Salute 2019

Salute 2019 has come and gone.  An early Salute this year on the first Saturday in April.  As previously mentioned, we put on another C&C Napoleonics Le Grand Battle game, this time Vimeiro (21 August 1808) with the French (including Swiss) attacking Arthur Wellesley's British Army with Portuguese support.

Set up started on Friday lunchtime with Don and me getting into the cavernous hall at Excel around 1.30pm and initial set up completed and out by 1.45pm and back in doors by 2.30.  Reassured that everything we had left would be safe, one Warlord offering to sleep under the table through the night.  Some figures were still a bit fresh, having been completed Thursday morning.

All credit to the Warlords, a well organised show where they cannot do enough to help and are always welcoming.  The location, although lacking in atmosphere, once the lights were turned up is fine, it is spacious so that you have room around the table and plenty of space for people to chat and members of the paying public to take a break, as some did later in the day.

Set up completed Saturday am

Clive (centre) chatting to interested parties

Throughout the day we had many interested people observing the game, asking questions and generally being enthused about C&C, the terrain, figures and overall game.

We did manage to finish a game, much to our surprise although it was interrupted on many occasions by welcomed queries.  The battle itself was very much against history with a comfortable French victory.  The initial dispositions, superior British infantry numbers and the harsh terrain, especially in the centre made a French victory look a remote prospect.

The French centre looking from the British lines - rough terrain!

British right flank - Hill's wing

The initial foray in the centre saw a French battalion wiped out by the rifle fire from the 5th/60th Royal Americans.  Not a great start and the French were struggling to make headway anywhere.

Eventually, an aggressive cavalry charge on the French left of Dragoons and the 9th Hussars broke the British gun line enabling the French artillery to finally exploit the position and support a combined cavalry and infantry attack.  The 9th Hussars got carried away and ended up behind the British line where they were all killed or captured.

French artillery - photo courtesy of Alan & Elaine Daniels

In response to the crumbling right wing, whilst Clive was busy chatting/shopping or eating, his fellow British commander, Norman launched an assault using British infantry against the French gun line, now ensconced on the ridge line.  The result was the loss of a lot of British and the French holding firm.  After this, with Portuguese infantry being moved from the left to the centre to shore up the British line, Jeff, on the French right finally launched his assault capturing various villages and woods and pushing Crauford's division back.  The game actually finished around 3pm but we left packing up for an hour and had a good chance to rest and talk to visitors.

Some other pictures from the day:

Flank marker behind 20th Light Dragoons - Border post designed by Warbases - an excellent and bright addition to the table

French garrison marker  - photo courtesy of Alan & Elaine Daniels

Northumberland (5th) Regiment - photo courtesy of Alan & Elaine Daniels

Victorious French commander - Junot (Gringo figure) in 1812 uniform but looks good! - Photo courtesy of Alan & Elaine Daniels

3rd battalion, 4th Swiss regiment - still fresh from varnishing - photo courtesy of Alan & Elaine Daniels

Vimeiro village - never fell to the French but came close

The final pain is the packing up.  I left the hall around 4.15 and was back in at 5.30ish to pack the car and get away.

Queue for getting back in on Saturday pm - I did get to listen to the Grand National!

Partizan next month with the same game.