Roman Civil War: Populares Ascendant

Battle of Narbo, from behind Caesarian lines.

 

His victory outside Massilia having secured that sea port, Julius Caesar was chagrinned to learn that his fleet was in no position to use it. The Pompeian fleet had defeated it, Decimus Brutus has been lost with his ship, and the surviving half of his ships were seeking refuge in Luca.

Nevertheless, having destroyed the army of Ahenobarbus, Caesar thought the moment propitious at once to seek out the last remaining Pompeian army in Spain. After three battles, Ahenobarbus had been reduced to 8SP - less than half the total SP he began with. For the purposes of this campaign, that implied the dispersal of his entire force.

Onward marched Caesar, to be met by the army of Lucius Afranius near the sea port of Narbo. Meanwhile, as he moved forward, far away in Syracuse, Gaius Curio's fleet, laden with his army, set forth for Africa, and a landing at Thapsus. Before they could reach landfall, the Pompeian fleet anticipated them.

Caesarian campaign moves

For this, the third month of the campaign, the Caesarians had seized the initiative, but as the roll was just 3-1, could move 3 formations. As Curio's army was already embarked, then the whole expedition required just one activation. Caesar's army used up the second, and the retreat of Caesar's fleet was the final move. Meanwhile, the army of Trebonius, now commanded by Gaius Fabius, was reorganising itself at Luca.

Battle of Narbo.

The armies met in the coastal plain north of Narbo. The Pompeian right wing covered in woodland, the velites lurked therein, with the Auxilia in reserve behind them.

The Armies of Caesar and Afranius were very nearly equal in strength. From the 8 and 9 units available  respectively, the following 6-unit forces were engaged:

Caesarian Army:

• IX Legion = 3SP
• XI Legion = 3SP
• XII Legion = 2SP, classed as veteran, and Caesar himself commanding.
• I Auxilia = 2SP
• II Auxilia = 2SP
• Velites = 2SP

Totals: 14SP + Caesar.

(X Legion and the Equites absent)

Caesar placed IX and XII Legions in the right and centre, himself with the forward line, and XI Legion in support in the centre. The light infantry led the advance on the left, and both flanks were supported by the Auxilia. 

Note that by support, I don't add to dice roll of the leading unit, merely that if the leading unit falls back, the second unit remains to oppose the enemy's further advance. The VII Legion classed as veteran gets +1 on its combat dice - in addition to the +1 on account of Julius Caesar's august presence.

Battle of Narbo - from behind Pompeian lines

Pompeian Army:

• V Legion = 3SP with Afranius himself commanding
• VII Legion = 3SP
• VIII Legion = 3SP
• Auxilia = 2SP
• Velites light infantry = 2SP
• Equites heavy cavalry = 2SP

Totals: 15SP + Afranius.

Action in the centre - Caesar leads from the front!

Caesar at once seized the initiative and took the fight to the enemy. He enjoying immediate success along the whole front, the Caesarians threw back the Pompeian velites out of the woods (a 6-2 roll will do that), and drove off the enemy horse in the plain. In the centre Caesar compelled V Legion to retreat with loss.  

Caesar attacks all long the front line, and drives 
in the Pompeian centre

Following up, the Caesararians suffered their first check. Caesar found himself face to face with Afranius. Failing to make further progress, XII Legion fell back.

Caesarian success on the right.

Pompeian rear areas filling up with stragglers and fugitives
from the battle

The Caesarians were not to be denied. Their check proved momentary. The Pompeian reserve area overcrowded with fugitives, the remaining formed units attempted to restore the already crumbling line. VIII Legion were at least holding that line, and eventually repulsed IX Legion's attack.

Pompeians holding on to the flank

But the battle was decided in the centre. 

Afranius forces Caesar to retreat!

Although Caesar's renewed attack against Afranius failed - fortunately without serious loss...

... But here is XI Legion to exact a condign vengeance

... XI Legion, taking over the battle,  at last drove Afranius's command from their line and into the milling crown in the rear. Unable to recapture the woods, and holding the line only on the left, the Pompeians retreated in rout.

