For months now, ever since the troops evacuated from Corunna had landed in England, Horse Guards had been planning a new strike. The target: the French fleet thought to be stationed in Flushing, the aim: to capture the fleet, open a new front in the Netherlands and provide a diversion for the Austrians so recently defeated by Bonaparte at Wagram. 45,000 men under the command of Lord Chatham have left Deal the previous day and, sailing through the night, the 22 ships of the line and 120 transports under Admiral Strachan are now within sight of the island of Walcheren.
However the French are not wholly oblivious to the presence of a British armada so close to their shores. Having been in Paris awaiting the personal congratulation of the Emperor, on his way back from Austria, General Raymond Dubreton has been dispatched to review the coastal garrisons from his new headquarters at Flushing. Learning that a British force is approaching and means to make landfall on the little island of Flushing by afternoon he has despatched a combined battalion of Grenadiers to hold the shore line while his main force waits in Flushing for further information.
But at sea the fleet is already unloading. Infantry, cavalry and artillery are turned out on the ships' decks whilst the ships' marines descend into the landing craft ready to forge the way on the beach (photography note: many thanks to my opponent's brother for lending us the use of his snazzy camera for this game, i'm afraid we went a bit mad with it at the beginning as can probably been seen by the fire at the top of the watchtower. My opponent ended up setting fire to this piece of terrain just before the game, but we managed to get it put out, however it is probably not advisable to repeat these photographic experiments in your own games)
For this game (The Walcheren landings and investment of Flushing) I was playing British against my opponent's French, most of the British models are his and French mine however we had both bought a considerable number of the opposite force and wished to have a swap round. The rules are Black Powder (Warlord Games) the models are 1/72 (Airfix, Italeri, Esci, HaT and Strelets)
Lord Chatham's Landing force
- Marines
two companies (one ship's company) - forty eight men, Captain
- 42nd 'Black Watch' Highland Regiment of foot
Five companies (one half battalion) - one hundred and ten men, Lieutenant Colonel
- 32nd Cornwall Regiment of foot
Five companies (one half battalion) - one hundred and twenty men, Lieutenant Colonel
-12th Light Dragoons
Elite company - eight men
- Royal Horse Artillery Rocket troop
two rockets - ten men
- Royal Horse Artillery
two 9pdrs -ten men - Major
General Dubreton's Flushing Garrison
- Combined battalion of Grenadiers
four companies - ninety men - Colonel
- 47e regiment de ligne
four fusilier companies, one grenadier company, one fusilier company (one battalion) - one hundred and forty men - General Dubreton
- Flushing fusilier garrison
one fusilier company - twenty four men
- 13e Provisional Cuirassiers
one troop - seven men
- 1e Carabiners
one troop - seven men
- Walcheren artillery battery
three 12pdrs - twelve men - Colonel
It was afternoon the 8th of October 1809. A whole ship's company of marines rowed for the Walcheren shore, whilst on shore a combined battalion of French Grenadiers marched to meet them, the port-town of Flushing to their backs.
In Flushing itself Dubreton, having now determined the British point of attack, despatched his cavalry (the 13th Cuirassiers and 1st Carabiners) along with his three 12pdr artillery pieces to lend support to the Grenadiers resisting the British landing on the beach.
The artillery unlimbered behind the grenadiers' position, firing several shots short into the sea, making their intentions towards any British landing force clear.
But the marines landed nevertheless, disembarking and forming up double quick before advancing at double time to the rocky pass just up from the sandy beach. Led by their naval Captain the marines quickly formed a line two deep, their flanks secured on the rocky high ground. Behind their line the solitary mounted figure of Lord Chatham bends down from his horse to give written orders to his ADC for the remainder of his landing force to quicken their pace.
Meanwhile the 42nd highlanders, the heroes of Corunna, disembarked into the jolly boats and landing craft, one whole battalion ready to land in support of the marines.
