
pursuit at the Portina and then retiring back to their lines. contact with the rest of the French Army. Leval, believing his
approach march had taken too long sent his forces forward
This phase of the battle had cost the French nearly 1,500 to the attack – but he was too early. The rough terrain,
casualties. Hill’s Brigade, the most heavily engaged British mainly made up of olive groves, disordered his columns and
formation, lost 750 men, with Hill himself receiving a they emerged from the terrain facing the Spanish left, British
head wound. right and a gun battery on the Pajar de Vergara.
22
THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA 1809
The deadly fire from the artillery redoubt smashed into stage of this clash now saw 3,000 British face 8,000
the French columns before it and quickly dispersed them. Frenchmen of the second wave. An intensive fire fight saw
Leval enjoyed some success, but was eventually driven off the French turned away in defeat, the two-deep line
by the brigades of Campbell and Kemmis, losing 700 men beating the column once again. The action cost the
and six guns. French over 2,000 casualties, including Lapisse who fell
mortally wounded. The British suffered just over 600
The Divisions of Lapisse and Sebastiani attacked next. The casualties, including Mackenzie who had been killed.
French battalion columns came on in two separate and Wellesley had defended the position brilliantly.
distinct attack waves made up of twenty four battalions,
pitched at the eight battalions of Sherbrooke’s 1st Division. With the defeat of the main French attacks, poor Ruffin’s
The French advance made good time until they moved into Brigade was again sent forward to attempt a flanking
effective musket range. The British regiments opened fire manoeuvre on the Medellin, supported by elements of
simultaneously, and once again the French were checked by Villatte’s Division. This effort was stalled by Wellesley’s
the effect of the British volleys. The front echelon soon deployment of Anson’s and Fane’s cavalry Brigades.
broke and fled, and with hearty cheers the British charged Wellesley also sought assistance from Cuesta, who
forward to complete their discomfort. Some British responded by sending Bassecourt’s Division and the Duke
battalions, including the Guards, got out of hand and of Albuquerque’s cavalry Division. The pressure applied
pursued too far and were in turn checked by artillery and by the British cavalry meant that the French attack
musketry from the second wave of French troops. This floundered as they were obliged to fall back in square
caused heavy casualties and the British retired in confusion. formation. Although the 1st KGL Light Dragoons
advanced in good order, the British 23rd Light Dragoons
This precipitate movement had made a hole in the British went out of control, charging past the squares formed by
line, which Lapisse now moved to exploit. In all his battles, Ruffin’s infantry into the supporting French cavalry. The
Wellesley showed an uncanny ability to be in the right 23rd were badly mauled, losing half their strength before
place at the right time when a crisis loomed. This situation they made their way to safety. This melee was the last
at Talavera was no exception and he personally ordered action of the battle, Joseph’s army leaving the field to
the 48th Northamptonshire Regiment to plug the gap, to defend Madrid against the Spanish threat.
be quickly reinforced with Mackenzie’s Brigade. The next
Talavera
One appalling postscript to the battle was the grass fires that
suddenly took hold on the tinder-dry fields, killing
numerous stranded wounded from both sides.
t
ur
co
se
Ba
Ru
Aftermath
ffin
so
ar
Cerro de
er
Cascajal
Although an allied tactical victory, Talavera could be seen
qu
Vilatte
e
Lapisse
Cameron
Sebastiani
23
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
24
THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA 1809
25
The Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro 1811
26
several small skirmishes. By nightfall the French had forced forces opposite Fuentes de Oñoro. Reynier’s II Corps
their way to the villages of Gallagos and Espeja, in striking formed Masséna’s right wing with one brigade of the VIII
distance of the main British lines, although the British Corps in the centre and Loison’s VI Corps and Drouet’s IX
scouting force still stationed itself between the French and Corps on the French left. The stage was set for a closely
the Fuentes ridge. The morning of the 3rd of May saw the contested encounter.
Light Division retire onto the main British position at
Fuentes de Oñoro. Wellington’s left was held by Erskine’s 5th
Division, with Campbell’s 6th Division to their right. The
The Battle
British Divisions of Nightingall, Picton, Houstan and the In the early afternoon of the 3rd of May Masséna sent ten
Portuguese brigade of Ashworth were above Fuentes de battalions of Ferey’s Division of VI Corps to attack the
Oñoro on the Allied right, with Craufurd’s Light Division in barricaded Fuentes de Oñoro in a frontal assault, with II Corps
reserve. Fuentes de Oñoro remained garrisoned by the light detailed to make a diversionary attack on the allied left. It was
companies, nearly 1,800 strong, under the talented clear that the Marshal intended to smash the allied line with a
Lieutenant Colonel Williams and supported by the 83rd crude frontal assault. Coming under heavy fire, Ferey’s
(County of Dublin) Regiment of Foot. advancing battalions crossed the Dos Casas and bludgeoned
their way into the village. The maze of alleyways was the scene
On the 3rd of May Masséna arrived on the battlefield and of savage hand-to-hand fighting throughout the day with the
reviewed Wellington’s position. He immediately recognised British steadily pushed back to the village’s highest points.
the strength of the allied left and therefore concentrated his
“There was not during the whole war a more perilous hour.”
Major William Napier
CONFIDENT FRENCH COLUMNS IGNORE CASUALTIES AND KEEP THE MOMENTUM OF THE ATTACK GOING
27
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Wellington, always aware of the point of danger, sent in Drouet and Ferey, whilst II Corps was to demonstrate
three fresh battalions of the 1st Division – the 71st, 79th and against Wellington’s left. Dragoons of Montbrun’s reserve
24th. Lieutenant Colonel Cadogan’s 71st charged the enemy cavalry moved forward and made contact with the 14th
and drove them from Fuentes de Oñoro, which tipped the Light Dragoons around Nave de Haver. The two squadrons
balance in favour of the British, so by nightfall the village of the 14th were outnumbered, and during a fierce
remained in their hands. The British had been hard pressed engagement were forced back to Poáo Velho; the same fate
and lost 259 men, while the French had suffered over 650 befalling the 16th Light Dragoons and the 1st Hussars of the
casualties with nearly 200 men taken prisoner. King’s German Legion, who clashed with a larger force of
cavalry to the north of that village.
The 4th of May saw little fighting, as British and French
infantry exchanged musket fire across the Dos Casas stream Marchand’s and Mermet’s Divisions then moved into
near Fuentes de Oñoro. Masséna used the day to position in front of Poáo Velho. Marchand attacked the
reconnoitre the allied position, and discovered the limited village and drove the 7th Division’s advance guard holding
strength of Wellington’s right flank. Masséna decided to the village – the 85th Buckinghamshire Volunteers and 2nd
attack the Allied right the following day, an assault that Portuguese Caçadores – back towards the rest of the 7th
would be combined with another push on Fuentes de Oñoro Division, both having been mauled further by dragoons. The
itself. Wellington saw the French preparations and countered Spanish guerrillas were also driven from Nave de Haver. With
by moving the 7th Division – just over 4,500 British, Poáo Velho lost, Fuentes de Oñoro under extreme pressure
Brunswick and Portuguese infantry – to high ground at the and the 7th Division in severe risk of being isolated, the
rear of Poáo Velho. The infantry were here supported by a Allied right could easily be destroyed. Wellington however,
cavalry screen, the Poáo Velho plain being suitable for recognised the threat immediately and showing more of his
cavalrymen. In Fuentes de Oñoro the light companies battlefield flair, sent the Light Division to the rescue and
moved into a reserve position whilst the 74th Highlanders redeployed Spencer’s 1st and Picton’s 3rd Divisions to form a
and 79th Cameron Highlanders made preparations to new defensive line facing the threatened right, with their left
defend the village. Their fierce reputation went before them. anchored by Fuentes de Oñoro. As the 7th Division pulled
They would be closely supported by the 24th Foot. back to the right of the 1st, the remaining British cavalry
engaged in a ferocious running battle against twice their
At daybreak on the 5th, the French outflanking move began. number from Montbrun’s and later Bessières’s Guard cavalry
The Divisions of Marchand and Mermet from VI Corps brigades. The Guard had entered the fray late, as they could
and Solignac’s Division from VIII Corps were selected for only move off on Bessières’s personal orders, and at the
the assault on Wellington’s right, supported by most of critical moment he could not be found! The British cavalry
Massena’s cavalry. Fuentes de Oñoro, still his main goal, was were roughly handled and took refuge behind the 7th
to be stormed by three divisions from the formations of Division. Over-excited by their success, the French cavalry
made an attempt to break the 7th, but were driven back.
28
THE BATTLE OF FUENTES DE OÑORO
Fuentes do Oñoro
May 5th 1811
Villa
Formosa
53rd
Power Mackinnon y
d rre
Howar Ashwo
rth
Fe
Lowe
III 71st
79th
I
Coleville
gale Conroux
Nightin
d
Stopfor
Arenschildt
Fuentes
Slade do Onoro
Houston Cl
ap
ar
ed
e
Craufurd
in square
hier
Wat
VII
Do
r nier
sC
Fou
as
ar
n D’
bru
ch
ai
nt Er
on
Mo
an
lo
n
Tur
d
Le
pi
c
So Poco
lig
nac Velho
that their attacks would not take place until Fuentes de Masséna’s decision not to launch a synchronised attack and
Oñoro had been taken. throw the Divisions of Mermet, Marchand and Solignac at
the Allied right at the same time as the Fuentes assault,
Buoyed by the sight of what he believed was Montbrun’s would now cost him the battle.
cavalry annihilating the British flank, Masséna launched the
delayed attack on Fuentes de Oñoro. Ferey’s Division was the Again, Wellington recognised the critical moment and
first forward and stormed into the village two hours after countered with Mackinnon’s Brigade, which was fed in to
dawn. Ferey’s attacks had initial stunning success, wreaking attack the French in the village. What followed was a charge
havoc amongst the defending Highlanders and wiping out of British columns that lead to bayonet crossing bayonet.
two companies of the Camerons, killing their commander. Mackinnon ordered forward both the 74th and the 88th
The Highlanders were pushed back through the village, but Regiments in attack columns. The 88th (Connaught
catastrophe was prevented when the 24th Regiment of Foot Rangers) collided with the 4th battalion of the 9eme Leger
supported by the light companies and the 6th Caçadores, in the streets of the village and vicious hand-to-hand
drove the French out and over the Dos Casas. Drouet fighting broke out, with the 88th soon victorious. The 74th
responded to the expulsion of Ferey’s men by committing his Highlanders, reinforced by the remnants of the village’s
reserve, three battalions of ‘Converged Grenadiers’ from his defenders, managed to drive the French down to its lower
IX Corps, into the battle. The sight of the grenadiers’ levels. With ammunition running low the French attacks à la
advance in their unmistakable bearskins had some British bayonette proved futile. In one incident, a wrong turn took a
observers believing that the village was about to be stormed party of a hundred French grenadiers into a dead end and
by the Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard, even though none to their deaths. After bitter fighting most French units were
were present in Masséna’s army. The elite grenadiers went reduced to below fifty percent of their original strength and
about their task with their usual skill and again the British the resulting loss of morale saw them turn and flee back
were forced to yield all but the very top of the village. over the Dos Casas stream. By 2pm, the fighting for Fuentes
Anxious to capitalise on this success, Drouet committed de Oñoro was over, its aftermath leaving the village a scene
battalions from the Divisions of Conroux and Claparède, of carnage. The French suffered approximately 1,300
hoping that they would finally break Wellington’s line. The casualties in the fight for the village whilst the British lost
battered defenders of the village could not withstand a upwards of 800 men, over half coming from the
further eight battalions of Frenchmen, and it appeared that beleaguered Highland regiments of the 71st and 79th.
they were finally going to be forced from Fuentes de Oñoro.
29
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Allied casualties for the 5th May totalled 1,786, the French Auguste Frédéric Louis Viesse de Marmont, and on the 12th
losses were 2,192. of May Marmont took command of the army. Masséna’s
military career had ended in failure. Wellington believed that
During the night of the 5th of May the Allied army dug in. he had put an end to the French Army of Portugal for some
Masséna demonstrated with his army for the next two days time and decided to take the Allied Army into the south to
but, believing Wellington’s position impossible to assail, and besiege the fortress of Badajoz. However, he underestimated
short on ammunition, he withdrew during the nights of the the talent of Marmont, who quickly arrived in southern
7th and 8th of May to lick his wounds at Ciudad Rodrigo. Spain and forced Wellington to withdraw.
30
THE BATTLE OF FUENTES DE OÑORO
Commander-in-Chief Commander-in-Chief
• Lieutenant-General Arthur, Viscount Wellington • Marshal André Massena, Prince of Essling, Duke of Rivoli
31
The Battle of Salamanca 1812
Background intercepting him. Reinforced, and so outnumbering
Following on from Wellington’s victory at Fuentes de Wellington, Marmont halted his advance and made him
Oñoro, the British were again successful at Albuera on the turn back. Marmont followed and the two armies marched
16th of May 1811. Here a British, Spanish and Portuguese close together for some time, with both commanders
army under William Carr Beresford defeated Marshal scrutinising the other’s order of march for an error that
Soult; Albuera was a bloody battle that saw the largest could be pounced upon. Marmont then made a mistake.
column attack of the whole war made by the French.
Wellington meanwhile managed to avoid being pinned by Both armies crossed the river Tormes on the 21st of July.
larger French forces throughout the last months of 1811. Marmont did not want a full scale engagement, but felt
compelled by pressure from King Joseph to fight.
At the beginning of 1812 Wellington made some decisive Wellington, on the other hand, was not going to commit his
moves. Ciudad Rodrigo was captured on the 19th of army to the risk of battle unless the odds were stacked in his
January and Badajoz on the 6th of April following a bloody favour. By the morning of the following day, Marmont had
assault that led to the town being ransacked by British discovered a small British force on a ridge to the west of his
troops. Wellington’s cause was aided greatly during this position and sighted a large dust cloud in the distance.
period as numerically superior French forces were harassed Mistaking it for the rest of Wellington’s army and the small
and tied down in other regions of Spain. Wellington moved force in front of him as the British rearguard, Marmont
east and entered the province of Salamanca, Marmont’s believing he had an opportunity to attack. He moved his
Army of Portugal being the only French force capable of force south and then west to turn the British right flank.
32
Aldeatejada
Salamanca
July 22nd 1812
ck
Bo
River
n
lte
nA
d’Espana Las Torres
Zurgue n
vo
Clin
Bradford
le Marchant Nuestra
Leith - V Cole - IV Calvarrasa
Señora
de la Peña de Arriba
Pa
ke
nha
m
Miranda Los
de Azán Arapiles
n
ba
Ur
d’
r
cto
Vi lten Th
A om
iér
es
y
et
Ri
re
nn
r
ve
Fe
Bo
rA
lg
ab
rto
Mauc
une
et
Cu
e
el
Claus t
ru
Sar
r
Boye
Brennier
Marmont made the situation as he saw it fit in with his manoeuvre got underway, Marmont struck at the 7th
plans. He could outflank and engage the British to his Division near the Chapel of Nostra Senora de la Pena.
advantage and appease Joseph Bonaparte, but his
assumption led to him making a disastrous error. The French divisions, who believed they were moving to
outflank what they thought was Wellington’s rearguard,
Wellington had deployed most of his divisions hidden behind were now moving parallel to his hidden force.
the ridge and the dust cloud was caused only by Wellington’s
baggage train withdrawing towards Ciudad Rodrigo. At around 2pm, as the flanking French formations
marched further along their ridge they became strung out
Marmont deployed his army along an L-shaped ridge that and over-extended. Wellington was eating a leg of chicken
had at its summit a hill known as the Greater Arapile. on a ridge above Los Arapiles, and paying keen attention
Wellington’s army lay hidden behind a similarly shaped
to the French manoeuvres. He immediately recognised
plateau that was inside and parallel to the one held by the
Marmont’s carelessness, and slamming his telescope shut,
French, both ridges being separated by a valley.
exclaimed “By God, that will do!” He galloped two miles
The Divisions of Foy and Ferey were on the short arm of to meet Pakenham’s 3rd Division on the far right of his
the French ridge, opposite the only known British position; position and ordered it to attack the head of the French
while the Divisions of Sarrut, Bonnet and Boyer were near flanking force, with D’Urban’s Portuguese cavalry in
the Greater Arapile. The Divisions of Thomieres, Clausel, support. Wellington then quickly rode to his centre and
Maucune and Brenier were selected to move along the long ordered Cole’s 4th and Leith’s 5th Divisions to surprise the
side of the ‘L’, thus completing the flanking manoeuvre. French and attack over the ridge. This attack would be
Jean-Baptiste Thomieres moved off first, supported by the supported by the 6th and 7th Divisions, plus the
light cavalry of Jean Curto’s Brigade. As the flanking Portuguese Brigades of Pack and Bradford.
33
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
It brings up Lord Wellington’s reputation almost After bitter fighting the French gave way and began to
to the level of that of Marlborough. Up to this retreat. As the French army streamed from the field General
day we knew his prudence, his eye for choosing Ferey resolved to hold up the British, forming his Division
good positions, and the skill with which he used into a three deep line with each flank anchored by a square.
them. But at Salamanca he has shown himself The British, led by Clinton’s Division, were repulsed and
a great and able master of manoeuvring. He
Wellington allowed his artillery to play on the French line
kept his dispositions hidden nearly the whole
before sending in a second assault. This attack was
day: he allowed us to develop our movement
before he pronounced his own: he played a close successful, breaking Ferey’s Division and killing its
game; he utilised the oblique order in the style of commander.
Frederick the Great.”
