Nap Campaign: Battle of Steffanie (South France) 23rd April 1808

 

If you are new to the blog I would urge you to take a look at the previous post dealing with map moves which will provide context to this battle.

Top of the map is north. The French will deploy within the southern half and the Spanish will approach directly from the north deploying either side of the road.

There is a significant beach along the shoreline which is classed as rough terrain and therefore half movement speed and inaccessible to artillery. The 3 woods on the left are all dense and for the purpose of this game will be impassable. The dotted line is a track but units will still get command bonuses for troops travelling along it.

The buildings indicated are 2 farms.

Looking north west from behind French line.

Continued -

Table size = 4'6" x 3'9"
Rules = Black Powder
Total Turns = 24 (1 day)

ORBATS

A note on the Spanish 1st Division. They have been in action since early in the campaign and would now have become experienced. I therefore upgraded them by removing the 'wavering' and 'unreliable' traits and increased del Parque's command rating from 7 to 8.

Turns 1 - 3

The game began with an artillery exchange until the Spanish moved into musket range. The Spanish had the best of the early exchanges, at one point disordering virtually the whole of the French front line. By turn 3 the French recovered well returning some punishing fire. Both sides lost an infantry battalion each to shooting, a loss the French could ill-afford.

Movement was initially slow, primarily down to widespread Spanish command roll failures. Spanish infantry sat astride the road leading between the dense woods eventually cleared it allowing their 1st Division and 2nd Cavalry Division to begin a flanking manoeuvre. The intention being to pass through the woods using the road allowing them to fall on the French left. Remaining in march column on the road greatly assisted Spanish command rolls. This paid off particularly well on turn 3 when both divisions received 3 activations.

An overview on turn 2 when the Spanish succeeded moving into musket range.

Spanish 1st Division and 2nd Cavalry Division begin their flanking move.

Early successful Spanish musketry.

Turn 3 and a gap opens on the French left with the demise of the 1/5th Line along with Bellaire KIA.

3 activations sees excellent progress with the flanking move.

The Duke of Alburquerque confidently leads his 2nd Cavalry Division through the dense woods.

The move has not gone beyond the notice of the French who respond with their only reserve formation, the survivors of the 5th Cavalry Division. The lancers move to head off any flank attack.

Turns 4 - 6

The Spanish flank move continued very good progress up until the point where they were about to emerge on the French flank when their cavalry ground to a halt. Fortunately for them the French cavalry counter has proved to be rather sluggish in getting into a good position to charge. The French lancers continued to close leading to a complete paralysis by the Spanish cavalry. Del Parque stepped into the breach rapidly deploying his infantry into squares.

In the centre the exchange of fire continued until the Spanish 4th Division lost another battalion leading to a collapse in morale. To their rear, Bassecourt had a flash of inspiration. As the 4th Division streamed past him to the rear he delivered a rousing speech to his men. Already in attack column formation, the order was given to charge. Given how difficult it is to get the Spanish to do anything, to achieve 3 activations at such a crucial time was remarkable. The entire 5th Division launched itself across the battlefield piling into the French line. 

Unfortunately for the Spanish, that exuberance proved to be short-lived and failed to make a breakthrough.

Portago was having none of this and replicated the charge of the 5th with his own 3rd Division. Unlike the 5th this proved devastating to the French centre. Lafitte's Brigade were thrown back but worse was to follow for the French. Although Bellair's Brigade successfully held the charge of the 5th, it came at a price. They had suffered heavy casualties and their commander was killed. The Spanish 3rd Division successfully destroyed a battalion from Bellair's Brigade triggering the entire brigade to break. 

The reverse happened on the French right. The destruction of a Spanish battery fired up the Confederation of the Rhine Division who saw an opportunity to turn the Spanish flank. The charge along the beach was particularly successful which saw Grandjean's Germans destroy the Vanguard Division. After hard-fought melees, the Poles broke the Spanish 2nd Division in quick succession exposing the Spanish flank. 

The Spanish 1st Division advanced rapidly towards the French left flank but alarmingly for them the Cavalry rolled to a halt!

An overview of the centre as Bassecourt launches his charge.

At the end of turn 5, 2 of Bassecourt's 3 battalions that had made contact have been repelled.

The beach attack with the Polish brigade engaging to their left.

