The famous Spanish partisan, Teresa Moreno, had been injured in an ambush gone wrong. The Spanish guerillas have managed to get her back to a riverside hideaway, but she was too injured move further without big risk. Dick Blunt heard about Teresa’s injury and rushed to bring Dr d’Eath to her side.
The Spanish had a cart to move Teresa in, but if they move
her without the Doctor’s assistance, Teresa will perish on any double rolled
for movement. With the Doctor’s assistance, Teresa will only perish on an odd
double roll for movement. Teresa starts in the house mid upper table.
Dick Blunt’s British/Spanish force enters at B1. Col Ducos’
French enter at F1. The Spanish deploy from S2.
Dick Blunt’s British/Spanish Force (Rob) comprises; Capt
Dick Blunt {L2}, with two groups of 6 95th Rifles, Lt Jesus Thatwosclose {L1}
with one group of 8 Spanish Regulars & Sgt John E Comlately {L1} with one group
of 8 Dragoons.
Count Capt Monte Cristo’s {L2} Spanish force (Rob) comprises
of two groups of 10 Spanish Provincial Militia & El Meaneo {L1} with one group
of 6 Spanish Guerilla Skirmishers, plus a Holy Man and a Water Cart.
Col Ducos’s French force (Steve) comprises, Lt 0dinery {L1}
and four groups of 8 Voltigeurs (in line), Capt Hopless {L2} with two groups of 6
Voltigeur Skirmishers and Sgt Guy d’Loup {L1} with one group of 8 Dragoons.
The game opened with Ducos moving his French line onto the
table, while pushing his skirmishers rapidly toward the orchard, while the
Dragoons wended their way through the tricky rocky hill on the French left
flank.
Hearing that both the French and Dick Blunt’s British relief force had arrived, the Spanish militia spilled out of the house, the militia forming a line facing the French line and the Spanish skirmishers taking up position in the vineyard, to their left.
Col Ducos however had a trick up his sleeve and flourished 4
flags, for an extra activation, to move Capt Hopless’s skirmishers rapidly
toward the orchard.
Dick Blunt’s rifles opened up on the French skirmishers, as
the French appeared amongst the orchard trees and so opened a vicious & drawn-out,
but largely fruitless tussle for the orchard, absorbing large amounts of British
effort, without furthering the objective.
In the centre, Col Ducos was getting frustrated with a lack of progress. He was losing men and cohesion, seemingly being held up by some lowly Spanish provincial militia! In the end, his bacon was saved by the French Dragoons charging down from the hills, into the flank of the Spanish militia, routing their right flank, but having to recoil themselves.
Over at the orchard, the British had thrown-in the Dragoons and Col Ducos was forced to throw-in the right hand unit from his line, but despite mounting casualties on both sides, the French were holding up the British Rifles.
At this point, the Spanish Regulars, from the relief column
arrived at the house, with Dr d’Eath. Teresa was rapidly bundled into the hand
cart and they started to head for the bridge. Ducos managed to get one volley
off from the French line, before Tersa was whisked out of line’s firing arc.
Ducos managed to get his line to cease firing, wheel his line and fire another volley. But, just one casualty and some Shock. Dr d’Eath, Teresa and the group of Spanish Regulars continued to flee and Ducos had only time for one more volley, before his prey would get out of range. Disaster, 21 dice, no 6s! Even a slightly fortunate roll would have caused enough Shock, to mean that the Spanish would have broken, leaving Teresa stranded on the handcart. In the end, it had all come down to one final dice role! However, luck was not to be with Col Ducos today (“unlike Capt Blunt” Steve was heard to mutter)!!
