NSWC 1812 Peninsula Campaign

The Peninsula 1812

Well it is now very close to getting this campaign going (March 2014), the guys seem keen to start our Duke of Wellington is writing orders and I hope the French and Spanish commanders are preparing their orders as well.

The troops involved are all those owned by the players when the campaign starts as well as any new formations during the campaign (these new ones will start at their respective headquarters.

I will be the Umpire and my growing Westphalian Corps is in the campaign plus some Brunswick Hussars and some Portuguese infantry, my pontoon train will become Westphalian (this will be a shock to the Allied commander).

See below.

The Peninsula Campaign 1812

The Earl of Wellington (Wellesley) started 1812 with the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo on January 19-20 1812 (unfortunately the army sacked the city).

Wellington then retired to Fuente Guinaldo and stayed until March. 

At the beginning of March 1812 Wellington moved quickly against Badajoz with 25,000 troops, the fortress was defended by General Philippon and 5,000 men (French, Germans and Spaniards).  The Anglo-Portuguese army crossed the Guadiana River on the 14^th March.  Operations against Badajoz started on the 17^th March, Generals Hill, Graham and Villemur were out entertaining and dancing with d’Erlon and Soult, leaving Wellington in peace to take Badajoz.  The city was stormed on the 6^th April after which followed at least a day of rampage by the half crazed survivors of the attacking forces.

Soult’s advance for the relief of Badajoz was too late.  Wellington now controlled all the fortress (Spanish and Portuguese) covering the main invasion routes into Portugal from Spain and vis-à-vis, this also secured Wellington’s supply lines.

