Valladolid Campaign – Day 2

 

24 March 1813 – Northern Spain – Day 2

In the north 2^nd British and 21^st French observe Palencia

In the centre 8^th, 16^th and 22^nd French attack Valladolid

In the south 7^th French occupy Arevalo and establish depot

5^th and 6^th British retreat to Medina

Battle of Valladolid – End of Battle

The battle of Valladolid was a close run and very costly affair

The main French attack broke the British centre

On the French right the British held until the centre broke

On the French left the British took Valladolid, but had to retreat

Both sides suffered heavy casualties

The British lost 20 infantry and 5 cavalry casualties

The French lost 14 infantry, 4 cavalry and 1 artillery casualties

 

This was a very complicated wargame

There is a full battle report on the campaign diary blog

http://1813pbemcampaigndiary.blogspot.com.es/        

Battlefield on Campaign Map

I wanted to avoid another game being decided by who captured Valladolid.

Rather than have the city in the centre of the table I extended to the north

This area is fairly open, and would allow some manoeuvre.

It would also include 3^rd British and 22^nd Italian corps

 

Both commanders created a reserve and both did so in the centre squares

Wellington commanded two corps artillery and one cavalry brigade

Soult commanded two cavalry brigades

It was clear from the start that the game would be decided in the centre

 

4^th corps included the light division, and was ideal to take Valladolid

3^rd corps was deployed on the hill on the British left, and difficult to attack

1^st corps was deployed around a village

 

The French reserve and 8^th corps would attack in the centre

22^nd corps would support, but would only attack the hill if the centre was taken

16^th corps would enter Valladolid, but would only hold the eastern edge

 

1^st British corps was broken and the centre taken

But both cavalry brigades in the French reserve were broken and routed

 

22^nd corps attacked the hill, but did not make much progress until the centre broke

Only when 3^rd corps started to withdraw did they finally take the hill

 

The light division led the attack on Valladolid

In doing so they came under artillery fire, and suffered casualties

It took four moves for the two leading brigades to reach the Italian infantry

By then 1^st corps was in trouble, and 4^th corps did not press home their attack

As the centre broke, 4^th corps started to withdraw from Valladolid

 

This was an interesting and complicated wargame.

Either side could easily have won, and the British almost did

The French attack on the centre suffered heavy casualties, particularly the cavalry

All three corps on each side fought independent battles

Both the British and French reserves, though small, played an important part

 

But perhaps the most interesting part was the French battle for Valladolid

Had they advanced and fought in the centre of the city they would have lost

The British 4^th corps was much better suited to town fighting

By holding the near edge of the city they forced the British to come to them

This meant that the French artillery could fire on the British

But the British artillery were masked by the 4^th corps infantry in the city

It also meant that the battle for the centre was lost before the battle for Valladolid began

 

Another very interesting wargame, and one won by tactics as much as dice