Nap Campaign: Battle of Loverna. 18th April 1808. Introduction

 

Refer back to the map moves post for the lead up to this action. An Anglo/Portuguese/Spanish army under the command of Wellington pursues Soult with the French Army of the South deeper into France. Soult received an unexpected reinforcement with the arrival of a Confederation of the Rhine Division. Other reinforcements have trickled into his units and has elected to make a stand rather than cede any more territory near the village of Loverna.

You will notice a change to the numbers of figures from the map moves post. This is partly a change to adjust to Black Powder rules and also reinforcements have arrived. 

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Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 11 - Conclusion

What began with full of hope for the allies in destroying Grouchy's army has turned sour over the last couple of turns. They had a clear advantage in rolling over the French centre and right flank but both assaults have floundered. At the same time the allied right flank has all but collapsed.

The allies have now suffered 9 broken brigades out of an original 18. The French have lost 5 broken out of 19. Black Powder provide a victory option of breaking half or more brigades but I chose to keep this open and decide upon the outcome depending on what happens on the tabletop. That said the difference is so stark that it may be a factor on what happens next.

I decided to play a few more turns which of course could impact the campaign.

 TURN 11

The French begin an encirclement of the last of the Brunswick infantry with a Guard Chasseurs unit sweeping around the rear towards the startled Brunswick Hussars regiment. 

All that remains of the Brunswick are 2 infantry battalions and an artillery battery commanded by Specht. The Prince of Orange and Duke of Brunswick made a hasty retreat!

While the Chasseurs and 2 battalions of the Young Guard reform to deliver the coup-de-grace, the 2/1st Tirailleurs fancy their chances of breaking the square. They charge taking fire from the nearby battalion in line and from the square. The Young Guard battalion suffers heavy casualties generating a break test which they spectacularly fail leaving them broken and failing to make contact.

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Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 7 - 10

 TURN 7

The Scots Greys have been pushed back again but a moment for the British to celebrate. The Life Guards (middle of photo) successfully defeat a Cuirassiers regiment buying time. There is a risk of it being isolated if it conducts a sweeping charge, tempting though that is against a light cavalry unit. Therefore the Life Guards hold their ground being the only British cavalry unit not subject to the 'Gallop at Anything' rule reflecting their greater discipline.

The Young Guard charges the Brunswickers with one being caught in square formation. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, both Brunswick units hold on - just!

A Dutch horse artillery battery, despite being shaken, delivered a shattering round of canister into the Guard Lancers. It proved too much for the Guard cavalry unit. Already shaken, the huge losses inflicted caused them to break leaving the field.

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Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. Turns 1 - 6

 

The battle began with an artillery bombardment from both sides inflicting minor casualties so far. The only significant movement being the Dutch and British heavy cavalry brigades ordered to reposition towards the right flank in order to counter the large French cavalry threat. Ghigny's light cavalry Brigade had also been ordered to reposition but started the game with a Command Blunder causing it to retire a full move!

The allied cavalry made good progress repositioning.

In response to the allied cavalry movement the French 4th Cavalry Corps remained strangely static.

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Nap Campaign: Battle of Tremleurr. 18th April 1808. - Introduction

 

A reminder of the situation leading up to this battle. This is the night of the 17th April and will only broadly reflect where the troops will be positioned the following morning within their respective part of the battlefield.

The numbers shown have changed slightly due to the change to Black Powder rules. Red 4 is Blantyre's Brigade along with the 2nd KGL Light Dragoons who will march to the sound of the guns during the morning of the 18th.

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Nap Campaign: Map Moves 14th - 17th April 1808

I could not believe it when I checked, but it is 2 years since I played a game from this campaign. It is long overdue for some attention and I have now completed map moves leading up to 3 more battles. As in previous posts, the maps have been split into sections. The first being the whole campaign map followed by each of the 3 current theatres of operations.

14th April

15th April

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AWI: Lexington and Concord 19th April 1775 (6mm). Turns 17 - Conclusion

TURN 17

The lone Concord company gamely fights on exchanging volleys from the Grenadiers. They are again shaken and disordered but hold their ground.

More light infantry emerge from Concord having completed collecting their haul of American stores. Pierce has a command failure leaving the Sudbury and Framingham company stranded on the road. His Acton and Beford Minutemen continue to fire volleys towards the British with limited success.

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AWI: Lexington and Concord 19th April 1775 (6mm). Turns 9 - 16

 TURN 9

Barrett has second thoughts and realises that he could be quickly destroyed by the Grenadiers. He decides to pull back to the Punkatasset Hill and defend the North bridge. Better to wait for reinforcements before fully engaging the British force.

The Grenadiers continue to advance albeit slowly! The lead light infantry unit approaches Concord.

Pierce orders his minutemen to occupy the woods at Merriam's corner and engage any British they find.

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AWI: Lexington and Concord 19th April 1775 (6mm). Turns 1 - 8

 

Gunfire can be heard in the distance and a concerned Colonel Gardner quickly forms up his men outside Concord ready to move to Lexington.

Meanwhile in Lexington redcoats are seen marching towards their settlement. The militia move off the green and begin to spread out.

A daunting sight greets them as the long snaking column moves into view lead by skirmishers.

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AWI: Lexington and Concord 19th April 1775 (6mm). Introduction

This is the second outing of this action. The first, hard to believe now, was 10 years ago in 10mm using British Grenadier rules. A report was published on the blog in May 2018 and can be found under the AWI Battles label on the right.

I will be breaking the AAR down into digestible segments starting with this introduction to the game before the battle proper starts.

The reasons for revisiting this action are twofold. 1. It is one of those battles that fired my imagination when discovering it in the school library. I recreated it on the tabletop using Airfix Highlanders representing the redcoats and Airfix WW1 Americans the militia! All manner of bits and bobs were strewn across the board for terrain. 2. I am curious as to how it will play out using Black Powder rules and 6mm figures. 

I will be doubling up on the number of figures used with minor adjustments to suit the rules.

The following summary is copied from my first post - it saves more typing!

During the early part of 1775 tensions rose sharply between the American colonists and British troops. While orators debated the legitimacy of 'taxation without representation' or the 'rights of man', the climate between soldiers and inhabitants grew steadily more tense. The British CinC, General Thomas Gage, suspecting matters were coming to a head, began sending brigades of troops on marches through the countryside surrounding his main base, Boston. In these rural settlements people were overwhelmingly hostile to the British Government. They had been conducting a training programme of their own, regularly assembling their village militias for drill. Thousands of highly motivated volunteers stood ready to answer the rebel leaders call.

Matters came to a head late at night on 18th April, when General Gage finally decided to take a military initiative against the militias. He tasked Colonel Francis Smith to march to the village of Concord, some 17 miles from Boston, to destroy cannon and other warlike stores that he believed were being assembled there.

Smith's troops were assembled at night, arriving in the village of Lexington, a couple of miles short of Concord, on the morning of the 19th April to find their way barred by American militia. Shots were fired and the war began.

The game starts with Smith's approach towards Lexington.

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