As night fell the French Army of Portugal was in headlong
flight. Wellington believed that he had a chance to destroy
the army as the French line of retreat towards Alba de
The Battle Tormes was cut off by D’Espana’s Spanish troops. But
As the British 3rd Division moved off, Marmont suddenly unknown to Wellington the Spanish had withdrawn, leaving
recognised the danger but was almost immediately the French free to retreat without further molestation.
wounded by a British shell that burst near him. The
situation was made worse when General Bonnet,
Marmont’s second in command, was also injured. The Aftermath
French army was now headless, and vital minutes passed The French suffered 7,000 casualties and lost the same
while they reorganised their command structure. number of men captured, their army also being
Lieutenant-Colonel Wallace’s deployed 1st Brigade of the completely disorganised. Two divisional generals had
British 3rd Division and the Portuguese light cavalry been killed whilst Marmont, Bonnet and another
struck home against the head of Thomieres’ columns, and divisional general had been wounded. The Allies lost just
after a brisk engagement the French were driven over 5,000 men, with three divisional commanders
backwards with the loss of their commander. Meanwhile, wounded. The victory was a crushing defeat for the
further along the French army Maucune had observed French and is rightly heralded as one of Wellington’s
Thomieres’ disaster, and seeing enemy cavalry formed his greatest victories. Wellington at Salamanca proved that
divisions into formidable squares. But while this formation he was not just the master of defence, for he had
would have been resilient in repelling cavalry, Maucune recognised an enemy’s tactical error and, with an
was attacked by Leith’s 5th Infantry Division, and the impressive attack plan “beat 40,000 men in 40 minutes.”
squares collapsed in the face of an infantry attack. Worse
was to follow. At this point they were assailed by Major As the French army of Portugal licked its wounds,
General John Le Marchant’s heavy cavalry, and Wellington pushed on into Madrid, entering the Spanish
Maucune’s Division was shattered. Le Marchant then capital on the 6th of August. His 1812 campaign would
pressed on and attacked Brenier’s force, his cavalry’s initial end in disappointment, however, when the siege of
assaults being successful but eventually halted at the cost Burgos failed due to a lack of heavy guns to break down
of the British commander’s life. the walls. The capital had to be abandoned to the French
as the Allies retreated back to the Portuguese frontier and
Three French divisions had been mauled terribly in short winter quarters.
order. The French reorganised whilst Lowry Cole’s 4th
Division and Pack’s Portuguese forces attacked the French But the battle would have some critical long-term effects.
near the Greater Arapile. Here the French had massed forty Firstly, the British government was now convinced that the
guns and were able to blunt, and then drive back Cole and war in the Peninsula was well worth greater support and
Pack’s assaults. that would mean more reinforcements for Wellington.
Secondly, the crushing defeat would rob the French of
Taking command of French forces, General Clausel tried to much of their former confidence, and from this point on
stabilise the situation. He sent Sarrut’s Division to they were wary of the fighting ability of the British troops.
34
THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA 1812
Gallant Exertion
4th Infantry Division: Major General Lowry Cole
• 1st Brigade: Major General William Anson
• 2nd Brigade: Lieutenant Colonel Ellis
• Portuguese Brigade: Colonel George Stubbs
47,000 men
MULE TRAIN!
35
The Armies of the Peninsular War
Let’s now take a look at the troops that fought
the epic conflict on the Iberian Peninsula. in this
section you will find listed, in the main, the types
of infantry, cavalry and artillery that each nation
put into the field, from the famous British
Guards to the lowly Spanish Militia. Each troop
type has been given statistics and special rules
that will add flavour to your games of Black
Powder set throughout Portugal and Spain.
THE BRITISH LINE PREPARES TO GIVE FIRE WHILST THEIR LIGHT BOBS BLAZE AWAY, WORKING IN PAIRS
36
“Soult says the French have made us good soldiers by
example. So they have, but unfortunately for them (like
Mr Hennell teaching me chess) they have taught us
rather too long & we beat them in every game.”
George Hennell of the 43rd Monmouthsire Light Infantry
37
Great Britain 1807-1815
Overview he gained a significant logistical advantage over the French,
The early industrial revolution which had occurred during who suffered from chronic shortages, the Iberian peninsula
the eighteenth century, combined with a global maritime being unable to support French foraging. The result was the
trading empire, had transformed Britain’s prosperity. She creation of one of the greatest fighting forces history has
would be able to easily fund her own war effort and give seen; a force unbeaten in the battles it fought. Wellington
enormous subsidies to her continental allies during the long paid tribute to his army by stating that it was “capable of going
war with France (1792-1815). While the English Channel anywhere and doing anything.”
acted effectively as a moat against Napoleon’s invasion
plans, it also meant that all British operations would be In battle the British usually fought on the defensive,
sustained by supply from the sea and shielded by the Royal Wellington took great care to shelter his lads out of sight
Navy. Britain had traditionally only maintained a small of the enemy on the reverse slope of a ridge with secure
standing army, and by 1808 it had recently been subject to flanks. He would line the crest with his artillery and throw
wide ranging reforms. out large numbers of skirmishes onto the forward slope to
contest the French, advancing to the pas de charge drum
The Army was much changed from the poor force expelled beat, or ‘Old Trousers’ as the British called it. The enemy,
from Flanders in 1795. From 1795 to 1809 the Duke of unsure as to the whereabouts of Wellington’s main force,
York, one of the King’s younger sons, had become its more often than not blundered into British lines without
Commander-in-Chief. Although, as a field general, he had being in the correct formation for the tactical situation.
performed poorly during the Flanders campaign, he was an They would then be thrown into confusion by close range
excellent and reform minded planner. He brought in volleys whilst trying to deploy, then a loud cheer would
measures that improved the structure of Britain’s Army at signal a controlled bayonet charge that would sweep away
every level, from mitigating the worst abuses of the officer the disordered French.
class to improving medical services and standardising
battalion organisation.
British Infantry
The person who had the greatest impact on the army was The British infantry was comprised of Guards, Foot, Light,
‘Old Nosey’ himself. He took great care with Rifle and Highland Regiments. Regiments were, in theory,
administration, supply and training, he reorganised the HQ made up of three parts – two fighting and one depot cadre.
staff and created an intelligence network that became a battalion. In practice however the battalions were used as
great asset to the Army. He ensured that the Army individual units, with the regiment an administrative rather
Commissariat kept his forces well supplied, and as a result than an operational formation. British Infantry battalions
A MONK JOINS THR BRITISH FIRING LINE. BETTER THE HEATHEN THAN THE CONQUERING FRENCH!
38
“There is no beating these British soldiers. They were
completely beaten and the day was mine, but they did
not know it and would not run.”
An angry Marshal Soult after Albuera, 1811
contained ten companies; one light company, one of British Infantry Special Rules
grenadiers, and eight ‘centre’ companies. The grenadier and In this section I offer a few new rules to allow you to bring
light companies were called the ‘flank’ companies because additional national characteristics to your British Infantry.
they formed at either end of the battalion when in a firing The Steady Line and Cannot form Attack Column are what I use
line. Rifle battalions were also made up of ten companies, and they work for me and the gaming group I am in. That
but had no flank companies. Each company was (on paper) said Black Powder is a flexible game and whether you use
to be made up of 100 men, giving a battalion strength of them or invent your own is entirely up to you.
1000 combatants. In reality most battalions did not muster
such numbers, their average strength being 500-700 men.
Two to four battalions were usually grouped into a brigade; Steady Line
rifle battalions were usually split up into companies and When charged a formed British unit with the Steady Line
attached to brigades, giving the brigade commander rule that is not disordered or shaken can:
valuable additional and accurate skirmish fire. After1808
two to four brigades were grouped into a division. 1. Stand and fire as usual with all the usual fire
modifiers, casualties or,
British infantry were rated by numerous contemporary
writers as the finest in Europe, capable of showing 2. Fire and counter-charge, in which case it does not
steadiness when under pressure and checking and turning receive the closing fire bonus.
French columns on countless occasions. The key response to
massed enemy attack was the devastating volley, followed by The British also get First Fire. These two rules represent
a controlled charge. This is represented in our games of the fire discipline of British infantry and their ability to
Black Powder with the Steady Line rule. fire devastating volleys and then launch a bayonet charge.
39
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
The Foot Guards regiment. The buttons at the front of the coat had white
Britain had three regiments of Foot Guards: the 1st Foot lace arranged singly for the First, in pairs for the Second
Guards having three battalions, while the 2nd (Coldstream) and in threes for the Third Guards. Edging to collar, cuffs,
Guards and 3rd Foot Guards had two each. The 1st and shoulder straps and turnbacks were again white. Centre
Coldstream Guards dated from the Restoration of 1660, company men were recognisable by simple white tufts at
when the 1st was formed from Charles II’s Garde du Corps; the end of their shoulder straps. These were replaced in
whilst the second was formed from the Parliamentarian both flank companies with wings that were coloured blue
regiment of General George Monk who had been pivotal in and edged and slashed in white. Headgear was the
Charles II’s return. Prior to the Restoration, this regiment ‘Stovepipe’ shako. The shako plate was in brass or white
had been posted at Coldstream in the county of metal, whilst the plume for the centre companies was white
Berwickshire and the Coldstream Guards have retained the over red, green for the light company and white for the
name to this day. The 3rd Foot Guards had their founding grenadiers. Trousers were usually white and then later grey.
history in Scotland, but did not take up ‘Scots’ in their title The backpack was black, as was the cartridge box that was
until after our period. British Guards were some of the slung on the right side of the lower back, whilst the
finest ‘heavy’ infantry of the era and their officers and men haversack in white and water canteen in light blue were
knew it. “Now’s your time, Maitland!” slung on the left hip with the bayonet scabbard in black
tipped in yellow metal. Cross belts and other equipment
The uniforms of the Guards battalions, although usually straps were white; the light blue water bottle had a brown
better made, were almost identical to those of the foot strap. Officers had no elaboration to their button holes, but
regiments. They wore the famous British red coat with facing had gold braid to the edge of their lapels, collar, cuffs and
colours on collar, cuffs and shoulder straps of dark blue. The turn backs. Their shakos were usually replaced with a
‘facing colours’ of the uniforms under discussion were the bicorn hat in the centre companies but were retained in the
distinctive (and usually contrasting) colours of each individual Light companies.
British Guards have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed Formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady Line, Cannot Form Attack Column.
News from the front of the enemy and pushed on them. The heavy German Brigade (KGL)
and the rest of General Anson’s coming up, Lord W. directed a Charge
against the tail of the enemy’s column which completely succeeded. The
…when Marmont, forgetting his former prudence and presuming Germans did wonders and an immense number of prisoners were
upon the idea that Lord W. would not fight, made a movement to turn taken. The same day we pursued them very close and attempted a
our right, and extended his left so much that an order was immediately charge upon their cavalry, but they were too strong for us. We did not
given for attack. The lines were formed and moved on, and in spite of however lose a man in the attempt. They have now got out of reach for
tremendous fire and other difficulties, they carried all before them. The the present but when the army is a little recovered from the fatigue, we
heavy Drag’s made a very successful charge, and the enemy’s left was shall push a little further.
completely beat; it was getting very dark when Lord W. advanced the
light divisions and first against their Right. I covered them with a I have knocked up all my horses; I lamed two on the day of the battle,
squadron of the 12th and one of the 5th; we charged twice and in broke my sword and lost my pistol. The weather has been uncommonly
last went thro. two battalions of infantry. I was unfortunate enough to hot; we are always bivouacked; the fatigue, you may guess, has been
lose Dickens in this charge; he was leading a Squadron, and received a great, provision not plenty and I never was better in my life.
ball in his left breast. Just as we came up to the enemy’s columns the
officer who commanded the other squadron was also shot in the breast Extract from a Letter from Lieut. Colonel Frederick
but not killed. Lord Wellington pushed on to Huerta the same night Cavendish Ponsonby to his mother, Henrietta Spencer,
with two divisions and my detachments of cavalry. Lady Bessborough. Ponsonby was Colonel and
commanded the 12th Light Dragoons at the battle of
On the morning of the 23rd we ascertained the direction of the flight Salamanca.
40
GREAT BRITAIN 1807-1815
THE ‘SWEEPS’ MOVE UP TO RELIEVE THE LIGHT DRAGOONS FROM SKIRMISH DUTY. WELL DONE, THE RIFLES!
Line Infantry (The Foot Regiments) numerous minute differences between regiments, the main
The main infantry type in the British Army. Hardy and one being the facing colour (see above). In 1812 both Guard
reliable in battle and armed with the Tower or East India and Line regiments took grey trousers as their campaign
pattern flintlock musket, they were the bedrock of wear and the ‘stovepipe’ was replaced by the ‘Belgic’ shako.
Wellington’s Peninsular victories. These men joined the This new headgear had a false front, a fresh front plate,
ranks for life, and pride in the traditions of their regiments cords and a side plume. Cords for the centre and grenadier
was the spiritual spine of the Army. The Infantry regiments companies were white, whilst the light companies’ were
were numbered, and in 1781 were regionally designated, e.g. green. The plume colour remained the same. Interestingly
33rd First Yorkshire West Riding Regiment of Foot. The the 28th North Gloucester Regiment was allowed to carry
territorial designation roughly identified where the regiment on wearing the stovepipe shako.
drew its recruits from. They also gained nick names such as
the ‘the Fighting Fifth’ for the 5th Northumberland The Line battalions carried two battle flags, one being the
Regiment of Foot, or ‘the Skins’ for the 27th Enniskillen Regimental Colour and the other being the King’s Colour.
Regiment of Foot. This all added to the esprit de corps that The first had a field in the facing colour of the regiment
kept men in the ranks when the heat of battle was raised. with various heraldic or royal devices in the centre
surrounding the Foot
The light companies from a brigade’s battalions were regiment’s number in
sometimes taken from their parent line units and Roman numerals; in the top
amalgamated together into composite light battalions. right-hand corner there was
(This can be represented in your games of Black Powder by a small Union Flag. The
adding a Small Light battalion to a brigade and removing King’s Colour was basically
the Mixed formation rule from its line). a large Union Flag (’Jack’)
with the badges of the
The uniforms of the Foot regiments can be taken as the Regimental Colour
same as those described for the Guards. There were repeated in the centre.
British Line Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed Formation, Can form
Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady Line, Cannot Form Attack Column.
41
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
British Highlanders have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady Line, Cannot Form Attack Column.
Light Infantry Light battalions also had ten companies, all companies being
Britain had developed her ideas on the use of light troops designated as light. Rank and file as well as sergeants were
during the American War of Independence. Sir John Moore armed with the New Land pattern musket from 1811.
commanded a ‘light brigade’ during the Irish Uprising, 1798, Sergeants in the Guards and Line infantry carried a 9 foot
winning the critical battle at Foulkes Mill. In 1803 through long pike which replaced the halberd in 1792. Technically
1804 Moore trained three regiments: the 43rd this pike was a half-pike which looked like a spontoon.
Monmouthshire, 52nd Oxfordshire and 95th Rifles as Light
Infantry - ‘Light Bobs’ as they were known. All these The dress of the light infantry
regiments would form part of the famous Light Division. In regiments and that of the light
1809 a further four were converted: the 55th Westmoreland, companies of the rest of the line
68th Durham, 71st Glasgow Highland and 90th Perthshire was very similar. There were no
Volunteers. These troops underwent rigorous training and grenadier companies and all
emerged as some of the finest light troops to see action in the ranks wore wings and the shako
Peninsula. They were made up of men who were good shots, ornament was a bugle horn.
agile and intelligent. Light infantry battalions as well as the Light infantry battalions usually
light companies of the Guard and Line battalions were did not normally carry their
trained to fight in a less formal manner those in the Line. standards into battle.
British Light Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady Line, Sharpshooters, Cannot Form Attack Column.
42
GREAT BRITAIN 1807-1815
Riflemen who they were and what they had achieved, rather than the
The ‘sporting rifles’ used by the rebels in the American threat of beatings and floggings. Riflemen where some of
Rebellion had left an impression on the British military the finest soldiers in the British Army and were more than a
hierarchy. As a result, in 1797 the 5th battalion of the 60th match for their French equivalent.
Royal American Regiment of Foot, loyal to his Majesty, was
equipped with rifles. Later the ‘Experimental Corps of The 95th Rifles were dressed from top to bottom in dark
Riflemen’ was formed; this flamboyant name changed in green, from a distance it appeared black and gave them
December 1802 to the now famous 95th Regiment of Foot. their nick name ‘the Sweeps’. The
rifleman’s equipment, belts and straps
The British carried the Baker rifle, named after its inventor were black. Other Rifles regiments
Ezekiel Baker of Whitechapel, London. The rifle was slow would dress as above, but donning grey
to load, but extremely accurate for the period. It was rare trousers in place the green favoured by
for the ten companies of a rifle battalion to fight as a whole the 95th.
and they were usually broken down to varying company
strengths and attached to brigades. Like other light Buttons were white metal and other
infantrymen, Riflemen were soldiers capable of acting on ranks had white piping to their collar
their own initiative, their discipline maintained by pride in and cuffs. Riflemen had no standards.
British Riflemen have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Sharpshooters, Cannot Form Attack Column.
British 'India' pattern Brown Bess – used thoughout the Napoleonic Wars (Perry Collection)
43
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Chasseurs Britannique black leather sword and bayonet belts for all ranks. Officers had
The Chasseurs Britannique were a light infantry battalion of a large bicorn hat with a white over red cut feather plume; light
remnants of the Armee de Condé and émigrés, it was expanded company officers wore a shako with green plume; company
to twelve companies in November 1810 when it was assigned officers had silver epaulettes on the shoulders; grenadier and
to the 7th Division. The battalion fought at Fuentes de light company officers had silver wings on each shoulder with
Oñoro and most of the major battles that followed. grenade and bugle horn devices. Officers had also bugle-horn
badges on the turnbacks. Officers wore a crimson sash, while
They wore British red coats with light blue collar and cuffs; white sergeants sported a red sash with a central light blue stripe.
turnbacks; silver lace for officers, white with a red and light blue
stripe for others; white breeches with short black half gaiters. The Chasseurs carried no standards.
Their headgear was the regulation black stovepipe shako with
white over red plume and a brass plate on the front; grenadier In our games of Black Powder the Chasseurs de Britannique
companies had a white plume, light companies a green plume; would be a large light infantry battalion.
The Chassuers Britannique have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady line, Sharpshooters, Cannot Form Attack Column.
British Detachment Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square,
Rifle Mixed formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, First Fire, Steady Line,
Cannot Form Attack Column.
