End of Santiago Campaign

Campaign phases in Northern Spain

This was the seventh campaign phase set in Northern Spain.   It was the fourth victory for Wellington.

You can see from the map where each phase took place, the sequence of the campaign and who won.

Each campaign phase is stand alone, casualties are not carried forward from one phase to the next. 

The overall 1813 campaign is a framework for the phases, which in turn are a means of creating interesting wargames to fight.    The flow of the campaign does follow from who won the last phase.   But it is more important to fight each phase in a new location, than to follow too closely the result of the last campaign phase.

Battles fought in Northern Spain

During the Santiago phase there were six battles fought.  The British won 3 and the French also won 3.

Since the start of this campaign there have been 36 battles fought in Northern Spain.   The British won 20, the French won 15 and there was 1 draw.

Campaign phases in Europe

This map shows the current 32 phases fought throughout Europe

If there are any who have followed my 1813 campaign since it stated back in April 2009 they may well be confused that there are only 32 phases.  In particular anyone who took part in the PBEM campaign may not be able to find the phases they took part in.

This is because there have actually been five different parts of the non-stop campaign:

First was a Solo campaign from April 2009 to October 2009

Second a PBEM campaign from October 2009 to July 2013

Third a PBEM campaign from July 2013 to March 2015

Fourth a PBEM campaign from March 2015 to February 2016

Fifth a Solo campaign from February 2016 to date

During that period there was actually 75 campaign phases!

The reason for these different parts of the same campaign is that is have constantly evolved and changed to incorporate new idea and in particular new maps.

For example the third campaign moved into 1814 and the campaign in France.   This was an experiment which lasted for a year.  

The fourth campaign was back in 1813, and the clock turned back to April.   This was a PBEM campaign, and when I changed it back to a Solo campaign I had an armistice to rearrange the map again.   The current stats deal with the fourth and fifth campaign.

Quite complicated, but it was necessary to deal with the changing circumstances.  I have never hesitated to take liberties with the overall 1813 campaign.  I have always considered it a framework for the campaign phases.   It is the phases themselves which are important, because they produce the battles which are fought as wargames.

So another campaign phase comes to an end.   You would think after almost eleven years I would be getting bored with it all.  But to be honest I am really looking forward to the next phase.

Santiago Campaign – Day 12

Campaign Map on 30 October 1813

7^th and 16^th corps retreat to Oviedo

Both are now out of supply, and will lose attrition casualties until they resupply

There are only 5 days supplies at Oviedo, but that is sufficient for them to regroup

It will however take some days before either are operational again

Their retreat in the north also force 8^th and reserve corps to retreat to Lugo

Both are low on supplies (two days each) and there is only one day at Lugo

They will have to continue their retreat to Astorga, and resupply from Sanabria

The French retreat allows guerrilla bands to occupy both Ribadeo and Santiago

Wellington’s army is also running short of supplies (two days each)

But he is much closer to his supply depots, and will be fully supplied within two days

This will allow him to move on to the offensive

Soult is well aware of his desperate situation, he orders a general retreat.

Campaign Notes         

It was interesting to see how the French managed to lose the campaign, despite making most progress through the campaign.    They managed to push Wellington into a small area between Santiago and Ourense.   One more victory would have sent the British back into Portugal.

However it was extremely difficult for the French to concentrate against such a good defensive position.  

This was largely due to the supply system, and the luck of the Spanish guerrilla in disrupting it.   If the French could have concentrated and regrouped at Corunna and Lugo they could have routed the British.   But it proved too large an area, and too many and much too long supply lines

It is also interesting to note that both 4^th British corps at Ourense, and 13^th Polish corps at Ponferrada took no active part in the campaign at all.   Yet they played a vital role in the eventual victory.

Ourense commands the vital road to Portugal, along which all supplies must move.   It had to be held by a strong corps, which meant that 4^th corps could not be used to support the main army.   It might have been replaced by a corps which had suffered heavy casualties, for example 2^nd British corps.   But that would have invited an attack by the Polish corps over the river Minio.   Had they taken Ourense that would have been the end of the campaign.   Worse still Wellington would have had to retreat to Corunna to save his army (sound familiar?)

I am very pleased with how this campaign went.   It was uncertain right up to the last  battle, which could just as easily have been won by the French as the British.  The Spanish guerrilla again played a vital role in the campaign.  Not because they were a formidable enemy, but because they could not be ignored.   It was sometimes tempting to do so, but that was when they then rolled a 6 and captured Astorga.  

                                          

Santiago Campaign – Day 11

Campaign Map on 29 October 1813

8^th French corps occupy Santiago and secure depot and three days supplies

Ourense is now the main British depot

9^th militia (guerrilla) occupy Astorga with its three days supplies

They ransack the town and burn all official buildings

Sanabria is now the main French depot

10^th French brigade (the ex garrison of Astorga) rout towards Oviedo

They are ambushed by 5^th militia (guerrilla) as they near the town

They try to surrender after a brief fight, but all are killed

Wellington is faced with a choice

He can either move south and retake Santiago

Or he can continue to attack in the north before the French can recover

He decides to abandon his lines of supply and attack Ribadeo

1^st and 3^rd British corps attack Ribadeo, both are well supplied

The town is defended by 7^th and 16^th French corps, who are both short of supplies

Battle of Ribadeo

Both armies start the battle with previous battle casualties.

This leaves them both with fragile morale

Wellington takes command of both corps artillery, and deploys them in the centre

The remainder of his army are kept in reserve out of artillery range of the French

He concentrates his artillery on the nearest French infantry brigade

They already have casualties, and are soon shaken

He moves his artillery to the next infantry brigade

Again they have casualties, and soon break and run

This causes the shaken infantry to test morale, they fail and also rout

This in turn has the same effect on the nearby dragoon brigade

With his centre in rout Soult orders his flanks to withdraw

Campaign Notes

Wellington took a risk in ordering an attack

The French has longer range 12 pounder artillery

And he could easily have suffered the same fate as Soult

However he was lucky, and he rolled better dice!

Both of the French corps started the battle with just two days supplies

The compulsory retreat will leave them out of supply

They will have to retreat, and accept attrition casualties, until they can resupply

The retreat will allow the Spanish guerrilla to retake Ribadeo and its depot

They already occupy Astorga, and control the French rear area

8^th corps and the French reserve have occupied Santiago

But they are now very exposed to attack from both north and south

The situation of the French army is desperate.