October 1808. The French siege works are in place, but guns and supplies are still to arrive from French supply posts in Spain. Along the eastern road to the fortress, is coming a long train of artillery pieces and ammunition waggons. But unbeknown to Brigadier Dubreton, a squadron of cavalrymen, together with the partisan villagers of nearby Aldea del Obispo, have skirted around the siege works and are in ambush, awaiting the arrival of the French supply train.
French forces
-The 13th regiment of Cuirassiers, 1st Troop.
2 small half troops: two men, Captain and Eagle and two men and lieutenant
Accompanying supply train
One company: twenty three men and Captain
Accompanying supply train
One company: twenty men, Old Guard captain, colour's ensign and two musicians
Guarding camp
two companies: forty four men, two captains, eagle's ensign and musician
Guarding camp
Anglo-Spanish forces
three troops: seventeen men, three captains and an ex rifleman
-Españoles Guardia Real Escuadrón de Escolta Coraceros.
One troop: four men, one captain and one bugler
Small band of six men
The Allied raiders were spearheaded by the Spanish guard cavalry, who arrived on the field before my supply cart had even set off
Next came the first company of Scots Greys, with still no sign of the waggons and limbers it looked like the British would have no problem in intercepting the train
But then, in the distance, the horsemen caught sight of a limbered artillery piece and the Quartermaster.
We had special rules for the quartermaster, all the units in this game moved one move a turn (two if they rolled a 4+) but the quartermaster could nominate one cart or limber a turn which would move a free extra move, letting the supply chain move along a lot faster.
The two cavalry units closed in on the limbered artillery piece, protected only by its crew and the Quartermaster. Their spirits were high at seeing the van of the train unguarded
The Quartermaster saw the danger, and whipped the horses of the first limber into a gallop, sending them and their crew sprinting for the camp whilst he took care of yet another artillery piece and limber which had arrived unguarded. The French troops must be having trouble in the rear.
As the Spanish royal guard bore down upon the lead artillery piece, the crewmen drew their pistols and fired of the charging Spaniards. One cuirassier was unhorsed by the shots, but the rest dived down on the limber, capturing it and the crewmen
The French crew put up a fight but were eventually tamed by the Spanish, who prepared the limber to be lead back to Almeida where the guns would be put to god use.
With the second limber ready to get moving towards the camp, the quartermaster was heartened to by the arrival of the first half troop of 13th cuirassier and the company of fusiliers of the line. Now I could get fighting back against the allies
Quartermaster Jacque Dejour, marshaled his forces, dispatching the fusiliers with a newly arrived artillery cart, accompanying the second limber in skirting around the Spanish. The cuirassiers, he sent charging straight for their Spanish equivalents, in an attempt to rescue the first artillery piece
With the third company of allied horse forming a line with which to envelope the French, yet another company of Scots greys arrived from the fortress. The French were now heavily outnumbered, their only hope to get the carts and limbers to the camp as fast as possible, and if possible set off the alarm in the camp and turn out the guard… the old guard!
All saddled up, the Spanish now set off with the captured artillery piece. All the waggons and limbers had effects on the next game. If you got an artillery piece to your base (for the French the camp and the British Almeida) then you could use it in the bombardment. The siege artillery piece could only be used by the French as the walls of Almeida were not large enough, so the British objective would be to destroy it.
The lead Scots horse now began to weave through the supply train, circling round the back of the Cuirassiers (who had failed to catch the Spanish) and on towards the Fusiliers and their cart. If one side got the carts back to their base then they could use them in the following game. A unit touching the cart gained the first fire special rule as long as it started its turn in base contact with one of the two ammunition waggons
The French responded quickly to the crisis. The fusiliers formed themselves up into a line to face the Scots Greys, whilst quickly sending off their cart. They volleyed the Scots Greys but inflicted only minor injuries on them.
Meanwhile the Cuirassiers charged into the rear of the retreating Spanish cavalry and brought them to battle.
The men of the 13th easily defeated the gaudy Spanish, despite being outnumbered two to one, and sent them packing. The French crewmen got back down from their limber and got their artillery piece moving again
The Scots Greys now charged into combat with the Cuirassiers, to try and regain the artillery pieces which the British had prioritised. The cuirassiers fought hard and cut down several Scots greys, but eventually all but one of them was overwhelmed and slain.