Note: Battalions of detachments are not to be confused with the 1813 provisional units (two combined
reduced battalions) that are to all intents and purposes classed as British Line Infantry.
44
GREAT BRITAIN 1807-1815
Albion’s Lions
British Cavalry
Dragoon Guards, Dragoons, Light Dragoons and Hussar
Regiments made up the cavalry force in the Peninsula.
British cavalry was the best mounted in Europe, but was the
least controllable and overall badly led, especially when used
in large numbers. In 1812 Wellington remarked angrily “Our “Soon as brave Wellesley on the shores of Spain
cavalry officers have acquired the trick of galloping at everything and Arrives, and leads to war his dauntless few,
then galloping back as fast as they gallop at the enemy. One would think The Gauls, subdued by Albion’s valiant train,
they cannot manoeuvre except on Wimbledon Common”. Regiments Crown’d with disgrace, their backward flight pursue.
were made up of four squadrons, but one, two or three Britons rejoice.
squadrons could be used on campaign. The average
squadron strength was approximately 120 men. When Gallia’s guns shall roar in foreign air,
And fate once more present so bright a chance,
British cavalry was formed into brigades of normally two For victory’s sake, may Wellesley’s arm be there,
regiments of the same type. These brigades were usually And Albion’s lions crush the wolves of France!
attached to divisional formations or placed directly under Britons rejoice.”
the command of a cavalry commander.
Extract from a
British cavalry fought in line or column, depending on the song celebrating
tactical formation. In Black Powder cavalry fight in line and Wellesley’s victory,
can also form column of March. written in 1809.
Dragoon Guards and Dragoons All Dragoon and Dragoon Guard regiments wore jackets in
The difference between these two types of cavalry was in name red that had facings in regimental colours of blue, black,
only. In the period of 1746 to 1788 all bar one of the heavy white, yellow or red. Up to 1812 they wore a bicorn cocked
‘Horse’ Regiments of the British Army were converted to hat, after that date they adopted the Grecian helmet. The
Dragoons to save money. To massage damaged pride they were year 1812 also saw the jacket change, with the addition of a
designated Dragoon Guards. The two types, who were trained vertical strip of lace down its front. Regulations stated that
for shock action, were distinguishable by the shape of their they should wear plush breeches, but for active service these
cuffs! They were armed and equipped in the same manner, were replaced by grey overalls.
with the 1796 pattern heavy cavalry sabre, pistols and an
unwieldy old pattern carbine.
British Cavalry Special Rules
One regiment the 2nd Royal North British Dragoons (the Gallop at Anything
Scots Greys) had many differences from the rest of the + 1 to Charge order, Cavalry with this rule automatically
dragoon regiments. Most noticeable was the adoption of the gain the Ferocious Charge rule (Black Powder, p. 90) but
Grenadier cap and a bespoke sabre that was more curved than must make a breakthrough move if allowed, even if this
that of their fellow dragoons. The Grenadier cap takes them off the table. British cavalry suffer a +2 to
commemorated the regiment’s victory over the Maison du Roi at command roll when they leave the table under such
the battle of Ramillies in 1706. circumstances.
Dragoon Guards and Dragoons have the above stats as well as the following special rule: Gallop at Anything.
45
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Light Dragoons and Hussars either white or yellow. Facing colours were again dependant
Before 1806 British Light cavalry consisted of fourteen on the regiment in question and ranged from buff to orange.
regiments of Light Dragoons raised to undertake Grey overall trousers were worn on campaign. In 1812 the
reconnaissance duties. After 1806, four Light Dragoon Tarleton helmet was replaced by a shako with white over red
regiments were converted to Hussars. They were the 7th, plume. The British hussars wore fur caps (colpacks) with
10th, 15th and 18th Regiments. There was no difference white over red plume, red, blue or yellow busby bags on the
between the Light Dragoons and Hussars other than the
cap, and a blue tailless dolman with white or yellow braid
expense of the latter’s uniform! British light cavalry were
armed with the 1796 Pattern light cavalry sabre and the plus grey overall trousers. Facings were in white, yellow or
serviceable ‘Paget carbine’. British lights were capable of scarlet. Hussars were required to sport moustaches.
delivering formed charges but, like their heavier cousins,
paid dearly for not being able to maintain control. In both the Dragoon and light regiments the changes of
1812 actually made British cavalry look like French troops
At the start of the Peninsular War Light Dragoons wore a at a distance. The changes caused great controversy and
short tailed blue coloured jacket that was laced on its front, in did lead to several “red on red incidents”. Scandalous!
Light Dragoons and Hussars have the above stats as well as the following special rule: Gallop at Anything.
British Backsword
with a single cutting edge. The blunt edge (‘the back’)
was thickened to add strength. Thirty five inches in
length with a ‘hatchet point’ tip, the sword was only good
for chopping and bludgeoning, being no good for
delicate swordsmanship. As a result many users altered it
Born of the same design as the Austrian 1769 pattern
whilst on campaign. Some would alter the tip to a more
Heavy cavalry sabre, adopted by the British Board of
symmetrical shape or ‘spear point’ to allow for thrusting.
General Officers on the recommendations of Major John
le Marchant (The same gentleman, by then a Major For comfort, and to prevent uniform damage, the langets –
General, was killed at Salamanca after skilful use of an extension of the guard located on both flats of the
British cavalry) who had seen Austrian equipment during blade, and designed to fit over the mouth of a scabbard to
the disastrous campaigning in the Low Countries 1793- prevent accidental unsheathing – were sometimes removed
1795. Known as a backsword as it had a straight blade and the left side of the guard was ground off.
46
GREAT BRITAIN 1807-1815
Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) unacceptable. Ramsey decided it would be better to die
Horse artillery was only adopted in Britain at the very trying to escape than to suffer the eternal shame of
start of the French Wars despite it having been introduced surrendering, and his troop managed to fight their way out
by the Austrians in the late 1750’s. Intended to support of the situation and into the annals of British military
cavalry, horse artillery was light and mobile with a crew glory. Brave chaps!
who were expected to be valiant, good riders, capable
swordsmen and above all excellent gunners. As an Horse batteries (or brigades, as they were known) usually
example, at the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in 1811, as had five six pounder guns and one 5.5inch howitzer
part of Bull’s Troop, Captain Norman Ramsey’s two guns serviced by 162 officers and men.
were firing on the retreat and remained outside of the
protection of British squares; they were then attacked and The Royal Horse Artillery was uniformed in a similar
enveloped by French cavalry. Wellington had never lost a manner to the pre-1812 Light Dragoons. They wore a
gun in the Peninsula and Ramsey knew this. To an blue jacket with yellow lace, red facings edged yellow, grey
artilleryman losing a gun was like losing a Colour, trousers and the Tarleton helmet with white plume.
“As rough,
foul mouthed
a devil as
ever lived.”
Wellington on Picton
Royal Artillery (RA) Foot batteries had five nine pounders and one 5.5 inch
howitzer serviced by 145 crew. Again crews were well
The Royal Regiment of Artillery formed in 1716, was one
trained and expected to be excellent at their profession.
of only two regiments within the Army that trained its
officers before they were commissioned. All artillery and The uniform of the Royal Artillery was functional and
engineer officers had to pass through the Royal Military simple, a blue infantry style jacket with yellow lace. Red
Academy, Woolwich, while the others learnt their trade as facing colours, grey trousers and a stove pipe shako with
they went along. white plume and yellow metal front plate.
47
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
The King’s German Legion (KGL) the best in the British army and did not possess the same
On the 5th of July 1803, at the Convention of Artlenburg, temperament to gallop at anything. Clever chaps!
the Electorate of Hanover was dissolved. As a result the The KGL were to all intents and purposes armed and
Elector’s army was disbanded. Many brave fellows were equipped like the equivalent British regiments and carried
determined to continue the war to expel the hated French both Regimental and King’s Colours.
occupation of their homeland and made for Britain’s shores
as their Elector was also King George III of Britain. KGL Line Infantry
Stats as British Line Infantry.
Colonel von der Decken and Major Halkett were granted
Royal warrants to raise a corps of light infantry. The Steady Line, First Fire, Must form Square, Rifle Mixed formation,
corps was to be named “The King’s German Regiment”. Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter,
In late December 1803, von der Decken’s and Halkett’s Cannot Form Attack Column.
men were grouped together as the basis of a legion of all KGL Light Infantry
arms: the King’s German Legion. Recruitment to the Stats as British Light Infantry, Reliable, Elite 4+.
Legion went from strength to strength and it could
eventually boast units of Dragoons, Hussars, Line Steady Line, First Fire, Sharpshooters, Must form Square, Rifle
Infantry, Light Infantry and Foot and Horse Artillery. Mixed formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not
normally enter, Cannot Form Attack Column.
The Legion was known for its excellent discipline
and ability on the field of battle. The KGL Dragoons
cavalry was reputed to be Stats as British Dragoons; add
Ferocious Charge and lose Gallop at
Anything.
KGL Hussars
Stats as British Hussars; add
Ferocious Charge and lose Gallop at
Anything.
KGL Horse Artillery
Stats as Royal Horse Artillery.
KGL Artillery
Stats as Royal Artillery.
48
GREAT BRITAIN 1807-1815
The Black Brunswickers The Light Division’s leader Robert Crauford was disgusted
In 1807, following the sad death of the Duke of Brunswick, with their behaviour, openly stating that if they wanted to
Charles William Ferdinand, at the battle of Jena-Auerstadt change sides he would give them a pass to go over to the
and the subsequent collapse of the Fourth Coalition a year French “for we are better without such!” – perhaps the result of
earlier, the Duchy fell under French control and became filling the ranks from the prison barges whilst in England.
part of the newly created Kingdom of Westphalia. Two
years later the Fifth Coalition against Napoleon was
Brunswick Oels Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Rifle Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter, Sharpshooters.
49
The Kingdom ofPortugal 1808-1814
Portugal – The Oldest Ally After the Convention of Cintra in 1808 the British gained a
In this section we will take a look at Britain’s allies, Portugal foothold in the Peninsula and the man tasked with licking
and Spain. As we did with the brave lads from Albion, we the Portuguese into shape was William Carr Beresford, who
will provide an overview of the armies and their different was granted the title of Commander-in-Chief of the
troop types and establishments. We will identify how this all Portuguese Army in March 1809. At the same time,
relates back to Black Powder. Please don’t forget that the unit Marshal Soult had crossed into Portugal and occupied
statistics provided are by way of guidance. Again I have Oporto. Beresford acted quickly to improve discipline and
identified some uniform detail. organisation, utilising daily orders to drive change. He
created recruiting depots, reorganised units and distributed
better arms and equipment; as well as creating Portuguese
Overview brigades and then mixing them with British brigades to
The Portuguese Secretary of the Regency, Miguel Pereira form Anglo-Portuguese Divisions. To ensure greater co-
Forjaz, saved the Portuguese Army from extinction operation, Portuguese drill and manoeuvres mimicked that
following Junot’s orders to disband it in 1807. Forjaz of their British allies; orders were given in both English and
ensured that Portuguese Army had a firm base for others to Portuguese by attached British officers. As the war ground
build upon. However, the Portuguese soldier around this on, the Portuguese Army became an essential part of
time was, it was said, ‘naturally indolent’ and found to fall Wellington’s forces.
into ‘slouching and slovenly habits’, and the officer corps
was even worse.
Portuguese Infantry
Unlike the British Army the Portuguese gained their
“The ablest man in manpower through conscription. The men that conscription
threw up included all manner of misfits and a rag-tag of
the Peninsula” peasantry, a very sad bunch indeed. The establishment of a
central recruiting depot at Peniche, later moved to Mafra,
Wellington on Forjaz enabled the conscripts to be transformed into capable soldiers.
ORDER OF BATTLE
Commander-in-Chief Light Division: Brigadier-General Robert Craufurd
• Lieutenant-General Arthur, Viscount Wellington 1st Brigade: Lt-Col Beckwith
• 1st/43rd Monmouthshire Regiment
7th Division: Major-General William Houston • 1st/95th Rifles (4 companies), 2nd/95th Rifles (1 coy.)
1st Brigade: Major-General Sontag • 3rd Trancoso Caçadores
• 2nd/51st Yorkshire and West Riding Light Infantry
• 85th Buckinghamshire Volunteers 2nd Brigade: Col Drummond
• Chasseurs Britannique and Brunswick Oels Jaegers • 1st, 2nd/52nd Oxfordshire Light Infantry
(8 companies.) • 1st/95th Rifles (4 companies)
• 1st Castelo Branco Caçadores
2nd Brigade: Brigadier General Doyle
• 7th Sebutal Portuguese Line Independent Portuguese Brigade: Col Ashworth
• 19th Cascaes Portuguese Line • 6th 1/ Porto Portuguese Line
• 2nd Moura Caçadores • 18th 2/Porto Portuguese Line
• 6th Vila Real Caçadores
50
RIFLE-ARMED CAÇADORES AMBUSH A FRENCH COLUMN
Portuguese Line Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must Form Square, Mixed formation, Can
Form Skirmish in terrain they could not normally enter, Steady Line, Cannot Form Attack Column.
51
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Light Infantry Like the line regiments, each Caçadores battalion was
In 1808 the Portuguese Army found itself without any light attached to a town or city. The majority of men who
troops as the pro-French General, Pedro de Almeida, had joined these new battalions were motivated volunteers who
taken what there were with him when he formed the were in the main hill farmers and hunters, all experienced
Portuguese Legion to fight for the French. in the use of firearms.
Step forward Miguel Pereira Forjaz, who ordered the The Caçadores were trained in British skirmish tactics and
creation of the battalions of Hunters (batalhoes de Caçadores). quickly proved themselves as brave fellows, being
The first six battalions were raised in October 1808 and recognised as elite by their British allies and their French
each battalion had five companies – four Caçadores enemies alike. In 1811 they had proved their worth so
companies and one elite Tiradores company. Each much that another six battalions were raised. Three were
company had an establishment of 126 officers and men, formed from the Loyal Lusitanian Legion, a two-battalion
which in our games of Black Powder are represented by five strong British sponsored formation that was created in
bases of four miniatures. 1808 by Sir Robert Wilson and which fought at Albuera.
The Loyal Lusitanian Legion has the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must Form Square, Mixed formation,
Can Form Skirmish in terrain they could not normally enter, Steady Line, Sharpshooters, Cannot Form Attack Column.
Caçadores
Caçadores are, for all intents and purposes, the same as British Rifles; and what finer testimony to these brave hunters than
the inclusion of the 1st Catello de Vide and 3rd Ville Real battalions in the Light Division!
Portuguese Caçadores have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must Form Square, Rifle Mixed formation, Can
Form Skirmish in terrain they could not normally enter, Steady Line, Sharpshooters, Cannot Form Attack Column.
The Caçadores wore the stovepipe shako with a dark green a dark brown jacket with short tails, and the jacket had both
plume above a red and blue cockade, with the shako’s front collar and pointed cuffs in the regimental colour. The jacket
having a brass bugle and the battalion’s number. They wore was piped black down the front and along the bottom edge,
along with the collar and cuffs. The shoulder straps were
brown with black piping and had tufts on the end. The
trousers were the same colour as the jacket, with or without
black gaiters. All belting and straps were black and,
although the Caçadores wore only a single cross belt, they
also wore a waist belt. Attached to the waist belt were the
ammunition pouch and a bayonet on the left side. The
knapsack was brown with a grey blanket roll.
52
THE KINGDOM OF PORTUGAL 1808-1814
Portuguese Cavalry the cavalry arm being the poorest section in the Portuguese
The Portuguese cavalry of the Peninsular War had many Army. Each regiment had four squadrons of approximately
issues. The general staff never understood the role of 125 men, but in reality regiments could be as small as 300
cavalry and how they were to be used on the battlefield; and men. A Portuguese cavalry regiment is represented in our
this saw no division of the cavalry into light, medium or games of Black Powder with units of between twelve and
heavy roles as in other Napoleonic forces. The Portuguese sixteen miniatures.
were not natural horsemen and the horses bred in the
country were unsuited to either heavy or light cavalry work. Portuguese cavalry wore a simple short-tailed jacket in dark
blue with collar and cuffs in regimental colours. They wore a
As we have seen the Iberian Peninsula, and Portugal in bell-topped shako with regimental number to the front and a
particular, was not a forage-rich environment. This led to red plume. On campaign reinforced grey overalls were worn.
Portuguese Regular
Sabre 6 4 3 Wavering
Cavalry Cavalry
Special Rules: Portuguese cavalry, unlike their infantry countrymen, weren’t very brave fellows and were prone to disperse if
under threat. They are assigned the special rule Wavering as a result.
Artillery
The Portuguese only deployed field artillery and these were remaining three had five 6-pounders and a 6" howitzer. A
organised in the same way as the British Royal Artillery. In single gun with four crew represents a Portuguese battery in
1809 there were seven batteries fighting alongside their island Black Powder.
allies with two- and three-pounder mountain guns, four- and
six-pounder guns, one 6" howitzer and a nine-pounder. Field artillery wore a blue single-breasted jacket that was
piped red and had red turnbacks. They wore white trousers
In 1812 the artillery was reorganised into eight batteries. Five with or without gaiters. Their helmet was the Belgic shako
batteries had five 9-pounders and a 6" howitzer, whilst the with red cords and a black plume.
53
The Spanish – ‘Guerra al Cuchillo’
Guerra de la independencia Espanola, 1807 to 1814
Spain, site of mighty Carthage, settled by the Visigoths, As the war dragged on the Spanish did improve. They
birthplace of the Cid, Conqueror of the Americas and a received large quantities of cash and equipment, including
nation that once threatened the shores of England with a uniforms from Britain which saw to the needs of around
great army borne upon an Armada. What of this proud 50,000 men. Despite suffering the deprivation brought on
and mighty nation now that they had seen sense and allied by foreign invasion, the Spanish themselves ensured that
with Albion in a bitter struggle against the hated invaders. their industrial output delivered the rest of the manpower
required, perhaps another 100,000 men.
