22nd March 1814 - Battle of San Sebastian

San Sebastian Campaign Area

Five French corps have orders to attack San Sebastian

Wellington is not expecting this attack

His army is badly positioned, and has the wrong orders, to meet it.

It will take a little time for him to bring up reinforcements

French             52,000 infantry           4,000 cavalry              120 guns

British             28,000 infantry           3,000 cavalry              90 guns

British HQ       move E08, E09                                               

1 corps             halt on hold                                      

2 corps             halt on hold                                      

3 corps             move D08 on hold                            

4 corps             move F08, E08 on hold                     

6 guerrilla       move G08, G09          

                       

French HQ       move G07 with 11 corps                   

5 corps             move G08 on engage                        

11 corps          move G07 on engage                        

17 corps          move G09 on engage                        

23 corps          move H08 on engage                        

29 corps          move H09 on engage               

         

Table at start of wargame

French Brigades          13 infantry      4 cavalry         4 artillery

British Brigades          7 infantry        3 cavalry         3 artillery

British HQ       on table at start

1 corps            arrive F09 move 3

2 corps            arrive F07 move 3

3 corps            arrive F08 move 1

4 corps            on table at start

6 guerrilla       on table at start

French HQ       on table at start

5 corps            arrive H08 move 1

11 corps          on table at start

17 corps          on table at start

23 corps          arrive H07 move 1

29 corps          on table at start

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

Wellington orders 4^th corps to halt and hold

He sends 6 guerrilla to occupy the hill bottom left

3^rd corps arrives and moves to gap bet ween 4^th corps and the hill

French corps are all on table and moving towards British

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

British infantry occupy woods and form square

French cavalry deploy to pin British

Remainder continue to advance

Hard to see how the British can hold such a large force of French

 

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

French continue to advance and start to deploy

1^st and 2^nd British corps arrive on table

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

Both armies continue to deploy 

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Artillery on both sides open fire, but no casualties

Soult orders his army to advance and engage the British

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

Same deployment, but table moved to the west to include San Sebastian

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

French artillery fire on woods and cavalry

French infantry skirmish woods

Cacadore brigade in woods suffer 20% casualties and retreat  from edge

Hussar brigade receive 10% casualties and are shaken

British artillery fire on infantry, minor casualties all pass morale test

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

French advance to attack

French artillery fire in support, but only minor casualties

British artillery fire on advancing infantry, again minor casualties

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

French and British artillery continue to fire on infantry

4^th British corps infantry rout due to artillery casualties

2^nd British corps cavalry charge and rout French hussars

Move 9 – 1600 to 17000

British artillery rout French infantry and nearby gunners shaken

Portuguese abandon woods

French continue to advance

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

(Top) Portuguese cacadores lose skirmish and rout

(Centre) French dragoons charge, and rout, gunners.  Two nearby brigades join rout

(Centre) French lancers charge, and rout, gunners

(Bottom) French chasseurs charge dragoons and force them to retreat shaken

British Rout

Five infantry brigades and two corps artillery are in rout in the centre

As the French continue to advance Wellington orders a general retreat

Game Casualties

French lose 2,800 infantry and 100 cavalry

British lose  5,600 infantry and 100 cavalry plus 60 guns

Game Summary

Wellington was heavily outnumbered and always likely to lose this battle

He would have needed excellent dice for his artillery, which he did not get

He was also unlucky with his morale dice for brigades near to a rout

But the real reason was that  the French had too much of everything

The final rout was French cavalry and artillery combined

The French infantry did not play much part, but were available if needed