Now Wellington could advance into Spain and take on the Army of Portugal on his (Wellington) own terms in French territory, the war had changed, now, no matter what happened the Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish forces could win out or so it seemed.This is where we will start our campaign from 1^st May 1812.The Duke of Wellington with his Anglo-Portuguese Army, supported by some Spanish divisions (Morillo and Penne Villemur - 1st Army) vs. Marmont (the Spanish General Mendizbal giving problems) with the Army of Portugal and Soult’s Army of the South (which is tied down opposite Cadiz and keeping the Spanish (Ballesteros 2nd Army) out of Sevilla, so this army may or may not have too much of a role but is an interesting distraction for both).  The King of Spain, Joseph and the Army of the Centre have their problems with Empecinado to the south (calling this 4th Army).It has been agreed that the troops involved within this campaign are those that are owned and supplied (painted) by the participating players (Austrians will also act as Spanish if needed). Any units painted or purchased painted after the start of the campaign will be placed in the HQ of the nominated army.  These (new) units can only march to join their respective army and or corps once there is a minimum sized brigade (of type) assembled (if the HQ is evacuated because of enemy presence etc, these units can be moved if required).
Paul B -           King of Spain and C-in-C – At Madrid
Roy     -           French Army of the Centre- HQ Madrid
Robert            -           French Army of Portugal-HQ Valladolid
Michael-         French Army of the South-HQ Sevilla
Don     -           British C-in-C Anglo-Portuguese Army & Spanish Armies-HQ Almeida
Jason  -           British General Hill-HQ Badajoz
Paul C            -           British General Graham-HQ 
Andrew-         Spanish 1^st Army attached to Wellington-HQ
David  -           Spanish 4^th Army, in the Centre-HQ Chinchilla
Bryan -           Spanish 2^nd Army, in the South-HQ Cordova
Map
From Oman’s History of the Peninsula War, general map in Volume One.
Please have printed in A3 colour and laminated.
Supply
Formation Sizes
Tabletop Rules
This may not be to the satisfaction of everyone but there are a number of views on which are the best rules, and that will not change, we have to agree to disagree here.  My compromise is using two sets of rules one everyone is familiar with and the other will become familiar or more familiar (depending how much you have played them already) with over time, but given the more limited scope of this campaign rule set number two may not be used that often.
There will be objectives on the tabletop there will also be event cards some good some not so good this depends on which side you are on at the time the card is played.
1)                  WRG for up too about a corps size force (with the required NSWC amendments).
2)                  Blackpowder for multiple corps (on at least one side) size forces, possibly with some amendments.
3)                  The troops will use the WRG point system.
4)                  We will included a force break point system where by the number of dead and routing units starts to get to high the commander will have to throw a die to see if his force breaks (this will mean that all routing units can not be rallied and more difficult for the remainder of the army to not rout).
5)                  There will be a 50% rule whereby when a unit reaches less than 50% of it’s starting strength (at beginning of the battle) it is unsteady and will rout if it fails any morale test.
6)                  For battlefield victory conditions where there is the ABP (Army Break Point-this does not mean the army will rout it will be harder for formations to stand) the ABP is also based upon the overall morale rating of the formation (easier to reach ABP for Raw than Veteran formations. The battlefield objective will have a points value system, this will help determine victor and defeated. I say help in establishing winner and loser as there may be a situation where side ‘A’ has lost more, troops than side ‘B’ but could still be the victor because they achieved their battlefield goal which maybe physical on the field as well as tactical within the campaign.
7)                  Battlefield commanders will write a general order for the game, objective/s etc. This order cannot be to general in aspect.
8)                  All Line troops will start off as Raw/Green, All Guard troops (Except French Old Guard and British Guard) will start off as Veteran, the French Old Guard and British Guard will start as Elite. WRG rules do not prohibit Unsteady/Raw troops from charging but NSWC amendments do (a unit must be steady/rallied to initiate a charge) but for this campaign all troops that are classed as Raw because they are yet to have an experience defining battle can charge (but remember they are Raw).
9)                  The Raw troops will fight 1 action as Raw and become trained from the 2^nd action, then the trained become Veteran from their 4^th action (the Umpire, see CMG, will let you know). Spanish will add one action, so 2^nd becomes 3^rd (this does not include the Spanish 1^st Army under British direct control).
10)              The Veteran Guard will fight 2 actions as Veteran and become Elite from the 3^rd action (for Spanish see above). The Elite (French Old Guard and British Guard) fight 2 actions as elite and then become Elite Veteran from the 3^rd action.
11)              The Umpire will produce the Orbats and email them to the players.
12)              All Orders after the first General Orders (issued by the C-in-C’s) will be emailed to the Umpire as an attached Word document (examples will be sent). The Umpire will then send to the receiver player at the appropriate campaign date.

This is the list of formations and their respective HQs’

On the Map.

Dark red roads are the main roads can support a corps size force all the time, multiple corps for about 4-6 days.

Green dot roads are the secondary, can support a reinforced division all the time and a corps for about 4 – 6 days.

Main Rivers are in Dark Blue, secondary rivers are black and treated as streams on tabletop.

Rivers can only be crossed by bridge where a road crosses the river.

Capital cities in Red and Towns are marked.

Guns: A couple of players are already moving to having their guns glued on bases with the crew also glued to the base, it is therefore decided that all guns have 4 crew with no less than two crew figures glued on a gun base (players can still use four figures per gun), die to be used to indicate crew losses and to save having dice against each gun a gun base is removed once 4 crew have been lost to the battery/company (this will also apply to those players that do not have guns and crew glued to the base). If the battery routs we turn the guns (this to see if the guns are captured or not by the end of the day) around and all crew are assumed to have routed off table.

An infantry brigade is 3-6 battalions

An infantry division is 2-3 brigades

A cavalry brigade is 2-3 regiments

A cavalry division is 2-3 brigades

A corps 2-3 infantry & 1-2 cavalry divisions (you may want to decrease infantry and increase cavalry, so you can mix it about, that is why the range)

An army, two or more corps, these can concentrate for no more than 4 days for supply reasons for the French and up to six days for Anglo-Portuguese in Portugal and 4 in Spain (Spanish stole from everyone).

A reinforced infantry division 2-3 infantry brigades & a cavalry brigade.

