Bath Tub Bailen - a scenario for Shadows of the Eagles

You've heard of bath-tub gin? Here's a bath-tub battle. I shaved the two sides down by about half to make a game we can finish next week in 2 - 3 hours. Bailen, July 19, 1808 was the unforseen French disaster that rocked Napoleon's plans in Spain. 

                                                    

                                                                The Emperor

Introduction  

The Emperor Napoleon defeated the Austrians at Ulm and Austerlitz in 1805, crushed the Prussians at Jena-Auerstadt in 1806 and forced the Russians to accept his dominance of Europe in 1807 after defeating them at Friedland. He dismantled the Holy Roman Empire of 300+ states, replacing it with the 13 states of the Confederation of the Rhine, all beholden to the French Empire.

 

In 1808, deciding to depose his incompetent Spanish Bourbon allies, he exploited their internal feud, convinced the King to abdicate in favor of his son, then kidnapped the son and finally installed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne. Presented with this astonishing scam, the Madrid populace rose up against their usurped central government in May. Against ferocious repression, the disjointed revolt gathered steam. By July most of the country was in rebellion. Those unfortunate Spanish who had thrown in their lot with the French were liable to be lynched.

 

    

                                                        Dos de Mayo, by Goya

Pierre Dupont and his French corps were stranded in Andalusia, southern Spain. The countryside and many elements of the Royal Spanish Army were in arms against him. Dupont had been a valiant and tough division commander, but independent command was a step too far. Many of his troops were second-rate, the sweepings of depots, along with some Spanish Royal Army troops that had not yet joined the revolt. He was opposed by Francisco Castanos and a larger Spanish force. Napoleon had assessed the Bourbons well but had badly under-estimated the Spanish populace. This was his first major blunder. The next would follow in 4 years when he invaded Russia.

 

Both sides divided their forces and stumbled around in a deadly game of blind man’s bluff. Castanos’ subordinate, the Swiss General Teodoro Reding fell on a small French division, crushing it with overwhelming numbers. More blind stumbling followed. The situation just before the battle, west to east was: Castanos' two divisions at Andujar, Dupont with a reinforced division further east on the road to Bailen, Reding's two Spanish divisions at Bailen and French general Vedel furthest east, vainly seeking the Spanish. Dupont had finally realized that he was in trouble and was trying to retreat east, to reach the mountain pass through the Sierra Morena that would put him back in touch with French-occupied Madrid. Most of these forces had only the dimmest notion where the others were.

 

                                      General Teodoro Reding

Spanish briefing: You routed a small French force here some days back and then rested your troops. Dust clouds indicate many troops are approaching from the west. Is it the French, or your superior Castanos? Your orders are to wait for him and unite here. There is a strong French force somewhere behind you. You control the best source of fresh water for several miles on this hot, dry day.

 Spanish -1 on initiative rolls.

Units of the Army of Andalusia Spanish CO Reding capable 13,573, 13 units, breakpoint 6 ½ 

Reding’s 1^st division 7,849

1^st Division Vanguard (right) Brigadier Venegas capable

                                                2 inferior volunteer infantry battalions

                                                1 regular battalion

                                                1 inferior light cavalry regiment

 

1^st Division Center Reding

                                                3 regular infantry battalions

                                                1 regular artillery battery

 

2^nd Division Coupigny inept   

 5,724                                      ½ elite infantry battalion (Walloon Guards)

                                                1 provisional militia battalion

                                                3 regular infantry battalions (1 is Swiss Rgt Reding)

                                                ½ inferior light cavalry regiment

                                                 

1^st Division deploys on Zumacar Grande, north of the road from the bridge.

2^nd Division deploys south of the road and on El Cerrajon.

  

 

                                                          General Pierre Dupont

French briefing: Tired and thirsty, your troops have been marching all night to escape from Castanos’ army at Andujar. Many of them have a touch of the runs. Your baggage train is full of loot from Cordoba and soldiers too sick to march. Vedel’s strong division was sent to clear your line of retreat a few days back. No sign of him since. Your advance unit reports the hills east of the nearly dry River Rumblar are lined with troops. They don’t look French. Where is Vedel? How close is Castanos behind you? It’s a little late to send out scouts. Anyway, the Spanish will not stand against Imperial French troops.

 French +1 on initiative rolls, negated by Duponts inept status.

