Burgos Campaign – Day Two

27 August 1813 – North Spain – Day 2

British attack Santa Maria
1 British army – retreat to Quintana
2 British army – attack Santa Maria
3 British army – observe border

French win battle of Pisuerga
10 French army – concentrate on border
11 French army – defend Santa Maria
12 French army – advance to border

Battle of Santa Maria – End of Move 12

The battle opened with one French corps deployed on the centre objective. The other two corps were either side of Santa Maria. All three corps would be able to move at the start of move one.

The British were off table, but all three corps would arrive at the start of move one.

On the right 31st French corps arrived at the bridge before 4th British corps. Half of their infantry were on the left bank with the corps artillery. The other half were on the right bank with the cavalry. The British light division were on the right bank, supported by the corps cavalry. The CinC commanded the other two infantry brigades and the corps artillery; he also took command of 5th corps cavalry. The British forced the French on the left bank to retreat, and redeploy their cavalry to support the light division on the opposite bank. They now held both ends of the bridge and continued to do so until the end of the battle.

The British had a much harder task in the centre. Neither side could use their cavalry on the hills either side of the main road. The British captured the hill on the right by late afternoon, and then the hill on the left just before nightfall.

The battle for the woods on the left was the most complicated. All four sections of the woods had to be taken and held to control the third objective. The British quickly took the two northern sections, but struggled with the two southern ones. By late afternoon they had taken three of the four sections. The French then launched a counter attack on the bottom right section, and routed the defending highland brigade. The British brigades holding the other three wooded sections had to test their morale because of the rout. All three failed and joined the rout. At nightfall the French held the bottom right section with a shaken infantry brigade. But there were no British reserve to counter attack and the French held the objective.

At nightfall the British held two of the three game objectives and won the battle.

Comments
At the end of move 10 (of 12) it seemed certain that the British would take and hold all three game objectives. They held the bridge on the right. They also held the right hand hill in the centre, and were about to attack the left hand one with three brigades against two. They held three of the four wooded sections on the left, and had just routed the French brigade in the fourth section

The British took and held the hill on the left and thus secured the second of the three objectives

During move 11 they secured the fourth wooded section, and thereby held all three game objectives. However at the start of move 12 the French counter attacked the bottom right section of woods. The result was a draw, but the British had lost 10% casualties. In each move we draw a poker chip to decide which corps moves next. The French had come first to counter attack, it was all down to the outcome of the second round of melee when the British chip was drawn. Another draw, this time both brigades suffered 10% casualties. The French passed their morale test, the British failed and routed. The other three wood sections were within 4” and each of the British brigades holding them had to test their morale. All three failed and joined the rout!

The British still won the game, because they held two of the three game objectives. But Jan (the French player) felt she had won a moral victory by routing all four enemy brigades and retaking the woods.

All of this is possible because of the simple morale rules we use. All brigades who have taken part in a melee or received casualties have to test their morale, even if they have won the melee and not received any casualties. This is decided by the roll of 1D6. It is very unusual to have such a dramatic failure of morale, particularly on the last move of the game. But the fact that it is possible means that no game is ever decided until the chip for the last corps is drawn at the end of move 12.