Nap Campaign: 2nd Battle of Youngsport - Part 4 of 5, Turns 10 to 12

 The situation at the start of turn 10:

East

Centre

West

Continued -

Turn 10

Doyle ordered his Portuguese brigade to attack the French pouring through the breach in their defences on the allied left flank. It was a desperate move but essential before the French gained the more open ground. The 19th Line and the 1st Cacadores charged 3 French battalions. One French battalion, the 1/69th Line, took fright and routed! The remaining two battalions poured fire into the Portuguese causing the 19th Line to retreat. Only the Cacadores made contact. The photo shows the aftermath of the 19th Line charge having retreated. Rosado wasted no time in firing a blast of canister into the 1/50th Line downing 3 of them which generated a morale check.

Unfortunately for the Portuguese, the highly rated Doyle was mortally wounded by a French musket ball. (His figure remains on the board but is now rated poor with a senior officer taking temporary command). Wellington, on hearing of Doyle's demise, despatches one of his ADC's to take over command of the brigade.

Here the 1st Cacadores pile into the 2/50th Line column. A close fight ended with a narrow Portuguese victory pushing back the French battalion.

The remaining battalion in Doyle's brigade, the 7th Line, advanced in line to close musket range and poured fire into the 3 battalions of the 111th Line. 5 casualties were inflicted across the 3 units causing one of them to falter.

Elsewhere on this flank, the 1/18th Line with Ashworth continued to hold off the massed French columns. The 43rd Light to their right moved up a company to link the two battalions and provide more support.

An overview of the western flank as seen from the French lines. This demonstrates how finely balanced the current struggle is. If the French can get clear of the defences they hope to feed through the Dragoon Corps to decisively tip the scales in their favour.

In the centre, Bolton's battery in the redoubt rains down canister on the hapless French battalions. To have any chance of overcoming the defences they must struggle up the steep slope to take the fight to the British.

Again the French have a chance of turning the tables against Power's Portuguese on the allied right flank. The 1/5th Line (on the redoubt at the top of photo) charged the flank of the KGL battery. They immediately evaded abandoning their guns.

Continuing their charge they next targeted the 9th Line who retreated prior to contact (middle left of photo). The French battalion had no movement allowance left and remained as in the photo. The inexperienced troops of the 21st Line gave a good account of themselves firing a highly effective volley into the French 1/5th Line downing 2 of them. 

With the fraught situation on the left flank. Picton was ordered to take his merry band in that direction to provide support.

Turn 11

The turn began with a dramatic change of fortunes for the Portuguese defending the allied left flank. With orders now issued to drive the French back across their initial defensive line, the 6th Line (attack column on the left) and the 7th Line (in line formation on the right) charged the 3 French 111th Line infantry battalions and a horse artillery battery occupying the large redoubt. The 7th Line halted their charge but the 6th went on a rampage. They charged initially the limbered artillery that hurriedly evaded and then the 1/111th Line who promptly routed.

Continuing their charge (as in photo) they angled themselves towards the 2/111th Line. They too decided not to hang around and also routed.

The 6th Line expended their full move as in the photo facing the 3/111th Line who turned to meet them in the move phase. Unfortunately for the French, the Portuguese 7th Line was still able to fire and duly fired a murderous volley into them down 4 of their number. This took them past the 50% losses dispersal point and in the subsequent morale test they failed. Another French battalion would flee the field. 

In one dramatic turn two Portuguese battalions successfully routed all 3 French battalions occupying the large redoubt and cleared it away of artillery.

The Portuguese were by no means finished. The 1st Cacadores, in revenge for the killing of Doyle, made a dramatic and vicious charge into the 1/44th Line lead by Toussaint. The shock of their charge and violence dished out to them proved too much for the French battalion who routed from the melee with heavy losses.

And there's more! The Portuguese 1/18th Line with Ashworth attached was performing a heroic defence of their earthworks. No less than 3 tightly packed French battalion columns charged them. The Portuguese had insufficient time to reload before two of the columns struck. The third halted prior to contact. Despite being heavily outnumbered the 1/18th succeeded in propelling both columns back down the slope in disorder.

