Thursday 17 December 2015

DBN Battle of Bailen 1808 Part One


Battle of Bailen - Charge of the Espana Regiment By Ferrer Dalmau
http://www.napoleon-series.org/images/military/maps/peninsula/baylen.jpg

Our take of the Battle of Bailen 1808 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bail%C3%A9n
historically a sound whooping of the French conscript Army by the Spanish.  DBN rules again, sources from the Anschluss Publishing Ebb & Flow of Battle Peninsular Campaign (now OOP) & The 'Power Is My Mistress' Age of Eagles Scenarios available from the AOE Yahoo group https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/NapoleonicFireandFury/info  

OOpps now out of print!
We tweaked the forces involved to make it more of a game.  We placed all the French cavalry into one Division & slightly altered the time of arrival of the Spanish Divisions.  The French still had a large amount of Militia rated Muskets, so the use of their Elite & normal units was paramount.

To win the game, the French would have to break through Bailen & escape the Spanish.  3 of the French Divisions wold enter on the western side of the map.  Vedel's Divison would arrive in the east, probably too late (as in history) to alter the game.  The Spanish forces would enter from all over the place, their mission halt the French!

**Special Rules, the French had some Spanish Troops of Swiss origin.  If these came in contact with the Spanish side there was a 40% chance the would defect.   Each side would consist of  one CinC with 4 Divisions led by sub generals.  Potentially 5 CAP dice!!!   Spav took ze Spanish whilst yours truly took ze French. 

E =  Elite status +1 fire & melee, M = Militia status - 1 fire & melee.
Again we would use markers for attrition.  2 Hits would make a unit Shaken -1 modifier, an extra CAP to move.  3 Hits destroyed!!


French Forces
CinC Lt General DuPont (+1 CAP)
4 Sub Generals, 1 Muskets(E), 10 Muskets, 21 Muskets(M), 2 Light(M), 5 Light Cav, 2 Heavy Cav, 3 Foot Arty, 1 Horse Arty. 

1st Division Barbou (0 CAP) On table
1 Muskets(E) 'Marines', 2 Muskets 'Swiss', 2 Muskets 'Paris Guard', 6 Muskets(M), 1 Foot Arty, 4 Muskets 'Spanish Swiss**'.

2nd Division Fresia (-1) On table
5 Light Cav, 2 Heavy Cav, 1 Horse Arty.

4th Division Dufor (0 CAP)  Arrive turn 6
10 Muskets(M), 2 Light(M), 1 Foot Arty.

3rd Division Vedel (0 CAP) Arrive Turn 13
2 Muskets 'Swiss', 5 Muskets(M), 1 Foot Arty.


Spanish Forces
CinC  General Castanos (-1 CAP)
4 Sub Generals, 1 Muskets(E), 19 Muskets, 2 Light, 23 Muskets(M), 6 Light Cav(M), 3 Horse Arty, 2 Foot Arty.

1st Division Reding (-1 CAP) On table
1 Muskets(E) 'Swiss', 7 Muskets, 1 Light, 3 Muskets(M), 2 Light Cav(M),1 Foot Arty, 1 Horse Arty.

2nd Division Campo (-1) Arrive turn 5 southern flank or Turn 3 Road to Bailen
2 Muskets, 12 Muskets(M), 1 Light Cav(M),1 Horse Arty.

3rd Division Jones (-1 CAP)  Arrive turn 8
3 Muskets, 1 Light, 6 Muskets(M), 2 Light Cav(M), 1 Horse Arty.

4th Division De La Pena (-1 CAP) Arrive Turn 8
7 Muskets, 2 Muskets(M), 1 Light Cav(M), 1 Foot Arty.


Forward!!!
The Spanish Line anchored in front of Bailen.

Two Artillery batteries covered the road.
Da Plan.. A full frontal Assault.
Massed French Cavalry

Boo! Spanish artillery fire is superb.  Casualties mount for the French

Charge!!!!

The French Heavy Cavalry attack would be crucial. 

French Light Cavalry engages first

Crucial Point early in the game.  However the Spanish Artillery comes up pants.....

The combat favors the French early on.  The Light Cavalry push back the Spanish.

The Spanish Campo Division takes the Bailen road & enters the game a few rounds earlier.

The Spanish Dragoons take a beating & are forced back.

Again good combat results for the French, slowly the Spanish Line falls back.

On the other flank, a column headed by Swiss Troops attacks... 

A Spanish casualty

The French Cavalry now shows its quality.

The French column in the centre now takes its toll.

The Heavy Cavalry destroys its opponents, BREAKTHROUGH!

BREAKTHROUGH! allows an extra move, more attacks reign down on the Spanish...

It's a massacre, the Spanish Reding Division is being slaughtered.

The Road to Bailen is open!

Redings Division breaks, the positions of the armies before Bailen.

Good CAPs & it's mass movement for the French

Light Cavalry mopping up

The French cavalry are deadly

The Spanish Cavalry are thrown into a desperate charge in order to give more time for the Campo Division to deploy.

CinC Castanos oversees the defense of Bailen

Every CAP is crucial now

Elite Muskets versus Militia Cavalry.... FIGHT!!!!!!

The remnants of Redings Division peg it...

Dufors conscript Division arrive on the western road.

French Cavalry in Pursuit.....

The sacrifice of the Spanish Cavalry gain a few rounds.... 

Bloodbath....

Spanish Horse Artillery deploy in order to stop the French 

The French Horse Artillery also deploy 

At this rate no one from Reding's Division would escape...

The Battlefield is a flurry of activity

Draw on the combat dice, at last something goes for the Spanish....

The next round, Spanish Muskets blow away the head of the French Column.

OOOHHH look at all that lovely open ground north of Bailen!!!  Until next time...

AAAARRGGH! casualties, SPAV's fat arse knocks over the troop tray containing the Spanish reinforcements!
A repair job is needed before the next episode.....lol


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