The Battle of Maida July 1806

With a couple of games postponed due to real-life the dungeon hasn’t seen that much fighting. However, Saturday saw the Napoleonics back on the table. The battle will be well known to many as it is a popular one giving a fairly balanced and modest sized Napoleonic battle.

One of the many maps on the net showing generally accepted setup, historically the French probably shouldn’t have attacked and forced the British to, but they did in massed formation which was their undoing against the thin British line. Some might say the scene was set then for the whole of the Napoleonic period

Our setup, in reflection when tidying up I think I might have missed a unit off for the French which as the French general was a bit annoying next time perhaps ?

The setup form the other end of the battlefield.

The French advance of course otherwise we wouldn’t get much of a battle, the British reserves will arrive on turn three.

The accounts I have read discuss the lack of British skirmishers as they had been combined into Kempts’ light brigade so I stuck with that, the french of course had plenty, the British open up as soon as the french are in range.

They throw their columns in on the broths right only to be wiped out, other french Battalions chose to reform into line for the attack. (Historical hindsight of course)

To their left the french do charge home, but are also held for now

Coles brigade arrives to bolster the centre

The french Chasseurs charge in as well but their combined strength can’t quite break the combined grenadier battalion, they do shake it though and it is subsequently broken under artillery fire !

The British have now held their left

And the battle turns to the french left

Under heavy fire the Polish Battalions charge in and Acland’s brigade is just on the point of collapsing and fleeing the field, but somehow they pull out a fortitude save and hold on the field 🤬

In the final turn the french are forced to retreat with two of their three brigades broken and running from the field. It was a close run thing though and a splendid evening gaming 👍 you might just see, at the rear the French commander has left his Brandy on the field of battle. Perhaps it might have been different if I had given the french that extra battalion but it was close and fun which is good for me.

A bit of painting, although these are technically Turks, Woodbine figures, I had them spare from a previous bring and buy, rather than languish in a box I have painted them up as Albanians with their characteristic white Fez’s. The Albanians provided several brigades to support the Italian invasion of Greece and by some quirk their uniforms were very like those of the WW1 Turks. The rifles may be slightly wrong but I can live with that. 

Much of the rest of my time has been preparing Greeks, basing etc and revamping my painting station to create a bit more space going forward.

Well that’s it for now several more battles on the cards in the next few weeks 

Thanks for checking in

Matt ❤️