BatRep: Combat at Foz de Arouce, 15MAR1811

As night falls, Ney withdraws

After setting the table and preparing the scenario (see Scenario: Combat at Foz de Arouce), time to refight the battle.  On game day, two participants, each taking the role of either Wellington or Ney, volunteered for command.  With Kevin forever the Francophile, little question as to who would command the French in this rear-guard action.  Jake took command of the Anglo-Portuguese forces (hereafter referred to as "British").  To remind one of the victory conditions and victory point objectives, the two photos below illustrate the situation.  Essentially, the Anglo-Portuguese forces are attempting to push the French across the swollen Ceira River (to the bottom of the photo) while inflicting a disproportionate share of casualties. 

Objectives

Initial troop concentrations

Caught unprepared for a British attack so late in the day, many of the French were back-footed by Wellington's attack.  Although the British got off to a slow start due to miscommunication, the initial advantage in initiative remained with the British throughout most of the battle.  Details of the action are summarized in the captions of each photo.  

Marchand responds to British advances by pushing
his legere forward to defend Poisao

French legere throw out heavy skirmishing screen to disrupt
Craufurd's division moving up through the gully.

Picton gets his troops moving and quickly closes
 on French positions defending in the wooded hills

Mermet launches a counterattack from the woods
 to disrupt the British advance.
Wellington orders his guns to the high ground
overlooking Poisao.

With volleys increasing on the British right, some of Mermet's
 formations become disorganized as they fall back
through the woods.

On the French right, Marchand's two battalions of legere
punish the lead element of British foot.
  Nearly destroyed in a lopsided, close range firefight,
 the British battalion falls back through its support.

Portuguese gain a foothold on the heights on the
 British right as Mermet's brigade gives ground.
Due to effective incoming cannon fire from the heights
 above Paisao, Marchand's battery limbers and evacuates the village.

Pressure mounts against Mermet and the French left.
His brigade is slowly pushed back through the woods.

Suffering moderate losses, Mermet abandons the high ground on the left.
Paisao is vigorously defended by the French while Marchand
 pulls back the remainder of his brigade.

British press French against the river.

With Marchand's troops beginning to flee across the bridge,
 Mermet is backed into a corner with little means of escape.
Will he be able to cut his way through?

Much of Marchand's brigade flees the field and makes
 good its escape.
Mermet may soon be trapped.

Having abandoned Paisao, Ney now worries about
having his escape route cut by the British
before Mermet's brigade can intercede.

Marchand leaves Paisao to the British as he fights a delaying
 action to allow his brigade to pass over the bridge to safety.
The problem for Ney is that Mermet could be trapped if
the British reach the bridge ahead of Mermet.

Paisao in British hands

In an attempt to stabilize the situation and gain time for
Mermet, French cavalry charge with infantry support.
The combined arms force the British infantry to fall back
through supports, disorganized. Weakened and blown
by this effort, the cavalry pull up.

Situation is tight for Mermet.  Already two battalions have
 routed into the raging river and have been swept away.
Craufurd cuts Mermet's escape as the bridge falls into British hands.
Mermet surrenders.

That was an interesting game and a challenge for both but more so for the French.  One challenge for the French is keeping the bridge open long enough to allow Mermet to escape if needed.  In this game and historically, Craufurd and the British Light Division beat Mermet to the bridge.  Unlike his historical counterpart, today's Ney could not retake the bridge and open a path for Mermet.  Cutoff, Mermet's remaining option was surrender.

In the early stages of battle, Marchand's legere man-handled the first British battalion it faced.  Craufurd risked having his attack stall almost before it started.  Rather than keeping pressure on Craufurd, Marchand fell back.  In doing so, he uncovered Paisao to British attack.  Once Marchand began his retrograde, the French position was compromised and casualties mounted quickly.  Craufurd had a shorter path to the bridge than did Mermet.  While Merment fought valiantly to extricate himself from his unfortunate position, he could not.  Surrender was his only option.  The result was an Anglo-Portuguese victory.

With the puzzle that this presents to the French player, I plan to give this action another try.  Perhaps a solo refight is in order to evaluate the situation? Perhaps another outing with active participants is the way forward.  Whichever path is taken, I have a few notions on what could be attempted and maybe improved upon.  Perhaps Massena was right to be irritated with Ney for taking such a position on the wrong side of a swollen river against his orders.  It was very good to see the 28mm Napoleonics out on the gaming table and in action after a long hiatus.