Battle of Maria, June 15, 1809

 We played our sequel to the the battle of Alcañiz this week, over a period of two days. This scenario, like the first, was written by my friend Brian North and Brian and I squared off with me taking the Spanish and Brian the French.

On my suggestion, because it is a huge scenario, Brian had broken it up into three scenarios, so although we had the entire board set up, we played it as successive scenarios to see how things worked out.

The battle begins as it does historically, with Blake delaying his attack in the hope that Suchet might be lured into assaulting the strong position the Spanish held north of Maria. However Suchet knew that Robert, with his very strong brigade of six battalions, was on the way and was quite happy to wait for this arrival.

Eventually Blake decides to attack, and that leads to Scenario 1, where Roca’s second brigade descends from the heights to attack Suchet’s right, hoping to break it and roll up Suchet’s force along the front. This scenario allows for the arrival of Pirez’ brigade of Valencians in support of Roca and ends at Turn 8.

We followed through into the second scenario where Roca’s first brigade attacks from the heights and then the third which corresponds with the arrival of Robert. Before Robert’s arrival there was a vicious tempest that swept through, stopping the battle dead in its tracks for about half an hour before the fighting resumes, and this was modelled in as well.

The game was played with my 1/72 scale armies (nearly every stand of my Spanish and most of my French were on the board!) on a 9’X 6’ board and lasted about 20 of its allotted 23 turns. We played with the Over the Hills ruleset.

Background

Here is Brian North’s introduction for the scenario:

Maria is the second of the series of three linked battles in Aragon in 1809 (Alcañiz: 23rd May; Maria: 15th June and Belchite: 18th June) between the available forces of the two newly appointed generals Louis-Gabriel Suchet of III Corps and Joachim Blake of the Spanish Army of the Right. In the three weeks following his defeat at Alcañiz, Suchet set about reorganizing his Army of Aragon, making sure they were properly supplied, forming elite companies and training his troops. He was also promised a brigade of reinforcements from central Spain (117 and 118 Line). As a result, the army which faced Blake on 15th June had far higher morale than at Alcañiz. Blake, meanwhile, never one to move quickly, had failed to follow up his success at  Alcañiz. He was sent substantial reinforcements from Valencia and Aragon, with battalions built up to as many as 900 men, and after integrating these troops he felt strong enough to retake Zaragossa. The field of Maria is only two hours south of the city and it was here, after detaching Laval with a brigade of 2,000 to prevent an advance on the other side of the river Huelva, that Suchet decided to stop the Spanish offensive. 

Blake has been much criticized for his slowness to advance, his late start to the fateful day – his troops were not in position till midday – for leaving Areizaga, the hero of Alcañiz, at Botorrita, to his rear on the other side of the Huelva, and above all for not sending for Areizaga, only two hours away, during the morning to join him once it was clear a battle would take place. Areizaga was effectively contained by Laval (who had less than half his men and was some three hours away from him), failing to either threaten Zaragossa or aid his chief, Blake. 

Blake hoped that Suchet would attack him again, as at Alcañiz. Suchet, however, was nervous about attacking the superior numbers and strong position of the Spaniards before his reinforcements, 3,000 strong, joined him. Therefore, at around one o’clock,  Blake decided to attack himself.

The scenario map showing initial starting positions. The dark green areas are steep ground, impassable to cavalry and guns.

1. The Battlefield

The Spanish occupy a high plateau that descends through a series of spurs to the river valley and canal below (top). Blake’s troops are arrayed in two lines, with Roca’s Division (foreground on heights) and Lacy’s Vanguard and the Spanish cavalry (river valley) in front and Lazan’s Division in the second line.

On the left are the French. On lower slopes Musnier’s Division squares off in front of Roca while to his left (river valley) Habert’s brigade under the direct command of Suchet, along with the French cavalry hold Suchet’s left. 

The battlefield was such that much of the slopes front and back of the plateau and its spurs were impassable to cavalry and artillery with the only access for these units via the spurs that ran off to the east.

