"Battle of Alcolea 1808 GD Dupont vs. Echavarri scenario AAR" Topic

Several weeks ago I posted up a 25/28mm peninsular napoleonic scenario featuring the little known battle or action of Alcolea 1808. This past friday, Daniel (son) and I (as WR) had the opportunity to play out the written scenario, including the optional scenario event cards at the weekly Los Angeles event called Friday Night Dice.

Alcolea (June 1808) is a small peninsular battle or action during the initial march south with GD Dupont. The local Spanish Junta tried to prevent the forward progress of GD Dupont's 2nd Corps de Observation de la Gironde towards the city of Cordova. After the historical sacking of Cordova, the retiring army of GD Dupont, about a month later, was forced to surrendered at Baylen.

Complete Alcolea "After Action Report" (AAR) is posted on the Wargamerabbit blog site and the initial scenario report.

Link to Alcolea game AAR: link

Link to Alcolea scenario writeup: link

For those in the Los Angeles area, Friday Night Dice have their own web night describing the evening activity. Friday Night Dice link here: fridaynightdice.com

Soon, a change of venue to Italy for the Battle of Voltri April 1796. Austrians in 1796 uniform (kaskets) and republican french.
Cheers from the warren,

WR

Wonderful looking units! The Emperor will not be happy with the damage done to the sailors of the Guard, but historically they mostly rotted away in Spanish prisons.

Can you tell me what manufacture(s) you use?

Do you have French "Legions de Reserve" organized on a permanent basis, and what organization do you use? Did they have grenadier and voltigeur companies? They were allegedly "ad hoc" units of ?recruits? or ?rear area comapanies used to rebuild line units?

GdeP

What happened? I typed four paragraphs… saved/posted on TMP… went back to edit same post and saved again then found a completely different set of writing from another post? Le "Bug" I guess. Retyping….

GdeP,

Thank you for your comments.

The miniatures are the classic Minifig and Hinchcliffe. The Legion of Reserve I think are old Warrior or Irregular 25mm.

From GF Nafziger: The French Army, Royal, Republican & Imperial (1788-1815) the Infantry Part II Chapter II pags 17-21

Napoleon's decree of March 20th 1807 raised the Legion de Reserve. Each legion had six battalions of eight companies each. Typical French company organization of 140 soldiers and some command/drummers etc. Battalion had 1,256 and Legion 7,536 paper strength. Included an artillery company of 8 cannon and crews.
Since the Legion de Reserve followed the National Guard somewhat in organization and raising practice I gave my Legion de Reserve elite companies since the National guard raised them (in some not all) of the National guard regions (1805 organization). By March 1809, the majority of the active service National guard was disbanded (I assume the Legion de Reserve too)….for a short time period till May 1809, when a new National guard was raised as a reaction to the British landing on the Scheldt. The new National guard had no elite companies till the 1813 campaign when the 88 cohorts were "drafted" or created the 135th to 156th Line regiments. During 1813-14, those former National guard regiments created elite companies.
One other advantage….I can use the Legion de Reserve as extra French line battalions….since they look so similar.

I rated them in game terms as typical recently raised French line. Not veteran from the Grande armee. They did have a proper organization and they had some training time from June 1807 to early 1808 before they entered Spain. They were not ad hoc, or provisional march battalion of later years.

As for Daniel (son) charging across the bridge with the Marin de la Garde…. Typical wargamer. Love the fancy unit. But the scenario did encourage the French to give the bridge attempt his best. So use the best unit seems to follow that thought.

Michael aka WR