The Battle of Trafalgar using Far Distant Ships for the 220th Anniversary Year - Plans and Preparation.

 

This weekend I will be starting my warm-up for a project to run the Battle of Trafalgar using Far Distant Ships, Fleet Action rules in this the 220th anniversary year of the great battle which will see a warm-up game at Exeter Legionary 10th May and culminate later this year in a two day running of the game at the NWS Meeting in Yeovilton on the 4th-5th October, within fifteen days of the day of the actual battle.

Far Distant Ships by David Manley are designed with large fleet actions in mind, principally for use with 1:2400 and 1:1200 models in mind which prompted me to adjust them to incorporate my preferred scale of 1:700, together with a few other tweaks that appeal to my way of playing. That said, I use the rules pretty much as written and really like the way they play. 
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/352181/Far-Distant-Ships

The warm-up process sees me running a smaller scenario at the DWG club meeting this Saturday, very similar to previous run outs with the collection when we used Kiss Me Hardy, and running 'The Leeward Line' game this time using Far Distant Ships (FDS), a rule set purposefully designed for big fleet action games and the set of rules I used at last year's NWS Yeovilton meeting to run Camperdown.

The set-up for 'The Leeward Line' scenario, taking as it does a discreet part of the Battle of Trafalgar as its subject and the initial attack by Vice-Admiral Collingwood's Leeward Column on the centre of the Combined Fleet's line, provides an excellent small scenario to get to grips with the key processes of play using FDS.

The Camperdown game, run last year at the NWS, was my first go using the rules with some fifty models on the table and ten players managing the respective fleets, and the play was very intuitive after just a couple of turns, with many of the players unfamiliar with them, quickly getting into the flow of play, enhanced by the non requirement for book keeping, that sees all damage states of ships indicated with markers placed on the bases of the models as required.

The Battle of Camperdown fought at last year's NWS gathering using Far Distant Ships, which worked very well and definitely had the effect of putting the players more in the role of admirals and division commanders rather than individual captains, without losing the granularity of the narrative of a big battle.
JJ's Wargames Naval Wargames Society Weekend 2024

That said the plan this year is to put the seventy-three models required for the Trafalgar fight on the table and to play the battle over two days in October, close to the actual anniversary of the battle and I thought what better way to prepare for that game that to fly the flag of the Devon Wargames Group at this year's local wargame show in Exeter, 'Legionary 2025' on Saturday May 10th, by putting on a Trafalgar run through with the whole collection on show and to fight as much of the battle there using FDS to prepare for later in the year.

The last time the Trafalgar collection was out on the table was our two day refight in the aptly named village of Nelson, with the Penarth chaps back in 2023, using Kiss Me Hardy (KMH).
JJ's Wargames - The Battle of Trafalgar 2023

Thus with the first run out of the whole Trafalgar collection set up for next month, I thought I would prepare for that game with a smaller effort at the DWG this weekend recreating a very discreet part of the larger battle namely Collingwood's attack on the centre of the Combined Fleet's line some thirty minutes before Nelson's Windward Column joined the action.

Admiral Collingwood's Royal Sovereign delivers a close in broadside against the Spanish flagship Santa Ana of Admiral Alava, in a previous playing of The Leeward Line, using KMH, this game using my LED markers on the broadsides to flash just as the lens shutter caught the picture.

In previous posts from last year journaling the completion of the Camperdown Project I went through my reasons for switching to FDS from KMH for my big multi-model battles, primarily around the fact that FDS very much puts the player in the role of the naval commander rather than ship's captain, without losing the granularity of narrative so gloriously created by KMH that plays very well at the lower end of the model numbers size of game; and with a ten to fifteen minute move/turn scale in FDS as opposed to the two to five minute turn in KMH the ability to fight a three or four hour real time battle over a day or more becomes more of a possibility, for those of us who enjoy a big-game as well as the popular skirmish ones.

