General de Brigade

RAMCSEARCH · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:15 am Post subject: Fuentes de Onoro (village)

3rd of May 1811, The attack of Fereys Division.

I've finished the 71st HLI at last , so here is another battle where they can fight against my already finished French from the Coa River scenario...

The village of Fuentes de Onoro was built upon a gentle slope. The ground behind is higher and open across a broad low plateau. I divided the village into three sections, lower next to the almost dry river, middle , and upper consisting of the "church and rocks".

Ferey XX 10 battalions 4200 men part of Loisons 6th Corps

1st Brigade ? who

26th Line 4th 5th 6th Battalions, (1015 men) 24, 24 , 24 Figs
Legion du Midi (385 men) 24 Figs
Legion Hanovarienne 24 Figs

2nd Brigade ? who

66th Line 4th 5th 6th Battalions (1370 men) 24, 24, 24 Figs
82nd Line 4th and 6th Battalions (1031 men) 24, 24 Figs

Artillery one divisional battery 8 guns

The village was defended by a Lt Col Williams with 1800 "Elite" troops. These consisted of th Lt companies drawn from 17 british and 4 Portuguese Battalions, plus 4 rifle companies from his own 5th/60th Rifles and one company from the 95th Rifles, for a total of 28 companies says Oman ! these only come to 26 companies, after much head scratching I discovered that the extra two companies were the two light companies from Lowes KGL Brigade ! So quite a plethora of british uniforms to paint or a chance to use up all my light companies ! 1800 men divided by 28 gives approx 60+ men per company listed below, or 3 FIGS per company and add the extras to the british Lt companies...

There were an additional 460men of 2/83rd Foot described as "in support" or "in the village" depending on which source you read. 24 Figs
(remember this includes its own Lt company)

But how to organise them ? I would suggest due to their different capabilites and weapons

Brigade Lt Col Williams

Portugese light companies from 9th and 21st Regts 12 FIGS

5/60th (12) 3/95th (3) Lowes KGL Lt co's (6) 21 FIGS Rifles

2/24th 2/42nd 1/45th 1/50th 1/71st 74th (3 each)+2 20 FIGS

1/79th 2/5th 1/88th 2/83rd 1/92nd 94th (3 each)+2 20 FIGS

Lt companies of 1st 2nd 5th 7th KGL Line battalions 12 FIGS

(or if you dislike small units combine the KGL and portuguese)

Brigade Nightingale (Reinforcements) Lt companies all removed

1/71st HLI (497 men) 24 FIGS
1/79th (922 men) 42 FIGS
2/24th (371 men) 24 FIGS

Two artillery batteries of 6 guns each, cunningly placed by wellington to fire from the top of the plateau down either side of the village ! Use either British or Portugese batteries.

French lost
British lost 259 killed or wounded including 48 Portugese

5th May 1811, the second attack...

Fereys Division launched the attack again (lucky him) , but was followed up by Drouets 9th Corps of 18 (4th) Battalions, though only 12 actually attacked as 6 were kept in reserve if you are short of French like me. There were also 3 "Battalions d'Elite" made up from all the 18 companies of 9th Corps, and these wore their bearskins as some British accounts confuse them with Imperial Guards !

Fereys XX (as above)

Drouet XXX C-in-C

ADC or Brigadier to command these ? who

Grenadiers Reunis 3 battalions 24 FIGs each
use carabinier and grenadiers in bearskins

Claparede XX ( 4,560 men ) 9 Battalions 24 FIGs each
Two Brigadiers

54th, 21st Lt, 28th Lt, 40th, 63rd, 88th, 64th, 100th, 103rd
The last four not being much engaged

Divisional Artillery battery 8 guns

Conroux XX ( 5,424 men ) 9 battalions 24 FIGS each
Two brigadiers

16th Lt, 9th Lt, 27th Lt, 8th , 24th, 45th, 94th,95th, 96th
The last two not being much engaged

Divisional artillery battery 8 gun

On 5th May these units start in Fuentes I've put Nightingale in command, and the light companies organised as before were fed in slowly in support

Brigade Nightingale

1/71st HLI (497 men) 24 FIGS Lt
1/79th( 922 men) 42 FIGS
2/24th (430 men) 24 FIGS in support at the top of the hill

Some of Brigade Ashworth was also fed into the village...
6th Portuguese and 18th Portuguese Lt companies 12 FIG
whole of the 6th Cacadores 24 FIG

Picton 3rd XX
(arrive when any of the french get to the top of the village !)