2. Spanish right

Spanish cavalry and Lacy’s vanguard lower right, with Lazan’s 2nd Division forming a second line (left).

3. Fabre faces off against Roca’s 2nd brigade

Fabre’s three battalions of the 114 Line hold the French right.

4. Roca on the heights

On the heights opposite them is Roca’s second brigade, composed of the 1st Tercio de Torotosa (a militia unit), Granada, P. Avila and Tiradores de Cariñena. After Alcañiz many of Blake’s battalions had been brought up to strength through the introduction of raw conscripts, making them singularly unwieldy for this battle.

5. Pirez in second line

Pirez’ 1st, 2nd and 3rd Valencians (bottom left) in line behind Roca, wait in support behind.

6. Forces on Spanish right hold

For the first part of the battle the Spanish right and French left stay put, other than some shelling from both sides.

7. 1st Brigade advances down ridge 

Realizing the French are not in a hurry to assault his position, Blake, numerically superior, belatedly sends Roca’s left flank into the attack. They cautiously negotiate the steep slopes.

8. Pirez comes forward in support

At the same time Pirez’ brigade is ordered forward in support.

9. French voltigeurs harass Spanish flank

10. Tiradores de Cariñena screen Spanish advance

11. Blake looks on

From his position in the Spanish centre and surrounded by his ADC’s, Blake watches the development of the battle.

12. Spanish left charges

Reaching the bottom of the ridge Roca’s 2nd Brigade goes into the attack.

13. Spanish battery in action on ridge

Meanwhile the Spanish artillery concentrate on counter battery fire, successfully destroying a French half battery before the 2nd brigade is forced to make contact.

14. Both sides battered

Two of Fabre’s battalions are routed but the Spanish fare equally as badly. Of Roca’s 2nd Brigade, only the 1/Tercio de Tortosa survive and they too are forced to retreat as the 2nd Brigade breaks. On the right Pirez’ supporting Valencians arrive to try and finish the rolling up of the French left.

15. Vistula Lancers charge 1st Valencia and break them

However Musnier’s right is not finished yet. As the 1st Valencia march up the slopes they are taken in the flank by the Polish Lancers and broken. The other two Valencian battalions don’t fare much better against Fabre’s two still intact Polish battalions. Blake’s first attack crumbles while Fabre manages to rally his battered brigade to fight on as the action shifts to the centre.

16. Battered 2nd Brigade and Pirez' Valencians withdraw to ridge

This brought the first scenario to a close with a decided victory for the French. Both Roca’s 2nd brigade and Pirez’ Valencians are broken and withdraw to the top of the ridge while upper left Fabre’s brigade shifts over in support of Musnier’s second brigade, under Vergés, which occupies the French centre (upper right).

17. Saboya receives the order to advance

Now it is Roca’s 1st Brigade’s turn to take over the attack. Orders arrive from Blake for the 1/2 and 3 1st Saboya to advance down from the heights.

18. Vergés brigade readies as Saboya advances down the ridge

19. Suchet watches from behind the 1st Vistula

20. Fabre's brigade rallies and moves over to support Vergés

21. Overview

In this overview on the right you can see Roca’s 1st Brigade, the three large Saboya battalions, reaching the foot of the ridge. Facing them on the left are Vergés’ three battalions of the 115th Line and Fabre’s two Polish battalions, the 1/2 1st Vistula. At the bottom the remainder of Fabre’s brigade and Klinski’s small detachment of voltigeurs and Vistula Lancers threaten the Spanish left as they emerge from the rough ground into the valley.

22. Follow up overview

This second attack wasn’t too well recorded! In the photo above upper right, post attack, Suchet’s centre holds, but just barely. Habert’s 1st and 2nd Vistula and Suchet’s reserve were fed into the French lines while the 1/Almeria came in to bolster the Spanish attack. Somewhere in the middle of it all a torrential downpour swept through bringing the entire battle to a halt, and in its aftermath Saboya, broken on the French lines, is forced to withdraw.

However, at the bottom Robert’s six battalions can be seen to have arrived on the field and the French cavalry and Habert lead the charge as Suchet sends his intact left into action against the Spanish right.

