At our club meeting in October 2012, the British under General Beresford (aka Steve Green), ably supported by the Spanish General Blake (aka John Shaw), took on the might of France under Marshal Soult (moi) in a refight of the Battle of Albuera using the FOG N rules.
Albuera Refight
Well the battle played out very similarly to its historical counterpart, except that the Spanish put up a more traditional display. Instead of rolling multiple sixes as they must have done at the actual battle, they crumpled under the French onslaught and fled following a few volleys and a bayonet charge by the French 1st and 2nd Divisions. The upcoming British division was swept away in the rout and the Allied army was broken one move after lunch.
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Massed French columns on the left and in the foreground prepare to hit the Allied lines on their apex. The Spanish Division to their front start praying for lots of sixes. British columns are visible in the distance, trying to get up in support of the Spanish. |
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The Spanish fail to throw those sixes and the French force them back. The tasteful red marker shows the passage of the Spanish rout. Alongside them, the British reserves start to arrive, but too little and too late. |
One ray of light on an otherwise cloudy day for the Allies was the performance of their cavalry. Led by the impetuous British Dragoons, they swept away their French counterparts who attempted an ill-advised uphill counter-charge. This would have proved crucial in covering the army’s retreat should this have been a campaign battle.
The FOG N rules again proved more than capable of handling larger than corps size battles and the game was over within 4 hours. The Orders of Battle were adapted from the Napoleon’s Battles scenario, using the FOG N army lists for troop classifications.
Orders of Battle
FRENCH
|
|
Troop Type
|
Name
|
Size
|
Elan
|
Training
|
Attachment
|
1st Corps
|
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
|
CC2 (Skilled)
|
Soult
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
1st Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Girard
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Infantry
|
French Light Infantry
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
French Line Infantry
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Medium Foot Artillery
|
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
2nd Division
| | | | | |
|
DC2 (Skilled)
|
Gazan
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Infantry
|
French Light Infantry
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
French Line Infantry
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Medium Foot Artillery
|
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
3rd Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Godinot
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
French Line Infantry
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
French Line Infantry
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
French Grenadiers
|
Small
|
Superior
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Medium Foot Artillery
|
French 8 pndr Foot Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
Polish Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Werle
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
Duchy of Warsaw Infantry
|
Large
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
Medium Artillery
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
Duchy of Warsaw Infantry
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
Dragoon Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Latour-Mabourg
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Heavy Cavalry
|
French Dragoons
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Heavy Cavalry
|
French Dragoons
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Cavalry (Lancers)
|
Polish Hussars
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Horse Artillery
|
French Horse Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
Light Cavalry Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Briche
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Cavalry
|
French Chasseurs
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Horse Artillery
|
French Horse Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
ALLIES
|
|
Troop Type
|
Name
|
Size
|
Elan
|
Training
|
Attachment
|
|
|
|
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
|
CC2 (Skilled)
|
Beresford
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
2nd Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Stewart
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
British Line
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
British Line
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
British Line
|
Large
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
Skirmish
|
4th Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Cole
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
British Line
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
Portuguese Line
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Medium Foot Artillery
|
British 9pndrs
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
Portuguese Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Hamilton
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Infantry
|
Portuguese Cacadores
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Infantry
|
Portuguese Cacadores
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (reformed)
|
Portuguese Line
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
Skirmish
|
| |
Light Cavalry
|
Portuguese Dragoons
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Medium Foot Artillery
|
Portuguese 6pndrs
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
Cavalry Division
| | | | | |
|
DC2 (Skilled)
|
Lumley
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Impetuous Shock Heavy Cavalry
|
British Heavy Dragoons
|
Small
|
Average
|
Veteran
|
No attachment
|
| |
Horse Artillery
|
British Horse Artillery
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| | | | | | |
Medium Artillery
|
|
CC1 (Competent)
|
Blake
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
Vanguard Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Lardizabel
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Infantry
|
Spanish Cazadores
|
Large
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (non-reformed)
|
Spanish Line Inf
|
Large
|
Poor
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
4th Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Lardizabel
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (non-reformed)
|
Spanish Line Inf
|
Large
|
Poor
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (non-reformed)
|
Spanish Line Inf
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Line Infantry (non-reformed)
|
Spanish Militia
|
Small
|
Poor
|
Conscript
|
No attachment
|
Spanish Cavalry Division
| | | | | |
|
DC1 (Competent)
|
Loy
|
Small
|
Average
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Light Cavalry
|
Spanish Hussars
|
Small
|
Poor
|
Drilled
|
No attachment
|
| |
Heavy Cavalry
|
Spanish Militia Cavalry
|
Small
|
Average
|
Conscript
|
No attachment
|
Historical Albuera
To forestall an attempt by Soult to relieve the British siege of the fortress of Badajoz, Beresford offered battle on the hills near the village of Albuera (on a site apparently chosen by Wellington).
Soult feinted with his right while launching a sweeping attack round the Allied flank with his left. The Allied army, which included a Spanish Corps under Blake was in serious trouble from the start, with the Spanish bearing the brunt of the fighting at first. Contrary to their typical performance in the Pensinsular, the Spanish put up a stubborn resistance and held the French at bay long enough for the British and Portuguese reserves to arrive and restore the situation. However, the British suffered fearful losses doing so, including the destruction of an entire brigade to a charge by Polish lancers.
Neverthless, the French were finally pushed back and the battle ended with both sides bloodied and exhausted, the French being unlucky not to have won.