Battle of Almansa 1707

 

After the successful rising of the crown of Aragon in 1705 the cause of Philip V in Spain has received a severe blow, but the bourbons have amassed a huge army and give battle to the allies when they invade Castilla la Mancha  in april 1707

The spanish and french regiments outnumber easily the foe, and marshal Berwick advances confidently 

The allies respond launching their cavalry forwards

Which is met by bourbon squadrons formed in line

Meanwhile the allied center fans out to form a gunline

After a first dragoon clash on the right the british riders move behind the bourbons

In the center things have escalated also, with a mass of spanish infantry charging the thin red line

Next to them an austrian division is charged by the french

In the forest of the extreme left an indecisive melee has started, these two units would keep pushing back and forth during the whole game with no one coming on top

Back at the allied center the french dragoons have been repulsed by musket volleys and cold steel

But their british comrades are overwhelmed by twice the number of spanish

Sadly in this combat the brilliant Berwick is killed while leading from the front

In the allied rear a dutch regiment is caught in line by cavalry and cut to pieces

Menaced by the enemy riders the austrians form square

In the bourbon lines the artillery has advanced too recklessly and is wiped out by canister fire

Paltry losses compared with the destruction visited on the allies, who lose two units in a single turn

The bourbons have conquered the center, but on the flanks things aren't so clear

With the british dragoons dodging the enemy cavalry

The bourbons form squares on their rear and charge the last imperial division

But are repelled and sabred by the british while fleeing

Alas the enemy numbers are too much for the germans and they are wiped out by the spanish 

The british keep with their glorious charge routing a unit of french dragoons

But in turn they are caught on the rear by their pursuers and also destroyed

And at last, in the final turn of the battle the allies fail their morale check and abandon the battlefield