AAR Wellington s war from Hans Von Stockhausen (English version)

Ah OK.

Le CR est terminé, je n'ai plus qu'à le rédiger.

TURN 10  Spring/Summer 1813

"We always have been, we are, and I hope that we always shall be detested in France."


Wellington



The Russian Campaign was a disaster, the great army has been lost in the eastern wasteland.


Napoleon came back with less than 40 000 men, one tenth of 1812 Army.


He recalls vétérans from Spain, depleting the somewhat victorious corps lead by Masséna, to confront the new coalition of Russians and Prussians.
Swedes and Austrians waiting to backstab him.
The German War soon begins, Napoleon fights now to keep control of central Europe.

The french divisions are weakened by these recalls,
Wellington seize the opportunity to strike before they can recover.
He takes Salamanca and moves to get Segovia, Massena spends Two command points to intercept the british army with two divisions, to stop Wellington s movement.



Massena hoped to reinforce them, but he is attacked himself by a mixed force of british and spanish and must ask himself for reinforcements.





The decoy allied detachment, seeing 5 french units coming in Massena rescue evade battle but is pursued
by the fierce french cavalry and take Two losses, but Wellington army can nearly destroy two french divisions at ease, (Wellington uses three command points to re play dice from three units).





Wellington has won the initiative, Massena must react to his moves.
The Duke of Wellesley could Attack the french corps in Segovia or position his army between it and the Massena army, cutting the french line of communications, hoping Massena will Attack him.

He chooses the second strategy




What will do Massena ?

En tous cas franchement, mois je suis depuis le début et ça m'a donné envie de jouer au jeu !!!
Bravo, continue !!

Vous verrez, la fin est pas mal ...

Bouffez moi cet angliche !

"I don't know what effect these men will have upon the enemy, but, by God, they frighten me."

Wellington (about his infantrymen)





The french Marshall doesn t hesitate, Wellington has overstrecht himself !
It s time to cut the head of the lion !

From West, north and east, french divisions converge on Wellington main army northeast of Segovia.


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Wellington doesn t try to retreat, he has only four divisions bu elite ones (Light div of Craufurd, Picton, Guards of Spencer, Heith, all 3 firing value).
Massena brings three (2 firing value div) and two cavalry corps, with 5 more div coming, in reserve for round one.



Massena divisions attacks




Receive artillery grapeshots




And receive point blank volley fire





french dragoons charges






break on british squares





French artillery batteries fire on the thin red line, causing some losses but not enough...to break Wellington s "scum of the earth" infantry.



The second round with more french divisions in the fray, causes more losses to the french than to the british...



6 against only 2.




Massena calls of the Attack, and retreat.
Exhausted by many hours of defense fighting, and without cavalry to pursue the french, the british stand on  the battlefield, but Wellington can t exploit his  outstanding Victory, outnumbered by his enemies.

It s a great Victory, greater than Moore s one in 1810 against Napoleon.

The french morale is broken.

Wellington is the greatest british Captain since Marlborough !

French survivors head north, towards Sierras protection.






La Romana Spanish little army of Galicia liberates Lugo and Corunna

in two skirmish, two french divisions surrender.







In Bayonne, Marmont, organising the reinforcements is joined by  a courrier with the terrible news






But soon, another courrier comes from Burgos, the fortress is besieged by Wellington s army.






In Santander, Massena tries to organise the defense of northern spain.






In Navarre, a french conscript convoy is ambushed and half destroyed

.

Le système de bataille punit il l'absence de cavalerie d'un côté ?

TURN 11 Fall/Winter 1813

"Hard pounding, gentlemen. Let's see who pounds the longest."

Wellington

British Parliament decides a high commitment, the fantastic Victory of Wellington has been greeted in London.

This time, Wellington has received  an able siege train.
The walls are breached after one week of hard bombardment.






The small elite french garrison troopers, fight like demons...causing many losses before being overwhelmed.









The french killed, the british wrath falls on the spanish population, 3 days of exactions by a drunken horde in a fury devastate the city.

The spanish discover that british, even allies,  can be worse than french.