Mackinnons Brigade Counter attacked to recover the village in two columns of the 74th and 1/88th, with 1/45th in support.

1/45th (508 men) 24 FIG
74th (485 men) 24 FIG
1/88th (467 men) 24 FIG

British Batteries Today a total of 4 batteries each of 6 guns two each side of the village, Two Portuguese (Sequeira, and Rosado) , and Two British (Thompson and Lawson). this gives each side 24 guns in the vicinity, though Wellinton may have had more ? add Preto Portuguese

9th XXX lost 835 men, Ferey XX lost 400 more
British lost 458 (inc 119 prisoners from 1/79th) 160 from the skirmishers and Mckinnons brigade only lost 116 men.

Totals defenders lost 800 men out of 4000 engaged
attackers lost 1,300 men out of 7000 engaged

Footnote: The 74th and 1/88th repulsed the combined grenadier battalions from the top of the village and made a firm lodgement in the upper and centr , "but it was impossible to maintain a position in the lower village where the houses were swept by French artillery fire from the opposite bank"

Sources Osprey Campaign 99, Fuentes de Onoro
Oman Vol IV
_________________
Simon W

RMD · Fusilier Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 249

Simon,

I'm sorry this is a tad late, but here's my orbat for Fuentes (Eclaireur provided a lot of good info):

Fuentes de Oñoro - 5th May 1811

CENTRE & RIGHT OF THE ANGLO-PORTUGUESE ARMY
Lieutenant General, Viscount Wellington

Cavalry Division – General Stapleton Cotton

Slade’s Brigade
1st (Royal) Dragoons (20 figs) [veteran]
14th (Duchess of York’s Own) LD (20 figs) [veteran]

Von Arentschildt’s Brigade
16th (Queen’s Own) LD (20 figs) [elite]
1st Hussars, KGL (20 figs) [elite]

1st Division – General, Sir Brent Spencer

Stopford’s Brigade
1/2nd (Coldstream) Foot Guards (40 figs) [elite]

1/3rd Foot Guards (40 figs) [elite]

Guards Light Companies (8 figs) [veteran]
1 coy/5/60th (Royal American) Foot (detached to Lt Col Williams’ command)

Nightingale’s Brigade
2/42nd (Royal Highland) Foot (30 figs*) [line]
1/79th (Cameron Highland) Foot (40 figs*) [elite]

1 coy/5/60th (Royal American) Foot (detached to Lt Col Williams’ command)

Howard’s Brigade
1/50th (West Kent) Foot (30 figs*) [line]
1/71st (Highland Light Inf) Foot (30 figs*) [elite]
1/92nd (Gordon Highland) Foot (30 figs*) [veteran]
1 coy/3/95th (Rifles) Foot (detached to Lt Col Williams’ command)

Von Löwe’s Brigade
1st Line Battalion, KGL (30 figs*) [line]
2nd Line Battalion, KGL (30 figs*) [line]
5th Line Battalion, KGL (30 figs*) [2nd line]
4x ½ coys/1st, 2nd, 5th & 7th KGL Line Scharfschützen (detached to Lt Col Williams’ command)

3rd Division – General Thomas Picton

Mackinnon’s Brigade
1/45th (Nottinghamshire) Foot (30 figs*) [veteran]
74th (Highland) Foot (no tartan!) (30 figs*) [veteran]
1/88th (Connaught Rangers) Foot (30 figs*) [elite]
3 coys/5/60th (Royal American) Foot (detached to Lt Col Williams’ command)

Colville’s Brigade
2/5th (Northumberland Fusiliers) Ft (30 figs*) [line]
2/83rd Foot (30 figs*) [line]
94th Foot (30 figs*) [veteran]

Powers’ Portuguese Brigade
1/9th (Viana) Infantry Regiment (30 figs*) [line]
2/9th (Viana) Infantry Regiment (30 figs*) [line]
21st (Valenca) Infantry Regiment (30 figs*) [2nd line]

7th Division – General Houston

Sontag’s Brigade
1/51st (2nd Yorkshire LI) Foot (30 figs) [line]
85th (Bucks Volunteer LI) Foot (30 figs) [line]
Chasseurs Britanniques (30 figs) [line]
8 Coys/Brunswick-Oels Jäger Regt (30 figs) [2nd line]

Doyle’s Portuguese Brigade
7th (Setubal) IR (30 figs) [line]
19th (Cascaes) IR (30 figs) [line]
2nd (Moura) Caçadores (30 figs) [line]

