Raid On The Isle D'Arcey Beauselle; Escape From The Baie De Cochons

As readers may recall, after the raid on the French garrison headquarters at the Casa Jerpes on the Isl D'Arcey Beauselle the sailors and Royal Marines of HMS Cockerel (the Fighting Cock), with some help from a small detachment of Rifles have rescued Rear Admiral "Deadly" Dudley Pugwash from the French forces stationed there. However, the French intelligence officer. Major D'Fecht had led away a small band of French infantrymen to escort him and his prisoner, a British spy, known as La Contessa, the other object of the British raid, to "safety"

This remnant of the Casa Jerpes garrison encountered a small patrol of Dragoons led by a Sgt Porc-Baton. Major D'Fecht had sent a  dragoon to warn the local infantry commander, Capitaine Etienne Coq Sportif of the British raid and to instruct him to bring up an escort for the major and his prisoner to the small coastal town of Beau Cochon in the Baie De Cochons.

Within a  few hours Capitaine Coq Sportif, a very capable officer,had rendevouzed with Major D'Fecht and his escort. With him he has brought two groups of line infantry to which he added the one escorting the major. These he placed under Lt Bidet and Sgt Grimmeau. Coq Sportif also had two groups of voltiguers and their NCO, Sgt Balzaic, the dragoons that the major had met and a light gun under the command of  Lt Gustav Wynd and Sgt Claude D'Arce.  These then proceeded towards the town of Beau Cochons and the ship awaiting the major and his prize.

Meanwhile the British had not been inactive. Aware that the French navy  had a presence in the area, Pugwash guessed that the French intelligence officer might have a ship awaiting him and his valuable prisoner in the Baei De Cochons and planned accordingly. Locking up the prisoners they had taken at the Casa Jerpes in the large stable block where he himself had been held caotive, he then sent Captain KInkaid and his rifles to trail the French while he took Major Paine and his marines as well as his seamen and proceeded to row around the island to the bay to head off the French. Whichever part of his forces arrived there first was to attempt to delay the French till the other came up to assist them. A simple plan but the best he could come up with as time was pressing.

As we join the story, the French have arrived at Beau Cochons; all appears quiet and above the roofs of the town can be seen the masts of a ship from which flutters the French Tricolor. Major D'Fecht heaves a sigh of relief, safety is within reach! But the ever observant Capitaine Coq Sportif has spotted a large, suspiciously Briish looking boat approaching the beach....

Capitaine Etienne Coq Sportif cursed his luck. Though he was glad of the recent turn of events and the chance to come to grips with the British he would have much preferred to have done so for a more noble cause than protecting that excretable Major D'Fecht.
 and his prisoner; attractive though she was. He wouldn't have minded interrogting her himself.  Still, orders from a superior officer were orders. And wasn't that sneering jackanapes D'Fecht the very insufferable superior type that the Revolution was supposed to have rid France of
As he peered towards the shimmering sea, a few hundred yards from the beach he could see a large boat being rowed towards the shore. It was full of men, men in red jackets with black shakos on their heads.
"Well done, Capitaine Coq Sportif, the Emperor will be grateful for your effort this day" said Major D'Fecht who, moving forward from the centre of the small force where he had marched all night, his prisoner close by him all the way.  Coq Sportif, at the head of the column, had heard him all the way on their night march to Beau Cochons, complaining, chiding, nagging at the men around him. Soon they would be rid of him though.
"I would save your thanks for the moment, Major D'Fecht; it appears the British haven't given up on your prisoner just yet..'replied Coq Sportif, pointing at the boat full of marines. "Merde!" cried D'Fecht 'You must save me..I mean us, Coq Sportif. Save us, I say!!" 
Ignoring the panic stricken D'Fecht the captain turned to his men "Sergeant Balzaic, take your men forward, prepare to engage the Britih as the land. Lt Wynd, deploy your gun forward of the houses; I think some cannister would be in order but I shall not tell you how best to employ your cannon" The artillery lieutenant bowed and started shouting orders to his artillery men. "Bidet!" Coq Sportif called to his lieutenant "Take the rest of the men and make sure the major gets aboard that ship or you will have me to answer for. I will send the dragoons to assist you if you have any trouble; do not fail, Bidet!"  The young lieutenant nodded and turning to the major he pointed towards the ship, simply said "Major?"  

Beau Cochons and the waiting French frigate

Spotting the large naval cutter crammed with marines and sailors heading for Beau
 Conchons beach, Coq Sportif's Volitiguers and light gun begin to deploy

The Marines and matelots disembark and battle is joined. In this early
exchange the French Voltiguers under Capitaine Coq Sportif would
 have the better of it, wounding and incapacitating Rear Admiral Pugwash. 

