Valladolid Campaign – Day 3

25 March 1813 – Northern Spain – Day 3

Following his defeat at Valladolid Wellington orders a general retreat

 

The French occupy Palencia, Valladolid and Arevalo.  

Soult must now reorganise his depots and lines of supply

He now occupies six of the nine Spanish towns

Their Spanish garrisons are now guerrilla bands

They are moving into position to attack the French garrisons and convoys

 

The first guerrilla attack is on the garrison of Quintana

The attackers are driven off with a loss of 20% casualties

However the attack halts resupply to the French north wing

Comment

In most campaigns it takes five or six days to reach a crisis

Wellington’s two defeats have brought one on in just three days

 

The British are in real trouble, having been forced to retreat to the left of the map

Another defeat could easily mean that they lose the campaign

 

However the French success is also causing problems

They have taken the three centre towns

But their depots are in the three on the right.

To resupply a corps must be within three squares of a depot with supplies

Half of the French corps are out of supply range.

 

The French now occupy six towns.

This requires six infantry brigades to defend them

In addition the six Spanish militia garrisons are now guerrilla bands.

 

A guerrilla band can attack a garrison or a convoy

But they cannot do so if a French corps is in an adjacent square

The three right hand towns are now vulnerable to attack

 

It is easier to take a convoy than to attack a garrison

To do so the guerrilla band must be in position when a convoy moves

They can only do so for one move, then must return to a farm or village to resupply

 

7^th guerrilla (top right) risks an attack on Quintana

They roll 1D6 to decide the outcome

1 or 2 is bad for the guerrilla, 3 or 4 is inconclusive, 5 or 6 is bad for the garrison

The guerrilla roll a one, lose 20% casualties and rout

 

This outcome is bad news.  

The guerrilla can replace one casualty, but will always have the remaining one

This will be minus one on all future dice throws

However the garrison of Quintana is unable to forage during the attack

So they lose one days supplies.

21^st French corps have used one days supplies moving to Palencia

It will take them another day to establish a depot there, and another days supplies

They will then have to resupply before they can advance to attack the British

So even in defeat the guerrilla bands can cause problems for the French commander