The March on Porto Part 1 - Retreat from Albergaria 10th May, 1809

With Corunna played through twice, Alan and I moved on to the next scenario in Jonathan Jones’ early Peninsular War scenario book, O’er the Hills. This is the fifth scenario in the book which we have been playing through chronologically, and follows up after Moore’s gruelling retreat across the western Spanish mountains, ending in Corunna. It finds the English once more on the offensive in Portugal and again under Wellesley’s command. As the English army drives north from Lisbon, Soult’s forces, having successfully seized Porto and pushed detachments south of the city, retreat to face the British at Porto and the line of the Douro River.

Wellington sends his forces in pursuit, harassing the rear of the French retreat with cavalry under the command of General Paget while Hill moves to outflank them and cut them off closer to Porto.

This scenario picks up the action as Paget's division, composed of Cotton's strong brigade of light cavalry supported by Stewart's infantry brigade, catches up to Franceschi’s division, forcing the French to execute a rearguard action around the village of Albergaria while they try to get their supply train to safety on the road to Porto.
It is played with my 1/72nd scale toy soldiers on a 6'X9' board, using the Over the Hills ruleset.

The scenario map, showing the French starting positions. The British and Portuguese enter from the bottom of the map with the French needing to exit their wagons from the top.

1. French on the road to Porto

The scenario begins with Franceschi’s troops strung out in march formation along the Porto road south of Abergaria. The vanguard is made up of the 1me Hussars and the 22me Chausseurs a Cheval, along with an ad hoc battalion composed of the 31me Légère chausseurs. In the middle travel the French wagons while the rearguard is composed of the 8me Dragoons and the 1/31me and 2/31me Légère.

2. Jardon spots the enemy in pursuit

3. Wagons at Albergaria

4. British cavalry arrive

As the French maneuver their wagons through the narrow streets of Albergaria, the British cavalry under Stapleton Cotton appear behind them. The British cavalry force is made up of the 14th and 16th Light Dragoons and the KGL 1st Hussars with the British light bobs attached. Following these come the 1/29th (Worcestershire), a British depot battalion and the Portuguese 16th Line.

5. Dragoons retreat on French right

6. 31me Legere march to the head of the column

7. DeBelle takes up positions in and around Albergaria

8. French form lines

Franceschi (Alan) switches the roles of his two brigades, marching his rearguard of light infantry and Dragoons past the village either side of the wagons while DeBelle's vanguard chausseurs battalion occupies the town. DeBelle's two light cavalry units are arrayed either side of Albergaria in line of battle.

9. Overview

In this overview you can see the French baggage train safely through Albergaria, with the 31me Légère marching in front of them to take up their positions on the final hill flanking the road to Porto (bottom). DeBelle has arrayed his light cavalry either side of Abergaria while the 31me chausseurs move in to garrison the town. The 8me Dragoons (middle left, second line) cover the march of the 31me.

10. British in pursuit towards Albergaria

The British cavalry in open order and infantry in columns of companies advance as rapidly as possible, trying to close with the fleeing French. Stewart's brigade is composed of (left to right): 29th Foot, 1/16th Portuguese and the 1st Battalion of Detachments.

11. 16th Light Dragoons on the left

11. Overview

Rounding the woods east of the village the lead KGL Hussars see the 22me Chausseurs a Cheval in line with the 8me Dragoons in support  and shift into line themselves in preparation for the charge (bottom centre). Behind them the 14th Light Dragoons also form lines in support, while the 16th LD's (left) move to their right to skirt the woods, and shift into columns of squadrons to follow.

12. Hussars spot French cavalry

13. Charge!

14. 31me Chausseurs pull out of Albergaria

But the slippery French fall back again, with the 8me Dragoons now facing the enemy putting DeBelle’s light cavalry in support. 

15. March! March! March!

Stewart presses his infantry brigade forward as the cavalry clash beyond Albergaria.

16. Hussars routed

Everything depends on a swift British victory over the French Dragoons, with the cumbersome wagons tantalizingly close behind. The Hussars charge with the British Light Dragoons in support, and after an initial success, driving the Dragoons back with heavy losses, they are in turn hurled back by the Dragoons (now fallen onto their supports). The Hussars rout while the French Dragoons rally.

17. French light infantry in final position

The 31me Légère, now ahead of the wagons on high ground either side of the road, form squares to cover the wagons’ retreat while the 8me Dragoons and DeBelle's brigade continue to fall back.

18. Light Dragoons continue forward

19. General de Brigade Girardin urges his wagons over the final hill

20. Overview

On the left Stewart's infantry finally reach Albergaria only to see the KGL Hussars routing past on their right flank. Above the town Cotton's cavalry advance to once again try to break the 8me Dragoons.

21. 8me Dragoons drive back British cavalry a second time

As the French regroup, the British Dragoons charge a second time, this time hurling the entire 14th LD (two units) of cavalry at the French. But the French Dragoons hold tight, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy before both sides fall back.

22. 31me in square observe the cavalry battle

23. Overview

The last French wagon disappears over the hill as General Franceschi prepares to pull back. But his order to the 8me Dragoons to withdraw is delayed and so these stalwarts continue to hold out front. With the enemy slipping away, but the French Dragoons badly mauled, the British rally for one more attempt, throwing their last fresh units. the 16th LD's, into the fray.

24. French Dragoons broken, final clash with French light cavalry

The 8me Dragoons are driven back and then broken after three rounds of heavy fighting, and the victorious 16th LD's carry their charge up the hill into the waiting enemy light cavalry.

25. British repulsed a final time

But the British Dragoons have outstripped their supports and DeBelle's fresh cavalry easily repulses this last British attempt.

26. Final overview

With this last charge the British brigade has no more reserves and, broken, is forced to withdraw. Stewart's infantry arrive just in time to see Cotton's cavalry battered and blown, retreating. Although the British inflicted enough fatigue hits on the 8me Dragoons to break Jardon's brigade, the French dealt out much better than they took, safely getting their wagons off the table and withdrawing in good order. 

The entire game played through very quickly but was a lot of fun. Although the British pushed as hard as they could to close, the French played a skilful game of deploying and withdrawing, forcing the British to stop and deploy in the process, before resuming the pursuit. The key point was when the 8me Dragoons were attacked three times in succession with fresh cavalry units, twice by double their numbers, and threw them back on the first two attempts before being broken themselves. It bought the time needed to get the wagons safely away!

Next game will be the sequel to this when, Franceschi's division now united with Mermet's forces, fights a second rearguard action at the village of Grijo on the road to Porto.