Talavera - Night Attack, Game Two

So on with the scenario play tests and the second run through of the second scenario, "Talavera Night Attack".

The object of these series of game tests is to find the optimum settings for each army that closely matches the historical performance recorded. Once that picture has emerged we can then consider how best to link the games and recreate the battle as a whole.

In the first game the French struggled to dominate the British/KGL brigades and take full advantage of the surprise despite having better numbers of troops engaged than historically. This suggested that the British needed their combat capability adjusted down and so to test the theory, the British quality rating (a combination of experience, morale, training and ability) were reduced, based on their experience to a default setting of C-, bringing the bulk of their units slightly below the default French setting of a C rating. In addition we reduced the British responsiveness to attack which would determine how many men in each unit could open fire and engage in combat as the battle progressed.

This game has the British at their worst possible setting and the French unchanged from the first game and as you will see this dramatically changed the end results.

Talavera Night Attack Game One

So the orders of battle illustrating the combat ratings are as follows:

Talavera - Night Attack
As of Game Turn: 1 (22.00)

Division Rowland Hill - Defend
[ 512] Major General Rowland Hill - Active B- [950 paces]

Brigade Richard Stewart - Defend
[ 514] Brigadier General Richard Stewart - Active B [450 paces]
[ 529] 29th Foot 0/ 598 C+ [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 530] 1/48th Foot 0/ 807 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 531] 1st Battalion of Detachments 0/ 609 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]

Brigade Ernest Baron Langwerth - Defend
[ 510] Brigadier General Ernest Baron Langwerth - Active B- [350 paces]
[ 519] 1st KGL Line Battalion 0/ 604 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 520] 2nd KGL Line Battalion 0/ 678 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]

Brigade Sigismund Baron Low - Defend
[ 511] Brigadier General Sigismund Baron Low - Active C+ [450 paces]
[ 522] 5th KGL Line Battalion 0/ 610 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 523] 7th KGL Line Battalion 0/ 557 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]

Brigade Rufane Donkin - Defend
[ 516] Colonel Rufane Donkin - Active B- [350 paces]
[ 537] 2/87th Foot 0/ 599 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 538] 1/88th Foot 0/ 599 C- [sk] Line SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 539] 5/60th Rifles 0/ 273 B- [sk] Open Order Rifled Musket

Strengths:
losses/active
0/ 5934 Bayonets
0/ 5934 Total of all arms

At 22.00, with visibility at 200 paces, the French columns descend into the Portina valley

Talavera - Night Attack
As of Game Turn: 1 (22.00)

Division Francois Amable Ruffin - Attack
[ 105] General de Division Francois Amable Ruffin - Active D+ [650 paces]

Brigade Claude-Marie Meunier - Attack
[ 106] General de Brigade Claude-Marie Meunier - Active B- [400 paces]
[ 191] 1/9me Regiment de Legere 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 192] 2/9me Regiment de Legere 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 193] 3/9me Regiment de Legere 0/ 587 C- [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 194] 1/24me Regiment de Ligne 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 195] 2/24me Regiment de Ligne 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 196] 3/24me Regiment de Ligne 0/ 587 C- [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]

Brigade Pierre Barrois - Attack
[ 107] General de Brigade Pierre Barrois - Active B [450 paces]
[ 199] 1/96me Regiment de Ligne. 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 200] 2/96me Regiment de Ligne. 0/ 587 C [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]
[ 201] 3/96me Regiment de Ligne. 0/ 587 C- [sk] D.Comp.Col. SB.Musk.[1st]

Strengths:
losses/active
0/ 5283 Bayonets
0/ 5283 Total of all arms
3 Standards present

(Note for this test game the French are fairly vanilla with all battalion strengths taken as an average for the brigade. This was because I added back in their individual Voltigeur companies that had been distributed to the Voltigeur battalions for day time combat.  In game three the battalion strengths will be randomised on the average using the C&G software).

All French columns are still on track to attack the Cerro de Medellin. The objective area is indicated with the little markers

For this test my younger son Will, on a week home from working in Paris and keen to demonstrate his mastery of French, was appropriately running the French with Steve M taking the unsuspecting British/KGL.

