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The Battle of 20 June 1780
A True Account by One Who Was There We were nine days out of Bermuda as the sun glinted off the waves of the Caribbean somewhere north of the Hispaniola coast. Commodore William Cornwallis had orders to look for a French convoy reputed to be in the area. To that end Ruby (64) had been dispatched to investigate a sail earlier int the morning making to the northwest. From the quarterdeck of Lion (64) we could make her out fine on the after port quarter as we beat to the east south east. The Commodore had just ordered us to set the signal to shorten sail to await Ruby when the lookout cried “Sail Ho!” Upon interrogation it was found to be multiple sail to the northeast beating on the opposite tack. The signal was immediately rescinded until the new sails could be resolved. I went up the main ratlines to the t’gallant yard and spied out what we later learned to be de Ternay’s squadron of frogs. Beyond his warships, which rapidly formed line ahead, maintaining their bearing, was the convoy we had been sent to find. I scurried back to deck with this intelligence. The commodore dispatched our lone frigate, Niger (32), to carry this important information to Admiral Parker, in Jamaica. Further, he ordered our own ships to close our line and clear for action. Tense moments passed. The master, with chalk and slate, presented to the Commodore that, if all ships maintained their current bearings and speeds, the French would cut off Ruby. Our commodore was a resolute man, he was. Upon this report he immediately ordered the signal “Wear in succession. Make for Ruby. Engage the enemy closely.” The order was passed by Captain Hyde at that same instant for the men to their stations to wear ship. We were a well-drilled company, having been on station nigh on three years, since the dastardly rebel raid on Bermuda in ’77, and the ship came about smartly and settled into a new course, reaching toward Ruby. At the same moment, Captain John of the Ruby tacked, coming about to the same course as the Frogs, in essence running from them to give us more time. None of us held out much hope she’d be able to outrun them, her bottom being foul, over two years since her last careening. We now ran together, the two lines, tension building in the crews as we willed the ship to drive faster into the wind. As we closed the Ruby suddenly tacked again. It was clear in a trice Captain John was trying to ride his ship between the two lines with the double goal of delivering damage and allowing the rest of us to close. To our dismay she made sternboard and, instead of flying between the lines, found herself alone to leeward of the French! Bravely she crossed, engaging in succession the Conquerant, Duc de Bourgogne, and Neptune. With each crashing broadside we could only imagine the carnage on deck! Later it came out that brave Captain John was felled by a musket ball through the breast from Conquerant’s marines. Then the poor ship had her bowsprit shot away, forcing her to hold her course past the biggest French ships. Fortunately for Ruby her course and that of the Frogs diverged and, while Provence and Jason gave her a broadside each, by then she was two cables off and lived to fight another day. Commodore Cornwallis, seeing Ruby’s ill luck, cast another signal to the squadron – wear to starboard, together! Thus, we closed the distance, each ship taking a raking fire from her opposite at about a cable’s distance. The first division then wore again and engaged the enemy’s line hotly. The rear division, the tiny 50s Salisbury and Bristol, continued to close, attempting to cut the French line. Alas! Our ships, smaller than the enemy’s, were swifter and soon Lion surged ahead of the Conquerant. But the cost had been high, with blood filling the scuppers, guns dismounted, and sails tattered. Then, as perhaps an evening of the odds, the mainmast of the mighty Duc de Bourgogne toppled into the sea, smashed just above the main deck by a 32-pound ball fired from Hector at pistol shot. Poseidon take it! The little 50s had bracketed the last ship in the French line, Eveille (64) and caused terrible slaughter. But the French, Eveille and her next in line, Jason (64) had done equal execution. Salisbury’s master was down, and Bristol’s rigging shredded. Neither was able to turn back and remain engaged. Rather they sailed on, eventually joining Ruby, far downwind of the battle, unable to contribute further. It was they who would take the sorry news to Jamaica. For sorry news it was to be. Cornwallis made one more signal, Wear to Starboard Together, in an effort to break the French line. Obediently the three ships turned to run down the Frogs! Our speed and the Duc’s lost mast allowed Lion and Hector to cross, delivering devastating rakes fore and aft on Conquerant and fore on Duc. But Sultan answered her helm too slowly and, in turn, received the might of the Duc. None of the British were fast enough and each, in turn became fouled with her opposite number – Lion with Conquerant, Hector with Duc de Bourgogne, and Sultan with Neptune. Now was the time for boarders! However, in all three cases, our captain’s had left their faith in speed and not in bullets. Grape rained down as the limeys formed on each of the three quarterdecks and, when away, the survivors were pitifully few and the officers even fewer. An unfortunate event also hampered the Lion’s men. In the final broadside from Conquerant, a gunner’s match was cut from his hand by an 18-pound ball and fell into some spilled powder. The fire quite disrupted any fire from the main battery. The boarding action were swift and bloody and decisive, as they almost always are. In the end all three of His Majesty’s ships drifted with Saint Andrew’s cross cut from the flagstaffs, disgracefully floating in the sea. Lion’s fire was extinguished and de Ternay brought his prizes triumphantly into Martinique. The greatest disaster in English naval history since unfortunate Admiral Byng. We use 1:1200 ships and Trouin, Cochrane, and Jones rules – a modification of Fighting Instructions.
