How often does one get a "second chance" outside of the wonderful alternate universe of wargaming?
This time, as noon again approached, the French commanders, with a distinct feeling of deja vu, again huddled to develop a plan of attack. This time, Clausel would advance to attack the Cerro Murillo east of Garcia Villa, while the II corps was to be echeloned back to protect Clausel's flank and engage, but not attack, the Allied right and center. If I corps was successful, Garcia Villa would be flanked from the east and both corps could combine in an assault on the town from two sides. If Wellesley shifted his weight to his left to meet and hold I corps' attack, a "hinge" would form to the east of the town that Brenier's II corps could assault.
On the horizon, to the south of Villa Costa, the Allied commanders could see the dust clouds signalling the French advance. The Viscount, surprisingly, determined on a spoiling attack, basing his center on Garcia Villa while his right, the divisions of Leith and Alten, attacked II corps' left. Picton was to secure the village while Cotton was to maneuver on the Cerro Murillo to his left. With luck, Cotton would slow Clausel's advance while the attacking divisions smashed Brenier's corps.
Under Marmont's firm control, II corps advanced slowly west of the road to Garcia Villa. In the valley between the Cerros Murillo and Pecho, Brenier's advanced units discovered muddy fields (somewhat southeast of their location in the first game) that caused slow going. Reacting to the advance of the British attack wing, Brenier anchored his left (Maucune's division) on dry ground facing the mud.
On the French right, Clausel's I corps advanced on the Cerro Murillo. Cotton's cavalry charges slowed the French advance as their infantry units formed square, but casualties among the British and Portuguese horsemen were heavy, and their disordered repulse left both cavalry brigades unavailable for the next hour. These unsuccessful charges placed the entire Allied plan in jeopardy. By 1:30 p.m., with the bulk of their cavalry out of action and most of the 3rd division tied up in defense of Garcia Villa, only Picton's 1st brigade was available to fend off the five French brigades advancing on the Cerro Murillo.
Meanwhile, Alten's attack bogged down under Maucune's heavy (supported by the corps' heavy artillery battery) fire in the muddy fields to Brenier's left. Thomieres' division supported Clausel's attack and faced part of Picton's division. Leith ceased his advance until Alten's maneuver could continue. As it turned out, Alten spent the rest of the afternoon exchanging desultory fire with Maucune, taking the worst of the exchange, and somehow never getting both brigades into enough order to attempt a charge.
By 2:00 p.m., Clausel's attack was hitting the Cerro Murillo, and the Allied left was in big trouble. Picton's lonely 1st brigade held on grimly, a thin red line in a sea of blue, constantly disordered and steadily shrinking from casualties caused by heavy fire from four French brigades and a horse artillery battery. Picton's 2nd brigade moved up in support, but was overwhelmed and routed by the French fire. Wellesley ordered Leith to shift to buttress the crumbling Allied left, but Leith sent only his 1st 'brigade.
Deciding, on his own, that itwas necessary to shield Garcia Villa from direct attack, Leith kept his other two brigades facing Thomieres (Picton's third brigade was deployed in the town). In a futile attempt to slow Clausel's advance, Cotton launched Urban's Portuguese cavalry at Sarrut, but they bounced harmlessly off the French squares, causing some delay, but no damage, save to themselves. Foy's division, supported by the horse artillery battery, advanced resolutely, bringing Leith's 1st brigade under heavy fire and disordering it.
Curto's cavalry, which had been kept unengaged and fresh through all the earlier fighting, now reacted and caught Leith's disordered British 1st brigade outof square. Despite Wellesley's direct intervention (reacting to attach himself to the unit using the special optional rule for Wellington), the British brigade was routed, carrying the Viscount with it. Curto maintained control, and his well- ordered squadrons then wheeled north and overturned Urban's Portuguese cavalry brigade, still regrouping (disordered) from their earlier charge on Sarrut's squares, and, with their combat effectiveness at an end, these were dispersed. Finally losing control, the now disordered French light cavalry next smashed into both Picton's previously routed 2nd brigade and the just-routed 1st brigade of Leith's division, with Wellesley still attached. Both were dispersed, although the Viscount again escaped harm, and Curto's celebrated charge ended. For a cost of 320 troopers (one figure lost to fire and three figures lost due to winning combats), the French had destroyed three Allied brigades.
