Battle of Baza
Battle of Baza (1810) | |||||||
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Part of Peninsular War | |||||||
Joaquín Blake was beaten when he let his corps get spread out. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
French Empire Duchy of Warsaw | Kingdom of Spain | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Édouard Milhaud |
Joaquín Blake | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
3,300 |
9,000 12 guns | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
200 |
1,500 6 guns |
In the Battle of Baza on 4 November 1810 an
After King
Background
On 18 and 19 November 1809, the main Spanish army suffered a catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Ocaña. A week later, a second Spanish army was beaten at the Battle of Alba de Tormes.[1] As the Spanish frantically tried to cobble together a new army to defend the south of Spain, King Joseph Bonaparte decided to invade the province of Andalusia. With his royal treasury nearly empty, the king desired to incorporate the wealthy region into his domain.[2]
In January 1810,
Joseph's army swiftly overran Andalusia during the months of January and February 1810. However, they failed to capture
Battle
In August 1810, Sébastiani's IV Corps appeared before the city of Murcia. The French corps commander found Blake's troops manning powerful defensive works around the city. When he learned that Spanish guerillas had captured two small Andalusian ports and were on the outskirts of Granada, Sébastiani quickly abandoned his attempt to capture Murcia and hurried back to save Granada.[8]
After hovering on the Murcia-Andalusia border for several weeks, Blake advanced on 2 November with 8,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry. The Spanish general occupied Cúllar on the 3rd and continued to advance. Carelessly allowing his corps to become spread out, Blake's advance guard of cavalry and 3,000 infantry camped near Baza on the evening of 3 November. Meanwhile, his 2,000-man rear guard remained near Cúllar while his remaining division was located between the two towns. When he heard of the Spanish incursion, General Milhaud marched his cavalry to Baza, arriving on the morning of the 4th. Milhaud joined the 2,000 French infantry who were already holding Baza.[8]
Deploying on both sides of the main highway, Milhaud charged Blake's cavalry and routed it. As the Spanish horsemen galloped away, they disrupted their own infantry formations. When the French dragoons and Polish lancers bore down on the surprised and shaken Spanish foot soldiers, the men scattered in flight. Milhaud's horsemen cut Blake's vanguard to pieces, cutting down many soldiers and capturing many prisoners. But when the French encountered the second Spanish division drawn up in rough terrain, they refrained from attacking. Blake immediately ordered a retreat to Cúllar.[8]
Result
For the loss of 200 killed and wounded, all in the cavalry, Milhaud's force inflicted 500 killed and wounded on the Spanish. In addition, the French captured 1,000 soldiers. Smith stated that the Spanish lost all 12 guns.
Notes
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 335–336.
- ^ Gates 2002, pp. 206–207.
- ^ Gates 2002, pp. 495–496.
- ^ Gates 2002, pp. 209–210.
- ^ Smith 1998, p. 389.
- ^ Gates 2002, pp. 242–244.
- ^ Smith 1998, p. 348.
- ^ a b c Rickard 2008.
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 348–349.
- ^ Smith 1998, p. 349.
- ^ Gates 2002, p. 245.
- ^ Smith 1998, pp. 354–355.
References
- Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
- Rickard, J. (2008). "Combat of Baza, 4 November 1810". historyofwar.org. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill. ISBN 1853672769.
External links
- Media related to Battle of Baza (1810) at Wikimedia Commons