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To defend against the pesky French revolutionaries and privateers, the Honorable East India Company formed a squadron under Commodore Charles Mitchell. Five big Indiamen and a small brig sailed down the Sunda Strait in early January 1794. Hoving into sight was a motley collection of French naval ships and privateers under Flag Captain Jean-Marie Renaud. He had convinced his captains that the best way to get to capturing prizes was to deal first with Mitchell. Renaud commanded a captured East Indiaman, two naval frigates, a small naval brig, and two large privateers.
The two lines approached on gently converging courses when signal flags snapped out from Prudente and the French executed a wear to starboard together, turning to run down the British. The slower Indiamen maintained their line ahead. In the light airs tension flooded the decks as the two forced slowly closed. Then, as the range between the nearest ships closed to only 200 yards, the British executed a turn to port (the rear division, Pigot and Houghton, failing to read the signal, plowed ahead). Battle was thus joined at the head of the column with the two biggest and best manned and armed French ships, the naval frigates Cybele (40) and Prudente (36), engaging the little brig Nautilus (14) and the giant Indiaman Britannia (26). Both sides fired high, with the French escaping with little more than scratches from the brig’s 6-pounders and some of Britannia’s sails seeing holes. However, the combination of maneuvers meant the Cybele and Prudente were sailing away from the action. The largest French ship, the captured Indiaman Trouin (26) had fallen behind creating a gap which the British ships lunged toward, trying to catch the two large privateers Vengeur (30) and Resolue (26) against four two-decked merchants. But the lumbering Brits were too slow as well! Vengeur cleared the Britannia and delivered a devastating fire at close range. Britannia showed that her poor gunnery against Prudente was no fluke and barely scraped Resolue. However, the two ships, Britannia and Resolue tangled, the latter’s bowsprit stuck fast to the ratlines of the former. The next ship in line for the British, Pitt (26), now closed and luffed to hammer the corvette. Two broadsides crashed out and ripped glass and woodwork, causing fearful damage. Meanwhile Britannia, with barely 100 crew, desperately tried to unfoul and prepare to repel boarders. Resolue prepared her guns for the moment she was free. And free she soon became! Pitt, unable to halt her momentum, continued past and Britannia cut away the fouled rigging, only for Resolue, better manned and handled, to ease forward and deliver a stern rake. Down came the mizzen top! By this time Trouin and the little Vulcain (14) had finally come up and engaged Nonsuch (26). Cybele and Prudente had made a long laborious wear about and were sailing to rejoin the fray but faced the virtually undamaged ships of the British rear who were finally closing and the British center, threatening to sandwich the French. At this point one of those vicious tropical storms with torrents of rain engulfed the battlefield and the two sides broke off the action. Resolue and Britannia were badly hurt but no other ship took any substantial loss. September 30, 1813
Leutnant Karl Preysing sat his horse in utter amazement. Generalmajor Karl von Sahr, commanding the Saxon 25th Division of the French Grande Armee, had just informed him that the Saxons would conform to his request. They would switch sides and surprise the small Polish Corps camped just east of where they now sat, on the south side of the small river Niesse. Von Sahr had already issued orders to that effect. Preysing watched the Saxons pivot to their right, screened by a ridge and their light cavalry. After fifteen minutes he was convinced. He saluted to Von Sahr and spurred his horse north, crossing a rickety wooden bridge and galloping to his chief, Feldmarschall Ludwig Yorck, to inform him of the stunning change. When an ensign galloped to his headquarters at first Prince Poniatowski could not believe the report. The Saxons traitors? Impossible. But then he saw their cavalry in the distance, with his glass. They were moving toward him, not against the Prussians on the far side of the Niesse. He reacted quickly. Couriers thundered away from headquarters. If the Saxons wanted to betray their Emperor, let them. He, Poniatowski, would make them pay! Just to be sure, he sent one last aide galloping