Table of Contents
Berthier for Huelva 1810
This page sets out the data to be added to Berthier for the Huelva 1810 campaign. Much of it is going to be based on the work I did to write my own rules, which have turned out to be a bit too unwieldy to actually use in practice.
The campaign journal will be held in Dropbox.
Terrain Effects Table
This table defines the unit types and their movement rates in different types of terrain. On reflection, I think this needs just Infantry and Cavalry, split by French and Spanish, with wagons and artillery common, and a few other specialisms separate separate.
I'm still using the basic Quarrie numbers captured in my original campaign rules, remembering that each square is 5 miles across.
This will also facilitate a move to using the brigade as the usual smallest unit for manoeuvre, with a small number of exceptions.
| Unit Type | Open | Rough | Hills | Water | Pueblo | Forest | Road | Track | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infantry (F) | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Infantry (S) | 1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Cavalry (F) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Cavalry (S) | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 4 | 0.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Foot Artillery | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0 | 3 | 0.5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Horse Artillery | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 4 | 0.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Wagons | 1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Guerilla | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Attaching Units
I'm therefore using brigades as the lowest normal unit of movement, this may not be helpful for moving smaller units (such as engineer companies, and possibly even artillery batteries) around the map. I can attach these smaller units to larger ones, and not it in the sub-unit documentation in Berthier, to allow smaller units to remain attached and moving together.
Supply
Supply in Berthier is based on a number available in each square, and consumption by turn which is specified for each unit. Wagons can be used, but you need to turn on a specific option to allow supply transfer which permits building up supplies in specific squares. I need to specify how many supplies are available in each square.
In my original rules, consumption was based on 1 sack per 100 men (infantry) or 8 sacks per 100 men (cavalry), with open terrain generating 50 sacks (supply for 5000 men) or 20 sacks for hills.
The maximum consumption per turn in Berthier is 10. So if I'm working at brigade level and the large French brigades are 3600 men, then that might be 4 sacks at a reduction of 10.
But the figures in Berthier are the total which will be gradually used up as units forage. So how many days worth of supply do I want each square to hold?
Supply by terrain type should then look like:
| Open | Rough | Hills | Water | Pueblo | Forest | Road | Track | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 3 | unlimited |
Reconnaisance
This is managed by Berthier. Building from my original rules, most units should only be able to 'see' into the next square. I'll all cavalry to 2. What about guerilleros? I'll set them to 3 (after playing about with 4 and that seeming too much).
Etat Major
I need to keep a separate record of unit strength. Although this is a notes space where I could keep this on Berthier, I think I'm going to need a more detailed record. This is particularly true because I'm intending to operate in Berthier at the brigade level. It can be closer to the list originally given for Napoleon's notebooks.
Surgeon General
The other aspect that will need record keeping outside Berthier is casualties and medical services. This can follow the original campaign rules I wrote, with record keeping on a separate spreadsheet using the Etat Major.
This means identifying depot hospitals and probably spinning off separate units to aggregate casualties together (using sub units to record them in Berthier).
Casualty Conversion from General d'Armee
I haven't yet thought through casualty conversion from General d'Armee. According to the rules, standard sized units (that is ones with 12 figures for an infantry battalion or 9 figures for a cavalry regiment) disperse on reaching 12 casualties. Reading Dempsey on Albuera, it seems that those battalions which came closest to dispersing in the battle actually took between one third and one half casualties in dead, wounded, and missing.
As Dave Brown points out in the General d'Armee rules, those 'casualties' are meant to reflect more than actual men lost and includes things like loss of morale, fatigue, and shock.
So in practice what does that mean? First I think it means that only half of every General d'Armee 'casualty' counts towards dead and wounded. The remainder can be thought of as stragglers who rejoin the ranks after the battle so long as their army leaves the field in good order (and are lost as stragglers if the army leaves in a rout).
Each casualty from the half that are real casualties equates to 50 infantry or 35 cavalry either dead or wounded. These can then be divided into dead, seriously wounded, and walking wounded according to my original rules.
The Guerilla
How will the guerilla work? I think this requires me to identify actual guerilla bands, re-reading the relevant sections of Outpost of Empire might help, but maybe just a couple in the sierra. Or perhaps just use them as a random event for any given detachment? Although on reflection there needs to be some guerilla bands roaming around to drive intelligence generation for the Spanish.
Random Events
Working from the list I originally developed for my bespoke campaign rules, here's the list I can add to Berthier to generate random events. To support this, I can toggle on the move multiplier to add some friction. At the start of each turn I need to check for a random event.
- Orders from Seville. The French commander receives orders from Seville. Because of a threat from the Spanish in Granada, he must move until at least a division is stationed in Seville and keep it there until the end of the phase.
- La Guerilla. French foraging enrages the locals. One isolated French unit is subject to attack by the local guerilla. Resolve as a Sharp Practice action.
- Return of the Dispersos. A large number of dispersed troops remember their duty to the Patria and return to the colours. The Spanish army can add 200 additional troops to a unit of his choice immediately.
- The Column of Recruits. A column of recruits marches into Seville. The French army can allocate 200 additional troops to a unit of his choice.
- Supplies Landed. The British Royal Navy lands 20 sacks of supplies at a port of the Spanish army's choice for use by the Spanish. They can be held there as a depot until required.
- What's Under That Haystack? A foraging party uncovers a hidden cache of food underneath a haystack. One independent command of the French army's choice receives an additional 20 sacks of supplies.
- The Heavens Open. A torrential downpour means that movement is only possible at a quarter of normal rates for the day. Wheeled transport (wagons and artillery) cannot move at all. Any combat takes place in torrential rain meaning that musket fire is not possible.
- It's a Scorcher. A tremendous heatwave makes moving anywhere out of the shade all but impossible. All movement must stop for this phase.
- Pedro has News. A local villager stumbles into the Spanish commander-in-chief's tent and reveals the location of the largest French independent command and its direction of March. This should be recorded as a message to all units from the commander-in-chief.
- A Deserter Stumbles into Camp. A Spanish deserter is escorted into the French commander-in-chief's tent before revealing the location of the largest Spanish independent command and its direction of March. This should be recorded as a message to all units from the commander-in-chief.
Campaign Economy
I can use Berthier's “campaign economy” function to replace the idea of “control” from my original campaign rules. I'll assign point values as follows:
| Open | Rough | Pueblo | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
All other squares having a zero value. The French will initially control all areas south of the Guadalquivir. On this basis, this comes to a total of 136. I'll write an additional victory condition based on how much territory the French control at the end of the chapter. French control is determined on a case-by-case basis. When the French gain control of a pueblo and issue a 'hold' order for at least one turn for garrisoning units a determination is made on how many of the surrounding squares then fall under French control.
Once the French have gained control of a pueblo, a Guardia Civica becomes available for any small scale (ie. Sharp Practice) encounter there. If the Spanish regain control of the pueblo, then the territorial control associated with it is lost to the French.
The Spanish don't need to monitor the territory they control.
Orders and Personalities
I'm planning to use the personality section of Berthier. I'll create a record for each brigade commander (I'll need to invent some where I haven't been able to establish the name, especially for the Spanish). I can then use an appropriate test to drive decision making in appropriate situations.
Orders will be set at the Corps level, with individual brigade decisions made turn by turn in light of the situation faced by the commander on the ground and guided by an appropriate personality test, with the outcome depending on whether the test is passed or failed.
