Vimeiro 1808. Game at NBHW.

Last Friday at New Buckenham seven players plus an umpire got together for a refight of the Battle of Vimeiro in 1808. This time 15mm was to be the scale and Black Powder at 50% distances the rules.

The table was laid out as per the picture below.

Battlefield

The British started with Hill's brigade on the ridge at top right, south of Vimeiro itself. Anstruther And Fane's brigades on the hill in front of Vimeiro. Acland on the end of the centre ridge and the cavalry in the centre in reserve. Ferguson, Bowes and Nightingall's brigades were hidden behind the ridge between Acland and the buildings of Ventosa on the northern end of the ridgeline. These three brigades would remain hidden unless they moved or the French crested the ridge. The buildings of Toledo can be seen left of centre.
Trant's Portuguese and Craufurds brigades were due to arrive at some point during the game.

The French start with the brigades of Charlot, Thomieres and Kellermann facing Vimeiro with the cavalry division of Marraron in support. The brigades of Brenier and Solignac out of sight on a flanking march to the northern, near end of the table.

As usual I played on the British side and as the experienced Black Powder player of the three commanders I was given the role of Wellesley as well as command of Anstruther and Fane's brigades.

The south of the field with Vimeiro centre. There was a bridge in front of Wellesley by game start.

The rest of the AAR will be from my / Wellesley's point of view.
The first thing we did was to garrison Vimeiro with two battalions from Hill's brigade leaving one battalion and his combined lights to hold the south western ridge and allied right flank.
The brigades hidden behind the ridge were to remain stationary until the French flanking manoeuvre was visible and then occupy Ventosa and defend the ridge line.
After a couple of grazing shots from french artillery the line battalions of Anstruther's brigade pulled back to the reverse slope leaving the lights and artillery to contest the approaching French columns.

Unfortunately unlike historically the French were well coordinated and soon pushed hard against the British centre.

The French centre advances.

After a few refusals the french cavalry finally charged Anstruther's right battalions forcing them into square.

French cavalry finally charge.

Whilst the centre columns shock out into line.

A theme was beginning to emerge at this point in the game, whilst I was rolling wonderful attack dice my opponents were throwing equally good saving rolls, whereas my saving, and break test throws were terrible.

View from Vimeiro

At this point the first of the French flank attacks, Brenier's, arrived on the road right next to Ventosa, fortunately their command roll was poor allowing the leading unit of Ferguson's hidden brigade to occupy it first. This occupying force, a small unit of combined light companies, immediately came under accurate French artillery fire and soon broke, this started the almost separate battle for the northern ridge line.

Action around Ventosa, light dragoons about to charge.

Solignac's flanking force then arrived on the road through Toledo and some rapid moves saw them throw their weight into the ridge battle. The 20th Light Dragoons, saw a chance and charged a unit of French dragoons narrowly losing the subsequent mele and fleeing the battle after another poor break test roll, seemed to be contagious amongst the allied commanders.

Some good news for the allies was the arrival of Craufurd's brigade on the hights overlooking Ventosa, but this was tempered by poor command rolls that saw them hardly move the rest of the game.

Things in the centre were deteriorating badly for me by this point.

Not looking good for Wellesley

Continued pressure and continued good save rolls from the French players, whilst mine were still terrible, saw first Fane's brigade and then Anstruther's break. Fane's remaining units fell back  under continued French pressure. Whilst Anstruther's battalion in square was allowed to stand it's ground the other remaining battalion had to withdraw. A quick reshuffle of Hill's garrison in Vimeiro opened up a space for this battalion to move into a defensible position allowing it to stop withdrawing whilst Hill's battalion together with Nightingall's brigade attempted to manouver to plug the centre.

Over on the left, French cavalry forced several battalions into square only to then pull back allowing their infantry columns to advance and charge home against the British squares.

Column vs Square?

The first square collapsed and was destroyed as expected while the second survived a couple of rounds of mele against two French columns before grudgingly withdrawing. Some good dice for the allies finally.

With the french cavalry from the centre now threatening Hill's right flank battalions, the centre a mess and the left needing to reform the game was called. It was decided Wellesley would have had no option but to stage a fighting retreat back to Porto Novo and the Royal Navy, ending British involvement in the Peninsular, oops.

Another great game at the club, and nice to see the 15mm naps out again. Shame about the result but that's the way the dice roll.

A load more photographs as usual in the club's Facebook Album

UPDATE: Have added a scenario map plus army rosters and a few notes to the Scenario download section. Link in right side bar.

Tony.