As before we had all units set up on blinds with the first four moves simply seeing how the three French regiments would navigate themselves across the Portina Stream. The blinds enable a limited amount of re-positioning when units are revealed. I also tried out a slight variation from the last game by allowing the French to nominate a regulating battalion for each regiment that allowed the other battalions in visible range to move with it and maintain station. Of course, if the regulating battalion went off course so did the others following its lead.

First contact, the 9th Legere meet the 5th and 7th KGL on the lower slopes

Will's die rolling was much better than mine in the first game and he succeeded in getting all his battalions across with the 9th Legere making first contact with Low's KGL. Steve opted to set up his battalions side by side rather than one behind the other and with the harsher musketry response rules in play only managed to issue fire with 5% and 4% from each battalion.

The Germans rush to their arms as the alarm is called

The 9th Legere replied in kind from the front of their columns and charged home, causing both battalions to recoil 150 paces facing the enemy. With the first firing all the British units were on alert and Will was keen to keep the initiative by feeding more of his battalions forward whilst the two KGL brigades were being dealt with.

The 9th Legere charge Low's KGL brigade as other French columns infiltrate the British lines

As the fight developed on the forward slopes with Langwerth's KGL brigade contacted by the 96th Ligne, the game clock ticked over towards midnight and Steve was already casting an eye for the arrival of the British commander in the area, General Hill, bringing with him, Stuart's brigade and the veteran 29th Foot.

The spearhead regiment meet the first resistance

Langwerth's brigade resisted the first attacks by the 96th Ligne with a well directed volley from the 1st KGL, unfortunately the 2nd KGL were not quite as vigilant and their firing was unable to prevent the French columns charging in and they too were forced back leaving the 1st KGL to carry on alone.

With the KGL in retreat the 24th Ligne challenge Donkin's brigade on the summit

As the 9th Legere was dishing it out to Low's KGL the 24th Ligne advanced onto the summit and the objective area to be met by the Irish brigade under Colonel Donkin. The 2/87th were the first battalion to open fire but were only able to inflict minimal casualties on the 1/24th Ligne who matched them with a volley from the front of their column.

Supported by the 2/24th Ligne the two columns charged forward. The 2/87th put out a feeble defensive fire and, when attempting to do the same to the 2/24th Ligne, broke back 300 paces off the summit with their brigade commander, Colonel Donkin, in hot pursuit.

Langwerth's 1st & 2nd KGL struggle to hold back the 96th Ligne with Low's KGL brigade broken

As the 1/88th and 5/60th Rifles struggled to deal with five French battalions converging on the summit objective, General Hill and his leading battalions approached the rear slopes of the Cerro de Medellin, very conscious of the volume of firing going on ahead of them.

At 24.00 General Hill leads Stewarts brigade onto the Cerro - To little to late?

Will was keen to "seal the deal" before the British reinforcements could challenge his possession of the objective and threw two battalions at both the 2/88th and 5/60th with the Rifles unable to contest the ground in open order, falling back immediately.

The 88th made a final fight of it but numbers and brigade morale had taken its toll and after one round of combat they joined the 87th in headlong retreat, leaving General Hill to accept defeat.

The 88th Foot and 60th Rifles are pushed off the summit as the French consolidate their hold

This proved to be an overwhelming and concentrated attack by the three French regiments with only the 96th Ligne held up on the lower slopes by the 1st KGL who, gaining the honours for this combat, refused to be forced back and managed to break 3/96th Ligne with its firing and stop the regiments forward progress. For the French, the 9th Legere lived up to their epithet "Incomparable" with the third battalion grabbing the honours, but all three battalions making their presence felt in the centre of the French attack.

I thought this might be the worst case set up for the British compared with the best case played in the first game and I now feel what the optimum setting looks like to give both sides a competitive set up to be tested in game three together with few final adjustments. I have a mind to see if we can't break up the French formations with an additional tweak to the movement rules and thus increasing their chances of arriving piecemeal and less coordinated.

French victory as the British are cleared from their hill with fifteen minutes to spare

In the actual fight, French forces were back in their own lines licking their wounds by just after 1am and in our game they had secured the Cerro fifteen minutes ahead of that end point. The final order of battle shows the results of the night's action and a very battered and bruised British force having its army morale pushed down to 72% and suffering twice the casualties for the French.  The French not only won the battle on the statistics but also captured the objective in force and able to contest General Hill's reinforcements.