 

The Players Record Sheet for the Combined Fleet Ships in The Leeward Line scenario, showing the information for the players regarding the ability of each ship in the command, with Attack Factor (AF), Defence Factor (DF) Boarding Factor (BF) Carronade or Close Range Factor (CF) together with a Preservation Point Value (PPV), the latter used to determine when the force might have to test to break off due to casualties 

As with all endeavours, the 'Five P's' guide the process, namely Proper Preparation Prevents P-ss-Poor Presentation, definitely five not six as 'P-ss-Poor' is hyphenated so counts as just one P.

FDS relies on the use of markers to indicate actions and damage results during play and I have produced my own for these large games.

So as well as the first playthrough of the rules this Saturday, I have ensured adequate markers, see above are prepared for the players to use in the game as well as range sticks, signal flags and chance cards to add yet more seasoning to an already spicy dish of a game.

A set of chance cards are prepared to be dealt out randomly
to player commanders, to add a little more 
narrative and drama without distorting the play.

With the markers I have prepared Order of Battle sheets for respective commanders so that all the various ship stats can be accessed at a glance as required and for the big game at Legionary I aim to have two new French brigs from Turner Miniatures that have replaced the generic versions from Warlord and that better capture the look of the 16-gun Argus and 18-gun Furet together with my new 3D printed ships boats and crews to mark the progress of boarding parties lowered to take possession of struck enemy ships, more anon on those new additions.

Victory leads the Weather Column ever closer with the 98-gun Temeraire close alongside, keeping station, still heading for the allied van at our big-game in 2023 to whet the appetite for fun in 2025.

So I will be posting an AAR of our Leeward Line game on Saturday at the DWG no doubt with access to my re-write of the scenario for used with FDS as a PDF from here at JJ's, and if you would like to come along and see the Trafalgar collection in action you might want to make a note of the dates and venues mentioned to come along and see the collection close up and personal, namely Legionary in Exeter on Saturday 10th May, 

and the Naval Wargame Society Meeting, Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October.

As always, more anon

 

JJ

Talavera, Attack on the Pajar Vergara (game two) - Legionary 2016

Brigadier General Alexander Campbell
AKA Steve

General de Division Baron Jean-Francios Leval
AKA Will

http://jjwargames.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/talavera-attack-on-pajar-de-vergara.html

Following our first play of this scenario back in December 2015 and Will's unfortunate defeat at the hands of the Spanish Provincial de Badajoz Militia when French victory was snatched away in the last move of the game, the rematch was on at Legionary 2016 in Exeter yesterday - "and this time it was personal!"

We arrived at the show at 9am to get things set up in time for doors opening at 10 am and as this was as much a display game to advertise the joys of playing 18mm Napoleonics using Carnage & Glory II rules together with illustrating the games we play at The Devon Wargames Group, we had plenty of materials on the table to let visitors know what we were doing.

So after a warming cup of tea we got started on the game soon after 10am for what turned out to be a really great day, with lots of friends and visitors stopping to chat while we played and a really good game that developed into a climax as the afternoon drew to a close.

We were very well catered for by the organising team at the show and were able to get the electrics sorted to run the lap top and screen in no time and the following few pictures show the table set up ready to play, with the opposing armies in all their glory.

The "Nerve Centre" all set up with a small screen to display the game on screen for visitors

This scenario is well balanced with two very evenly matched forces that can fight it out "toe to toe" until one or another combat can tip the balance one way or the other.

The French commander has the option of requesting King Joseph to release the Polish brigade in nominal support of his division, but held resolutely in reserve during the historical engagement.

We played it that if the French take the Polish battalions, which are very strong capable troops, the we gave the Allies an automatic shift in the final victory outcome in their favour; thus a marginal French victory would revert to a drawn game.

The two battle lines in position with the Anglo-Spanish line bottom right

With the two opposing lines set up, General Leval's troops plunged into the myriad lines of olive trees preceded by their voltigeur screen as they headed off towards the allied line at 14.00 on July 28th 1809.

