The Battle of Barrosa, 5 March 1811 

Anglo-Spanish v. French in the Peninsula

A scenario by Dominic Goh of The Napoleonic Nuts of Singapore and Ulrich Schulte-Ebbert of The Dortmund Amateur Wargamers

Contents:

The story so far

The battlefield

The armies 

The rules 

References

Battle report
(a game we played)

The British advance!
The British advance! Dilkes (on horse) deploys his brigade while Browne's composite light battalion commences the assault. In the far background flimering in the heat of the day rises Barrosa Hill. (20 mm figure painted by Dominic Goh, terrain by Ulrich Schulte-Ebbert, demonstration game at Action'99 in Rheindahlen/Germany)

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THE STORY SO FAR

In March 1811, an Anglo-Spanish army under Spanish General La Pena sallied forth in an attempt to raise the Siege of Cadiz. The French were preoccupied with fighting Wellington in the north. As a result, troops had been taken away from Marshal Victor's force around Cadiz. There were nearly 20,000 Spanish and 6,000 British facing 19,000 French. As the Spanish Lt Gen Thomas Graham ceded overall command to La Pena.

As the Allied army advanced, Graham moved to occupy Barrosa hill in order to anchor the army's right flank. However, La Pena was concerned that his army should not be dispersed and ordered Graham to rejoin the main army. Graham did so under protest as French control of the heights would directly threaten the Allied army's only line of retreat.

Almost as soon as the British evacuated the heights, the French moved to occupy it. Where Graham had seen danger, Viotor saw opportunity for his outnumbered army to break up the Allied advance.

Victor ordered his 1st Dragoons to seize the coast road. Ruffin was giver the task of securing Barrosa hill, while Leval was ordered to strike at the withdrawing British. News of French movements were brought to Graham's attention by 2 Spanish guerrillas. Although outnumbered and on unfavourable ground, Graham resolved to fight.

Can you - the British Commander -outnumbered and attacking uphill repeat Graham's spectacular feat of arms and defeat the French? Or can you - the French Commander - change history?

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THE BATTLEFIELD

Barrosa Hill in the center of the battlefiled is a large but not really steep hill. It should not hinder movement too seriously. 

The Pine wood behind Weathly's brigade is one of the typical light woods which should only hinder artillery from movement. Line infantry should move as in bad going and light infantry should not be influenced in any way.

The coast line which follows the road to Vejer is not really essential for the game as long as there is an impassable area (the table edge will do). Nevertheless it looks very nice to have even the smallest section of beach and sea on the table and it gives the right feeling of the nature of the terrain.

The picture below shows a look from Barrosa Hill down to the coast. On the left the French Dragoons and the Anglo-Spanish cavalry are in melee. The Ruffun's whole division is attacking down the hill (was this a good idea? The answer is given in the battle report). The meleeing cavalry is supported by two French grenadier batalion on the one side and two Spanish batalions on the other side.

Looking down from Barrosa Hill to the sea

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THE ARMIES

British / Spanish Order of Battle 
(troop classes and numbers [1 figure=40men] according to Napoleonic Fast Play Rules by Newbury)

Unit

No. of men/guns

No. of figures/guns

Troop class

Points per figure/gun

Points per unit

C-in-C General Graham

50

1st Bde (Wheatley)

 

 

 

 

25

2nd Foot Guards (2 coys)

211

4 
+1 light

A class

10 
12

52 +20

28th Gloucesters

457

12

C class

6

72 +20

67th Hamtonshire (5 coys)

263

6 
+1 light

C class

6 
8

44 +20

87th Prince of Wales Irish

696

15 
+3 light

C class

6 
8

114 +20

Barnard's flank 
battalion 
4 coys 95th 
2 coys 47th 
2 coys 20th 
Portu.

