Bailen - 19 July 1808 - Fought 4 times over 3 Fridays - 17, 24 April & 1 May 2026

 The Battle of Bailen saw the Spanish, under Castanos, beat Marshal Pierre Dupont, with the French trying to escort their baggage train to the town of Bailen.  Napoleon was not best pleased!

The French are challenged by needing to protect the baggage and by having part of the Spanish army, arrive in the French rear to the West.  French re-inforcements will arrive near Bailen, both of these arrivals are variable.

Games 1 and 2

Mike and I fought the battle on the 17th April using Matt Bradley's BBB scenario in the IO Group pages.  Here is the map:

Game 1

We set up the table and I took the French.  My troops included the Marins de la Garde as an aggressive, veteran skirmisher unit ranging (two stands of figures) down to Schramm's Swiss brigade, who were previously in Spanish service - they are removed if they take casualties or if the Marins unit is destroyed.

Set up

At this point I was in with a chance.  My plan is to charge up the road and also do a right hook.

Move 2

By move 2 it had all gone wrong.  2/3 of my cavalry was mainly blown away, the Marins were dead, so Schramm's Swiss decided to become chocolatiers and watchmakers, the baggage train elected to do a hard right and sneak along the line of the Olive groves.

  

Move 4

By turn 4 I was running out of troops, the Spanish were also approaching from my rear through the Olive Groves.  Time to surrender.....

Game 2

As our game had ended quickly, Mike and I had a very early lunch, swapped sides and started again. 

Set-up - my Spanish lads line the ridge west of Bailen:

Move 2 

Mike goes to the left, so I need to move my troops right to counter this.  He sends one unit to guard his rear (I didn't do that) and ensures his cavalry don't get wiped out.  All good so far.

Move 4

My move to my right was sluggish, Mike also got his reinforcements on to put pressure on my rear.  His unit blocking the river bridge did well, repulsing my impetuous assaults but eventually getting removed.

My troops were now able to assault the French baggage.

End

Mike surrendered on move 5, Spanish troops were pouring into the battle, his units had failed to defend the baggage and there was no longer any way he could win.

Having played the battle twice in one day, I suggested that we give Mark Smith's scenario for the same battle a try.  

Bailen games 3 & 4

Games 3 & 4 use Mark Smith's scenario for Bloody Big Peninsular Battles Scenario book, which should be on sale soon. Here is Mark's map.   Mark has made the map longer and narrower and the woods are in different places.  

The French troops get skirmish ability and are not rated passive and/or fragile.

Game 3

Set up

My initial deployment was, once again, a central push and right hook.  In Mark's scenario the baggage stays on the road, so someone has to protect it!

Move 2

By move two my forces were approaching Mike's defenders, holding the ridge and making good use of the woods.

 Move 4

By the end of move 4 I was advancing on the right and bringing the baggage forward ready for a dash to Bailen.

Move 6

At this point I have not broken through anywhere, but there are still a couple of moves to go....

Move 8 and end.

By move 8 my attacks had failed to break Mike's line and he counterattacked, pushing me back.

Victorious Spanish take the baggage train!

This game had lasted much longer, partly because a different map orientation meant that it took longer to close to combat, partly the French were tougher and had skirmishers.

We reset the battle, swapped sides and fought the battle again....

Game 4

Set up - I was the Spanish and waited for Mike's assault.  Here's the initial positions.  Sadly my photos for turn 2 are way too blurry....

Turn 4 

Here's Mike throwing in his right hook and advancing more slowly in the middle.  Threatening my left made me move troops to counter this.

Turn 6

Mike's push into the woods succeeds, he pushes my left back.  I throw all I have available to stabilise the situation.

Turn 8

By turn 8 the Spanish had stopped Mike's right hook and middle assault, but fresh French troops appearing the other side of Bailen were able to take two objectives at minimal cost.

Turn 9

The game ended at the end of French turn 9.  Mike had 3 objectives, enough for a draw.  The Spanish were beginning holding on but would not have the strength to recapture any of the objectives lost to the French.

Final thoughts

• Playing the same battle with two different scenarios makes it interesting - Matt rated the French as weaker than Mark.
• Playing the same game twice, swapping sides, makes you appreciate your opponent's challenges each time.
• The second two games lasted much longer and Mike almost won as the French, so victory is possible.
• There is a discussion to be had about what constitutes a win.  Will the French always lose, is that the "right" outcome?  Should the scenario always ensure the historical result, or balance the game so that it is possible to achieve a result very far from history, such as a crushing French victory at Waterloo?  I guess that's one of the reasons we game!

My thanks go to Mike for playing the same battle 4 times - next up is more Peninsular action at Rolica.

Matt's scenario is on the BBB Group IO page.  Mark's scenario will be published soon as p[art of the Peninsular Battles scenario book.

Command & Control - Napoleonic Marshal's Uniforms - part 2

 I recently completed the next batch of French Napoleonic Marshals & ADC using Baccus 6mm figures.  See here for part 1.

The six figures are four based as subordinate Marshals for Northern Europe and two Army Commander Marshals for use in Spain.