One of the ammunition waggons and an artillery limber were now within sight of the camp, but the camp garrison failed to hear their warning cries or the shooting on the field, neither did they see the British or gun smoke. But unless the British wished to turn out the guard or raid the camp (which was an option and one which could very well crush all French hopes of taking Almeida), one waggon and one cannon at least were safe in French hands
As they outmanoeuvred the British, the fusiliers found themselves facing the forms of the Scots greys riding hard in the opposite direction. Again they volleyed, but the powder must have been bad and again the British suffered only minor wounds.
The last of the Scots Greys were cut down to a man by the 13th cuirassiers, leaving but half the allied horse remaining to only minimal French casualties. The British would have to fight hard if they were to prevent any of the train from reaching the camp.
But now it was the French who were outmanoeuvred as the Scots Greys darted behind their lines and captured the last artillery piece, subduing the crew without a shot
And so that day of fighting ended. My opponent and I had to depart and so we decided that the Horsemen had retreated to a nearby coppice where they had made camp for the night whilst the supply train had put back to regroup and get some better powder.
As that day’s game ended, I was in a strong position. I had shown the allied horse who was boss and brought an ammunition cart and artillery limber to the camp in safety despite the crew being attacked by the Spanish
More than a week later we got back together to fight the second part of the game, in the sports café where we regularly play wargames for an hour. The camp guards were now alert and ready to the possibility of danger to the supply carts, but they would not leave the camp unless the British grew close for the feared a raid on the supplies already there
First onto the table came a limbered artillery piece and the fusilier company, now with new and better powder in their cartridges. It was a far stronger van than had been put out before, most probably because my French men knew that they were being watched.
And they had been right to be cautious, for no sooner were they on the field than a large mob of Spanish Guerrillas were bearing down on their right whilst a troop of British horse appeared to their left.
With their fellow cavalry men closing in on an unguarded column, another Company of Scottish horse now spurred their way across the field. Preparing to cut off the supply camp from the train. Things were looking down for my French
Meanwhile the Cuirassiers charged into the rear of the retreating Spanish cavalry and brought them to battle.
The Quartermaster returned to the other end of the field as the siege artillery piece arrived by a four horse limber. The Fusiliers’ line was pushing hard against the Scots greys and forcing them away from the column, as the third and final artillery piece trundled along behind them. With the Siege artillery too came a half troop of three more cuirassiers, who rode fast to help their remaining comrade fight off the British horse.
In Black Powder smoothbore siege artillery is covered in the special rules for Howitzers, and basically put has double the range of a normal smoothbore foot artillery piece. It also has a fixed value no matter on the range, and so can be even more effective than normal artillery. In the next game, the bombardment, the French could use it to blast breeches in the walls twice as fast as normal.
The Scots Greys quickly found themselves surrounded by the elite of the French cavalry, and fighting hard despite their superiority in numbers. The British were quickly cut down and soon the numbers were practically levelled with those of the Frenchmen.
The Guerrillas rushed in, opening fire with blunderbusses and muskets, pelting the French men was spears and slingshots. Several Fusiliers fell to their enfilading fire, but not as many as the Spanish had hoped.
The Fusiliers now formed line to face their assailants, preparing their muskets for a volley. Behind them the siege artillery limber arrived with a half troop of Cuirassiers to face off against the British horse, whilst the artillery limber made for the camp.
The fusiliers’ volley ripped through the scattered peasants sending them into disorder, however not one of the Guerrillas died from the wave of lead and they jumped back to their feet, defiant and sturdy.
The Scots greys now charged the half troop of cuirassiers, bravely defying the already so successful troopers, their eagle held aloft
Surprisingly the French took a battering from the British horse, taking far more casualties than they actually dished out. The Scots greys couldn’t believe their luck and continued hammering hard at the armoured horsemen, but the 13th didn’t give.
