Flank Attack at Ventosa - Battle of Vimeiro 21st August 1808

We finally got around to playing the second of Jonathan Jones’ Vimeiro scenarios last week - Flank Attack at Ventosa from his O’er the Hills Early Peninsular War Scenarios book. This was a follow up to our playing of Vimeiro Hill a couple of months ago and long over due! It was also my second time playing this scenario, the first time solo and this time with my gaming partner Alan. In both instances the British fared badly.

The scenario represents Junot’s flank attack on the ridge at Ventosa , conducted with no over-coordination between Solignac and Brennier, while Major General Ferguson had command of the two British brigades of Bowes and Nightingale. (Junot was engaged in the battle at Vimeiro hill leaving no French general in command of the flank attack. Historically this lead to a piecemeal attack that was beaten in parts by the British defenders.)

Our fight was played on a 6’X6’ table with my usual 1/72nd scale armies using the Over the Hills ruleset.

The scenario map, with red showing final British defensive position and blue arrows Brennier's and Solignac's attacks.

1. The battlefield

Ferguson’s forces are hidden behind the Ventosa ridge, with only his guns and ad hoc skirmish battalions visible to Solignac’s forces as they approach the ridge. 

2. The British lines

Nightingale’s battalion is arrayed in two lines (1/40th and 71st on his left and 1/82nd and 1/36th on his right) while Bowes brigade is in line behind (1/32nd, 1/6th, and 29th left to right).

3. Solignac’s advance

Solignac approaches with (left to right) the 3/15 Legere, 3/58 Line and 3/12 Legere all in columns of division with the skirmish battalion arrayed in front of his right.

4. The French guns are brought forward

5. Ferguson's troops sighted by French skirmishers

Solignac is taken by surprise by the size of the force he faces when Ferguson’s troops, previously lying down out of sight behind the ridge, suddenly rise up in line.

6. 3/15 Legere move to the left of Ventosa

7. Solignac arrays his force

8. Overview

Ferguson rapidly sends his forces forward, hoping to achieve a quick and decisive victory over Solignac’s smaller force. The skirmishers on both sides immediately engage in a fire fight as Solignac goes over to the defensive, occupying Ventosa with the 3/58 Line while the 3/15 Legere march to the left of Ventosa and shake into line. The 3/12 Legere also form into line as the French guns unlimber behind.

9. Skirmish battle

A skirmish fight erupts between the two sides, a contest that will continue throughout most of the battle.

10. 3/12's first volley drives back the British

The first British attack by the 1/40th is thrown back on its supports by a devastating first volley by the 3/12 Legere.

11. 3/58 Line in Ventosa

The 3/58 quickly occupy Ventosa where they stay for most of the battle, a thorn in the British side, as Bowes’ skirmish battalion engages them from a distance.

12. Overview

The 3/15 Legere (bottom) move forward to the left of Ventosa while the 3/58 Line occupy the village. On Solignac’s right the 3/12, with skirmishers out front, have fallen back to the right of the guns which now come into action against Nightingale’s 1/36. 

13. British right

1/36, out of canister range, take fire from the French 9 pdrs. while the British attack is pressed home on the left.

14. Brennier arrives

Brennier, marching to the sound of the guns, appears on the battlefield with his cavalry and skirmishers ranged out front and four strong battalions (top to bottom 3/2 and 3/4 Legere and the 1/70 and 2/70 Line) advancing in columns of division side by side.

The first stroke of bad luck for the British arrives along with Brennier, who has done a better job of finding his way to the battlefield than he did historically, arriving on Turn 3. The scenario allows for Brennier’s random arrival anywhere between turns 3 and 8. We used six hidden cards so neither side would know when they would arrive, and Alan, the French commander, drew the ace first draw!

As a result the British player (myself) had no opportunity to use his previously superior force to try to eliminate Solignac’s brigade from play early on, and from this point on, with French horse also on the field, I was forced to play a defensive game.

15. Dragoons advance against Bowes' left

The 71st quickly forms square as the French dragoons surge around the British left towards Bowes’ 1/6th in the second line.

16. 1/6th braces for the onslaught

However the 1/6th has time to form square as well, stymying the French horse for the moment on the British left.