23. Robert enters the field

Robert’s six fresh battalions arrive in column as Suchet prepares to attack on his left flank.

24. A lot of French!

25. 2/Almeria take a beating

With Saboya broken and in retreat 2/Almeria tries to hold back three French battalions while Blake orders Lazan to form a new line behind. Successive volleys thin the Spanish ranks, forcing 2/Almeria back and eventually causing them to break. Nothing now stands between the French and the first ridge other than the two Spanish batteries, stuck on the ridge and with no way to withdraw.

26. Cavalry square off

In the river valley Suchet orders Wathier’s cavalry into the attack, with the 13th Cuirassiers charging the Spanish Olivenza… 

27. And Olivenza is driven off

Badly battered Olivenza falls back, leaving just Santiago to hold back Wathier’s Cuirassiers.

28. Lazan brings remainder of 2nd Division forward to form a new line

At the top Hernandez’ 1 and 2/America can be seen moving forward to form a new line, with Menacha’s two battalions to his right, one forming close column (bottom) to guard against the French horse gaining access via the spur. The third Spanish battery is also brought forward in support.

29. Overview

On the bottom right Musnier’s division, badly mauled and close to breaking, cautiously advance forward while Roca’s 1st Brigade and the 2/Almeria, broken, fall back up the ridge. On the bottom left Robert’s huge briagde arrives, marching up behind Wathier’s cavalry and Habert’s two battalions of the 14th Line while above them the Spanish horse form up for the inevitable charge.

Just to their right 1/Almeria has gone into a closed column, protecting the flank of a Spanish battery and guarding access to the plateau via one of the spurs while to the battery’s right the second of Roca’s batteries is limbered up and brought further down the ridge. 

At the top Lazan shakes his second line into place on the next ridge.

30. Final push against Spanish front line

The attack now switches over to the French left, with Musnier moving to clear the ridge of its artillery while Wathier’s 4 Hussards and Robert ’s lead battalion attempt to break the Spanish closed column guarding that flank.

31. Spanish front line broken

With only the guns still in play, the 5th Legere gain the top of the ridge (centre top). Below another Spanish battery drives off the first French attempt to storm it but is in a precarious position as the 1/Almeria protecting their flank come under attack.

32. 5th Legere gain ridge

The 5th Legere gain the top of the ridge and almost catch the second Spanish battery still limbered. The battery survives a volley in enfilade and manages to unlimber, but falls in the following close combat. (Both these units were brand new to the table, some beautiful 52nd Black Watch Miniatures from Germany. Oddly enough, and breaking with tradition, both did well as the limber survived to unlimber!) 

33. 1/Almeria pushed off flank of Spanish guns

The 1/Almeria is pushed off the flank of Spanish guns, driven back by a combined attack of the 1/116 and 4 Hussards. Unsupported the guns are overrun shortly afterwards but the Spanish army, with this last assault, is now broken.

34. Final overview

Although we played one or two more turns in which the Spanish batteries out front were overrun and the 13th Cuirassiers gutted by Lazan’s battery the game actually concluded here. With the driving back of 1/Almeria Lacy’s accumulated Fatigue Hits’s had broken his brigade, pushing the Spanish army’s total over 50% (Roca’s two brigades, and Pirez’ and Lacy’s brigades).

Although still in a strong position on the plateau Lazan would now be forced to retreat and with dusk rapidly approaching the defeated Spanish army would probably slip away in the night.

Post mortem

It was an interesting game, really a playtest of the three scenarios in succession which required one to send the Spanish down the ridge from their strong position (as happened historically) rather than tough it out on the high ground. There was a certain logic for the Spanish to attack while they had numerical superiority and prior to Robert’s arrival. Regardless it was a close run thing, with Musnier’s battalions coming close to collapse, only saved by a rally brigade roll and the feeding in of Suchet’s reserves.

We will probably preserve the first scenario as a mini scenario, but next time around try playing things out in their entirety with no pre-conditions, so that the Spanish are not forced to repeat Blake’s venturing down to engage.