2 August 1813 – Battle of Huelma

Tactical map of battle area

The campaign opens with surprise attack by 15th French army on the town of Huelma. Two infantry brigades are absent on garrison duty and one cavalry brigade is absent patrolling lines of supply.

3rd Spanish army is deployed in and around the town. 8th corps is deployed on the border between Jean and Helin military districts. 7th and 8th corps are deployed around Huelma. 13th militia brigade is the town garrison

15th French Army – 10 infantry brigades, 2 cavalry brigades, 3 corps artillery
3rd Spanish Army – 13 infantry brigades, 2 cavalry brigades, 3 corps artillery

Table at start of battle

The three game objectives are in the centre of the table
Village on the left, woods in the centre, large woods on the right
The side which occupies two of the three will win the game

8th Spanish corps occupy the woods in the centre
7th and 9th Spanish corps may not move until the start of move 2

All three French corps will enter the table at the start of move 1

End of move 2

French have entered the table and are advancing towards the objectives
CinC has taken command of half of 44 corps
43 corps race to reach the woods before the Spanish
44 corps about to deploy screened by lancer brigade
45 corps moving through extensive woods on the left

Spanish HQ, 7 and 8 corps arrive on table
CinC moving to join corps
7 corps advancing towards extensive woods on the right
8 corps redeploy to meet French advance
9 corps will reach the village on the right before the French

End of move 4

French win first cavalry melee
CinC approach woods in the centre
43 corps enter woods on right and form square
44 corps cavalry charge Spanish cavalry
45 corps approach village on left

Spanish reach all three objectives
CinC takes command of 8 corps left of main road
7 corps enter woods on right, cavalry advance through woods
8 corps cavalry withdraw disordered when charged by French lancers
9 corps enter village on left

End of move 6

French attack
CinC win skirmish for woods, Spanish retreat
43 corps occupy half of woods on the right
44 corps cavalry charge lancers, who retreat shaken
45 corps deploy to attack village on the left

Spanish withdraw as French approach
CinC brigade in woods retreat disordered with 20% casualties
7 corps occupy half of woods on the right
8 corps advance in square to drive off cavalry
9 corps withdraw from village on the left

End of move 8

French occupy two of the three game objectives
CinC infantry enter woods in the centre
43 corps fighting for woods on the right continue
44 corps withdraw out of artillery range
45 corps infantry win melee and enter village on the left

Spanish withdraw and regroup
CinC prepares to counter attack woods in the centre
7 corps still holds one of the four wooded sections on the right
8 corps withdraw to hold approach to Huelma
9 corps lose melee and retreat behind village on the left

End of move 10

French occupy all three game objectives
CinC occupy woods in the centre
43 corps occupy large woods on the right
44 corps halt to right of main road
45 corps occupy village on the left

Spanish whole army in retreat
CinC retreat two brigades in rout
7 corps retreat one brigade in rout
8 corps retreat one brigade in rout
9 corps retreat three brigades in rout

Summary
French press home their attack on all three game objectives
Most Spanish infantry brigades are conscript, when one goes they all go

French have lost 2 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (900 men)
Spanish have lost 8 infantry casualties (3200 men)

Two French brigades in rout
Five Spanish brigades in rout, two with no casualties

2 August 1813 – Southern Spain – Day 1

 

Main French depot at Hellin – 81 days supplies

The campaign opens with a surprise French attack on Huelma

13th French army – hold Riopar
14th French army – hold Elche
15th French army – attack Heulma

1st Spanish army – hold Ubeda
2nd Spanish army – hold Jodar
3rd Spanish army - defend Huelma

2 August 1813 – Southern Spain – Jean Campaign

1813 Campaign

This is a fictional campaign loosely based on the 1813 campaign
It started in April 2009 and consists of stand alone campaign phases
Each phase is similar in size to the Waterloo campaign
This is the 92nd phase, each of which is shown on the above map
There have been six major adjustments to the campaign
The following maps are used for the current adjustment, which started in June 2020

Map of Europe

There are five campaign areas in Europe
North Germany – French v Prussians
Central Germany – French v Russians
Southern Germany – French v Austrians
North Spain – French v British
South Spain – French v Spanish

This is the campaign phase 19

Each star shows the location of a campaign phase
Jean is the white star

Map of Spain

There are two campaign areas in Spain
North Spain – Fourth French and British Armies
South Spain – Fifth French and Spanish Armies

This is the eighth campaign phase to be fought in Spain

Jean is the white star

Map of South Spain

There are three regions in south Spain

Lisbon Region – Spanish rear area
Seville Region – campaign area
Valencia Region – French rear area

This is the fourth campaign phase to be fought in south Spain

Each star shows the location of a campaign phase
Jean is the white star

Map of Seville Region

There are nine towns in Jean district
Each one is the size of the wargames table.

