Battle of Albuera 1811 - Set Up

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The latest Battle to grace the table here at Yarkshire Gamer is a bit of a Napoleonic Peninsula classic, the Battle of Albuera. Not one of the "main" battles, more of a sideshow and one without the "main man" the future Duke of Wellington present, however it is one of the more balanced engagements of the conflict. There are only so many games the French can handle stumbling up a hill only to get blasted to pieces by a well hidden British Line !

British Line behind Albuera

It's also the first outing for what I hope will become our new staple Napoleonic rules, I have been searching for years for a set I am happy with, in fact ever since the mid 90s when my Atari ST gave up the ghost halfway through a game of the computer moderated "Hard Pounding" rules. Tried loads and everything failed.

Having played other rules in the General de Brigade series (British Grenadier and Die Kriegskunst) I have gave them a go and to be fair I quite enjoyed them, they just missed that something. Thankfully I knew that, that something was National Characteristics.

Godinots Brigade advance on Albuera

Now I know they are old skool etc etc but they are what I like in a game, so effectively I have chucked GdB up in the air and mixed in some Bruce Quarrie style National Stats as the pages came down. This is the first playtest of that Masala ! They seem to be working so a blog post in the very near future will supply the recipe. Any way I seem to have been side tracked, back to the game.

Albuera

Historical Background

The battle occurred on the 16th May 1811 and is often quoted as being one of the bloodiest battles of the Peninsula War. The Action included troops from the French, British, Portuguese and Spanish Armies and although heavily outnumbered the French made up for the lack of men in quality.

Marshal Soult had left a strong Garrison at Badajoz however with Massena withdrawing from Portugal, Wellington sent a strong force to recapture the fort. They drove the French from the area and began the siege of that town.

Portuguese Line Infantry

Soult rapidly put together a new French force and marched towards Badajoz to relieve the siege, however his Intel was poor as he was met en route by the Spanish Army of Blake and the Anglo Portuguese Corps of Beresford near to the village of Albuera.

Set Up

We are gaming on our usual 12 x 6 table with 15mm figures from a number of makers using my GdeB / Quarrie mash up rules. Orders of Battle are based around 20 men to 1 figure, some units have been amalgamated. For those looking closely at the Photos some units are substitutes for example I have used some Italian Infantry to represent French.

Above is a video of our table set up showing terrain layout etc. We have set up with the French just about to start their attack.

French Orbat - C in C Soult

I have included basic start points, watch the video if you are unsure.

Godinots Brigade (in column approaching Albuera bridge)
3 x French Light Battalions 28 figures each
3 x French Line Battalions 36 figures each
1 x French Combined Grenadier Battalion 48 figures
1 x Foot Artillery

Briche Cavalry (on picket duty to the right of Godinot)
1 x Hussar Regt 20 figures
1 x Chasseur à Cheval Regt 20 figures

Brons Cavalry (enter move 1 far French left)
2 x Dragoon Regts 20 figures each
1 x Dragoon Regt 14 figures

Bouvier des Èclaits Cavalry (as Bron)
2 x Dragoon Regts 16 figures each
1 x Dragoon Regt 12 figures

Unattached Cavalry (enter turn 1 far left of French flanking attack)
Vistula Legion Lancers 28 figures
1 x Chass à Cheval 22 figures
Spanish Chasseurs 10 figures
1 x Horse Artillery

Girards Division (flanking force enter turn 1 far left of table from French lines)
2 x French Line Battalions 24 figures each
2 x French Line Battalions 20 figures each
3 x French Line Battalions 42 figures each
2 x French Line Battalions 23 figures each
1 x Foot Artillery

Gazans Division (enter behind Girard when space allows)
2 x French Light Battalions 20 figures each
3 x French Light Battalions 23 figures each
5 x French Line Battalions 20 figures each
1 x Foot Artillery

Werles Brigade (enter turn one far left of French baseline)
3 x French Light Battalions 36 figures each
3 x French Line Battalions 30 figures each
3 x French Line Battalions 27 figures each

Allied Orbat C in C Beresford

Stewart's Division (In column on hills behind Albuera)
Colevilles Brigade
1 x British Line Battalion 36 figures
3 x British Line Battalions 22 figures each

Houghton Brigade
1 x British Line Battalion 32 figures
2 x British Line Battalions 25 figures each

Abercrombie Brigade
1 x British Line Battalion 26 figures
1 x British Line Battalion 30 figures
1 x British Line Battalion 21 figures
1 detachment of Rifles 6 figures

1 x Royal Foot Artillery
1 x KGL Foot Artillery

Coles Division (marching on table behind Albuera in road column, 1 unit frontage)

Myers Brigade
2 x British Fusilier Battalions 36 figures each
1 x British Fusilier Battalion 28 figures
1 x Lt Detachment 6 figures

Harvey's Portuguese Brigade
4 x Portuguese Line Battalions 28 figures each
1 x Portuguese Light Battalion 28 figures

1 x Royal Foot Artillery
1 x KGL Foot Artillery

Altens Brigade (in Albuera)
2 x KGL Light Battalions 28 figures each

Lumleys Cavalry Brigade (in column behind Albuera)
1 x British Dragoon 20 figures
1 x British Dragoon Guards 20 figures
1 x British Light Dragoons 20 figures

Hamilton's Portuguese Brigade (in column behind Albuera to the left as viewed)
8 x Portuguese Line Battalions 30 figures each
1 x Portuguese Foot Artillery

Collins Portuguese Brigade (holding the hill to the left of Albuera)
2 x Portuguese Line Battalions 24 figures each
1 x Portuguese Light Battalion 20 figures
1 x Portuguese Foot Artillery

Otways Portuguese Cavalry Brigade (picket duty in front of Collins)
2 x Portuguese Line Cavalry 16 figures each
1 x Portuguese Line Cavalry 10 figures

Blakes Spanish Army

Lardizabal Brigade (on ridge to right of Albuera)
5 x Spanish Line Battalions 24 figures each

Ballasteros Brigade (to right of Lardizabal)
7 x Spanish Line Battalions 20 figures each
1 x Spanish Foot Artillery (4pdr)

Zayas Brigade (in reserve behind Lardizabal and Ballasteros)
1 x Spanish Guard Battalion 30 figures
6 x Spanish Line Battalions 30 figures each

Loys Spanish Cavalry Brigade (far right of Spanish Lines between ridge and baseline)
2 x Spanish Light Cavalry 20 figures each
1 x Spanish Dragoons 20 figures

Penne Villemuir Spanish Cavalry Brigade (to right of Loy)
2 x Spanish Light Cavalry 18 figures each

Special Rules

To simulate the initial confusion about the French attack all Allied Brigades start on HOLD orders, they can react to the presence of Godinots advance. However when the Spanish Cavalry spot the French flank move (on turn 1) they will detach an outsider to inform Beresford. It will take 6 moves to reach him, until that point the British and Portuguese troops must remain on HOLD orders unless directly threatened.

After turn 6 all Brigades are free to try and change orders.

So that's the set up, game report to follow soon.