The Spanish army of the Napoleonic wars was probably
the worst to take the field in any European theatre of If the Spanish regular armed forces were not up to much, the
war. It was certainly large and its soldiers were resistance shown by the general population was another thing
uniformed in the most colourful and widely differing entirely. The war against and by the civilian population was a
uniform selections known in the Napoleonic period (So very cruel and dirty war indeed. It did however prove that the
much so that I do not intend to provide detail here. I Spanish had the ability to display extreme courage and
would need a book just for that.) yet it only managed a resistance in the face of extreme adversity; perhaps this
manifested itself in the creation of numerous armed bands
small number of victories against the French and only
who fought the ‘little war’, the term in Spanish giving its name
one of any importance, that being Baylen in 1808. The
to insurgent warfare to this day, guerrilla war!
Spanish pitted themselves time and time again in field
engagements with the French, only to put up a half
The Spanish population, fed by religious zeal and a
hearted display before routing, usually leaving their brave xenophobic hatred of the invader, ensured that their attacks
gunnery crews still working their pieces before being kept large numbers of Frenchmen tied up protecting
overrun. ‘Damn bad show if you ask me!’ convoys, messengers, garrisons and hospitals, Frenchmen
much needed to counter the threat of the Anglo-Portuguese
The Spanish army was badly organised, trained, equipped and Spanish regular forces.
and led and therefore suffered from a severe self-doubt
which was in contrast to the Spaniards as individuals who
were usually fired by the zeal to rid themselves of ‘el francés’. Infantry
The War for Independence led to the creation of a plethora
When the War of Independence (Peninsular) started the of new units, whose organisation, armament and uniforms
army numbered around 130,000 regular and militia forces, varied to one extent or the other. In general terms the
quite an impressive size but when you look closer the infantry were divided into four types: Guard, Line (which
standard of those forces is enough to make you wince. It included battalions of Grenadiers), Light and Militia.
was said that the Spanish on the march looked like ‘an Although volunteers did come forward, the men for these
armed mob.’ units were in the main supplied by conscription.
COME ON! DON’T GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO THE UNGODLY BRITISH...
54
The Guard
The Spanish ‘elite’ forces included three companies of Wallonas, which on paper had three battalions each of four
Guardes de Corps (nearly 700 men) and an artillery battery, companies of 180 men. For the purposes of Black Powder
and the Guarda de Infanteria Espanola and the Guardas Spanish Guard battalions are six stands of four figures.
Spanish Guards have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter.
Line Infantry
Spanish Line infantry were organised into three battalion regiments, each battalion
had four companies of approximately 190 officers and men. In July 1810 the regular
infantry had a strength of 8 battalions of Grenadiers, 121 regiments of Line and
Militia and 32 regiments of Light infantry.
Line infantry regiments were again made up of three battalions, each battalion having
one grenadier company, one Cazadores company and four fusilier companies, each
company having around 150 men. This was a paper organisation only and in 1812 this
anomaly was rectified when the regimental strength was reduced from three to one
battalion containing the same company organisation as before. For the purposes of
Black Powder Spanish Line battalions are six stands of four figures.
As intimated the quality of Spanish troops was very questionable and with that in mind
I provide the following statistics (Spanish players look away now!) but remember though
this is my interpretation. If you have another then feel free to alter to taste!
Spanish Line Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter
Spanish Grenadier battalions had five companies, four of Grenadiers and one of Light infantry.
Spanish Grenadiers have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation, Can form
Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter
55
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Light Infantry were organised in single battalions, each battalion having 800 officers and men in six companies.
Spanish Light Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter
Militia infantry are included for a sense of completeness as per 1,000 souls which meant a town of 10,000 people
they were usually confined to garrison duty. They were would only have a militia contribution of 200 men. They
organised in 600-man battalions of eight companies. That have been recorded by historians as fighting better than
said, the reality was that a population was to supply 20 men their regular colleagues, this is represented in their statistics.
Spanish Militia Infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Must form Square, Mixed formation,
Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter
56
THE SPANISH – ‘GUERRA AL CUCHIL LO’, 1807 TO 1814
Guerrilla by colourful yet ruthless men who operated under titles such
You cannot comment on the Spanish and their forces without as El Pastor (The Shepherd) and El Abuelo (The Godfather).
providing detail on those plucky chaps who carried out the
‘little war’; directed by local Juntas they performed hit and One cannot underestimate the value to Wellington that the
run attacks on the French any way they could. The French guerrilla war had. It is without doubt that without these
regarded them as rebellious scum, bandits who were to be brave Spaniards, Wellington’s forces would have been
chastised even unto death. It is estimated that over 20,000 overrun by marauding French armies. Conversely, without
were active in numerous bands whose numbers grew to the brave Albion and her Portuguese allies, the French would
size of small armies in some cases. Guerrilla bands were lead have hunted down the rebels with impunity.
Guerillas have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Default formation: Skirmish, Bloodthirsty.
57
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Artillery
‘The best of a bad lot’ they displayed spirit
and courage that was not matched by their
countrymen. Batteries were split between
horse and foot, the former having 4
pounders and the later having 8 pounders.
Batteries were supposed to have six guns
each, but this was rarely achieved and
batteries usually had four guns only. The
fact that the batteries were called foot or
horse meant little; a severe shortage of
horses meant both were drawn in the main
by mules and oxen.
Moves as foot artillery, A la Muerte (Spanish batteries that take a break test due to shooting casualties will only break on 4 or less).
A la Muerte (Spanish batteries that take a break test due to shooting casualties will only break on 4 or less).
58
THE SPANISH – ‘GUERRA AL CUCHIL LO’, 1807 TO 1814
CONSTANT WARFARE IS CRIPPLING TO BLACK POWDER SUPPLIES. FRENCH COMMISARIAT GET FORWARD!
59
Imperial France 1807-1814
“Vive L’Empereur!” would call up the military age recruits of not only that year,
By 1807 Napoleonic France had defeated all the major but also those of perhaps the following year. For example, in
powers in spectacular fashion to become the master of 1809 not only did Napoleon call on the services of the men
Europe. The French Army, with Napoleon Bonaparte at the born in 1789, but he also called on those born in 1790.
height of his powers leading them, had extended the limits During the years 1807 to 1809, the demand for ever more
of glory and created a powerful Empire at the point of the soldiers required the regime to also make use of the services
bayonet. The Grande Armée, formed in 1802, was the mighty of foreign contingents, some of whom were more willing
host that Napoleon had assembled to invade Britain, in the than others.
Pas de Calais, until his Navy was undone at Trafalgar. It had
been forged from revolutionary zeal and tempered on the
anvil of fourteen years of warfare; its ranks by 1805 filled
with hardened veterans. It was to be the greatest army he “Fire alone is everything,
would lead in his long career, later bringing him his
tremendous victory at Austerlitz in 1805.
the rest does not matter”
Russia, Prussia and Austria had no answer to the
Napoleon, 1809
decisiveness of French mass and manoeuvre, so why then
did the French fail so badly in the Peninsula? Napoleon had boasted that he could afford to lose 30,000
men a month, but he could not replace the sapping loss of
But thousands of experienced soldiers had died in the great experience. This manifested itself mainly in the infantry,
campaigns of 1805-1807. The battles of Auerstadt, Jena, who were now not as manoeuvrable as they once had been.
Eylau and Friedland had all followed Austerlitz; 50,000 Napoleon in all his campaigns had always searched for the
brave Frenchmen lost to Napoleon. The size of the decisive battle that would win the war with a single stroke.
territories ruled by Bonaparte and his perpetual As his infantry were now increasingly less skilled in
campaigning necessitated the dispersal of his remaining battlefield drill the reliance on fast-moving assault columns,
veterans, and their dilution by masses of new recruits to driven on by the pas de charge, became more emphasized.
build the now massive forces of the Empire. Napoleon had Attacking in column would force results quickly on the field,
always relied on yearly conscription, but by 1807 he had especially if supported by massive artillery preparation, and
begun to conscript men who had been previously deferred to this end Bonaparte would add more and more heavy
and called ‘annual classes’ in advance. This meant that he guns as time went by.
GRIZZLED VOLTIGEURS WORK THEIR WAY FORWARD, FIRING AND ADVANCING WITH TYPICAL ÉLAN
60
An officer and a corpse
The French Army in the Peninsula
French forces in the Peninsula grew steadily as the war raged
on. From 25,000 men in Junot’s Army of Portugal in 1807,
to 150,000 in 1808, over 300,000 in 1808, and 350,000 by
1811. These men, however, were not the same calibre as the
French officers were guilty sometimes of near suicidal
victors of Austerlitz or Jena, the majority being the raw
bravery in their efforts to exhort their men on.
recruits and foreign formations described above. As well as
the fall in troop quality, a further weakness was built into the Mark Urban in his book, “Rifles” quotes the following, “Not
ability to mount large-scale operations. The corps and for the first time, the riflemen watched enemy officers going
out in front of their men, sometimes putting their hats on
divisions of France were all split into regional armies spread
the ends of their swords, sometimes jumping up and down,
across the Iberian Peninsula with no overall commander. waving their arms, exhorting them forward
This, as well as the poor road system, resulted in poor for the honour of their regiment and of
communication and co-ordination at the strategic level. France.”
“Their officers are certainly very prodigal
The French Army had gained in its earlier campaigns a of life, often exposing themselves
fantastic reputation for demonstrating great feats of rapid ridiculously”, wrote one Rifles officer.
movement, in the main due to its ability to live off the land. Beckwith galloped up behind one group of
In cold terms this entailed pillaging the localities they riflemen to point out one of the senior
passed through of all harvested goods and livestock, so in French officers who had come forward on
turn there was no delay while supply wagons trundled up horseback. “Shoot that fellow, will you?” he
from the rear with the troops’ rations and horses’ fodder. ordered them, knowing that the French
The French believed this practice, which had worked so well would only move forward again if they were
in the rich farmlands of northern Italy and central insopired by brave commanders. Several
Germany, would serve them well again in Spain. So no real riflemen fired and Beckwith watched both
the officer and horse collapse to the ground.
focus was placed on the creation of proper lines of
“Alas you were a noble fellow” exclaimed
communication and the building of supply depots. But they the colonel before galloping off. The
were to find a barren landscape, and a population that had regiment facing the British brigade in this
removed their goods and were to become actively hostile. part of the fight had eighteen officers shot,
Marshal Marmont’s letter to Napoleon in 1812 is a frank including two of their three colonels.
testimony to this fact:
61
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
‘This plucky brigade commander has opted to form his brigade into l’ordre mixte by having his two centre battalions form line, and protected their
flanks with his remaining two battalions formed in attack column. The commander can now rely on the firepower provided by the lines and when
the time is right can unleash the weight of his columns.A major reason for this formation is to protect flanks from cavalry. Columns can form a solid
square in seconds.’
62
IMPERIAL FRANCE 1807-1814
Another tactic that the French grew to rely upon more and more was the multi-battalion column. Sometimes brigades and
even whole divisions of infantry were formed into mass formations, either of battalion attack columns formed one behind
the other or battalions in line formed one behind the other.
‘General de Brigade Claude Rusamont, always the one for no-nonsense ‘Rusamont’s command again, this time the fiery General has his
fighting, has formed his brigade into a ‘heavy column’ consisting of all brigade in a ‘heavy column’ consisting of all his battalions in attack
his battalions formed in line in mutual support of each other. In Black columns in mutual support of each other. In Black Powder the front
Powder the front line battalion is just that – a battalion formed in line columns will do the fighting and be supported by each other and their
and the rear formations provide support if combat occurs or can take sister battalions are to their rear.’
the first unit’s place if they suffer casualties.’
French Infantry
Special Rules
In this section I offer a few new
rules to allow you to bring
additional national characteristics to
your French Infantry. The Pas de
Charge is what I use and as it is a
renaming of a rule in Black Powder it
works for me and the gaming group
I am in. That said, Black Powder is a
flexible game and whether you use
them or invent your own is entirely
up to you.
Pas de Charge
French Infantry in Attack Column
formation become reliable.
Mixed Formation
As Black Powder rules page 78
Must Form Square
As Black Powder rules page 75
FRENCH TROOPS IN CAMP BEING ENTERTAINED BY A LOCAL ‘LADY’. NOT ALL APPROVE...
63
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Guard Infantry campaign. One regiment’s vehicles were marked with Garde
The Imperial Guard came into being in 1804 when Imperiale, Regiment de Grenadiers in letters two feet high below
Napoleon, having been crowned Emperor of France, which, in small print, was CTS (conscript abbreviated). The
ordered that the Consular Guard take the title of ‘Garde marketing didn’t work I am afraid as the rest of the Army
Imperiale’. Initially the infantry within the Guard were a christened the regiment the CTS, and many a duel ensued
Guard Grenadiers regiment and a Guard Chasseurs for the honour of the regiment. The regiments were
regiment. These battalions became known as Napoleon’s eventually renamed when the Guard was expanded again in
‘Old Guard’, and were probably the finest infantry to take 1810. The regiments were now called:
to the battlefield during the Napoleonic Wars… more on
these brave chaps later. • 1st and 2nd regiments Tirailleurs-Grenadiers,
renamed to 1st and 2nd Tirailleurs in 1810
• 1st and 2nd Conscript-Grenadiers, renamed to 3rd
Between 1806 and 1807 the Middle Guard was formed
from veterans of the line. Four new regiments were raised, and 4th Tirailleurs in 1810
• 1st and 2nd Tirailleurs-Chasseurs, renamed to 1st
the 2nd Regiment of Guard Grenadiers, the 2nd
Regiment of Guard Chasseurs, the Guard Fusiliers- and 2nd Voltigeurs in 1810
• 1st and 2nd Conscript-Chasseurs, renamed to 3rd
Grenadiers and the Guard Fusiliers-Chasseurs. In reality,
the latter two regiments, ‘Fusiliers de la Garde’ were and 4th Voltigeurs, also in 1810.
actually denoted Young Guard until 1811. It is these The Young Guard were well trained by cadres from the Old
regiments, as well as regiments raised in 1809, that I will and Middle Guard and were led by seasoned officers. Each
concentrate on as theey are the ones from the Imperial regiment had two battalions and these battalions were
Guard that saw action in the Iberian Peninsula. The 1809 formed from four companies of approximately 200 men. In
regiments took their men from the recruits who were the 1810, the Tirailleurs marched to Spain to form part of
strongest, most capable and best educated men in that Rouget’s Division, brigaded with the
year’s class of conscripts. Polish Light Horse. The soldiers of the
Young Guard were quartered in
There were also two regiments each of Conscripts- Burgos and operated in anti-guerrilla
Grenadiers and Conscripts-Chasseurs, likewise taken operations. So, although not appearing
directly from the newly summoned conscripts. The officers in set piece battles, there is scope to
and men detested the fact that they were labelled as include them in your Peninsula
conscripts, and they soon embarked on a marketing skirmishes.
Our Black Powder Young Guard battalions are represented by the standard six bases of four figures.
Unit Type Armament Hand-to-Hand Shooting Morale Stamina Special
French Young Guard have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Pas de Charge, Must Form Square, Mixed
Formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter.
Line Infantry In 1807 French fusiliers and voltigeurs replaced their felt
Line infantry were the most numerous type in the French bicorne hat with a black shako that had a brass diamond
Army. The line infantry regiments were, as Napoleon plate at its front, which changed in 1812 to a brass eagle.
stated, ‘the sinew of the army.’ They were armed like all Grenadier companies wore bearskins with brass front plates
French infantry, with the ‘Charleville’ musket model 1777 with red cords and plume until 1808, when they were
(fusil d’infanterie). Each Line infantry regiment was recognised replaced by the shako. The shako also had chin scales in brass
and a woollen pom-pom at its front which was coloured
simply by a regimental number, for example 25ème de ligne
according to the company. The pom-pom was in red for
(25th Regiment of the Line).
grenadiers, yellow or green for Voltigeurs, green for the 1st
The quality of the Line infantry was variable, ranging from company, light blue for the 2nd, orange for the 3rd and violet
veteran status to that of the raw recruit in newly raised for the 4th. The Voltigeurs’ and Grenadiers’ shakoes also had
units. Although in decline at the start of the Peninsular War, a top and bottom band in yellow or red respectively.
this should not be overstated. The French infantry’s high Infantry coats, the habit, were dark blue in colour with white
manoeuvrability was still to be feared; they were aggressive lapels and turn backs, piped red. Collar and cuffs were red,
in the attack and dogged in defence. piped white, whilst shoulder straps were blue, piped red. The
64
IMPERIAL FRANCE 1807-1814
pre-1812 habit had long coat tails and was cut at the front in ammunition for the musket and was held on a white cross
a V showing a white waistcoat. The post 1812 Habit Vest was belt that went over the soldier’s left shoulder, the cartridge
shorter in the tail and square cut at the front. Grenadier box resting on the right hip with the bayonet scabbard.
companies wore the same coat with red epaulettes and red Grenadiers and Voltigeurs also wore a short sabre, held on
grenades on the turn backs, whilst Voltigeurs had yellow the left hip by a cross belt that went over the right shoulder.
collars and green epaulettes. Whilst on campaign Line Both belts were whitened with pipe clay.
infantry wore a myriad of trousers, browns, linens and white Regardless of all the above, there were numerous deviations
being the favoured colours; the leather shako would also from regulations and it would pay the reader dividends to
often be wrapped in a fabric cover, which could be any shade spend time reading the numerous books that concentrate on
of brown, grey or ochre. A black cartridge box held the French Napoleonic military uniform.
French Line infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Pas de Charge, Must Form Square, Mixed
Formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter.
“Come with the sabre: I am ready for Napoleon and beautiful France.”
French dragoon challenge to British light dragoon.
Light Infantry
As we have seen, Napoleon’s campaigning had taken its toll
on his infantry and this was highlighted in the regiments of
light infantry which, by the time the Peninsular War broke
out, were operating as the rest of the Line infantry. They
were light in name only; for our purposes that would be
boring, so light infantry retain the previous ability to
skirmish. If you wish to keep within historical boundaries
then French light infantry after 1807 can be treated exactly
the same as French Line infantry. The French, too, had seen
the benefit of skirmishing infantry in the French and Indian
Wars in America and the American Revolution.
