I threw together this silly scenario from the South American Wars of Liberation for 'Dominion of Napoleon Bonaparte'.
Junin (6th August 1824)
By 1824, the independence movement in South America was nearing its climax. After years of fighting, Royalist forces still held much of the Peruvian highlands. Simón Bolívar, having secured victories in the north, now aimed to liberate Peru entirely. He gathered a mixed Patriot army - including troops from Colombia, Peru, Argentina, and Chile - and marched into the central highlands to confront the royalist army under General José de Canterac.
Bolívar’s campaign was bold but risky. His army had to cross harsh, mountainous terrain and maintain morale and supply lines at high altitude. The Royalists, though suffering from desertion and logistical problems, still posed a serious threat. On 6 August, near Lake Junín, both armies spotted each other and prepared for a confrontation.
Interestingly, Bolívar was not present at the actual battle, having moved ahead with an advance guard. He left command to General José de La Mar and trusted his cavalry to hold the line if contact was made. The Patriot cavalry numbered around 1,000 and it faced 1,300 Royalist horse. What followed would be a purely cavalry engagement, fought at over 4,000 meters above sea level, with no infantry or artillery involved.
Bolívar’s campaign was bold but risky. His army had to cross harsh, mountainous terrain and maintain morale and supply lines at high altitude. The Royalists, though suffering from desertion and logistical problems, still posed a serious threat. On 6 August, near Lake Junín, both armies spotted each other and prepared for a confrontation.
Interestingly, Bolívar was not present at the actual battle, having moved ahead with an advance guard. He left command to General José de La Mar and trusted his cavalry to hold the line if contact was made. The Patriot cavalry numbered around 1,000 and it faced 1,300 Royalist horse. What followed would be a purely cavalry engagement, fought at over 4,000 meters above sea level, with no infantry or artillery involved.
Royalists: 6 x Light Cavalry
Patriots: 2 x unreliable Light Cavalry (Surprised), 2 x Light Cavalry, 2 x Elite Light Cavalry (Surprise Attacks)
Royalists (Attackers)
Patriots (Defenders)
The battle began with a surprise Royalist cavalry charge, which initially routed the Patriot vanguard. Royalist horsemen pushed deep into the Patriot lines, seeming close to victory. However, the tide turned when a Patriot squadron under Lieutenant Colonel Isidoro Suárez, acting without orders, wheeled around and hit the Royalist cavalry from the rear.
Caught off guard and exhausted by the altitude and long pursuit the Royalists collapsed in confusion. The Patriot cavalry regrouped and counterattacked, driving the Spanish horsemen from the field. The entire engagement lasted less than an hour. Not a shot was fired.
Though not a massive battle, Junín was a vital morale boost. It crippled Royalist cavalry strength and paved the way for the decisive Battle of Ayacucho four months later.
(I gave this a quick run through and it was as wild and silly as you might expect)
No comments:
Post a Comment