Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Turns 10 - Conclusion

 TURN 10

The French 6th Corps begin their evacuation across the single bridge to their rear with several battalions held back as a rearguard.

That rearguard is looking increasingly fragile. On the right the Granaderos Militia have successfully beaten off  the 2/8th Light Battalion forcing them to retreat. On the left the 2nd Badajoz Volunteers have charged the 1/8th Light Battalion and held to a draw. Beyond them the gap was created by the destruction of Penne's 1/75th Line by artillery and musketry. 

Continued -

The Spanish 4th Division and cavalry suffer command failures but Zayas hits the jackpot with 3 moves for his Vanguard Division, the first 2 battalions of which approach the French from the left. On the right Pack's Brigade makes rapid progress threatening the French rearguard.

The 28th and 32nd Line of Kempt's Brigade opens a devastating volley of musketry on the disordered 1st Lancers leading to their destruction. The photo shows the aftermath with the 2nd Lancers attempting to get clear of British firepower.

The view across the French centre. The French have formed a new shrinking defensive line and exchange fire with British and KGL battalions lining the ridge. All 3 of the French battalions are now shaken with 2 also disordered.

Mazarny and Capitaine's brigades begin pulling back in the face of the Portuguese (left of photo).

Toussaint's Brigade holds the French right flank against the Portuguese brigades of Collins and Powers exchanging fire with those troops.

Vivian successfully moves up his Hussars brigade to protect the infantry from French Dragoons. 

TURN 11

The Spanish militia successfully defeats the 1/8th Light Battalion forcing them to retreat in disorder paving the way clear for an assault on the French rearguard. The Vanguard Division moves in from the left and top left of the photo is Pack's Brigade.

The French columns begin crossing the bridge while just visible on the left is the surviving Polish battalion having deployed in line to cover their flank.

British and KGL battalions pour fire into the thinning line of French infantry and cavalry holding the flank of their centre and right wings. In the middle of the photo a Hanoverian battalion in French service are stranded in disorder and the focus for much of that fire. Unsurprisingly they were shredded by musket volleys causing their morale to collapse with the survivors fleeing the field. 

Arentschild leads the 3rd KGL Hussars in a charge on two battalions of French infantry hoping to punch a hole through their centre. The battalion on the right successfully forms square but the 1/59th Line on the left fails to do so becoming disordered. It narrowly escapes destruction retreating in disorder with heavy loss. 

The Hussars decide to pull back rather than risk isolation in a follow-up charge. At the top of the photo the Portuguese have launched their attack with the 1/18th Line charging the French 1/111th Line. The combat was a draw and will continue next turn.

The firefight continues to rage around the farm but with the Portuguese pressing off to their left, Toussaint's Brigade is at risk of being cut off.

Vivian's 18th Hussars charges the 17th Dragoons who counter-charge. The Hussars are narrowly defeated and retreat. The Dragoons take the opportunity of conducting a sweeping charge into the 1st KGL Hussars who had been supporting the 18th. Despite being caught at the halt, the KGL Hussars successfully repel the Dragoons.

The aftermath of the cavalry melees with the British line holding steady protecting the infantry to the rear.

TURN 12

A shocking turn for the Spanish command with only 2 battalions of the Vanguard Division responding to orders. The Campo Mayor Light Battalion withstood a blast of canister and successfully charged an artillery battery despite becoming shaken and disordered. The battery was destroyed in the ensuing combat.

The Spanish may have had poor command dice rolls but not so for Pack's Brigade. The retreating French were startled to see his brigade pour towards them from the mansion grounds cutting off the rearguard.

All the more worrying given the congestion at the bridge.

The general order has been given to retreat from the battlefield as quickly as they are able. More infantry have pulled out in their centre leaving the cavalry to screen them.

Capitaine's Brigade has become broken and begins its retreat (bottom of photo) leaving just the 2 brigades of the 14th Division to hold the line.

On the left the 1/111th Line of Mazarny's Brigade desperately hangs on as the Portuguese 21st Line piles into its flank. It is determined not to go down without a fight and refuses to be defeated holding out for another round of combat.

On the right the Portuguese 1/23rd Line of Collins' Brigade has charged the Prussians of Toussaint's Brigade but is thrown back with heavy loss.

2 cavalry regiments of Vivian's Brigade seek to sweep the French Dragoons from the field and mount a charge. On the left the 1st KGL Hussars destroy the 17th Dragoons. On the right the 10th Hussars are held to a draw by the 12th Dragoons. Both sides pull back to recover. For the 12th Dragoons this takes them off the table.

The aftermath of the combats with only Vincent's Dragoon Brigade (bottom right) remaining of the 2nd Cavalry Corps. 

TURN 13

The French 1/111th Line infantry finally succumb to overwhelming numbers and are destroyed but they did buy time for the French to fully disengage. A series of successful command dice rolls sees the remaining French forces on this flank put some distance between them and the Anglo-Portuguese.

Many of the allied troops, particularly the cavalry, are in a shaken state with others out of formation within their brigades. It is decided to halt any pursuit which would be piecemeal and at risk of sustaining heavy casualties allowing the French to withdraw.

On the opposite flank the Spanish are more successful with their command rolls ordering the Canarias Militia to charge the 1/65th Line. Closing fire from the French inflicts casualties generating a morale test which the militia fail and fall back. Unfortunately for the French the British 3/1st Line pile into their rear. Their destruction is sealed with any survivors being captured along with the Brigade commander Penne and their Divisional commander Teste. A Hesse Darmstadt artillery battery also surrenders.

Lafitte has formed a defensive line with his two remaining battalions along with the Poles to his right. The 42nd Highlanders stop to pour what they hope will be a shattering volley into the French but shamefully miss their target completely! To the right Kempt's Brigade has advanced through the mansion's gardens and prepares to assault the rearguard.

TURN 14

The end came swiftly. The 2 French brigades tasked with holding off the allies enabling retreating units to cross the bridge unmolested rolled highly successful command rolls allowing them 3 moves each. This was sufficient to move them off the table via the bridge signalling the end of the battle.

A resounding victory for the allies and potentially serious consequences for the French in the south having suffered heavy casualties.

The options for the French were not that great. In an effort to maximise their advantage of cavalry, the French pushed forward the 2nd Cavalry Corps early in the game into the open ground on their right flank. It started well with the destruction of Vandeleur's Brigade and for a time it looked precarious for the Anglo-Portuguese forces in this sector of the battlefield. A combination of a rapid intervention by the two remaining British and KGL cavalry brigades, the quick deployment of Collins' Portuguese threatening the French flank and a lack of French infantry to support their cavalry cancelled out this temporary advantage.

On the opposite flank the French were defending well with the Spanish in particular arriving piecemeal which cost them dearly. The Polish Brigade enjoyed considerable early success with their large columns carving their way through the allies and blunting Picton's advance. 

Something needed to be done to relieve the increasing pressure on the French right and centre and Lobau saw an opportunity with several Spanish divisions retreating from the field. Pressure applied now could see the rout of the entire Spanish army allowing the French 6th Corps to roll up the allied flank. Switching from defence to offence the French columns rolled forward.

The Spanish were not going to give in that easily and their salvation arrived in the form of their militia division who stopped the French advance dead in its tracks. Thereafter the French became fragmented and struggled to mount a coherent attack on other Spanish units including Picton's Division who had recovered from their earlier setbacks. 

A complete breakdown of 6th Corps' offensive signalled inevitable defeat for the French. 

There is one battle left, the largest of the 3 this campaign day, to be played before I return to the map moves.