With the marines in position, and making ready their line to fire, the combined grenadiers began to advance through the trees obscuring the newly arrived British. One good push and they would have the marines back in the sea where they came from. But Lord Chatham had other ideas...
Colonel Stirling, having landed his half battalion successfully on the sure, rode the length of his formation, surveying his men and preparing them in their two deep line for the fighting to follow.
And before the Grenadiers even had chance to cry 'Vive L'empereur' the Marines let lose their volley. Frenchmen in tall bearskins dropped to the floor but the line kept coming, roaring their unearthly battle cry.
But already more British troops were readying themselves for the push and French hopes of an easy victory are long gone. The 32nd regiment of foot disembarked the main vessels for the fleet of landing craft, their muskets loaded for instant action.
Meanwhile in the shore pass a fierce fire fight was ensuing. The grenadiers volleyed into the marines while their artillery provided supporting fire. The marines took the punishment well, holding their position in the gap, though their formations fell into disorder and they took heavy casualties.
With Grenadiers to their front, supported by artillery, and heavy cavalry on their left flank, the marines held their ground under the watchful eyes of Earl Chatham. Though the odds were stacked against them their duty remained clear, it was imperative that they held their ground till the army battalions arrived to make ground.
No sooner had they reformed to prepare their volley and reinforce their position than Colonel Stirling and the half battalion of the 42nd were up and fighting. The highlanders marched up in their two deep line, leap frogging swiftly and easily, as only disciplined troops can, through the marine line and over the pass. The line eventually came to a halt on the near side of the orchard where Colonel Stirling prepared a volley for the grenadiers...
Back at the shore Lieutenant Colonel Venables-Hinde had formed his half battalion of the 32nd into line and was, dressed in frock coat at bicorne, briefing the sergeant major on the plan of advance.
Things seemed to be going well for t he British with all the infantry landed and half engaged with relative speed. The marines had made and held ground and the Highlanders were increasing their grip, the French on the other hand were losing ground rapidly, however unlike the British they had their cavalry and artillery ready at hand.
But this did not seem to be hampering the British. The Marines were already reformed and the 32nd moving up to their rear whilst up in the fore front the 42nd delivered their first volley. Its force was not quite enough to send any of the Grenadier companies reeling however it did inflict casualties all down the line and in addition struck a heavy blow to the French Carabiners on the left dismounting many and disordering the whole unit.
But no sooner had the shot's sound died away than, with a cry of 'Vive l'empereur', the Grenadiers were upon them, bayonets down and charging through the wisps of smoke. Each company of Frenchmen contracted into a column as they charging their opposing Highlander company. On the left flank of Stirling's half battalion the French heavy cavalry too had charged. With the light company engaged to the front with Grenadiers and in no position to form square, the 13th Cuirassiers flank charged it, delving in amongst the skew ranks with their big heavy cavalry swords.
But on the right flank of the highland battalion more luck was had. The Grenadier column, scared by the volley of the first company highlanders misinterpreted their orders with a redirected charge towards the highland grenadiers, putting their flank in danger.
With the lines established and combat rippling up and down both French and Scottish battalions, the French began a systematic destruction. The artillery battery opened up on the first company of 42nd highlanders and the reformed, resting and much damaged marine units. However, though the marines continued to take casualties, both they and the highlanders stood firm under the pounding.
To supplement the artillery bombardment in place of the grenadiers' charge, the Voltiguer company, the first of Dubreton's 47e to engage, volleyed the highland first company but at such range it was to little effect.
However on the left the French had far more luck. The 13e Cuirassier, veterans of Spain, delved in amongst the 42nd's light company and cut it to shreds, breaking the formation and cutting down most who fled.
