14th March 1814 - Battle of Irun (2)

Irun Campaign Area

7 French                      move to E05 on attack orders           arrive move 1

17 Polish                     move to E05 on attack orders           start on table

19 French                    move to F05 on attack orders           arrive move 1

25 French                    move to G04 on engage orders         arrive move 1

1 British                      halt in E04 on hold orders                start on table

2 British                      move to E06 on engage orders         arrive move 5

3 British                      halt in E05 on hold orders                start on table

4 British                      halt in F03 on hold orders                arrive move 6

5 Spanish                    halt in F02 on hold                            arrive move 9

French                        Allied             

Infantry - 56000          infantry – 60000

cavalry - 4000            cavalry - 5000 

guns - 90                     guns - 120

Notes

1200 allied infantry are missing due to garrison duty

 

Table at start of wargame

17^th French corps are marching towards Irun

7^th, 19^th and 25^th French corps all arrive at the start of move 1

1^st and 3^rd British corps, plus 6^th guerrilla band, are all on hold orders

4^th British corps will arrive at the start of move 6

2^nd British corps will arrive at the start of move 5

5^th Spanish corps will arrive at the start of move 9

Move 1 – 0800 to 0900

British cinc – orders 1^st corps to occupy town and 2^nd corps to hold left of town to woods

7^th French – move towards hill

19^th French – stuck behind 17^th French

25^th French – move towards hill

1^st British – move to town

French cinc – orders 17^th corps engage left of road and 19^th corps right of road

3^rd British – move to deploy between town and woods

6^th guerrilla – no movement  

Move 2 – 0900 to 1000

25^th French – move towards hill

19^th French – move towards town

1^st British – start to deploy along road

8^th French – continue to advance on hill

French cinc – orders 7^th corps engage woods

3^rd British – complete deployment

British cinc – move to meet 4^th corps

17^th French – continue to advance

6^th guerrilla – no movement

Move 3 – 1000 to 1100

7^th French – continue to advance

1^st British – cavalry and artillery retreat to road

17^th French – continue to advance

British cinc – no orders

6^th guerrilla – no movement

19^th French – continue to advance

3^rd British – infantry form square

French cinc – order 25^th corps advance over hill

25^th French – move onto hill

 

Move 4 – 1100 to 1200

6^th guerrilla – no movemen t

French cinc – move to centre

3^rd British – no movement

25^th French – continue to advance

7^th French – continue to advance

19^th French continue to advance

British cinc – no orders

1^st British – cavalry move to right flank

17^th French – continue to advance

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

6 guerrilla – no movement

17^th French – continue to advance

British cinc – change 2^nd corps orders to “engage woods”

3^rd British – infantry retreat

French cinc – change 19^th corps orders to “engage”

1^st British – move to their left to make space for 4^th corps

19^th French – advance into woods

2^nd British -  arrive and enter woods

25^th French – continue to advance on hill

7^th French – deploy artillery on hill

Note – 2^nd British corps has only one infantry and one cavalry brigade

Move 5 – 1200 to 1300

The table has been moved to the left

This is to allow the fighting to take place in the centre of the table

It will also allow 4^th and 5^th corps to move in reserve if required

Move 6 – 1300 to 1400

6 guerrilla – now part of 2^nd British corps

4^th British – arrive on table and move towards centre

2^nd British – infantry move into woods to replace guerrillas

17^th French – artillery miss town, remainder of corps advance

3^rd British – retire to bottom of woods

1^st British – artillery hit infantry who rally

7^th French -  artillery hit infantry who rally, remainder of corps advance

19^th French – corps advance, artillery unlimber

British cinc – orders 3^rd corps to retreat out of artillery range

25^th French – continue to advance

French cinc – no orders issued

 

Move 7 – 1400 to 1500

2^nd British – infantry move into woods         

French cinc – order 25^th corps to engage

3^rd British – artillery miss infantry

25^th French – continue to advance

17^th French – artillery hit garrison, who are shaken

7^th French – artillery miss infantry in woods, remainder of corps advance

19^th French – continue to advance

4^th British – continue to advance

1^st British – artillery hit infantry attacking town, who fail morale and rout

                    3 infantry brigade move into town as reserve

                    Rally shaken garrison

British cinc – order 4^th corps deploy between town and woods

Move 8 – 1500 to 1600

1^st British – artillery hit routers, who continue to rout

                     3 infantry brigade now town reserve

19^th French – continue to advance

4^th British – continue to advance

British cinc – orders 3^rd corps to move towards woods to make space for 4^th corps

3^rd British – artillery miss infantry

2^nd British – 10 infantry brigade occupy woods, guerrilla now reserve

French cinc – no orders

17^th French – artillery hit garrison, who fail morale and are shaken

25^th French – continue to advance

7^th French – advance and skirmish woods

Move 9 – 1600 to 1700

1^st British – artillery and infantry attacking town, who pass morale and rally

                    3 brigade replace shaken 1 brigade as town garrison

                      Hussars charge dragoons, melee is a draw and both are disordered

                      Shaken 1 brigade (in town reserve) rally

7^th French – dragoons charge dragoons, melee is a draw and both are disordered

                      Three infantry brigades skirmish woods, cause 10% casualties but British hold

British cinc – no orders

French cinc – no orders

25^th French – dragoons rout hussars, nearby Portuguese infantry shaken

3^rd British – artillery hit infantry who fail morale and are shaken

19^th French – artillery miss infantry

                      chasseurs charge artillery, gunners evade to nearby square

17^th French – artillery miss infantry, remainder of corps advance

                         Infantry skirmish town garrison, but no casualties

4^th British – continue to advance

2^nd British – infantry in woods skirmish, no casualties

5^th Spanish – arrive on Move orders, cannot engage French

                      infantry arrive in square

Move 10 – 1700 to 1800

7^th French – infantry skirmish highlanders in woods, who rout

                      guerrillas join the highlander rout

                      cavalry lose melee and retreat shaken

4^th British – continue to advance

19^th French – retreat cavalry, infantry skirmish town

1^st British – artillery hit infantry who rally

                     Portuguese infantry fail morale and rout

                     Hussars fail to rally and continue to rout

17^th French – artillery hit garrison who fail morale and are shaken

25^th French – cavalry charge shaken Spanish square, who rout

5^th Spanish – cavalry and artillery arrive on table

British cinc – order 2^nd and 3^rd corps to retreat

3^rd British – infantry retreat and abandon guns

2^nd British – cavalry retreat facing enemy

French cinc – order 17^th corps to attack town

Note – Wellington accepts defeat, but must hold French at bay until he can disengage

Move 11 – 1800 to 1900

17^th French – artillery rout garrison, who take the reserve brigade with them

                      infantry rout shaken highlanders who take gunners with them                    

2^nd British – cavalry cover retreat of infantry and guerrillas

1^st British – all rout

4^th British – deploy to cover retreat of the Army

British cinc – orders General Retreat

3^rd British – continue to retreat

19^th French – advance in pursuit

7^th French – artillery rout square

25^th French – dragoons rout Spanish cavalry

5^th Spanish – infantry square covers retreat and rout of corps

Note – The allied army has broken contact and retreat covered by 4^th corps

Game Casualties

Allies lose 7200 infantry and 200 cavalry and abandon 60 guns

French lose 2000 infantry

Game Summary

The Allied Army was heavily outnumbered at the start of the battle

Their reinforcements arrived too late to make any real difference to the battle

The 4^th British corps was in position to cover the retreat of the Allied Army.

Total casualties at the end of this battle

Allies 7400 casualties and nine brigades in rout

French 2000 casualties and one brigade in rout