Pirna. The forces in action

The Pirna Scenario will be a fighting retreat: the French must avoid the Russian retreat towards Bohemia. Russain mix of forces was commanded by Ostermann-Tolstoi and the french by Vandamme

Russian forces
16 Battalions/5 Regiments/3 Cossacks/ 6 batteries
Initial Army Moral 37, Break point 12; Total Army Moral 52, Break point 17

Ostermann-Tolstoy

C-i-C Osterman-Tolstoy (+1/-)
2nd Corps Wurttemberg (-1/¶)
3rd Division Schachafskoy (-1/-)
1st Brigade Salfinski (-/-)
  1/Revel IR R/E/SK1
  2/Revel IR R/E/SK1
  1/4th Jaeger R/E/SK2
  2/4th Jager R/E/SK2
2nd Brigade Wolf (-/¶)
  1/Mourman IR R/E/SK1
  2/Mourman IR R/E/SK1
  1/Tchernigov IR R/E/SK1
  2/Tchernigov IR R/E/SK1
4th Division Pischnitzky (+1/*)
1st Brigade Treffurt (+1/¶)
  1/Tobolsk IR R/E/SK1
  2/Tobolsk IR R/E/SK1
  1/Minsk IR R/E/SK1
  2/Minsk IR R/E/SK1
Position Bat #5 Foot/4guns/H/1Hw
Light Bat. #13 Foot/4guns/M/1Hw

Cavalry Corps Pahlen III (-1/¶)
Cossack Brigade: Kuriatov (+1/-)
  Rabinov #2 S/I/Pu
  Jagodin #2 S/I/Pu
  Gorin #2 S/I/Pu
1st Hussar Division Milesinov (-/*)
1st Brigade Rüdinger (-/¶)
  Grodno HR V/E/Pu
  Soum HR V/E/Pu
2nd Brigade Schufanov (-1/-)
  Loubny HR V/E/Pu
Horse B #6 Horse/3guns/M/2Hw
Horse B #7 Horse/3guns/M/2Hw

Reinforcements
5th (Guard Corps) Yermolov (-1/¶)
1st Guard Division Rosen (+1/-)
1st Brigade Potemkin (-/-)
  1/Preobragenski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  2/Preobragenski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  1/Semenovski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
  2/Semenovski G. IR V/E/SK1/Guard
Guard Position Bat #2 Foot/4guns/H/1Hw
Guard Light Bat. #1 Foot/4guns/M/1Hw

Guard Cavalry Brigade Saxe-Coburg (-/¶)
  Empress Cuirassiers V/E/Sh/Guard
  Guard Uhlans V/E/Sh/Guard +
Two baggage wagon train units

French forces
French II Corps
18 Battalions/6 Regiments/6 Batteries
Initial Army Moral 41 Break point 14; Total Army Moral 57, Break point 19

Vandamme

C-i-C Vandamme (+1/-)
1st Division Philippon(-/*)
1e Brigade Puchelon(-/¶)
  1/37e Légère R/A/SK1 +
  2/37e Légère R/A/SK1
  1/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/12e Ligne R/A/SK1
2e Brigade Fezenzac (-/¶)
  1/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/17e Ligne R/A/SK1
  1/36e Légère R/A/SK1 +
8/2e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
15/9e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
2nd Division Dumonceau (-/¶)
1e Brigade Dunesme (+1/-)
  1/13e Légère R/A/SK1 +
  2/13e Légère R/A/SK1
  1/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/25e Ligne R/A/SK1
23/3e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/M/1Hw
Reserve Artillery
9/8e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/H/1Hw
6/7e Artillerie Foot 3Guns/H/1Hw

21 Light Cavalry Brigade Gobrecht (-1/-)
  9e Chev-Lg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/ln
  Anhalt Jager zu Pferd R/A/Pu
2/4e Horse Artillery Horse 2Guns/M/1Hw