furiously to Prince von Wrede’s camp a mile or so further south. The Bavarians might very well be needed if both Yorck and von Sahr attacked. Yorck, equally as surprised, was equally energetic. Orders were dictated and send by aide-de-camp to each brigade. The small advanced guard (only half his corps was with him) was soon in motion toward the Niesse and the Poles on the far bank. The Saxon Cheveauxleger Brigade opened the action by skirmishing with the Polish light cavalry. General de Brigade Sulkowski ordered forward his lancers in a furious charge. The Saxon cavalry fled. Sulkowski then wheeled and led his lancers headlong into Regiment Prinz Maxmilian. These unfortunates, disordered by Polish artillery fire, failed to form square and broke, running behind the steadfast Light Infantry Brigade. Von Sahr was already regretting his early morning decision. Meanwhile Yorck had his men across the Niesse. While the Prussian cavalry threatened, the Converged Grenadiers Brigade and 11th Reserve splashed across and went over to the attack. The Reserves slammed into a 12-pounder battery, positioned to sweep the stone bridge, and sent the gunners running. But when they tried to exploit their gains, they ran into the 4th Brigade du Marche in the tiny hamlet of Ostkulm. The French held. The grenadiers, however, in the open, had better success. Without pausing to reform, led by Kolonel von Pitt, they smashed into the Polish Converged Legere Brigade and sent it streaming to the rear. This then exposed the 1st Line Brigade who had squared to face the Prussian light cavalry. In square, against the already victorious grenadiers, the Poles had no chance and joined the legere in running. On Yorck’s far left, the 2nd Pommeranian Brigade fixed the Polish 3rd Line Brigade, but suffered over 400 casualties to accurate Polish fire. By now Wrede’s Bavarians were up and pitched into the action. The converged grenadiers, tired and disordered from their wild charge were now mercilessly ridden down by the arriving Bavarian Cheveauxleger. These riders continued into the Niesse, striking the Prussian cavalry and driving them back. Count Beckers led his Bavarian brigade into action on the far left of the Allied line, striking the Saxon Grenadier Brigade. Supposedly the best infantry in the Saxon army, having lost their major and two captains to artillery fire, gave a ragged volley, and ran. Beckers, shouting alternately “En Avant” and “Vorwarts” led his men up a small hill and at the Regiment Prinz August who had just repelled a charge from the Polish lancers. August, in square, could not resist the Bavarians, and quit the field. The opera had pretty much played itself out. Ganeralmajor Karl Le Coq had rallied Prinz Maximilian and led them in a desperate charge to try and blunt Beckers and the supporting Bavarian Light Brigade. But the Saxons, even under the direct gaze of their longstanding officers, this day, would not fight. Maximilian recoiled and Von Sahr gave the necessary orders to disengage. The Prince of Hesse-Homburg had one maneuver left to try to wrench the Franco-Poles from Ostkulm. He brought the 7th Reserve onto the flank of the Polish 3rd Line Brigade while assaulting frontally with the 5th Silesian Landwehr. The maneuver was successful, but, by now, the Bavarians were up, bringing three fresh brigades of infantry to stabilize the front and allow the 4th Brigade du Marche to fall back unmolested. Yorck called off his attacks, consolidating his gains, staring across a mere 300 yard gap at Poniatowski and Wrede. But, with Von Sahr in retreat, he was too outnumbered to continue. Von Bulow, with the rest of the corps, would not arrive until dark. The Saxons had paid in blood for Von Sahr’s duplicity, with almost 5000 casualties out of 14,000 engaged. Yorck had suffered 1500 casualties. The Poles, hard-pressed and badly outnumbered at the start, lost almost 2000 men, while the Bavarians won the most honors at the least cost – capturing 6 stand of colors for only 300 men killed and wounded. Played with Napoleonic Fury rules and 15mm figures. After successes in 841 the Chieftains Njal from the Shetlands and Grim from the Orkneys agreed to raid further up the Seine, perhaps as far as the City of Paris where Charles the Bold sat precariously on a throne. At a bend in the river near Rouen they agreed on a small side expedition to obtain some provisions. Unfortunately for Njal and Grim this allowed a mixed group based on the retinues of the Norman Duke William to bring the raiders to heel.