At the end of turn 5 only 1 battalion remained of the Vanguard Division (bottom right) which will see it retire from the field. The Poles make heavy weather of breaking the Spanish columns (top of photo) with melees continuing).

Turn 6 - the Germans and Poles succeeded in turning the Spanish left flank.

On the left the charge of the Spanish 3rd Division with the remnants of the 5th Division still engaged on the right.

At the end of turn 6 the situation turned dramatically against the French in the centre just when it looked as though the Spanish may be beaten. The Spanish 1st Cavalry Division, having been held in reserve, move to intercept the Confederation of the Rhine Division (top right).

Spanish cavalry frozen on the spot with the arrival of the French lancers. Del Parque's 1st Division quickly responds. Having formed squares they begin firing into the lancers inflicting casualties on the Vistula Legion.

Turns 7 - 9

On the French left flank a lancer regiment charged the Spanish heavy cavalry still in march column on the track. Inevitably the Spanish regiment was destroyed but nearby Spanish squares began inflicting casualties on the French cavalry. It was clear there was nothing more that could be done to destroy the Spanish flanking move and therefore the lancers began pulling back with the intention of making lightening strikes whenever they could to slow the Spanish advance.

In the centre the Spanish 3rd Division's advance ground to a halt against the 2 battalions of Lafitte's brigade. The heroic French defence inflicted severe casualties on the Spanish including the death of their commander, Portago. 

The Confederation of the Rhine Division pulled back as fast as it was able but the two Polish battalions were caught by the Spanish 1st Cavalry Division that had finally sprung into action. The 2/4th Polish were thrown back across the beach which saved them from a sweeping charge. The 1/4th won their melee buying the division time to retreat to safety.

Thanks to Lafitte's brigade the Spanish breakthrough in the centre has been halted. 

Turn 7 and the Spanish 3rd Division is about to launch its assault (upper middle of photo) and the French Rhine division has been halted by the threat from Spanish cavalry (bottom of photo).

Having annihilated a Spanish cavalry regiment the French lancers pull back in the face of musketry from Spanish squares.

Turn 8 and the Spanish flanking attack continues to advance as the lancer pull back. A Spanish cavalry regiment on the left refuses to charge!

The Spanish 3rd Division piles into Lafitte's Brigade.

Turn 9 - Spanish cavalry charge into Polish columns pushing one back but failing to deal with them decisively.

An overview across the centre as the Spanish 3rd Division pull back with heavy loss having failed to breakthrough Lafitte's Brigade (middle of photo).

The aftermath of the failed Spanish cavalry attack.

The French lancers have now fallen back to protect the French flank as the Spanish 1st Division with their accompanying cavalry continue to advance towards them.

Turns 10 - 11

The Spanish saw their chance of destroying the French force slipping away. The Confederation of the Rhine Division enjoyed good command rolls allowing them to fully disengage and put some distance between them and the threatening Spanish cavalry.

Lafitte's Brigade fell back providing a screen as French units withdrew. The Spanish command rolls in the centre were dire leaving all units merely spectators as the French fell back.

French lancers continued to fall back on the French left flank with the Spanish failing to intervene until the last turn. The Duke of Alburquerque sprang into life and lead a charge by the Linea Infante. French lancers counter-charged and on paper they had the upper hand. The Spanish though had their blood up and defeated them comprehensively, almost destroying them outright. 

The lancers withdrew disordered but the Spanish had also sustained casualties leaving them shaken so no pursuit would be made. Which would have been suicidal given the fact that the rest of the Spanish army was static.

At the end of turn 11 it was clear to Morillo that there was nothing that now could be done to intervene in the French withdrawal and the order was given to stand down. A Spanish victory but not as devastating as he would have liked.

An overview at the end of turn 10 with the gap opening up between both armies.

The belated charge of the Spanish cavalry.

 

The end of the battle as the French withdraw.

The view from behind the Spanish line.

This will be recorded as a Spanish victory but they still have to deal with the survivors of the French 6th Corps. There was a point in the game when it looked as though the French could actually win until the Spanish 3rd Division turned the tables. 

Morillo now has to contemplate his next course of action. Giving up and returning to Spain is not an option but he did not anticipate such a bloody nose and wonders what it is going to take to overcome the poor state of leadership within the Spanish army.