The Battle of Bussaco

27th September 1810

By Richard Denning

Along with a number of the October Wargames club members I enjoyed playing P.O.W. but my preferred period was the Napoleonic wars and in particular the Peninsular and 100 days campaigns. The question was asked as to whether the rules could be amended to fight battles with the different weapons and formations used in these wars. Tom responded with some amendments (which he will send to those who are interested. Amongst several changes gun factors were altered to reflect the shorter ranges of the smooth bore muskets and the early rifles. The formation of a skirmish column was introduced enabling advancing columns to fling forward a skirmish screen which could fire while "formed". The morale rules were also adjusted most notably in having a -2 for columns attacking steady lines hence a line should stop a column unless already shaken.

Armed with these amendments I set up a game to test them out. 5 members of the October Club participated in a refight of The Battle of Bussaco.

Historical Background

After the campaigns of 1805 and 1806 Napoleon had defeated all his European enemies. He was at the pinnacle of his power. However Britain remained at war with him. To force the British to the peace table he established the Continental System by which all trade with Britain was stopped. Only Britain's oldest ally Portugal refused. Thus started the Peninsula War which lasted until 1814. The British first landing and advance from Corunna was forced to evacuate. However in 1809 Wellesley was sent to Portugal. With him came Beresford who set about reorganising the Portuguese army. Wellington soon forced the French back to Talavera where he won a victory. Unfortunately after this the English force had to fall back into Portugal with the French at there tails. Several rear guard actions were fought along the way to Lisbon. One such action was at Bussaco.

The Situation at Bussaco

The road along which the Anglo-Portuguese retreated crossed a steep ridge - almost a series of mountains at the Convent of Bussaco. The ridge ran from North west to Southeast. The southern point was on the river Mandego. There were few tracks or roads across . Wellington organised his divisions to defend the ridge especially at these passes. Half Wellington's army was Portuguese fresh from Beresford's reorganisation of the Army of Portugal. Wellington mixed his own experienced and steady British battalions with Portugese brigades in order to protect and support them.

Massena the French Commander should have scouted around the posistion - to attack head on was suicide. His Corps Commanders Ney , Junot and his artillery commander Eble said so and advised withdrawing and trying to manoeuvre. However Reynier argued for a strong assault. Massena and Ney had many grudges and perhaps as a snub to him the order to attack was given . Ney would attack the Convent and Reynier the road to Palheiros. Junot would be held in reserve.

The following map shows the position at Bussaco and the deployment of the armies. It also shows the French attacks:

On the 27th the French attack began. Reynier's Columns rolled slowly up the slope

to attack Picton's Division . As they reached the crest they received heavy losses from the British Volley fire and recoiled under bayonet charges. As morale wavered Leith's Division caught Heudelet's division in the flank. Leaving 3200 men dead and injured Reyniers Corps fell back down the mountain side defeated.

Ney's Corps had delayed attacking under Massena's order until Reynier had reached the British position. The Convent area was the key point in the British line. Wellington had placed his guns and men carefully. As Ney advanced he suffered heavy losses and was easily repelled.

Massena at last decided to call off the attack and look for a way round the allied position . His cavalry found a path across the ridge some 8 km north of the Bussaco convent. As the French army maneuvered round the British Wellington pulled his army out and fell back on Lisbon which was now fortified and ready for defence.

The battle of Bussaco cost the French Army 4486 casualties. The Allied army had lost only 1252. Half of these were Portuguese . The Portuguese units had behaved well in their first significant test.

The wargame

Using the P.O.W. ground scale of 1" = 100 yards the battle field was laid out on a table 10 foot by 4 foot. The entire position mapped above was represented with another 2 foot of ridge/broken ground northwest of Cole's position to give the French some options. The other table edge was already blocked effectively by the river. The ridge was considered to be broken ground . In effect as the game progressed most of the ridge proved to be impassable to artillery and cavalry and very slow going for infantry. It also produced some defence value. This was historically accurate.

The armies were organised such that 1 unit was a brigade. Thus a British division may have 3 Brigade "blocks" , a attached rifle company (actually representing 2-3 companies) of just an average dice strength and perhaps a battery (representing 2 batteries). In the French Army a unit represented 3-4 battalions. Brigades with mainly light battalions are marked moso (may operate in skirmish order) these may split into 2 skirmish units each with an average dice strength.

The orders of battle are included after this article.

The outcome

In our game Massena decided to try a different approach . He took the reserve artillery and Reynier's Corps and put pressure on the Allied Right flank . This lead to close range artillery and volley fire being poured into the ranks of Leith's and Hill's divisions on the southern end of the ridge. These units clung to the ridge and held on under mounting losses.

On the French right Junot's Corps was marched round to try and out flank the allied line and cavalry found a way through the ridge to fall upon the allied light Dragoons and rout them. However Junot found the allied Left flank too strong and decided not to press through with an attack on it and settled down to long range artillery fire.

In the centre Ney's Corps assaulted the Bussaco position supported by a division from Junot's Corps.. Ney's artillery fire killed Spencer and caused some chaos in his division. Marchand's division used this disruption to close on Spencer's division. A British artillery battery was overrun and Spencer's line burst through. However volley fire from the Guards and KGL brigade repelled Marchand's division and the gap was filled.

Loison and Clausel's divisions were initially held up by rifle companies from Craufurd's light division. However superior numbers soon told and the light division fell back from Sula and formed line on the slope of the mountain. As Ney's and Junot's men edged forward up the steep hill they were met by crashing volley's from Craufurd's Light battalions and by artillery fire and were held or repelled.

In conclusion the Allied units were still in position on the ridge at game end. However the centre and right flank had suffered considerable losses . Ney's Corps had suffered the most due to its direct assaults on the allied ridge and really was not able to launch another attack. From Junot's Corps Clausels division was also combat ineffective. With only Reyniers Corps having 75% of its unit unscathed Massena would have to abandon the attack.

As has been said before attacking this position really was suicide.

Battle of Busacco 27th September 1810

Allied Army

This is the Anglo-Portuguese Army at Bussaco. The Order of the Divisions is that of the deployment from North to South along the ridge.

All British Foot is steadfast. All rifle armed skirmish units are superior shots.

It is still early in the Peninsula War hence the British are line with only a few veteran units.

This was one of the first test of the Portuguese units. They performed well but mainly lacked experience hence the militia status of each unit.

The Battle of Bussaco 27th September 1810

French Army

2nd Corps

4th Corps

7th Corps

References

Napoleon's Peninsular Marshals Richard Humble, Purcell Book Services