Spanish Campaign Army – The French

Fifth French Army

The four corps are much superior to the Spanish in morale and combat effectiveness.   All four corps have the same order of battle, but the two French are slightly more effective than the Italian or Polish corps.   In a formal battle they are likely to defeat any of the four Spanish regular corps, and in particular the two which do not have any cavalry.   The main problem for the CinC is to resupply his corps as they advance.

To resupply a corps must be within three map squares of a supply depot, and they can only draw the supplies in that particular depot.   At the start of the campaign the French have only one depot, which is their main supply link.   Each corps has four days supplies, and a further four days in the main supply depot.   Each day that depot will receive four days supplies, sufficient to maintain full resupply.

However as the French army advance they quickly move more than three squares from their depot.   They can create a forward supply at each town they occupy, but to do so they must detach a full strength infantry brigade.   Each garrison will forage and collect one day’s supplies for each campaign day.   They may create as many depots as they occupy towns, but the more garrisons detached the weaker the corps becomes.   For each forward depot created the main depot will receive one day’s supplies less.   When there are three forward depots the main depot will only receive one day’s supplies each campaign day.

The French have the capacity to move up to four days supplies each campaign day between depots.   The supply column can only move by road, and can move a maximum of three squares each day.

The effect of these simple rules is that the French are faced with the same strategic problem as their historical counterpart.   They must disperse in order to find and destroy the Spanish regular army.  In doing so they must then establish depots to resupply.   The more they advance, the more depots they need.

All of these depots, and any supply train moving between them, is open to attack by the guerrilla bands who operate around every garrison.

You will find the campaign diary blog here

http://1813pbemcampaigndiary.blogspot.com.es/