French Light infantry have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Pas de Charge, Sharp Shooters, Skirmish, Must
Form Square, Mixed Formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter.
65
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Combined Grenadiers
Grenadiers/Carabiniers were the strongest and bravest men in a battalion, often used to spearhead an
attack or to bolster the rear of a column to prevent men running. On occasions the Grenadier
companies within a brigade or division were amalgamated to form elite Grenadier battalions. If you
wish to form the Grenadiers from a brigade into a combined battalion, then reduce the hand-to-hand
factor of the brigade’s infantry by one and add a small Combined Grenadier battalion. The same can be
done with a division’s infantry, but add a standard Combined Grenadier battalion to any brigade in the
division, or brigade them together as a separate brigade. Don’t forget to pay for a commander for them!
Combined Voltigeurs
As with the Grenadiers, the light companies could be massed to form Voltigeur
battalions. If you wish to form the Voltigeurs from a brigade into a combined battalion
then remove Mixed Formation from the brigade’s infantry and add a standard size
Combined Voltigeur battalion. The same can be done with a division’s infantry, but add
two standard Combined Voltigeur battalions to any brigade in the division.
French Combined Voltigeur battalions have the following Special Rules as well as the above stats: Sharp Shooters, Skirmish, Pas
de Charge, Must Form Square, Mixed Formation, Can form Skirmish in terrain that they could not normally enter.
66
IMPERIAL FRANCE 1807-1814
67
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Dragoons
Dragoons were used widely in the Peninsula, their training in both cavalry and infantry
tactics lending itself well to the terrain and the sometimes relentless skirmishing against
enemy scouts and roving guerrilla bands. Dragoons were armed with straight cavalry
sabres and a dragoon musket that had a greater range than cavalry carbines. On the
battlefield Dragoon regiments were brigaded together, usually two regiments per brigade.
Dragoons wore a Grecian style helmet with a black horse hair mane. They wore long-
tailed green jackets over a white waistcoat. The coat had regimental facings on collar,
cuffs and turn backs and these colours ranged from red through crimson, pink, yellow
and orange. They wore white cavalry breeches and tall cavalry boots.
Regular
Line Light Sabre 6 4 3 Marauder
Cavalry
68
IMPERIAL FRANCE 1807-1814
Foot Artillery
Foot Artillery batteries consisted of six of either 12-, 8- or 6-pounder cannons plus two howitzers served by approximately
eighty to a hundred men. The usual weight of the line foot artillery cannons was the 6-pounder.
Horse Artillery
Horse artillery entered French service in time for the Revolutionary War’s beginning. Both 4- and 6-pounders were used
again, and six guns in a battery were usually supported by two 5.5 inch howitzers. Horse artillery batteries disposed of
approximately eighty men, all being mounted.
69
French Allies
French Allies These foreign regiments give the wargamer the opportunity
Napoleon’s continual campaigning during his reign to break away from painting a remorseless tide of blue-
relentlessly consumed more and more men. The needs of coated French regiments alone, and add some extra colour.
the Grandé Armée based in Germany, the coastal garrisons What about the 4ème régiment Suisse, who confused the
facing ‘Perfidious Albion’ beyond the Channel, and British with their redcoats at Roliça? Or green coated
numerous garrisons across Europe strained the French Nassauers, or white coated Saxons or Westphalians?
regimental depots to the limit. The armies fighting in the
Peninsula should have put an intolerable strain on the These foreign contingents could also be free-standing
Emperor’s resources, but his use of foreign troops in all his armies in their own right, for example –
operations injected valuable manpower into his calculations.
Napoleon’s strategic way of warfare demanded that as little LEVAL’S 2ND DIVISION
strain as possible was put on France herself: both in terms OF THE IV CORPS
of men and money. He wanted troops from the new duchies
and kingdoms he had constructed for his brothers and 2nd [German] Infantry Division,
followers, or existing ones that had submitted to his will. General of Brigade Baron Jean-Francois Leval
Those that depended on him for their existence would have
to foot the ‘butcher’s bill’, whether they did so willingly or 3rd Brigade:
not. The financial cost of the wars would later be carried by Obherst Heinrich, Freiherr von Porbeck
his defeated opponents in the form of vast indemnities paid • Baden Infantry Regiment Gross-Herzog Nr. 4 (2 battalions)
to the Empire. For example, having been defeated in the • Nassau Infantry Regiment Nr. 2 (2 battalions)
• Baden Foot Battery: two 7-pdr howitzers
1809 campaign, Francis I of Austria had to agree to pay
Napoleon 85 million francs! 4th Brigade:
General of Brigade David-Hendrik Chasse
Foreigners served Napoleon in two ways: either drafted Composite Dutch Infantry Regiment (2 battalions), consisting of
directly to stand in the ranks of French regiments or in • 1st battalion, 2nd Dutch Infantry regiment
• 1st battalion , 4th Dutch Infantry regiment
complete homogenous units from states within the Empire.
• Dutch Horse Artillery Battery (6 guns)
In the second case a whole foreign unit might have its
identity transformed as it was absorbed by the French
Army; one example being the famous 5th Brigade:
2nd ‘Red Lancers’ of the Imperial General of Brigade Balthazard Grandjean
Guard, who were converted from • Hessen-Darmstadt Infantry Regiment Gross- und Erbprinz
the Guard Hussars of the Nr. 4 (2 battalions)
• Confederation of the Rhine Battalion Nr. 3 (Frankfurt)
Kingdom of Holland in 1810. The
• 2 Hessen-Darmstadt Foot Batteries: four 6-pdrs
Confederation of the Rhine was
the central European framework for
amassing complete national units for The Kingdom of Italy
campaign service, and we see many “The Italians are full of spirit and passion, and it should be easy to
varied examples fighting in the make them good soldiers.” Napoleon,1805
Peninsula.
In 1805 Napoleon consolidated his northern Italian
conquests into one kingdom for himself, with a new Italian
70
The Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Westphalia was created in 1807 from
The Kingdom of Naples was formed in 1806 from the Hanover, Hesse-Cassel and Brunswick and presented to
mainland part of the old Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Napoleon’s younger brother, Jerome. The Westphalians
closely tied to France when Napoleon gave its crown to his provided an infantry division of two brigades and a regiment
older brother, Joseph. When he was elevated to become King of light cavalry. The first brigade had the 2nd and 4th Line
of Spain in 1808, Naples passed as a reward to Joachim Regiments with two battalions each, the second containing the
Murat, Napoleon’s brother-in-law and great cavalry Marshal. 3rd Line Regiment and a light battalion. While the infantry
served in Catalonia, the Chevau-legers – four squadrons of
The Neapolitan regiments were organised on the classic later eighty men – served in the French IV Corps. These troops
French model, adopting the six company, three battalion should have the same stats as French light cavalry.
structure in 1808. Naples had contributed a whole division to
the Peninsula by 1811, made up of four line infantry Baden contributed the Gross-Herzog line regiment of two
regiments, one mounted chasseur regiment and one of battalions with an artillery battery attached. Hesse-
Darmstadt sent the Gross und Erbprinz regiment to Spain
chevaulegers. Flamboyantly white-coated, but badly led and
in 1808, followed by two further infantry regiments and a
suffering from continual desertion, the Neapolitans did not
regiment of chevau-legers in 1809.
cover themselves in glory and were scorned by Napoleon. In
1807, his brother Joseph asked that Eagles be issued to the
The Grand Duchy of Berg was created in 1806 with the
Neapolitans, the Emperor refused with the words “you must be reorganisation of German territories following the dissolution
aware that … these troops are no better than none at all.” of the Holy Roman Empire. Murat was made the Grand
Duke. Between 1808 and 1810 Berg supplied three regiments
For Kingdom of Naples forces see entries for Line Infantry of two battalions and a regiment of Chevau-legers for the
and Light cavalry from the Spanish section. Peninsula. They were decimated at the rearguard action at
Benavente during Moore’s retreat to Corunna and merged
with French Chasseurs; but in 1810 Berg raised a regiment of
The Confederation of the Rhine Chevau-leger lancers and pitched these into the war in Spain.
The ‘Rhinebund’ was created as a buffer between France
and her eastern enemies, and comprised no less than forty The army of the four principalities of Nassau had two
German states. Of those Westphalia, Baden, Hesse- infantry regiments each of two line battalions and two
Darmstadt, the Grand Duchy of Berg and the Principalities squadrons of mounted chasseurs, all these forces being sent to
of Nassau all contributed troops to the Iberian Peninsula. Spain between 1808 and 1809. They were not seen as reliable
As with the Italian and Neapolitan forces, their battalions by their French allies, and with some justification, as their 2nd
were organised according to the French pattern. Regiment would defect to the British in December 1813.
Vistula Legion
The Vistula Legion was formed in February 1807 and comprised three infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment. Its core
was made up of veterans of the 1st Polish-Italian Legion (Dabrowski’s Legion) and the uhlan regiment from the (Polish)
Danube Legion, which had recently been in Neapolitan service. Silesian and Polish volunteers filled the ranks. In February
1808 it was formally inducted into the line of the French Army. The formations again followed the French model and initially
no Frenchmen were allowed to serve in the Legion, although later they were drawn in to help administer the units. The
Vistula Legion regiments were great fighters, their most noteworthy action being their Lancers’ annihilation of Colborne’s
brigade at Albuera.
71
French Column versus British Line
The French attack column So how did the French employ the attack column? It was
Having suffered many defeats during the 18th Century, not just a case of throwing men forward in column to
some in the French Army had become convinced that the crash into enemy formations and clear the field of battle.
advance to contact or ‘shock’ action should be carried French attack columns did not move forward to engage the
forward by battalions in a greater depth than the standard enemy until the swarm of skirmishers that accompanied
linear formations. This would mean that fire power would them, as well as supporting artillery, had thinned the
be reduced as fewer muskets could be brought to bear, but enemy ranks and killed visible officers and sergeants.
this would be compensated for by men thrown out in a thick Searching French eyes would wait to spot signs of
swarm of skirmishers. We have seen that the levee en masse confusion and disorder, perhaps the enemy formation
had given France hundreds of thousands of citizen soldiers moving in an uncoordinated fashion, or it became
fired by revolutionary zeal, but with little concept of noticeable that men were pushing back through the line to
training and discipline. The Attack column made the most get away from the bombardment. At this point the
of the troops’ enthusiasm. Initially armed mobs, they columns would be launched forward, just the sight of this
transformed over time into flexible formations that were sudden advance, accompanied by the thunder of massed
well suited to battlefield manoeuvres in most terrain; flexible drums and coordinated cheering, was usually enough to
enough to quickly adopt linear tactics for a musketry duel or rout the opposition. Enemy units would melt away in flight
square to repel cavalry. as the columns pounded forward. Hand-to-hand combat
was relatively rare.
French Resolve
If resistance was more determined and the enemy did not
turn on their heels and run, then normally the attack
columns would deploy into lines and engage in a close
range musketry to maintain the ‘softening’ up process.
Once the enemy began to finally waver, the columns would
“As soon as we got about 1000 metres from the English line be reformed and launched again or the bayonet charge
our men would begin to get restless and excited. They exchange would be completed in line formation.
ideas; the march began to get hurried. Meanwhile the English,
silent and impassive, arms at the port, looked like a long red Why was this successful against the Prussians, Austrians,
wall – most forbidding to our young soldiers. Italians and Spaniards? ‘Continental’ Generals arrayed
As we get closer shouts of “Vive l’Empereur!”, “En avant!”, their armies for the French to see, which allowed the French
“A la baionette” break from our ranks. to pin, skirmish and then assault their enemy main force
Our march becomes a trot; men fire their muskets into the air. which they had in their sights at all times. Secondly, the
Three hundred yards in front the scarlet line stands motionless. French troops that fought the battles of Austerlitz, Jena and
They do not seem to be impressed by the storm which threatens Eylau were soldiers of the Grande Armee; with excellent
to break over them. It is a striking contrast. morale, motivation and manoeuvre discipline; they were
Some of us begin to think that it will be second to none. Finally, as officers of the Grande Armee
devastating when, at last, they do fire. were promoted on merit, rather than on having an
Their unshakeable calm is unnerving. Our aristocratic social standing, like their early war enemies,
enthusiasm begins to wane. We try to French battlefield leadership was far better.
restore our confidence by redoubled shouting.
Then at last, English muskets come
down – they are making ready. Appalled, British battle tactics and the two deep line
many of our men halt and open a scattered The success Albion and her allies enjoyed in the Peninsula
fire. Then comes the English volley, precise, was attributable to three reasons:
deadly, thunderous. Decimated, our column
staggers, half turns, tries to regain its 1. The Reverse Slope Tactic. While the French were
balance. The enemy break their long-held allowed to see deployed artillery and a thick screen of
silence with a cheer, then a second volley, skirmishers, usually riflemen, the main battle formations
perhaps a third and, with the third, they are were hidden behind the crest of a hill or a ridge. This
at us, chasing us in a disorderly retreat. meant that the French could never weaken the resolve of
the British line prior to their main attack going in, as their
Memoirs of a poor French officer, artillery bombardment proved ineffectual. As the column
Colonel Bugeaud. attacks went in, up and over the crest they could not
judge where the British were stationed on the reverse,
making their attempts to form line to match British
72
musketry very difficult and leading to some French
columns blundering directly into the British battle lines.
The columns that did find themselves in such a position
did usually try to press on in attack column or form a line
to engage in a musketry duel. They usually failed to do
either, either being thrown into confusion by the
devastating British volley fire; or not being able to deploy
through lack of room while the British line would wrap
around the flanks of the column and pour in enfilading
volleys. The crashing volleys of the British would be
followed by a devastating bayonet charge that would
complete the defeat of the column as it lost all cohesion “Really these attacks in
and was driven back down the slope.
columns against our
2. Firepower. Even if the French did manage to get over
the crest and form a line, the odds were stacked against line are very contemptible.”
them. As with all other continental European armies, they
formed a line in three ranks, which meant that they could Wellington
only fire with two thirds of their men whilst the British and
later Portuguese deployed two deep and could bring all their
muskets to bear and retained a key firepower advantage. French Column Tactics
To represent un-coordinated attacks going in, infantry
3. Poor quality French soldiers. The French Army had battalions can bring to contact as many units as the rules on
lost many veterans through years of campaigning, and the page 60 of Black Powder allow against an enemy formation.
soldiers and officers in the Peninsula were not of the same However, only one battalion per facing can fight, being the
quality as those that had gone before. While the veterans of owning player’s choice, the other battalions being eligible as
Austerlitz, Eylau and Jena could perform excellent feats of supports.
battle manoeuvre under pressure, the majority of the forces
sent to Spain were conscripts, lacking in experience and skill. The unit chosen to fight does so with the following rules, to
They were no match for the devastating volleys of the British represent the column needing to make a quick breakthrough:
firing lines.
1. If the column defeats the enemy in the first round of
combat and they run away or retire, it can be
Recreating French column versus British interpreted that the enemy turned just prior to contact
line on the tabletop in Black Powder or after a brief bayonet fight. If this does happen, the
other battalions in contact with the enemy get all the
British line tactics post melee options that the victorious battalion gets.
The British get the very special rule Steady Line.
2. If nobody breaks or retires then in the second and
When Charged a formed British unit with this rule that is subsequent rounds of combat, normal combat
not disordered or shaken can: modifiers apply, but the assault column does not get its
+1 save for the column formation as its morale is
1. Stand and fire as usual with all the usual fire modifiers, waning. This represents the columns running out of
casualties, or steam and the enthusiasm of the troops rapidly
evaporating.
2. Fire and then counter-charge, but does not count the
closing fire bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
The British also get First Fire. The British units in line What happens if I want to charge an infantry unit and
formation add +1 to their shooting dice rolls on the first cavalry unit into the same enemy facing? Who fights?
occasion they shoot. Both units would fight.
These two rules represent the devastating fire discipline of If there is an ongoing combat, which I want to charge
British infantry, as well as their ability to deliver well-timed another unit into, and there is space to do so, who fights?
bayonet charges. Both units would fight.
73
Commanders of the Peninsular War
We have taken a look at the troops and formations that Britain
fought the grueling war in the Iberian Peninsula, but what of
the men that commanded the forces of Britain and France - Sir Arthur Wellesley,
men whose decisions held the fate of nations, and the lives Duke of Wellington
of countless soldiers in their hands? We will now review a (1769- 1852)
few key commanders and take a glimpse into their lives and Born in Dublin in 1769, this
careers. Most importantly, I will also suggest how to use such remarkable man had a very
famous (or infamous!) individuals in your games of Black unexceptional life prior to joining the
Powder. Being a dramatic fellow I have added some special British Army in 1787 as an ensign in
rules for those commanders that I have selected. the 73rd Highlanders. Family
influence and money eased his way
Once again, feel free to adopt, drop or adapt to taste: that’s through the ranks, as he took
the beauty of these wonderful rules! advantage of the Purchase system to buy one promotion
after another. By the time the Duke of York undertook the
1794 Flanders campaign, Wellesley was a Lieutenant-
Colonel in the 33rd First Yorkshire/West Riding Regiment.
Although the campaign was a failure, Wellesley ended it in
charge of a brigade. In Flanders he learnt numerous
lessons, not the least of which was the use of steady lines
delivering volley after volley against advancing columns.
Chiefly, however, he recognised the effects of poor
command and control, and later said of Flanders “At least I
learned what not to do, and that is always a valuable
lesson.” His star began to shine when he was given
command of an expeditionary force in India to suppress
Tipu Sultan’s rebellion in 1799, which he did skilfully,
crushing the revolt at the siege of Seringapatam. In 1803 he
won further fame with success against another Indian
rebellion at the battles of Assaye and Argaum. Knighted in
1804, by 1808 he was a Lieutenant General assigned to the
expeditionary force to the Iberian Peninsula as second in
command to the incompetent Burrard. The rest, as they say,
is history.
