Capture French Eagle

Melee

For many years I have preferred to fight multi corps wargames, usually three per side.   Each corps has a game objective, and the winner is the side which takes and holds at least two of them at the end of 12 moves.  This provides a lot of flexibility, particularly for the attacker, who can tailor his attack to suit the terrain and the condition of his army.   The CinC is allowed to take create a reserve by combining brigades for any or all of the three corps under his command.   Normally these are artillery and infantry, or artillery and cavalry.   This will reduce the combat ability of at least one of his corps, but he can give them the task of avoiding a major battle, but attempt to pin the enemy corps opposite them.      This type of game provides both players with the type of tactical problems experienced by a senior commander, rather than a corps, divisional or brigade commander.   

The disadvantage of this type of game is that the brigade is the lowest combat element. The battalion or squadron battle is represented in an abstract way.   Brigades are rewarded, or punished, by their formation.  So column of march, line, square or skirmish are used on the table, but of course it is the whole brigade in such formation.  The brigade combat is decided by one D6, and this tends to “flatten out” the experience. The ebb and flow of battalion or squadron combat is missing. 

So it is really unusual for either side to lose a colour or eagle, until now.  And even more unusual for the Spanish to capture a French eagle.  In the second battle of Heulma 3^rd Spanish Army attack 15^th French Army.   The French had lost the first battle of Heulma, and the Spanish followed up their victory.  The Spanish were stronger than the French, not only in infantry but also artillery.   They had the same number of guns, but their 12 pdr guns had a longer range than the French 9pdr.    This dictated the Spanish tactics, which were to weaken the French infantry with artillery fire and only commit their low quality infantry when the odds were in their favour.

It took most of the game to achieve this objective.   The Spanish ignored their right flank, and concentrated the 12pdr guns between their centre and left flank.   The French held a farm with an elite brigade, thus making it a very difficult objective for the Spanish infantry.   The Spanish concentrated on the supporting French infantry and when they retreated moved their guns into close range of the farm, and surrounded it with infantry and cavalry.    The French garrison held despite 20% casualties, but once they reached 30% it would be an automatic rout.   This was the situation at the start of the twelfth, and last move, of the game.   Only one Spanish brigade could attack each side of the farm, and all of them had 10% casualties.  

The Spanish player had to decide whether to risk an infantry attack, or hope for one more artillery casualty.   Even at close range the gunners would require 4, 5 or 6 on their 1D6.   If they failed the French would hold the farm, and thus win the battle.   Their best infantry brigade would also require 4, 5 or 6 to win the melee.   He decided to risk an infantry melee, as much because it was the “right thing” to do as any other reason.  By that I mean an attack on a fortified farm would normally be decided by an infantry attack, rather than rely on artillery fire alone.   The Spanish won the melee, the garrison were now had 30% casualties.  

You will see the situation on the photo above.   There are four Spanish infantry brigades, one in the farm, one above the farm and two to the right.   The Spanish artillery are above the farm and their cavalry are surrounding the French brigade, with their eagle.

I was the Spanish player and I must admit that all of my sympathy was with the French garrison.  They held the farm for three moves, during which they received two artillery hits, at 10% casualties each.   Their luck ran out when the Spanish infantry rolled a high dice to win the melee.

Great game, and even after all these years very tense during those last four moves.