Albuera battle report

ALBUERA
[June, 1 2013]

Introduction

On May 16, 1811 a mixed Spanish, British and Portuguese force engaged the French Army of the South at 20 kilometers of the Spanish frontier. The battle was fought close to a small village: Albuera.

The idea was not to refight exactly Albuera battle but only a part of this struggle …

Game system: Black Powder

House rules:

1) The French infantry will be reliable only when it is in attack column formation. No other bonus are applied in the order phase

2) The interpenetrated troops from retreating units, as a result of a losing hand to hand combat, must make a morale check: if they fail they suffer 1 hit.

3) To interpenetrate a friendly unit movement costs half move.

4) You can fire only if the unit moves once.

5) The Brigades are to be considered shaken when more than half of the units are shaken  or eliminated (ie: 2 or 3 units >> 2 units shaken/eliminated, 4 or 5 units >>> 3 units shaken/eliminated and so on)

6) Similarly both armies fall back when more than half of the formations (Divisions and Brigades) become shaken;

Battle set up

Turns limit: 8

Deployment

Allies troops deploy for first as reported into the map.

Initially French troops deploy as reported into the map. The French player will move for first

Armies objectives:

French army:                       

to occupy the central hill (zone C) with at least one unit not shaken or to break Allies army

               

Anglo-Spanish army:         

to avoid the occupation of the central hill (zone C) with at least one unit not shaken or to break French army

Draw if both conditions are met

Miniatures scale: 15 mm

Battle report

Initial deployment

French commanders move their units directly against the objective: the hill. But their advance is slow because a unit of combined grenadiers that failed for twice his activation. 

On the left the outflank movement is slow. English batteries keep French cavalry far from the hill.

On the final phases Soult force Anglo-Spanish troop to fall back on the right but  Ballesteros reinforcements permit English forces to keep the line. 

End: draw

Entry order

Hour	Turn	Anglo-Spanish forces	Zone	French forces	Zone
prima delle 08.00	-	Blake & Army Artillery 3rd Division Ballesteros 4th Division Zayas Castanos & Army Artillery Infantry Brigade, de Espana	See map	Soult & Army Heavy Artillery 5th Corps / 1st Division, Girad	See map
08.00	1°	2nd Div., Colborne's (British) Brig.	C
09.00	2°	Cavalry Division, Penne Villemur	D	5th Corps / 2nd Division, Gazan	B
				5th Corps / Cavalry Division Latour-M.	A
09.30	3°
10.00	4°	2nd Div., Houghton's (British) Brig. & Lefebvres D/Troop/RHA	C	4th Corps / Brigade Werle Converged Grenadiers	E
10.30	5°	2nd Div., Abercrombie's (British) Brig. & Hawker's 4° Bn/RFA	C
11.00	6°	4th Div., Myer's (British) Brig. & Cleeves' 2nd Co/KGL FA	D
11.30	7°	4th Div., Harvey's (Portuguese) Brig. & Sympher's 4th Co/KGL FA	D
12.00	8°