General Portago's division in support of the Pajar redoubt

The French plan was simple, the German troops would aggressively advance their light troops forward to engage the allied guns and any forward infantry looking to cause disruption and fatigue as the German, Dutch and Polish infantry columns made their way up in support.

General Campbell's division drawn up besides Portago's Spanish

The German guns would have two batteries head towards the British troops supported by Dutch infantry while the main attack would go in against the Pajar redoubt and the Spanish troops looking to break the Spanish before the British could intervene.

Spanish 12lbrs and British 3lbr guns set up on the Pajar

The skirmish battle against the allied guns began at 14.15 (game time) as the French light troops doubled through the olive trees to emerge into the open ground and commence a close fire fight with the allied gunners.

General Laval's "German Division" enter the olive groves in preparation for their attack - Dutch infantry supported by Dutch and Hesse artillery

The Spanish twelve pounders gained some respite when their initial blast of canister dropped twenty of the German voltigeurs causing them to fall back in disarray, but General Campbell was keen to preserve his gunners energies for engaging the German columns rather than be distracted into wasteful fatigue fighting off these annoying voltiguers.

Nassau and Hesse Darmstadt troops in company columns

With only the Spanish Antequeran Light Infantry able to offer any offensive skirmishing capability, the allied gunners were left to fend for themselves as the allied infantry held the rearward defensive posture.

The Spanish militia in close support of the artillery

As the skirmish battle developed around the Pajar, the German infantry columns and artillery batteries began to emerge from the tree line and the artillery duel intensified as both sides began a softening up process sending multiple rounds of round shot barrelling into the opposing lines causing surprising casualties as the shots found additional rearward targets.

The first shots of the battle as the French skirmish line engages the Pajar redoubt

With a pause in the advance to allow their infantry to shake off fatigue from their advance through the trees, the German columns advanced on the Spanish positions with the two Baden battalions launching column charges against the British guns, quickly followed by Nassau and Hesse battalions against their Spanish comrades.

Canister flies as the gunners fight to keep the French light battalions at bay

The gunners clearly fatigued by their previous exertions had little appetite for a melee against massed infantry and made a hasty retreat abandoning their guns with many men surrendering to the German troops.

The battle "hots up" as the Baden guns come into action in support of their skirmishers

The Spanish position was under growing pressure and to their credit were giving ground grudgingly and refusing to break.

The French skirmish lines keep the Allies pinned as the German columns start to deploy from the olive groves

Meanwhile the Polish battalions put in charges against the Antequeran Light infantry and the Guadix Militia who both fired off ragged volleys before withdrawing.

With the pressure building on the Pajar, Campbell moves the British lines forward to take up the fight

The Polish brigade deploys on to the road in support of the German troops

General Campbell knew he needed to get his redcoats into the fight but each time he moved his lines forward they were subjected to galling skirmish attacks and multiple rounds of  four and six pounder round shot ploughing through their ranks.

The massed Dutch and Hesse guns play on the British lines as the Dutch infantry columns move up

The Antequeran Cazadores move up to stop the Hesse Erbprinz Regiment from flanking the allied guns

With the Pajar redoubt cleared of allied gunners and securely under French control the French had paid back their debt for the inclusion of the Polish battalions in their attack by securing their principle objective.

Suddenly the German and Polish columns are into the Spanish position, but the Spanish troops refuse to break under the assault

However the Spanish division refused to acknowledge their position by breaking and completing the French victory with an allied army moral failure.

With the redoubt cleared and the Spanish under attack, the British struggle to come to their aid

The British right flank is turned as the Hesse and Polish battalions drive forward into the Spanish lines

Girding their loins for one final push designed to break Spanish resistance and thus make any further attempts by their British allies to intervene pointless, the massed columns of the Hesse and Polish battalions surged forward.

