Nap Campaign: The Siege of Opatow Castle (France) 24th April 1808

 

Gerard with what is left of the 4th Corps infantry are occupying Opatow Castle in the middle of the map. To the right is the village of Opatow. The whole area is described as rocky terrain and to keep it simple, I have reduced move distances by half but otherwise all units move as normal. i.e. artillery can move and deploy and all units are able to maintain formation.

Initial deployment looking north west. It has taken the allied army a half day (12 moves) to fully encircle the castle and therefore there are only 12 moves left for the day. If not concluded the siege will continue the following day.

Continued -

Table Size = 4'6" x 3'9"

Rules = Black Powder

Total Turns = 12

ORDERS OF BATTLE

I am not planning on any complicated siege rules but merely relying on the defence of fortification rules in Black Powder with some adjustments. Wellington possesses no siege artillery and his field guns will be insufficient to breach even medieval walls. Scaling ladders will have to be used!

Any British unit inside the castle and solely in contact with the gates are able to open them. 

The 'Storming of the Castle' rules adjustments are a little trial and error and I provide a brief summary here:

Any units lining castle walls, towers etc. fire at full effect (not limited to 2 per side as in BP). Defenders get +2 to morale (saving) rolls and +2 to combat results. Defenders are only allowed 2 dice in combat but ignore the '6' break test result. Attackers roll all its combat dice but do not get a charge bonus and all break test results apply.

It takes 1 full move to scale a wall and similarly, inside the castle a full move is required to line walls or occupy towers. Inside the castle all combats fight as normal. Disordered units may move and launch assaults but must remain disordered and lose charge bonus.

Any buildings occupied within the castle use the normal BP rules but with all break tests applying.

Turns 1 - 3

Turn 1 began with a bombardment by the British. A very poor start with the only casualty caused by one of Whinyates rockets hitting a British battalion immediately to his front!

Time is short and Wellington had no hesitation in ordering the attack. Rifle equipped skirmishers ranged out ahead of the line infantry inflicting several casualties on the garrison. 

The Portuguese of Collins' Brigade were the first to scale the ladders but were thrown back with heavy loss from determined French volleys.

The 79th Highlanders were the first to reach the parapet on the north side of the castle. Fighting across the battlements they were held by the French with the combat ongoing.

Turn 2. The British make slow progress over the rocky ground.

The Portuguese are the first to mount an assault but are thrown back by closing fire.

Turn 3. The 79th Highlanders scale the north wall and engage in combat on the battlements.

An overview of the British assaults.

The KGL place ladders ready to scale the east wall.

A 2nd battalion of Collins' Brigade prepares to attack the south wall.

The Cacadores of the Portuguese 1st Division succeed in inflicting casualties on the west wall.

Turns 4 - 6

The Anglo/Portuguese struggle to make much headway in their assaults with Collins' Brigade losing 2 battalions destroyed and two others shaken by their attempts. On the east (gate) wall the KGL have been repeatedly thrown back.

One British regiment though refuses to budge from its assault on the north wall. The 79th Cameron Highlanders defy the odds and cling on before spectacularly destroying the defending French battalion. They stream onto the parapet but are immediately attacked by the 30th Line lead by Capitaine that had been held in reserve. The Highlanders destroyed the 30th and killed Capitaine. 

On the east gate wall, Adam's Brigade is finally thrown into the fray. The elite 52nd Light Infantry scale the wall and begin their fight with the defending French battalion. The Cameron Highlanders now see an opportunity. They run along the parapet and charge into the flank of the battalion engaged with the 52nd. The French perform well and although they lose the combat they successfully make a stand to continue the melee with both British battalions.

In the meantime Kempt moves more of his brigade onto the battlements to expand the bridgehead.

The situation at the east wall in turn 4.

The Portuguese struggle to make headway continues with Collins on the right in particular trouble.

Turn 5. The KGL make another attempt on the left. On the right the 52nd prepare to scale the walls.

Triumphant Cameron Highlanders capture the north wall.

The Cameron Highlanders' fight is not yet over with the emergence of Capitaine and his 30th Line who attempt to regain the wall. In a short but brutal melee both French battalion and General are killed.

Turn 6. The Portuguese of Collins' Brigade seek to redeem themselves with another assault but the battalion is destroyed in the attempt.

The 52nd has joined the fray (right of photo).

The freshly arrived 1/28th Line launch themselves into the 6th Light Infantry who are attempting to fight off the 52nd as they clamber over the wall.

