9th March 1814 - Battle of Le Boulou (2)

Peripignan Campaign Area 

2^nd Spanish corps has orders to hold Le Boulou and resupply

20^th French corps has orders to attack Le Boulou

French                                     Spanish        

16000 infantry                        16000 infantry                       

1000 cavalry                           1000 cavalry              

30 guns                                    30 guns

Table at start of wargame

2^nd Spanish corps deployed in front of Le Boulou

20^th French corps will enter centre top at the start of move 1

French cavalry deployed in line to protect the column

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Spanish move first, but wait to see what the French will do

French advance in the centre to keep the Spanish guessing

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

French cavalry move to their right, remainder advance in centre

Spanish react and send their cavalry to counter French

The French are heavier and better than the Spanish cavalry

Left hand infantry brigade forms square in case the lancers lose melee

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

French artillery unlimbers in centre; infantry advance either side of guns

Spanish infantry deploy either side of guns

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

French complete deployment and infantry form column of attack

Spanish have 12 pounder guns that open on French artillery, no casualties

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

French artillery manhandle into long range

Left flank advance, hopefully out of artillery range

Spanish guns fire on infantry, 10% casualties on rear brigade, pass morale

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French artillery now in range, fire on infantry, no casualties

Dragoons advance to tempt Spanish lancers to charge

Spanish artillery fire on infantry, now out of angle of fire

Lancers ignore French dragoons

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

Spanish artillery fire on French gunners, no casualties

French artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

All infantry now advance

Dragoons advance

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

Spanish lancers charge dragoons, who fail to counter charge

Spanish infantry deploy into line to meet French columns

Lancers win melee, dragoons withdraw shaken

French infantry continue to advance on their left

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

Spanish lancers charge shaken dragoons, lose melee and retire shaken

Spanish artillery fire on infantry, no casualties

French infantry on right flank form square

French infantry on left flank advance and form line

Dragoons test morale for shaken, lose and rout

Nearby squares test morale for rout, lose and are shaken

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

Spanish artillery fire on infantry, 10% casualties but pass morale test

Spanish lancers test morale for shaken, pass and become disordered

French infantry on left flank advance and skirmish, no casualties

French infantry on right flank pass morale for shaken become disordered

French dragoons pass morale test for rout become shaken

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

Both sides concentrate on the infantry fire fight

First French brigade wins and Spanish line retreats shaken

Second Spanish brigade skirmish with second French line result a draw

French dragoons fail to rally from shaken

Move 12 – 1900 to 2000

First French brigade routs shaken Spanish brigade

Second Spanish brigade routs French line

French column fail their morale and join rout

French dragoons fail morale and rout

General Foy orders 20^th French corps to retreat

Cavalry Melee

The Spanish artillery outrange the French

The French cavalry are heavier and better quality than the Spanish

The French tried to take advantage by tempting the Spanish to charge

When they did the French failed to counter charge (needed 2 or more, rolled 1)

Lost melee and retreated shaken

They never recovered from this melee and eventually routed

Game Casualties

French suffer 4,000 infantry casualties

They also have two infantry and one cavalry brigade in rout

Spanish suffer 2,400 infantry casualties

They also have one infantry brigade in rout

Game Summary

This was one of those games when one side, the French, could just do no right

Both sides were quite even regarding combat efficiency

The Spanish has longer range artillery

The French had better quality cavalry

The Spanish had average luck with their dice

Their artillery did more damage than the French gunners

The French rolled poor dice on every important test

Their artillery kept missing

They lost two infantry fire fights

They even lost the cavalry melee