Soon only the Antequeran Light Infantry and the El Rey cavalry look able to offer firm Spanish resistance

Again the German-Polish battalions charged in to be met by resolute but ragged Spanish musketry and only to see the Spanish troops withdraw but not break.

This time though, rather like the referee seeing one boxer caught on the ropes offering little in the way of resistance, the fight was stopped in the eighth round, with the Allied army morale dropping to 74% and imminent collapse.

The Dutch infantry supported by their guns pin Campbell's British as the Allied force morale collapses in turn eight -
game over

With the Pajar under French control and collapse of resistance by the allied troops the game ended in French victory and honours even in the two games played; with the allied order of battle below clearly illustrating the battering they had taken by the numerous units in red, with faltering or broken morale and the French contrasting with just one unit affected.

Talavera - Pajar Vergara
Major victory for the French Army as of Game Turn: 8

The Allied Army has suffered losses of:
[10%]     761 men of all arms incl.
[4%]       334 prisoners of all arms
[7%]       468 bayonets
[0%]           0 sabres
[100%]   293 artillerists
12 cannon[s] lost
Honours: [602] 2nd Cazadores de Antequera

The French Army has suffered losses of:
[3%]       211 men of all arms incl.
[0%]         11 prisoners of all arms
[3%]       199 bayonets
[2%]         12 artillerists
Honours: [162] II.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)

Victory Condition Modifiers:
The French deployed the Poles - Shift in victory in favour of the Allies
The French captured the Pajar Vergar redoubt - Shift in victory in favour of the French

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talavera - Pajar Vergara
As of Game Turn: 8
Division Alexander Campbell - Defend
[ 517] Brigadier General Alexander Campbell - Active C [875 paces]
[D] [ 548] Lawson's Brigade                             145/ 0 C Poor Tired
[D] [ 621] 1st Battery                                        142/ 6 D+ Broken Exhausted

Brigade William Myers - Defend
[ 518] Lieutenant Colonel William Myers - Active C [450 paces]
[ 541] 2/7th Foot                                                   0/ 388 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 542] 2/53rd Foot                                               47/ 436 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 543] A. Campbell's Bde. Light Bn.                  14/ 147 C [sk] Average Fresh

Brigade James Kemmis - Defend
[ 519] Colonel James Kemmis - Active C [450 paces]
[W] [ 544] 1/40th Foot                                        38/ 632 C+ [sk] Good Fresh
[ 545] 97th Foot                                                     7/ 445 C+ [sk] Good Fresh
[ 546] 2nd Battalion of Detachments                    0/ 562 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[D] [ 547] Kemmis' Bde. Light Bn.                     62/ 182 C+ [sk] Broken Tiring

Division Marques de Portago - Defend
[ 528] Major General Marques de Portago - Active C [725 paces]
[ 553] El Rey A                                                     0/ 229 D Good Fresh
[ 554] El Rey B                                                     0/ 231 D Good Fresh
[ 600] 1st Bn. Badajoz Regiment                          0/ 571 D- Average Fresh
[R] [ 601] 2nd Bn. Badajoz Regiment                30/ 527 D- Broken Tiring
[R] [ 602] 2nd Cazadores de Antequera             14/ 543 D- [sk] Broken Tired
[ 603] Imperial de Toledo                                     0/ 792 D- Average Fresh
[R] [ 604] Provincial de Badajoz Militia            43/ 534 D Broken Acceptable
[R] [ 605] Provincial de Guadix Militia             31/ 531 D Broken Tiring

Strengths:
losses/active
286/ 6290 Bayonets
0/ 460 Sabres
287/ 6 Artillerists

573/ 6756 Total of all arms
13 Standards present

Legend:    

[D] Denotes dispersed    

[Y] Denotes In rout    

[R] Denotes halted in disorder, in retirement or retreat    

[W] Denotes no advance unless accompanied by officer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Talavera - Pajar Vergara  as of Game Turn: 8
Division Baron Jean-Francois Leval - Attack
[ 118] General de Division Baron Jean-Francois Leval - Active B- [875 paces]