Special Rules
74
Major-General Sir Thomas Major-General Robert Craufurd
Picton (1758 – 1815) (1764 – 1812)
Born in 1758 in Pembrokeshire, Born in 1764 into an aristocratic
Wales, he joined the 12th Suffolk family, Craufurd had a privileged
Regiment of Foot in 1773 as an upbringing and education. He entered
ensign. His initial army career ended the British Army in 1779 as an Ensign
in disillusionment when the 12th were in the 25th King’s Own Borderers
disbanded in 1783. He rejoined the Regiment of Foot. He quickly rose
Army some eleven years later, acting through the ranks, seeing action in
as an aide-de-camp in an expedition to the West Indies, India, with the Austrians in Europe, at New Ross in 1798
which led to a colourful period of his life involving military and serving on the great Russian General Suvarov’s
expeditions, island governorship, slave trading and several headquarters staff during the Italian campaign of 1799. In
court cases as a defendant. He was eventually acquitted, his 1800 he returned to England to marry, while in 1803 he
reputation upheld, and he was promoted to Major-General became a member of parliament. Always the soldier at
in 1809 when he took part in the ill-fated Walcheren heart, he returned to the colours in 1806 as a Colonel. In
expedition. In 1810 he became a divisional commander in 1807 he commanded a light brigade in South America,
Spain, personally asked for by Wellington. emerging from the debacle at Buenos Aires with honour and
a reputation for handling light infantry. In 1807 Craufurd
Picton became one of the ablest infantry commanders in commanded the Light Brigade under Moore in the
Wellington‘s Army, capable of carrying out any task as long Peninsula, but left with them the following year for England.
as it was clearly outlined to him. He was fiery-tempered and
sometimes ill-mannered and uncouth. He was famed for In 1809 he returned to the Peninsular War at the head of
favouring civilian clothes in war and fought the Battle of the soon to be famous Light Division. To reach Wellington
Bussaco in a night cap. Respected if not loved by his men of as soon as possible, the Light Division covered an amazing
the 3rd Division, ‘the Fighting Third’, Picton was a valiant sixty-two miles in twenty-six hours. He returned to the
and decisive leader whose determination in the face of the Light Division in time to command it at the battle of
enemy produced results time and time again. Fuentes de Oñoro, and skilfully extracted it from terrible
danger when threatened by a French flanking manoeuvre.
His campaigning during the Peninsular War took a heavy Promoted to Major-General in 1811 he was mortally
toll on his health and mental state; causing wounded at the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in 1812.
him to leave the service in 1814, his nerves
shot. He later reluctantly returned to Craufurd was one of Wellington’s best generals with a quick
Wellington‘s side for the Hundred Days’ mind and an ability to understand the reality of warfare in
campaign, despite premonitions of his own the Napoleonic era. He was a harsh disciplinarian, bad
demise. Sadly these premonitions came true tempered and had a fiery nature with a knack of
when he was shot in the temple whilst succumbing to violent mood swings, all of which earned
leading the 5th Division at Waterloo, after him the nick name “Black Bob”. All that said, he was loved
being wounded at Quatre Bras. by the men under his command who would attempt any
feat for their commander.
Special Rules
• Picton has a command rating of 8. Special Rules
• He is decisive (page 95 of the Black Powder rulebook) • Craufurd has a command rating of 8.
and adds +2 attacks to any combat he is involved in. • He is classed as having High Independence as a personal
• Picton has the special rule “Come on you damn rascals, quality (page 95 of Black Powder).
come on you fighting villains” One Battalion in his • He adds +1 attack to any combat he is involved in.
Division can re roll a failed Break test as if they had • He has the special rule ‘Epic March’ - Troops under his
the ‘Valiant’ rule (see Black Powder page 93). command may make a free move before the start of the battle.
“A man of no great prepossessing appearance came rambling hovering about), and thinking many of his questions rather
amongst our guns, and entered into conversation with me on the impertinent, was somewhat short in answering him, and he soon
occurrences of the day. He was dressed in a shabby, old, drab left us. How great was my astonishment on learning soon after
greatcoat and a rusty round hat. I took him at the time for some that this was Sir Thomas Picton!”
amateur from Brussels (of whom we had heard there were several
Captain Mercer, Royal Horse Artillery on Picton.
75
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Piggy Back
France
Jean Andoche Junot,
1st Duc d’Abrantes
(1771 – 1813)
Junot was born in 1771 to a middle ‘The sight of such a piece of effeminacy was enough to raise the
class family and he was studying law choler of the general and, in a very short time, he was plunging
in Paris when the French Revolution and splashing through the water after them both. “Put him down
began. He immediately connected sir! Put him down! I desire you to put that officer down
with the revolutionary cause and instantly.” To the drenched officer he then said: “Return back,
joined a battalion of volunteer sir, and go through the water like the others. I will not allow my
infantry, showed great promise and officers to ride upon men’s backs through the rivers – all must
was promoted to Sergeant. He was probably the man who take their share alike here.” ’
knew Napoleon the longest, their paths crossing at the Siege
of Toulon in 1793 when Junot became Bonaparte’s aide. Rifleman Ben Harris reporting on Craufurd’s
Hanging on to Napoleon’s coat-tails, he rose through the actions on seeing an officer being carried
ranks and served with distinction in Italy, but the severe across a river by one of his men.
injury he received in this campaign changed his character.
He returned to the Peninsular War as a Corps commander As a Corps commander he showed the drive and determination
in Massena’s army in 1810, but later returned to France of a ‘modern’ general, especially at the battle of Aspern-
wounded. His generalship was mediocre and sporadic Essling where he co-ordinated the defence of the village of
during the Russian campaign and on his return to France in Aspern against concerted and determined Austrian attacks.
1813 he sadly committed suicide. In 1810 Massena was given the honour of commanding the
Army of Portugal. After his initial success he was responsible
A brave man who suffered battle injuries which affected his for the French defeats at Bussaco, Sabugal and Fuentes de
judgement, he was sometimes cool and calculated and on other Oñoro and was replaced. He never saw action again.
occasions rash. He was, shall we say, temperamental - at best!
Special Rules
Special Rules • Massena has a command rating of 9.
• Junot has a command rating of 8. • He has High Independence as a personal quality (page
• He adds +1 attack to any combat that he is 95, Black Powder rule book).
involved in. • He adds +2 attacks to any combat he is involved in.
• He has the special rule ‘Battle injury’, he must • He has the special rule ‘Dear child of victory’, all troops
roll on the Personal qualities of Commanders under his command defending buildings gain the
chart (page 94 Black Powder) each turn. special rule Tough fighters (see Black Powder page 92).
76
COMMANDERS OF THE PENINSULA WAR
Horace Francois Bastien His weary and listless nature is believed to have cost many
Sebastiani de La Porta men their lives, particularly at the battle of Talavera, but
(1771-1851) Sebastiani had a way of making sure he wasn’t found out: he
Sebastiani was born in Corsica in didn’t report the correct casualty figures. He was also very
1771, the son of a tailor, and his life good at over-exaggerating his battle victories. However,
changed dramatically with the Napoleon understood the nature of Sebastiani and removed
French Revolution. He left Corsica him from command of his Corps; yet he went on to
and joined the French command in the campaigns in Russia in 1812 and those of
Revolutionary Army in 1792. He 1813 -1814.
took part in many campaigns during the Revolutionary
Wars and by the close of the 18th century he had gained his Special Rules
colonelcy. He then spent several years as a diplomat, being • Sebastiani has a command rating of 8.
later promoted to general de brigade in 1803. Sebastiani • Note: He adds no attacks to any combat he is
then spent several years as ambassador to the Ottoman involved in.
Empire with mixed results. By 1809 he was commanding • He has the special rule ‘General Surprise’ - his
the IV Corps in Spain, a mediocre commander who gained opponent can choose whether to go first or second.
a great nickname. The troops christened him ‘General If playing a pointed game, however, Sebastiani
Surprise’, on account of him having his forces caught out can reduce the number of points the enemy has gained
by the enemy on more than one occasion. from him by D6 x 10.
77
Scenario Games
Here be Dragoons...
Over the following pages we shall take a look at a number of
scenarios that have been played and enjoyed many times by
my gaming friends and myself. Pages 108 and 109 of the Black
Powder rulebook give an excellent insight into how the
originators of the game like to co-ordinate their own games.
Of course, my friends and I are no different. In creating these Light cavalry spent most of their working day in
scenarios, I have therefore tried to offer an alternative to the outpost duty or patrolling or scouting. When let off
common game of the French attacking the British. The the leash however they could be every much as deadly
scenarios presented here are a mix of historical and fictional, as the heavy cavalry...
and I have included an additional section on how you can The 16th light dragoons of Wellington’s army are
recreate larger battles from history. I have tried to arrange the described by William Tomkinson advancing against
scenarios so that they are achievable by the average wargamer French infantry...
in terms of both the number of figures used and the space
“When we came to the top of the hill, there was
available. You will therefore find that most of the scenarios are
formed the 12th and 14th on our left, close in front of
set on six foot tables and with armies that should not prove too Villagarcia. The enemy formed a quarter of a mile
hard to muster. from them, and a small stone wall betwixt the 16th
(our regiment) and the French. We came down the hill
in a trot, took the wall in line, and were in the act of
charging when the 5th Dragoon Guards came down
on our right, charged, and completely upset the left
flank of the enemy, and the 12th and the 14th, and
16th advancing at the same moment, the success was
complete. The view of the enemy from the top of the
hill, the quickness of the advance on the enemy, with
the spirit of the men in leaping the wall, and the
charge immediately afterwards was one of the finest
things I ever saw.”
78
The Battle of Roliça, 17th August 1808
Introduction gallant effort, the 29th were thrown back down the hillside
The Peninsular War begins, the attack columns mass and by a furious French charge. Poor Lake lay dead and nearly
launch their attack. But wait! There is something different 40 of his men were captured.
here. Those are not the famed attack columns of the
French – they are British! This precipitated an all out attack by Wellesley’s forces.
After two hours of hard fighting, during which the French
threw their adversaries back on several occasions, the
The Battle British finally managed to gain a firm hold along the crest.
On 1st August 1808 Wellesley landed in Portugal with his The now wounded Delaborde again pressed by Wellesley on
first command of nearly 9,000 men. By the 5th of August his flanks, skilfully withdrew his hard-pressed battalions
his command had risen to 13,500. Five days later, Wellesley until further British pressure caused his army to break and
and his army were on route to Lisbon, picking up 2,000 run. A shortage of cavalry left Wellesley in no position to
Portuguese cavalry and infantry on the way. During the make the best of the hard won victory.
dusty march towards the Portuguese capital, Wellesley
became aware of a French force standing in his way. This scenario recreates the battle that signalled the outbreak
Commanded by Count Henri Delaborde, this force was of the Peninsular War, with the British attempting to
composed of just over 4,000 men in five battalions dislodge a determined French enemy. Will they succeed?
(including one Swiss), five guns and a small number of
Chasseurs à Cheval.
79
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
SCREENED BY THEIR LIGHTS, THE FRENCH COLUMN ADVANCES ON THE ROAD, GRENADIERS LEADING
Special Scenario Rules 6. If the British lose two brigades then the whole British
1. British Infantry can form assault columns in this game. In army is deemed to be broken. If the French lose one
the actual battle, the British were only able to attack up a brigade their army is considered to be broken.
series of gullies in rough column formations.
7. The British take the first turn.
2. Infantry units attacking up the heights count the following:
a. Move at half speed.
b. Suffer -1 to the number of attack dice thrown in The Armies
close combat. The game easily accommodates the new rules introduced in
this supplement, but note that the British are allowed to
The routes available to the British when assaulting the form assault columns to get up the steep position held by
French positions were very hard to traverse, and the British the French.
were at a distinct disadvantage in the ensuing combats.
Optional rule (Hard Core British)
3. Any units on top of the Columbeira (see map) gain a +1 The British do not have access to Craufurd’s Brigade. In the
to their Morale save and +1 to their combat resolution. actual battle Craufurd’s Brigade was held in reserve.
The units also count as being in a defensible position.
(See page 75 Units with the form square special rule.) Optional rule
The heights of the Columbeira provided excellent (Soft Core French)
natural cover and proved a strong defensive position. Yes The French have to lose both
this does mean that French in Attack Column on top of the heights brigades before the entire French
have a 2+ Morale save! army is considered broken. In the
actual battle the French defence was
4. Both French and British cavalry moving on the battlefield especially dogged.
must roll a dice at the beginning of each single move that
they make, and on a roll of 5 or 6 they become
disordered by the rough terrain and are brought to a halt. The Table and Game Scale
Note that this can mean a unit receives a successful order This depends on the resources
but still fails to move because it fails its first terrain test. available to you, I have played this
The terrain was not conducive to horsemen and this rule battle on a 6ft by 4ft table with all
will limit their usefulness considerably. shooting ranges reduced by a third.
For example, the range of a musket
5. Brigades consisting of only two units are not considered is reduced from 18 inches to 12:
broken if only one is shaken or destroyed. In this case both simple! All other distances remain as
units have to be shaken or destroyed to break the brigade. standard.
80
THE BATTLE OF ROLIÇA
ORDERS OF BATTLE
The British The French
Commander-in-Chief Commander-in-Chief
• Lieutenant General Arthur Wellesley • Count Henri Delaborde Staff Rating 8
Staff Rating 9 and Decisive
Avril’s Brigade Staff Rating 7
Hill’s Brigade Staff Rating 7 • 2 Large Battalions of French Line Infantry
• 3 Large Battalions of British Line Infantry
Brennier’s Brigade Staff Rating 7
Fane’s Brigade Staff Rating 8 • 2 Battalions of French Light Infantry
• 1 Rifle Battalion • 1 Battalion of Swiss Line Infantry (Reliable, Elite 5+)
• 1 Small Rifle Battalion
Other Forces
Nightingall’s Brigade Staff Rating 7 • 1 Small French Chasseur a
• 2 Large Battalions of British Line Infantry, One battalion has Cheval Regiment
the special rule Determined Charge and Tough Fighters to • 1 Foot Artillery Battery
represent Lake’s 29th. (Can be split and attached to any
of the above brigades)
Craufurd’s Brigade Staff Rating 8
• 3 Battalions of British Line Infantry
French
Deployment area French
! speed Deployment
+1 Save area
+1 Combat Score
French
Deployment area
French
Deployment French
area Deployment area
Broken terrain:
• +1 Morale Save
! speed
• +1 Combat Resolution
-1 die to combat
Attack in column
Nightingall’s
Fane’s Deployment area Hill’s
Deployment area Deployment area
Craufurd’s in reserve
81
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Brothers in arms
French Aims and Objectives
The French player’s aim is to hold on to the commanding
heights for the duration of the game, thereby delaying and
damaging the British war effort. The French win if the
As part of Crayford’s Brigade in Hope’s Division the 92nd British army is broken before the end of the game.
Highlanders (dressed in Highland dress) and the 71st Otherwise we assign victory points (VPs) as noted below:
Highlanders (in standard uniform) stopped at Fraxiollo, a
little village on the border of Spain and Portugal. The French score three VPs for each one of their units that
The 71st had been to Venezuela and several amongst their is not Shaken and which is north of the victory line at the
ranks could speak Spanish. When end of the game (see map).
the villagers enquired as to the
reason for the strange dress of the The French score one VP for each of their units south of
92nd, the 71st explained that their the victory line whether shaken or not.
Highland brothers were a set of cowards and
felons and doomed to wear the garb as a mark of The French score one VP for each British unit that they
disgrace! The villagers became cause to be shaken and two VPs for each unit they destroy or
hostile towards the 92nd and the force to leave the table. Add half a point to this score if the
mayor refused to supply the unit is large and take half a point away if the unit is small.
regiment.
All VPs scored against Craufurd’s Brigade are tripled. For
October 1808 example, if a battalion from Craufurd’s Brigade becomes
shaken then the French would gain three points rather than
one. In the actual battle Craufurd’s Brigade formed the
reserve, and it being moved forward showed the British were
in difficulties.
Dispositions
The deployment areas for each army are shown on the
attached map of the battlefield. British Considerations
This a real tabletop teaser for the British player. The
Winning the Game French army enjoys a very strong advantage thanks to the
The game lasts for eight turns. If either side is broken terrain. The French infantry on top of the Columbeira will
before the eight turns are up then the opposing side has be especially difficult to dislodge. Some of your
won automatically. commanders are also lacking in terms of their staff rating.
Although commanders with a rating of 7 are a safe pair of
If neither army is broken by the end of the game the player hands you may need a little more in this game as time is
with the highest Victory Points (VPs) wins. VPs are against you.
calculated for each side as noted below.
In games such as this players must look to the strengths of
British Aims and Objectives their forces. Fortunately, you have Sir Arthur Wellesley in
The British player’s aim is simple - drive away the dastardly command with a staff rating of 9 and the special rule
French in timely fashion and preferably without drawing Decisive commander. Use him wisely. You also have more
upon the reserves held in Craufurd’s Brigade. The British infantry, cavalry and artillery than the French. Do not throw
win if the French army is broken before the end of the this advantage away. I shall say no more than fire and
game. Otherwise we assign victory points (VPs) as noted manoeuvre gentlemen.
below:
The British score three VPs for each one of their units that French Considerations
is not Shaken and which is south of the victory line at the You face a real dilemma. The British have the weight of
end of the game (see the Roliça Battlefield map). numbers and a commander of real quality at their head.
Your lack of infantry and artillery are a real concern, as
The British score one VP for each unit north of the Victory
your army cannot cover the whole of the field. Your
line and also in the French deployment zone at the end of
small army is very fragile from the point of view of its
the game. In this case the point is scored whether the unit is
break point. You have one considerable advantage in that
shaken or not.
your forces command the heights of the Columbeira.
The British score one VP for each French unit that they
cause to be shaken and two VPs for each unit they destroy or The game bonuses accruing from this position cannot be
force to leave the table. Add half a point to this score if the overstated, so deploy your forces to take maximum
unit is large and take half a point away if the unit is small. advantage of the terrain.
82
THE BATTLE OF ROLIÇA
The Battle of Roliça - How it played Brennier’s Brigade deployed to secure the French right.
Who do you invite to play your first and favourite tabletop Both the 2nd and 4th Light battalions assumed skirmish
teaser type game? Well in my case I went straight for the top formation ahead of the elite Swiss battalion and the
and asked Rick Priestley the author of Black Powder and attached light cavalry.