The campaign area is shown in white on this map
It covers the nine towns in Jean district
But also 6 towns in Hellin district

Hellin is the HQ and supply centre for Fourth French Army Group
Jean is the HQ and supply centre for the Spanish Army

Campaign Map

The Jean campaign is fought between the cities of Jean and Helin
The French Army of South Spain is deployed to the right of the district border
The Spanish Army is deployed to the left of the district border
The French objective is to take and hold the city of Jean

Each block represents one corps
Smaller oblong represents Spanish militia/guerrilla and supply columns

The French objective is to take and hold the city of Jean

Typical French corps

Each corps has 4 infantry brigades,1 cavalry brigade and corps artillery

Fourth French Army of Southern Spain – Marshal Suchet
37th French corps
38th French corps
39th Vistula corps
40th French corps
41st Baden corps
42nd Polish corps
43rd French corps
44th Westphalian corps
45th Italian corps

168000 infantry, 9000 cavalry, 270 guns

Typical Spanish corps

6 corps have 4 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade and corps artillery
3 corps have 4 infantry brigades, and corps artillery
There are also 15 militia brigades, one in each town or city

Spanish Army – General Giron
1st Spanish corps
2nd Spanish corps
3rd Spanish corps
4th Spanish corps
5th Spanish corps
6th Spanish corps
7th Spanish corps
8th Spanish corps
9th Spanish corps
15 militia brigades

144,000 infantry, 60,000 militia, 6000 cavalry, 270 guns

Campaign Diary

01 Feb 1813 Austria, Britain, Prussia, Russia and Spain declared war on France
04 Feb 1813 Spanish army operational n Saville region
28 Feb 1813 Fifth French army operational in Madrid Region
09 Mar 1813 Start of Toledo campaign phase
13 Mar 1813 Spanish win Toledo campaign phase
20 Apr 1813 Start of Cuidad Real campaign phase
30 Apr 1813 French win Cuidad Real campaign phase
08 Jun 1813 Start of Merida campaign phase
15 Jun 1813 French win Merida campaign phase
02 Aug 1813 Start of Jean campaign phase

Reference

The campaign diary contains comprehensive details of the whole campaign. The labels on the right are an index to various parts of the campaign.

01 - Introduction to the1813 campaign
02 - Five campaign areas
50 - Introduction to the campaign in southern Spain
51 - Fifth French Army order of battle
52 - Spanish Army order of battle
53 - Daily diary for the campaign in southern Spain
54 - Battle reports of all battles fought in southern Spain
55 - Summary of campaign in southern Spain

Summary of Central Germany Campaign – 1 August 1813

Regional map of Central Germany

There are three regions in Central Germany

Dusseldorf Region is the rear area for Second French army
Their main depot is in Dusseldorf

Dresden Region is the rear area for the Russian Army
Their main depot is in Dresden

Erfurt Region is the disputed area between them

Diary of Central German Campaign

The French Grand Army was destroyed during the 1812 Russian campaign
Napoleon had to create a new army to fight the 1813 campaign

01 February 1813 Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia declared war on France
01 February 1813 Formation of Second French army in Dusseldorf region
26 February 1813 Second French army declared operational.
27 February 1813 The Russians moved into the Erfurt region
28 February 1813 Davout entered Erfurt region and occupied Fulda district
14 March 1813 Start of Erfurt campaign phase
21 March 1813 French win Erfurt campaign phase
01 May 1813 Start of Gera campaign phase
09 May 1813 French win Gera campaign phase
16 June 1813 Start of Bayreuth campaign phase
24 June 1813 Russians win Bayreuth campaign phase
01 August 1813 Russians win Halle campaign phase

Reference

The campaign diary contains comprehensive details of the whole campaign. 

 The labels on the right are an index to various parts of the campaign.

01 - Introduction to the1813 campaign
02 - Five campaign areas
20 - Introduction to the campaign in Central Germany
21 – 2nd French Army order of battle
22 - Russian Army order of battle
23 - Daily diary for the campaign in Central Germany
24 - Battle reports of all battles fought in Central Germany
25 - Summary of campaign in Central Germany

1 August 1813 – Central Germany – End of Halle Campaign

 

Battles fought during campaign phase

The French won four of the six battles fought.
However the Russians still held the city of Halle

The French won the first three battles at Mansfeld, Eisleben and Querfurt.
The Russians won the next two at Konnern and Halle
The French won the final battle at Luena

Despite winning four of the six battles, the French were unable to take Halle
This was the campaign objective and to win they had to take and hold the city

The Russians held Konnern, Halle and Leuna at the end of the campaign
The French had won the battle of Luena, but had to retreat
With Konnern and Halle in Russian hands, Luena was too isolated to hold

 The Russians won the Halle campaign.