Light Division – General Robert Crauford

Beckwith’s Brigade
1/43rd (Monmouthshire LI) Foot (30 figs) [elite]
4 coys/1/95th (Rifles) Foot } (30 figs) [elite]
1 coy/2/95th (Rifles) Foot }
1st (Castello de Vide) Caçadores (30 figs) [veteran]

Drummond’s Brigade
1/52nd (Oxfordshire LI) Foot (30 figs) [guard]
2/52nd (Oxfordshire LI) Foot (30 figs) [veteran]
4 coys/4/95th (Rifles) Foot (30 figs) [elite]
3rd (Villa Real) Caçadores (30 figs) [veteran]

Independent Units

Ashworth’s Independent Portuguese Brigade
6th (1st Oporto) IR (30 figs) [line]
1/18th (2nd Oporto) IR (30 figs) [line]
2/18th (2nd Oporto) IR (30 figs) [2nd line]
6th (Oporto) Caçadores (30 figs) [line]

Massed Light Companies of 1st & 3rd Divisions – Lt Col Williams (OC 5/60th – wounded on 3rd May)
Rifle Companies (19 figs) [veteran] Skirmishers
1st Division Companies (21 figs) [veteran] Skirmishers
3rd Division Companies (16 figs) [veteran] Skirmishers

Artillery

Lawson’s Field Battery, RA (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
Thompson’s Field Battery, RA (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
Bull’s Troop, RHA (3 models) [veteran] Ammo: 
Sequeira’s Portuguese Battery (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
Rosado’s Portuguese Battery (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
Preto’s Portuguese Battery (3 models) [line] Ammo: 

Notes

1. Fuentes de Oñoro had initially been occupied by the 2/83rd Foot and the massed light companies of Stopford’s (5/60th only), Nightingale’s, Howard’s, von Löwe’s (KGL), Mackinnon’s, Colville’s and Power’s (Portuguese) brigades; giving a total of 1,800 men in 28 companies, commanded by Lt. Col. Williams of the 5/60th. Ferey’s Division attacked this force in the evening of the 3rd, pushing the defenders back as far as the church, before the situation was stabilised by the intervention of the 1/71st. Williams was seriously wounded in this engagement. On the morning of the 5th, the light companies were back with their divisions, with Fuentes de Oñoro being held by the 1/71st, 1/79th and 2/24th.
2. Poço Velho was occupied by the 85th and the 2nd Caçadores on the morning of 5th May, while the remainder of 7th Division was deployed on the heights south-west of the village.
3. Battalions that have had their light company detached are marked with an asterisk. Note that Stopford’s Guards Brigade did not detach its light companies.
4. Some units suffered losses in the fierce skirmish of the 3rd. Almost all of these casualties were suffered by the light companies, and have already been deleted from the order of battle.
5. I have consolidated the Allied order of battle by incorporating some low-strength battalions with their neighbours in the line – particularly in the Portuguese brigades, where the battalions were often of very low strength. Among the ‘casualties’ were the 2/24th (Warwickshire), the 53rd (Shropshire), the 2/88th (Connaught Rangers), the 7th KGL and a few Portuguese 2nd battalions. Note that where there are detached light companies, I have already taken this into account.
6. If a regiment has its light company detached to Williams’ command, it may (if it is veteran or better) deploy another company as skirmishers.
7. The British cavalry pursuit modifier does not apply in this scenario – the British cavalry were heavily outnumbered, and they knew it! They were kept in hand throughout the day and behaved admirably (far better control than the French in fact!).
8. Bull’s Troop RHA may start the game attached to Cotton, Houston or Crauford, at Wellington’s discretion. All other Allied artillery must start the game in the main position above Fuentes de Oñoro.
9. Wellington, Picton and Crauford are rated as ‘Excellent’ C-in-Cs for the purposes of initiative and changing of divisional orders. All others are ‘Average’.

