Junot has finally managed to gather his army and marches on Wellesey intent on pushing him to the sea
The french got the initiative and began by bombarding a helpless british unit on the ridge
The french left under Henri Delaborde marched to Vimeiro, garrisoned by the british avant garde
General advance
The brits were quick to answer, sending their light dragoons over the bridge that crossed the Toledo brook
All of the british army advanced, save their left that moved to Ventosa
The french right, led by Solignac deployed in line just out of musket range of Toledo
The dragoons moved to cover from the british cavalry...
...the main assault on Vimeiro
The british guns were forced to limber by counter battery fire
The french took Vimeiro without any trouble
Save that their general, Delaborde, was killed during the assault, he died a hero's death tough so I'm ok with that!
The british lost no time in garrisoning Toledo
And Ventosa
In their far right half of Lord Hill's command descended from the heights
While the other half charged the dragoons who failed to reform into line
The combat was even...
...til' french infantry stormed out of Vimeiro and crashed into the light dragoon's flank
With predictable consecuences
Now Lord Hill sent his infantry trough the Alcarabichela and into Vimeiro
The Toledo brook kept separating the opponents in the center
But soon the french were on the attack again!
The british guns were forced to limber yet again, and with enemy dragoons dangerously close
Lord Hill's men kept crossing the river under innefective fire
The dragoons fell short of their charge, with their horses stuck in the river bed's mud
The french guns now opened fire upon Toledo, heralding an inminent attack by Solignac's massed columns
Hill thought again and retreated his men to the other bank of the Alcarabichela, judging the french position too strong
Wellesey sent some infantry in line to shot upon the french however
Soon a violent fusillade erupted across both banks of the brook
The dragoons made contact, altough suffering some loss from canister
Assault proceeding in Toledo with the defenders concentrating their fire upon the grenadiers
The guns never really had any chance
Junot, leading his cavalry was wounded and taken to the rear in improvised stretchers made with a pair of muskets and a saddlecloth
Wellesey, also wounded retreated from the field
The british center fell back
As did Hill's infantry
The fast flowing water was making the advance difficult for Solignac's command who also wanted to assure sucess by a combined charge of both his units at once
The dragoons now fell upon the retreating infantry
Who cooly wheeled about
Now the french stormed Toledo
Solignac, leading from the front was wounded, now the french sucess rested in the hands of nothing but AdCs!
The grenadiers tough were well disciplined and motivated and drew the british out
The dragoons were repulsed, something expected after the losses they had suffered.
But they didn't have had enough and charged again despite their blown horses.
However the british were too stubborn to die, and the french command decided that they had done their part in slowing the infantry moved them to the rear. New french units were already crossing by the bridge with lethal intent
These french now charged across the bridge
And routed the exhausted redcoats
With the last british units regrouping around Ventosa, the whole french army now moved against them
The imperial guns also unlimbered and moved quickly to the right
With the situation looking beyond desperate the british player gave up.
So quite a non historic outcome with the french destroying two thirds of the british army without suffering any loss, the only part which looked remotelly like the actual thing was the brits running from the grenadiers, since back then they tought that none less than the imperial guard was coming upon them (due to the french bearskin hats) and run rather than face the "legendary" guardsmen.
I'm sure that if my father finally managed to learn the rules and how to properly use his forces he would achieve at least one victory! But as per now he's worse than the Prince of Orange XD.
Also putting books under the grass may be a solution in a rush, but now I see that a proper ridge is needed so I'll make one in the near future
