The Battle of the Bernebeu

As part of a weekend in North Berwick play testing Tony's Napoleonic hex based and computer managed rules, we staged a Peninsularwar battle betweena joint Portuguese and Spanish force attacking an Italian/Spanish force. This gave my Hinton Hunt Iberians a run out, with Tony's troops including figures by Les Higgins, Minifigs S Range, Hinton Hunt (Brunswick Hussars), Kennington, NapoleoN, and Warrior, among others.

Generals play an important role in command and control and are so well represented.

The Italians and Spanish occupied a line of ridges and positions. The italians were their best troops; the Portuguese were their only equals on the other side, and did not arrive for several moves. On the Italian/Spanish right a village formed the strongest part of the line, occuped by elements of Saint-Paul's Italian Brigade, with the remainder of the brigade occupying the hills behind. The central ridge was occupied by cavary (Dragoni Napoleone) and atillery; and on their left Monastery Ridge was occupied by Casapalacios' Spanish Brigade.

Blake, commanding the Portuguese-Spanish army, had two Spanish Brigades (Espana's and Morillo's), Spanish and Portuguese batteries, and the 14th Light Dragoons. Marching to join him were two columns from Collins' Portuguese Brigade of the 7th Division, each of two line and one Cacadore battalion. Additionally the Brunswick Hussars were on their way. The rules allow for te use of blinds so their time and direction of arrival were a little uncertain; Blake proved loath to advance until his best troops had arrived.

I am adding a slideshow of the battle; if you want you can try to spot the manufacturesr involved in the various units.

If you want a slightly less frenetic view, and some explanatory notes, you can ascess the photobucket album here