An overview of the western end of the battlefield at the end of the turn. The only French battalion still on the Portuguese side of the redoubts was the 1/50th Line (upper middle of photo). They came under intense fire from Rosado's battery and the 6th Cacadores losing heavy casualties. Failing the morale test, this, the last of the French to have broken through, would retreat in disorder next turn.

The two routing battalions of the 111th Line subsequently rallied and 2 brigade morale tests were passed. Small comfort though for Soult who was observing the makings of a defeat! The dragoons looked menacing enough but unless they could be fed through the narrow gap in numbers they were not much use!

Towards the centre the firefight continued between Fane's brigade and Schoeffer's French brigade with neither side getting the upper hand.

In the centre, battalions from the French 12th Division inch closer to Adam's defensive line firing volleys as they climb. As soon as they are close enough they will initiate their charges and hope for the best!

On the allied right a smaller version of that being experienced in the west was being played out. Having recovered Power's brigade, the 21st Line charged the French 1/5th Line. They narrowly won the melee pushing the French back from the redoubt, only to see more French columns appear!

Elsewhere on this flank, the 52nd Light behind the earthworks (middle of photo) were taking punishing canister fire from the 2 horse artillery batteries. On the plus side, this put the artillery within range of the British muskets. A particularly accurate volley from the elite troops eliminated one of the 3 guns of the right hand battery.

Three photos showing the overview of the battlefield at the end of turn 11:

Turn 12

On the allied right flank, Power's Portuguese brigade sought to recapture the redoubt. The allies had won the initiative this turn which proved critical, not just here but on the opposite flank also. On the right the Portuguese 20th Line charged into the 2/84th Line winning the melee decisively causing the French battalion to rout.

On the left the 2nd Cacadores charged into the 2/11th Line which proved even more devastating. Not only did the Portuguese win the melee but inflicted sufficient casualties to reduce the French battalion to below 50% strength causing them to disperse.

The dispersing and routing battalions triggered numerous morale checks including at brigade level. 2 battalions faltered but Thevenet's brigade (now under the command of an ADC) faltered as a result of which the 2/84th Line also dispersed. With only 3 of the 9 battalions of the 19th Division still in the field there was now no hope of capturing the redoubt in this sector of the battlefield.

Some success for the 2 batteries of horse artillery on the right when another blast of canister at the 52nd Light infantry proved highly effective. The elite battalion lost 6 of their number as a result of which they faltered in the morale check.

Further unexpected success for the French came when 2 battalions, the 2/30th and 3/96th Line charged the 2/95th Rifles defending the earthworks. A volley from the 95th took the 2/30th past their dispersal point and although they were successful in their morale test, it would merely mean that they would withdraw in good order. This left the 3/96th who charged home. After a close-fought melee the French won a narrow victory pushing back the 95th.

The neighbouring 95th Rifles, the 3rd battalion, was also charged by the 1/30th and 3/30th Line battalions. An effective defensive volley caused the 3/30th to falter. The 1/30th however continued to charge home and enter melee. The Rifles made a better fight of it easily defeating the French battalion reducing it to below 50% strength causing it to disperse.

The remaining French battalions attacking the large redoubt steadily climbed up the steep slopes pausing to fire into the British position. The 71st Light Infantry with Bolton's battery though were exacting a heavy toll on the French.

The Portuguese occupying the left flank now stabilised their defensive lines retaking all that had been lost.

The triumphant Portuguese battalions now lined the large redoubt confident they could see off any further attacks.

For the French - disaster! The number of routing and retreating units within a small space had a ripple effect of low morale, bearing in mind many units had already suffered heavy casualties and were rather brittle.

The cascade effect lead to the complete demise of Toussaint's brigade with all its battalions having dispersed. Morale also collapsed in Capitaine's brigade with its broken status also leading to its last battalion in the field dispersing due to having sustained more than 35% casualties.

The French were not out of the woods yet with another battalion routing and one retreating, both of which will have to attempt to rally next turn.

This turn alone saw a total of 10 French battalions flee the field. An army morale test was now required which it passed.

The above photo indicates how threadbare in infantry the French now appear. Only the cavalry still looks a threat but will be of not much use if they cannot gain the open ground beyond the redoubts.

An overview at the end of turn 12.