French Corps Surrender in Spain

French corps surrender at Flix

Dramatic developments in our PBEM Tortosa campaign.

Having exposed his corps to an uneven two to one battle the player concerned abruptly abandoned the campaign. His corps suffered the predictable defeat, suffered heavy casualties and fled the scene abandoning their lines of communications and supply.

With all of their brigades in rout the French had to avoid combat for three moves, and could provide neither an advance nor a rear guard. The Spanish set off in pursuit, and the French then stumbled into another, equally battered, enemy corps. In the circumstances the French had to surrender.

This setback was more the result of French inefficiency than of Spanish strategic ability. The Spanish corps which caused the French to surrender were themselves recovering from an earlier defeat. Despite heave casualties they had at least rallied their brigades. Had the French not been so battered they could have easily thrust the Spanish aside and carried on. But without a single brigade capable of fighting they had to surrender.

Quite a typical Spanish style victory and one only a multiplayer campaign could produce. But I am very pleased that the PBEM is providing such interesting and unexpected situations.

With more than one quarter of the French campaign removed at a stroke, the campaign must be entering its final phase. The French still hold Tortosa, the objective of this phase of the campaign. And they still have two strong corps in the field. So there is still life in the campaign.

But it is now only a matter of time, and probably not very long. I do not want to drag out the campaign just for the sake of it. Nor do I want to rob the other French commanders of the chance to save the day.