For the Pompeians, this was a complete disaster: 7 Strength points lost, 2 units (VII Legion and the Cavalry) destroyed. This made a serious dent in their overall strength. At most, they could recover a SP for V Legion or the light infantry, which implied a 6SP total loss.

The Caesarians, of course, had plenty to celebrate. Although checked a couple of times, their losses were negligible - so insignificant withal, that they amounted to zero strength points.  Altogether, right now the portents looked good for a successful outcome of the war.

****

Battle off Thapsus

Sailing from Syracuse, Gaius Curio's fleet was barely enough to accommodate his whole army, and that only by placing his auxilia units about the fighting galleys. The addition of these fighting men he hoped, however, would afford some advantage to his battered fleet.  


For their part, the Pompeians sought to stop the Caesarian fleet whilst still well out to sea (result of a die roll). The respective galley fleets comprised:

Caesarian: 

• Left wing: 1 Septireme heavy galley = 3SP + Curio commanding
• Centre: 2 Quinquireme medium galleys @2SP = 4SP
• Right: 1 Quinquireme = 2SP

Totals: 9SP + 4 infantry SPs.

Note that all four vessels carried 1SP of auxilia aboard. This gave them each +1 on their combat dice, but did not add to the strength points. If a ship was lost, it took the infantry SP with it.

Pompeian:

• Right wing: 1 Quinquireme medium galley = 2SP
• Centre: 1 Quinquireme = 2SP
• Left: 2 Septireme heavy galleys @3SP = 6 SP

Totals: 10SP

Clearly, there has to be at least one vessel in each of the 3 battle sectors. Who went where was decided by dice rolls. The two heavy Pompeian ships fetching up on the left wing, of course the other two ships had to fill the other sectors. The two transport ships in the Caesarian rear merely signifies the leading transport vessels.

The heavier ships on the wings push back their 
lighter opponents. 

It seemed from their deployment that the Pompeians hoped to smash through Curio's fragile right wing, thence to turn in upon the centre. Curio himself thought his best chances lay in quickly breaking through the middle of the enemy fleet.

First contact was made by Curio's command wing, and at once began forcing the Pompeians to back water. Outnumbered in the centre, the Pompeians were holding, but the fighting was a deal fiercer on their left. Though taking damage and forced back, the Caesarians took a heavy toll among the enemy ships, and even repulsed with loss the enemy following up. Losing 1SP themselves on this wing the Caesarians inflicted 2SP on the enemy.  

Pompeians counter-attack...

Added to that was the SP lost on the Pompeian right. To these losses was added a fourth as their centre also began to give way. In an effort to restore that battle, the weighty left wing renewed their drive to sink or disperse the Caesarian right. To no avail.

Heavy losses on the Caesarian right - the 
outnumbered Caesarians more than holding their own!

Their right and centre driven out of the battle, and unable to recover the initiative, the Pompeians were forced to concede defeat, and to retreat. The battle over, Curio was free to put his troops ashore at Thapsus.

The Pompeian centre and right unable to fight their 
way back into the action (the 5-2 initiative roll 
won by the Caesarians), the battle is lost.

This was an undoubted Caesarian victory. The Caesarian fleet took just 1SP of damage; the Pompeians 4. But as no ships were sunk or destroyed, all SP damage is recoverable.  So, despite their defeat, the Pompeians still have a fleet in being that can match the Caesarian.

Although the damage toll is 4-1 against the 
Pompeians, they have lost no ships destroyed.

It now remains for the Pompeians to make their move. But having rolled a 1 for their campaign activations, there isn't much they can do. Afranius's army will retreat to Tarraco or Ilerda; the Africa fleet will retire to Utica; and the Pompeian fleet is hovering around of the Narbonnensis coast. There is likely to be a land battle at Thapsus as Attius Varus seeks to throw Curio's army into the sea...

To be continued...