The 1st Battle of Canoroa - French vs Anglo-Portuguse (3rd FOGN 2nd ed game)

Played at the League of Ancients vs Cameron's French and I'm using Richard's army one again. My own list.

The 1st Battle of Canoroa - A classic and textbook oblique attack.

Following their victory vs a surprise Russian assault, the Anglo-Portuguse army settled down for the night. However, NAPOLEON was dissatisfied with his erst awhile allies and decoded to send in his own troops once again. THIS time the French strategy would work...

The dusty plains of the Peninsula. The village of Canoroa is in the centre

 

 

The Allied army had moved further inland and deployed around the small village of Canoroa. With no French units detected by the Hussar's (who were drunk), the army deployed in a long line, with the British Guards unit on  a hill to the left, the main British units on the road and the Portuguese sleeping in the village and fields to the right. The Militia unit dug themselves in and refused to leave, fearing a surprise Cossack Invasion At Night.

The Guards divison looking north

 On the next morning, the Guard Division observed French units coming into view in the distance to the North. The army stood too, but insisted it must Brew Up Tea before the battle could start.

The Vanguard division on the main road facing north

 The main British division on the road got their tea ready. No French units in site.

The Portuguese division in the village of Canoroa, redoubt and fields

The Portuguese units slept in.

British Cavalry sleeping off their drink

 The British Cavalry stayed in reserve and tried to get overt their drunkenness. 

The French army advances rapidly!

The French army deployed in the field, with the majority on the British left flank. An  Conscript division full; of Élan raced forward, followed by the heavy French Artillery brigade.

The Grand old Duke Of York. He had 10000 men. He marched them to the bottom of the hill and marched them back again

The Guards division tried to move back to get close to the rest of the Allied army, but it was too late. The divisional commander decided to defend the hill.

His orders HAD been to act as the armies reserve, but everyone forgot that when it was discovered that the army's pay book HAD BEEN STOLEN BY A FRENCH SPY! Later it was found to have been sold by accident by the army paymaster and everyone was quite embarrassed about it. This issue served to distract commanders at all levels until the last hour of the battle.

French Army in the attack

The French army moved far faster than any of the Allied side could believe! Only 20 minutes to cross the entire battlefield! This was faster than an Imperial Guard army from 40000 years in the future! The Allied corps commander was dumb founded at the speed of the French advance.

The Allied army slept in, drunk, and then refused to move until they had brewed up their tea

 Over half the Allied army was out of position. The Impetuous British Cavalry was determined to attack the left flank of the French army, but found it had to go around the village of Canoroa and fields first. Instead, they should have remained as the armies reserve and bolstered the centre and right flank. But the Impetuous British Cavalry was never going to listen to any battle plan!

Facing Down 50+ French guns

The French army baring down on the British Centre Division. French Heavy and Medium Artillery  lead with Currissers behind.

FORM LINE!

The British Guards Regiment formed line and prepared to engage two French Divisions in musketry. 

TWO STEPS BACK!

The  British Guards Regiment took a beating, but held their heads high and fell back two paces. HUZZA!

FIRE!

In an effort to hold the line, the KGL regiment tried to flank the incoming Conscript Division.  But they were out of position. If they were occupying the small village to their left, it would have complicated things for the French Divisional commander. Instead, they could only try to hold on till the Allied right flank had marched to attack.

Light Infantry cannot do much vs Cavalry without Artillery support

The 1st (Vanguard) division formed tactical line with the Rifle unit flanking them. The 3rd Brigade in support.

The Allied division moves off. Slowly......

Meanwhile, the British right flank SLOWLY moved to the attack. The Portuguese were still sleepy and found moving out of Canoroa and the muddy fields slowed them down to a crawl. The Militia brigade point-blank refused to leave their revetment and threatened to shoot the Division Commander! The Allied General was disgusted by the whole affair and could not believe it. This was against all the rules of warfare!

HOLD THE LINE!

The British right flank moved to attempt to attack the oncoming French horde.

DON'T HOLD THE LINE RETREAT

It failed! The 1st Brigade, 2nd Division was driven back and ran through clear to the other side of the supporting Heavy Dragoons.

Things are getting a bit sticky for the British

A large hole had developed in the British line. 

The wicket gets more sticky

The hole widened when another Brigade was forced back by the firepower of the French Heavy Artillery.  They could not withstand firepower of this magnitude.

This is it boys we're going in!

Desperate to try to save the day, the Guards Regiment advanced and attempted to win a close range fire duel as the 2nd Brigade rallied. The Heavy Dragoons moved to a position to prepare for the French Currissers to charge.

Did anyone remember to bring artillery tom shoot at the enemy square? No?

On the Allied right flank, the Portuguese Division was almost in a position but still agonisingly slow. The British Hussars and Light Dragoons forced the French regiment into square, but were unable to do much else and the Portuguese infantry to far away to take advantage and were lacking in artillery support.

 

Routed, Wavering, Disordered, Wavering

On the left flank, the KGL and Guards regiment started to waver. Units fell back and the French Conscripts advanced. 

Vi've Emperor!

The decisive moment arrived.  Two French Conscript units supported by heavy artillery charged the Foot Guards. The defensive fire checked and forced them to flee...but not rout. Completely unworried by their failed charge, they will still able to fire at short range, and routed the entire Guards and KGL division!!!!! 

The Allied General was aghast and horrified. How could this happen?!??! French conscripts, being checked and forced back by disciplined veteran guard troops, stopped their retreat and were able to fire back and rout the disordered and wavering British and KGL infantry!  THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE!

What the bloody hell happened here?!?!

No matter what the Allied Corps commander thought of the matter, his Guards and KGL had fled the field. 

Hussars vs Curirsser won't save the day

The Portuguese division was still out of position. The Light Dragoons attempted a doomed charge to try and save the day but were routed by the French Currissers.

With too many units now routed or wavering, the entire Allied army collapsed and retreated.

ALLIED DEFEAT. 

The French attack was a perfect example of an attack on the Oblique line. A text book example perfectly executed. 

The Allies walked into it with their eyes closed. So many mistakes were made. So many mistakes.

1.  The reserve division is not IN reserve.
2.  It's deployed on the left flank.
3. It's not deployed in the village it can use to anchor the flank.
4. The division reserve is right behind the main unit, it should be in between both units and 4 inches (ca. 10 cm) further back. It can move up when needed.
5. The unit on the hill should be behind the hill in a reverse slope and hidden until the enemy army is deployed. In FOGN you don't show your army list until it is all on table.
6. The middle division needs its reserve brigade between them in chequer board fashion.
7. The unit in the strong point village should be occupying it, not defending it.
8. The strongpoint should, be in the opponents half  or my army must be behind it.
9. The redoubt needs to be 2 unit blocks apart and if nothing else forward of the strongpoint. 
10. The rough terrain should be further in the opponents half.
11. The entire army should, be behind the strong point and redoubt. Having 2 redoubts AND a strongpoint will complicate matters for the enemy unless I then don't deploy my army behind it!
12. A single cavalry unit is not a good reserve. 
13. I should have put the left and centre flanks behind the right flank and only fought on that side of the table. A smaller army needs a small area to fight in.