Peninsular
War: Blake Project
I wanted to build some Peninsula Armies for Shako based on a historical Order of Battle. And to my way of thinking you can't do the Peninsular justice without a Spanish army.
I was thinking of doing an Albuera Project but hit upon a grander scheme of following one or two Generals through the Peninsular. For the Spanish Joaquín Blake y Joyes seems a good choice (Joaquín is sometimes called Joachim Blake in English). He was a strict, brave and able general with good organisational ability and a knowledge of his own limitations, but was rather militarily unlucky.
Blake's History
This is mostly based on Wikipedia: Joaquin Blake.
Revolutionary Wars
In his youth, he saw action as a lieutenant of the grenadiers in the American Revolutionary War, taking part in the abortive siege of Gibraltar and the 1783 reconquest of Minorca.
At the outbreak of war with France in 1793, Blake, a captain, took part in the invasion of Rousillon under General Ricardos. He was wounded at San-Lorenzo-de-la-Muga in 1794.
Peninsular War
14 Jul 1808: Battle of Medina del Rio Seco
31 Oct 1808: Battle of Pan Corbo / Zornoza
5 Nov 1808: Battle of Valmaceda
10-11 Nov 1808: Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros
23 May 1809: Battle of Alcaniz
24 May-11 Dec 1809: Third siege of Gerona
14 Jun 1809: Blake’s vanguard clashed with Suchet’s
15 Jun 1809: Battle of Maria
18 Jun 1809: Rout of Belchite
4 Nov 1810: Baza
6-12 May 1811: First Siege of Badajoz
16 May 1811: Battle of Albuera
25 Oct 1811: Battle of Saguntum
1-8 Jan 1812: Siege of Valencia
Battle of Medina de Rio Seco (14 Jul 1808)
I've shown the most likely regiments to have been present based on Partridge and Oliver (1998), how these correspond to the Fields of Glory Orbats (FOG), and my own suggestions (Steven).
Teniente-General Don Gregorio Garcia de la Ceusta (Capt-Gen of Castilla) was Commander in Chief and led the Army of Castile. Teniente-General Joachín Blake (Capt-Gen of Galicia) led the Galician 1st and 4th Divisions.
| Division | Unit | Type | Men | FOG (1) | Steven |
| Brigada Vanguardia (Brig. Conde Maceda) | 2o Rto Ligero Cataluña | Light Inf | 685 | 1 LI | 1 LI |
| Ligero de Gerona | Light Inf | 575 | 1 REG | 1 LI | |
| Ligero de Barbastro (1/2 Bn) | Light Inf | 530 |
- (2) |
1 LI | |
| Rto de Buenos Aires | Colonial Inf | 350+ | 1 REG | 1 REG | |
| 1a Galician Division (Mariscal de Campo Felipe Jado-Cagigal) | Rto del Rey (2o & 3o Bns) | Line Inf | 900 | 2 REG | 2 REG |
| Rto de Mallorca (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached | Line Inf | 580 | 1 REG | 1 REG | |
| Rto de Hibernia (2o & 3o Bns) | Foreign Inf | 830 | 2 REG | 2 REG | |
| Milicia de Mondoñedo | Militia | 600 | 1 SR | 1 SR | |
