Battle of Mora – Move 5

1200-1300 13 August 1813

  Table at the start of move 5

Top – Spanish deployment is now complete

Bottom – Italian infantry have retired closer to Mora

  4^th Spanish corps

General O’Donnell (Poor)

6 Command Points

Orders – Move to Mora

Artillery fire on French gunners (total 7 – no casualties)

Artillery manhandle forwards 2”

13^th brigade advance 2” in square

16^th brigade arrive and advance 24”

16^th Italian corps

General Severoli (Poor)

6 Command Points

Orders – Hold Mora

Artillery fire on 13^th Spanish square (total 10 – one casualty)

13^th Spanish test morale for first casualty (total 4 – pass morale remain formed)

Cavalry retire 7” facing enemy

Severoli moves to centre of corps

Game Notes

Spanish reserve brigade arrive on table on Lerida

Although out of command range they can move direct to corps along road

The corps commander has to use CP for this movement

Because there are no enemy nearer than 16” this brigade can treble movement rate

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/

Battle of Mora – Move 4

1100-1200 13 August 1813

  Table at the start of move 4

Top - 4th Spanish corps complete their deployment out of artillery range

Bottom – Italian hold their ground in front of Mora

  16^th Italian corps

General Severoli (Poor)

6 Command Points

Orders – Hold Mora

Artillery fire on Spanish gunners (total 5 – no casualties)

6^th and 8^th brigade retreat 2” facing enemy

4^th Spanish corps

General O’Donnell (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Move to Mora

16^th brigade advance 2” in square

Artillery manhandle 2” forward

14^th and 15^th brigade advance 6”

O’Donnell moves to centre of corps

Game Notes

It costs two CP per brigade to retire facing the enemy

Rule 3 covers Command Points
 

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/

Battle of Mora – Move 3

1000-1100 13 August 1813

  Table at the start of move 2

Top - 4th Spanish corps deploy out of artillery range

Bottom – Italian hold their ground in front of Mora

  4^th Spanish corps

General O’Donnell (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Move to Mora

13^th brigade form square

Artillery manhandle forward 2”

14^th brigade advance 6”

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

16^th Italian corps

General Severoli (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Hold Mora

Artillery fire on 14^th Spanish (out of range – no casualties)

Game Notes

Italian artillery fired but Spanish out of range

We do not allow measuring range except when firing

Rule 7 covers artillery fire

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/

Battle of Mora – Move 2

0900-1000 13 August 1813

  Table at the start of move 1

Top - 4th Spanish corps have started to deploy either side of the Torrente-Mora road

Bottom – Italian cavalry move forward on flank, infantry form line

  16^th Italian corps

General Severoli (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Hold Mora

Severoli changes orders to Hold Mora

4^th Spanish corps

General O’Donnell (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Move to Mora

13^th brigade advance 6”

Artillery advance 4” and unlimber

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

15^th brigade advance 8”

O’Donnell moves to centre of corps

Game Notes

Severoli has completed his change of deployment and changed his orders back to Hold Mora.  

The Spanish are out of artillery range, so he does not issue any further order

14^th Spanish brigade can make multiple moves because they are more than 16” from the nearest enemy

Rule 5 covers multiple moves

Rule 7 covers artillery fire

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com

Battle of Mora – Move 1

0800-0900 13 August 1813

  Table at the start of move 1

Top - 4th Spanish corps approach on Torrente-Mora road

Bottom – 16^th Italian corps deployed in front of Mora

 4^th Spanish corps

General O’Donnell (Poor)

6 Command Points

Orders – Move to Mora

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

Artillery advance 8”

14^th brigade advance 8”

O’Donnell moves to centre of corps

15^th brigade advance 8”

16^th Italian corps

General Severoli (Poor)

7 Command Points

Orders – Hold Mora

Severoli changes orders to Move

Cavalry advance 12” towards woods

1^st and 2^nd brigades form line from column of attack

Severoli moves within command range (8”) of cavalry

Game Notes

Severoli had to change his orders to Move his cavalry forward to threaten the left flank of the approaching Spanish infantry.

On Hold orders they may not advance beyond the corps main battle line

Rule 4 explains corps orders

Wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleonicwargamerules.blogspot.com/

Battle of Mora – Set Up

  strategic map  at 0800 13 August 1813

Campaign Background

16^th Italian corps has been retreating for three days since the battle of Torrente.   For all of that period 4^th Spanish corps have been in pursuit, so the Italians have not had any opportunity to rest and recover their battle casualties.

They also lost their supply depot at Torrente, and have been on half rations since Torrente.   As a result have started to lose more casualties due to lack of supplies.

General Severoli has ordered a halt at Mora in order to establish a supply depot, and to give his corps a chance to rest.  

4^th Spanish corps are at full strength, though one of their brigades are one march behind having established their supply depot at Lerida.  

  tactical map at 0800 13 August 1813

The battle will take place in the nine squares outlined in white.  

General Severoli has deployed his corps just north of Mora

General O’Donnell is marching towards Mora from Lerida, where his 16^th brigade has established the new supply depot.

  Wargames Table at start of battle

Mora is bottom centre on the cross roads

4^th Spanish corps is approaching top centre

  16^th Italian corps

All brigades are formed, but all have casualties as follows:

6^th infantry brigade  - 2 casualties

7^th infantry brigade  - 5 casualties

8^th infantry brigade  -1 casualty

16^th cavalry brigade  - 2 casualties

Corps artillery -  full strength

4th Spanish corps

Marching south on Torrente-Mora road in column of march

Special Rules

5^th Italian infantry brigade is detached and not taking part in this battle

16^th Spanish infantry brigade will arrive on the Torrente-Mora road at the start of move 5

We are play testing new rules for command and control.

Each commander rolls an average dice and adds the number of formed brigades under command

The wargame rules can be found at

http://napoleoniccampaignrules.blogspot.com/

The latest entry is a draft of the new rules

Campaign Move 17

1200 to 1600 12 August 1813

Captain-General Copons arrives on the battlefield just after midday.   He joins General Elio and orders 2^nd Spanish corps to advance over the bridge and support the British attack.

It is clear to Harispe that the day is lost, and he must take immediate action to avoid disaster.   He orders his corps to retreat towards Cambrils before the Spanish can cross the river Ebro and join the battle.

To cover this movement he orders his cavalry to advance once more and hold the enemy cavalry at bay.   The British immediately charge and rout the French lancers.   This rout breaks the morale of the nearby infantry, who have already suffered heavy casualties.   The rout spreads.

By mid afternoon the whole of 8^th French corps has broken and is fleeing north towards Flix.  In doing so they have abandoned both their lines of supply to Cambrils and any hope of support from the approaching 7^th French corps.