Turns 7 - 9

Kempt consolidated is hold on the north wall with his entire brigade crossing the battlements. The Cameron Highlanders swept over the west wall facing the Portuguese 1st Division ejecting the defending 3rd Irish Regiment who retreated into the courtyard. The Highlanders though were by now in a fairly poor state, both shaken and disordered, when a French battalion charged into them from the south wall. The Highlanders lost the fight and were destroyed.

The French 1/6th Light, who had been holding out against the 52nd Light Infantry scaling the wall and a flank attack by the 1/28th Line, had an incredible spell of back luck. Having succeeded in holding off the 28th, the 52nd scored 5 hits on them. Anything more than a '1' were saves. They rolled 4 x 1! This lead to the demise of the 6th Light with the British now occupying half of the east wall and in danger of capturing the gate house. 

Deprez leading a charge of the 69th Line, who had been holding the gatehouse, struck the 52nd. His attack was short-lived. The 69th was destroyed and Deprez was killed. 

The tables were turned by the last surviving French battalion holding the east wall who had successfully defeated all attacks by the KGL. The French battalion struck the now worn out 52nd and destroyed them. The French though were too thinly stretched to hold the entire wall and found themselves confronted by the 71st Light Infantry who poured onto the battlements.

A British battalion succeeded in gaining the courtyard but was promptly ejected by a charge of the Hanoverian battalion held in reserve.  

Turn 7 - the march of the Cameron Highlanders!

The 3rd Irish regrouping in the courtyard having been thrown off the battlements by the Highlanders.

The 52nd captures part of the east wall and moves on the gatehouse.

Turn 8. The 52nd is on the verge of capturing the gatehouse when it is charged by the last of the French battalions holding the east wall.

The Cameron Highlanders charged by a neighbouring French battalion leading to their demise.

The Hanoverian Regiment has a successful charge against the first of the British battalions to gain the courtyard.

Turn 9. The rest of Kempt's brigade mounts the north wall.

The 71st Light Infantry replace the 52nd on the east wall.

The Portuguese 1st Division wait for the opportunity to move into the castle.

Turns 10 - 11

The French continued to have a tenuous hold on the east wall with a single battalion attempting to hold off the KGL and simultaneously an attack by the 71st Light along the battlements. It was only a matter of time before the French battalion fell and that occurred in turn 10. 

On the west wall the Black Watch replaced the Cameron Highlanders and took revenge by destroying the French battalion defending it. 

Attacks within the courtyard were quickly defeated but in turn 11 all hope for the French was lost. Having captured the gatehouse the gates were thrown open to the waiting battalions outside. British battalions poured into the courtyard from both battlements and the open gate. At the same time Rifle companies lined the battlements pouring fire into the 3rd Irish.

The end came quickly. The reserve Hanoverian battalion was assailed from all sides in the courtyard and was destroyed. The morale of the 3rd Irish collapsed and with nowhere to retreat to surrendered. The last French battalion, the 1/9th Light with Mazarny leading was about to meet the Black Watch surging across the battlements when realisation struck that there was no longer any point and surrendered to the Scots.

Turn 10. Widespread assaults across the battlements are in progress.

A Portuguese attempts and fails to dislodge the French battalion that had defeated the Cameron Highlanders on the west wall.

The Black Watch made up for the Portuguese failure capturing the west wall.

Mazarny and the 1/9th Light, having destroyed another of Collins' Portuguese battalions moves to intercept the Black Watch.

In the courtyard the 3rd Irish defeat a British battalion who had emerged from behind the Keep.

Turn 11. The east wall has fallen to the British and the gates thrown open.

The Hanoverians in the courtyard are swamped by British battalions and can hold out no longer. Their loss and that of the 3rd Irish just left the 1/9th Light (bottom left) still standing. It was at this point the 1/9th surrendered signalling the end to the battle.

Overall losses for the Anglo/Portuguese amounted to 72 or 12 bases evenly split between the Portuguese and British. It could have been worse but for the relatively early breakthrough on the north wall. I did believe at one stage that it was unlikely the castle would be captured before nightfall meaning another day of assaults on the castle walls resulting in more allied casualties.

For the French this signalled the demise of its 4th Corps. Napoleon is going to need a decisive win and quickly!

A footnote: You will have noticed Generals on horseback on the battlements. 6mm horses know no bounds!