Battle of Sorauren
| date | July 28 to August 1, 1813 |
|---|---|
| place | Sorauren |
| output | allied victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| 30,000 men | 24,000 men |
| losses | |
|
4,000 dead, wounded and missing |
2,600 dead, wounded and missing |
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Bailén - Roliça - Vimeiro - Saragossa (1808) - Burgos (Gamonal) - Medina de Rioseco - Espinosa - Tudela - Somosierra - Saragossa (1809) - La Coruña - Torres Vedras - Valls - Braga - Oporto - Talavera - Ocaña - Gerona - Ciudad Rodrigo (1810) - Buçaco - Gévora - Barrosa - Badajoz (1811) - Fuentes de Oñoro - La Albuera - Tarragona (1811) - Sagunto (Murviedro) - Ciudad Rodrigo (1812) - Badajoz (1812) - Majadahonda - Salamanca - García Hernández - Venta del Pozo - Vitoria - Sorauren - San Sebastián - Bidassoa
The Battle of Sorauren was a series of skirmishes in the Spanish War of Independence and lasted from July 28 to August 1, 1813. The battleground was near the small town of Sorauren near Pamplona . French forces under the command of Nicolas Jean-de-Dieu Soult , who wanted to liberate the besieged San Sebastian , and Allied (English, Spanish and Portuguese) troops under the command of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, were involved .
background
The Allied forces had been considerably strengthened and were besieging the fortified cities of San Sebastián and Pamplona, both of which were held by the French. The new French commander-in-chief, the Maréchal Soult, marched on Napoleon's orders with three columns through the Pyrenees to break up the siege rings and come to the aid of the trapped. The French had an advantage at first, but the inaccessible terrain and the stiffening resistance of the English and Portuguese hampered their progress more and more.
The main column, about 30,000 strong, was under the direct command of Soult and marched on Sorauren. The vastly outnumbered British initially held back and took up position on a ridge. On July 27, Wellington inspected its lines and encouraged the troops. Reinforcements would arrive the next day.
The battle
Below the ridge of the hill there was a bloody battle, rich in losses. The defenders kept the French at bay until the reinforcements appeared on the scene at noon. The Allied workforce increased to 24,000 men. Wellington put the reinforcements on the right wing of the French, when these troops reached the French lines, Soult ordered the retreat.
Effects
The French suffered losses of 4,000 men, while the English had only 2,600 men killed and wounded.
Two more skirmishes ensued the next day, when the French tried again to get between the forces of Wellington and the besiegers of San Sebastian. At Tolosa , General Rowland Hill succeeded in rejecting this attempt. During the subsequent night retreat, the French lost another 3,500 men.
After his attack momentum was broken, Soult withdrew to French territory and prepared for a British offensive.
10,000 men under the command of Général de division Lubin Martin Vandermaesen threatened to be encircled near Bera , but the British could not do this because of supply problems and Vandermaesen managed to break away.
literature
- David Gates: The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War . Pimlico, London 2002. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6
- Michael Glover: The Peninsular War 1807-1814. Penguin, London 2001. ISBN 0-141-39041-7
- Digby Smith: The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. Greenhill, London 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
Coordinates: 42 ° 52 ′ 33 " N , 1 ° 37 ′ 8" W.