The raiders were desperately short of horses – not much space in a drakkar – but they were seasoned and set up watch posts to scan the countryside and give early warning if the Franks decided to contest the right of plunder. One of these, manned by Sven the Toothless, caught sight of the Norman horde and gave the alarm. Grim and Njal called in their parties and gathered their men on a series of low hills. Wagons overburdened with commandeered provisions and the wealth of the Rouen countryside made their way to the drakkar in the Seine. Njal aligned his band on the west side of the line, his flank secured by a hill covered in thick thorny bushes and rough rocks. He placed a motley band of Frankish mercenaries, who had hired on over the past two years on his left. The bondi led by Grieg was next occupying a low hill, then Bjork with his lightly armed bondi. Njal himself led the hird on the next hill. Grim had set Bran’s band of heavily armed Norwegians in a valley between Njal and Grim’s own hird on the next hill. Ivor the Boneless and his bondi extended to the east and the far right was held by a band of Northumbrian mercenaries. A swampy lowland secured Grim’s right flank. Both Grim and Njal threw skirmishing thralls in front of the main line. The Normans advanced in five main groups. On their right (west) was a band of Swabians on loan from Charles the Bold’s brother. Then came a band of foot knights under Count Geoffrey. The Norman horse under Odo and William in person held the center. To their east was a band of bondi and finally the Norman left (west) flank was formed by Count Eustace’s foot knights. A swarm of archers was a dozen paces ahead of the battle bands. William had but one order – crush the invaders! The battle began auspiciously for the Normans. Superior archery killed nine Vikings at a loss of only two Normans. Then the impulsive young leader, Bjork, charged, leading his mostly-naked band headlong into Geoffrey’s heavily-armed knights. A few minutes later, Erling led his javelin armed thralls forward to engage the Norman archers in front of Grim’s line. Better to die fighting than as mere deer under the arrow’s fall! William ordered the cavalry forward. “Ride down the thralls! Make the gully run with the invader’s blood!” The gully was the gap between the Njal’s hirdmen’s hill and Grim’s hirdmen’s hill – where Bran and the Norwegians stood. Bjork’s attack was more showy than substantive. After recovering from the sight of naked men with short spears charging his solid mass, Geoffrey split his forces and destroyed the islander bondi while attacking Njal’s Hill with half his force. Likewise, the Frankish mercenaries made little headway against the Swabians. Geoffrey’s foot knights struggled up the little hill and were easily repulsed by Njal’s hirdmen. The islemen’s only other action was spillover when Robert, Count of Rouen, trampled Njal’s sling armed thralls and charged up the hill only to be cut down by the massive two-handed axes of the Vikings. Against Grim the Norman attack was aggressive and fearless but met by individual skill, luck, and determination. Aimerii, Bishop of Valery-au-Bouchonne, led the Norman cavalry over the thralls, and personally skewered Erling. However, the thralls, using agility to dodge inside the long Norman lance and use their javelins as short spears caused unexpected losses on the Norman elite. One, Svelard, forever after known in song as Svelard the Incredible, killed three Norman horse, before finally being trampled by Odo the Meek, son of the Count of Brittany. With the work of the thralls, Bran still faced hard work in the gully. He would have likely been done for but for the work of Grim and Ivor the Boneless on Grim’s Hill. Assaulted by Eustace, Duke of Rheims, and his foot serjeants, Grim and Ivor absorbed the first shock in their shield walls on the hill. Then Grim, with a roar heard in Valhalla, led his men forward. Eustace was slain and the cavalry assailed from the flank. Hugh, Count of Vergennes, shouted, a bit too loudly for William’s taste, “Time to go home!” and led the retreat. Afterwards Hugh was known to say, “I knew they couldn’t catch us if we rode away!” On Grim’s right the final scene played out as the most lightly-armed footmen in the Norman battle-line attacked the Northumbrian mercenaries. Here the story was that of luck and pluck. The Northumbrian band had but a single archer, Fredrik. As the footmen charged down he shot one and then another whose spear missed the intrepid archer by inches. The charging men bypassed him to hit the main line but even then, he shot two more before the tide ebbed back past him. William’s men, led by Hugh, withdrew from the battle. Geoffrey and the Swabians were mainly intact, having been on defense most of the day. The vaunted cavalry had suffered 70% losses and would be hard-pressed to oppose any more forays. Eustace’s band was likewise decimated. Grim and Njal had suffered heavy losses but not enough to stop their expedition. The continued up the Seine, terrorized Charles the Bold and eventually retired the next year, drakkars full of loot. Svelard the Invicible Thrall was given a warrior’s funeral. Fredrik was offered (and accepted) the vacant post of Thrall-Captain, replacing the dead Erling. May 1862
