Peninsula War Mini Campaign

[Elk101]

We've been playing a little Peninsular War campaign for a few months now which involves the French and allied contingents flushing out Spanish guerrillas from villages, woodland camps, etc. It's company level and each player takes the roll of a French officer overseeing the skirmishes. The active player commands the French forces, determining how many units to commit, what type and when. Depending on how many players we have the rest will command guerillas and the odd unit of militia. Usually there's a French subordinate commander too, representing a junior officer. We make our map moves to control where we end up engaging the enemy which determines the type of terrain the game will take place in.

This weekend's game was the bloodiest yet, with a company of French lights advancing on a small village expected to be lightly held as the main Spanish forces were expected to be in a churchyard and wood to the south west. The first turn produced several casualties per side, which has been pretty rare in the previous 'cat and mouse' games.

The photos show the game as the French immediately encounter stiff resistance. They storm the Spanish barricades pushing back the defenders only to have the first men into the square shot down by partisans on the roofs and through archways. The French pushed on undaunted, entering the village from the north and the east. The attack to the east stunned the Spanish but the other attack was beaten back when Spanish reinforcements (including a unit of militia) appeared. This encouraged the French commander to deploy a gun on the hillside to the north west of the town, reducing his victory points.

It all came down to initiative in the melee with a well worked French attack wiping out Spanish resistance to the east if the town causing the guerillas to flee before they could counter attack to the west.

Figures are all 28mm Front Rank and are a mate's collection and his table and terrain.

[OSHIROmodels]

Nicely done Steve 

cheers

James

[Elk101]

Thanks James. As the subordinate French officer I didn't argue too much when the French commander decided to bring the howitzer on as it dropped his victory points total and kept me top! 

We thought it would be nice to play something different after our brigade level ACW campaign last year, which was great fun but made for some long games.

[gringo]

looking good Steve

regards
Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com

[Elk101]

looking good Steve

regards
Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www.gringo40s.blogspot.com

Cheers Ged. My mate (whose figures and table we used) is a big Peninsular War fan. I have told him about your book!

[Lord of Jerwood]

Looking good

Who makes the building.   

[Elk101]

Looking good

Who makes the building.   

Cheers. The buildings are all from Hovels:

http://www.hovelsltd.co.uk/Spanish25mm.html

[gringo]

thanks Steve....

regards
Ged

www.gringo40s.com
www,gringo40s.blogspot.com
www.gjmfigurines.com

[Melnibonean]

Fantastic idea for a campaign and it sounds like it was an exciting game.

[Elbows]

Awesome photos.  I wish I had enough gamers and a those of similar mind to partake in a campaign...in anything. Jealous!

[Elk101]

My last game as CinC didn't go so well. The Spanish town was the largest yet encountered and was packed with guerillas and even had a small gun loaded with canister. A unit of Spanish cavalry sat outside the town to the east and a unit of Spanish regulars held the left flank.

The scenario had a predetermined deployment for my French lights who were badly exposed from turn 1. I pretty much lost all but about one initiative in the entire 20 turns. Two Frenchmen were dead before I could reach the safety of the woods. This was pretty much the story of the night with the Spanish rolling ridiculous dice for shooting, mowing down men with every volley. I moved my French down the wooded left flank and chased the cavalry off relatively easily. The intention was to pull the gun and as many guerillas as possible away from the bridge to open things up for my own cavalry waiting off table. The plan worked fine and I sent the cavalry into the town without fear of canister. The Spanish shooting continued unabated and I'd lost almost half my horse by the time they'd cleared the open ground. I wiped out the defenders north of the town but a counter attack with support from the roofs sent my men packing.

Meanwhile the unit of Spanish regulars, which on paper should have ran the first time they saw a Frenchman, soaked up everything I threw at them. Despite being down to about 34% morale they continued to roll 1%, 14%, 19%, 20% on checks!

It wasn't my night and I pulled back with a bloodied nose and a measly 2 victory points.

[Marine0846]

Fine looking game.
Have always wanted to play in a campaign like you are running.
Thanks for letting me enjoy it by the photos and story.

[OSHIROmodels]

Great little report Steve 

cheers

James

[Dr DeAth]

Looks like an interesting campaign

[Elk101]

Thanks guys  

I was 2iC this weekend and we returned to winning ways. The terrain was a lot less open, with light woods on both banks of a river that crossed the table east to west. A small Spanish town sat astride both banks linked by an old stone bridge. Thankfully my small company of French lights were deployed within the woods to the north west with another company under the CiC to the north east. We had a squadron of light horse off table waiting for our signal. As we cautiously moved through the north western woods towards the river bank we were fired upon by guerillas who had waded over the river. The boldness of the move surprised us and several men were pinned by enemy fire. We regained our composure and charged the Spaniards hoping to push them back into the river and largely succeeded only to meet a fierce counter attack. The ensuing melee saw small pockets of fighting along the river bank which resulted in the French gaining ground to the west but the Spaniards (reinforcing over the stone bridge) controlling the eastern woods and village. As the guerillas attempted to roll up our now divided forces the French horse bounded through the light woods causing significant casualties.

The attention of the French to the east was split between the guerillas and a unit of Spanish regulars who advanced on the French lights. They were soon caught on the edge of the river by a well timed cavalry attack by the French. Surprisingly the Spanish held, but only long enough to allow my cavalry to hit them in the flank and rear, shattering them.

Few photos this time as we got carried away by the see-saw nature of events. The French lights were badly damaged by the ferocity of the Spanish guerrillas and they are consistently the most difficult of the Spanish forces to deal with.