Battle Report

1811 Albuera Fought 2015-09-27

Albuera is the village in the bottom left-hand corner of the picture.
The actual battlefield extended below the picture but our scenario
included only the troops that were involved in Soults attack on the
Anglo-Allied exposed right flank.
The two lines on the hill are Blakes Spanish Army : 3 divisions and 3
cavalry regiments.
The British under Beresford (Franois, would you believe!!) have
Stewarts division grouped behind Albuera and Coles division in reserve
with De Greys cavalry.
The Anglo-Allied are set up like this before the French deploy. This
respects the historical setup.
Girards infantry division, the artillery reserve and Latour-Maubourgs
Cavalry Corps (Gary) composed of 6 units and some horse artillery set up
in a flanking position defined in the scenario.
Gazans infantry division has started crossing Albuera River.
Werles infantry division is not shown on this picture. It is one mile (17
inches) away from the ford on the left-hand side. It is formed in column
of march.
Albuera River can only be crossed at the ford where Gazan is now
crossing. The Valverde stream on the right is fordable along it whole
length.
It is 08h00. Action is about to be joined. Doug is commanding all French
infantry forces and the artillery reserve.
Turn 3 08h40 to 9h00
Latour-Maubourgs cavalry have deployed to the right while Girard is
cresting the hills to the left supported by the artillery reserve.
Gazan has nearly cleared the ford and Werle (off picture) is approaching
the crossing point in all haste.
On the Anglo-Allied side, Beresford could not impress upon Blake that
Soults movement on his right flank was the main French attack. The
Spanish commander insisted on believing that Albuera village was the
key and that Soult was only feinting to the right of the Anglo-Allied
position.
So Blake grudgingly despatched his right most division supported by the
Spanish cavalry to see what was happening on the right flank.
He gave orders for his other two divisions not to move and to be ready to
repulse the real French attack on Albuera village.
When Beresford got to Albuera village, rumour has it that he was fuming
to see that the Spanish had not yet vacated the hill to block the French
advance on the right.
Before finding Blake to share his thoughts (thats the politically correct
way of saying things, in case this report might be read by young children)
he ordered Stewart to move immediately to take position facing the
French on the right of the Spanish troops sent to intercept the enemy.
We can see Stewart with his 5 British units passing through the Spanish
troops at the bottom of the picture.
Turn 4 09h00 to 0920

Doug with the infantry and Gary with the cavalry come down the hill
thinking they will do short work of those sacre-bleu Spanish.
The entire line is engaged.

Well, guess they were right.

The whole Spanish line disintegrated under the pressure.
The Spanish line had 32 fighting factors against 67 for the French.
Given the die rolls, the Spanish incurred 17 casualties while the French
got only 7. A definite rout!
The Spanish lost there and then two cavalry regiments.
During the French pursuit the final Spanish dragoon regiment was
overcome and also disappeared from the battlefield.
In the picture we can see some of the victorious French units (units with
casualty caps) crowning the hill once occupied by the Spanish.
Behind these are two regiments of French cavalry that did not fare that
well in the confrontation.
About mid-way in the picture on the right-hand side (actually right next
to this text) is a lone French Hussars regiment that got carried away in the
pursuit.
It is now faced by Stewarts British division.
We can see the remaining two Spanish divisions have finally got the order
to move to their right flank (the white-based units and the brown-based
ones behind it; the green-based units are Stewarts British).
Is the battle over?
Non monsieur!!

Turn 5 09h20 to 10h

The French decided to move back to their original positions to regroup
and take care of their wounded.
We can see that to the left of Valverde stream the Spanish divisions and
Stewarts are moving forward.
Two of the three Spanish regiments that were routing go off table. The
remaining lonely Spanish First Division infantry regiment will never
really recuperate from the setback.
Meanwhile on the right of Valverde stream we can see that De Greys
British cavalry have progressed to oppose the French dragoon regiments
and that the Bristish artillery reserve (3 horse and 1 foot battery) have
been sent in support.
Coles Division is still in reserve in the bottom right-hand corner,
Beresford being not quite sure if he should keep it there or send it up.

Turns 6 to 8 10h to 11h

THE CAVALRY CLASH

The following is a rsum of several actions.
Turn 6
The British having the initiative, Franois intentionally maneuvers the
British cavalry during his First Players First Half Moves so that he will
get the French to attack its right flank.
The French have a definite advantage numbers wise.
Will they get tempted by the prospects of an easy victory?