Allies army list

Rif.	Unit	Num miniatures	Type	Armament	HtH	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special rules
ALL	Armata Alleata                            5/3	Beresford					Comando		9
2	2nd British Division                    4/3	Stewart					Comando		8
2a	Colborne's (British) Brigade 1°/3° Rgt & 2°/31° Rgt, 2 bts	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Steady line First Fire
2b	Colborne's (British) Brigade 2°/48° Rgt & 2°/66° Rgt, 2 bts	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Steady line First Fire
2c	Houghton's (British) Brigade 29°Rgt,1°/48°Rgt & 1°/57°Rgt, 3 bts	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Steady line First Fire
2d	Abercrombie's (British) Brigade 2°/28°R, 2°/31°R & 2°/39°R, 3 bts	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Steady line First Fire
2e	5° Bn/60° Rifles, 3 cmp.s	1 x 5 Tiny	Regular Infantry	Rifled musket	2	2	4+	1	Skirmish,Élite4+ Sharpshooters
2f	Hawker's (British) 4° Bn/RFA	1 cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	Reliable
2g	Lefebvres (British) D/Troop/RHA	1 cannone	Horse Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	1	Reliable, Marauders
4	4th British Division                     4/3	Cole					Comando		8
4a	Myer's (British) Brigade 1°/7°R, 2°/7°R & 1°/23° R, 3 bts	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Steady line First Fire
4b	Harvey's (10th Portuguese) Brigade 11° Line, 2 bts	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Steady line
4c	Harvey's (10th Portuguese) Brigade 23° Line, 2 bts	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Steady line
4d	Harvey's (10th Portuguese) Brigade Loyal Lusitanian Legion, 1 Light btg	1 x 9 Small	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	4	2	4+	2	Steady line Skirmish,Sharps.
4e	2°/27° R, 1°/40° R & 97° R 3 Light cmp.s	1 x 5 Tiny	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	1	1	4+	1	Skirmish Sharpshooters
4f	Cleeves' 2nd Co/KGL FA	1 cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	Reliable
4g	Sympher's 4th Co/KGL FA	1 cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	Reliable
BL	Blake’s Spanish Army	Blake					Comando		8
BLa	Artillery Battery 8 pdr	1 cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	A la Muerte
2	3rd Division                                 3/2	Ballesteros					Comando		8
2a	1st Catalonian Light Infantry Bn.,  Barbastro Light Infantry Bn.	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable Skirmish,Sharps.
2b	Pravia Regt. 1 btg, Lena Regt. 1 btg., Castropol Regt. 1 btg.	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	3	5+	4	Unreliable
2c	Cangas de Tineo Regt. 1 btg, Infiesto Regt. 1 btg.	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
4	4th Division                                  5/3	Zayas					Comando		8
4a	2° & 4° Bns/Spanish Guards, 2 bts	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Elite 5+
4b	4th Bn Walloon Guards 1 btg., Patria Inf. Regt. 1 btg.	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
4c	Irlanda Infantry Regt. 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	-
4d	Toledo Infantry Regt, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
4e	Legion Extranjera Inf. Regt. 1 btg., Ciudad Real. Inf. Regt. 1 btg.	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
CA	Castanos’ Spanish Army	Castanos					Comando		8
CAa	Artillery Battery 8 pdr	1 cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	A la Muerte
CAb	Cavalry Division, Penne Villemur (sqd.s from 6 Rgt.s)	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Cavalry	Sabre	7	-	4+	3	HC/D1, Maraud. Unreliable
E	Infantry Brigade, de Espana      3/2	de Espana					Comando		8
Ea	Rey Infantry Regt. 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
Eb	Zamora Infantry Regt. 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	2	5+	3	Unreliable
Ec	Voluntarios de Navarra Light Inf. Bn	1 x 9 Small	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	4	1	5+	2	Unreliable Skirmish,Sharps.

French Army list

Rif.	Unit	Num miniatures	Type	Armament	HtH	Shoot	Morale	Stamina	Special rules
V	5th Corps / Army                   4/3	Soult					Comando		9
Va	Converged Grenadiers, 11 cmp.s from 1st Corps 45°, 63°, 95° Line	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	7	3	4+	3	Elite 5+ Pas de Charge
Vb	Army Heavy Artillery	1cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore heavy artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	-
5	5th Corps / 1st Division          4/3	Girard					Comando		8
5a	34th Line, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Pas de Charge
5b	40th Line, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Pas de Charge
5c	64th Line, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge
5d	88th Line, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Pas de Charge
5e	Division Artillery	1cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	-
2	5th Corps / 2nd Division         4/3	Gazan					Comando		8
2a	21st Leger, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Pas de Charge Skirmish
2b	28th Leger, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge Skirmish
2c	100th Line, 2 btg.s	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	6	3	4+	3	Pas de Charge
2d	103rd Line, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge
2e	Division Artillery	1cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	-
5C	5th Corps / Cavalry Division  2/2	Latour-Maubourgc					Comando		8
5Ca	2nd Hus	1 x 8 Small	Regular Cavalry	Sabre	4	-	4+	2	Marauder
5Cb	1st Polish Vistula Lancers	1 x 12 Standard	Regular Cavalry	Lance	8	-	4+	3	Reliable, Lancer Marauder
W	4th Corps / Brigade Werle     3/2	Werle					Comando		8
Wa	12th Leger, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge Skirmish
Wb	55th Line, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge
Wc	58th Line, 3 btg.s	1 x 18 Large	Regular Infantry	Smoothbore musket	8	4	4+	4	Pas de Charge
Wd	Division Artillery	1cannone	Artillery	Smoothbore artillery	1	3-2-1	4+	2	-