Game 110 : Battle of Ocana : take 2

 We turned the battle of Ocana around and refought the battle. In a nutshell, the new rules for villages work for the Peninsular, they need testing for the European theatre. 

The Spanish tried to mix up the troops facing the French so that they weren't all blocks. The problem for the Spanish would be the same, the cavalry have poor elan and so never make headway. 

The Lancers nearly covered themselves in glory, nearly broke French infantry, but nearly isn't enough!

This is the Spanish Right wing where you see the mix of troops to try and stop the French. I was attempting to ensure that all support fire was maximised. That is a continuous struggle for the Spanish.

The village of Ocana itself is a situation where you try to hold by trading losses, then hope to rotate the lead units out of the line. That is always fine in theory, trying to execute such ideas always becomes fraught.

The Spanish left, where the task is to try and not get outflanked, but also maintain the front line contiguous with Ocana itself. The weight of the Spanish Cavalry, 75% of it is on the right. So only a single Brigade in this area.

The right is where the Spanish performed best, partly influenced by the fact that this was the weakest flank, with respect to infantry, for the French. It was a continual struggle to try and get any initiative in this sector, this was where the Spanish had to make headway. It didn't happen!

Despite heavy losses, the Spanish bravery was insufficient to maintain the grip on Ocana. Slowly, but surely, the French were driving into Ocana.

The result on the left was inevitable. The flank was slowly being turned. The Spanish made no inroads in any sector and it was clear that they would have to withdraw.

The overall game mechanics worked well. The new way of reflecting the Spanish capabilities worked very well.

	Play Test 1
French Formations	Losses %			Spanish Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
SOULT				Arzeiga
Sebastiani				Zayas	0	-	13
Leval	2	-	0	Lacy	29	-	0
Werle	4	-	8	Vigolet	1	-	21
Paris	-	14	33	Giron	7	-	0
				Castejon	0	-	38
Mortier				Zerain	6	-	0
Girard	5	-	0	Jacome	0	-	4
Gazan	19	-	0	Copon	19	-	46
Beauregard	-	2	4	Bemuy	-	2	25
				Rivas	-	9	33
Milhaud	-	12	54	March	-	31	29
Desolles	8	28	4	Ossorio	-	3	38

Spanish artillery losses were especially high. Although its most powerful arm, it was sniped at for most of the battle.

Snug under cover after the game, its now beer and a Chinese meal! The next game will be another first for the Situation room, so watch this space.

Game 109 : Battle of Ocana : November 19th 1809

 We're in the Peninsular. This, I thought, was a new game but I found out we played it 3 years ago, albeit at a vastly reduced scale. This time we fought the game to our usual scale. 

It is French v Spanish battle. We also introduced some new rules and a change to how we treat the Spanish. The Spanish army outnumbered the French army, in all arms, by about 5:3. Spanish Infantry and artillery were treated as normal line infantry, mixed with some Seasoned troops and some Militia. The Cavalry were generally Militia types.

Villages became built up areas that were as laid out. You had to move and fight through a village, it was no longer just a feature called a village. This was an interesting experience. It worked and villages became a new complex problem for both sides to either hold or seize.

This shows the battlefield from the Spanish right to Ocana. The Spanish had picked open terrain, with Ocana in its centre, to deploy and face the French. The Spanish right was heavy with 3/4 of their cavalry. The French would try to defeat this cavalry, as the French cavalry was generally higher quality, and then turn the Spanish right. This was exactly what happened historically.

On the Spanish centre/left, it was really an infantry fight. Taking villages becomes even more protracted than it used to take using the standard rules. In the context of a Peninsular battle, the new system does give a better feel to the overall comabt.

The French, me, got too adventurous on my advance and exposed my infantry flank to a cavalry charge. Fortunately for the French, the relatively poor Spanish cavalry, easily unformed on the in approach, were unable to exploit the French mistake and bounced! Brows mopped all round for the French infantry!!

The French assault on their right advances with the affect of a steamroller. Some Spanish units were standing, some were retreating after suffering significant losses from French artillery. 

The French infantry eventually break into Ocana itself. The Spanish are now being forced back in all areas and their left is not far from potential collapse under attack from French all arms and now flanked by the French. We will repeat the battle next time, I will then be Spanish and Graham will be French. 

The battle had the right feel and both sides actually used the deployments and tactics used historically. The new rules worked well and the new way of defining the Spanish troops regards class etc also worked well.

 

	Play Test 1
French Formations	Losses %			Spanish Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
SOULT				Arzeiga
Sebastiani				Zayas	24	-	25
Leval	14	-	0	Lacy	2	-	0
Werle	2	-	8	Vigolet	3	-	42
Paris	-	5	17	Giron	6	-	25
				Castejon	17	-	100
Mortier				Zerain	7	-	67
Girard	6	-	0	Jacome	14	-	0
Gazan	19	-	0	Copon	18	-	38
Beauregard	-	4	17	Bemuy	-	19	29
				Rivas	-	14	4
Milhaud	-	21	8	March	-	31	33
Desolles	3	20	4	Ossorio	-	20	21

The casualty table is above and losses were heavy for such a scale game. We'll see what happens next time!

Game 108 : Hohenlinden December 3rd 1800

 I made the error of thinking this was a small battle as I wanted a game for 2 players. Oops! So I decided to use the armies involved at cut down sizes. It did result in an interesting game, albeit it would undoubtedly be different with more troops.

 The main action, and actually most of it, revolved around the French right flank, anchored on Hohenlinden. This is a type of encounter battle with a French flank march arriving that neither side actually knows is arriving and so planning is allowed for its eventuality. To reflect this, the French had a more or less historical deployment.

The Austrians, on the right of the pic, are advancing straight in to try for a knock out blow. The Austrians have artillery superiority on both flanks of the main assault.

The attack goes in immediately. It was a close battle, but one poor piece of bad luck for the Austrians saw them bounced off. Then things began to unravel for the Austrians, even though the battle was still fairly young. 

The Austrian troops who assaulted have retired, to both reform and re-organise and to allow more troops into the line. The French attempt to exploit this by launching their Light cavalry against the Austrian gun line on the Austrian left. Three of the batteries are either ridden down or forced to retire. The French now have the initiative.

Both sides take time to consolidate and results in a clash of the Cavalry reserves of both sides. The French cavalry do well, but the Austrian morale holds and so the action ends inconclusive. 

This pic will be slightly confusing as it has been taken with the French lines on the right of the pic whereas all the previous pics had the French lines on the left. Moreover, this shows the battle end, only French troops can be seen in full control of the battlefield. The Austrian army has managed to withdraw with a retreat covered by their remaining cavalry. 

French Formations	Losses %			Austrian Formations	Losses%
	Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery		Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery
Moreau	-	-	29	Johann
D’Hautpoul	-	14	0	Kollowrat	2	35	64
Grouchy	0	1	48	Liechtenstein	-	51	50
Richepense	0	8	8	Baillott	26	10	10
Bastoule	0	27	10	Kienmayer	4	21	8
Legrand	11	36	8	Reisch	1	8	5
Ney	7	73	15
Dacaen	5	14	40

The casualty tavles hows that both sides suffered considerable casualties. Cavalry losses for both sides were significantly high as were artillery losses. Next stop is a Peninsular battle, another take on the battle of Ocana, a French - Spanish affair.

The usual 2 reprobates! Beer and curry would shortly follow.