Thursday, January 23, 2025

Second Punic War - Dertosa (215 BC)

This is the fifth scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. It represents the Battle of Dertosa which was also know as the Batlle of Ibera. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

After Cannae, Rome struggled to rebuild its armies, but needed time. In Spain, Hannibal’s brother Hasdrubal Barca commanded an army large enough to possibly let Carthage win the war – if it united with Hannibal’s victorious veterans. Standing in his way, however, were the legions of two capable (at last) consuls, the brothers Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus and Publius Cornelius Scipio (the father of Scipio Africanus).

The Romans had crossed the Ebro to besiege the Carthaginian-aligned town of Ibera. Hasdrubal approached and offered battle, which the Scipio brothers accepted. Both armies were of similar sizes, about 25,000 men. 

Both brothers knew of Cannae, but felt the only way to prevent encirclement was to quickly break the Carthaginian centre. When the battle commenced, the Roman legions fiercely attacked the Carthaginian centre, but unlike Cannae, there was enough Roman cavalry to hold their flanks. Lacking cavalry superiority (and his brother’s tactical genius), Hasdrubal was unable to surround the Romans before they broke through his centre. His cavalry joined the retreat, leaving the splendid heavy infantry to its fate. Rome was granted the time it needed to live and fight another day. Eight years later, Hasdrubal finally was able to march to Italy, but lost both his army and his life at the Battle of the Metaurus.


The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

The Roman commanders decided that their light infantry was too vulnerable in front of the legions, so ordered them to move towards the flanks.

Hasdrubal ordered his Numidian light cavalry to charge the Roman light infantry. Two units of Numidians attacked with the third in support. The first Numidians charged into the Roman, doing little damage but the hail of Roman javelins caused casualties to the Numidians and caused them to retreat back behind their own infantry. The result of the second Numidian attack was much more cautious, with neither side taking noticeable losses.

Deciding that the Carthaginian flanks were the danger, the Roman commanders ordered their whole infantry line to advance. They would push back the Numidian horse and the continue towards the Carthaginian centre.

The Numidian horse evaded the slow moving Roman infantry, but still took losses from the Roman pila.

The Carthaginian commander decided it would be better to be offensive, rather than wait for the slowly advancing Roman line. So Hasdrubal ordered his three units of the unarmoured Iberian infantry from the centre of his line to double time and attack the Romans. And a unit of Balearic slingers to attack the Roman light infantry.

The Carthaginian attack was unsuccessful and they took heavy losses, while only causing losses to the Roman light infantry.

The Roman legionaries attacked in response, even creeping round the right flank as their medium cavalry secured the left flank.

The attack of the legionaries destroyed 2 units of Iberian infantry an caused 50% casualties to a third. Only the legionaries under the command of Gnaeus Scipio took some losses.

With a shout of "I AM HASDRUBAL!" the Carthaginian commander ordered his elephants, supported by his medium cavalry, to charge the Roman light infantry to their front.

At the same time, on his right flank, Hasdrubal ordered his Iberian infantry to finish the fight with the Roman light infantry, which the destroyed.

While this was happening, the charge of the elephants was repulsed by the Roman light infantry. The elephants lost half their strength to the Roman javelins, and then turned and rampaged back to their own lines, but with out trampling any other unit.

Annoyed by the loss of his light infantry, Gnaeus Scipio led his legionaries to attack and destroy the offending Iberian infantry. In support he ordered his medium cavalry to drive of the Numidian light cavalry.

Seeing a chance to kill Gnaeus, Hasdrubal ordered his elite African infantry to double-time into the attack, with a unit of Balearic slingers in support.

Gnaeus' legionaries, the elite African infantry and the Balearic slingers all took heavy losses, but stood firm as the battle raged.

The Romans ordered their medium troops, cavalry and legionaries into the attack.

On the left, they destroyed the elite African infantry and forced the Balearic slingers to evade with losses.

On the right, three units of legionaries advanced in an arrow formation, to attack the Iberian infantry to their front causing 50% casualties.

On the Carthaginian right flank, two units of Numidian light cavalry started skirmishing with the advancing Romans, throwing their javelin out of range from the Roman swords. However, the caused no noticeable casualties.

The Romans continued their push forward in the centre, causing casualties to the defending Carthaginians as they were slowly pushed back.

Seeing that things were getting desperate, the Carthaginian commander ordered his remaining elephants to attack. They advanced past the legionaries, and then wheeled to attack them from the rear. Initially the legionaries took casualties, but the could battle back and eliminate the elephants.

Cheered on by Publius Cornelius Scipio, the Roman legionaries charged into the unarmoured Iberian infantry and wiped them out.

As they had taken so many losses, the Carthaginians lost the will to fight and retired from the battlefield, leaving the victorious Romans in possession.