Reinforcements
1e Light Cavalry Division (I Cavalry Corps) Corbineau (-/-)
2nd Light Cavalry Brigade Montmarie (-/*)
  16e Chassers a Cheval Regiment R/A/Pu
  3e Chev-Leg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/Ln
3rd Light Cavalry Brigade Heimrodt (+1/-)
  5e Chev-Leg Lanciers Regiment R/E/Pu/Ln
  Italian Chasseurs à Cheval R/A/Pu

1e Brigade (23rd Division) Quiot (+1/-)
  1/85e Ligne R/A/SK1
  2/85e Ligne R/A/SK1
  3/55e Ligne R/A/SK1
  4/55e Ligne R/A/SK1

Next the map and the Scenario rules

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Spanish train crash

What can I say? It is very sad huge loss of so many lives in a tragedy of such a level. Unfortunately in Galicia is not the first time that we live an unprecedented tragedy, Prestige oil spill in 2002, summer forest fires of 2006 and now this horrible train accident with at least, 78 killed and 130 injured.

I can only offer condolences to all the families of the dead, wish the best to all injured survivors and recover as soon as possible and all my support and encouragement to the people of Galicia.

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Painting time: French Chevau-Legers Lanciers

Several Lancer regiments are needed for the Pirna Scenario: the French 3rd, 5th and 9th Chevau-légers Lanciers de la Ligne as well as the Guard Uhlans Regiment in the Russian side. While the three French Regiments are ‘normal’ Lasalle cavalry units (at 8 figures each), the Russian Guard Uhlans Regiment is a ‘large’ unit with 12 figures, so 8x3+12=36 lancer miniatures are required, a number far away from the currently standing in my cantonments. This fact and the arrival of summertime with a marked decrease of job duties, has made me to pick up the brush again and to try some unpainted Newline 20mm French lancer miniatures, ordered some months ago.

These miniatures wore the standard French lancer uniform with helmet and therefore are adequate for the 3rd and 5th Regiments. However, the 9th Regiment used the traditional Polish tall square topped czapka, also used by the Russian Guard Uhlans Regiment. The reason of the difference is the origin of the regiments, whereas the Chevau-legers Lanciers Regiments 1st to 6th were ‘French’, Regiments7th and 8th were respectively the 1st and 2nd Ulahn Regiments of the Vistula Legion, i.e. Polish units incorporated in 18181 in the regular French army. On the other side, the 9th Regiment was the conversion of the 30th Regiment de Chasseurs a Cheval, raised in Hamburg in 1811. (See this Napoleon-Series link and the Nafziger/Wesolowski’s ‘The Poles and Saxons of the Napoleonic Wars’. The Emperor's Press, 1991).
As I have enough czapka-topped figures for the Russians and the 9th regiment, I just need to paint the 16 miniatures required for regiments 3rd and 5th. This is a number that can be painted in a short time, so as not to delay the start of the game. The facings of the regiments were pink for the 3rd and sky blue for the 5th. For the uniform details I will use the classic work Napoleon's Dragoons and Lancers by Emir Bukhari and Angus McBride. MAA 55. Osprey-Publishing 1976, and the uniform sheets of the Mont St. Jean site shown below

Incidentally, the 9th Regiment wore the uniform depicted below and found in the Histofig Empire site

So the 16 'French' Chevau-léger Lanciers will be my summer painting task!

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Pirna: a new Lasalle project

