Military Modelling – January 1981

Refight of Teaser 14 (December 1980)

Charles S. Grant describes the
fighting of the Spanish Penin-
sular wargame, outlined in
last months' article.
The Teaser "Peninsular Conflict"
was fought in Dover last year
under the title of "The Defence of El
Roco Pass". The game was fought
on the customary Sunday evening
with no less than ten wargamers,
including yours truly the hard-
pressed umpire, crammed into
and around the war-game room.
Of these prestigious generals Rob
Waldron found himself
commander-in-chief of the
Spanish forces. In the guise of
General Don Roberto José Iglesias
de la Gregorio Cordoba (let's just
say Don Roberto), Rob was aided
by lan Osborn, Martin Dice and
others. The Spanish force covering
the two passes of El Roco as
Map 1, Period 9. The Polish battalion (T)
supported by the two dragoon regiments In addition to the regular forces command fell to David Matthews
and the 70th Line, move to attack the of Don Roberto there were in the assisted by Chris Spickett, Peter
Aragon Regiments (5) on the north ridge town on the edge of the table, Sheppard and Ray McGarry. Their
but the Pavia Dragoons (6) are coming
over to support the latter. The guerrillas through which the French would instructions were ...
have appeared in the town causing some pass, a dozen or so desperate "You represent the advance
casualties despite the attempts of the 2nd guerrillas led by El Diablo Green guard, moving at speed, a day's
Leger (U) Voltigeurs to suppress them. (Andrew Green). This small but march ahead of the main body. You
shown last month and on map 1 useful force was not under the must seize and hold one or both of
was as follows. command of Don Roberto but the El Roco passes by last light for
Map would act entirely independently. the main force. To achieve this you
Reference Unit Name At this point, and before the must hold the pass in such a way
1 Regiment Soria French Army is introduced, it is that forces passing through it can
2 Regiment Cordoba worth recalling that the Spanish move un-harassed by the enemy.
3 Regiment Zaragoza Forces considered for this Teaser Remember that, although the
Infantry last month were to be inferior in Spanish army may be numerically
4 Regiment Rey firing effect and in morale. The superior, they are poorly trained (ill
5 Regiment Aragon effects of group firing musketry led?) and of low morale."
6 Pavia Dragoons were therefore reduced by 1 as The Battle
7 1 battery of two guns was the initial officer score for Thus, with the preliminaries
The Spanish picture was given as morale purposes. Hand-to-hand done, action could commence.
follows:-"The year is 1808 and the fighting was not changed The French column appeared on
French Armies have stolen the assuming that men will fight for the table marching through the
Spanish crown and are spreading their lives with more or less equal town with the Polish battalion (T)
their tendrils over our country. A enthusiasm. We will say more of leading, followed by the 2nd Leger
small French advance guard is the effects of these changes later. (U) and the artillery (V). The
pushing ahead of the main body The first period saw the French Spanish forces responded with
intent on seizing one or both of the forces start to arrive in the some minor adjustments to their
passes of El Roco which guard the following order:- positions while their guns on the
fertile plains beyond. Your force is T 1st Battalion, 4th Polish central ridge opened fire. The first
to defend the passes throughout Infantry Regiment. couple of salvoes fell short but as
the day in order to prevent the U 1st Battalion, 2nd Leger. the leading infantry came out of
French gaining control of one or V 1 battery of 2 guns. the town in the third period the
both. If you can hold the French W 1st Battalion, 70th Line gunners had found their mark and
throughout the day, the night will X 4th Dragoons. men began to fall. As this continued
see you reinforced by militia and Y 5th Dragoons. into the fourth period rather more
regular units arriving through the Z 1st Battalion, 86th Line. casualties were being inflicted than
pass. If the French are allowed to The arrival was slow as the units could be accounted for by gunfire.
take one pass their armies were marching in column through It was the tell-tale puffs of smoke
following behind will be able to the town but once on the west from some of the houses that
march into the plains unopposed. side they deployed quickly, indicated the hostile presence of El
It is therefore imperative that you encouraged, no doubt, by the Diablo's guerrillas. As the advance
succeed." Spanish gunfire. The French through the town continued, the
70th Line, 4th and 5th Dragoons to counter the French cavalry. infantry coming into the fray.
and finally the 1st Battalion, 86th As the Polish battalion closed with Casualties in this round were about
Line came onto the table. During the Aragon Infantry, the casualties on equal. In the succeeding period the
the ensuing move periods further both sides were heavy but slightly in 5th Dragoons pulled off, while the
casualties fell in the ranks of the favour of the Spanish infantry who much reduced Spanish infantry
Polish battalion who, rather than remained stationary. After another retired in surprisingly good order.
wait for further support, were period of musketry, the Spanish During this time, the Regiment Rey
marching purposefully forward in charged downhill, on the Polish (4) had been engaged in a fire-fight
the direction of the north pass in infantry below. The unfortunate Poles with the 70th Line. Once again both
echelon of companies. The 2nd had just halted and so took the regiments had lost heavily but the
Leger, having left the town, charge standing. A ragged volley was Spanish, supported by one of their
deployed south west followed by discharged by the Poles but had little guns firing canister, had the upper
the artillery. The guerrillas were effect as the Spaniards came to hand and the 70th Line fell back below
now becoming more than a grips. A fierce melee now ensued but 50% of its strength. At this time, the
nuisance and, having picked off the heavy casualties which the Poles third move of melee between the
several of the dragoons including had suffered from the artillery and French and Spanish dragoons ended
an officer in the 6th period, the 2nd musketry fire had seriously depleted in favour of the Spanish, the former
Leger dispatched a company of their ranks and, at the end of one breaking under a second push back.
