With Massena against the British

And here are some views and comments on our Fog:N game at Phil's from the French point of view.  The pictures and dialogue are courtesy of Phil.  Please click on the pictures for a larger image.

The 1^st Saturday of the new  year saw some of the Jackson Gamers exploring the relatively new Field of Glory Napoleonic rules.   The scenario was a 1518 point French army  under Massena  versus a 1380 point British army under Wellington somewhere in the Spanish Peninsula.

Wellington has utilized a flank march with his British cavalry, whose presence, flowing  around and through the large village on the French left,  causes some concern for Massena.  In FoG-N a small unit of cavalry consists of 500-800 men.  The French are looking at least 2000 British sabres on their flank.  This brings them no cheer.

The French cavalry commander peels off one unit of dragoons to slow the British light cavalry moving left of the village.

The British heavy dragoons assault the French dragoons before them and break both units, depriving their attached officer as well of his continued existence in this game.  The légère in skirmish order on the right flee into the woods without a chance to fire upon the British cavalry.

The remaining French dragoons on the French left force the British light dragoons back.  But in their pursuit of the withdrawing British, they run into the KGL light cavalry who defeat the French in the resulting melee.

 

The leading French unit of the left-hand Corps waivers under very accurate British artillery fire.  Although the French have massed their artillery, they can accomplish very little with it.

 

After evading the British dragoons, the légère unit in skirmish order attempts a flank move through the woods, but they just can't quite get to the edge and into point-blank musket range.

On the far left, the remaining French dragoons flee from the victorious KGL cavalry who will catch them and break them.  The lone French cavalry general (center beneath village) has failed to rally a single unit.  The triumphant British cavalry are unopposed.  They are some 6 to 7 turns away from the French LOC (some 26” = a mile).  The French infantry to the right have begun to form square in anticipation of being attacked.

View from behind the French lines.  Their infantry is struggling to advance.  The large units of Portuguese and Spanish in the center of the British defense easily absorb the French fire.  On the British right their infantry have refused their flank to the légère in the rough terrain.  The remaining French cavalry on the far right (all light) try to weave between rough and difficult terrain.  Awaiting them are Spanish lancers and British light Infantry, who avidly await the chance to fire at them then evade, confident that the lancers will intercept any assault in their direction.  It is a first class defensive position for Wellington, & Massena now knows his effort is futile.