Taken from Nafziger

The Allied main army, including the three coalition heads, the sovereigns of Austria, Prussia and Russia, has been defeated at Dresden by Napoleon, after a two-day battle ((26 - 27 August, 1813). The Allied C-i-C, Schwarzenberg, has ordered that the Allied forces will retire, in three columns, in southern direction towards Bohemia. In that way, the Allied forces will reorganize behind a protecting mountain screen in order to return immediately to the offensive. Additionally, that retrogradous movement will drag behind him as many as possible Imperial forces, thus facilitating the efforts of the remaining Allied armies (North and Silesia) which, according to the Trachtenberg plan, are succesfully operating against the Emperor's lieutenants in other areas of Saxony.
However, the eastern Osterman-Tolstoy's Russian column, formed by the 2nd (Württemberg) and 5th (Yermolov) Corps, is under the threat of Vandamme’s II Corps. The French commander, after crossing the Elbe River in Koniggstein, is menacing to cut the roads leading to  Bohemia in the Pirna area (See the enclosed map). The outnumbered Russians, were forced to make a fighting withdrawal, cutting their way through the French, leaving them behind and reaching the Bohemian mountain passes.
This Lasalle Scenario is based on that combat. The Russian forces will a mix of units of the Württemberg 2nd and Yermolov 5th (Guard) Corps. The French units will belong to the Vandamme's reinforced II Corps. The French will enjoy both, a slight numerical superiority and the possibility of the arrival of outflanking reinforcements.

Bibliography
G.F. Nafziger. “Napoleon at Dresden: The Battles of August 1813”. The Emperor Press, Chicago, 1994
D. Smith. “Napoleonic Wars Data Book”. Greenhill Books, London, 1998
G. Fabry. “Journal des Campagnes du Prince du Württemberg 1812-1814”, Chapelot, Paris, 1907

Watch this space!

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The Bicentennial of the Battle of the Pyrenees

The history
After the Battle of Vitoria on June 21, 1813 and the withdrawal of the forces of King Joseph, French rule in the Iberian peninsula consisted only of the eastern coastal area (along with some cities with garrisons in Catalan) held by the Marshal Suchet, who stood as an independent force until 1814 and in the fortresses of San Sebastian and Pamplona were immediately besieged by Wellington, whose forces amounted to 62,000 British, Potuguese and Spanish men defending the line of western Pyrenees.
Faced with the threat of an Allied invasion, Napoleon sent from Germany to Marshal Jean de Dieu Nicholas Soult, who reorganized the demoralized French forces and built up a new army of 64,000 men in three Army Corps: Clausel (left), D'Erlon (center) and Reille( right). One month after the battle of Vitoria, Soult attacked the border passes in the Navarrese Pyrenees, in the zone located between Saint Jean de Luz and Saint Jean Pied de Port.
On 25th July, Soult with the Corps of Clausel and Reille fought the reinforced British 4th division and a Spanish division at the Battle of Roncevalles. The Allied force successfully held off all attacks during the day, but retreated from Roncevalles Pass that night in the face of overwhelming French numerical superiority.
Also on 25th, the D'Erlon's Corps severely tried the British 2nd division at the Battle of Maya. The British withdrew from the Maya Pass that evening.
Wellington rallied his troops a short distance north of Pamplona and repelled the attacks of Clausel and Reille at the Battle of Sorauren on 28th July. Instead of falling back northeast towards Roncevalles Pass, Soult made contact with D'Erlon's Corps on 29th July and began to move north. Soult abandoned the offensive on 30th July and headed towards France, having failed to relieve either garrison.
On 30th July, Wellington attacked Soult's rearguard at Sorauren, driving some French troops to the northeast, while most continued to the north. Soult led his army up the Bidassoa River valley and escaped the British after a final rearguard action at Etxalar on 2nd August.
In conclusion, Soult failed to relieve the sieges at San Sebastian and Pamplona, suffered about 13,000 casualties. Wellington's total losses for the campaign were 7,000. The next action was the Battle of San Marcial on the Bidasoa River banks, at the end of August.

More basic information at the Wikipedia: Battle of the Pyrenees
The British version can be read at the works of Oman, Napier and many other British historians. The French version can be seen in 'Campagne de Marechal Soult dans les Pyrenees Occidentales' and the Spanish version in 'Historia del levantamiento, guerra y revolucion de España Vol V' de Toreno. The full Toreno's book can be found at Historia del levantamiento, guerra y revolución de España (go to the 23th book).

The Wargaming
The battles of Maya, Roncesvalles ansd Sorauren were known to me, 30 years ago, thanks to the Terence Wise's booklet The Peninsular War: 1813 ( Model & Allied Publications Ltd., Hemel Hempstead, 1974). This was one of the first wargaming books I buyed by mail from Great Britain.