The campaign started on 26 July and ended on 18 September 2024

Erfurt Region

Davout ordered his army to withdraw to Nordhausen
Wittgenstein held Halle and controlled all of the region

1 August 1813 – Halle Campaign - Day 7

French halt at river Saale
4 French army – resupply at Mansfield
5 French army – rally and resupply at Eisleben
6 French army – rally and resupply at Querfurt

Russian hold Konnern, Halle and Luena and win the campaign
1 Russian army – resupply at Konnern
2 Russian army – resupply at Halle
3 Russian army – rally and resupply at Luena

31 July 1813 – Battle of Luena

Tactical map of battle area

French army is commanded by Marshal Poniatowski
Russian army is commanded by General Winzingerode

French – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery
Russian – 12 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

Table at start of battle

Russians are deployed on the game objectives
Village on the left, pass in the centre and bridge on the right
They are not allowed to move forward until the start of move 3

French will arrive at the start of move 1
They can only cross the river by using one of the four bridges

Both armies start the game with battle casualties
French – 2 infantry and 2 cavalry casualties (1000 men)
Russian – 6 infantry, 3 cavalry and 2 artillery casualties (2100 men)
The Russians have considerably more than the French

End of move 2

French cavalry cross river to defend crossing
CinC takes command of artillery from 16 and 17 corps
16 corps advance down right bank of river
17 corps cavalry cross river and deploy out of artillery range
18 corps cavalry cross river and deploy out of artillery range

Russian not allowed to move forward until move 3
CinC takes command of half of 7th corps on the right bank
7 corps redeploy artillery to cover right bank
8 corps move reserve infantry onto hill
9 corps cavalry redeploy to counter Polish lancers

End of move 4

French continue to cross river
CinC move to support 16 corps
16 corps deploy out of cavalry charge range
17 corps delayed by CinC who crossed the river in front of them
18 corps artillery force Russian cavalry to withdraw shaken

Russian charge French guns
CinC withdraw to rear of bridge
7 corps unlimber artillery
8 corps move more troops onto hill
9 corps cavalry charge guns, receive 10% casualties and retreat shaken

End of move 6

French advance
CinC unlimbers artillery
16 corps advance, but remain out of cavalry charge range
17 corps continue to cross bridge
18 corps advance towards village

Russian wait for French to advance into artillery range
CinC withdraw slightly on right bank of river
7 corps artillery manhandle into canister range
8 corps wait for French to advance into artillery range
9 corps shaken cavalry fail morale and rout

End of move 8

French capture first game objective
CinC rout 7th corps artillery
16 corps cavalry rout both Cossack brigades
17 corps deploy and prepare to advance on hill
18 corps approach village

Russian abandon first game objective
CinC withdraw and abandon bridge (game objective)
7 corps infantry retreat when gunners routed
8 corps wait for French to advance within artillery range
9 corps withdraw from village, but prepare to counter attack

End of move 10

French general attack
CinC deploy artillery to secure bridge (game objective)
16 corps secure bridge, send two brigades to left bank
17 corps prepare to attack hill
18 corps infantry enter village, two brigades support attack on hill

Russian redeploy closer to Luena
CinC rally on bridge nearest Luena
7 corps move into cover behind Luena
8 corps retreat to edge of hill closer to Luena
9 corps redeploy village and closer to Luena

End of move 12

French capture two of the three game objectives
CinC support attack on hill
16 corps deploy to hold bridge (game objective)
17 corps attack hill, but still fighting at nightfall
18 corps capture town (game objective) after two round of melee

Russian lose two of the three game objectives
CinC retreats and abandons bridge (game objective)
7 corps redeploy behind Luena
8 corps greatly outnumbered on hill, two brigades rout
9 corps withdraw from town (game objective)

Summary
The French have taken two of the three game objectives
Fighting continues for the hill, the third game objective
However only two Russian brigades are left, under attack by five French brigades

Having taken two game objectives the French have won the battle

French have lost 4 infantry and 1 cavalry casualties (1700 men)
Russians have lost 5 infantry, 1 cavalry and 1 artillery casualties (2200 men)