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| The French now made ground. All along the line from the Light company to the second company the 42nd faced defeat. The Light company was annihilated by the combined Cuirassiers and Grenadiers whilst the third and second companies, defeated in hand to hand by the Grenadier columns, fell back to behind the safety of the Marines' lines. |
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| Lord Chatham, from his vantage point in the pass, planned his moves. He could see the destruction, the French were turning his flank, Dubreton was copying Napoleon. But Chatham too could play the game. This was no pitched battle, his objective was not the same as it should have been in a 'normal' battle. He was to invest the town of Flushing and that meant pushing inland, but for now he was content with this line. He could see his cavalry and artillery unloading. They would turn the tide. And with them idle seamen who could deliver off shore artillery support! |
The British left flank had retracted to the line of marines across the pass, with the far left gone altogether. On the other hand the right, the first company and Grenadier company, held out strong and looked if anything to make ground soon. Of course the French would advance their right flank position with Grenadiers and cavalry and Dubreton and the 47e would push up to reinforce their length, but with the nearing arrival of the British artillery and cavalry the game had only just begun!
The Highlanders showed their courage as, rather than rest his men behind the lines of marines, Colonel Stirling advanced his line back up to its previous position, lowering bayonets and hitting home at the grenadiers just as hard as they had done themselves.
The Carabiners however were reformed and ready once more to renew the charge in support of the highly successful Cuirassiers. With the bodies of fellow mounts still fresh on the floor and the surrounding scenery still smoking they advanced into a trot.
The battle raged and the casualties quickly mounted on both sides. The courage and ferocity of both the Highlanders and French Grenadiers was pitted against each other and neither seemed willing to budge.
But the story was not the same all along the line as the unengaged Highlanders fired an enfilading volley into their Grenadier counterparts, disordering the line of bearskinned French men.
Back at the ships the cavalry were beginning to disembark, an operation that looked to be taking some while with the cavalrymen taking their time to scale ladders and secure horses
But making much better speed than their lighter armed comrades, the two 10pdr artillery pieces and two rockets of the horse artillery, deploy limbered on the beach ahead of the 32nd regiment of foot ready to lend the weight of their firepower to the fray.
In the center the combat continued vicious as ever with the companies of highlanders battling against their bearskinned adversaries, but as the casualties mounted things went down hill fast for the British. The Cuirassiers and Carabiners, spotting gaps in the fray and with the highlanders unable to form square, charged in and the fate of the unprepared British seemed sealed.
With the marines already holding back a company of grenadiers in the pass and the 42nd struggling to stand against the greater numbers of French grenadiers and heavy cavalry, it seemed that the 32nd would be required to fill the gap soon. The horse artillery had arrived just in time to, perhaps, turn back the tide of battle
As the grenadiers surged forward along all but the left flank, where the two highland companies of the British right flank held out defiantly, General Dubreton dispatched the 47e line battalion to break through their resolute lines.
At last the British ran, the 1st and 2nd companies of the 42nd running back through the first ship's company of marines, all three companies breaking and dashing back to the beach. However the marines had stalled the grenadiers well and the highlanders too had played their part, the 32nd and the royal horse artillery were in position and the battle would continue!
And so it went on the two rockets of the artillery occupied the hill to the right of the pass whilst the 3rd company of highlanders withdrew with colonel Stirling back through the pass ready to join the lines of the advancing 32nd.
With the wounded and broken highlanders and marines reembarked aboard the fleet, the 12th light dragoons finally landed on the shore in all their splendour of braided dolmans and fur trimmed pelisses, their chargers snorting and sabres glittering. They were at last ready for the fight, but would all their delicate equipment count for anything?
The two deep line of redcoats continued to advance, lord Chatham and their lieutenant colonel riding at their head. In the centre and left the artillery readied themselves to fire, on the right the 4th and grenadier companies of the 42nd continued to hold and at the rear the light dragoons prepared to charge.
First the rocket troop fired but while one caused some slight harm to the 47e's grenadier company the other crashed into the line of the 42nd's 4th company, killing a highlander in a unit already locked in melee with the 47e's voltiguers.