17. Solignac's 3/58 Line sallies forth out of (and back into) Ventosa

Seeing the arrival of Brennier the 3/58 attack the British guns as the 3/15 Legere move in to take their position in Ventosa. But the 3/58 are unable to close, as they are sent reeling back by canister delivered at close range.

18. 3/15 Legere move forward

The 3/58 stumble back into Ventosa to lick their wounds while the 3/15 Legere move out and form line in front of the town.`

In front of Ventosa Bowes 82nd (left) has taken up position to the right of the guns with his 36th to the right. At the top right the 1/6th, now in square, anchors the 32nd’s line (white flag) at one end while the 71st’ square (off picture to right) anchors the other end. The 40th and 29th are in reserve.

With attacks coming from both sides the British are forced to take an “L” shaped position. (It is the first time, as the British player, I was able to try the strategy of a line with secure flanks (squares) in order to counter enemy horse and at the same time present a front against attacks from infantry.)

19. 71st caught in square by Brennier's 3/12 Legere

However the 1/71st was too far forward to be protected by the 1/32nd’s line and failed to form emergency column (forgot, to be honest) finding themselves under attack by a swift moving French column, the 3/12 Legere. The 1/71st showed none of their Highland spunk and were destroyed, leaving the 1/32nd’s flank unsecured! 

20. Pressing home the attack

21. Overview

However, the British were able to recover the position on their turn, putting the 1/6th into square on the 1/32’s right flank (top of British position).

In the meantime Brennier brings the rest of his battalions, now all in line, slowly forward to keep the pressure on Ferguson’s left, shifting his Dragoons from the flank to the centre left.

22. Dragoons move to the French left

23. 3/15 Legere routs

Nightingale’s 82nd volleys and charges Solignac 3/15 Legere, and they engage in a slugfest in front of Ventosa. Both are sent back reeling, but the 3/15th, with their backs to the walls of Ventosa (which is already full to the brim with French troops) has no where to go and routs!

24. As does Nightingale’s 82nd

The 82nd suffers a similar fate, routing back through the supporting 40th.

25. 32nd drives the 3/2 Legere back onto supports

Meanwhile things have heated up on the British left. The 32nd volley and charges the 3/2 Legere, driving them back onto their supports.

26. Overview

Top right the 1/32 charges the 3/2 Legere, throwing them back onto their supports. Top centre the 6th, with the French horse gone, has shaken out of square into line. In front of the Dragoons the skirmishers continue to battle it out in no man’s land while at the upper left of the picture, the 82nd can be seen routing from the line while the 40th, left alone, has formed square in expectation of a cavalry charge on the British guns, now isolated to the front.

27. 29th marches over to bolster British right

With the 82nd gone and cavalry threatening Ferguson sends the 29th over to his right, with its flanks anchored by the two squares. This leaves only the 6th in support of the 32nd against Brennier’s massed battalions.

28. Brennier's voltigeurs routed

In a minor British victory one of Brennier’s small voltigeur battalions routs after receiving a volly from the 6th.

29. On the British left

The 32nd (left) engages the French with the 6th (right) in support.

30. French counter attack the 32nd

The battered 3/2 Legere are driven back through their supports, and the 32nd follows up with an attack on Brennier’s 3/4 Legere. Brennier's 2/70 (foreground centre right) are sent in to the rescue, but too late. The 3/2 Legere breaks.

31. 32nd routed

However the arrival of fresh troops on their flank proves too much for the 32nd, and they are in turn routed.

32. 6th volley and charge 2/70

In the vicious back and forth now the 1/6th, now alone on this flank, step forward, with a volley and charge on the 2/70. The 2/70 are sent back reeling and the 1/6th follow up.

33. Dragoons charge 6th's flank

However the1/6th’s  advance exposes their right flank to the waiting Dragoons who charge in for the kill. The British line attempts to form square and fails! The Dragoons’ charge, however, takes them past the 36th’s square where, in probably the most dramatic moment of the fight, the French horse receive a devastating volley in their flank. The volley breaks the charge, sending the horse reeling back through the wavering 2/70 and both French units in the confusion rout from the field.

34. Dragoons and 2/70 routed

35. 1/70 Line charges 6th in turn

Brennier, however,still has the 1/70 in reserve, and they in turn charge the now battered British 1/6th, who are broken.

