"Peninsular Campaign: Tricky French Dilemma" Topic

In my ongoing Peninsular War refight, the French have ended up in a very difficult situation. Any advice appreciated for how the French should proceed! link

Send a corps of around 15,000 men to the crossroads with orders to engage the Spanish if found. Lines of communication must be maintained. That leaves Joseph with only a small numeric disadvantage. Once the rear is secure Joseph can consider falling back along a secure route.

Soult cannot risk defeat but might put together a flying column. I assume the French cavalry is still very much superior to the Spanish so that should be an equalizer in those combats.

Thanks very much for your idea, 21e Regt, sounds like a reasonable plan in difficult cirmcumstances.

Soult cannot risk defeat but might put together a flying column. I assume the French cavalry is still very much superior to the Spanish so that should be an equalizer in those combats.

Yes, the French cavalry is stronger numerically and generally of greater quality too. The cavalry isn't so useful in the current areas of combat though, which are pretty hilly.

Napoleon would have seen the situation as a classic example of the 'central position' and interior LOCs and act accordingly.

Napoleon would have seen the situation as a classic example of the 'central position' and interior LOCs and act accordingly.

Appoint yourself as Jourdan and advise Joseph accordingly: against whom should he concentrate first and against whom should he try to hold at risk? It may be quite difficult because the distances are quite large.

Well, just thinking out loud, but destroying the smaller Spanish armies would be the best chance of success as well as securing their LOC. I am assuming the French army can march faster than the British forces. They usually didn't in the Peninsula unless the British were retreating, such as Corunna and Burgos.

The French can normally march a bit quicker, but it is tied to leaders rather than nationality. So most of the French subordinate commanders can march faster than British and Spanish ones…but Wellington can march faster than Joseph! A detached French Corps can probably outrun an Allied one though. The Spanish may retreat well in front of any threat however.

The rules have a relationship between attrition, speed and concentration. As a rule, the more concentrated forces are and the faster you try and move them, the more stragglers you lose.