John Stallard, Overlord of Warlord Games and guess what
they said? It was “yes” in John’s case, as he was to play the Happy with his deployment Rick handed over to John,
role of Arthur Wellesley and “oui” for Rick who took on the suggesting that he do his worst.
persona of Henri Delaborde. I assumed the role of umpire
and scribe for the occasion. The British began the first turn. John brought Nightingall’s
Brigade onto the battlefield first. The 29th and 82nd Foot
The battlefield was set up at my local gaming club. I tried to marched on in line. John happily envisaged the two
make the tabletop look as rugged as possible using what battalions crashing into Brennier’s skirmishers. The
terrain was available. The battlefield was laid out as closely battalion commanders had other ideas though. They
to the map as we could arrange, although this does not have headed straight for Brennier’s command, together with two
to be an exact science of course. With a 6 by 4 foot table to attached Royal Artillery batteries, but only made it to the
play upon, shooting ranges for muskets and artillery were foot of the Columbeira. John was in no mood to be subtle
reduced by a third as noted above. and ordered the 5th, 9th and 38th Regiments of Foot -
Hill’s brigade arranged in columns - to charge the top of
The British were commanded by a stout fellow with a stiff the heights. The battalions were slowed by the terrain and
upper lip who chose to go for the hard-core optional rule failed to reach their objective. John was further dismayed
and would not therefore be resorting to Craufurd and his when Fane and his Rifles failed to make an appearance.
reserves. Their leader was heard to remark, “They are only Muttering things that I cannot and would not dare mention
damn Frenchies after all.” here, John moved to conduct his shooting. The collective
fire from Hill’s Brigade managed to disorder the 2/70th
The French commander with a dismissive wave of the hand Ligne, but the rest of the British fire proved sadly ineffective
refused the French soft-core optional rule. This meant that
the loss of either French brigade would immediately forfeit Rick, recognizing the threat posed by Nightingall’s Brigade,
the game. ordered the 2nd and 4th Légèr to pull back and reform
their skirmish lines on either flank of the Swiss infantry. He
The French then proceeded to take up positions on the allowed Avril to bite his lip and wait for the columns of
Columbeira. Rick placed Avril’s Brigade with the Hill’s Brigade to strike home, secure in the knowledge that
attached artillery on the top of the heights, with the French commanded a strong position. Rick smiled with
A ROLE REVERSAL WITH SWEATING MASSED BRITISH COLUMNS CLIMBING A STEEP INCLINE TO ENGAGE WAITING FRENCH LINES
83
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
satisfaction as a mixture of terrain and French fire from the neither. John used Wellesley’s staff rating to have Hill
top of the heights sowed confusion amongst Hill’s Brigade. withdraw his two unmolested battalions from the Columbeira.
The 9th and the 5th Foot were thrown into disorder. Visibly shocked by the 38th’s failure to carry the heights, John
would try a more subtle approach. The British artillery now
In his second turn John, undeterred by the rough terrain and began its work on the heights, throwing the 1/70 into disorder.
the attentions of the French, ordered the 38th Staffordshires Further fire from the ranks of the British had little effect.
on. They successfully charged the 2/70th Ligne at the top of
the heights. Nightingall’s command was ordered to charge the Although Rick recognized that he was holding his own he
French skirmishers. This they did readily. Rick had anticipated also knew that he couldn’t afford to keep sustaining casualties.
this action though and the French light troops evaded from He therefore decided that it would be prudent to have his
their enemy. Each British battalion was placed in contact with commanders carry out ‘Rally on me’ orders where possible.
the relevant French skirmish line and the French were moved The 2/70th received such succor. Rick was prevented from
a full move to the rear. John tried to order Fane onto the table availing the 1/70th of the same as they were disordered.
once more, this time successfully. The 60th and 95th advanced French musketry and artillery played on the ranks of the
onto the battlefield. However, the attached light cavalry found British, disordering the recently rallied Staffordshires.
the terrain too much and became disordered. British musketry
With no combats outstanding, John moved into his fourth
was relatively fruitful with the 1/70th Ligne and 2nd Légèr
turn. The 95th and the 60th moved into position to engage
suffering disorder from well-aimed shots. The clash between
the 2nd Légèr. Surprisingly neither British battalion took up
the 38th and the 2/70th on the heights proved inconclusive,
skirmish formations. Would they pay for such folly?
despite the disordering effect of the French closing fire.
Elsewhere on the field, Hill and Nightingall’s commands
The French second turn saw the 4th Swiss facing off against dallied. The British may have been tardy in their
the 29th and 82nd Regiments of Foot. Rick didn’t like the movement, but their firing proved excellent, throwing
odds and withdrew behind the French Légèr, who poured fire virtually the whole French army into disorder. Only the
into the 29th Worcestershire, disordering them. Back on the Swiss and the 2/70 escaped the mauling.
top of the Columbeira, the resolve of the Staffordshires broke
Suffice to say that the French fourth turn of movement was
and the battalion reeled back down the slope shaken and
uneventful as the army had suffered considerable disorder in
disordered. The derisory jeers of the French stung every
the British turn and could only stand its ground as it pulled
Englishman present – well John and I anyway!
itself together. That said the French shooting dealt the 29th
In the British third turn John had Fane urge the Royal Foot such a pounding that they became shaken, whilst the
Americans and the 95th forward to support Nightingall. 60th paid for remaining in line and they too were shaken.
These were orders that the men proved eager to carry out.
In his fifth turn John had Wellesley order the shaken 38th
Unfortunately, the terrain prevented the attached light cavalry
Staffordshires to complete a flanking manoeuvre, the
from doing likewise. The 82nd Prince of Wales Volunteers
inspired leadership of Wellesly spurred the brave 38th on,
attempted to flank the French skirmishers in front of them. As
and within no time they were on the flank of the 2/70th. In
they did so Rick pointed out that the proximity of the French
attempting to move the rest of Hill’s Brigade Wellesley
meant that the 82nd could only retire to their rear quarter or
blundered. With Wellesley being the Commander-in-Chief
press forward into their front quarter. In the end, the 82nd did
84
THE BATTLE OF ROLIÇA
the British command phase ended. However, the British Brigade and win the game. The East Norfolk were off to
artillery proved its worth in this turn, inflicting such damage the 4th’s left and out of initiative move. Therefore, the
upon the 1/70th that the battalion was broken and driven question (nay dilemma!) was could Rick move the French
from the field – the first French unit to be destroyed. light regiment in the initiative phase of the game towards
a unit that had not triggered that initiative move. After a
It was now the French fifth turn and, not wishing to be
brief debate, we unanimously settled on what felt right in
outdone, Rick eagerly rolled his dice for an order from
the circumstance, which was to say no. The 4th Légèr
Delaborde. The fact that Rick had neglected to state what
therefore continued to skirmish against the 29th directly in
order Delaborde wanted to give can only be put down to
front of them. Meanwhile the Swiss plugged the gap
battle fatigue! In anyone’s book failure to state an order
created by the demise of the 1/70th. French shooting was
results in a blunder and there was to be no exception here.
once again ineffective.
With Delaborde’s blunder the French command phase was
automatically ended. French musketry and artillery had The British seventh turn was over in a flash as Wellesley once
little effect with only the 9th East Norfolk taking casualties again blundered whilst ordering the 82nd Prince of Wales
and becoming disordered. Volunteers forward. The regiment appeared to misunderstand
the order and retreating was the only movement that took
As the British began their sixth turn the action was now so
place. The 2/70th clung on to their position on the heights,
close that John was able to rely on initiative moves to achieve
despite being the prime target of the British shooting.
his aims. The 95th charged the 2nd Légèr, supported by the
60th Royal Americans. The 29th fell back, away from the In the French seventh turn the 2/70th managed to turn to
action and the devastating close range musketry of the face the Staffordshires whilst the 2nd and 4th Légèr
French skirmishers. The 38th formed line, enfilading the skirmished against Nightingall’s command.
flank of the 2/70th Ligne. John fired everything he could at
the 2/70th in an attempt to dislodge them, but the brave Going into the eighth turn both John and Rick needed only
Frenchmen, although thrown into disorder by the crashing to inflict one casualty each to win the game. John needed to
British volleys, resolutely held their ground. The combat get a casualty on the 2/70th, whilst Rick had a choice of
between the 95th and the 2nd Légèr was a totally one-sided the 82nd from Nightingall’s Brigade or the 9th East Norfolk
affair with the French battalion trouncing the ‘Sweeps’ and from Hill’s Brigade. With a cry of “What can possibly go
causing them to break. The supporting Royal Americans wrong?” John had Wellesley personally lead the 9th East
passed the break test required for supporting broken friends, Norfolk in a bayonet charge against the 2/70th, a game
but even so Fane’s command was now broken. ending move for the winning side … the French! The
British regiment fought valiantly, but the 2/70th did enough
With the British on the ropes, Rick looked to press his to shake the 9th and therefore to break Hill’s Brigade.
advantage. Now what happened next brought up an
interesting debate. The 4th Légèr were within initiative In the aftermath both commanders stated they felt that the
range of the 29th who were to their direct front. Rick game was slipping away from them and that they were both
knew though that if he got one more casualty on the 9th up against it from the start. I felt as though I had done my
East Norfolk he would shake that regiment, break Hill’s job well and created a demanding scenario that challenged
both the French and the British.
85
The Battle of Granja de la Abundancia
Introduction this game links with the next scenario that I have created,
Somewhere in Spain; in the height of the hot Spanish summer, the winning army from this game gains an advantage in the
the French – under pressure from guerrilla raids and suffering next, so make sure you fight hard, but fair of course.
from a lack of supplies – are making for much needed resources
harvested at the Farm of Abundance. The British, well supplied
by the Royal Navy, have discovered ‘what the French are at’ and Terrain
are racing to secure the harvest from the French. There is plenty of terrain on this battlefield, the dominant
feature being the farmstead itself. The British and French
This game is what I would call a ‘capture the flag’ scenario base buildings can be represented by any suitable house that
and is the first in a sequence of two games. ‘Capture the you have in your collection, whilst the hills and wood should
flag’ scenario refers to games where players must use the not be too hard to source. As with the previous battlefield of
army at their disposal to capture certain terrain features on Roliça, if you have specific terrain that you wish to add to
the table top. In this game the main terrain feature that increase the aesthetics then be my guest. The farm and the
requires the players’ attention is a Spanish farm or granja, buildings follow the normal rules for buildings in the Black
although there are other terrain features that are up for Powder rule book. The wood and hills likewise follow their
grabs. Before I set the game up for you I will just add that normal rules.
SPANISH LOOKS ASKANCE AT THE ‘LADIES FROM HELL’. A SIGHT FEW COULD FORGET...
86
July 1810 ‘Capture la Bandera’
Special Scenario Rules The Table and Game Scale
1. Before the game starts each player writes a simple order Again this depends on the resources available to you. Being
of march, for example “Lane’s Brigade, followed by a modest Yorkshireman I have fought this battle on a 6ft by
Hoole’s Brigade, then Dale’s Brigade…” and so on. This 4ft table, with all move distances and ranges reduced by a
is the order in which the brigades will enter the table, with third. I play the majority of my Black Powder games on such
each brigade arriving in march column if cavalry or a table size and it really works for my games.
infantry, or limbered if artillery. Units must enter the table
at their specific road entry point or within six inches of
that entry point. See the Granja de la Abundancia The Armies
battlefield map. This game utilises sizeable forces on both sides, but easily
accommodates the new rules introduced in this supplement.
2. Nominate a player from each side to roll a dice; the
highest rolling side chose whether to take the first or The British have access to a brigade, something akin to the
second turn. famed ‘Light Division’ whilst the French have the weight of
artillery and cavalry.
Dispositions
Please see the attached map of the battlefield; entry areas
are shown clearly.
87
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
ORDERS OF BATTLE
The British The French
Commander-in-Chief – SR 8 Commander-in-Chief – SR 8
• Lieutenant General Roderick Scholey • General de Division Mainarde d’Belle SR 8
Note: If you want to fight with your own forces I would suggest that each side pick a force of 500 points.
FRENCH ARTILLERY AND INFANTRY WORK TOGETHER IN MUTUAL SUPPORT - A FRENCH SPECIALITY
88
THE BATTLE OF GRANJA DE LA ABUNDANCIA
British
3 Victory
Points
French
Entry Entry
Point Point
1 Victory
Point 1 Victory
Point
3 Victory
Points 3 Victory
Points
1 Victory
Point 1 Victory
Point
Orchard Orchard
Half movement
+1 Save
6 Victory
Points
Half movement
+1 Save
1. The game lasts for 12 turns.The player with the highest you concentrate your resources on the specific objective. You
VP total wins. see sir I have seen this thing before. Those that attack
piecemeal will quickly find that they will be outnumbered
2. To be classed as capturing a terrain feature the following and defeated in detail. One last thing, if your enemy gains an
applies: a building must be occupied, even if it is being advantage early, don’t panic. Check your tactical objectives
assaulted when the game ends. A hill must have a against what lies before you. If they are still possible to
friendly unit on it, and no enemy units on it. achieve then forward to glory! If success seems impossible in
that area of the field of battle, then have a plan B. For the
3. Each army scores one VP for each enemy unit they rash amongst you consider the “Follow me!” order to get to
destroy or force to leave the table. These scores should be an objective quickly. This is not for the faint-hearted though.
increased by half a point for a large unit and decreased
by half a point for a small unit. Note that no points are
scored for shaken units. French Considerations
Now if I were those Frenchies, Sir, I would swing the weight
4. The side with the most VPs at the end of the game wins.
of horse and cannon against us as fast as I could. The terrain
favours cavalry and holds little deterrent to artillery. Those
5. Don’t forget to keep a record of which units in your
army are destroyed or shaken as this makes a difference French assault columns will also aid them in their duties. I
in the next scenario. have studied how the French fought those half-beaten
Austrians, Russians and Prussians. They will try to pin you
with their cavalry and Voltigeurs, disorder you with their
British Considerations cannon and then take advantage of your perilous position by
My brave fellow take heed before you set of in search of sending in the assault columns.
glory on the field of battle, those damn Frenchmen have the
weight of numbers in both cannon and horse. So, this one is Some of those French fellows are quite rash you know, Sir.
going to take careful timing, careful timing indeed. My Let’s hope we face one of those fools who underestimate our
advice to you, if you care to take it, is to choose your own infantry’s firepower. If they do they may make a mad
objectives carefully, as you cannot cover them all. Be careful dash for it with a few regiments. If they do so they play right
not to strike too early and make sure that when you do strike into our hands you see. Well, that’s if you follow my advice!
89
The Defence of Ciudad Espanola
SPANISH LINE TROOPS BETRAY NO SYMPATHY FOR THEIR FALLEN FRENCH FOES
Introduction Española – although there are other terrain features that are
Following on from the Granja de la Abundancia game the up for grabs. (See the Defence of Ciudad Espanola
victors, spurred on by their new found supplies, have battlefield map). The town is a typical one of the period with
pressed their advantage and pushed their defeated foes back a few casas, walled enclosures and orchards: a formidable
to their base of operations. The attacking army is striving to defensive position. The town is overlooked by a large hill that
rout the enemy from their base and gain control of the the attackers would do well to take so they can rain shot and
particular region of Spain that they are fighting over. shell into the village to assist in their efforts. Don’t forget to
add scenery to your tastes. All terrain features follow their
This game is what I would call a ‘defend the base’ scenario
and is the second in a sequence of two games. In this type equivalents in the Black Powder rule book.
of game one player (in this case the winner of the last game)
must use the army at his disposal to capture the enemy-held The previous game has a significant effect on how this
town; whilst the other player (the loser of the last game) scenario is set up both in terms of number and type of
must defend his supply base at all costs. troops available and deployment areas.
90
July 1810. Defienda la Base.
1. Any Battalion/Regiment that was destroyed or forced Note: If you want to fight this scenario as a one-off game or with your
from the table in the previous game, starts this game one own forces, I would suggest the British pick a force of 800 points, plus
size down from the size that it was in the last game. 250 more points if attacking.
6. The River is fordable by all troop types, but only in certain One tough Irish soldier’s wife told an officer the
places. To represent this, roll a dice for any unit attempting to following story:
cross. On a roll of a 6 the unit hasn’t found a ford and Well I don’t know if you seed him, sir, but down drops poor
remains on the bank of the river. There is nothing to stop the Dan, to be murdered like all the rest, and says he “Biddy
unit trying again from the same spot in the following turn. dear, I can’t go no furder one yard to save me life”.
“Dan jewel,” sis I, “I’ll help you on a bit – tak’ a hould of
7. The British player can form attack columns with his
me an’ throw away your knapsack.”
infantry to attack buildings and manoeuvre in the town.
“I’ll niver part wid my knapsack,” says he, “nor my
firelock, while I’m a soger.”
The Table and Game Scale So I draws him up on the bank and coaxed him to get on my
Once again this depends on the resources available to you.
back, for, sis I, “the French will have ye in half an hour, an’
This battle can be comfortably fought on a 6ft by 4 ft table,
me too, the pagans.” Well sir, I went away wid him on me
although in this case it is recommended that all move
back, knapsack, firelock and all, as strong as Samson for the
distances and ranges are reduced by a third.
fear I was in; an’ I carried him half a league after the
regiment into the bivwack; an’ me back was bruck entirely
from that time to this, an’ it’ll never get straight till I go to
The Armies the Holy Well in Ireland, and have father McShane’s
This game utilises sizeable forces on both sides, but easily
blessin’, and his hands laid over me!
accommodates the new rules introduced in this supplement.
The attackers have significant reinforcements to enable
them to force the issue.
