2 Battles, 2 Victories! #2

After my famous victory on Friday night, the parliament offered a vote of thanks and the king knighted and ennobled me, so that I am now known as Sir Loin of Beef, Duke of Porterhouse. Huzzah!

I followed this victory with another on Sunday, held at Chez Rosbif against Geoff D, a workmate getting back into Napoleonics. The dining room table was taken over, terrain thrown on and armies laid out and initiative rolled for. I won that, too!

I had basically the same army that I used on Friday night but this time with extra added goodness of riflemen! Yum! I had made 2 army lists of 1240 points each, using my figures, so that I could use my riflemen and all my Spanish, and Geoff could use the dragoons and chasseurs plus all the infantry at regular or above.

Again I moved forward to a defensible position between a walled field on the left and a wooded area on the right, and formed a combination of line and column, with a substantial reserve, that worked so well on Friday night. Geoff moved his forces forward in 3 infantry brigades with his artillery in the centre accomapanied by the chasseurs in line while the dragoons were with the light infantry brigade on his right. He set his foot artillery on the heights, but they were firing at extreme long range so didn't really play much of a factor.

My light dragoons were posted on my far left and in the centre, behind the Spanish gun battery and were both put into good use through the course of the game.
 
Geoff moved his light infantry up to the walled field, but the far battalion advanced without adopting an anti-cavalry formation and were opportunity charged, as they began a movement within the 12" arc. They couldn't form square in time and were forced to retreat. That left my dragoons able to turn around and form line in their next move, threatening the other battalions, who couldn't move without triggering another opportunity charge. The RHA battery pinged away across the field wall at the French before my dragoons charged the flank of the nearest column, completely smashing it. The normal post victory movement brought the cavalry into the flank of the battalion arrayed in line, so another melee was fought, with another smashing victory the result. This victory then resulted in my dragoons going battle-mad and sent them careening into the flank of the French dragoons who by now were placed in line on the crest of the hill, sending them reeling down the reverse slope. My victorious journey was stopped when the infantry battalion behind managed to form square and send the cavalry reeling back. they were finally sent packing when both batteries of artillery opened up knocking off 2 figures and resulting in a failed morale check that sent them reeling. Their job was well done, though and that flank was never in any danger for the rest of the game.

While all this was happening, Geoff moved up the battalions facing my right flank, so I move one of my British reserve battalions through the wood to line up on the extreme right flank, while my riflemen added a couple of disorders to his columns. He detached some voltiguers and in the ensuing skirmish combat honours were about equal. He also launched his chasseurs against my Spanish anchored line, even though I informed him that is was an effective anti-cavalry formation. I think he didn't expect the Walloons to be as tough a nut to crack as they were. His chasseurs then halted 2" from the line after failing to charge home due to the effect of my firepower, leaving them to be devastated in the volley that followed in my turn.

Geoff sent another infantry battalion through the field in the centre which deployed in line. It copped some fire from the Spanish guns and lost a figure, but it was the charge by the other squadron of dragoons that put it to flight. The light dragoons barreled through the unlimbered Spanish battery, smashed the battalion in line and caused the horse gunners to flee their guns for the nearest infantry square, which repulsed the light dragoons back to the crest of the hill. Geoff then tried to retrieve something on my right flank and put a charge in with 2 columns on the extreme right battalion resulting in a draw and allunits retiring. This left a space for the Portuguese to then maneuver onto the flank of one of the unsuccessful French columns to threaten them and to protect the highlanders' flank as the whole right flank advanced.

Geoff tried to stop me by then charging 2 columns across the fields at the highlanders, but were stopped in their tracks by a combination of disorders from the charge through the field and the firepower unleashed by the line. The French turned and fled and the game was declared another British and allied victory. Huzzah!

The French advance

And on they come

The British and their allies form up between woods and fields

The allies from the left flank

Occupying the ridge

The Spanish anchored line, guns and lurking light dragoons in reserve

The British reserve moves up in support

92nd Gordon Highlanders waiting in line with Portuguese in column protecting their flank

Skirmishing in the field. Riflemen knock off a Frenchie!

Geoff's columns advance on my right, copping a disorder on the way.

A reserve battalion deploys in line on the right.

The lt. dragoons charge the careless French legere...

...and send them reeling...

...then deploy in line and turn...

...to charge the remaining column in the flank, breaking them and carrying on into the rear of the line, which also are smashed...

...then after going battlemad, carry on into the flank of the stationary French dragoons..

...and are finally brought to a halt by the infantry who form square in the nick of time.

The French artillery then focus their attention to the cavalry threat...

...and repulse them to where they started from minus a figure or 2.  Job well done, boys!

Geoff's ill-fated charge against the Spanish line goes in. He wasn't expecting Spanish guardsmen to be much chop!

After halting 2 inches from the line, the chasseurs then get the full benefit of line fire at close range. Ouch!

My other light dragoons decide their comrades aren't going to hog all the glory and charge the line in the field...

...sending them packing and carrying on to the horse gunners, who are facing the wrong way. They fled to the protection of the square.

Geoff's attempt at a breakthrough on the extreme right.

The situation with the right flank moving forward, the unsuccessful French charge on the right contained by the Portuguese column, and my cavalry still advanced before losing out to the square.

The cavalry have returned and Geoff is about to launch the 2 battalions near the village across the field to their doom.