[D] denotes Dispersed and removed from the field
[W] denotes No Advance
[R] denotes Halt or Retire

Talavera Night Attack
As of Game Turn: 11 (00.45)

Division Rowland Hill - Defend
[ 512] Major General Rowland Hill - Active B- [950 paces]

Brigade Ernest Baron Langwerth - Defend [No Advance]
[ 510] Brigadier General Ernest Baron Langwerth - Active B- [350 paces]
[ 519] 1st KGL Line Battalion 39/ 565 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[R] [ 520] 2nd KGL Line Battalion 84/ 594 C- [sk] Poor Exhausted

Brigade Sigismund Baron Low - Disengaged
[ 511] Brigadier General Sigismund Baron Low - Active C+ [450 paces]
[D] [ 522] 5th KGL Line Battalion 149/ 461 C- [sk] Broken Tired
[D] [ 523] 7th KGL Line Battalion 110/ 447 C- [sk] Broken Tired

Brigade Richard Stewart - Defend
[ 514] Brigadier General Richard Stewart - Active B [450 paces]
[ 529] 29th Foot 0/ 598 C+ [sk] Good Fresh
[ 530] 1/48th Foot 0/ 807 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 531] 1st Battalion of Detachments 0/ 609 C- [sk] Good Fresh

Brigade Rufane Donkin - Defend [Retire]
[ 516] Colonel Rufane Donkin - Active B- [350 paces]
[R] [ 537] 2/87th Foot 86/ 513 C- [sk] Broken Exhausted
[D] [ 538] 1/88th Foot 124/ 475 C- [sk] Poor Exhausted
[ 539] 5/60th Rifles 8/ 265 B- [sk] Ex'lent Fresh

Strengths:
losses/active
600/ 5334 Bayonets
600/ 5334 Total of all arms
16 Standards present
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Talavera Night Attack
As of Game Turn: 11 (00.45)

Division Francois Amable Ruffin - Attack
[ 105] General de Division Francois Amable Ruffin - Active D+ [650 paces]

Brigade Claude-Marie Meunier - Attack
[ 106] General de Brigade Claude-Marie Meunier - Active B- [400 paces]
[ 191] 1/9me Regiment de Legere 4/ 583 C [sk] Ex'lent Fresh
[ 192] 2/9me Regiment de Legere 7/ 580 C [sk] Ex'lent Fresh
[ 193] 3/9me Regiment de Legere 50/ 537 C- [sk] Good Tired
[ 194] 1/24me Regiment de Ligne 52/ 535 C [sk] Ex'lent Tiring
[ 195] 2/24me Regiment de Ligne 2/ 585 C [sk] Ex'lent Tiring
[ 196] 3/24me Regiment de Ligne 0/ 587 C- [sk] Good Fresh

Brigade Pierre Barrois - Attack
[ 107] General de Brigade Pierre Barrois - Active B [450 paces]
[ 199] 1/96me Regiment de Ligne. 0/ 587 C [sk] Good Fresh
[R] [ 200] 2/96me Regiment de Ligne. 76/ 511 C [sk] Average Tiring
[D] [ 201] 3/96me Regiment de Ligne. 194/ 393 C- [sk] Broken Exhausted

Strengths:
losses/active
385/ 4898 Bayonets
385/ 4898 Total of all arms
3 Standards present
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Talavera Night Attack
Major victory for the French Army
As of Game Turn: 11 (00.45)

The British Army has suffered losses of:
[ 33%] 1983 men of all arms
incl.[ 4%] 259 prisoners of all arms
[ 33%] 1983 bayonets
Honours: [ 519] 1st KGL Line Battalion

The French Army has suffered losses of:
[ 14%] 778 men of all arms
incl.[ 2%] 136 prisoners of all arms
[ 14%] 778 bayonets
Honours: [ 193] 3/9me Regiment de Legere

Thanks to Steve and Will for a fascinating and well contested second play test that provided great entertainment and lots of learning points for yours truly. I hope you enjoy the read Will, when you get back to Paris this weekend.

Next up, additions to the Portina stream - terrain build and 2/4th Grand Duchy of Warsaw Infantry Regiment.