Northern Europe

Here are the next four Marshals based as subordinate generals for use in North Europe and featured in Mark Smith's Napoleon's Bloody Big Battles scenario book.

Ney fought at several of the battles in the book.  He is usually pictured 1812 or later, when one of his ADCs wore an all red uniform.  I did find a picture of him at Friedland, so that's what I based this model on.  Yes, the next Ney WILL have a red ADC....

Massena fought through the Revolutionary wars, the Consulate and into the days of Empire.  As ADC he has his son, Jaques Prosper Massena, in a dazzling white uniform - this was an early instance of "take your child to work day".  Prosper is a NFR 12 French Elite Light Cavalry Figure with a plume from a repurposed bayonet.  

Soult - fought in major battles in Northern Europe and commanded armies in Spain (see below).  The Marshal figure is as normal and the ADC is the rearing horse ADC from the Baccus French Generals set (slightly flattened).  Soult dressed his ADCs in light blue and yellow with white Pelises. 

Guard Commander - various Marshals commanded the French Guard during its existence, helpfully for the 6mm modeller, it appears that dressing as a mounted Grenadier Officer was a favourite uniform.  

So, the model below represents whichever Marshal was in charge on the day!  The figure is a Horse Grenadier standard bearer (surplus to requirements) with a cord and flounders added to his bearskin and his flagpole fashioned as a sword.  ADC is fairly standard, except for sporting some colourful red trousers.

Spain

There are several BBB scenarios available on the io.group (join and look under "files") and I am looking forward to Mark Smith's next BBB scenario book that will cover the Peninsular battles.  So, some suitable French Marshal's are needed - here's the first two!

Massena  In Spain 1810 - 1811, Massena commanded the Army of Portugal against the Duke of Wellington at Bussaco, Almeida and Fuentes d'Onoro.  The model shows him accompanied by Prosper Massena and another ADC.

Massena is in the normal Marshal's uniform with plenty of bling, the ADC is in the standard uniform and Prosper is in his striking white uniform with red horse furniture.

Soult   In Spain 1808 to 1812, then back again for the retreat into France, Soult fought both Sir John Moore and the Duke of Wellington.  Soult wears the usual Marshal's uniform, one ADC (who started life as a French chasseur a cheval officer) wears a yellow dolman and blue trousers, with blue horse furniture.  The hussar figure is actually an Austrian Hussar - blue dolman and trousers, white pelise.

End notes

It has, once again, but great fun researching these figures (thank you Pinterest!) and working out which Baccus figures to use for my little Commanders.  I use Austrian and Russian Command figures, as well as French, to get a bit of variety in their poses.

I hopee that this inspires you to add more colour and bling to your next table top battle.

Battle of Vittoria - 21 June 1813 - refight 17 Feb 2024

 A trip to Oxford in February was the excuse Mark S needed to gather the players for Vittoria, 21st June 1813.  Mark and I took command of the French, Chris and Crispin took the Brits.  

The British objective was to take key villages and the heights of Puebla, several river crossings and stop the French evacuating their baggage.  The French had to hold on long enough for the baggage to get away and generally slow the Brits down.

Here's the map.  

I took the French at the top of the map against Chris' forces, Mark's forces were to take on Crispin's two columns coming from the North.  

This was the battlefield as set up - my job was to hold the heights of Pueblo and the hill top middle.  Mark was in charge of stopping the river crossings and guarding the baggage.

Here's our deployment:

French South - bit of a grainy photo

French South West - French my troops facing Chris's Brits in the foreground 

The French South west looking North - Mark is contemplating Crispin's Brits arrival on the board edge in front of him.

The French defending the North Middle - yup, I can't see them either - must be camouflaged!  Actually, I think that they were held till the approaching British trigger movement.

The French defending the North East

Turns 1 - 4 saw the British, Portuguese & Spaniards deploy more and more troops.  Move 5 pics - Chris (in the foreground) sent his light division (I think I saw Sharpe there) into the woods and started sniping.

Same part of the game, looking at 90 degrees to above pic - Chris pushes onto the hill.

One move later....

Chris forms a formidable line and grinds down my French

The battle on the hill goes slowly for Chris as I stubbornly resist, whilst going slowly backwards....

Crispin's advance goes well, with too few French to defend all the river crossings.  The French column in the foreground rushes to shore up the line.

Turn 7

My French continue to battle for the hill.

In the middle, Chris's Brits, loads of skirmishers and Heavy Cavalry support in attendance, charge me off the objective hill and then repel my attempts to retake it.

In the middle, the Brits cross the river and head for the baggage.

Turn 8

By turn 8 the French baggage train has left at high speed (with the payroll) and the British surge everywhere.

My northern French (or ate least the remnant) are now cut off, but continue to battle on.

As ever it was a great game.  In the end the British destroyed the French, but in game terms did not get enough objectives to win.  The French also managed to rescue the baggage and payroll, so the surviving French will all get a pay-rise.  

My thanks go to Mark for arranging the game and being an excellent comrade in arms, to Chris & Crispin for a fun day's fighting.

BBB, as ever, worked well in that we handled this big battle without too much brain strain!

Well worth a replay at some point.....