As series of war councils had met to determine the stratergy of the War in Spain for 1707. Marlborough favored going on the offensive, but the cautious Charles III prevailed with a defensive strtatergy that deprived the Earl fo Galway with the Austro-Spanish forces which Charles took to Barcelona. Galway remained in Valencia with a very understrenght army.

Knowing that Berwick was aeaiting reinforcements, Galway advanced. Berwick fell back and Galway took the towns of Yecla nad Montalegra capturing signficant stores.

Berwick moved to Almanza whivch threatened Galway communications. Galway decided to move against Berwick before he could be reinforced.

A note on Sources.

The purpose of these pages is to provide basis for playing the listed battle on a wargames table. It provides enough historical information to place the battle into context. It does not purport to be a learned historical site on the particular battle. Consequently, I have not littered the text with reference notes. The sources are varied and many and will be listed as one large bibliography. 

Some battles' maps are drawn from original maps, others from descriptions matched to modern topographical maps and others speculated upon from vague contemporary descriptions.

I have endeavored to simplify maps where necessary to provide a playable game table.

Again, I repeat, these are not intended as 100% accurate historical renderings of actual battles but are merely to provide the basis for gaming the battle with a close approximation of the terrain and forces involved..
 
 
 

Each square very approximately represents 500 yards. 

The table as shown at 12ft x 6ft is average for the common frontages as given  in the rules, Age of Reason, Gå På  and Captain General.
 

The battalion and squadron frontages of these rules give a groundscale of between 30 and 50 yards per inch. Therefore each square has been averaged to 500 yards.

Almanza is a fortified town on the side of a hill overlooking a flat featureless plain. Across the valley, the plain rises to rough rocky ground. A small stream, the Rio Cea crosses the plain. Each flank of the plain rises 1 level. On the western flank is a small ravine, which is actually not steep or difficult to cross and should present only a cesation cured disoreder with little loss of movement - perhaps movement at 3/4 speed. The rock ground on the south side of the plain, across which the allies must advance, should be disordering terrain.

It is quite likely that none of the battalions, British, Dutch or Portuguese exceeded 300 men and most were at 200- 250 while squadron strength was 80-100.

Fanco Spanish Army
Most accounts give Berwick 52 battalions and 76 squadrons, The total is estimated at 25,000 with the French at 11,900. This would seem to support an average battlion strength of 300 men ad about 100 to the squadron with the Spanish perhaps beeing lower.

For Wargaming Purposes it will be necessary to either use considerablly smaller units, or reduce the number of units used. The simplest method, is to use the battalion strengths as provideded by the rules, typically 12 figures per battalion but cosider each foot unit to be 2 battalions. Squadrons can be used at 2 units per 3 listed as they were closer to full strength. Doing this allows the units to fit in the ground space they actually occupied without burdening the game with many smaller units.

For the Allies, we end up with 21 battalions and 35 squadrons (This gives 322 figures with a figure scale of 50:1)

For the Franco Spanish, this gives us 26 battalions and 48 squadrons.(This gives us 412 figures with a figure scale of 60:1)

The small apparent difference in figure scale is unimportant to the rules or the game, becasue it is the number of maneuver elements on the table that is important, much as it was on a real battlefield. 

Down by a crystal river side,
I fell a weeping;
To see my brother soldier dear,
Upon the ground lie bleeding.

It was from the Castle of Vino,
We marched on Easter Sunday;
And the battle of Almanza,
Was fought on Easter Monday.

Full twenty miles we marched that day
Without one drop of water;
Till we poor souls were almost spent,
Before the bloody slaughter.

Over the plain we marched along,
All in the line of battle;
To the beat of drums and colours fly
And thundering cannons' rattle.

Brave Gallaway, our General,
Cried, ' Fight on! while you may;
Fight on! brave-hearted Englishmen,
You're one to five this day.

'Hold back ! nor make the first attack
'Tis what they do desire:
But when you see my sword I draw,
Let each platoon give fire.'

We had not marched some paces three,
Before the small shot flew like thund
Hoping that we should get the day,
And likewise all the plunder.

But the Dutch fell on with sword in h
And that was their desire;
Thirty-five squadrons of Portuguese,
They ran and neUer gave fire.

The Duke of Berwick, as I have been t
He gave it out in orders,
That if the army should be broke,
To give the English quarters.

'Be kind unto my countrymen,
For that is my desire;
With the Portuguese do as you please,
For they will soon retire.'

Now to conclude and make an end
Of this my dismal story
One hundred thousand fighting men
Have died for England's glory.

Let no brave soldier be dismayed
For losing of a battle;
We have more forces coming on
Will make Jack Frenchman rattle.