36. British gunners driven off by 3/12 Legere

In front of Ventosa Solignac keeps up the pressure on the British right. The guns are charged by the 3/12 Legere but the gunners evade to the nearby square and the 3/12 withdraw rather than face the intact 29th in line.

37. Overview

A much diminished field now presents itself, with three French battalions routed or recovering and one destroyed. The British, however, with lesser numbers has now lost its entire left wing with two battalions broken and three routed. 

Lower left the 82nd, rallied, starts to make its way back to the front. In front of Ventosa the 40th and 36th are in square, anchoring the 29th in line, still at full strength.The 32nd has recovered but is wavering, out of the frame to the left.

Brennier has lost two battalions of infantry (one broken and the other routing) and a small skirmish battalion, along with a unit of Dragoons also routed, but still has the 1/70 and 3/2 Legere in good shape along with his second unit of Dragoons. Solignac has his guns, the 3/12 Legere and a recovering 3/58 Line in Ventosa as the French, time running out prepare for a final push. His skirmish battalion harasses the British right (bottom) while the 3/15 Legere, recovering, makes its way back to Ventosa off frame to the right.

38. French attack on all fronts

The French attack comes in, with Brennier’s 1/70 supported by the 3/2 Legere (top right) charging the 29th in line while next to them the French horse are joined by the 3/58 sallying out of Ventosa to attack the British guns.

39. 1/70 drives the 82nd back

The fury of the 1/70th’s attack drives the British line back not once but twice, inflicting heavy casualties. With the 29th reeling back through its supports the 1/70 hits the 1/36th who fail to get out of square and suffer badly for it.

40. British guns overrun and 82nd and 40th in square charged

The guns are quickly overrun and the Dragoons carry through to attack the 1/82nd (now in front as the 29th have fallen back). At the same time the French 3/58 Line hit the 40th’s square and break it. 

41. 29th broken

The 82nd, with its flanks not secured, are easily scattered by the Dragoons’ charge who carry through and hit the battered 29th, still recovering from their drubbing from the 1/70th. They too are broken, with three British battalions and a battery of guns broken by the French attack in a matter of minutes. (It was awesome. The French rolled no less than 5 ones and a two in their attacks while the British produced a flurry of ten’s in defence.)

42. Overview

The trail of carnage can be seen as the French horse charge down the ridge at the battered 29th while the 1/70 engage an equally pummelled 36th stuck in square. Behind the 29th (lower left) can be seen the 32nd, barely recovered and marching back to the front, now suddenly finding themselves on the front lines.

43. And 32nd hit in flank!

The Dragoons finish their charge hitting the 1/32nd in march column in the flank. 

44. Aftermath

The British commander (me) throws in the towel at the end of this devastating sequence of events at the bottom of Turn 11 (the scenario was 12 turns). With the British 1/32nd hit in the flank and the 1/40th in square still being attacked by the French 1/70th, both battalions were doomed, leaving only the two small British skirmish battalions intact on the field.

Post Mortem

Historically Brennier became lost on his flank maneuver and only arrived after Solignac had already been beaten, but not so in our replay where Brennier arrives early and with devastating consequences to the British.  A flurry of remarkably good die rolls by the French at the end of the battle (and an equally remarkably bad flurry of die rolls on the part of the British) created an epic end to what might conceivably have seen the British still in possession of the ridge by game’s end.

This was by far the most interesting and exciting scenario Alan and I have played to date. The early arrival of Brennier and subsequent numerical superiority of French troops on the field was balanced out by the British better capacity, with three commanders, to rally off hits. But the horse very much tipped the scales in favour of the French, as British battalions were constantly tied up in squares and unable to present a strong defence against the French infantry. Only Brennier’s limited command range kept the horse from running rampant. 

There were moments of good die rolls on both side, producing not only the sudden and dramatic conclusion (the British only needed to stay on the ridge until Turn 12 to achieve their objective) but also the 40th’s volley in square that broke and scattered the Dragoons’ charge on the 1/6th’s unprotected flank.

Fending off the French on two fronts, creating an “L’ shaped battle formation (there is a French word for this that escapes me - refusé?) created difficulties for the British and the French commander took full advantage of this by continually maintaining pressure on both flanks. With the two Vimeiro scenarios ending in a win a piece, we aren’t sure about the ramifications visa vi the British presence in Portugal and the notorious negotiation of the Treaty of Sintra, but that is the worry of revisionists. On to Corunna.