But the fighting on the right continued and, despite being struck by a rocket from their own side, the 4th company battled on, standing against both a company of voltiguers and fusiliers of the 47e. Meanwhile the grenadiers too held up against the odds fighting both a company of grenadiers and 47e fusiliers. But General Dubreton was not used to losing and so he continued to push throwing his men against less than half as many highlanders. He now directed the Grenadier company to the flank of the 42nd's 4th.
In the centre the French made a new push for the pass with the Carabiners and a company of grenadiers smashing into the last ship's company of marines still occupying the gap, both sides took heavy casualties but neither gave way, the stakes were too high.
On the left the French heavy cavalry was equally as active, charging round the pass held by the 3rd company of highlanders and into the two 10pdrs of the horse artillery, deployed ahead of the line of 32nd. The artillery quickly closing fired the cuirassiers at deadly close range, but they still got into combat with the first piece's crew.
The battle raged a jagged line of isolated events with the French heavy cavalry pushing on the British left and the highlanders on the right. Everything was still to play for, despite the loss of the majority of the 42nd and the marines the British looked to be in a stable position once more.
Casualties mounted on the right as the grenadier company hurled themselves at the French, and frustrated with Dubreton's aggression, Colonel Stirling rode into the fray.
But as he slashed at the French officers and men around the eagle he was cut down, dragged from his horse and beaten down, would this act of heroism inspire or discourage the grenadiers around him?
At the sight of the commander's untimely demise the Grenadiers fought all the harder throwing back the French grenadier company and braking it leaving them to turn on the company of 47e fusiliers still in combat with them.
On the British left the Cuirassiers cut down one crew of artillerymen , but the other opened close range fire on them again. The heavy cavalry, already reeling from the first close range artillery blast, broke to pieces and scattered back.
The 42nd Grenadiers were continuing to fight, finally throwing back the 47e fusiliers, even as the 32nd advanced forward past them. However the 4th company of highlanders had been broken by the overwhelming forces of the voltiguers and fusiliers and was now fleeing for the beach. But General Dubreton had been unable to follow up the attack.
Behind the advancing lines of his regiment's companies, the colonel of the 32nd directed his sergeant major as to the course of action he wished to pursue.
Meanwhile in the central pass, the carabiners and grenadiers continued to push at the thin line of redcoated infantry. At last it proved too much for the single company of the 32nd and they, fled, but surprisingly they pluckily rallied on the edge of the beach, forming a new line in the face of their advancing foes.
Over on the French left Dubreton finally rallied his battalion for a renewed push and, in a pincer movemnet of two columns of the 47e's fusiliers and one of the voltiguers, delivered a death blow to the opposing advancing company of 32nd line infantry, sending them running for the ships.
On the French right a single company of garrison fusiliers, supported by the artillery batteries, managed to break their opposing company of redcoated 32nd infantry. All along the line it appeared that the French were delivering a successful offensive. The last Grenadiers and cavalry had broken all opposition in the pass, and Dubreton's battalion of 47e had broken the 32nd in the centre.
However on the British right Lord Chatham and the 32nd's colonel still stood strong with two solid lines of the 42nd and 32nd grenadier companies. Opposed to them was Dubreton's battalion, but after their recent attacks the 47e were in dissarray.
With the French in a strong position, the British line fragmented, night fell and we decided to go to bed. It seemed very unlikely now that the British would manage a successful attack on the town and a further conquest of Walcheren. It seemed very unlikely indeed that the British would, if they survived that long, leave the beach with sufficient man power left to take the town.
But a new day brought new hope, and we renewed the battle!
With the French forces now beyond the central pass, they came under range of the British ships' guns and felt the effects of a powerful broadside. The result of this was the loss of the carabiners as the cavalry broke under the sustained artillery fire. The Grenadiers too suffered but they held in the pass.
On the British left the horse artillery quickly manouvered their gun round to a position enfilading the garrison fusiliers and fired, causing wide devastation of their unit.
On the right, Lord Chatham marshalled his remaining forces into a solid line, volleying the 47e battalion before being charged by its fusilier and voltiguer companies. They were in a secure position with the royal horse artillery battery protected and their flank anchored on their position.