On the banks of the Chickahominy FLASH! Union troops skedaddle in White Oak Swamp Exclusive Report by I. M. Allwett Via Telegraph from Fortress Monroe Your intrepid reporter from the World was with Major General Edwin V. Sumner when his corps attempted to turn the flank of the rebel army. Sumner crossed to the south bank of the Chickahominy River into as dismal a swamp as one can imagine – thick with vines and moss, smelling of rot and infested with snakes, mosquitoes, and buzzards. Through this muck the general intended to catch a raiding party under the rebel Longstreet and catch the rascal thespian Magruder further along. Things did not go according to plan. With heavy going and the thick growth it was impossible to see more than a couple hundred yards in any direction and often difficult to extract one’s boots to take a step let alone maneuver. This being true, the divisions of Major General Erasmus Keyes and Major General Samuel Heintzelman became separated, with Heintzelman ahead and to the south. It was in this position that the enemy, forcefully advancing instead of skulkily retreating from their raid, engaged General Keyes. The fright of suddenly coming upon a foe in the murk and being dealt a volley of buck and ball at under a hundred paces before one can gather their wits can only be imagined by the reader at home. This reporter assures you it takes a stout heart to stand and return fire! But this is exactly what the veteran boys of the north did, standing and giving volley for volley in the heat and swelter and deep shadow of the dismal morass. Keyes now came up and felt for the tender flank of the rebel masses for it must be there, at the north end of the line, the pressure on Heintzelman being so great. As he splashed through waters, knee-deep at times, A rebel ball found Colonel Henry A Weeks of the 12th New York, Heintzelman’s left flank regiment. The unit had suffered horribly from the fire of the 25th Alabama and 1st Louisiana. The loss of its captain was too much and the regiment disintegrated, leaving a gap between the two divisions. Brigadier General John Davidson rushed the 12th Indiana to plug the gap, but “rushing” had a different meaning in the bottomless muck of the White Oak! One after the other General Heintzelman’s regiment were pressed back by rebel charges, each time leaving wounded boys to drown in the black waters. Finally, Brigadier General Winfield Hancock brought his Pennsylvanians into action against the 22nd Alabama who had occupied a small dry knob rising from the inky waters, only to see the southerners, whose coats resembled the gnarled trunks of the drowned trees, use the thick sheets of moss to withdraw, their sister 21st Alabama forming at right angles and thwarting the best laid plan of Hancock. With all Heintzelman’s regiments wavering and Keyes thwarted more by nature than the enemy, General Sumner had no other recourse than to order a general withdrawal on the pontoons. That the enemy had been given a good shaking is evidenced by their unwillingness to pursue, selecting rather to lick their wounds and hope for a drier day. I have, Your Majesty, the honor to report a sharp action outside Corbach Friday last.
The Prince of Kesse-Kassel attempted to turn the flank of Your Majesty’s army. The attempt was manfully repulsed by the eleven battalions under my immediate command. The enemy came boldly forward with Griffen’s Brigade on their left and Von Bischausen’s on their right. I advanced to battle with Brigadier du Skim-mer on my right, my own brigade under Brigadier du Blind in the center and Brigadier du Caq on the left. I deployed our six-pounder battery in the center. While Griffen came on directly; Von Bischausen paled at the regular blasts from our six-pounders and sidestepped to our left, threatening du Caq’s small brigade with his five. Du Blind was ordered to support du Caq and did this smartly by advancing the Second Battalion Grenadiers Chantilly and the Royal Italians into the gap, held only by a two-gun six pounder section and a similar section of 3-pounders. Du Skim-mer, supported by both battalions of Regiment Belzunce from du Blind’s brigade, engaged Griffen in the center of the field. Here, under intense musketry from the Hessians both First Belzunce and First Couronne retreated in some disorder. However the second battalions moved forward to take their places and cause fearful casualties on the Hessian front line. On our left, Von Bischausen engaged du Caq, a quarter hour later, due to the Hessian maneuver to avoid our guns. Regiment Briqueville (both battalions) blunted the assault, forcing both Battalion Von Toll and the Lieb Battalion to withdraw in disorder. They then advanced to engage the enemy’s second line, which had been thrown into disorder as well, Battalion Prinz Isenberg and Battalion Prinz Ferdinand. While the musketry battles were underway 2nd Chantilly made to charge the Hessian medium guns. These guns were rather ineffective most of the afternoon, firing their canister high. However, at the instant the Grenadiers were about to change from L’Advance to the Pas de Charge, a single canister ball struck both Major du Stunn and Captain Erg. This sudden loss of command created a hesitancy in the grenadiers which halted their advance. By the time command had been reestablished (I sent Captain En Gorge from my staff to take control) the enemy was retiring. Von Bischausen led valiantly from the front, rallying and blandishing. The situation became critical when First Briqueville retired. Du Caq brought forward the first battalion of Regiment La Roche and stabilized the line. When the Battalion Prinz Isenberg retired, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. The Royal Italians, who had been deployed to support Du Caq was suffering from a lack of resolute leadership; it’s colonel and major having been taken by the flux the day before. Du Skim-mer won the day. His brigade had been taking and causing incredible damage with Griffen. Despite his battalions wavering, the enemy suffered equally. When our six-pounder battery swung to engage Griffen’s left that tipped the balance from the edge. Both the Garde Grenadiers and the Battalion Manbach were forced to retire. I watched the proud grenadiers crumble, their ranks reduced by two-thirds, when first one mustached sergeant and the one private after another lost confidence and stumbled to the rear. With both battalions in retreat Griffen could not hold the others, battered as they were by Du Skim-mer’s regular volleys. Making the best of his situation Griffen, who had fought strongly and skillfully, ordered his men to retire on the British main body. Von Bischausen was required to follow suit. My command, in total, suffered 987 killed and wounded; half in Brigadier Du Skim-mer’s command, attesting to the ferociousness of his engagement. I am told, by an officer of the Hessians with whom my ADC negotiated a convention for the wounded and dead, that the Hessians suffered similarly. He giving their losses at 1010. I am, Majesty, your obedient servant Marechal De Broglie My Emperor