"Ours (our army) is composed of the scum of the earth - the mere scum of the earth."
Wellington

Britain wants to cut the long line of communications of Soult with France.
An expeditionary little corps (Maitland division and Popham marines) is sent to debark Near Tarragona.


The city surrenders to Maitland before Soult can rescue it, moving quickly from Valencia.



Soult has only a big division with him , he must take the city or abandon Valencia region and most of catalonia.
He besieges the city.

The french engineers are very experienced and breach the walls.





The british garrison is larger than the french besiegers,







but the french assault the breach.




Inflicting three losses to Maitland british division , receiving  only two.
But, exhausted, they must call off the assault.

Soult failed to retake Tarragona.

Popham Marines keep control of the fortress.




In the South, the spanish retake Alicante.



The french have lost Valencia and Catalonia régions...

During the siege of Burgos, Wellington sent his cavalry support the liberation of Madrid, by spanish forces.














The feeble King s Joseph bodyguard, was no match .

Joseph Bonaparte had just the time to flee towards Zaragossa,
Madrid is freed from the invadors






The Church and the inquisition can come back  again




Then the liberators try to chase a french division from Guadalajara




But the disciplined volley fires and squares of two polish régiments break all charges and attacks from the spanish infantry and British cavalry.
The spanish have horrendous losses (3 steps, the polish, none)










Guadalajara stays in Empire control.

But lines of communications are cut.
Madrid Fallen, guérillas are stalking everywhere, Empire formations try to go north towards the Pyrénées Mountains to stay alive.
Sévilla, Cordoba, Ciudad Real are abandoned without any fight,

all of Spain seems a burning volcano....

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Lord Paget (Future Lord of Uxbridge)  "Sir, what are your plans"?

Wellington: "to beat the French"…



From South to center, and west to east, Spain is liberating itself from the Empire forces...
but the régions of Santander, Viscaya and Navarra are still occupied.

In Germany, Napoleon is campaigning against four allied armies.

Could the Duke of Wellesley stay in Burgos waiting for a french offensive which will never materialize ?

Cautious as he is, Wellington thinks he should.

But political pressions are stronger than  ever to resume the offensive before the french could be reinforced and strengthen their northern Spain positions in real strongholds unassailable.

And Autumn bad weather could curtail military opérations...





at the beginning of October
Wellington s veteran army take the offensive, in two wings, to cross the Sierra Cantabrica and strike the french army near Santander.






Autumn Clouds of storm seem a good augury.





Massena doesn t try to avoid battle: he has concentrated three cavalry corps, nearly 8 000 horsemen, but the infantry is not here yet.






Wellington has his best elite divisions with his first wing in advance guard, The Light one with Craufurd, Picton and Hill ones.

The Light Division forms squares




and  fires first against the numerous cavalrymen swirling around their squares..
causing no losses (Wellington used one command point to replay the dice to no avail...no losses)





Now the french cavalry (three units)  strikes...inflicting many losses

 unseen on the flanks of Picton s Mc Kinnon Brigade, because of poor visibility, a Vistula lancer  Polish  regiment charge the british batallions still in line.

88th Connaught rangers is nearly destroyed,


74th Highland loses half his command  





and 45th Nottinghamshire is badly mauled.




The rain showers the battlefield causing misfires, british infantry loses some of his great advantage: firepower.



The 2nd Hussard joins in the fray causing havoc on hapless groups of infantrymen.

But the second wing enter the battlefield, Hope, Cole and Hamilton divisions, and Paget cavalry.



Massena get four divisions.


Wellington uses two command points to replay dice from two elite divisions, causing few losses.
French infantry can t breakthrough the british front line but the battle is becoming attritionnal,
 french horse artillery targeting british squares with great effects.







To counter french cavalry, Lord Paget heroically  charges at the head of his light dragoons






Soon counter charged by french dragons, which outnumber them.




Wellington wants to call off his Attack and retreat as soon as possible.


But Massena plays two command points to pusue with two divisions (plus the cavalry corps which pursue automatically) causing more losses to the retreating anglo allied.



And the half depleted Light division  heroic rear guard action at a bridge prevents Wellington s army destruction from the vengeful french pursuers



The battered british army retreats to the Sierra Cantabrica, where the french cavalry threat is negated.

