Campaign 1810 Revised
Presentation
Situation relative to September 1810
French
I’ve tried to make an OOB relative to the situation of the French Armée du Portugal at 15 September 1810. I’ve consulted many sources (see : Sources) but this OOB is based mainly on the work of Fririon.
The main changes are about the artillery: in fact, I’ve found out the distribution of the companies by Corps and Divisions, with the names of relative commanders (see Fririon). So, the Captains have been “suppressed” and now there are the names of the superior officers at Divisional level (only Captain Graillot has remained, Cavalerie de Réserve de Montbrun, actually he was the commander of the only company present, there were not superior officers). About the strength in guns, the total number is uncertain. But Koch reports after Almeida there was a reduction, due to the lack of transports and especially horses, to 6 guns every division. Then: Reynier’s and Junot’s Corps (2 Divisions each) 12 guns, Ney’s Corps (3 Divisions) 18 guns, Montbrun’s Cavalry 6 guns. But considering the artillery “du Corps” for each Corps, the number was certainly higher. The sources indicate a number varying from 86 to 126 guns (not comprised the Siege Train which remained at Almeida). “Calculating” by myself the numbers of guns according to the strength in men by company (sure isn’t a “standard” method) my personal count is 122 guns, comprised the Reserve of 12 (anyway at Almeida) and excluded the Siege Park. 112 guns is the number given by Howard and Peletin “The French Campaign in Portugal 1810-1811”. I’ve decided to take this number as good. About the artillery train, I’ve considered the train battalions too, to give the French Army a strength in infantry more appropriate. I’ve not specified the battalion number in the train, only an approximate strengths near to Fririon’s report. Concluding about the artillery, I’ve assigned some pieces of 3 pounders to Reynier Corps (see Koch) , many pieces of 4 to all Corps, no pieces of 6 (not present, as Andrew Bamford rightly told me), some pieces of 8 (especially Ney) and about the pieces of 12 ,only in the Reserve. No Howitzers except in the Siege Park, which has remained quite like inthe original OOB. Consequently, for a sort of “compensation”: I’ve slightly reduced the number of light guns, anyway they remain the majority as it was, and slightly increased the numbers of 8 pounders. This to avoid:- a terrible traffic-jam of artillery if one wants to divide every battery in sub-batteries of pieces of the same kind, because the game doesn’t allow a battery of “mixed guns” as historical, we could imagine what number of little batteries with 1 or 2 Howitzers, a terrible mess!; - no source indicates how the various guns , of course Howitzers comprised, were distributed by battery. No pretention to have been exact in this, but I think it’s … quite impossible…and unfit for the dynamics of a scenario and in particular a campaign!
French Infantry and Cavalry: adjusted the strengths according to Fririon’s numbers. The lack of some 1000 men in the total strength of the whole “Armée” is due the fact that the artillerymen are not counted, only the guns, of course as it is tradition in the game.
Anglo-Portuguese
Situation: 90% September 1810. Almeida garrison has been suppressed (we are in September, Almeida fell to the French before) , some changes in strength of some Anglo-Portuguese Regiments according to Oman and Nafziger. The repetition of some British Regiments in the OOB (see for example the 1st Division) is due to the fact that the British OOB is a “dynamic” one , as in the original OOB. Because I’d like (may be…) to re-design a Campaign for the French, so the British OOB must be more “flexible” and must consider the changes occurred in history during the Campaign; French OOB didn’t have very important changes in its organization in this period (Sept-Dec 1810), Anglo-Portuguese a bit. If French are Human and Anglo-Portuguese AI, then the Allied OOB must be more “extended” in time. Created mostly for September 1810 , is not the Bussaco OOB, then some few changes occurred a bit later (October and November) are comprised :anyway,they are only little changes in infantry regiments distribution and commanders, some artillery which arrived later etc…. But in general , except for the Almeida garrison, few things have changed from the very good original one.
Spanish
Situation: September 1810, Ejercito de la Izquierda.
Totally remade, the work has been a bit complicated. The uniforms are a problem, the regimental names are confused because of the presence of line regiments, provincial regiments, voluntarios etc… I’ve followed generally the guidelines of Andrew Bamford in the file Notes.pdf of the game. Sometimes I’ve changed a little when the sources, according to me, indicate differently. No pretention I’ve been exact. I have eliminated the Spanish in Torres Vedras Lines, anyway the same regiments are present in this OOB of theEjercito de la Izquierda, with some little variations in numbers and distribution. The Ejercito de la Izquierda was not really involved in important battles against French from September to December 1810: I’ve made its OOB only to have a complete picture of the forces present on the field in that period in that region. The OOB is historical, but any scenario we want to create with these Spanish.. is not historical! Consider it as a sort of “study”. I’ve added Cavalry too, which actually were present in the region but not organized in strong groups, but scattered a bit here and a bit there….
Sources:
In French:
-Fririon: “Journal historique de la Campagne du Portugal entreprise par les Francais sous les orders du MaréchalMasséna, Prince d’Essling”
-Koch: “Mémoires de Masséna”
-Belmas: “Journaux des sieges faitsousoutenus par les Francaisdans la Péninsule de 1807 à 1814”, Tome III
-Revue”Gloire et Empire”, nr. 55: “Massénaau Portugal 1810: de Ciudad Rodrigo à Almeida”
In English:
-Oman :”A History of the Peninsular War” Vol. III
-Osprey :”Campaign 97: Bussaco”
-Horward and Pélet: “The French Campaign in Portugal 1810-1811”
-Nafziger Collection, all pdf. files relative to French, Anglo-Portuguese and Spanish in September (and for Anglo-Portuguese: Sept, Oct, Nov) 1810
In Spanish:
- “Estados de la organizacion y fuerza de losejercitosespanolesbeligerantes en la Peninsula durante la guerra de Espana contra Bonaparte”
-Gomez de Arteche y Moro :”Guerra de la Indipendencia: Historia Militar de Espana de 1808 à 1814” Vol VIII
-Villafranca: “Extremadura en la Guerra de la IndipendenciaEspanola, Memoria Historica y Colleccion Diplomatica”
-Toreno: “Historia del Levantamiento, Guerra y Revolution de Espana”
-and many sources on the Net. Very helpful, amongst the others, two French sites: and and a Spanish one: