4th March 1814 - Battle of Le Boulou

Le Boulou Campaign Area

20^th French corps has orders to hold Le Boulou

18^th French corps has orders to support 20^th corps

HQ and 8 brigade will arrive at the start of move 9

2^nd Spanish corps has orders to attack Le Boulou

4^th Spanish corps has orders to attack Le Boulou

HQ and 1^st Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 5

French                                     Spanish          

32000 infantry                         48000 infantry                       

2000 cavalry                           3000 cavalry              

60 guns                                   90 guns

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

2^nd Spanish move through the woods to attack the town

4^th Spanish advance in centre behind their cavalry screen

20^th French open fire on woods to alert 18^th corps to join them

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

18^th French move to right of town towards woods

2^nd Spanish change their orders to Hold and withdraw their cavalry

20^th French fire on woods and cause casualties to leading infantry brigade

4^th Spanish advance their artillery supported by cavalry

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

18^th French change orders to Engage

Cavalry advance towards Spanish cavalry

2^nd Spanish infantry move into woods out of artillery range

4^th Spanish change their orders to Hold

Leading infantry form square to protect gunners

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

2^nd Spanish lancers charge French cavalry and force them to retreat shaken

Artillery unlimber on edge of woods

18^th French form square and withdraw shaken cavalry behind them

20^th French change orders to Engage and advance in centre

They are not aware that 1^st Spanish is moving through the hills to their right

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

1^st Spanish corps arrives top left

They cross the hills to join the remainder of the Spanish army

The pass is too narrow to advance directly to Le Boulou

20^th French change their orders to retreat

Dragoons retreat to cover road through pass

Infantry enter the town as garrison

Giron moves to order 2^nd and 4^th Spanish to resume attack on town

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

1^st Spanish start to deploy just south of the pass

4^th Spanish start to advance towards town

2^nd Spanish (in woods) are still waiting for orders to advance

18^th French order retreat

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

1^st Spanish still deploying top left

4^th Spanish advance in the centre

2^nd Spanish advance through the woods on the right

20^th French retreat through town, rearguard in square covered by cavalry

18^th French hold left flank ready to retreat

French Retreat

18^th French (left) hold the left flank

20^th French are retreating through the town

Infantry and cavalry rearguard in front of the town

Game Casualties

Spanish suffer 400 infantry casualties

French suffer no casualties and withdraw in good order

Game Summary

A badly coordinated Spanish attack allowed the French to retreat without any casualties

The Spanish expected to attack with three corps against one French corps.  

Two of their corps were in position at the start of the battle

The third would arrive on the French right flank once battle was joined.

They were not aware that there was a second French corps in reserve

As soon as they arrived the French advanced to join battle

The Spanish immediately halted their advance to await their third corps

As soon as the French sighted the approaching Spanish corps they ordered a general retreat

They held the exit from the mountain pass, forcing the Spanish to cross the hills

The Spanish command was slow to react to the French retreat

This allowed the two French corps to withdraw in good order.