The last Saturday in September was set aside to complete the Shako mini campaign.
The winner of the best 2 of 3, round robin, column meeting engagements, would then be the 'attacker' against the 'defender' who had only won 1 of the three columnar battles. Each side would be using depleted, merged, or otherwise damaged Divisions and battalions going into the battle.
In the event, it was the French attacking with 24 total battalions/squadrons and the Anglo-Portugese (and Russians - as I did not have another full division of red coated British or other closer allied forces) fielding 22 total battalions/squadrons.
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Terrain only layout while the players wrote up their battle plans
the grey 'hill' outlines are steep hills
while the tan/brown are low hills
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Troops deployed, once again the French staff work cause two divisions to be
very nearly on top of each other due to the map not
accurately reflecting the reality on the ground
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It did make for a great view of the troops though.
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right from the start the Anglo "Russian" Division took a major hit
one battalion destroyed in the opening salvo from the foot batteries (2x6s)
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into turn 3 the surge moving forward from the French was obvious
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Anglo cavalry was sent into action on the left flank in an effort to
put pressure on that flank
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while the French guns on the central hill had an abundance of targets
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their attached Italian Division was put in the place of crawling off the steep hill
slowing their response to the horse appearing on their right
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Anglo units occupied the town in their sector
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holding it strongly with an elite Scottish battalion
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by now the French horse had arrived
my Eugene de Bauharnais model acting as Division command
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no reserves left on the Anglo side, everything was now committed to the battle
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Anglo view of the French horse
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Anglo horse was ready to engage ...
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In the center of the field the moving Divisions of both sides had
made contact and now jockeyed for control over the ground
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Anglo artillery now started to take a toll ... on the French guns
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the confusion in the center saw a French Division fail morale and break
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while French guns suddenly became non-effective (rolling 1s and 2s)
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all troops were now committed to the battle from the French side
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even the musketry failed for the French ...
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while the Portuguese were able to deliver a couple of knock out hits
which drove a French Division from the battlefield
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even after losing a division the French were still pressing on the center
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Bavarian and French Divisions still pushed into the Anglo lines
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French Dragoons drive back an Anglo Light Dragoon force
that had scattered the French Horse batteries
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The battle was intense into the fifth turn ... neither side was going to budge, yet the French had lost a Division and many other battalions ... they were closing to loosing this battle now.
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at the start of turn 5, the French had two worn Divisions,
Anglo only had one worn division
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the town on the Anglo left was secure, no way was that division going to fail now
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The French Dragoons suffered a set back and now were at 50% casualties
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while the French light horse now had orders (the messenger
Dragoon officer wiping his brow next to Eugne de Bauharnais)
they could not do enough damage to Anglo forces to change the
battle outcome fast enough ... only the foot could do that with
a great successful hand-to-hand round
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the Italian Division was too far back to make the contact
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the Bavarian Division closed to contact ... then failed nearly every
matchup
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Final score was Anglo 13 to French 3 :: an Anlgo wipe out of the French in their moment of triumph!
This mini campaign was fun and I would like to put the table to use again in another series - perhaps English Civil War? We'll see what November and December bring for connection opportunities.