Scenario Result 

Roman Victory: Carthaginians 1 - Romans 6


Campaign Result 

  Victories     Banners  
  Romans       3     30
  Carthaginians       2     20


Sunday, November 3, 2024

Second Punic War - Cannae (216 BC)

This is the fourth scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Now, fully aware of the threat posed by Hannibal, the Romans assembled a truly large army, perhaps up to 80,000 strong, led by two consuls (Lucius Aemilius Paullus and Gaius Terentius Varro) who commanded on alternate days.

The traditional account puts Varro in command on the day of the battle, and much of the blame for the defeat has been laid on his shoulders. His low origins seem to be exaggerated in the sources, and Varro may have been made a scapegoat by the aristocratic establishment. He lacked the powerful descendants that Paullus had, descendants who were willing and able to protect his reputation—most notably his grandson Scipio Aemilianus, the patron of Polybius, one of the main sources of this history.

Varro was determined to attack Hannibal, who had posted his army in a location that negated the Roman advantage in numbers – bluffs on one flank and the Aufidus river (now called the Ofanto) on the other. Undeterred, Varro simply packed his legions one behind the other into the constricted area and launched the mass headlong at the Carthaginian centre. They advanced into yet another trap. Hannibal had deployed his excellent cavalry and heavy infantry on the wings, leaving his medium infantry and Celt levies in the centre. The Roman advance did indeed push the Carthaginian centre back and inflict losses, but in the meantime the Carthaginian cavalry had routed the Roman cavalry on both flanks and closed in on the rear of the Roman army while the heavy infantry advanced on both Roman flanks. Surrounded and unable to manoeuvre, the Roman soldiers were slaughtered by the thousands, and the army was destroyed. Cannae was Rome’s greatest military defeat, and Hannibal’s greatest victory.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

The battle started with the Romans widening their left flank in order to make envelopment by the Carthaginian Numidian cavalry much harder.

On the Carthaginian left flank, Hannibal and Hastrubal led forward their troops. The Balearic slingers advanced in front and started inflicting losses on the Roman light infantry.

Consul Gaius Terentius Varro then ordered his entire line of infantry to advance towards the enemy.

The Carthaginians advanced the infantry on their right flack, The heavy infantry moved into the front line and the Balearic slingers moved in front to start skirmishing with their Roman opponents.

The javelins of the Roman skirmishers caused the Balearic slingers to take losses and fall back.

On their right flank, the Carthaginians ordered forward Marhalbal with his Numidian light cavalry and the Balearic slingers to skirmish with the enemy. But they had no noticeable effect on the Roman line.

The Roman auxilia threw their javelins at Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry causing some casualties.

The Carthaginians attacked with their centre, with the Gallic warriors in the lead. They crashed into the Roman light infantry who stood firm, having the legionaries and the consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly to their rear. Both sides took losses, but the Gallic warriors failed to gain ground.

The Roman light infantry moved out of the way as the Roman legionaries with consul Lucius Aemilius Paullus at their head charged into the Gallic warriors and annihilated them.

Determined to avenge their comrades, the Libyan heavy infantry double-timed to attack the Roman legionaries.

The fighting in the centre paused, with both sides having taken heavy losses. However the Carthaginian advance had been halted and consul Paullus had retired to bring up hid heavy infantry to block the gap.

The Romans pushed forward their auxilia into the attack.

The first Roman auxilia caused Marhalbal's Numidian light cavalry to evade after taking losses. 

The second Roman auxilia finished off the already decimated Libyan heavy infantry,

However the other Libyan heavy infantry was too hard a nut to crack even though it too had been decimated, and they managed to strike first causing the third Roman auxilia to retire after taking 50% losses.

Now much emboldened, these Libyan heavy infantry - with Marhalbal and a handful of Numidian light cavalry in support - charged into the neared Roman legionaries. However the Romans stood firm, and wiped out the attacking Libyans without taking any losses themselves.

The Romans ordered forward their light troops, to deal with the Numidian cavalry which evaded after taking some losses.

The Carthaginian light troops opened up on the Roman auxilia, causing some losses and the most advanced unit to retire to the safety of its own line. 

Seemingly unsure where to concentrate, the Romans attacked with their cavalry on the left flank, moved forward their heavy infantry with Paullus in the centre, and on the right a unit of legionaries advanced.

The advancing legionaries were immediately charged by a combination of Carthaginian Cavalry with Hasdrubal at their head and Gallic warriors.

Both the warriors and the legionaries took losses before the legionaries retired.

On the Roman left, they pushed forward and their cavalry yet again caused the Numidians to evade after taking losses.

In the centre, the Carthaginian Cavalry and the Gallic warriors attacked again, the cavalry charged the legionaries while the warriors charged the supporting auxilia.

But yet again this attack failed, the Romans stood firm despite being outnumbered.