Lt Bidet's detachment head for the ship...

...unaware that Captain Kinkaid and his Rifles are aiming to stop them. KInkaid, alert to the danger of the French Pas De Charge starts to move his men into the cover of the walls of the town mayor's house. The mayor's daughter, Madamoiselle Beaupeep, is  excited by this new development in her otherwise boring, provincial life

With the Voltiguers beginning to take casualties, Coq Sportif orders
 Lt Wynd to bring his gun into action against the marines 

...which he does with commendable speed, 

Sgt Porc-Baton and his dragoons are sent to support Lt
Bidet and the infantry escorting Major D'Fecht

Kinkaid's Rifles, now safely inside the mayor's house
and gardens, prepare to enfilade the approaching French..

...who are intent on reaching the ship, chivied along by the nervous Major D'Fecht

while the now wounded Major Paine (the British command here suffered from both the Voltiguers firing and the cannister fired from the light gun; Admiral Pugwash was unconcious for most of the battle, Major Paine was wounded and Sgt Pike killed outright) and his marines are keeping the French busy a group of sailors head towards the Voltiguers, aiming to get to grips with them as a second group heads toward Major D'Fecht and La Contessa. Coq Sportif orders the Voltiguers to switch targets and engages the sailors at close range too deadly effect...

Sgt Porc-Baton sees a chance to ride down the sailors heading for Major D'Fecht. At his word of command the Dragoons canter forward to deliver a coup de grace..

...only to be sent tumbling back, half their number dead or dying after the enraged sailors set about them with their Big choppers. SGt Porc-Baton manages to keep his men under control...just. However the Dragoon chargis enough to stall the sailors advance and to buy time for the Major and his escort

Lt Bidet's men intent on their task are enfiladed by the Rifles. Though they lose men and are somewhat rattled bby the Rifles shooting they plough on. Major D'Fecht, his sense of self preservation rising to the surface, leads a small detachment of the escort towards the ship, leaving Lt Bidet and his men to act as a shield for him and his prisoner...

who is soon welcomed aboard the French frigate, much to her dismay and the British riders have failed once more!!

"Major Paine! Major Paine!!" cried the Admiral stumbling towards the red coated officer. "Major Paine, withdraw your men" he cried, trying to be heard above the furious fusillade. Major Paine turned a bloodied face towards him "What's that, sir?" The admiral came closer, concern showing on his face at the sight of the wounded marine officer 'You are wounded, Paine; are you alright?" Major Paine grinned a humourless grin "A flesh wound, admiral, nothing that the sawbones can't put right; but what's that you say about withdrawing?"

Admiral Pugwash winced as musket balls tore into the ranks of marines "Our bird has flown, Paine. The French have her aboard their ship.. We must preserve our strength and withdraw". Paine turned to his men "Detachment, rapid FIRE!!" Hemmed in by the sea and the French cannon and musketry they were in a pretty pickle......

Well that was an exciting end to our mini-campaign, and to be honest, I thought the British might have pulled it off as it was in the balance, especially after the sailors had repulsed the dragoons attack. One or two more casualties on the French side in that fight and a couple more dead from the Rifles' on the French column and La Contessa would've been enjoying a full English breakfast aboard HMS Cockerel. However, it as the casualties and wounds on the British commanders inflicted by the Voltugiers and light cannon (which didn't kill that many even at such a close range; fired 3 times and managed something like 5-6 wounds from 30 to hit dice. The doubling of shock was the crucial thing there; with 5 shock on each of the three groups in the formation, they couldn't advance to try the issue with the bayonet ) Admiral Pugwash was knocked out in the first round of firing from the Voltiguers and didn't recover il near the battle's conclusion. Major Paine was also wounded and his command ability dropped as a consequence and Sgt Pike was killed outright. Cpl Lavender stepped in to take his place though he didn't get a chance to exercise his newly granted authority.

The French commanders got off very lightly only Sgt Porc-Baton being wounded in the clash with the sailors That was worth it though ("I disagree" Sgt Porc-Baton) as it stopped the sailors advancing on the major and his prisoner. Sadly, even Major D'Fecht wasn't wounded, despite having enemies in both camps, and so can count himself lucky.

So, sadly we have to say goodbye to Pugwash, Coq Sportif and their men. Doubtless we will meet up with them again, especially as Danny and I both have growing collections of Mediterranean terrain....there mightbe some Peninsular goings on soon...  

pip pip for the moment,

General JB