The Battle of Salisbury – The Game

Prior to the game, which of course was played solo, Rob and I wrote battle orders for our troops. I then played both sides staying as faithful as possible to the intent of each commander.

Rob's orders to Ponsonby were to overthrow the weaker French cavalry "while seeking to exploit any favourable opportunity to visit destruction upon them (the infantry)". The Union Brigade certainly weren't planning to be spectators in this battle.

D'Hilliers with the 5th Lancers found himself in a difficult situation with three times his numbers of enemy cavalry bearing down upon him. His own orders included the line "not to get drawn unnecessarily into melee with the enemy heavy horse" - sure, right!

Meanwhile Ney and Massena got their infantry moving forward to take Salisbury Hill.

With the 1st Royal Dragoons in the lead the Union Brigade pushed forward aggressively. So aggressively in fact that the Lancers turned tail and rode off in the general direction of Bournemouth. I gave the Lancers a 50:50 chance of standing and fighting or retiring, the next turn they failed this test again and left the field - so much for the newbies.

Following close behind the Royals the Greys dander was up and they had their beady eyes fixed on a French battery that had just deployed on a small hill to their front.

A frontal charge on a battery, what sort of madness is this?

Those men on the Grey horses must be drunk! One less battery in the French OOB.

No matter, Massena's lads take the objective and all they have to do now is hold it for the next five turns to win.

The situation at the end of turn 3. The French have taken Salisbury Hill but the British cavalry are in their rear.

In front of Salisbury Hill, the Naval Battalion were coming under pressure from the French skirmishers and artillery. Sadly a cannon ball connected with Moore as he tried to steady the ranks during a morale phase.

By now the Naval Battalion had also lost their Colonel and become disordered. They were definitely in a sticky situation and in need of help.

Hurrah for the Inniskillings! Seeing that the 9th Light Infantry had become disordered and were unable to form square, Ponsonby chose just the right moment to charge. The 9th were routed and lost their Eagle in the process (on a dice roll of 4,5 or 6).

With an unusual degree of control, the Inniskilling's managed to call off a pursuit that would have taken them dangerously close to the French squares. The 9th ran off but Massena managed to rally the remnants on the next (and final) turn. 

The situation at the end of turn 8. The French are clinging on to Salisbury Hill for a technical win. The units with a yellow outline are disordered.

The result was a rather unconvincing strategic victory for the French but a spectacular tactical victory for the British. Massena’s Division is all but finished as a fighting force and will probably have to be assigned to garrison duties.

Following the game, I allowed for the return to the ranks of some of the casualties. The British fallen were restored on a die roll of 3,4,5 or 6 and the French on a 5 or 6. This discrepancy was to allow for the fact that the British were operating on home ground and could receive some replacements from the regimental depots. To add insult to injury the Scots Greys, who had lost 4 troopers, were fully restored so that Ponsonby’s Heavy Cavalry Division is now back to full fighting strength!