Blucher 100 Days Campaign - Crunch time!

Note: View the 100 Days posts for background and previous installments.

Nick and I have finally got the Blucher 100 Days campaign moving again after the Skirmish at Gembloux back in March.

With my (French) main thrust between the Allied armies frustrated by the 2 day Battle of Sombreffe, and my flying column trying to seize the Prussian supply points being equally frustrated at Gembloux it was time for a rethink.

This was the situation at the end of the 18th June. The area around Sombreffe was declared out of bounds (nobody wanted a Day 3!), and columns P and B had bounced apart after Gembloux - although my B was now conveniently on the eastern side of the river.

My new plan was to switch my focus to a race to the victory exits (B1 and A6). I have to exit 12 units of any one of them (not in combination) by end 25th June, otherwise the Allies win. To achieve the goal I decided to do a bit of deception. B would split and move towards both supply points still, but expecting P to cover them and move E of me, I'd then shoot N and W to get to A6. The main force would sent two weak columns (but Nick didn't know that unless he scouted) towards A6, pass some village of Waterloo. Crucially the main bulk of my Army would take the very last moves, so hopefully getting him to commit to a N or NW move before it's obvious where I'm actually going.

As it turned out Nicks moves were pretty much what I wanted, his Brits moving a bit too much W, but as my B moved N and actually hit the A row (with his P eventually coming in  pursuit) he actually dispatched two more Prussian columns away from the main body to protect A6.

This was the situation on 21 Jun. The British made good speed towards B1, I was never going to get it unopposed, but A6 gathered a good (and wasted) defensive screen, although he eventually released W and V to help the other Brits once M and O were in position.

My main column have swung south as far as Charleoi had move W and then rapidly up the Soignies-Hal road (Wellington was right after all!), shaking out into their battle order as they went.

By the 24th the units were in position and battle was ready to be joined. I now only have one more day to exit from B1 or A6 - so I need to either beat the Prussians (which seems unlikely, but a pity as the exit square - the gates of Brussels - is actually on the table), or fight through to B2 during the Battle of Hal on the 24th, then probably fight another battle on the 25th centered on B1-B2, but at which I just need to cover my rear whilst the Grand Armee marches off towards the Channel Ports!

Talk about playing it down to the wire!

Blucher 100 Days Cards

The card deck for the 100 Days Campaign for Blucher arrived. Means we can progress with setting up the game with Nick and Alan. Next task is to draw sides!

Campaign: Battle of Corunna

After the Battle of Valencia Nick and I fought the smaller Battle of Corunna, which in game time had actually happened about a week before Valencia, but being so isolated we could play it afterwards.

To recap, I started out holding Corunna with a sacrificial force. Nick took it about Turn 60. Given the speed of communications it wasn't until Turn 70 or so that Marshall Massena is southern Spain heard the news. He then sent orders to Valladolid to send the next reinforcement Brigade to retake Corunna. When they arrived around Turn 105 the city was very lightly defended and easily taken. The British then mustered a force to try and retake the city, but the force was not particularly large - but battle was given.

 Starting positions, Corunna village at bottom

Since the forces involved were much smaller than at Valencia we were able to use 20mm figures and Hexon at 100m per hex.

Initial deployments, view from behind the French lines

My troops held a solid line across the neck of the peninsular. Nick's cavalry came on but were sent on their way by my two batteries. He then pushed light infantry against my left flank, and my forces fell back through the wood. He also pushed his RHA batteries right up to my guns, and then charged them from the woods. A struggle ensued over several turns with first my guns then his guns being over-run and retaken by repeated infantry assaults until finally I sent his guns home. With shattered cavalry, no guns, and much spent infantry the British pulled back and Corunna was safely ours.

British Infantry and Cavalry move up for the attack

French Chasseurs and Legere prepare to advance whilst guns see off a British cavalry probe on the left flank

Peninsular Campaign: Battle of Valencia

The French deploy onto the table. There are a few more units off on the right flank.

After 108 turns of our 120 turn Peninsular Campaign Nick and I finally got to the first (and only?) big battle.  He'd made a (slow) dash across the whole of the Peninsular to strike at my undefended eastern garrisons - Valencia and Barcelona. My field Army had been just north of Toledo when it heard the news, so it was able to turn about and head for Valencia. Only one of my two Corps had time to deploy, and they were facing a gun heavy, but otherwise weak, British Corps. The game was fought in 6mm, battalion scale, on 4cm hexes using our Steady Lads Steady rules.

The assault on Valencia. Gold tagged units are Old Guard.

Time being of the essence, and the lateness of the game in the campaign meaning that the forces were unlikely to be engaged again, meant that I could through the Imperial Guard straight into the assault. It was a pretty bloody battle, with lesser battalions sacrificing themselves against the British gun line to limit casualties to the Guard units. Valencia was defended by Foot Guards and Fusiliers, so it was a tough fight.

Valencia back in French hands!

I kept pressure up on the right flank too with the Guard Light Cavalry trying to get behind his lines, but a couple of RHA batteries caused them too much damage to be able to exploit their position.

The Guard forced their way into the first Valencia hex on turn 15, but it was on Turn 22 (the last move of the game as night fell) that they ejected the final British unit form the city and claimed the victory.

We had a lot of troops out, but the game cracked along and given that Nick had driven up from Surry that morning we didn't start til about 11am and were finished by 7pm in time to join the wives for dinner. Not bad.