I have the honor to report to you another glorious resolution by your Imperial soldiers. On 16 May 1811, I surprised and routed the Spanish Army of General Blake near the village of Albuera. Having received your blessing to take the offensive against the outpost held by General Beresford, I gathered in all the outposts that could be spared as well as the infantry from the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and marched with the utmost speed to the neighborhood of Albuera. It was discovered that General Blake (historian’s note – Soult discovered Blake when the Spanish engaged his assaulting columns) had landed a sizeable Spanish force at Cadiz and marched them to join Beresford, but I was undeterred. I approached the enemy’s positions with great care. The men were not to light fires and the wheels of the limbers and carriages were muffled. The efforts were met by complete success as our assault came as a surprise to all the allied defenders, as borne out by the statements of captured officers. To further baffle the enemy, I had small detachments of the 23rd Chasseurs a Cheval and two old 4-pounders make noisy demonstrations downstream on the Albuera River. This was also successful as the enemy posted several brigades to the north and west of the village to defend against this feint. My scouts reported that the allied south flank was in the air, so I made my dispositions to take advantage of this tactical error. I formed an ad hoc corps under General Girard, giving him 10,000 veteran infantry and all my disposable light cavalry, about 2200 troopers. His orders were to turn the south flank and destroy Blake’s corps. (historian’s note – this is clearly revisionist thinking on Soult’s part, his original orders were to turn and then roll up the flank, bagging Beresford. He did not know Blake was there!) The rest of the V Corps was placed under General Godinot, another 10,000 infantry, including the garrison battalions, and the two dragoon brigades. His orders were the fix the British and give General Girard sufficient time to destroy Blake. Godinot’s feint succeeded brilliantly. He advanced boldly across the farmer’s bridge and split the Spanish from Beresford. The 15th Dragoons captured five guns in a gallant charge up hill into the teeth of the canister (historian’s note – the cavalry actually struck the guns in flank while the infantry of the 13th Legere took the canister fire). British reserves attacked Godinot’s penetration and both the 30th and 111th Regiments were caught unprepared to receive cavalry and routed, losing their eagles. Both colonels have been cashiered and both regiments have been ordered to wear black armbands until they redeem their honor. Beresford’s entire force, estimated at 16,000 total, was occupied by Godinot the entire day. British losses in their mounted arm were about twice as many as our in the dragoon brigades. Girard struck the end of the ridge and the open ground simultaneously, though the cavalry in the open engaged first, having an easier time than the infantry who had to scale the rocky heights. The hussars, in a series of brilliant charges, chased the Spanish dragoons from the field. However, they allowed themselves to get involved in a lengthy melee with the Spanish light cavalry. It was in this desperate struggle that they suffered their greatest loss. The 33rd Ligne and 10th Legere led the charge up the hill and into the Spanish line perched, British-style, on the military crest. After some stiffer than usual resistance, especially by the Borbon Regiment, and the addition of the 108th Ligne, they pushed the Spanish from the heights and across the Araya Brook to the west. Girard took six Spanish guns and the guidons from two cavalry regiments. Nightfall ended the action and the British retired on Badajoz under cover of darkness. Without any heavy artillery with which to reduce that fortress I ordered the army to withdraw on Llerena to prepare to engage Castanos who was gathering a new army to the south. I am, etc. Jean de-Dieu Soult, Marechal de Empire For an entirely different view of the battle… His Honor the Duke of Wellington, My Lord, Soult attempted to turn our position on the Albuera the 16th instant. He was repulsed with heavy loss. Pursuant to your orders I had taken position, with my command, at the village of Albuera. General Blake, with his Spanish army, joined us on the eve of the battle and generously extended my right. Anticipating Marshal Soult, I had deployed the Cacadores on a commanding height on my left, occupied the village itself with two brigades, making it impervious to attack, and had deployed the rest of my command in ready reserve (historian’s note – Beresford failed to place pickets or patrols on the east side of the Albuera Brook or Albuera River. The first inkling he had that Soult was there was when the French columns burst from the olive groves). Blake, I am pleased to say, used