Black Powder - Fuentes de Onoro

Being the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend (God Bless Her), what better disport than to play through the glorious battle of Fuentes de Onoro, fought to liberate Portugal, HM's oldest and most faithfull ally, in 1811?

 

Looking north from behind Montbrun's Cavalry with the fastness of Almeida on the far left and the Dos Casas brook along the right hand side, lined with French infantry from a hotch-potch of French Corps: nearest the camera Marchand's div, then accross the stream Claparede, with Conroux then Ferrey on either side of Fuentes itself.

Fuentes forms the left hand anchor of Wellington's line, and as such has his reserves in close support...

Whereas his right hand side is floating somewhat - Spanish guerillas and cavalry have done their bit already and decamped...Here we are looking down from the heights to the SE:

Now looking due south:

The Anglo Portuguese line is like a bow, with all too few arrows to fire - something will have to give to shorten the line:

The opening French artillery volleys inflict great damage - no reverse slopes in this vicinity!

The cavalry aren't slow to the ball either: The 5th Hussars mark the 52nd's dance card. Fortunately the wily 52nd calmly form square and empty a few saddles:

Conroux and Ferrey cooperate to envelope the eastern half of Fuentes with assaults:

The allies are hard pressed all along the line!

Still the Iron Duke cooly keeps the reserve in hand...

Marchand's gallant braves take advantage of the British squares to get stuck in a la Baionette!

The thin red line is forced back, slowly but steadily...

Captain Ramsay's battery is methodically dealing death the Gunner's way rather than pretending to be light cavalry!

Disaster - the gallant 105eme Ligne breaks finally break into the eastern half of Fuentes! 

Montbrun's Dragoons sweep around the open Allied right flank pushing back the Allied light cavalry:

And Claparede's division pins Coleville in place...

The entire allied line falls back to the high ground... 

- shaken but not stirred!