The Quartermaster now arrived with the last half troop of Cuirassiers and the last limbered artillery piece. The Fusilier line pushed forwards on the guerrillas whilst the cuirassiers held off the Scots greys. But the front limbers in the train were now at risk as another troop of Scots greys pushed their way onto the field.
The final men of the first half troop of cuirassiers fell to the Scots greys and the next half troop prepared to battle the British horse in defence of the artillery train.
The Guerrillas had just finished regrouping when the fusiliers again opened up a volley along their line. This time the Guerrillas held their group, but a couple fell to the leaden bullets of my Frenchmen.
The highly successful Scots greys, having just come out on top of the cuirassiers who had defeated them last time, now spurred their way on to capture the lead artillery piece and limber, taking just one casualty from the crew’s pistols
The Spanish Guerrillas now decided to put an end to the fusiliers’ line, and charged in with pitchforks, axes and clubs. The Fusiliers quickly fixed bayonets and braced themselves for the peasants’ charge
The quarter battalion of Frenchmen stationed in the camp paraded before their eagles and colours, whilst their single artillery piece fired on the fortress to test the range. The Old guard Major had his men ready to defend the camp or any close by waggons or limbers should the British horse or guerrillas get to close
The Quartermaster beat the siege artillery on with the flat of his sword as it grew close to the siege camp. It was so close but yet the British had prioritised it as their main target and could probably ride fast enough to capture it should they be unoccupied.
The 13th cuirassiers pursued the captive artillery piece, intent on recapturing it and their fallen eagle. The French force was now very dragged out with the artillery split up and racing for the camp whilst the Cuirassiers fought off the British cavalry and the fusiliers protected the rear.
The Fusiliers cut down the guerrillas in swathes, sending the few survivors packing. They had only taken minimal casualties in the defeat of the Spanish and now a newly arrived ammunition waggon needed guarding from Cavalry as it made its way to the siege camp
The cuirassiers charged headlong into the cavalry with their captive gun, and slaughtered their way through them. The Scots grey’s spirits were broken and as they cut down the last of the reckless French cavalrymen they started to flee and, to delight of the crewmen, finally broke and fled the field completely. The last Cuirassier had fallen defending his recaptured eagle and now the crewmen would escort it straight back to the regiment around Almeida.
The guns were within shouting distance now, in fact the siege gun’s limber was within the boundaries of the camp. My quartermaster was now confident of getting the entire train to safety in the camp. The guard were ready to turn out of the camp to protect the last artillery pieces and the ammunition wagon was protected by a whole company of fusiliers.
The Fusiliers formed column and began racing the British horsemen to the limbers as they heard the shouts of “To the siege gun lads” in a strong Scottish accent. They had left the ammunition wagon completely unguarded, but it was not the horsemen’s main objective.
The quarter battalion was ready to march out, when all of a sudden there they were, the Scots Greys of king George III. They surrounded the Siege gun before any of the guardsmen could react. This was a huge risk by the British cavalry. With the guard turned out they would have to get out quick or risk being utterly destroyed by the French and finishing the game with absolutely nothing
The Wagons and limbers slipped round the side of the siege camp and to safety. The battalion, in attack column, opened fire on the scots greys but caused very minor casualties. The way was now clear for the horsemen to make off with my siege gun. The guards would pursue, but would they catch the gun?
The scots greys raced for the coppice within which they could bury the gun. The guards and fusiliers were closing in on them and it was only a matter of time before the horsemen would be cut off from their escape route. The second troop of cavalry hid in the forest whilst the volley broke and several horsemen fell, but the British were spurred by desperation and held together. They had to destroy the
The scots greys tried to move their horses on but the limber slowed them right down and they failed to move into the woods. It seemed as though all was over for the British as the Quartermaster drew the battalion tight around the horsemen. Their volleys crashed out and the crossfire was terrible, but, though wounded and disheartened , the Scots greys remained standing
The siege gun disappeared with the greys into the forests and not a moment too soon, as just then I had to leave. It had been a heroic achievement by the British and one of which the Scots greys would be glorified for many a long night after. I had managed to rescue my entire train, but I had lost the siege gun and an artillery piece. In the next bombardment, it seemed, the defenders would have more guns than the besiegers, the tide could yet turn in General Cuts' favour
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