RMD · Fusilier Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 249

Fuentes de Oñoro - 5th May 1811

CENTRE & LEFT OF THE FRENCH ARMY OF PORTUGAL
Maréchal André Masséna, Prince d’Essling

VI Corps – Général de Division Louis Henri Loison

Division of Général de Division Jean Gabriel Marchand

Brigade of Général de Brigade Maucune
1/6ème Légère (36 figs) [veteran]
2/6ème Légère (36 figs) [veteran]
1/69ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/69ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]

Brigade of Général de Brigade Chemineau
1/39ème de Ligne (36 figs) [veteran]
2/39ème de Ligne (36 figs) [veteran]
1/76ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/76ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]

Division of Général de Division Julien Mermet

Brigade of Général de Brigade Menard
1/25ème Légère (36 figs) [line]
2/25ème Légère (36 figs) [line]
1/27ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/27ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
4/27ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]

Brigade of Général de Brigade Taupin
1/50ème de Ligne (36 figs) [veteran]
2/50ème de Ligne (36 figs) [veteran]
1/59ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/59ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]

Division of Général de Division Ferey

1st Brigade
4/26ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]
5/26ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]
Légion du Midi (30 figs) [2nd line]
Légion Hanovrienne (30 figs) [2nd line]

2nd Brigade
4/66ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]
5/66ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]
4/82ème de Ligne (36 figs) [2nd line]

VI Corps Cavalry – Général de Brigade Lamotte
3ème Hussards (8 figs) [line]
15ème Chasseurs à Cheval (8 figs) [line]
• This brigade has poor mounts.

VIII Corps – Général de Division André Junot, Duc d’Abrantes

Division of Général de Division Clausel - Detached on lines-of-communication duty

Division of Général de Division Solignac

1st Brigade
1/15ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/15ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
1/86ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/86ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]

Brigade of Général de Brigade Thomières
1/65ème de Ligne (36 figs) [veteran]
2/65ème de Ligne (36 figs) [line]
2/Régiment Irlandais (36 figs) [line]

IX Corps – Général de Division Jean Baptiste Drouet d’Erlon

Division of Général de Division Claparède

1st Brigade
4/21ème Légère (30 figs) [2nd line]
4/28ème Légère (30 figs) [conscript]

2nd Brigade
4/63ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]
4/88ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]

3rd Brigade
4/64ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]
4/100ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]

Division of Général de Division Nicolas Conroux

1st Brigade
4/16ème Légère (30 figs) [2nd line]
4/9ème Légère (30 figs) [line]
4/27ème Légère (30 figs) [conscript]

2nd Brigade
4/8ème de Ligne (30 figs) [2nd line]
4/24ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]

3rd Brigade
4/94ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]
4/95ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]
4/96ème de Ligne (30 figs) [conscript]

Massed Grenadiers & Carabiniers of IX Corps
1er Btn des Grenadiers Réunis (30 figs) [élite]
2ème Btn des Grenadiers Réunis (30 figs) [élite]
3ème Btn des Grenadiers Réunis (30 figs) [élite]

IX Corps Cavalry – Général de Brigade Fournier
7ème Chasseurs à Cheval (14 figs) [veteran]
13ème Chasseurs à Cheval (13 figs) [line]
20ème Chasseurs à Cheval (12 figs) [line]
• This brigade is well-mounted

Reserve Cavalry – Général de Division Louis Pierre Montbrun

Brigade of Général de Brigade Cavrois
3ème Dragons (5 figs) }[line]
10ème Dragons (7 figs) }
15ème Dragons (11 figs) [line]
• This brigade has poor mounts.

Brigade of Général de Brigade d’Ornano
6ème Dragons (16 figs) [line]
11ème Dragons (9 figs) [line]
25ème Dragons (11 figs) [line]
• This brigade has poor mounts.

Artillery of the Army of Portugal

1er Companie à Pied (8 pdr) (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
2ème Companie à Pied (8 pdr) (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
3ème Companie à Pied (8 pdr) (3 models) [line] Ammo: 
4ème Companie à Pied (8 pdr) (2 models) [line] Ammo: 

Elements of The Army of The North – Maréchal Bessières, Duc d’Istrie

Imperial Guard Cavalry Brigade – Général de Brigade Lepic
1er Chevauxlegers (18 figs) [guard]
Chasseurs à Cheval (12 figs) }[guard]
Mamelukes (4 figs) }
Grenadiers à Cheval (10 figs) [guard]
• This brigade is well-mounted

Light Cavalry Brigade – Général de Brigade Wathier
11ème Chasseurs à Cheval (12 figs) [line]
12ème Chasseurs à Cheval (9 figs) [line]
24ème Chasseurs à Cheval (10 figs) [veteran]
5ème Hussards (9 figs) [veteran]
• This brigade is well-mounted

Artillery of the Army of the North
Garde Volante (8 pdr) (3 models) [guard] Ammo: 

