Battle of Almonacid
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Battle of Almonacid | |||||||
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Part of the Peninsular War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
France Duchy of Warsaw | Spain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Horace Sébastiani | Francisco Javier Venegas | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
28,797[2] | 28,107[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
2,400[3][1] |
3,300-3,500 killed & wounded 2,000 captured 20-21 guns lost Total: 5,500[3][1] |
The Battle of Almonacid was fought on 11 August 1809 during the
Background
The Spanish campaign in late 1809 started with the Battle of Talavera.
Prelude
After the defeat at Talavera, King Joseph retreated with his French army to the vicinity of Toledo and ordered General Sébastiani to attack the portion of the Spanish La Mancha army threatening Madrid under the command of Venegas at Aranjuez. On 5 August, however, due in large part to the hastiness of the attack and the limited number of
Venegas' Spanish force consisted of 22,000 infantry, more than 3,000 horses and 29 pieces of artillery, and was organized in five divisions commanded respectively by
The Spanish commander, after hearing the opinion of the other generals, who agreed with him despite being aware of the retreat of the allied army from
The La Mancha army hastily positioned itself in front of Almonacid and on both sides in the following formation: Vigodet's division, a little behind, on the far right, with much of the cavalry; continuing to the left, Castejón's division was established on the Utrera hill, Zerain's division beside it covering the Santo hill, and Lacy's division closer at the Guazalate stream; the 3rd division, Girón's, acting as reserve, was spread between the heights of Cerrojones, on the extreme left and the key to the entire line of battle, and the Cerro de la Cruz or Castillo hill, named for the castle ruins on its summit.
Battle
First attacks
After intense artillery fire, returned in kind by the Spaniards,
Start of the battle
The 4th division was heavily attacked by numerous enemy artillery and could only respond with one horsedrawn battery. Their chief Lieutenant-Colonel, captain of the Artillery, Jose Chacón, soon fell mortally wounded and died from these injuries on 13 August in
Vigodet's division intervened in time to prevent an immediate and disastrous defeat, speedily and skilfully carrying out a change of front, protected by lively fire from the Spanish guns. This manoeuvre contained the pursuit of the disorganised forces of the centre and also restored order on the left, where the Polish and German divisions threatened to surround the line completely and to cut off its retreat. There the 2nd division mounted renewed resistance to the advance of the victors, who then tried everywhere to break through this unexpected obstacle that was preventing them making the most of their victory. A large mass of Milhaud's much-feared dragoons charged towards the left, and in that last period of the battle the troops of Vigodet covered themselves in glory. All fought with courage and self-sacrifice: the artillery, firing during withdrawal, covering with shrapnel the heads of the imperial columns; the cavalry, formed by riders of different Corps that went about reuniting the dispersed troops, its steadfastness impressing the very top ranks of the enemy; and the infantry remaining imperturbable amidst the intense fire and the prevailing confusion and disorder. A squad of grenadiers of the Provincial of Ronda sent by Lieutenant Antonio Espinosa, approaching the enemy horsemen with fixed bayonets, was able to stop them and even to pull away a cannon, which was spiked by their leader. The second lieutenant of artillery, Juan Montenegro, also managed to save a gun of his battery, sacrificing himself for his comrades-in-arms. Only the unfortunate accident of an explosion among the ammunition carts, frightening the horses, produced some disorder of which the enemy took advantage, harassing and hounding more closely on the final ascents, to stab a few soldiers and to take some of the guns.
End of the battle
The French had already taken 2,500 losses and did not continue active pursuit beyond
Aftermath
The Spanish campaign in late 1809 proceeded with the second Madrid offensive in the Battle of Tamames.
Legacy
To commemorate this military feat, a royal decree of 30 May 1816 created a military medal with the following inscription in the centre: "From
Notes
- ^ a b c Bodart 1908, p. 411.
- ^ a b Herrero Gimenez 2023, p. 103.
- ^ a b c Gates 2001, p. 190.
- ^ Esdaile 2003, p. 211.
- ^ Lipscombe 2014, pp. 138–140.
- ^ (in Spanish). Isabel Sánchez, José Luis. "Diego Martín Ballesteros". Diccionario Biográfico electrónico (DB~e). Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
References
- Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- Esdaile, Charles J. (2003). The Peninsular War. Palgrave MacMillan. ISBN 9781403962317. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- Gates, David (2001). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81083-2.
- Herrero Gimenez, J. J. (2023). The Peninsular War: The Spanish Perspective. Yorkshire: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-39904-785-2.
- Lipscombe, Colonel Nick (2014). The Peninsular War Atlas. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-0773-1.
Further reading
- Napier, William (1828a). History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France. Vol. I. London : T. & W. Boone. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- Napier, William (1828b). History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France. Vol. II. London : T. & W. Boone. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- Napier, William (1828c). History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France. Vol. III. London : T. & W. Boone. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
External links
- Media related to Battle of Almonacid at Wikimedia Commons
Preceded by Battle of Ölper (1809) |
Napoleonic Wars Battle of Almonacid |
Succeeded by Battle of Tamames |