voltigeurs to deal with them. Two period of fighting, well below half One more sinister action sealed the
guerrillas were killed by the vol- strength, they broke and fled. This French failure. With the 2nd Leger
tigeurs, who also lost two men, left the Aragon Infantry to rally at the now some way to the south west of
but the elusive guerrillas melted foot of the hill. the French artillery engaged in a fire-
back into the town to pick up other While this action was unfolding, the fight with the Soria Regiment, the
targets. French advance elsewhere was guerrillas were free to come out of
The 8th period was the signal for continuing. The voltigeurs had given the town and do serious damage to
the French guns to come into up their action with the guerrillas and the French gunners. The result was
action south west of the town and were now skirmishing ahead of the that one gun could only fire on
they immediately turned their 2nd Leger who were advancing alternate periods, and the other would
attention to the Spanish guns, towards the Soria Infantry (1). The shortly be in the same situation (see
killing one gunner. Meanwhile in artillery fire on both sides continued map 3 period 15).
the town, the guerrillas, despite to cause casualties. The French had failed to take the
one being rendered a casualty by Returning to the north slope, the northern pass which was now being
his own rather antiquated Dragoons (X) met the Pavia strengthened by the Zaragaza
blunderbuss blowing up, were Dragoons (6) on the hill as both sides Regiment (3) with the Cordoba
doing dreadful things to the 5th charged. This first round of melee, Regiment (2) set to reinforce either
Dragoons who, having lost a second though roughly balanced in this regiment or the Soria (1) as
officer spurred their horses and casualties, caused the Spanish required. The Spanish guns covered
galloped through the remainder of cavalry to be pushed back. As this the pass, intact and despite severe
the town in a frenzy. The only French was going on, the second French losses, the Pavia Dragoons could still
unit still passing through the town dragoon regiment were also match swords with the French
now was the 85th Line. The voltigeur engaged. This interesting action cavalry. All that the French could do
company had lost several more resulted from the charge of the was to retire to the town, clean out
casualties without doing any Aragon Regiment during the previous the guerrillas (if they could) and wait
significant damage to the period. Their move had taken them unsuccessfully for their main army.
confounded guerrillas who seemed level with and almost touching the Conclusions
to swarm about the town in great 5th Dragoons who were following the The game was enjoyed by all. It was
numbers. In fact there were only 4th Dragoons. With the Poles broken nice to see two slightly different
nine still remaining. and the Spanish infantry rallying, the Napoleonic armies coming to grips
The situation in the 9th period is Colonel of the 5th decided to wheel (even if the Spanish forces were
shown on map 1. The Polish battalion left and attack the Aragon Infantry. represented by Austrian figures much
was engaged in a fire-fight with the Fortunately for the Spanish, the to lan Osborn's disgust).
Aragon Infantry (5) as they French dragoons were too close to In considering the result, it would
approached the northern slope. They charge. They could turn their horses seem to be a fair one although the
were supported by the 70th Line (W) and skirmish in open order with the French might have done better to
and the two regiments of dragoons. infantry. Nevertheless, several of the deploy on the west edge of the town
The French guns were in action Aragon were ridden down before and muster their forces before
causing casualties on the Spanish they could turn to defend attacking. During this time they could
position while the formers southern themselves. A number more fell to have employed a full battalion to take
flank was protected by the 2nd Leger sabre cuts. The Aragon Infantry, sup- out the guerrillas who became more
less the voltigeur company who still ported by the Regiment Rey, were than troublesome as time
exchanged shots with the guerrillas. made of stern stuff and their morale progressed. Be this as it may, I don't
From the Spanish point of view, the held this first assault (map 2). think a win was ever on for the French
French main thrust toward the north In period 13, the 4th Dragoons were and that is what I would like to put
pass had not gone unnoticed for, as pushed back by the Pavia Dragoons right in this conclusion.
well as the Aragon, the Rey Regiment on the hill. Down below, the 5th First of all, the disadvantages
deployed across the pass and the Dragoons and staunch Aragon inherent in the Spanish forces for
Pavia (6) Dragoons were moving north Infantry fought on with more of the firing were insufficient to sway the
balance. In fact with the disadvan- Aragon Regiment should have been battalion of infantry.
tage employed, the Spanish fire able to survive the flank attack, all be Let me say that these critical
while stationary equated to the it not at the charge, of the 5th observations in no way detracted
French firing as they advanced. The Dragoons. A differential of about from a very lively and enjoyable
disadvantage should, I believe, have three points would provide a more game and the guerrillas played a
been greater to produce a truer accurate representation. useful part in the battle. If you fancy
representation of the national Finally, the strength of each side a go at "Peninsular Conflict," why
differences at the. time. should be questioned. It is asking a not incorporate the changes outlined
Secondly, the loss of one morale great deal of an army to attack a above and let me know the outcome?
point in a reaction test came nowhere defensive position with inferior Next time, editor permitting, our
close to representing the inferior strength whatever the defender's Teaser will take the form of a "Viking
training and morale of the Spanish limitations. In fighting this Teaser Saga." MM
forces of the period. For example, I again, I would be inclined to increase
do not believe that the morale of the the French forces by a further
 Map2, Period 12(left). The Polish battalion breaks and runs but
the 5th Dragoons (Y) takes the Aragon Regiment (5) in the flank as Map 3, Period 15 (right). The 70th Line, now below 50% strength,
it rallies. Meanwhile the 4th Dragoons and Pavia Dragoons (X and 6) retire as do the two dragoon regiments although the 5th
are locked in combat on the north ridge. Guerrillas are now Dragoons (Y) rally. The French guns are almost silenced as a result
engaging the French artillery and the other Spanish Infantry (3 of casualties from the guerrillas. With the north pass reinforced
and 2) are moving north to aid the defenders of the north pass as and only the 85th Line still fresh, the French attack has failed.
the storm is unleashed.