| Rto de Zaragoza (1o & 2o Bns) - with Grenadiers detached | Line Inf | 1,040 | 2 SR | 2 REG | |
| Granaderos Provinciales de Galicia | Militia | 790 | 1 SR | 1 SR | |
| Sharp shooters from other units | Line Inf | 1 SK | 1 SK | ||
| Rto de la Reina (2 Escn), Rto de Montesa (1 Escn), and/or Dragones de la Reina (1/2 Escn) | Line Cav/ Dragoons |
550 | 1 SRc | 1 SRc | |
| 4a Galician Division (Mariscal de Campo El Marqués de Portago) | Rto del Principe (2 Bns) | Line Inf | 1,510 | 2 REG | 2 REG |
| Rto de Toledo (2 Bns) | Line Inf | 1,360 | 2 SR | 2 REG | |
| Rto de Aragón (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached | Line Inf | 450 | 1 SR | 1 REG | |
| Milicia de Santiago (1 Bn) | Militia | 800 | 1 SR | 1 SR | |
| Milicia de Lugo (1 Bn) | Militia | 500 | 1 SR | 1 SR | |
| Granaderos Unidades (2 Bns) - the combined Grenadier companies of Zaragoza, Mallorca, Aragon, and de la Corona (4) | Line Grenadiers | 400 | 1 REG | 1 El (3) | |
| Sharp shooters from other units | Line Inf | 1 SK | 1 SK | ||
| Attached to any of Vanguardia, 1a or 4a Divisions | 4o Rto de Artilleria (12 guns), Artilleria de Marina (6 guns) | Art | 18 guns | 2 FtG | 2 FtG |
| Ejército de Castilla (Cuesta) | Rto Ligero Vol. de Navarra (3 Bns) | Light Inf | 783 | 1 SR | 1 LI |
| Rto Voluntarios de Leon (3 Bn) | New Inf | 3,150 | 3 SR | 3 SR | |
| Rto Voluntarios Literarios de Valladolid (1 Bn) | New Inf | 500 | 1 SR | 1 REG (5) | |
| Rto Escolares de Benavente (1 Bn) | New Inf | 800 | 1 SR | 1 SR | |
| Rto de Covadonga (2 Bn) | New Inf | 1,500 | 2 REG | 2 SR | |
| Sharp shooters from other units | New Inf | 1 SK | 1 SK | ||
| Artilleria a Caballo | Art | 4 guns |
- |
1 HsG |
Notes:
(1) Totals from FOG:
1 General
3 Division Commanders
12 Regular Battalions
1 Light Battalion
15 Second Rate Battalions
3 Skirmishers
1 Second Rate Regiment
2 Foot Batteries
(2) I assume in FOG the men of this regiment has been merged into the other rather weak regiments in the Vanguard.
(3) Given the Grenadiers successfully assaulted a massed artillery battery I would think they had some morale advantage over the Fusiliers. After all, that is why they were brigaded together, to give the army a strike force.
(4) It would seem only the Grenadiers of de la Corona were present at the battle.
(5) My justification for the REG status is that the cadre of the Rto Escolares de Benavente were the only troops to fight heroically at Cabezón. Otherwise they'd be SR like the other volunteers and militia.
This table maps compares the order of battle for a Shako Pick Up Battle to the order of battle described for Medina de Rio Seco. I've included the +20% extra forces (REG battalions) that the Pick Up Battle rules give to an attacking force in a Pick Up battle. The Pick Up battle compares quite closely to my orbat for Medina de Rio Seco.