91
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
ORDERS OF BATTLE
The British The French
Commander-in-Chief – SR 8 Commander-in-Chief – SR 8*
• Lieutenant General Roderick Smythe Scholey • General de Division Maynarde Debell
92
THE DEFENCE OF CIUDAD ESPANOLA JULY 1810
British/French Aims and Objectives the river bank to fool the enemy but be wary the lads don’t
The Attackers must drive the enemy out of his base of like getting their feet wet! Or, my preferred option would be
operations. To do that they must take the town, building by a mix of the two.
building and will be rewarded for doing so. The defenders
licking their wounds from the last encounter with the victor, Ah, and there Sir, look to the hill at your right front – a
must hold their base at all costs, they will be richly rewarded formidable forward position. Perhaps a position from which
for doing so. Again we apply victory points to identify the your cannonade could pound and pound those scoundrels
winner and loser. in the town?
1. The game lasts for 12 turns. The player with the highest So now to the tricky business of street fighting. Damn dirty
VP total wins. work sir if we fight on equal numbers! So, for the lads’ sake
make sure you gain numerical advantage at the point of
2. Victory points can be gained for capturing key terrain contact. Well, I will be off. Good luck!
features. To be classed as capturing a terrain feature the
following applies: a building must be occupied, even if it
is being assaulted when the game ends. A hill must have a Defender considerations
friendly unit on it, with no enemy units on it. Damn bad luck back there Sir. Bad luck indeed. You did all
you could. Yet we are where we are. This base must be
3. Each army scores one VP for each enemy unit they defended to the last, that is obvious. Not an easy task, not
destroy or force to leave the table. These scores should be an easy task at all. The attacker has weight of numbers to
increased by half a point for a large unit and decreased call on and will choose his point of attack, but do not worry,
by half a point for a small unit. Note that no points are not all is lost. This town is a formidable defensive position
scored for shaken units. and you should select your troop deployments carefully, as I
know only you can.
Attacker Considerations I would bet my last ounce of snuff that the enemy
Congratulations Sir, a magnificent victory back there! Yes a commander will cannonade us before he sends in his assault
magnificent victory indeed. I see your fame spreads, and parties. If I was you I would create a reserve that can take
you have been rewarded with reinforcements. Do not let up positions badly mauled by enemy action.
this go to your head though, you have a hard task ahead of
you, by God! A hard task Sir, and no mistake. Look there Look there sir, the enemy are beginning to move. They
Sir, the river is a formidable obstacle that must be appear to be making for yonder hill. Perhaps a surprise
overcome. Now if you ask me, you have three options greeting should be arranged for them when they arrive
available to you to do that. You could get the lads to storm there, although that will weaken you here. Well, good luck
the bridge and push ahead; you could use the fords along sir! I will watch with bated breath from afar of course.
93
The Battle of Salamanca 22nd July 1812
1st Division at Salamanca In Black Powder terms this would look like this
3rd Brigade Major General Baron Low Infantry Brigade Commander – SR8
• 1st, 2nd and 5th Line Battalions, King’s German Legion • 3 Standard KGL Line Infantry Battalions
94
I think that you would agree with me that this would be a 3. Roll a die each turn. On a 4 +, the French cannot use
formidable force to collect for your games of Black Powder, their commander-in-chief to give orders that turn to
but that said this is just one division out of the seven infantry represent the injury caused at the opening of the battle.
divisions that fought at this famous battle, not to mention
independent brigades and associated cavalry brigades. To
collect the whole British army for this battle would be out of The Table and Game Scale
most players’ reach, but would be something to aspire to. So Again this again is down to the resources that you and your
what can we do about it? Let’s have a look at this from gaming group have at your disposal. I would suggest that the
another point of view. If you think strategically rather than minimum table size would be 8ft by 4 ft. If this table size is
tactically you will become aware that infantry brigades had a used though you would be better to reduce distances as I have
brigade frontage in which the battalions of the brigade mentioned in other games.
operated, if we take this approach we can start to represent
the above brigades by units that represent the brigade
frontage, so the above division would become: The Armies
This is a large encounter battle with a large number of
forces involved. It’s an ideal game for multiple players to
pool their resources in terms of figures and skills. If this
1st Division at Salamanca approach is taken the game easily accommodates the new
rules introduced in this supplement.
• Commander SR 8
(representing the combined Divisonal and
Brigade commanders) Dispositions
• One British Guard Battalion Please see the attached map of the battlefield. Deployment
(representing the two Guards battalions) areas are shown clearly. Thomieres’ and Brennier’s
Divisions must set up in March column.
• One British Line Battalion
(representing the two Line battalions) Not all forces start on the table and have identified entry
• One British Highland Battalion areas and a turn number when they can join the fray.
(representing the two Highland battalions) Remember troops that enter the table in this manner can
• One Large KGL Line Battalion enter in any formation that is eligible to them.
(representing the three KGL battalions)
• One Tiny Rifle unit
A matter of discipline
(representing the Division’s riflemen)
95
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
ORDERS OF BATTLE
The British The French
Commander-in-Chief – SR 9 Commander-in-Chief – SR 8
• Wellington • Marmont
It ’s behind you!
British Artillery (assigned to any of the above commands)
• 1 RHA Battery
• 3 RA Batteries
96
THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA 22ND JULY 1812
Lesser
Thomières’ Arapiles
Set-up area
Curto’s
Set-up area
Brennier’s
Set-up area Greater
Arapiles
Maucune’s
Set-up area
Bonnet’s Clausel’s
Set-up area Set-up area
British Aims and Objectives Thomièries doing there? What is he doing? Why does he
By God that will do, I have the French right were I want not form to meet those devils? Merde! He is almost
them! Pakenham you must assault Thomières’ position certainly lost. I cannot allow that to affect my plans though.
directly. Cotton will support you in your endeavours. You Maucune has the ability to hold the British and Bonnet will
have the initial advantage in this battle. You should be able provide valuable support. The rest of the army must
to pounce on Thomières’ command and cause it severe counter this British advance. We must stabilise and then
problems. With a little luck you may also be able to make counter. Only when we have stabilised this terrible position
early inroads into Curto and Maucune. Make sure that can we strike back at the British.
you do not get overstretched. Do not push forward without
support. I do not want the French eventually having
weight of numbers at the point of battle, so do not allow Victory Conditions
them to do so. I will support your initial attacks. Look 1. The game lasts for 12 turns. The player with the highest
there, you see the other division already formed. I intend VP total wins.
to focus my forces and deliver a knock out blow on each of
the French commands, one at a time. I have one worry: I 2. The Greater Arapiles is worth six VPs to the British and
need early reports of any French counters towards the three to the French. The Lesser Arapiles is worth three
Lesser Arapiles as they may steal the prize right from VPs to the British and six to the French. Thomièries’
under my nose. deployment zone is worth three VPs to each side.
3. Each army scores one VP for each enemy unit that they
French Aims and Objectives cause to be shaken and two VPs for each enemy unit they
Mon Dieu, that hurt! The British are attacking and I am destroy or force to leave the table. Add half a point to this
overstretched. How is this possible? I thought their army score if the unit is large and take half a point away if the
miles away! This is no rearguard action. What is that fool unit is small. Tiny units give up no points.
97
Army Lists &Pointed Games
Messrs Priestley and Johnson touched just lightly on this These poorly trained peasants had no experience of the
subject in the Black Powder rules, so I thought it would be horrors of war, and many also concealed pro-French
nice to spend a bit of time talking through how I create sentiments. These shortcomings are translated into their
units, point them up and develop army lists. stats. Their shaky fighting spirit and poor ability to throw off
damage is reflected in their low morale value; while their lack
One aspect of the hobby that I really do enjoy is of training can be seen in their hand-to-hand and shooting
‘competitive’ tournament games. As I have mentioned values.
previously, I have gained friends throughout the UK,
Australia, Canada and the United States as a result of To work out the points values for the chosen units, I
attending more tournaments ‘than your grandmother has followed the guidance on pages 179-181 of the Black
had hot dinners’ (a Yorkshire saying). I have also run a few Powder rule book. I have a few changes to suggest here
mini Napoleonic Black Powder tournaments in the North of though.
England and found them to be entertaining affairs. To do
1. I point commanders as follow: SR 7 = 0 points and
that I have created several army lists. If tournaments are not
a player must pay an extra 25 points per extra pip of
your poison then this approach allows for a really balanced
command, so a command genius with SR 9 would
game of an evening.
cost 50 points. This better reflects, in points anyway,
First of all we need to create historical battalions and the effect of each pip of leadership on the game.
regiments. For the lists you need to do three things: This works for the Napoleonic group that I play
with.
• Lots of research.
• Remain flexible. 2. We also charge the French two points for their
• Be imaginative. Reliable Assault Column special rule (I call it Pas de
The great thing about Black Powder is the amount of Charge).
flexibility within the core rules which gives the player the 3. Rifle Mixed Formation costs one point.
chance to be creative. It allows all the statistics to be
varied to reflect the prowess of a particular historical 4. The British special rule Steady Line costs two
unit, and then this can be further enhanced by adding points.
one or more special rules that really bring out the So applying the guidance to the above two units, the
characteristics of a certain unit, for example the Guards cost 60 points, whilst the Dutchmen cost 29
‘Grumblers’. points. You would get two Dutch battalions to one
The French Old Guard have been given the stats below. As Guards battalion and
you can see, they have better than average shooting and still have two points
hand-to-hand values to represent their fighting qualities. change. I have applied this
They also have excellent morale and stamina values to process to units of most
represent their high ‘esprit de corps’ and veteran status. This is nations that fought in
further built upon with their special rules; Elite 3+ means the Napoleonic wars and
that they are not easily thrown into disorder, they are have an extensive
Reliable, reflecting their unflinching ability to follow their catalogue of units.
orders, and Tough Fighters gives them a further edge in
combat as these troops were extremely sturdy. Moving on to army lists,
I think the best way to
Compare these tough guys with the Dutch Militia that explain how to create a
faced them across the fields of Waterloo. list is to show you a few.
98
The Peninsular British 1806 to 1814
British Stats and Special Rules
Hand-
Unit Type Armament Shooting Morale Stamina Special Cost
to-Hand
Steady Line,
British Light Regular Smoothbore
6 3 4 3 First Fire, Skirmish, 42 points
Infantry Infantry Musket
Sharpshooter
Steady Line,
KGL Light Regular Smoothbore First Fire, Skirmish,
6 3 4 3 43 points
Infantry Infantry Musket Sharpshooter, Rifle,
Mixed Order
Steady Line,
Chasseurs Regular Smoothbore
8 4 4 4 First Fire, Skirmish, 50 points
Britannique Infantry Musket
Sharpshooter
Tough Fighter,
Highland Regular Smoothbore
6 3 4 3 Steady Line, 40 points
Infantry Infantry Musket
First Fire
Skirmish,
Rifle Regular Rifled Sharpshooter,
4 3 4 2 48 points
Companies Infantry Musket Reliable, Elite 4+,
First Fire
Skirmish,
Rifle Regular Rifled Sharpshooter,
6 4 4 3 56 points
Battalion Infantry musket Reliable, Elite 4+,
First Fire
All British, Portuguese and Brunswick Infantry have the special rules: Steady Line, First Fire, Cannot form Attack Column, MIxed Formation,
Must Form Square and Can Form Skirmish in Terrain They Could Not Normally Enter.
99
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Marauder
British and KGL British: Gallop at 44 points
Regular
Light Dragoon/ Sabre 6 – 4 3 anything (see p.45)
Cavalry
Hussar KGL: Ferocious 46 points
Charge
Royal Horse
Smoothbore Reliable, Marauder,
and KGL Cannon 1 3-2-1 4 1 30 points
Light Artillery Shrapnel
Horse Artilley
Steady Line,
Loyal Lusitanian Regular Smoothbore
6 3 4 3 Skirmish, 41 points
Legion Infantry Musket
Sharpshooter
Steady Line,
Skirmish, Reliable,
Regular Smoothbore
Caçadores 6 4 4 3 Elite 5+, Rifle, 52 points
Infantry Musket
Mixed Order,
Sharpshooter
Portuguese Regular
Sabre 6 – 4 3 Wavering 30 points
Cavalry Cavalry
All British, Portuguese and Brunswick Infantry have the special rules: Steady Line, First Fire, Cannot form Attack Column, Mixed Formation,
Must Form Square and Can Form Skirmish in Terrain They Could Not Normally Enter.
100
THE PENINSULAR BRITISH - 1806 TO 1814
Household Cavalry
1st and 2nd Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards, Britain’s finest cavalry, were present at later engagements in the
Peninsular but saw little or no action, so I have not included them in the late war lists. That said if you wish to I
would go with one to three Household Cavalry at the appropriate cost.
Hand-
Unit Type Armament Shooting Morale Stamina Special Cost
to-Hand
Detached Elite
Companies Anglo-Portuguese Special Rules
The Light company can be Skirmish. The Riflemen, Light infantry
detached from a British or and Caçadores are allowed to adopt a
King’s German Legion Line
skirmish formation. Note that other troops
battalion and added to any
can only adopt a skirmish formation to
brigade.
enter terrain that they could not otherwise
This is represented in games enter or as part of a mixed formation.
of Black Powder as follows:
Gallop at Anything. +1 to charge order,
All the battalions in a brigade have Ferocious charge rule, but must make a
lose their light company. The break through move if allowed even if this
parent battalions lose their takes them off the table. British cavalry
ability to form mixed order. If suffer a +2 to command role when they
two battalions lose their leave the table under such circumstances.
companies a Tiny unit is
created, three detached light Heavy Cavalry D1. Dragoons are Heavy
companies form a Small unit, Cavalry, but add one to any combat result
or four light companies will make a standard sized unit, that can be added rather than between one and three.
to any Infantry brigade in the army. Shrapnel. British guns can fire shrapnel.
The Grenadier company from the Line battalions chosen within an They get three dice at medium range, but
Infantry Brigade can be removed to create Combined ‘Grenadier’ require a base score of 5 rather than 4 to hit
battalions. This is represented in our games of Black Powder as follows: All before any modifiers apply.
the battalions in a brigade lose their Grenadier company. The parent All Napoleonic infantry have the ‘must
battalions reduce their Hand-to-Hand factor by one. If two battalions lose form square’ and, unless they have the
their companies a Tiny unit is created, three detached Grenadier ’skirmish’ rule can only go into
companies form a Small unit, or four Grenadier companies will make a skirmish order to enter terrain they
standard sized unit, that can be added to any Infantry brigade in the army. could not otherwise enter. All line
Note. If a battalion loses both its elite companies it becomes a Small size infantry units can form
unit. ’mixed formation’ (ie,
A Tiny unit of Rifles bought as an additional unit for a brigade can be deploy skirmishing
added to a detached light company. The detachment gains the special rule companies ahead of their
Rifle Mixed Order and adding the rifle unit to detached light companies does main body).
count towards the size of the resulting detachment.
101
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Add one Brunswick Light Infantry Upgrade any or all battalions +8 points each
Battalion (M, L) 35 points in a brigade to veteran status
(Reliable, Elite 5+) (M, L)
Add one Small Light Dragoon Regiment
to one brigade in the army (E) 36 points Upgrade any or all battalions +10 points each
Add one Portugese Line Infantry in a brigade to veteran status
Battalion (E) 38 points (Reliable, Elite 4+) (L)
102
THE PENINSULAR BRITISH - 1806 TO 1814
Three Cheers
A Scottish soldier in the 71st Highland, part of
Ferguson‘s Brigade wrote of the fighting:
“We marched out two miles to meet the enemy, formed line and
lay under cover of a hill for about an hour, until they came to
us. We gave them one volley and three cheers — three distinct
cheers. Then all was as still as death. They came upon us,
crying and shouting, to the very point of our bayonets. Our
awful silence and determined advance they could not stand.
They put about and fled without much resistance. At this
charge we took thirteen guns and one General.”
103
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
104
THE PENINSULAR BRITISH - 1806 TO 1814
One Horse Artillery battery may be attached to any Downgrade Royal Artillery
of the above cavalry brigades per four cavalry battery to a half battery -16 points per battery
regiments in the army for 30 points per battery.
Downgrade Portuguese
Battery Options battery to a half battery -14 points per battery
Downgrade battery -14 points per half battery
to a half battery
105
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
All French Infantry have the special rules Pas de Charge, Must Form Square, and Can Form Skirmish in Terrain They Could Not Normally Enter.
106
THE PENINSULAR FRENCH - 1807 TO 1814
Combined Grenadiers
The Grenadier/Carabinier company from the Line and
Light battalions chosen within an Infantry Brigade can be
removed to create Combined ‘Grenadier’ battalions.
107
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
108
THE PENINSULAR FRENCH - 1807 TO 1814
Brigade Options
Upgrade any Regiment to Large +8 points per regiment
Brigade Options
Downgrade any regiment
to small -8 pts per regiment
109
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
Regular Marauder,
Light cavalry Cavalry Sabre 5 – 5 3 Wavering, 26 points
Unreliable
110
THE SPANISH - 1807 TO 1814
111
ALBION TRIUMPHANT
El Cid
This is represented in games of Black Powder with
the special rule A la Muerte assigned to Spanish
batteries. Such batteries that take a break test due
to shooting casualties will only break on a 4 or less.
The Cid was born at a village near Burgos, and his ashes “The generals had lost nothing of
lay there in a monument of black marble. The French their presumption, learnt nothing
having provoked the war endeavoured to cure the of war.”
fury of Spanish pride, by transferring the tomb Spanish commanders of the regular army were
to the public walk of Burgos and surrounding divided by political infighting and hampered by
it with trees and flowers. The Spanish were not an out of date command and control structure,
lulled by this homage paid to their greatest with directions from the Junta in Cadiz often
national hero however, and when King contrary to aims and objectives agreed with their
Joseph himself visited the tomb the allies. These leaders were a constant distraction to
Spanish destroyed the trees and flowers
their British contemporaries.
planted by the hands of their enemies.
This is represented in our games by the different
scores for the ‘Personal Qualities of
Commanders’ chart on page 94 of the Black
Powder rulebook. Roll a dice for aggression/
Artillery Support decisiveness/independence and refer to the
following chart.
Up to two Artillery batteries 27 points per battery
(to a maximum of one per Aggression, Independence
six infantry battalions) and Decisiveness
Up to one Horse Artillery 19 points per battery Spanish Commander 1-3: Low
battery (to a maximum of 4-5: Normal
one per six cavalry regiments) 6: High
112