Now seeing their chance to attack the weakened Carthaginians, Marcus Atilius Regulus brought up a fresh unit of heavy infantry, and together with the legionaries and auxilia they wiped out both the  Gallic warriors and the Carthaginian Cavalry killing their commander Hasdrubal.

These losses were the final straw for the Carthaginian army, they turned and fled the field.

The Romans had reversed history and defeated the Carthaginians, they achieved the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for. However consul Varro remained stationary on the unengaged right wing throughout the battle, proving perhaps that Polybius' view of him wasn't that far off.


Scenario Result 

Roman Victory: Carthaginians 2 - Romans 7


Campaign Result 

  Victories     Banners  
  Romans       2     24
  Carthaginians       2     19


Monday, October 21, 2024

Second Punic War - Lake Trasimenus (217 BC)

This is the third scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Much of Hannibal’s "genius" for warfare lay in his ability to take the measure of his opponents’ abilities and intentions. His opponent in 217 BC was Roman Consul Gaius Flaminius, a vain and incompetent patrician. Armed with this knowledge, Hannibal determined to set a trap for his opponent by ravaging the countryside to spur Flaminius to action. True to form, Flaminius rushed headlong into pursuit of Hannibal, marching his army through the narrow defile next to Lake Trasimenus where Hannibal’s army lay in wait. Hannibal posted his veteran infantry as a blocking force, hiding his light infantry and cavalry in the hills. As the day of battle dawned, a heavy mist covered the area – Flaminius further aided Hannibal’s plans by neglecting to send out scouts. The Roman vanguard stumbled into the Carthaginian blocking force, and the battle was joined. Almost immediately the ambushing Carthaginians descended from the hills and fell on the Roman column before the soldiers had enough time to deploy. Flaminius died early in the fighting; more than half of his army died along with him, either in the desperate fighting or drowning trying to escape. It was noteworthy that the only portion of Flaminius’s army to escape intact was the vanguard – those soldiers fought their way through Hannibal’s best infantry to do it. It surely was not through lack of bravery that the Roman army met disaster at Lake Trasimenus.

 

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

Hannibal ordered his right flank forward and to move onto the hill.

The 3 units on the extreme Roman left advanced to counter the Carthaginian movement.

Two units of Gallic warriors and one of Carthaginian cavalry charged over the crest of the hill and into the Romans infantry below.

A Carthaginian cavalry unit moved forward into the defile to attack the auxilia beyond.

The charge over the hill was stopped, they took heavy casualties and were repulsed. Even the general leading the charge was killed; although in doing so the Roman's took heavy losses themselves.

The Carthaginian cavalry in the defile was slightly more successful, in that they inflicted losses on the auxilia without any noticeable casualties themselves.

The Roman infantry in the centre moved forward to attack the few remaining Gallic warriors.

The Roman medium infantry attacked the Carthaginian slingers hoping to drive them off.

The remaining Gallic warriors were wiped out.

The cavalry slaughtered many slingers but took surprisingly heavy losses themselves

The Gallic warriors on the hill, charged down and wiped out the Roman legionaries and killed Consul Gaius Flaminius. An unlucky result for the Romans, but historically correct!

The Carthaginian slingers, which were under pressure from the Roman cavalry, retired over the hill to safety.

The Carthaginian auxilia, with their commander at their head, advanced to face the Roman cavalry causing them to evade back to the safety of their own infantry.

With a cry of "Avenge The Consul !!", the Romans attacked the Gallic warriors. Their auxilia and light infantry surrounded the warriors as the remaining cavalry charged head-on.

This attack was not as successful as it was hoped, the Roman cavalry was destroyed and the auxilia and light infantry took losses. The Gallic warriors to heavy losses themselves, but still stood firm.

In the centre, one Carthaginian unit wiped out the remaining Roman auxilia while a second unit caused the Roman light infantry to evade.

On their left flank, a unit of legionaries advanced to attack the Carthaginians from the front while a unit of light infantry sneaked over the hill to take the cavalry from behind and cut of their possibility to evade the coming attack.

The legionaries wiped out the Carthaginian cavalry and the auxilia on the hill wiped out a unit of Numidian light cavalry which could not evade because they were packed in so tightly.

Hannibal order his Numidian light cavalry to move towards his centre. In doing so they skirmished with the Roman light infantry causing them to retreat back over the hill.

Seeing the lone band of Gallic warriors, a long way in front of their comrades, the Romans attacked them with their light infantry, in a bold action that could win the the battle. One unit through their javelins from a distance while the other charged in for hand-to-hand combat.

However the Roman attack was not successful, and the brave light infantry we surrounded by Carthaginians and wiped out. 

The Carthaginians had defeated the Romans, but it was not the major victory that Hannibal had hoped for; the Carthaginians had lost almost as many men as the Romans.


Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 6 - Romans 5


Campaign Result 

  Victories     Banners  
  Romans       1     17
  Carthaginians       2     17