480 
160 
332

12 light 
4 light 
8 light

A class / rifles 
B class 
C class

13 
10 
8

156 +20 
40 
64

2nd Bde (Dilkes)

 

 

 

 

25

1st Foot Guards

611

12 
+ 3 light

A class

10 
12

156 +20

3rd Foot Guards (3 coys)

322

6 
+ 2 light

A class

10 
12

84 +20

67th Hamtonshire (5 coys)

263

6 
+1 light

C class

6 
8

44 +20

95th Riles (3 coys)

217

6 light

A class / rifles

13

78 +20

Brown's flank battalion 
2coys 9th, 2 coys 28th, 2 coys 82nd

536

14 light

B class

10

140 +20

Cavalry

 

 

 

 

 

Kings German Legion 2nd Hussars (2sqns)

206

5

B class

12

60 +20

Spanish contingent (Col. Whittingham)

 

 

 

 

25

Ciudad Real Battalion

500

12

D class

4

48 +20

4th Walloon Guards

500

12

D class

4

48 +20

Spanish Horse Dragoons

300

8

D class

10

80 +20

Artillery

 

 

 

 

 

9pdr RA (6 guns)

217/6

2 (+6 figures)

B class

156

312 +40

9pdr RA (4 guns)

145/4

1 (+3 figures)

B class

156

156 +20

total men/guns

6420/10

138inf/13cav/3 art

total points 

2213

French Order of Battle
(troop classes and numbers [1figure=40men] according to Napoleonic Fast Play Rules by Newbury)

Unit

No. of men/guns

No. of figures/guns

Troop class

Points per figure/gun

Points per unit

C-in-C Marshal Victor

50

1st Bde (Ruffin)

 

 

 

 

25

2/9th Legère

497

12 light

B class

10

120 +20

1/24th Line

497

10 
+2 light

C class

6 
8

76 +20

2/24th Line

497

10 
+2 light

C class

6 
8

76 +20

1/96th Line

637

13 
+3 light

D class

4 
6

70 +20

1st Provisional Grenadiers

480

12

B class

8

96 +20

2nd Provisional Grenadiers

530

14

B class

8

112 +20

2nd Bde (Leval)

 

 

 

 

25

1/8th Line

612

12 
+3 light

C class

6 
8

96 +20

2/8th Line

612

12 
+3 light

C class

6 
8

96 +20

45th Line

592

12 
+3 light

C class

6 
8

96 +20

1/54th Line

551

12 
+2 light

D class

4 
6

60 +20

2/54th Line

551

12 
+2 light

D class

4 
6

60 +20

Combined Grenadiers (from 3rd battalions of  8th, 45th, 54th, 24th, 96th line and 9th light)

549

14

C class

6

84 +20

Cavalry

 

 

 

 

 

1st Dragoons (3 sqns)

398

10

C class

12

120 +20

Artillery

 

 

 

 

 

6pdr Foot (5 guns)

169

2 (+ 6 figures)

B class

156

312 +40

total men/guns

7172/5

165inf/10cav/2 art

total points 

1849

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THE RULES

The rules we used for playing the scenario were Napoleonic Fast Play Rules from Newbury straight from the box. They worked well in respect to the results but the game was everything but fast moving.

Next time we will try some rules which do not need too much calculations for too small battle effects. We will try Republique Rules from the War Times Journal (which work very well and are freely availabel on the internet at  http://www.wtj.com ). Some minor amendments to the command system will be nessesary because normal Republique Rules are on corps level. Shako rules should also be of good use with this scenario. Here some amendments should be made to represent the large difference of numbers in the batalions. Why not introduce a small batalion opposed to the large batalions already incoorporated in Shako?

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REFERENCES

[1] Sir Charles Oman: A history of the Peninsular War. Vol. IV: December 1880 to December 1811 Masséna's retreat, Fuentes de Onoro, Albuera, Tarragona

[2] Digby Smith: Greenhill Napoleonic Data Book

[3] Lt Gen Sir William Napier: English Battles and Sieges in the Peninsula

[4] Windrow and Embleton: Military Dress of the Peninsular War 1808-1814

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