14 June 1813 – Battle of Merida

Tactical map of battle area

Merida is the main Spanish depot and the campaign objective

It is held and defended by 3^rd Spanish army

14^th French army have orders to take and hold Merida 

 

14^th French Army – 10 infantry brigades, 3 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

3^rd Spanish Army – 12 infantry brigades, 1 cavalry brigade, 3 corps artillery

Table at start of battle

The Spanish army are deployed on the table at the start of the game

General Giron has taken command of half of 4^th corps between the town and the river

The French army will arrive on the table at the start of move 1 

End of move 2

French army enter table

Left - 42^nd Polish corps halt out of artillery range

Centre left - Marshal Saint-Cyr has taken command of half of the Polish infantry plus Polish and French artillery

 

Centre right - 40^th French corps halt out of artillery range

 

Right - 41^st Baden corps infantry halt, artillery advance into range, cavalry are on the right bank of the river.

End of move 4

Left – Poles do not advance, they are happy to pin 5^th Spanish corps on hill

 

Centre left – French reserve artillery unlimber at close range to city

 

Centre right – 40^th corps advance towards city

 

Right - Spanish cavalry charge Baden artillery as they deploy

Cavalry suffer 20% casualties, are shaken and fail to charge home

 

End of move 6

Left – Polish lancers charge guns, receive casualties, fail their morale and rout

 

Centre left – Merida garrison retreat into city to avoid close range artillery

French reserve guns now masked, infantry swing left to attack Spanish held hill

Centre Right – Spanish lancers charge artillery, receive casualties and rout

French dragoons charge and rout Spanish gunners, supporting infantry join rout

 

Right – Baden cavalry charge artillery, receive casualties and rout

Spanish infantry immediately move to cross the bridge to support defence of city

End of move 8

Left  - French reserve infantry win melee and rout two Spanish brigades

 

Centre – Spanish garrison retreat to northern half of Merida

French infantry enter abandoned southern half of the city

 

Right – Spanish infantry make great efforts to hold bridge

One brigade fights two rounds of melee with French dragoons

Second brigade route two Baden infantry brigades

Infantry cross river to support defence of city

Artillery support infantry defending bridge from right bank

End of move 10

Left – Two Polish brigades prepare to attack hill held by last Spanish brigade

 

Centre – 40^th French corps have occupied southern half of Merida

They are about to attack the northern half held by two Spanish brigades

French reserve artillery moving between city and hill to support infantry attack

 

Left – 4^th Spanish corps have defeated and routed 41^st Baden corps

End of move 12

White star – combat

Yellow star – Spanish brigade in rout

Blue star – French brigade in rout

 

Left – Most of 5 Spanish corps is in rout

But the remaining brigade had just routed 2 French brigades in firefight

Spanish hold the left wing

 

Centre – French CinC has just routed limbered Spanish artillery

40^th French corps, supported by two artillery brigades, is fighting for Merida

However 6^th Spanish corps still hold half of the city

 

Right – 4^th Spanish corps have routed 41^st Baden corps

The remaining two Spanish infantry brigades are moving to support the city

Their artillery continues to fire on the fleeing Baden infantry

Summary

Despite huge casualties the Spanish win the battle

At nightfall they still hold half of the city

They also hold both flanks

 

The Polish and Baden corps are both in rout

However the French corps are still strong in the centre

But they have failed to take the city

 

The French have lost 13 infantry and 5 cavalry casualties (5700 men)

The Spanish have lost 17 infantry, 2 cavalry and 5 artillery casualties (7500 men)

 

The French have 8 brigades in rout

The Spanish have 10 brigades in rout