15mm 1813 Peninsular Napoleonic Game and Pictures.....

....fought between the British and Portuguese forces against French forces in 1813 in Spain.

The mountain range of La Rhine in the Pyrenees lies behind the French position at Boars Back a hill on the southern slopes of La Rhine. The British are slowly forcing the French army across it's own border with Spain which is only 2 miles away. The French army is strung out along the border not knowing where the big push will be unleashed by Wellington.
                                           Wellington has sent several armies out to look for any weak areas in the French line of defence, the French have gathered various units together to try and hold a range of hills called the Boars Back (they were called this because the outline looked like a Boar's back) but have only just arrived due to incompetence at headquarters. A heavy morning mist covers the valley and hills, visibility is poor, every ear is listening for any sound that could give away the presence of an enemy unit in the area.

Thus the scene is set as the two armies blindly head towards each other in the morning gloom, did I hear something or was it just my imagination?

Will the mist clear?
(Above commentary supplied by Postie)

Ray, BigLee (French), myself and Martin (probie) turned up for a good game.

Turned up to the table divided in two by some suspicious laundry!

1st Alcantara Heavy Cavalry......

Some French git representing Ray.......

Reconnaissance picture, now some people might call this cheating (Postie did) but I call it tactics and a hot air balloon helps!

2nd Coldstream Guards and 3rd Foot Guards, the French never realised these were guards until they were virtually upon them (a normal unit is 16 figures and guards are 20!).

Wellington or me!

At the beginning (4 turns before the dice were rolled for good weather) you had no control other than this template and a D6 for movement and direction, a good idea but..... 

.......my bloody guard units are in the fecking woods and disordered!

The sheet was removed and this was on my flank.....

BigLee was quite smug at this stage (the man even had a tripod)....

.....until I did this with the 3rd Dragoons!

The French went the other way and I hit the other French cavalry unit, cue insane laughter!

He's not so smug now the French git, that's Jack who is Posties neighbours son who turned up and ended up playing for both sides ( he currently plays WH40K but we will lure him to the dark side!).

The French cavalry rout.......

I don't know who wrote this on the wall of fame........

Martin (probie) a possible new Reject but the initiation process is quite brutal and terrifying!

An ammunition cassion hurries to the front as Postie rolls for ammo for your artillery and it didn't go well for the British but even worse for the French......

The Portuguese have found the hidden ford and hurry across.....

........but the bridge is another matter!

Ray mentors Jack in the art of cheating and Jack would eventually team up with the British when Martin had to go early.....

The British advance against the hill........

Lee in a fit of rage takes it out on a tape measure while Ray cackles beside him....

The hill had several levels and you had to roll for disorder every time you went up them, I rolled a fecking lot of disorders....

The French view.....

The Life Guards or Horse Guards turn up too late to do anything but they were pretty....

The bridge was a stalemate for the Portuguese....

The final turn before the French conceded and when the victory points were totalled up we won 15-0!!!!!

A good game but very little went right for the French and both Lee and Ray did batreps for the game.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Ray today as he turns 45!