FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE

JULY 1806 FRENCH TURN

Portugal invaded! 40,000 Spanish troops under the command of General Pedro Caro y Sureda, Marquis of La Romana invade Portugal and capture Vimiero, taking 10,000 Portuguese prisoners. The Portuguese population rises up and irregular forces take to the hills to harass the invaders.

In Prussia, Soult seeks to redress Eugene's defeat and attacks Barclay de Tolly. The battle appears to be stalemated when massive Russian reinforcements arrive on the field. The Armée du Oder is smashed in the bloodiest battle to date.

Battle of Vimiero

40,000 Spanish troops under the command of General Pedro Caro y Sureda, Marquis of La Romana invade Portugal and march up the Tagus River toward Lisbon. An abrupt turn northward and a hard night's march brings the Spanish to the city of Vimiero. The garrison is unprepared for the sudden apparance of the Spanish and surrenders after the first assualt on the city's fotifications. Spanish casualties: 5,000. English casualties: 15,000 (10,000 captured).

Battle of Prenzlau

Reacting quickly to Eugene's defeat, Soult masses the bulk of the Armée du Oder (60,000 men) and encounters Barclay's 50,000 advancing men at dawn at the small town of Prenzlau. A meeting engagement turns into a major confrontation with neither side able to gain an advantage. Dispatches from Barclay reach Bagration crossing the Vistula 30 miles away. Bagration's 65,000 men arrive on the field in the late afternoon and immediately enter the action. Too late Soult realizes he is now outnumbered by 2 to 1. With no reserves, he must weather the storm as masses of fresh Russians batter his lines. Bagration leads the assault that breaches the French right. In the fading light, the Russians roll up the French line. The slaughter is immense. Russian cavalry continues to harass the smashed French army late into the evening hours but the bulk of the Russian army is simply too exhausted to pursue the enemy. French casualties: 35,000. Russian casualties: 10,000.

JULY 1806 ALLIED TURN

The Allies energetically pursue Soult across northern Prussia and beat him soundly at the Battle of Robel. Russian advance elements probe as far as Stettin.

English reinforcements rush to Lisbon to counter the Spanish invasion. Provisional juntas spring up in Portuguese cities.

Battle of Stettin

10,000 Russians under Benningsen march past Soult and surprise a contingent of Westphalian cavalry passing through Stettin en route for the Armée du Oder. The cavalry manages to withdraw inside the city but cannot hold the Russians at bay. French casualties: 5,000. Russian casualties: 5,000.

Battle of Robel

Barclay de Tolly (35,000) pursues Soult (25,000) across Pomerania and catches up with the Marshal at the town of Robel. Joining the Russians are 25,000 landwehr under Hohenloe. Soult deploys his exhausted troops but the momentum of the Allies is too much to resist. The French line holds most of the day but Soult is obliged to withdaw as morale begins to crumble under successive Russian blows. Again, Allied cavalry takes a fearful toll on the stragglers as the 10,000 survivors of the Armée du Oder seek the safety of the opposite bank of the Warta River. Allied casualties: 10,000. French casualties: 15,000.