The losses are heavy, some brigades are broken,

the invincible Wellington s military machine has been defeated for the first time.

Ah je commençai à penser à un pro english bias dans ce CR

Pas du tout Santino.
Je joue en essayant de mener des stratégies à peu près cohérentes pour chaque camp.

Et dans cette dernière bataille, les britanniques ont complètement loupé leurs dés au premier round, et les français ont mieux réussi les leurs qu'eux au 2e round, tout simplement.

Alors que statistiquement, Wellington aurait du gagner cette bataille.
Je pensais que Wellington chasserais les FR d'Espagne et envahirait la France.

Je vais faire une analyse détaille de la bataille ce soir ou demain.

Le reste n'est que du storytelling qui donne selon moi du sens au wargame.

Perso, je joue pour revivre l'histoire sous forme de Dystopie, pas pour gagner une compétition.
L'optimisation "gamey" me laisse indifférent.

Perso, je ferai la résolution des batailles avec des figs et un système comme volley and bayonet. Le jeu se rallonge mais on gagne le plaisir de la bataille.

Les jeux opérationnels ne créent pas toujours des situations tactiques intéressantes...

Battle of Santander game analysis


After the crushing victory north of Segovia against Massena, Wellington knew that the three french cavalry corps were reduced to 1 step each and they have retreated to Santander with Massena.

He knew that the french played a Draft (replacement 3 card) used on Santander hex, the cavalry corps were now 2 steps.

He saw a four blocks group in range of Santander, Massena could be reinforced by 4 combat blocks, most of them 2 steps, some 3 steps or 4 steps.

It was turn 11, if he wanted to have a chance to breakthrough the Pyrénées Mountains and invade France he had to take the offensive, now !


With his three élite divisions he had 9 pips with a firepower of 3.
The french cavalry corps would deliver 6 pips with a firepower of 2, they will fire first, causing statistically around 2 losses (the Light division staying at 3 pips) , his british elite divisions would fire around 7 pips causing around 3 or 4 losses.
He could use one command point to replay one unit dice, going upperhand 4 or 5 losses.
If he was lucky he could inflict 6 losses, kill the whole french cavalry and impose a retreat on the french reinforcing 4 units before they would be able to fire....with Light Division 3 pips pursuing with another division 2 pips using the last two command points...inflicting around two or three losses more.

What was the alternative ?
Stay put and wait the end of the game or Massena get more reinforcement from Bayonne.


The battles turned differently from mathematics calculations.

First round
The Cavalry fired first and inflicted one loss ( brigade McKinnon anihilated)
the three british divisions 8 pips caused no losses !
(the photo was taken at the end of the 1st round)

Only 4  5  6 die rolls, even when Craufurd division 3 pips were replayed !

Then came the second round.
The photo was taken at the beginning of the 2nd round
the french fired 6 cavalry (A) pips (FP 2) with 3 losses
then the Light division (A) 2 pips fired causing 1 loss
british fired 2 cavalry pips (FP1) no losses
Then the 4 french divisions 8 pips (one loss went on one 3 pips unit) fired causing 3 losses.

The 3 british divisions and the cavalry took one loss each, Light div and Hill div one each,

3 pips (reinforcing infantry) (FP 2) and 4 pips (elite div Picton and Hill (FP 3) causing 4 losses because Wellington used Two command points to replay his two elite divisions.

The score was 7 losses on the british to 5 losses on the french

A third round would have been catastrophic, Wellington called off the attack...

The retreat was a nightmare:
The three french cavalry corps were intact: 2 pips each, they pursued automatically.
Massena joined in the pursuit 2 french divisions 1 pip each.

The cavalry caused 3 losses, the infantry 1 loss.

The final score was 11 losses for the british (7 in the battle , 4 in the retreat)

The french had 5 losses.

Wellington,  was 9 to 6 pips on the 1st round, with 3 FP to 2 FP for the french.

He had 8 pips of reinforcement in four units, the french 9 pips on four units.