March Rates

20 miles a day for infantry and foot artillery (20mm on an A3 map)

30 miles a day for cavalry & horse artillery (30mm on an A3 map)

10 miles a day for transport & siege trains. (10mm on an A3 map)

Formations will be moved at the speed of the slowest unless stated otherwise.

Watch this space for updates. I do not tend to place new posts every-time I tend to up date the post when needed.

NSWC Campaigns-1810

THE 1810 PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN

This campaign was being played in 25/28mm using WRG rules with a few modifications for simultaneous movement.


For the French, British and Portuguese armies the only forces involved are those owned by the players, as for the Spanish it is based on the forces available to the Spanish at the time with a little artistic licence. 

Don and Robert are providing the Spanish units. Any extra units painted by any player or for any player (painted by others) arrive in a reinforcement town and are then marched to their command.

We started the campaign as of 1 May 1810 with the French controlling Northern Spain and Central Spain (we have had to ignore Eastern Spain). The Anglo-Portuguese under Sir Arthur Wellesley (Lord Duero) control all of Portugal. The Spanish control Southern Spain and also have an Army in the North-West and have the fortresses of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz.

The campaign opened with advances by the French Army of Spain South and West into Spanish controlled Spain. This has resulted in a battle at Talavera de la reina with a Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish army, the French lost the battle and had to retire. 

Meanwhile the French Army of Portugal advanced south from Valladolid towards Ciudad Rodrigo and clashed with the Anglo-Portuguese 1st and Reserve Corps just over a days march from Ciudad Rodrigo at the Battle of Sanchobueno, the British lost and withdrew one day, with the French following up.

The French forces of the King of Spain (Joseph) moved to get behind the Anglo-Spanish forces at Talavera.  Also others forces moved south from Toledo to halt and push south the Spanish Army of the South as it advanced north towards Madrid.  The French clashed with Spanish at the Battle of Herencia on the 7th May.

The French Army of Portugal advanced towards Cuidad Rodrigo following up its victory and attacked the Anglo-Portuguese forces again but did not gain the victory Massena so desired.  Neither side gained an advantage so both forces prepared for a second day of battle.

This all currently under review due to a central player pulling out of the campaign.
We are going to restart the campaign in 1812.  This is taking some time due to the ongoing illness of the Duke of Wellington, but we should start before 2012 has closed.

NSWC Campaigns-1809

THE 1809 PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN

This campaign was being played in 25mm using WRG rules with a few modifications for simultaneous movement.

For the French, British and Portuguese armies the only forces involved are those owned by the players, as for the Spanish it is based on the forces available to the Spanish at the time with a little artistic licence. Don McIntyre is at the moment providing the bulk of the Spanish units with a growing number coming from Robert Horspool (as I paint more of his Front Rank units so more will be his). Any extra units painted by any player or for any player arrive in a reinforcement town and are then marched to their command.

We started the campaign as of 1 May 1809 with the French controlling Northern Portugal, Northern Spain, and Central Spain (we have ignored Eastern Spain). The Anglo-Portuguese under Sir Arthur Wellesley controls all Portugal south of the Douro and the fortress of Almeida and Elvas. The Spanish control Southern Spain and also have an Army in the North-West and have the fortresses of Cuidad Rodrigo and Badajoz.

The campaign opened with an advance by the Anglo-Portuguese army against the French in Northern Portugal, this resulted in a number of small actions at Amarante 8th May 1809 (British Victory) and Villa Real 12 May 1809 (French Victory) and at least two major battles at Oporto 12 May 1809 (British Victory) and Vila de Ledra 17 May 1809 (French Victory). The result was that the French VII and VIII Corps of the Army of Portugal have been forced to leave Portugal, which allows the Anglo-Portuguese to move against the French forces laying siege to Cuidad Rodrigo.

