1813 Campaign – Battle of Castanar

We have fought the first battle of the Cuidad Real campaign.

It was a very small affair with a weak Spanish corps attempting to stop a stronger Italian corps.   Not surprisingly the Spanish lost!

The Spanish had three infantry brigades and corps artillery deployed just north of the town, which was occupied by a militia brigade.   The Italians had four infantry brigades, a cavalry brigade and corps artillery.

The background to the battle is that the French advance south of Madrid had just begun, and the widely dispersed Spanish army were caught unprepared.   The Spanish CinC had issued orders for all four corps to retreat, but the orders for this corps arrived too late.

As a game the Spanish objective was to cause as many casualties as possible before being forced to retreat and abandon Castanar.  

They held out for eight hours/moves, which is two thirds of a day.  They lost 2600 casualties against 1300 Italian casualties.   But this is better than it appears at first sight.

My objective with this campaign is to test attrition rules for a French army operating in Spain.   They are expected to defeat the Spanish regular army when they meet them in a regular battle.   But their supply problems as they advance.

In this particular battle the Spanish lost 6 infantry casualties (400 men each) in one brigade and 2 gunner casualties (100 men each) in their corps artillery.   The Italians lost one infantry casualty (400 men each) in three brigades and one cavalry casualty (100 men) in their cavalry brigade.   The Spanish militia garrison did not suffer any casualties, but they have to abandon Castanar and will become a guerrilla band.

In wargame terms this means that the Spanish have lost one infantry brigade and their corps artillery.   They have gained a guerrilla band.    The Italians have three infantry and one cavalry brigade with casualties.   They will also have to detach one infantry brigade to garrison Castanar.

Under our wargame rules each casualty reduced morale and fighting capacity by one point.   Battle casualties are replaced by 400 infantry or 100 gunners or cavalryman for each day that the corps is stationary and in supply.  However each brigade retains at least one casualty throughout the campaign.  

This means that the all Italian casualties in this battle will affect their effectiveness throughout this campaign.    The Spanish infantry will be replaced, less one casualty/400 men.   Their artillery will be replaced, less one casualty/100 men.  

So although this battle has resulted in a clear Italian victory, they will suffer more in due course because the casualties are spread over more brigades.

The Spanish have lost the battle, but their static militia garrison is now a roving guerrilla band capable to causing attrition problems to the French.

That is what I am trying to achieve.  It will be interesting to see how it works out over the next couple of months.

1813 Campaign – Cuidad Real Phase

Tactical map at start of campaign

This is the first campaign in Spain since the recent rewrite of the campaign rules for Spanish militia and guerrilla.   So it will be interesting to see how they work out in practice.

The map shows the location of the French and Spanish corps at the start of the campaign.   Normally the campaign objective, Cuidad Real, is in the centre of the map.   However this time it is down in the bottom right.

The Spanish field army consists of four corps, and they do not stand much chance of success against the French in a set piece battle.   In addition they are deployed in the middle of the map, leaving them dispersed and within easy reach of the French.   This is to allow the French the opportunity of a surprise attack to weaken the Spanish before they can retreat.

So at the start of the campaign things do not look good for the Spanish.  However the new element in this campaign is the increased numbers of militia and guerrilla brigades.

There are nine militia brigades, one to garrison each town.   When the French occupy that town the militia brigade become a guerrilla group.   However they are still tied to the area of their home town.

The French have occupied the three most northern towns.   These are Navalmoral, Guadalupe and Alcoba.   The garrisons of those town have converted to guerrilla bands and are hovering out of reach of the French corps still in occupation.

The French plan is to move south over a wide area, in order to prevent the Spanish field army from concentrating against them.   However this means that they will have three lines of communication which they will have to protect until they achieve complete victory.  Each occupied town requires at least one infantry brigade as garrison.

As the French advance south they will have to detach more and more brigades, thus weakening their own field army.   If the guerrilla can capture garrisons or supply columns the French will suffer attrition casualties until they can resupply.

If the Spanish can avoid a major defeat as they retreat, and if they can weaken the French as they advance, a victory should be assured.

The principle is historical, but how it will work in practice we will have to wait and see.

1813 Campaign - Role of Spanish Militia and Guerrilla

The next campaign phase will be set in Southern Spain, and in preparation I have rewritten the campaign rules for militia and guerrilla.

Since we started the campaign the Spanish corps have been similar in size and composition to the French corps.   Usually four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery.  However a higher proportion of the Spanish brigades were conscript and have lower morale, firing and skirmish ability.   In addition the Spanish have four militia brigades who form the garrison of each town.   If the town is captured by the French these militia become guerrilla.   To balance this I allowed the French one extra conscript brigade per corps to provide their garrisons.

For the next campaign the Spanish army have been reorganised.   Two of the four corps will have four infantry brigades, one cavalry brigade and corps artillery.  The other two will have three infantry brigades and corps artillery, but no cavalry.

To compensate the number of militia brigades have been increased from four to nine.

The campaign rules for militia and guerrilla have been completely rewritten.   First, and most important, battle casualties will not be replaced for either.   Each 10% casualty reduces morale, firing and skirmish dice roll by one.

Second guerrilla carry a maximum of three days supplies, the French can carry four.

Third their effectiveness have been reduced for the four guerrilla activities.   These are observing the enemy, attack messengers, ambush supply columns and attack garrisons.

It is always difficult to predict how much a difference major changes like this will make, and only experience on the wargames table will prove whether I have made the Spanish too weak.

If you would like to read the full campaign rules you will find them here.   Click on Label 8 (top right) for the militia and guerrilla rules.

http://napoleoniccampaignrules.blogspot.com.es/