the reverse slope to his advantage, surprising the attackers by appearing suddenly at the crest to deliver a volley! The French attempted a two-pronged attack, with their right attempting to cross at the bridges and assault my command while a second force tried to turn General Blake’s right. I am pleased to report we destroyed both wings. General Blake’s cavalry was heavily engaged from the beginning. The General Lautour-Mauberg led his veterans headlong into General Loy’s division. I am sorry to say the Spanish heavy cavalry did not stand the test, breaking and running from the field. However, the provisional Light Cavalry brigade stood up the French hussars and ground them up in a ferocious melee. Over 400 French saddles were emptied by the Spanish horsemen. They showed much promise. The infantry, as well, showed the results of our training. The Regiments Ceuta, Borbon, and Cantabria fought toe-to-toe with the attackers. They gave ground only grudgingly, fighting in line, and withdrawing in good order when pressed heavily by French numbers. As to our soldiers, all I can do is heap praise upon them. Lefebvre’s Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery and the Fusiliers, by their very presence and accurate fire, kept the French from crossing at the main bridge. Only at the small, “farmer’s bridge” did they get across. There, Mercer’s Troop impeded, alone, their entire corps while Lumley maneuvered the cavalry for their decisive blow. The Guards smashed the 4th Dragoons and then proceeded to catch the 30th Ligne unsquared. They, of course, routed the infantry. They suffered a slight setback to a counterattack by the 1st Dragoons but took an eagle and 2 guns (historian’s note – the “slight setback” was 50% losses, and the two guns were originally Mercer’s). The 13th Light Dragoons also covered themselves with glory, slicing through a French battery and coming upon the 111th Ligne, also unsquared, and destroying them as well. The Light Dragoons took 6 guns and an eagle. Marshal Soult withdrew on Llerena, his offensive capability severely impeded, if not removed. General Castanos has come up and is observing the French at that location. I have transferred my base to Badajoz to better feed my force as well as fully equip the batteries. I remain, Yr Obt Svt, Wm. C. Beresford, Marshal, Portuguese Army Prince Poniatowski, leading a mixed force of Saxons, Poles, and a few French depot battalions, was thwarted as her tried to cross Bohemia to join Napoleon. Prussians under Yorck and Russians under Scherbatov forced the Marshal into an extended march around them.
The Prince, sure of his veterans, thrust an assault on Yorck in the center and, with a deft eye, then flung the Wurttemburg Light Cavalry against the Prussian center. Both attacks were initially successful. The cavalry drove away a battery and smashed the 1st Infantry who had failed to form square. The infantry drove off the 9th Reserve brigade and a battery. But that would be the high-water mark of the afternoon. The Saxons had not yet started their assault on the solidly formed Russian line when Yorck engineered an equally able counterattack. Pivoting his Landwehr Cavalry Brigade, General Juergass struck the Wurttemburgers in the flank while two infantry brigades poured musketry into their disordered ranks. The 7th Reserve led the infantry counterattack, capturing a small knoll and the horse artillery that had been holding it, adding six guns to the Prussian artillery park. In the center Zayoncek was beaten back, only a few stubborn French depot battalions slowing the Prussian avalanche. The Saxons only mounted a feeble assault on the Russians, seeing the Poles in disarray to their left and the usually vaunted Saxon cavalry, on this day, was bested handily by the well-handled Russian Hussars under General Sulima. The action had been bloody, with over 900 Poles and 300 Saxons left on the field, while another 300 were captured. Russians losses were slight, though the Prussians suffered almost 700 casualties. We use Napoleonic Fury with 15mm figures. Had a pleasant game again tonight. Bavarians and Russians contesting a crossroads in 1813. It was supposed to be a double mismatch with Wrede binging eight big brigades against Sievers' six while Neubronn with only three Wurttemberg brigades faced Borosdin's corps of six more Russians.
In the end it was Sievers who originally pushed back Wrede, though numbers eventually told and the Bavarians won back some of the ground lost, but not, by the end of the game, the crossroads! On the other side Borosdin never did get his assault going and the gap between the Russian corps was exploited. In the end, though Sievers occupied the crossroads, Russian losses had been severe, over 20%, with three brigades smashed beyond usefulness. German losses were less - about 10% - and Neubronn still held the high ground. We use Fire and Fury Napoleonic variant and 15mm. With apologies to Marshal Marmont and General Leutnant Klenau 20 May 1809. Camp outside Klein Clausterthal, Austrian Empire. To: The Duke of Portland, No 10 Downing Street I have the pleasure to report to Your Excellency that the Austrians showed a bit of fight this day, battling the corps of Marshals Soult and Marmont for eight hours. They will be forced to retire on the morrow – news has arrived in camp that Davout threatens to interpose between us and Vienna, but it was a glorious action! Prinz Hohenzollern, showing unusual energy for an Austrian, aroused his III Korps in the early morning hours and advanced on the exposed corps of Marshal Soult at the small crossroads of Klein Clausterthal. Despite several couriers, General Leutnant von Klenau was delayed in rousing his VI Korps and thus the Prinz was forced to start the action