DBN7 Battle of Runa 1808 Part 1

Peninsular action, Portugal 1808 near the small town of Runa.  Two small forces eye each other up over the river of Rio Sizandro.  Two bridges crossing the river are deemed as critical & must be captured.

DBN rules, building on previous musings, based around the basic 12 point DBN army being Divisional size.  We went for a larger army size.  Each side would consist of 2 Divisions,  two Generals, two PiP dice each.  The Allies would enter from one road on the left the French on the right. After about two hours real time, 8 games turns, then a die roll would be made to see when the 2nd Divisions would arrive.  Each element would roughly equal a infantry battalion/cavalry regiment.

This battle would be different due to my opponent.  Back in June I went to the Durham Wargames Show, a good day all round with loads of bargains at the Bring n Buy.  Also I bumped into an old school chum, SPAV, who turns out to be a Napoleonics nut.  Anyway we kept in touch & a game set up.  SPAV has never played DBN before but he soon picked up the rules. A Sunday afternoon was put aside & this game the result.  SPAV took ze French & yours truly the Allies.  Ze French went first & marched along the Penedo town road, The Allies would arrive on the Runa road.  It would be a race for the bridges!

The Battle of Runa

Allied 1st Division

Allied 2nd Division

French 1st Division

French 2nd Division

Ze French march through Penedo, Light troops at the front 

The Allies arrive, the cavalry race for the bridge.

Good PiPs for ze French & the Southern bridge is taken.

French Dragoons race ahead & take the northern bridge...

British Hussars screen the Allied advance.

Stand off in the north

The main French force would cross the southern bridge

Poor PiPs & movement is slow for the Allies

The French Light Battalions see off the Hussars

Half the Allied 1st Division still hasn't arrived.  I send the other half to hold the French advance.

Those Cuirassiers look menacing...

British Infantry face off against ze French

Good PiPs for ze French & Attack Columns line up

More low PiPs & the Allies are slow to deploy

1 in 3 chance of  the Reserves arriving, both sides make the roll....
Next time the Battle gets bloody.