Napoleonic Eastern Spain 1813 (November 2014)

Battle of Castalla 1813

East Coast of Spain

This battle took place between the French under Marshal Suchet and British General Murray.

Murray had a force larger that Suchet made up of British, KGL, Italian Levy, Sicilian and Spanish (these two divisions were British equip and supplied).

While the majority of the figures have WRG bases for this battle there was still a large percentage using the square bases used in BP, Lassalle, General de Brigade, Age of Eagles and others.

French far Left Flank. All the French cavalry was over here with the horse artillery, no infantry support

The French 1st and 3rd Divisions in the Centre

The French 2nd Division on the Right Flank

More of the French Right

The Field of Mars, showing the French ready but no enemy besides some guns

Part of Castalla

The French Grand Battery in the Centre

8 French battalions of the 1st Division advancing against the Allied to the right of the steep hill and Castle Castalla

Allied cavalry (Brunswick Hussars and Foreign Hussars) threatening the French infantry centre

Some of the French 3rd Division in the centre advancing

One brigade of the French centre was in reserve

The French right fighting it out with the Spanish, seems there battery is gone

The Right Flank waiting for the two Spanish divisions

The Spanish on the Allied Left, two divisions attacking one French

More of the Spanish

The British 20th Light Dragoons supporting the Sicilian Estero Regiment

The KGL advance down the hill, with the Spanish Heavy Battery in support

A British square supporting the British foot battery

The French 13th Cuirassiers threatening the British artillery (and yes they are Westphalians)

The French 4th Hussars (yes they are Westphalian Garde Hussars) and 20th Chasseurs (yes they are Nassau Mounted Jagers)

French 1st Leger scale the hill.

the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Leger scale the hill

The French 24th Dragoons withdraw under covering fire by the artillery

The 2nd Divisions 114th Ligne, the 121st Ligne and the 3rd Leger supported by the 14th Ligne of the 3rd Division attack the Allied centre

The 3rd Division in action against the Allied 2nd Division

The 3rd Division facing the Sicilian Estero Regt and the 27th Foot of the 2nd Allied Division

The six battalions and one battery of the French 2nd Division of General Jean Isidore Harispe took on the 11 battalions and 4 cavalry regts of General Phillip Roche & Colonel Sir Samuel Ford Whittingham

There was some successes of the 2nd Division but in the end the Spanish weight would over run them

The French 1st & 3rd Divisions had gained a local advantage in numbers and were braking the Allied centre

Another view of the French push the Allied centre

The 3rd Division getting into combat with the Sicilians. One battalion had been turned around to attack the Spanish

Spanish over running the 2nd Divisions battery

Three Spanish batteries were pouring fire into the 3rd Division

The 1st Division had over run the British battery and now the Spanish Heavy battery

Units of the 3rd Division mixing it with the KGL & British

Part of the 3rd Division charged across the river against the Sicilian Estero Regiment

The left of the French 2nd Division with  the battalion of the 3rd Division

Spanish cavalry seeing off French infantry of the 2nd Division

The French 1st Division advancing up the hill, do they go left or right

The French artillery had changed it's targets to the Spanish and the Castle Castalla (setting it on fire)

Another view of the 3rd Division action against the Allied 2nd Division

The three Spanish batteries blowing away one of 3rd Divisions battalions

The Spanish in action

The Spanish cavalry break through

2nd Division just holding but for how much longer

This was a good game using WRG. Something like 18 bounds were played, even with a late start.
It was clear that the Spanish would have over powered the French 2nd Division on the French right.
The Allied centre was collapsing under the French 1st and 3rd Divisions which could then get in behind the Spanish and the Allied right.
The heavy brigade of the French cavalry was moving over to support the centre and could slow up the Spanish divisions as they turned towards the French centre.
This would only leave the French Light Cavalry Brigade behind the Allied right whose troops were in square or in the buildings which means the cavalry could do little but the Allied infantry could not come out of square or the buildings without risking destruction, but the French horse battery could pour fire into the Allied square preparing it for a cavalry charge, the the artillery could turn it's attention to the houses one by one.