Collecting a Wargames Army 102... Again

Well, with the 2nd brigade finished, my British army is well underway. I have decided to paint the 1st brigade before moving on to the French. I am going to paint a few squadrons of the 1st KGL Hussars and 16th Light Dragoons as well, but I think I'll keep the cavalry units down to twelve models each for now. The type of actions I'm planning on don't involve massed regiments of cavalry. The more research I do into the period, the more I like my choice of divisions to model. I found a copy of Ian Fletcher's Craufurd's Light Division and I have three volumes of Sir Charles Oman's A History of the Penisular War. Both books contain details of actions and skirmishes that occured between the famous battles. Fletcher's accounts often deatail encounters between companies such as the struggle to control a ford or village. One of my favorite stories so far comes from Oman's books and involved an engagement that would make a great "what if" battle: The British won the battle of Talavera, but were forced to retreat all the same as French reinforcements arrived. The British formed a new defensive position behind the river Tagus. All of the crossings were well defended, but that might not have been the case if Marshal Soult had been more decisive. One crossing near the village of Almaraz was held initially only by a force of 1000 Spanish Line Infantry and a small detachment of guns. The bridge across the river is described as "broken" but it was apparently still passible by foot. There was also a ford nearby.

Historically, Wellesley had four days to prepare his defenses and he positioned General Craufurd and his Light Brigade to reinforce the Spanish. At this time, the Light Brigade consisted of the 43rd, the 52nd, and the 95th. He also attached Donkin's Brigade to Craufurd, though this brigade had suffered heavy casualties at Talavera, loosing around a third of it's strength (read 20-man battalions rather than 30). This brigade included the 87th (the Prince of Wales' Own Irish) and 88th (Connaught Rangers) line as well as a handful of the 60th (more riflemen, this time with red facings). Soult dispatched Marshal Ney (finally) to take the crossing, but Ney found it too well defended by the time he arrived. But what if Soult had been more decisive or Ney was able to pull off one his famous night marches and the French could arrive before the British reinforcements? Say the allies start with only two Spanish battalions and a weak battery of guns on the board when Ney attacks with the Sixth Corp. The British reinforcements would arrive during the game. I could add yet more colors to the coats of my allied army! Of course, I'd have to paint up something like twelve battalions of French Line Infantry... sigh... Anyway, the point of this article was to show one of the ways I come up with ideas for my collections. I hope to start on the French soon (ok, maybe by Summer), but when I get around to adding more allied troops, my blueprint is already in place!