Notes:
1. 1er & 2ème Companies à Pied are attached to Drouet’s IX Corps, 3ème Companie à Pied is attached to Marchand’s division, the 4ème Companie à Pied is attached to Solignac’s division and the Garde Volante Company is attached to Wathier’s brigade.
2. Like the Allied battalions, the strength of individual French infantry battalions is largely artificial. Most of the 3rd, 4th & 6th battalions have been ‘absorbed’ to consolidate units into ‘playable’ strengths. If you’re wondering why the French have such low quality when compared to the Allies, this is the reason – most two-battalion regiments listed above were actually three-battalion regiments, including the 4th or 6th battalion.
3. Lepic refused to commit his Guard Cavalry Brigade to the fight without orders from his commander in chief. However, Bessières was nowhere to be found until late in the battle, and so the Guard Cavalry was never committed to the fight. Lepic may be manoeuvred so as to be in reserve, though the engagement of the Guard Cavalry will only occur under the conditions listed in the special rules below.
4. Ferey’s and Marchand’s divisions should have 33 casualties distributed prior to the start of the game, to account for losses suffered during the assaults of the 3rd. Ferey suffered the worst of the damage on the 3rd.
5. Marchand is classified as ‘Excellent’ for the purpose of changing divisional orders. All others are ‘Average’.

RAMCSEARCH · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:50 am Post subject:

Thanks thats wonderful, and not late at all, as I'm still painting the 1/79th ! Also need to paint another 24 French Grenadiers in the correct headgear. I like to get my orbats sorted long before I start painting.

Have been somewhat distracted of late, but 4 battalions of KGL are now well advanced Smile

Thanks again.
_________________
Simon W

RMD · Fusilier Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 249

No worries.

Be warned however, that the Fuentes battlefield covers a very wide area. Even when you leave out the northern flank (which is essentially two formations glowering at each other across a gorge), you're still left with a table frontage of some 20 feet from Wellington's main position to 7th Division on the extreme right. We actually 'chopped' four feet out of the centre to make it fit on a 16-foot table and to give the Light Division a fighting chance of getting out there and back within the time available for the game.

By the way, sorry I missed you in Normandy!

Colbert de Chabanais · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:23 am Post subject:

rmd whats with ammo on guns

RAMCSEARCH · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 6:47 am Post subject:

I'm planning to do this as two separate battles, essentially separating Fuentes Village, and the 7th and Light divisions action. That way I dont have to paint so many French Infantry !

I've put a link to the Gold Beach photos at the end of the Arnhem Corridor thread in Battlegroup Panzer Grenadier section. The best shots were in camp photos 8 taken by a local french villager ! Maybe next time for the 70th Anniversary, though sadly fewer veterans will be there.

The convoys to Trungy and Tilly went so well that I think the Garrison Guns and possibly Signals and Recce are planning to go again next year.

Now back to Napoleonics !!! Very Happy

_________________
Simon W

RMD · Fusilier Joined: 04 Feb 2005 Posts: 249

Colbert,

The ammo system is a way to save time in very large games (and indeed, I do it for all my games now), as it discourages people from pissing about with constant, pointless long-range artillery fire and only firing one gun from a battery at six at some partially-obscured target. It also means that players tend to conform to the historical practice of maintaining an artillery reserve.

If any part of the battery fires, mark off one ammo.

If you roll a double 1 and get ('low ammo'), simply mark off half the remaining ammo (odd numbers are rounded up) and DO NOT apply the Low Ammo negative die modifier.

Simples.

It also adds a bit of tension and fun to the late stages of the game - in our first Mega-Game at AB HQ ten years ago, Dave Brown was having severe difficulties trying to storm Eggmuehl Bridge in the face of Grenzer skirmishing and an extremely luck Austrian Cavalry Battery.

After losing the bulk of the Wuerttemberg elite Light Infantry Brigade, all Dave had left to throw in was a couple of regiments of Wuerttemberg light horse. He knew that Mike Hickling was running low on ammo and might even be bluffing with empty guns, so he took a gamble and charged across with a regiment of chevauxlegers in coloumn... Only to be pasted by Mike's very last round of cannister and a double 6... ;o)

Mike was then whipping his horses into a froth trying to get his guns and very empty limbers away from some very annoyed Wuerttembergers... It was great fun and actually added something to the game.

Similarly, in our later refight of Auerstaedt, the tension in the French ranks as their artillery began to run out of ammunition at the height of the Prussian cavalry assault, was quite something.

Colbert de Chabanais · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 1:19 am Post subject:

thanks for quik reply rmd i will try to get carlo and the boys at nws to give it a go

thanks again