Fuentes de Oñoros

VJF016

Fuentes de Oñoro 1811 is a game of the Jours de Gloire (Days of Glory) series. It includes the battles of Fuentes de Oñoro, Foz d'Arouce and El Bodon which occured during Massena's retrait toward Spain.

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Data sheet

Series Jours de Gloire series
Période 1er Empire
Publisher His
Author Frédéric Bey
Language(s) French and English

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After his defeat at the gates of Lisbon, in front of the lines of Torres Vedras, Masséna was compelled to retreat toward Spain in the spring of 1811, where the final phase of his duel with Wellington would take place.
During the British pursuit, the engagement of Foz d’Arouce took place on March 15, with Wellington’s 3rd Division and his Light Division attacking the defensive position held by Marshal Ney with parts of Marchand’s and Mermet’s Divisions.
Two months later, the last large battle conducted by Marshal Masséna took place. It was far more important.
On May 3, Ferey’s Division launched the attack against Fuentes de Oñoro. The village was bitterly contested, but a counterattack repulsed the French at its outskirts. On May 4, the troops of both armies strengthened their positions around the village, and at dawn on May 5 the French, concealed by fog, seized the initiative, with Montbrun carrying out several brilliant cavalry charges.
Under pressure, Wellington’s troops bent but did not break. Fuentes de Oñoro was valiantly defended, and the retreat was made step-by-step, with the village as the fulcrum. General Fournier’s charges caused two British squares to become shaken, but the solid defensive line of the Anglo-Portuguese army never failed. It was at this point that Lepic, with no orders forthcoming from Marshal Bessières (who could not be found), refused to charge with the Guard cavalry under his command. After that, the battle’s intensity waned, and the fighting ended with no other major events.
On September 25,  after Masséna was relieved of command and the Anglo-Portuguese army had  once more begun its withdrawal into winter quarters, Montbrun’s French cavalry attacked an Anglo-Portuguese division commanded by Picton near El Bodón before it could make its escape.

The game includes:
• One 59 x 41 cm map
• Two 29 x 41 cm maps (backprinted)
• 216 double-sided die cut counters and markers
• One booklet of rules and scenarios
• One player-aid card in color