Spanish Ferdinand VII Horse Grenadiers

Meanwhile the Spanish Army of Estremadura, with the support of the British 4^th Division advanced on the French II Corps at Merida (French Victory) fighting a battle on the 15^th May 1809. The Spanish Army of La Mancha advanced to Toledo in order to move onto Madrid however, this army was stopped by the French I Corps at Almonacid de Toledo on the 22^nd May 1809 (French Victory). The Spanish Army of Galicia advanced from Leon towards Valladolid to cut the French main supply route, the French Army of the North concentrated and fought the Spanish at Medina de Rio Seco on the 25^th May 1809 (French Victory).

On the 28th May 1809 the Army of Portugal managed to make one breech in the walls of Ciudad Rodrigo.  Marshal Massena decided to attempt a storming of the breech.  The storming was assigned to two brigades of the IV Corps with support of a third brigade and the corps field artillery plus two batteries of siege artillery.   After 4 hours of fighting the Spanish governor decided to withdraw from the main walls and then to leave Cuidad Rodrigo.  As the IV Corps only had one brigade left attempting to watch the remainder of the fortress walls, the Spanish managed to slip out of the fortress to the south on an unguarded road.  In the end the Army of Portugal had taken one of the two fortresses it needed to captured in order to invade Northern Portugal.

Sir Arthur Wellesley after hearing the besieging guns fall silent and then receive word that Ciudad Rodrigo had fallen decided to advance from Guarda to the lost fortress.  In the process of his advance the Anglo-Portuguese Reserve Corps under Beresford forced the French watching the Guarda road to withdraw beyond Ciudad Rodrigo (after placing a garrison in the town and quickly filling at least half of the trenches and battery positions and partly repairing the breech.  This French withdrawal from the Guarda road also forced the withdrawal of the forces watching the Almedia road or they could have been cut off by the English.

Marshal Massena assembled his army and advanced towards Sir Arthur.   This advance forced Sir Arthur to withdraw from Ciudad Rodrigo and take up a position at Fuentes d'Onoro.  Massena advanced to Fuentes d'Onoro and attacked the British on the 6th June 1809.  Two divisions of French cavalry and one and half divisions of infantry supported by most of the artillery attacked Fuentes d'Onoro which was being defended by the Light Division and with 7th Division in support to the right.   Three French cavalry divisions & one and half infantry divisions advanced on the British centre being held by Picton's 3rd Division, the British cavalry and Portuguese Loyal Lusitanian Legion, these forces where behind the ridge crest with only their artillery forward.  On the French right the Marshal sent one division of cavalry and the remaining one and half divisions on a small front against a Spanish division.   The Anglo-Portuguese-Spanish forces were beaten and forced to retreat towards Viseu.

Also on the 6th June General Hill with the 1st Corps gave battle to the French at Benevente and lost.  The 1st Corps moved south via Mirandela, Rinhovelo and Espinho to Almeida, attacking the French beseiging the fortress on the 19th June.  This battle resulted in another defeat for General Hill with the loss of almost all his corps artillery.  The 1st Corps retreated to Pinhao and rested.   The 1st Corps adavnced towwards Almeida again on the 24th June and arrived on the 27th June finding the French had failed to take the fortress and had been forced to retreat by the advances of Sir Arthur and the Reserve Corps.  The Reserve Corps caught the French in its withdrawal from Almeida at Aldea del Obispo inflicting some loss upon the French.
Sir Arthur withdraw his forces south via Aldeia Vicosa, Pornos de Algodres and Sao Miguel do Outeiro to Bussaco arriving on the evening of the 9th June.   Sir Arthur had his forces take up defensive positions on the 10th June to give battle to Marshal Massena again.  However, the French did not show apart from light cavalry. The Anglo-Portuguese army waited at Bussaco until the morning of the 14th June 1809 at which point Sir Arthur decided to advance again towards Fuentes d'Orono arriving on the afternoon of the 17th June and finding the French ready for battle.   One the 19th June Sir Arthur attacked the French at Fuentes d'Orono for the second time and this time he was blessed with victory.

The campaign moved onto 1810.