Brigade Heinrich Freiherr von Porbeck - Attack
[ 119] Oberst Heinrich Freiherr von Porbeck - Active B [450 paces]
[ 160] III Fuss Batterien Steinmetz                           10/ 180 [ 8] C Good Tiring
[ 161] I.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)                              4/ 372 C- [sk] Good Acceptable
[ 162] II.von Harrant Nr.4 (Baden)                           10/ 357 C- [sk] Ex'lent Tiring
[ 163] I.Nassau IR Nr.2                                               3/ 357 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 164] II.Nassau IR Nr.2                                             5/ 381 C- [sk] Good Tiring
[ 165] Porbeck's Voltigeur Bn.                                 36/ 281 C- [sk] Average Acceptable

Brigade David-Hendrik Chasse - Attack
[ 120] Generalmajor David-Hendrik Chasse - Active C [350 paces]
[ 166] 3m3 Artillerie a Cheval Trip                           1/ 146 [ 6] C Average Exhausted
[W] [ 167] I/2me Regiment Linie                              0/ 393 C- [sk] Good Tiring
[ 168] 2/4me Regiment Linie                                     0/ 378 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 169] Chasse's Voltigeur Bn.                                   14/ 140 C- [sk] Average Acceptable

Brigade Balthazard-Grandjean - Attack
[ 121] General de Brigade Balthazard-Grandjean - Active B [450 paces]
[ 170] III. Fuss. Batterien Venator                             1/ 95 [ 4] C Good Tired
[ 171] 1/Gross und Erbprinz Nr 4                           25/ 373 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 172] 2/Gross und Erbprinz Nr 4                           11/ 360 C- [sk] Good Acceptable
[ 173] Rheinbund Bttn von Frankfort                       0/ 391 C- [sk] Good Fresh
[ 174] Grandjean's Voltigeur Bn.                            50/ 175 C- [sk] Average Fresh

Brigade Feliks Potocki - Attack
[ 122] Oberst Feliks Potocki - Active C [350 paces]
[ 175] I. IR Nr 4 (Polish)                                         32/ 729 C [sk] Good Fresh
[ 176] II. IR Nr 4 (Polish)                                         0/ 782 C Good Fresh
[ 177] Potocki's Voltigeur Bn.                                   9/ 251 C [sk] Good Acceptable

Strengths:
losses/active
199/ 5720 Bayonets
12/ 421 Artillerists
0/ 18 Cannon

211/ 6141 Total of all arms
11 Standards present

Legend:    

[D] Denotes dispersed    

[Y] Denotes In rout    

[R] Denotes halted in disorder, in retirement or retreat    

[W] Denotes no advance unless accompanied by officer

Thus ended our game and day out at Legionary. We had great fun playing and plenty of time to talk to people who joined us at the table.

Thanks to Steve, Will, Nathan and Matt for a very fun day and to all the other friends from the Devon Wargames Group who stopped by for a natter during the day.

Postscript:
Usually at a show I would take time to wonder round and take pictures of the games that caught my eye on the day and I have to say that Legionary did a good show yesterday with some really nice looking games on show and plenty of visitors wondering around the trade stands.

With my own game to oversee I didn't get the time to do my usual tour around, although I did see a very nice 28mm early war WWII game recreating a German landing at a local seaside resort which looked great fun, a very nice Korean war air game with jets and B29 bombers and a 20mm War in Borneo game with a splendid RAF transport plane overflying the battle scene.

One table I did get chance to check out was right next door to our own and the Sharp Practice game was drawing a lot of attention following Richard Clark's publication of the second edition of the rules. I got my copy this week and enjoyed very much seeing Richard's AWI collection in action, grabbing a few pictures on the day.

We also had the pleasure of Richard's company at a post show curry later in Exeter with some very enjoyable banter that put a great cap on a very fun day.

Thanks all to everyone involved, a day to savour in the memory.