Wellesley, with more lives than a cat, had twice escaped death or capture at the hands of Curto's troopers. He now joined Picton's 1st brigade, all that was left of the Allied left. This battered unit promptly disintegrated (was dispersed) under overwhelming French fire from Foy's division, although, once again, Wellesley showed a clean pair of heels and escaped unhurt.
By 3:00 p.m., the Allied army was in a shambles. Its cavalry had suffered severe casualties and surviving brigades were near dispersal. Picton's division was fatigued and incapable of advancing. Alten's division had suffered so severely that both light brigades were on the verge of extinction ' Leith's division was the best remaining force, and one of its brigades was gone. All the remnants could do was fall back around Garcia Villa for a last stand, while a cheering ring of Frenchmen closed in.
Organized fighting ended at about 4:00 p.m. Cotton had been reduced to dismounting Anson's cavalrymen to hold the town, but, even with the indestructable Wellesley commanding them in person, Foy's brigades went forward with the bayonet and drove them out of the buildings (yet again, Wellesley got away) as the rest of the Allied army streamed off to the north (their army morale level had been reached).
As the French stormed Garcia Villa, a voice with a French accent was heard to call out, "Give us Wellesley, and we'll let you live!"
Critique
Thistime it was a decisive victory for the French. In retrospect, it is difficult to defend Wellesley's decision to take the offensive. He had, as in the first game, a decent defensive position, and the French had to attack to win. The Allied plan was unrealistic. Even if his flanking force, the 5th and light divisions, had been able to close rapidly with the French left, the chances of a quick and decisive victory would, due to the lack of cavalry support, still have been questionable. The plan also forced the Allied forces to cover too broad a front and left no real reserves. Picton's division, alone, was incapable of defending both Garcia Villa, which had to be garrisoned, and the heights of the Cerro Murillo. This, by default, left the real defense of the Cerro Murillo to the cavalry.
Desperate to slow the advancing French I corps, Cotton sent his squadrons galloping at ordered French infantry, taking the summary repulse expected in such attacks, but, also, unexpectedly heavy losses from the firepower of the French squares. After only an hour of battle, all of the Allied cavalry had been committed and repulsed, disordered or routed.
Even when rallied and reordered, these early losses made their effect on the remainder of the battle negligible. While the Allied cavalry was wasted, the French cavalry had yet to be used, and rode safely in reserve. Later reinforcements for the British left arrived piecemeal, and Clausel's whole corps, using primarily skirmishing (fire combat) tactics, defeated the Allied units in detail, overwhelming one unit after another. When Curto's cavalry was finally unleashed, it was more of a pursuit than an attack, as every Allied unit ridden down was already either disordered or routed.
As for Marshal Marmont, he earned a solid victory. His operational plan to attack a flank with one corps while holding and supporting with the other was well within the capability of his small army, and took advantage of the better effective command control allowed by the army's organization into corps. Execution was excellent, and, unlike the first battle, Marmont kept a tight rein on his subordinates, holding his army well in hand.
As in all battles, there was a certain amount of luck, and, on this day, it smiled on the French. The unexpectedly muddy fields, which slowed the Allied attack, also proved to be a perfect anchor for the French left flank. Brenier reacted wiselyto this development, and contented himself with allowing the light division to advance, under fire, over the difficult ground. Alten, faced with swinging wide to march over the Cerro Pecho or pushing directly across the soggy field, chose the latter. A similar field had slowed, but not halted, the light division's advance in the first game. This time, with more firepower and, perhaps, a bit more luck, the French stopped the advance cold.
When Leith fell back and Wellesley moved to handle the crisis on his left flank, Alten was left out of command control and unable to advance or retreat more than a few inches a Turn. Leith's decision to initially commit only one brigade to the left meant that the Allies on that critical flank were never strong enough to do more than get beaten.
Battle of Villa Costa 1812 Napoleon's Battles Scenario
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