But on the beach the grenadiers continued their advance, engaging the recently reformed line of 32nd infantry. On the beach too were the 12th light dragoons, unresponsive to any orders since landing they remained inactive, watching the fight before them with the cavalry's disdain for infantry.
On the right Lord Chatham received the butcher's bill from an ADC as the grenadiers of the 42nd were cut down and broken in bloody combat with a charging column of 47e fusiliers and the 32nd's grenadiers retired in the face of charging voltiguers, having broken one of Dubreton's 47e company columns. The artillery still held the high ground, but with the 42nd all gone and the 32nd falling back on the beach it looked dire for the British, but they still had the cavalry...
...and the ships! Both the French grenadiers and 32nd retired after a quick and brutal combat, but the grenadiers, attempting to rally in the pass, came under intense shipboard artillery fire and they finally broke, the remaining men falling back to the town. With the grenadiers gone the 12th dragoons quickly saddled up, charging into the pass towards the exposed French artillery.
But they had barely reached the pass, before they were stopped dead in their tracks by an intense artillery bombardment from the French guns. Horses riders and earth flew and the unit was thrown into dissarray.
Back on the British right, the 32nd's colonel quickly brought his grenadiers up to engage Dubreton's columns, the fusiliers and grenadiers rushing to engage the redcoats, while a column of voltiguers charged through the cannister to engage the horse artillery on the hill.
Another salvo from the French guns finally did for the 12th light dragoons and they fled back for the ships' boats with their tales between their legs, having achieved very little.
On the right flank the 47e finally broke the last opposition, breaking the 32nd grenadiers and taking out half of the royal artillery rocket battery, the other half descend the hill to gain a perfect enfilading position of the French battalion column. To the left and centre Lord Chatham brought the 32nd on the beach back towards the pass, now partly held by the garrison fusiliers, while the 32nd's colonel brought the light company and horse artillery into an enfilading position on the same unit.
Lord Chatham issued more orders as the 32nd advanced into the pass, carpeted by the bodies of french grenadiers, horses and redcoats along with a whole host of artillery shot, plunged into the valley by the guns of both side. Around them wounded highlanders and redcoats staggered back to the beach where ships' boats were taking the wounded aboard.
The British artillery in the centre opened fire on the French battalion's flank, causing devastation through their massed ranks.
On the French right, one of Dubreton's aides quickly formed the garrison infantry into column and charged into the 32nd's light company. After a brief combat the fusiliers broke through the line of British infantry and the lights broke, but the combat had also proved too much for the French garrison troops and they in turn broke, falling back on the town.
With their units broken, Dubreton's hussar aide challenged the 32nd's colonel to duel him. As the colonel rode for his adversary, sword drawn, the hussar sidestepped and caught the Englishman across the back with his sabre, cutting him from his horse.
With his charges gone, Dubreton's aide fell back to the French battery and, with the major of the horse artillery moving up to his piece, both sides artillery engaged in a bitter close range duel, which saw the last of the British forces in the centre drilled into the ground.
Lord Chatham handed out his last orders as the remaining British troops embarked into ships' boats and returned for the fleet. The wounded were unloaded in droves from carts to be shipped back to the surgeons on board ship. Along the beach groups of redcoats carried out reprisals shooting Irishmen in French uniform they considered to be 'traitors'.
From the high ground General Dubreton watched as the last of the British landing force departed for the fleet. He had successfully repulsed the British force and cost the British a great many men, but he was now unable to stop them leaving, his forces were too small, and the guns of the royal navy would stop any advance beyond the pass. It had cost him dear to, but the British had lost far more.
With the landing a failure the British sailors rowed the great many wounded back to the ships where many would die under the surgeons knife and a great many more of disease. To the men involved it seemed they had achieved nothing. Yesterday they had disembarked, today they embarked, and the French, save for their losses of men, were no worse off. The main attack on Flushing had failed
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