alone. Marshal Soult, upon seeing the approach of the Prinz and being warned that von Klenau was nearby, dispatched riders to call up Marshal Marmont’s corps to his aid and launched General de Division Morand in an all-out attack from the French right. Morand, his troops well in hand, was soon fully engaged with the Prinz’s left-hand division under General Leutnant von Schwartzenburg. Meanwhile, General de Brigade Lasalle advanced his outnumbered French hussars to engage Major General Brady’s hussar brigade in advance of Klenau. Prinz Hohenzollern, unperturbed by Morand’s attack, pressed forward with Hohenfeld’s division as well as General Leutnant Hesse-Homburg’s grenadier division and Major General Nostitz’s Grenzer division. However, without Schwarzenburg’s division, Soult launched another spoiling attack, sending the 3rd Swiss into Hohenfeld’s flank. With Lasalle and Brady fully engaged and Klenau not yet up, Soult also made a spoiling attack on his left (north) with the 105th Line. Schwartzenburg bent but he did not break. The French surged ahead with their usual intensity and elan. Over the course of the entire day’s fighting both Infantry Regiment Number 14 Oranien and Infantry Regiment Number 24 Strauch were forced to retire. But both rallied and, eventually, returned to the fray. In a death match Infantry Regiment Number 38 Wurttemberg destroyed the 48th Line, literally grinding it out of existence and capturing its eagle. At one point the 10th Legere captured the 3rd Reserve Battery but, again, by day’s end, the Austrians had recaptured and recrewed their 4 undamaged guns. Lasalle and Brady surged back and forth, first one squadron sweeping forward only to retire before the sabers of its foe and then repeating, but in reverse. In triumph, well past midday, Lasalle forced the Austrian hussars to quit the field, only to succumb to the fresh horses of Nostitz’s uhlan brigade. By then, however, the sun was sinking low, and Marshal Marmont’s corps was well up. There would be no horsemen thundering over panicked infantry. At Klein Clausterthal, brute force won the day. The 105th Line succeeded in chasing away a cavalry battery during its spoiling attack, and then forced the Peterwardiner Grenzers back. However, a third opponent was too much. As Lasalle’s hussars were retiring, blown, and the 48th’s eagle was finally falling, the 3rd Converged Grenadiers forced the 105th to retire on Marmont, clearing the north face of the village. On the south face, the Swiss drove off Infantry Regiment Number 22 Lacy and then, after much desperate fighting, Infantry Regiment Number 9 Clerfayt. The 13th Legere was fed into the fight by General de Division St Cyr and they defeated the 2nd Converged Grenadiers and then fought the resurgent Warasdiner Grenzers (see below) to a standstill. However, these two French regiments’ reward was to end the day virtually surrounded by Hesse-Homburg, Hohenfeld, and Nostitz, suffering over 200 men captured before they could recover their own lines. At the crossroads all honor went to Infantry Regiment Number 29 Wallis. Ignoring the Swiss, who were causing so much havoc to the rest of their division, Wallis surged forward when the bugle sounded and routed the 111th Line regiment. Then, pivoting, smashed into the 30th Line and forced them to retire. This placed them to the rear of the village where they faced Molitor’s entire division in Marmont’s advance as night began to creep over the battlefield. In the village itself, the boys of Warasdiner Grenz Regiment were repulsed by the 108th Line. Hesse-Homburg then gave the order for the 4th Converged Grenadiers, and they stormed into the village. The French line troops were forced, grudgingly, out of the village. They prudently retired out of the range of Wallis’ muskets, leaving the village, smoldering, in the arms of the grenadiers. Von Klenau, when he came up, did come with a rush, swinging wide to the north of and simultaneously through a copse of woods to engage Marmont. General de Division Friant’s division was fully engaged with General Leutnant von Ulm’s division on the far northern end of the battle when darkness brought an end to the slaughter. Losses were extremely heavy. From official reports coming into this headquarters, Klenau suffered about 900 casualties. Marmont, it is said, 600 with another 300 stragglers. Soult, from sources, including a young staff officer captured after dark, has 5000 men who will not fight tomorrow. Finally, Prinz Hohenzollern, he of the unusual energy for an Austrian, has suffered 6000 casualties, or over 22%. Honors to the French 10th Legere who captured one color and, for a time, 6 cannon. The 3rd Swiss who took two colors. The 48th Line, who fought to the death. The 13th Legere who took 1 color. The 105th Line who repulsed three attacks and, again temporarily, took 6 guns. And, finally, to General de Brigade Lasalle and the French Hussars who fought almost the entire day, outnumbered, and triumphed over the Austrian Hussars. Honors to the Austrian Infantry Regiment Number 38 Wurttemberg who destroyed the 48th Line. To the 3rd Converged Grenadiers who took the north edge of the village. To the 4th Converged Grenadiers, the honor of taking the village. But highest honor to Infantry Regiment Number 29 Wallis, who captured two eagles and made the furthest contested advance of any Austrian unit. Your Excellency, Prime Minister, we may yet have a worthy ally in the Austrians. Major Douglas Heresy, Special Observer for the Crown |
AuthorDiatribes are simply often humorous recountings of the games played by the Long Island Irregulars. We play with toy soldiers and are unabashedly happy to have never lost this part of our childhoods.. Archives
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