So 17 pips (9 with FP 3,    2 with FP 1) for Wellington towards 15  (FP 2) for Massena

But French where defending and were first in each category (A ...  B ) to fire.

Numbers were roughly equals, but the british had bad luck in 1st round

(story telling with bad weather, poor visibility, rain ...surprise cavalry charges)
and under average luck in the 2nd round.

The plan was to hammer the cavalry corps...it failed

French had upper average luck in ther second round and quite good luck during the pursuit.

If we replay 10 times the battle, Wellington would win 8 times...
His plan was good ...but the cavalry was his nemesis...

Si de l'infanterie seule peut anihiler trois corps de cavalerie il y a un problème nan ? Celle-ci doit au moins pouvoir se retirer ou temporiser jusqu'au 2e round.

Santino

on ne peut voir les choses ainsi, ce jeu a une échelle stratégique avec un coté opérationnel.

La bataille n'est pas une représentation grand tactique mais un système de résolution plus élaboré qu'un simple rapport de force dans une table type NLB.

Les pertes subies, la qualité des troupes, le type d'arme (cavalerie ou infanterie), le leadership sont pris en compte d'une façon simple mais avec des effets très divers.

Le Fr aurait pu faire retraite avec ses trois unités de cavalerie avant même que Wellington ne puisse tirer.
Il a choisi de rester car Wellington entrait avec seulement 3 unités (délite certes mais que 3)
c'était jouable, bien que risqué.

Quelle alternative avait le FR ?

Retraiter vers Bilbao ?

Wellington aurait pu venir par terrain clair au segment suivant avec cette fois 5 unités au lieu de 3 en premier round !
Et la province de Santander aurait été perdue.

Donc la cavalerie n'est jamais à la merci d'une attaque d'infanterie, elle peut toujours retraiter avant d'être frappée par cette dernière.

Mais si elle accepte le combat elle prend le risque d'avoir des pertes, surtout si elle est seule face à l'ennemi, ce qui était le cas.

Au 2e round, l'arrivée de 4 unités d'infanterie FR (2 2 2 3  pips respectivement) permet à Massena
d'absorber 5 pertes sans toucher à la cavalerie.
(on donne les pertes aux plus grosses unités en Steps d'abord, en cas d'égalité on choisit)
Si il y avait eu une 6e perte une unité de  cavalerie aurait été obligée de la prendre.

The Anglo  Allied  retreat across Sierra Cantabrica in the mud and the early snow of October is disciplined but silent.



Wellington knows he can't play with the Truth: he has been defeated...
but Massena outnumbered him ...(it did not, but who cares ?)
He needs reinforcements and replacements for his depleted divisions, and guns he losts in the pursuit.


The army went on winter quarters around Burgos



Wellington hoped to cope with the offensive of Massena... which never came


Napoleon s defeat at the huge battle of Leipzig and his retreat to France...changed everything.





.

Massena had neither infantry to try any more adventures in Spain nor the desire to expose himself in a risky situation.
He was satisfied to control part of the northern Atlantic coast of Spain, secured from guérillas and now from british invasion.

In Burgos, Wellington waited many Weeks   but no news of reinforcement apart a lone division, no replacements  (no draft cards).

The British Parliament changed his commitment from high to medium and send replacements elsewhere
(in South America).


Soon, Napoleon would be forced to abdicate,  the Coalition armies were  ready to move to Paris, why spend british money ?

Ce qui arrive hors Espagne suit forcément les faits historiques ?

Oui.

TURN 12     1814



Neither Wellington nor Massena  take the offensive, Zaragossa is liberated by spanish forces.

The french leave Spain, France is threatened.



Wellington and Spanish people are the winners of this war ( and in VP game terms)

between  500 000 and 1 000 000 spanish death...

But the people recovers freedom...





his efficient Monarchy...






Spiritual serenity...





And  art of life...







In France Napoleon won many small battles against Prussians, Austrians and Russians







but, lartgely outnumbered,  is forced to abdicate in April 1814







And sent in exile in Elbe small island near Italian coast.




Is this the end ?
Isolated, at the head of  a puppet kingdom ?

Existence would be so short and disappointing ?






Could life give man a second chance ?



But that s another story...