2^nd Armee d’Observation de la Gironde, CO Dupont (WIA), inept      10,581

1 elite infantry, 1 ½ regular, 5 provisional infantry, 1 HC, 1 LC, 2 Art, 11 ½ units, breakpoint 6

Brigade Chabert capable      deploy in road column on road from bridge              

            ½ regular Swiss battalion

2 Provisional Reserve Battalions

Baggage convoy 3 inferior wagons enter turn 1 with Dupont

Brigade Schramm (WIA) capable enter turn 2 

        2 Provisional Spanish Swiss battalions

        1 battery regular artillery

Brigade Pannetier capable enter turn 3          

        1 regular Garde de Paris battalion

        1 provisional Reserve battalion

        1 battery regular artillery

Brigade Dupre (KIA) capable enter turn 3      

        1 provisonal* light cavalry regiment

Brigade Prive capable enter turn 4        

        1 provisional* heavy cavalry regiment

Marines of the Guard/Converged Grenadiers enter turn 4

        1 elite independent infantry battalion

* after playing a game, it seems right to downgrade the French cavalry from regular to provisional, since they were ad-hoc collections of depot units. Attached generals make them better than the Spanish cavalry.

French reinforcements enter in road column from the Rumblar bridge.

 

Special rules: due to the scale of the game (each battalion represents two, etc.) artillery may not fire at extreme range. Wagons do not fight but count as losses if weakened or routed. If and when the provisional units in Schramm’s brigade acquire 6 hits each, they are assumed to have defected to the Spanish and cease to exist as units. The effects on other French units within 4 inches is to take a hit, just as if these units routed. At the end of turn 8, Castanos appears behind the French and the game ends on a roll of 6. Otherwise the end of turn 9 on a roll of 4+, end of turn 10 on 2+, and automatically end of turn 11 if not before.

The Spanish troops are all Old Regime (change formation slowly, etc.), as are the Spanish infantry in Schramm's Brigade. All other French troops are new Regime. Provisional troops on either side count as regular for training, inferior for motivation. Spanish regular and provincial infantry have inferior skirmish screens. Olive groves count as difficult terrain for cavalry. Hills are gentle. No preliminary bombardment. 

Victory: If the French have 6+ units that have exited or can exit the east edge of the board without colliding with Spanish infantry, they win. If either side breaks the other, they win. If both break the game is a tie. Any other result is the historical one, a strategic Spanish victory.

Historical result: the French made three disjointed attacks on the Spanish position. Each failed, though French cavalry rode down some units. As the last attack failed, Dupont’s Spanish “Swiss” battalions defected, several thousand enemy irregulars led by the energetic Colonel Cruz-Murgeon descended from the north to loot the baggage, and Castanos’ lead units struck the French rear. Dupont threw in the towel and began negotiating with Castanos. Vedel belatedly appeared and roughed up the Spanish rear guard before being ordered to desist by Dupont. Dupont ended up surrendering his forces and also Vedel’s division, which could have escaped to Madrid. Napoleon was not pleased.

 

                                                         The capitulation

The capture of a French corps sent Spanish morale soaring. The unbroken string of French victories since 1805 had been tarnished. The Habsburgs were encouraged and began planning their 1809 war against Napoleon. They were aghast at his overthrow of an allied dynasty, fearing what he had in store for them. Britain, officially at war with Spain for years, began casting about for ways to fish in the troubled Iberian waters. Bailen also led the Spanish to try to reproduce the strategy that led to the famous victory. It would be found wanting against commanders more competent than Dupont. The war in the Peninsula dragged on for six years, and saw Great Britain intervene. Between the various Spanish armies and Wellngton's British-Portuguese, several hundred thousand Imperial troops were tied down in a brutal and fruitless struggle.

 

This fairly small battle had rather large results.

 

Game notes: The game ends when Castanos and the irregulars appear, it being assumed that if the French haven’t broken through by then they will capitulate. Vedel’s tardy arrival is treated as beside the point here, as it was in the real thing. The Spanish rearguard (under Colonel Nacten) that faced him is off the table to the west and not available for use.

The only part of this scenario I have reservations about (so far) is the timing for ending the game. That might change. The proof will be in the playing.

 

Source: Battle Studies in the Peninsula May 1808 – January 1809 by Richard Partridge and Michael Oliver, Constable, London 1988.

This is THE source for the Spanish Army of this time and the battles of the early Peninsular War. If you are interested in this period and army, this book is a must. The authors are wargamers and each battle description has ideas about gaming those battles. It includes maps, orders of battles and brief bios of commanders. Some copies are available on Amazon, hopefully other sources too. This scenario is heavily based on their description.