The pictures of the booklet, with detailed battle maps showing the movements of the armies and depicting French and British Airfix 1/72 plastic miniatures, like the ones I was starting to collect and paint, were an important inspiring factor in my early wargaming activities.

I can remember me carefully placing the scenery on a very simplified wargaming table, following the troops movements marked in the book, moving carefully my newly painted figures, and trying to apply the rules of the Bruce Quarrie's book Napoleonic Wargaming.

Ah, we were young!

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Summertime is here!

At last, the summer and the heat has arrived to Spain!  Enjoy this Roxette's old song

It's July (not June) but the sun is late this year!

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Trafalgar and Vitoria

I am a fan of Curro, a great maker of military dioramas, author of many of Napoleonic subjects, and whose work can be seen at his 'blog of curro'.
However, this post is about his other blog: 'Diorama de Trafalgar'. A sample piece of this amazing diorama is now in the main Exposition about the Bicentennial of the Battle of Vitoria in the Sala Fundación Caja Vital Kutxa  (c/ Postas, 13 and 15 - 01005 Vitoria-Gasteiz), until October 31. Yan can see below two pictures of this singular piece

In addition to the above curro's blog, you can also read a full report (in Spanish) with many, many pictures about the diorama at the 'Todo a babor' page.

And you could say: Trafalgar and Vitoria? Well, the nexus is the figure of Miguel Ricardo de Álava y Esquivel (7 July 1770 – 14 July 1843), a.k.a. the General Alava, which holds the distinction to have been the only man who was present at both Trafalgar and Waterloo, fighting against the British on the former and with them on the latter.
He was present as a Marine at the Battle of Trafalgar on board the flagship of his uncle Admiral Ignacio Álava and served as delegate of the Spanish forces in the British units during the Peninsular War, wehere he saw action in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo and the storming of Badajoz as well as in the battles of Bussaco, Salamanca and Vitoria.

After the battle of Vitoria, the General Álava, in command of a British cavalry unit, took his native city, thus preventing it from being plundered by the British: 'These (the British) are worst ever than the French'. The town acknowledged his exploit by giving him a sword. The below picture (from the Vitoria comics book) depicts this incident.

He was appointed Spanish ambassador to The Hague in 1815, and he incorporated to the Wellington's staff during the Waterloo campaign. Álava stuck close to the Duke during the battle yet, despite being in the thick of the action, both Wellington and Alava survived the 10 hours' slaughter without so much as a scratch, with the Duke declaring to Alava: 'The hand of Almighty God has been upon me this day.'

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Raghun for Lasalle: the full report

I have uploaded the full Scenario and After Action Report (AAR) of the combat of Raguhn to the main web site. You can watch the development of the battle (76 pictures) by following the instructions to use the visor

And, naturally, you can watch and/or download, the rest of the scenarios (for Napoleon's Battles, Lasalle and Song of Drums and Shakos) of the site!

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The emotive bicentennial of Vitoria

On Sunday 23 of June there was a moving ceremony at the height of Júndiz near Vitoria.
The direct descendants from the Duke of Wellington, Charles Wellesley, and the General Alava (one of the Spanish ADC's of the Duke also present in Trafalgar and Waterloo), Gonzalo Serrats, were preparing to place a commemorative plate with a Latin inscription on the cross remembering the battle held on June 21, 1813.
At the last moment, a man came forward saying "My name is Peter Bult, and I am the grandson of the grandson of the grandson of Luke Smith, a soldier of the 40th Regiment Infantry of the Anson brigade. I want to put that plate"
The answer was a round of applause from those present, members of the Historical Association Vitoria 2013. When Mr. Bult took the drill to place the plate, he burst into tears. It was a very touching moment.

Taken from the Facebook wall of Miguel Ángel Garcia
More pictures at the Miguel Ángel's blog Guerra de la Independencia

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