Turn 6
Guess what?
Gary, like a true French cavalry general, sent everything in!!!
He did that very correctly, by the way, with 3 of his 4 regiments. Two of
the three British regiments were thus immobilized.
He kept the large Dragoon regiment in the top right-hand corner of the
picture in reserve because he did not know what Franois would be doing
with the tiny British Dragoon regiment facing it.
Franois reacted in his Second Half Moves by withdrawing that Dragoon
regiment and deploying all of his artillery, i.e. 24 guns.
End results: Each side lost 1 regiment and, to everybodys astonishment,
the fight where the British was flanked turned out to be a draw, the issued
being that the French flanking regiment did not have the British regiment
in its lethal zone, the lethal zone of cavalry being only as wide as the base.
Turn 7
So that fight continued.
Gary moved the flanking regiment so that it did get the enemy to be in its
zone, thus shaking the British cavalry.
Not knowing what Franois would be doing with his off-picture Dragoon
regiment and the 4 batteries the French decided not to commit the final
big Dragoon regiment.
Rumour has it that Gary had not expected Franois to move 3 of his
batteries in an enfilade position, keeping the fourth battery to fire at the
dragoons that were coming down the hill. There was a brief discussion
(understatement) concerning the enfilade rule.
End results: Cavalry wipe out!!

Turn 8
The picture shows the end situation on the cavalry flank.
The French cavalry general having been killed leading his squadrons and
the large French dragoon regiment having to test its morale, faith (i.e. a
really lousy die roll) forced it to retire.
The French have only the large dragoon regiment and the horse artillery
battery left.
The British still have the tiny dragoon regiment and their 4 batteries.
On the left flank both infantry forces have been reforming pending the
cavalry fight outcome.
What will happen next?
The British infantry are coming up hastily thinking that the French are
already shaking in their boots and about to kill their officers!!
Turn 9 11h to 11h20
Thinking the moment is ripe for glory Stewarts British division surges
forward to attack the left flank of the French.
Gary sends the last French cavalry regiments to thwart that attack.
Meanwhile, were not really sure what Doug is thinking about. He has
been reorganizing over the last few turns.

Hard to believe but Franois was proud of his British regiments.

The French cavalry has been repulsed with severe losses. The left flank
of the front French division is recoiling.
And Cole is coming up on the right flank (bottom right-hand corner of the
picture).

Turn 10 11h20 to 11h40

And then the miracle happens.

Like a dragon leaping out of its devilish den, Doug attacks the Spanish
division with his front division while deploying his artillery resever to
counter Stewarts attack on his left.
And, please pray tell, what happened?!?!?
The Spanish withstood the shock (a lucky die roll, most probably) and
half of Stewarts regiments were blasted away.
Everybody was hawestruck, some with joy, others with disbelief.

Turn 12 12n to 12h20

And then, after 20 minutes of catching their breath, the French came at it
again!!!
Dougs right hand division attacked what was now two intermixed
Spanish divisions while his reserve division came down the hill to
4

provoke Stewart in mortal combat, supported by Garys remaining

cavalry on the French left flank.
Gary and Franois looked at each other. What was coming over Doug?
Had a few cables touched in his brain to stimulate his aggressiveness?
Comments were exchanged on this topic. And then, the truth came out,
Doug confessed: Well, I attack when theres nobody around to tell me
to attack! How cryptic
And the whole Anglo-Allied line was pushed back with significant losses.
Come to think of it, Gary and I hope that Doug wont remember next
game how efficient he is when he attacks.
At that stage in the battle, the Anglo-Allied casualties were mounting very seriously and the French were starting to run out of fresh
troops. But the French were in a better position than Beresford was. Beresford had one banged up Spanish division, one seriously reduced
British division and one fresh Brito-Hanoverian division left. No more cavalry and only half the artillery. Soults French army was in a
much better condition as can be seen on the picture above.
Anglo-Allied losses were:
Figures
Men
Infantry
68
6,800
Cavalry
32
1,920
Guns
10
20 guns
Total men lost
8,720
French losses were:
Figures
Infantry
44
Cavalry
29
Guns
5
Total men lost

Men
4,400
1,740
10 guns
6,140