Description

From the publisher:

The Struggle for Portugal - Peninsular War III contains four battles in Portugal and Spain during 1811: Barrosa, Fuentes de Oñoro, and Albuera.

The Struggle for Portugal - Peninsular War III is one of the games from OSG's The Library of Napoleonic Battles series. Details on the series are below, as all the games share a common rules set and game system.

BATTLES SIMULATED

Barrosa, 5 March 1811
A reduction in the besieging forces gave the garrison of Cadiz an opportunity to break out. Loading on to naval transports, they debarked at Tarifa and moved to engage the siege lines from the rear. The French, under the command of Marshal Victor, placed one division on the road to Cadiz, while his two remaining divisions fell on the single Anglo-Portuguese division under Sir Thomas Graham. Following a fierce battle, the British succeeded in routing the French but could not prevent their reoccupying their siege lines.

Fuentes de Onoro, 3 - 5 May 1811
Wellington first secured Portugal and then set about re-taking the fortified frontier cities of Almeida, Badajoz, and Ciudad Rodrigo. Whilst Wellington besieged Almeida, Massena reformed his battered army and marched to relieve the French garrison in the city. Wellington chose to check the relief attempt at the small village of Fuentes de Oñoro.

La Albuera 16 May 1811
Wellesley sent Sir William Beresford to retake the border town of Badajoz. Soult rapidly gathered a new army from Andalusia and, joining with the troops retreating before Beresford, he marched to relieve the siege. With the Spanish army under General Joaquin Blake approaching, he planned to turn Beresford's flank and interpose his army between his position and the Spaniards. However, the Spaniards had already linked up with the Anglo-Portuguese corps, and his 24,000 troops now faced a combined Allied army 35,000 strong. The opposing armies met at the village of Albuera. Both sides suffered heavily in the ensuing struggle and the French eventually withdrew on 18 May.

DESCRIPTION

The Library of Napoleonic Battles - formerly known as the Napoleon's Last Battles (NLB) Series:

• 480 meters per hex,
• 1 hour per turn,
• 400-800 men per strength point.

Each Approach to Battle game lasts about 22 turns. The Full campaign links the individual battles.