Battle of Cambrils – Move 3

1000-1100 14 August 1813

 

  table at start of move 3

Top – Spanish corps advance screened from 7^th French corps by the hills

Bottom – British surprised to find 17^th Spanish corps approaching from Tortosa

  2^nd Spanish corps

General Elio (Poor)

9 Command Points

Orders – Move to Cambrils

5^th brigade advance 6”

Artillery advance 8”

6^th and 8^th brigades advance 8”

6^th, 7^th and 8^th brigades form column of attack

Marshal Suchet (Gifted)

6 Command Points

Change 7^th corps orders to “Move to right of hill”

Move to join and take command of 7^th dragoons

Move with 7^th dragoons to join 17^th corps

Place 7^th dragoons under command of 17^th corps

  7^th French corps

General Munsier (Average)

8 Command Points

Orders – Move to right of hill

25^th brigade move to right edge of hill and spot 2^nd Spanish corps

Artillery limber and move 16”

26^th and 27^th brigades turn right and advance 8”

  17^th French corps

General Halbert (Average)

11 Command Points

Orders – Move towards British

Assume command of 7^th dragoons

Artillery advance 7” and unlimber

24^th brigade advance 12” and form square

22^nd brigade advance 16” and form column of attack

23^rd brigade (in square) advance 2”

5^th British corps

General Murray (Poor)

9 Command Points

Orders – Move to Cambrils

5^th brigade form column of attack and advance 6”

6^th brigade advance 8” and form square

7^th and 8^th brigade advance 8” and form column of attack

Commander moves to centre of corps

Captain-General Copons (Poor)

3 Command Points

Move to join 2^nd corps

(not enough CP to change their orders)

Game Notes

Both sides have again made use of multiple moves to deploy.

Multiple moves are allowed providing there is no enemy within 16”

Rule 5 covers movement

Marshal Suchet has moved 5^th dragoons from 7^th to 17^th corps

This is so that 17^th corps can match the combined Spanish and British cavalry brigades facing them

Suchet has also ordered 7^th corps to move to the right of the hill.  
This is to protect the Mora road, as 16^th corps are now approaching Cambrils

 Both the British and Spanish commanders thought that they would only have to face 7^th French corps.   They were not expecting 17^th French corps to arrive from Tortosa.

 17^th French corps arrived with campaign orders to move towards the farm, which is directly towards the British.

Suchet is aware that 1^st Spanish corps is somewhere in the area of Tortosa, but has no indication of whether they are following 17^th corps towards Cambrils.  

He must now decide whether to fight a holding battle to allow 16^th Italian corps to retreat through Cambrils, and then follow them north.  Or whether to attempt to defeat the allied army before reinforcements can arrive from Tortosa or Mora.  If he attacks the British, but fails to beat them, and Spanish reinforcements arrive his whole army could be destroyed.

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/