| Shako Type | FOG's Medina de Rio Seco | Pick Up Battle | Steven's Medina de Rio Seco | Historical Units from Steven's Orbat |
| EL | - | 1 | 1 | Granaderos Unidades (2 Bns) - the combined Grenadier companies of Zaragoza, Mallorca, Aragon, and de la Corona |
| LI | 1 | 5 | 4 |
2o Rto Ligero Cataluña Ligero de Gerona Ligero de Barbastro (1/2 Bn) Rto Ligero Vol. de Navarra (3 Bns) |
| REG | 12 | 17 (11 + 6 for attacking) |
14 |
Rto del Rey (2o & 3o Bns) Rto de Zaragoza (1o & 2o Bns) - with Grenadiers detached Rto de Aragón (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached Rto de Mallorca (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached Rto del Principe (2 Bns) Rto de Toledo (2 Bns) Rto de Hibernia (2o & 3o Bns) Rto de Buenos Aires Rto Voluntarios Literarios de Valladolid (1 Bn) |
| SR | 15 | 7 | 10 |
Granaderos Provinciales de Galicia Milicia de Mondoñedo Milicia de Santiago (1 Bn) Milicia de Lugo (1 Bn) Rto de Covadonga (2 Bn) Rto Voluntarios de Leon (3 Bn) Rto Escolares de Benavente (1 Bn) |
| SK | 3 | 2 | 3 | Sharp shooters from other units |
| SRc | 1 | 6 | 1 | Rto de la Reina (2 Escn), Rto de Montesa (1 Escn), and/or Dragones de la Reina (1/2 Escn) |
| HyG | - | 1 | - | |
| FtG | 2 | 3 (2 + 1 for attacking) | 2 | 4o Rto de Artilleria (12 guns), Artilleria de Marina (6 guns) |
| HsG | - | 1 | 1 | Artilleria a Caballo |
Painting Guide
Rearranging this for painting purposes
| Type | Uniform | Unit | Shako Units |
| Light Inf | Green Hussar and Helmet | 2o Rto Ligero Cataluña | 1 LI |
| Light Inf | Blue Jacket and Bicorn | Ligero de Gerona | 1 LI |
| Light Inf | Ligero de Barbastro (1/2 Bn) | 1 LI | |
| Light Inf | Rto Ligero Vol. de Navarra (3 Bns) | 1 LI | |
| Line Inf | Rto del Rey (2o & 3o Bns) | ||
| Line Inf | Rto de Mallorca (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached | ||
| Line Inf | Rto de Zaragoza (1o & 2o Bns) - with Grenadiers detached | ||
| Line Inf | Sharp shooters from other units | 2 Sk | |
| Line Inf | Rto del Principe (2 Bns) | ||
| Line Inf | Rto de Toledo (2 Bns) | ||
| Line Inf | Rto de Aragón (1 Bn) - with Grenadiers detached | ||
| Line Grenadiers | Granaderos Unidades (2 Bns) - the combined Grenadier companies of Zaragoza, Mallorca, Aragon, and de la Corona (4) | ||
| Militia | Milicia de Mondoñedo | ||
| Militia | Granaderos Provinciales de Galicia | ||
| Militia | Milicia de Santiago (1 Bn) | ||
| Militia | Milicia de Lugo (1 Bn) | ||
| Foreign Inf | Rto de Hibernia (2o & 3o Bns) | ||
| Colonial Inf | Rto de Buenos Aires | 1 REG | |
| New Inf | Rto Voluntarios de Leon (3 Bn) | ||
| New Inf | Rto Voluntarios Literarios de Valladolid (1 Bn) | ||
| New Inf | Rto Escolares de Benavente (1 Bn) | ||
| New Inf | Rto de Covadonga (2 Bn) | ||
| New Inf | Sharp shooters from other units | 1 Sk | |
| Line Cav/ Dragoons |
Rto de la Reina (2 Escn), Rto de Montesa (1 Escn), and/or Dragones de la Reina (1/2 Escn) | ||
| Art | 4o Rto de Artilleria (12 guns), Artilleria de Marina (6 guns) | ||
| Art | Artilleria a Caballo |
References
Leach, C. (1997). Fields of Glory: Napoleonic Scenarios for Shako Rules. NY: Quantum Printing.
Patridge, R., and Oliver, M. (1998). Battle Studies in the Peninsular, May 1808 - January 1809. London: Constable.
Other Websites to have a look at
Everything2: Battle of Albuera
History of War: Battle of Alcaniz
History of War: Battle of Espinosa de los Monteros
History of War: Battle of Maria
History of War: Battle of Sagumtum
History of War: Battle of Zornoza
History of War: First Siege of Badajoz
History of War: General Joachim Blake, 1759-1827
History of War: Rout of Belchite
History of War: Third Siege of Gerona
Napoleon Series: A biography of General Joaquín Blake y Joyes By Rodolfo B.González
Napoleonic Guide: Battle of Medina del Rio Seco
Napoleonic Guide: Joachim Blake
Wikipedia: Battle of Medina del Rio Seco
Wikipedia: Battle of Valmaceda