BatRep: Arroyo con Pollo - The Approach

After getting soundly trounced as the British in the first Battle of Arroyo con Pollo, I figured I ought to give the game a second playing.  This time, the battle would be fought solitaire.

In the first outing, I was too impatient as the British player and advanced from the relative safety of the defile in an attempt to engage and disrupt the attacking French.  That plan failed.

This time the British commander will attempt to keep his officers in check and patiently await the French attacks.  We will see how that goes...

The motivation for this scenario comes from Grant's Scenarios for Wargames, Holding Action 1.  A numerically inferior defensive force is tasked with holding off a larger, attacking force and preventing it from breaking through the defensive line deployed across a valley.  Each side of the valley is protected by rough hills.

For the forces involved, the French have a 3:1 advantage in cavalry and bring with them one more infantry battalion than the British.  Qualitatively, the British have the edge with the British line Combat Effectiveness (CE) rating as "Good" while most of the French infantry rate as "Fair" CE  The OBs are detailed in the table below:

Order of Battle

The battlefield

French advance on the farms

As French columns approach, French skirmishers clash
with the KGL lights deployed forward among the
walls and outbuildings

4th Swiss Line battalion in attack column

French 2nd Hussars ready for battle

The French deployed for an advance on Arroyo con Pollo

Driven out of the most forward cluster of buildings,
KGL lights fall back to a second defensive line
in the farmyard harassed by skirmishers all the way 

and brace for French assaults

French columns bear down on the KGL

while French grenadiers oppose KGL skirmishers
lurking on the ridge

British main defensive line across the defile

British gun readies for action

Skirmishers harass the approaching French

British right front line awaits

On come the French!

Taupin clears the second farm while Menard's
 skirmishers clash on the British right. 

86th clears the farm

2nd Legere deploys into the field
 while sending out skirmishers

2nd Hussars ready for action on the French left

while Mermet oversees the French advance
 from the safety of the farm

Skirmisher harassment on the British right
 as the French close in

Steady lads!

Taupin unlimbers his 6lb guns on the heights

Lamotte's French cavalry brigade is in position on the left

Taupin's brigade is in position for an assault
on the British line

Menard, likewise, deploys his brigade for the attack.

British line holds steady but British artillery
fails to slow the French advance

Taupin attacks the British right forcing the KGL lights
to fall back into the broken ground in disorder

Menard leads the Reserve Grenadiers
 in an advance up the slope.
Their target?  The guns!

Spencer's guns fire but miss and the grenadiers close!In the close combat, the gun takes heavy casualties while the grenadiers suffer moderate losses

Despite heavy losses, the artillery crew stand firm
and drive off the grenadiers

Menard's guns deploy in the farmyard

On the French left, Taupin prepares his assault

2nd Legere close the range while the
5th Chasseurs a Cheval charge Sympher's KGL guns

Sympher's guns fire into the thundering chasseurs
 causing casualties and prompting a recall

Sympher continues firing, changing targets
 onto the 2nd Legere.
The 2nd suffers casualties but remains steady.

With Lowe attached, the 20th advances into short range
and delivers a volley into the 70th Line.
The 70th takes casualties and is disordered.
Huzzah!

Spencer orders the 1st KGL Hussars to cross the arroyo
 to support the left.

With five turns into the game, the French have advanced on the British defensive line and been repulsed on both flanks.  Mermet may have to consider softening up the British positions before going in again.

Stay tuned for more.